The past week has been marked by intense discussions in Pittsburgh Steelers coverage, particularly concerning Kenny Pickett’s surprising absence in the game against Seattle. Opinions on this matter were passionate and diverse, and various perspectives are addressed in this week’s installment of “U mad, bro?” It seems that the festive holiday spirit did not extend into the beginning of 2024.
Well, David, sports writers typically excel at constructing a coherent argument and presenting a well-structured opinion. Unfortunately, your email lacked clarity in terms of specifying which column you are addressing or articulating the particular opinion that has triggered your dissatisfaction. It seems like you opted for a written tantrum without providing specific details.
It feels akin to a 6-year-old sticking their tongue out and then running away when you log in to send this message.
If you have specific points of disagreement or areas where you believe I made errors, please feel free to share them in your response. Until then, best of luck with your feature story on NASA, and do let me know when it gets published—I’d be interested in reading it.
Additionally, I noticed some inconsistency in your use of double periods, double commas, and ellipses. Perhaps that’s the norm in space-travel writing; however, it created some confusion while I was reading your email.
Um, I mean, “your email.”
Perhaps David took issue with this particular column and it seems many others were also stirred by it. The column, published last week, delved into how NFL parity affects the Steelers’ impressive 20-year streak of never having a losing season. Richard, a frequent email correspondent, expressed his disapproval of the piece.
Cease bombarding local media professionals with complaints about their supposed harshness towards the franchise whenever it falls short of winning a playoff game each year. That would be a good initial step.
This individual echoed a comparable sentiment in reaction to that particular column.
The primary message of the post is to discourage evaluating success solely based on avoiding losing seasons. With no playoff victories in the last six (and possibly seven) years, it’s also shaping up to be the 13th season out of the last 17 without one. #MoreMath
While I appreciate the historical perspective you provided, I’m already aware of the franchise’s past. It’s crucial to acknowledge the current state of perpetual mediocrity and address the present reality.
Ron continues to attribute blame to Matt Canada, expressing that retaining Canada was the most significant problem for the team going into the 2023 season. Ron believed that Canada should have been let go immediately after the last game of 2022. The decision to bring him back for 2023, in Ron’s view, has created confusion and potentially wasted the season.
Ron contends that assessing the offense is challenging until a legitimate offensive coordinator (OC) is hired. While firing Canada seemed like progress, Ron compares it to peeling an onion, emphasizing the need to wait until a competent OC is hired in the offseason before evaluating quarterback Pickett and the offense.
Another contributor agrees but cautions against assuming that the problem will be easily resolved. Noting the involvement of Todd Haley, Randy Fichtner, and Canada in recent years without a playoff win, they advise against presuming that Pickett would automatically improve post-Canada.
They highlight the mixed performance in the first game after Canada’s departure, where the team scored only 16 points against the Bengals. Furthermore, they bring attention to Pickett’s challenges against Arizona before his injury, emphasizing the need to avoid revising history to solely blame Canada and absolve Pickett’s developmental struggles.
Discussing the revision of history related to Pickett…
Oh, right. The Super Bowl is evidently awarded based on the team that amasses the most yards rather than the points on the scoreboard. My mistake. You got me there.
Sean wasn’t pleased with this week’s coverage of the Pickett situation, particularly regarding why he didn’t dress for Saturday’s game in Seattle when he was apparently medically cleared to do so. Sean expressed frustration, urging for a focus on writing about the upcoming game instead. He went on to critique the media, suggesting a need for a total overhaul and asserting that they are way past their prime, if they ever had a prime.
However, one might wonder if failing to win a playoff game for seven consecutive years could also be considered “past a prime.”
The writer acknowledged addressing the Pickett situation after he spoke about it on Tuesday and reassured that coverage of the upcoming game against Baltimore would be provided on Friday. Yet, he defended the relevance of discussing the quarterback depth chart, considering it pertinent to the game outcomes. The writer expressed surprise that Sean and other fans might not find interest in understanding how and why last week’s QB depth chart was assembled.
On the topic of Pickett, it seems that the most significant aspect, based on the writer’s timeline and inbox, is the opportunity for a thorough re-evaluation of the “fake slide” in the 2021 ACC Championship and Pickett’s decision to withdraw from the Peach Bowl. A comment from Tom referred to Pickett as a “spoiled brat who stiffed Pitt,” and various tweets addressed the controversy surrounding the “fake slide.”
Certainly, these seem to be the most pressing issues.
Moving on, “Beaker” shares his theory on what transpired with Pickett’s absence in Seattle. There’s a suggestion that Mike Tomlin and the coaches may not have been truthful with Pickett. The theory proposes that they had intended to start Rudolph all along last week and used Pickett’s healing ankle and limited practice reps as an excuse to avoid starting him.
