Player: P Corliss Waitman
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: While many factors contributed to the Steelers’ loss, Corliss Waitman’s poor punting was the most consistent problem. He punted three times, officially, having had to redo his first punt. Every single one of his punts were bad, to the point where they generated memes recalling Pressey Harvin III. Otherwise in the midst of his best statistical season, he had an awful game in Chicago.
I’m sure not a lot of people are gnashing their teeth angry about Corliss Waitman today. But if one Steelers player was consistently bad in yesterday’s loss to the Bears, it was him. Okay, he did fine as a holder on Christ Boswell’s four extra points, I’ll grant him that. But when it came to his primary job, he had maybe the worst game of his career.
The first time Waitman punted, he boomed a 54-yarder down to the 10-yard line. A (perhaps questionable) penalty on the Steelers, however, forced a redo. His second punt? It went just 34 yards, out of bounds at Chicago’s 40-yard line. And the Bears scored a touchdown five plays later.
The Steelers proceeded to go three and out on their next drive, calling Corliss Waitman up to bat again. This time, kicking from his own 34, he got off just a 39-yard punt, fair caught at the 27. Finally, and most crucially, he punted with the Steelers down three points. They stalled at their own 23, and Mike Tomlin decided to punt with two minutes to play.
And what did he get out of his punter? Waitman mustered just a 33-yarder, down to Chicago’s 44-yard line. Practically at midfield, in a three-point game with two minutes to play. The defense stepped up and got the ball back, but with no help from their punter.
With regular season underway and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of thatchange the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency andthe 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing . What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
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