Who are the Pittsburgh Steelers? Are they the team that beat the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts? Or are they the team that barely beat the New York Jets and lost to the Cincinnati Bengals?
Former Steelers OL Trai Essex isn’t sure. All he knows is that the Steelers aren’t consistent at all. And in a year with so many perennial contenders in the AFC struggling, that’s a big disappointment.
“This team is so Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde,” Essex said Monday on The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan. “It’s so frustrating to watch as a fan, because I don’t see the potential. We’re racing to mediocrity once again. And it sucks being a fan knowing that this year, there’s so much parity in the NFL, it feels like anybody could take it. But I don’t feel like we’re one of them right now.”
Essex’s characterization of the Steelers as the famous literary character is apt. One week, the Steelers’ offense looks quite capable. Next, it can’t get out of its own way, as against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. It’s enough to make people like Steve Palazzolo wonder if QB Aaron Rodgers is starting to succumb to Father Time.
And then there’s the defense. The Cincinnati Bengals and QB Joe Flacco carved the unit up, as did the lowly Jets back in Week 1. But then, the Steelers force multiple turnovers and hunt the quarterback with no regard for human life. They did that against the Patriots and the Colts in those big wins.
As for the parity, this entire NFL season feels like it’s been turned upside down, at least in the AFC. The Kansas City Chiefs are 5-4 with losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Chargers, and the Buffalo Bills. They currently sit third in the AFC West.
And those Bills who beat the Chiefs? They just lost 30-13 to the Miami Dolphins to fall to 6-3 and second in the AFC East behind the Patriots. And in the AFC North? The Steelers, at 5-4, still lead the division, thanks in part to the Baltimore Ravens’ incredibly bad start to the season.
The Steelers are staring a fantastic opportunity in the face and have been for weeks. But it feels like this season is going to end the very same way all seasons have recently: a first-round exit in the playoffs. That’s the definition of mediocrity for this organization.
The Steelers should be approaching each game methodically, like Dr. Jekyll. They should be analyzing their opponents and making the necessary adjustments to keep opposing offenses in check while exploiting holes in defenses.
Instead, the Steelers seem a lot more like Mr. Hyde, rampaging mindlessly while missing the very things that could make them successful. And unless they find a cure for that constant flip-flopping, they’re just running a 17-game marathon toward mediocrity.
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