That...Just...Happened - Bengals - 20 / Steelers - 10

Yeah...it was THAT painful to watch too...

The season of frustration continues for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we've only gotten through 2 games.  I, personally, am not sure if my 30 year old body can tolerate 14 more games with this team.  However, I am a fan...some would say a "die hard" fan, and with that comes the never wavering support for the black n' gold.  I will be with these guys every week of the season...NO QUESTIONS ASKED.  There was alot to take away from the Bengals game, and I am going to try REALLY hard to find some positives to take away...I'm still searching, so be patient!  The top 5 storylines from the game...Lets get things started, shall we?


- Key Moments = Key Failures - Remember when the Steelers thrived on that crucial moment in games?  Whether it was a timely turnover, or a clutch pass, the Steelers made a living off of winning games when the game was on the line.  This team, or should I say the past 2-3 years, has done the complete opposite.  There are NO splash plays by the defense, and the offense can't do anything besides complete 5-10 yard passes once in a blue moon.  The key moments where Steelers fans used to sit up in their seat and say "here we go...something is about to go down..." has now been replaced with "well, now we are screwed."  Only the Steelers performing in the clutch will change that, and that seems pretty bleak right about now.

- Offense Cannot Let ONE Mistake Derail Them - Flash back to the week 1 loss to the Titans.  The Steelers were driving down the field after the Titans spotted them 2 points...ready to punch it in, and Isaac Redman fumbled the ball into the endzone for the Titans to recover.  Offense was completely derailed for the remainder of the game.  Now lets look at last night.  The Steelers were driving, and hit David Paulson for a big gainer and he fumbles the ball.  Play gets overturned and the Steelers offense isn't the same for the duration of the game.  The point is this...the Steelers cannot let one mistake derail the entire game.  I realize this is a team that doesn't have many opportunities currently to score points, and thats why these mistakes are coming off as looking as derailing the team, but they are doing just that. 

- Defense Isn't Off the Hook - One play sticks out to me after the game last night.  Ben Roethlisberger had just thrown an INT and the Bengals were faced with a 3rd and 7.  The Bengals RAN THE BALL and were able to pick up the first down.  This isn't about them running a screen or a great play call when the Steelers had their sub packages in...no this was about the Bengals imposing their will on the Steelers' run defense.  It was something that you NEVER used to see, but then again I have a feeling that we are going to have to get used to alot of things that we NEVER used to see before...like starting 0-2 for the 1st time since 2002.

- Game Management / Play Calling / Morons at the Helm - This could be the biggest area of concern for the Steelers, and it doesn't directly mean X's and O's are the issue.  Game management is as bad as ever.  Perfect example.  The Steelers complete a big pass to David Paulson and he fumbles (I already talked about this earlier)...Roethlisberger is trying to get the troops to the line to run a play so that it cannot be reviewed.  Rather than the Steelers keeping their personnel on the field and just clocking the ball...the sideline decided to substitute.  Even Jon Gruden on the ESPN broadcast said "I can't believe the Steelers are trying to substitute here..." and it not only lost the Steelers yardage, but a posession, and eventually the TD that came after the said turnover.  Its the same reason why in Week 1 when they didn't have the correct personnel on the field, instead of taking a Timeout they decided to put a tight end on the field at halfback and that resulted in a rushed play that equated to...you guessed it...a turnover.  From the coaching staff to the players making decisions on the field...all have been pathetic.

- Even at 0-2 This Season Isn't Over - Save the best for last right?  Well, the Steelers find themselves in quite a hole...a hole they haven't dug since 2002.  That year was the end of the Kordell Stewart era and the beginning of the Tommy "Gun" Maddox era.  That year started rough, but the team started to click and they made the playoffs at 10-5-1 (we all remember that crazy tie game against the Falcons, right?).  Do I think that will happen now?  Its hard for me to even try to say yes at this point, but in the NFL, anything is possible.  In 2005, NO ONE had won a Superbowl as a 6th seed...and the Steelers broke that mold.  The Steelers, and the fan base, need to just take each game one at a time.  At face value.  Next week is the Bears on Sunday Night Football.  If they can win that game, things might be a little brighter before they travel across the pond to play the Vikings in London.  Hey...it might be bleak, but it isn't pitch black dark...yet.