lamberts-lost-tooth
12-03-2007, 07:58 AM
Steelers remain work in progress
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 3, 2007
What we have here is a failure to acknowledge the obvious.
The Steelers aren't who we thought they were.
At 9-3, the Steelers have far exceeded the expectations that most everyone outside the organization had for first-year coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers not making the playoffs now would be about as big of an upset as the odds were for them reaching the postseason prior to the start of the season.
The unknown factor was how a team that finished 8-8 a year after winning the Super Bowl would respond to a new coach with no track record.
After all, Tomlin was too young, too unproven.
To steal one of Tomlin's favorite lines, the Steelers are what they put on tape.
They're the class of the AFC North, a division they weren't expected to win. Now that the Steelers improved to 5-0 in the division following Sunday night's 24-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field there's talk that the division isn't what we thought it was.
You can't have it both ways. You can't say in the preseason that the Steelers weren't good enough to win the division, then decide the division is weak once the season gets underway.
Baltimore is down, Cleveland is up, and Cincinnati is Cincinnati.
The Steelers aren't a great team, but Tomlin never said that they were.
Sure, the Steelers have their flaws. Their three losses have come against inferior opponents -- games they should have won but failed to perform to their potential. That's Tomlin's responsibility.
Great teams come to play every week.
Remember, these Steelers remain a work in progress, making their 9-3 record even more impressive.
Legitimate concerns remain about the Steelers' offensive line and inconsistent special teams play. The offense -- which committed four turnovers against Cincinnati but was bailed out repeatedly by the defense -- continues to play in spurts. Even the Steelers' top-rated defense can be exposed against the right gameplan.
There are no perfect teams in the NFL, not even the almighty New England Patriots, who hung on to barely defeat the Philadelphia Eagles a week ago.
Imagine that. Tom Brady and Co. struggling against a weaker opponent. Just like the Steelers.
Last night against Cincinnati, the Steelers stifled one of the league's most potent offenses in continuing to distance themselves from the rest of the division.
They lead second-place Cleveland by two games and own the tie-breaker against the Browns.
It was believed that the Bengals, with their explosive three-receiver sets, could poke holes in the Steelers' secondary. Didn't happen.
The Bengals marched with surprising ease to a touchdown on their opening drive. But the Steelers frustrated the league's No. 3 passing attack most of the night. This from a defense that ranked No. 20 against the pass in 2006.
No, the Steelers aren't who we thought they were.
Right now, they're the best 9-3 team they can be.
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, December 3, 2007
What we have here is a failure to acknowledge the obvious.
The Steelers aren't who we thought they were.
At 9-3, the Steelers have far exceeded the expectations that most everyone outside the organization had for first-year coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers not making the playoffs now would be about as big of an upset as the odds were for them reaching the postseason prior to the start of the season.
The unknown factor was how a team that finished 8-8 a year after winning the Super Bowl would respond to a new coach with no track record.
After all, Tomlin was too young, too unproven.
To steal one of Tomlin's favorite lines, the Steelers are what they put on tape.
They're the class of the AFC North, a division they weren't expected to win. Now that the Steelers improved to 5-0 in the division following Sunday night's 24-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field there's talk that the division isn't what we thought it was.
You can't have it both ways. You can't say in the preseason that the Steelers weren't good enough to win the division, then decide the division is weak once the season gets underway.
Baltimore is down, Cleveland is up, and Cincinnati is Cincinnati.
The Steelers aren't a great team, but Tomlin never said that they were.
Sure, the Steelers have their flaws. Their three losses have come against inferior opponents -- games they should have won but failed to perform to their potential. That's Tomlin's responsibility.
Great teams come to play every week.
Remember, these Steelers remain a work in progress, making their 9-3 record even more impressive.
Legitimate concerns remain about the Steelers' offensive line and inconsistent special teams play. The offense -- which committed four turnovers against Cincinnati but was bailed out repeatedly by the defense -- continues to play in spurts. Even the Steelers' top-rated defense can be exposed against the right gameplan.
There are no perfect teams in the NFL, not even the almighty New England Patriots, who hung on to barely defeat the Philadelphia Eagles a week ago.
Imagine that. Tom Brady and Co. struggling against a weaker opponent. Just like the Steelers.
Last night against Cincinnati, the Steelers stifled one of the league's most potent offenses in continuing to distance themselves from the rest of the division.
They lead second-place Cleveland by two games and own the tie-breaker against the Browns.
It was believed that the Bengals, with their explosive three-receiver sets, could poke holes in the Steelers' secondary. Didn't happen.
The Bengals marched with surprising ease to a touchdown on their opening drive. But the Steelers frustrated the league's No. 3 passing attack most of the night. This from a defense that ranked No. 20 against the pass in 2006.
No, the Steelers aren't who we thought they were.
Right now, they're the best 9-3 team they can be.