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Training camp is upon us. The same goes for the refreshing notes of the Steelers. But I’m afraid I have bad news: wins under 8½ are a barrier.
• Speaking like a big fat, I can say with precision that Ben Roethlisberger is not fat. He’s a great quarterback, that’s all. He looks exactly like he always has been. This “source” that came out of nowhere and preached about Roethlisberger’s new dedication to food and conditioning has skewed expectations. If Roethlisberger fails, it will be because the offensive line stinks or because at 39, his body is betraying him. The first could accelerate the second.
• Roethlisberger’s age and lack of mobility limits how much he can change in the context of Matt Canada’s offense. The only thing the Steelers can do is throw the ball bigger and better. Najee Harris will facilitate this. The offensive line could ruin that.
• Vince Williams was an average inside linebacker. But Williams strangely retreating early in camp leaves the Steelers with rotten depth at another position. When a team looks badly injured after a mediocre player leaves, that says a lot about that team’s lower caliber.
• If Melvin Ingram is in good health, he should start rusher against TJ Watt. Second-year pro Alex Highsmith is expected to beat Ingram. Ingram has a higher immediate advantage. He did Pro Bowls in 2017, ’18 and ’19 before being injured last year. It should be obvious. But that will not happen. The Steelers drafted Highsmith to succeed Bud Dupree and will stick with that plan.
• The only legitimate position battle at camp appears to be for third place as a cornerback in the subpackages. James Pierre, who was not drafted, looks like the favorite as he had two interceptions at mini-camp. If that’s all Pierre needs to get up to the job, it’s an indictment against third-year corner Justin Layne, a third-round pick who has made little progress. Second-year pro Antoine Brooks Jr. will play the slots corner at the opening of the Steelers’ exhibit.
• JuJu Smith-Schuster is an influencer for Trojan condoms. It makes sense: he has no children. Le’Veon Bell is said to have seven children by six wives. Bell’s slogan for endorsing birth control could be “Too little, too late”. A Mike Tomlin slogan could be used: “When the rubber meets the road”.
• The Steelers have an elite defense, but it’s only as good as its weakest link. When the game is in play, the enemy will try to exploit it. Watt won’t decide things. Robert Spillane will. The opposition will go just after Spillane in a critical situation.
• Why does Watt have to sit in series in the fourth quarter, even when the score is tight? Is he really that tired? Suck it off and stay there, aspiring defensive player of the year.
• Watt may not get the lucrative contract extension he wants ahead of the season. The Steelers are expected to let Watt’s deal expire, then franchise it for a season or two. It could make Watt feel disrespectful, and he probably would express it. Pity. This would entail the least risk for the Steelers. Watt’s brother, JJ, began to chronically injure himself at the age of 27.
• It was hilarious when the Steelers rub against Cassius Marsh criticized the former New England employer for “treating the players like crap” and “there is no fun”. Marsh’s “career” in the NFL began in 2014, and he was on seven teams. He’s been cut so many times it’s a miracle he hasn’t bled to death. No one is less qualified to judge the method of the most successful team in the NFL.
• NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt asked why the Steelers fell apart at the end of three straight seasons. This question is not asked locally because the answer is obvious: a blurred culture and a laissez-faire coach who has exceeded his effectiveness. Other excuses are available and used, such as injuries, etc. , there is an undeniable systemic failure. With the Steelers playing legitimate Super Bowl contenders in each of their last four games, this could happen again.
• The first two games will determine the direction of the Steelers season. Host Buffalo is a six-point favorite in Week 1. Visiting Las Vegas is a 5½-point underdog in Week 2. The Steelers should lose in Buffalo, then win at home (duh). But the Raiders don’t stink. Their over / under wins is 7½, just one short of the Steelers. It’s a losing game. The Steelers cannot start 0-2. They will not catch up at the end of the season. Not when they’re playing Tennessee, Kansas City, Cleveland, and Baltimore. Not when they have a tradition of end-of-season meltdowns.
• It’s funny when a draft selection signing is announced like it’s news. What choice did he have? Who was the last draft pick who didn’t sign?
• The Steelers retiring from Latrobe training camp have been swept under the rug. Players complained to the NFLPA about potential violations of the covid policy – not out of fear of covid, but because they didn’t want to live in dormitories. This development has generated little discussion, as it makes players look like they are entitled (which they are). But the impact on Latrobe’s economy is bad. You watch: training camp will never come back to Latrobe.
• Certain practices at Heinz Field will be open to the public. But they don’t allow lawn chairs and Styrofoam coolers, and there’s no hill to sit on. It won’t be the same beyond the fake expertise: “Hey, that free agent cornerback looks pretty good!
• If an NFL game needs to be canceled due to a covid outbreak and cannot be rescheduled, the team responsible for the cancellation forfeits and neither team will be paid. It is as it should be. Personal choice is fine, but you can’t expect a multi-billion dollar business to suffer. Not when there is a vaccine readily available.
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