Pittsburgh Steelers: Don’t press panic button yet

The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped to 3-2 after another forgettable performance against Jacksonville, but now’s not the time to panic in Pittsburgh.

After a disappointing 30-9 loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Pittsburgh Steelers played about as poorly as a professional football team could. The offense wasn’t moving the ball down the field, and the defense couldn’t stop the run. Turnovers plagued a Steelers team that now sits 14-16 in their last 30 games against teams with a winning percentage of .500 or less. Case in point, Pittsburgh tends to play down to the level of their opponents, and Sunday’s game was met with no exceptions.

So after history repeated itself, naturally all hell broke loose. Social media called for everybody (and I mean everybody) to be fired immediately, and hurled insults at the very same players they were praising just one week ago. Of the many that had the luxury of taking the team to the woodshed, none other than ESPN’s own Stephen A Smith offered his thoughts

Here was his take on Ben Roethlisberger’s comments questioning his own abilities and play:

The Steelers not playing up to par is the equivalent to the apocalypse in Pittsburgh, although most people who support the team would rather have the latter happen. Despite the team’s record sitting at 3-2, some are wondering if the Steelers are even set to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh now will have to walk into Kansas City to take on a Chiefs team that is undefeated and has looked impressive in every outing. Those who wear the black and gold goggles find themselves on the verge of not only pushing the theoretical panic button, but pounding it out of existence.

Word of advice: Don’t do it.

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A typical 16-game season in the league brings more twists, drops and turns than a roller-coaster. It’s a better reality show than keeping up with whoever, offering fresh entertainment every week along with side drama through the week. Through the first five weeks, the Steelers have yet to put the pieces together, and that’s okay. Don’t expect a finished product just a little over a quarter of the way through the season.

Does Pittsburgh have problems? Surely they do. If any championship dreams are to blossom, then offensive coordinator Todd Haley needs to go back to the drawing board and find a way to utilize potentially the league’s best offense. Yet, ask any football coach, and they will tell the same tale: You don’t want your team peaking early in the season. Obviously it’s not ideal to lose to teams like Chicago and Jacksonville, but the bigger picture seems to have been lost within the team’s own loss.

For those still buzzing after last Sunday’s performance, it’s important to remember the NFL season is a long and grueling one. It’s also important to remember the Steelers currently still control their own destiny, owning first place in the division with wins over Baltimore and Cleveland. Outside of the division also plays in favor for Pittsburgh with teams such as New England and Oakland also seeing struggles of their own.

This team carries far too much talent on the field and moxy within its coaching staff to see struggles continue for much longer. Pittsburgh still remains the best team within the AFC North and one of the best in the conference. Don’t let a bad performance for one game cloud judgement reserved for a whole season. However, this isn’t an excuse for the poor performances we’ve seen thus far. Everybody has work to do to get the ship sailing in the right direction.

It will be interesting to see how the Steelers handle a red-hot Chiefs team on the road. Pittsburgh now stares adversity dead into its eyes, and Kansas City will provide a benchmark for how the team responds. One thing is for sure though: There are eleven games left for one of the most talented teams to perfect their craft. This Pittsburgh team won’t be the same you see two weeks from now, as progression will show.

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So here’s a message for Steelers fans everywhere, courtesy of Aaron Rodgers: R-E-L-A-X. Roethlisberger won’t throw five interceptions every game, the defense won’t continue to let teams hit big plays on the ground. The same patience Le’Veon Bell displays on the field represents the same those off the field should possess. Problems exist for this team like every other, big or small. Great teams find a way to push through, as Pittsburgh has done time after time. Put the panic button away, there’s too much football left to be played.