Regardless of being one of the traditionally profitable franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers have misplaced their means. It’s been a very long time since they’ve tasted a playoff win, and former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks that getting again to their successful methods — when it actually issues — is weighing on everybody within the constructing.
“All people’s gotta be feeling the no-playoff-win strain,” Roethlisberger stated Tuesday on his Footbahlin podcast. “Okay, cool, we’re over .500. Whoopdy-doo now. As a lot as [Mike Tomlin] can act like that’s not necessary, that is a crucial factor. It’s not a nasty factor, however successful a playoff sport is extra necessary. And clearly attending to a Tremendous Bowl. I simply suppose that the strain is type of being felt.”
Pittsburgh hasn’t gained a playoff sport since beating the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in the course of the 2016 season. That was practically a decade in the past. Roethlisberger himself misplaced four-straight playoff video games, together with ones to the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and Chiefs.
Issues haven’t gotten any higher since he retired. Pittsburgh’s managed to be even much less aggressive within the postseason with blowout losses to the Buffalo Payments and Baltimore Ravens in back-to-back years.
That playoff failure is one thing the Steelers hope is completely different this time round. Therefore, an offseason stuffed with dramatic modifications.
“I believe it’s like, ‘Okay, we wanna try to get one for a few of these older guys on protection.’ I really feel like there’s gotta be some strain, and it’s like, ‘Pay attention, we’re all-in,’” Roethlisberger stated. “We’re DK Metcalf. We’re Aaron Rodgers, and [Jalen] Ramsey.”
After dropping six consecutive playoff video games, it’s pure for a workforce to shake issues up. Metcalf replaces George Pickens, whom the Steelers knew they couldn’t rely on going ahead. Pittsburgh hopes Aaron Rodgers brings the expertise, processing and arm expertise wanted to take it to the subsequent stage within the playoffs. And the Steelers ditched Minkah Fitzpatrick, a part of a secondary with communication points final season, bringing in a extra versatile defensive again in Jalen Ramsey.
Will these additions truly repay? Solely time will inform. It’s certainly greater than only a coincidence that the Steelers are making main modifications after not successful a playoff sport for practically a decade. It might be naive to suppose they aren’t actually feeling the strain, as Roethlisberger suggests.
