The Pittsburgh Steelers have a 1-1 record through two weeks, but this doesn’t feel like the team we expected to see. Instead of a stifling defense and dominance in the trenches and on the ground, we have had to rely on an elderly Aaron Rodgers to carry this team.
We just saw against the Seahawks, this model won’t work.
There are plenty of people to blame right now for this bad start. The week one high-scoring affair was a fun but concerning watch. Ideally, you make adjustments to counter a Seahawks team that looked perfectly beatable.
Instead, this was the same team as a week before, sans the passing game being far worse. Unsurprisingly, Pittsburgh lost this game.
However, one core name in the coaching staff can be circled as a major problem that should have been fixed in the offseason. Plenty of fans were calling for his head, yet the Steelers decided to keep him for another season. This looks like a colossal mistake right now.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should have fired offensive line coach Pat Meyer
Pat Meyer was an underwhelming offensive line coach hire when it was announced. Bouncing around the league, his units were never much above average. However, the Steelers entrusted him with developing their next great offensive line.
That hasn’t materialized. Despite heavy investments through both free agency and the draft, this unit has been playing some horrendous football.
Broderick Jones is the easy name to pick on. His blunders have been consistent, and while he can match those with some good reps, his overall body of work is inconsistent and bad.
He isn’t the only issue right now. Troy Fautanu looked pretty mediocre through two games. Veteran Isaac Secumalo has completely faded and may be playing his last season in the league. Meanwhile, Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick haven’t taken any steps forward after their rookie season.
Two first-round picks, a second and fourth-round pick, as well as a, at the time of the contract, highly paid guard, and this unit is falling apart. Pass rushers are getting home, while the run blocking is atrocious.
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Meyer had plenty of critics calling for him to be fired (myself included) during this past offseason. Instead, he became a sitting duck because of this franchise's weird unwillingness to fire coaches.
Meyer had one year left on his contract. Instead of firing him in 2025, they will just opt not to renew his contract in 2026.
They have gone down this path time in and time out. Heck, we even saw it with Matt Canada, although the team wisely decided to cut ties with him mid-way through another putrid season. This team doesn’t fire coaches, and once again, it is costing them.
Jones is likely playing his way into a backup role next year. Offensive tackle will once again be a top priority. Seumalo will also be gone, meaning a new guard will be needed.
You could have given a new coach the chance to start molding these players this year. Instead, you stayed put with one with a track record of mediocrity. It is costing the Steelers now, as their blocking has been putrid.
The long-term ramifications are even worse, as this group will be further behind in development and struggling to get caught up. Despite heavy investments in this room, we may need another reset.
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