The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t disappointing. They’re simply not good enough to be any better, beginning with their quarterback, Ben Roethilsberger, who has no chance to succeed under these conditions, and moving onto the non-existent offensive line which creates a similar problem for the running game.

The Steelers are 0-3 for the first time in over a decade, and there doesn’t seem to be anything that’s going to keep them from continuing to slide down the power rankings of the NFL and the general hierarchy this season in the AFC North. Even the Cleveland Browns have a win, because not everything about their team and especially the offense is currently dysfunctional.

The two men in the eye of the storm right now are Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger. Tomlin has tried to change the mood after the disastrous first two weeks, after which the Steelers had a total of 19 points, but the 40-23 loss to the Chicago Bears is another bitter pill to swallow, making him realize that having the name “Steelers” doesn’t make you automatically a good team.

I’m not going to pat them on the back for sticking together, for continuing to work or for being mentally tough. I expect that from them anyway. Obviously there were some positives, but way too much negative to be victorious, and that’s what we come in here to do is win. No stones will be left unturned, because we have to put it together and put it together fast.

Ben Roethlisberger turned the ball over four times – two interceptions, two fumbles. That makes it 8 turnovers for him this season, while throwing four touchdown passes, as he’s completely abandoned any attempt to make something happen with his legs. The offensive line isn’t good enough anyway, and Roethlisberger himself is no longer the running quarterback he used to be.

The worrying thing about the loss is that the Steelers seem to be clinging on to the hope that they’re 23 points over three quarters mean that this ship can be turned around if it gets more time. The Bears didn’t have to be as intense as they were in the beginning once they had a firm grip on the game, and despite the lead falling down to 11, the Steelers were never really close to winning the game, because neither side of the team is good enough to cover for the other’s mistakes.

The running game got 80 yards, almost equal to their total from their first two games? It’s hard to see them doing any better unless the worst run defense in the league appears before them, as an offensive line who can create holes is needed. None of that exists for the Steelers, who don’t have a good enough Roethlisberger to rely on when everything crumbles around him.

I honestly thought the two fumbles they made were great plays. Sometimes they hit the ball just right and it pops out, which is unfortunate. I can’t turn the ball over, plain and simple. We are frustrated and disappointed, but we are not going to lose our confidence. It’s a deep hole and it’s getting deeper, but we’re not going to quit.

No one expects the Steelers to announce they’ve given up on the season, but it’s hard to believe a team that has looked so bad going down 0-3 through the first phase of the NFL season has enough to pick it up. New players can’t be brought, and when you survey the roster on both sides of the ball, there just isn’t enough talent to turn this ship around simply due to talking it over and staying together through adversity.

Every few years, even the best of franchises have to regroup and maybe even rebuild if the problem is too big to handle. The Pittsburgh Steelers thought their culture and program was strong enough to avoid that stage, but Ben Roethilsberger has been dodging bullets for the last couple of years, and the defense can no longer keep covering a dysfunctional offense’s mistakes, keeping the Steelers somehow in contention.

Images: Source