IN THE BATTLE OF PENNSYLVANIA, PHILLY CAME OUT ON TOP, 27-13, DEC. 15, IN PHILADELPHIA OVER THE STEELERS. (PHOTOS BY MARLON MARTIN)
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” (Albert Einstein)
In December of the 2023 NFL season, the postseason hopes of the Pittsburgh Steelers were hanging by a thread and that may be the understatement of the new millennium.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin was dealing with a pseudo-number one narcissistic and self-centered draft pick as their starting QB.
At that point, you could throw spoons and forks into the air to determine who the second or third-string quarterback was going to be because the talent level of the three individuals competing was almost equal and the process of determining who would sit in the first chair was a crap shoot at best. And to top off the royal mess, the Steelers had hired an offensive coordinator who seemed as if he had just recently been promoted from the hallowed ranks of high school football.
Fast forward to 2024. Is it possible that the Steelers have again laid an egg by reaching down into the bottom of the barrel offensive coordinators again by hiring another bust to run their offense? This new hire is supposedly a bona fide, qualified, offensive guru, with previous NFL offensive coordinator experience as well as NFL head coaching experience under his belt. Does he even wear a belt?
Instead of having to plan his offensive strategy around “The Three Stooges” in 2024, the present OC, oh I forgot to mention his name, is Arthur Smith.
His offensive strategy is supposed to represent a time of possession nightmare for opposing teams and defenses. Instead, his offensive strategy turned into a nightmare for the defense of the Steelers. In their recent loss against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 15, the Steelers defense was on the field approximately 40 minutes out of a 60-minute game.
That, my friends, is a recipe for any defense to collapse. It also presented the defense of the Eagles with an opportunity to rest and make in-game adjustments, while preparing to re-enter the game to face a Steelers offense that was incompetent, ineffective and redundant. The glaring negative associated with a talented Pittsburgh Steelers defense was they would be worn down and worn out by the time that the contest reached the fourth quarter, far too fatigued to stop the offensive onslaught of the team from the City of Brotherly Love.
THE STEELERS’ JAMES PIERRE AMONG THOSE TACKLING PHILADELPHIA’S COOPER DEJEAN. THE EAGLES WON, 27-13, DEC. 15. (PHOTO BY MARLON MARTIN)
Arthur Smith is armed with two better QBs as well as an above-average group of players on offense and is supposed to be the offensive guru capable of fixing the offensive woes of the Steelers. After the abysmal play-calling of Smith during the Eagles game, I had a historical flashback to WWII. During the war, the Steelers and the Eagles did not field enough players for two NFL rosters. In 1943, they chose to combine both the Steelers and the Eagles and formed “The Steagles” because many young men were off fighting in WWII.
During the temporary merger, there were 6 Steelers players and 16 Eagles players.
Arthur Smith called a frightening game against the Eagles. It appeared as if the Steelers had 6 players on offense and the Eagles had 16 players on defense. It also appeared as if the “Steagles” had access to the Steelers playbook just like they did in the good ole days.
THE STEELERS’ T.J. WATT CONVERGES ON PHILADELPHIA QUARTERBACK JALEN HURTS. (PHOTO BY MARLON MARTIN)
Head Coach Mike Tomlin as always is willing to take one for the team, and he had this to say after the game: “I just told the team in there tonight, man, we didn’t coach as well as we’d like and we didn’t play as well as we’d like. I mean, it’s just such a fine line at this level.”
It’s not Mike Tomlin’s fault that Arthur Smith has insisted on riding running back Najee Harris until at the most inopportune occasion. The fumble by Harris was the final nail in the coffin of defeat for the Steelers. Smith has also displayed an obvious loyalty to a few select players that he transported with him from the Peach State. What does Arthur Smith have against Jaylen Warren? Warren fumbled once this season against the Washington Commanders when the ball was ripped out after a questionable non-whistle. Cordarelle Patterson has fumbled once against the Cleveland Browns. Najee Harris might have what could turn out to be the most costly fumble of the 2024 season against the Eagles and he wasn’t even touched, he just dropped the ball. Harris explained it this way: “I took my eyes off it. I was looking at the hole instead of securing the football and fumbled it.”
Unforced errors may be unforgivable. However, do you even think that Najee Harris is even remotely pulling for Jaylen Warren to succeed, regardless of whether the Steelers win or lose? Of course he isn’t and if you don’t believe me, please don’t force me to request former Pittsburgh Police Homicide Detective Stacey Hawthorne to bring out her Pollyanna Polygraph machine.
Let’s see what running back suffers the most severe penalty and who is benched the longest for fumbling the football. Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, Elton John or the Tooth Fairy, I don’t care who it is, better pull Arthur Smith off to the side. However, if he forces them to address him publicly, then so be it. But he must stop the decisions based on favoritism and nepotism and not performances because if he does not, the Steelers’ 2024 season will end very, very, very prematurely because of his shortsightedness and pigheadedness. The Steelers are set to face the Ravens at M&T Stadium in Baltimore on Dec. 21. And if the offensive game plan of Arthur Smith mirrors the game plan that he put forth that resulted in the Steelers’ 27-13 loss to the Eagles, Steelers fans should expect a similar result. If the offense performs the same way again and expects a different result, then they are USDA-certified and sanctified cray cray. And you don’t have to be Albert Einstein to figure that out.
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