Steelers' inexcusable effort in the playoffs is starting to make sense following damning report from Pittsburgh insider
The Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens looked a lot like the Super Bowl just did. Only, the stakes weren't nearly as high, and the Kansas City Chiefs didn't play like their dog just died out of the gate. Because that's exactly what it looked like from Pittsburgh, and now we may have […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens looked a lot like the Super Bowl just did.
Only, the stakes weren't nearly as high, and the Kansas City Chiefs didn't play like their dog just died out of the gate.
Because that's exactly what it looked like from Pittsburgh, and now we may have reasoning as to why…
Steelers insider says players aren't bought into coaching staff
I think a big part of it [players lack of effort in playoffs] is that many of the players don't believe or fully buy into their offensive and defensive systems. Until that changes, you're not going to see anyone on that team playing with swagger.
– Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
The biggest shock about the end of the Steelers' season wasn't that they lost five straight and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs again. It was the cultural issues that started to arise in that very game against Baltimore.
Star free agent signing Patrick Queen came out and said he had the flu after the game as a reason for his visible lack of effort. RBs like Najee Harris and Cordarelle Patterson were openly taking shots at the coaching staff and a rookie even refused to play in the game.
That all speaks to what Fittipaldo is saying when he voices that players aren't bought in. It's concrete evidence that the team lacks or is at the very least, starting to see an erosion of championship-level DNA and mettle.
Not to mention, when Mike Tomlin and Art Rooney said there would be coaching staff changes, many didn't believe it was going to mean the departure of the two most promising up-and-coming assistants on the staff, and probably the only guys players believed in.
So maybe it was just a long year, and that stretch of three games in 10 days against the two Super Bowl teams and the Ravens was the straw that broke the camels back for 2024.
Or maybe it was the beginning of the end in Pittsburgh.
Time will tell which is which.
