Identifying the Flaws: Analyzing the Pittsburgh Steelers and their Troublesome Roster

2023-10-18 14:52:28

The Steelers face a similar team Sunday. The Los Angeles Rams are meh but have a fistful of dangerous players, just like the Steelers.

But who’s going to cover Rams receiver Cooper Kupp? Who’s going to block Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald? The Rams have a better coach and better quarterback. The Steelers are flying to the West Coast for the game. Advantage, Rams.

The Steelers have a lot wrong with them, and it goes beyond offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. got hurt. Rookie Broderick Jones deputized and played better than Moore had been. Jones was the Steelers’ first-round pick this year.

Yet, if Moore is healthy, it sounds like he’s being reinstated as the starter. Why?

Jones’ upside is higher. Let him build on that. He’s also the better player right now. Moore has experience, but much of it is bad.

Rookie Joey Porter Jr. has been the Steelers’ best cornerback, which is akin to being the smartest man in prison. He was the first pick in the second round, 32nd overall, the equivalent of a first-round pick.

But Porter must settle for sub packages behind has-been Patrick Peterson and never-was Levi Wallace. Why?

The rap on Porter is that he’s an inadequate tackler. But that’s also true regarding Peterson and Wallace. Anyway, the job of a cornerback isn’t to tackle. Deion Sanders never did it. A cornerback’s main duty is to cover. Porter can do that. Porter has the potential to erase one side of the field, like he did at Penn State. The Steelers need to better explore that potential. Sooner, not later.

But, hey … you’ve got to break in the rookies slowly. Even when evidence dictates that they’re the better players right now.

It’s a Steelers tradition. Just like not winning playoff games.

We don’t hear much raving regarding “the Khan artist” lately. A lot of second-year GM Omar Khan’s acquisitions have soiled the bed.

Guard Isaac Seumalo has been disappointing. Perhaps he’s only good when he’s surrounded by other great lineman on a team with Jalen Hurts at quarterback, as was the case at Philadelphia.

Peterson stinks. At 33, Peterson has charm, wit, wisdom and veteran savvy. He just doesn’t have the goods. He can’t keep up. He’s an assistant coach, not a player.

You can flip over receiver Allen Robinson, 30. He’s done on this side.

So much for “the Khan artist.”

The Steelers aren’t very good because they have a lot of players who aren’t very good.

Center Mason Cole, tackle Chuks Okorafor, all the inside ’backers, all the defensive backs except Porter and Minkah Fitzpatrick — they’re all mediocre or worse.

Then there’s fringe hack Gunner Olszewski, who has touched the ball four times this season. Three times it’s ended in disaster: two fumbles and his infamous kickoff-return toe-tap on the sideline vs. Cleveland.

Yet Olszewski keeps getting a paycheck, a helmet and on the field.

Eliminate accountability and you minimize the possibility of overachieving. Everybody’s too comfortable.

The Steelers have a lot wrong with them.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming, which is nonstop bashing of Canada. Continue to disregard that quarterback Kenny Pickett has not performed anywhere close to his first-round pedigree. Ignore the failings of head coach Mike Tomlin, too.

But the Steelers are 3-2. They might easily triumph at Los Angeles. They play three winnable home games following that.

That’s the beauty of all this. The stupidity, too.

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