Category: Commentary

An immediate advantage Steelers have over opponents this season

Experience wins (almost) every time and should provide the Steelers with leverage in 2020.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in an ideal situation. Not only has there not been much player turnover, but their head coach and coordinators have been with the club for a combined 43 years.

  • Mike Tomlin (head coach) — 2007-current
  • Randy Fichtner (WRs/QBs, offense) — 2007-current
  • Keith Butler (linebackers, defense) – 2003-current

In a year where there were no minicamps or OTAs and training camp transitioned into the regular season without as much as one preseason game, having an experienced coaching staff is critical.

Three of the Steelers upcoming opponents welcomed new head coaches this season: Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns; Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys; and Joe Judge, New York Giants.

Stefanski and Judge have never coached an NFL game in their lives. McCarthy, however, was head coach of the Green Bay Packers for 12 seasons until he was fired in December 2018.

Typically, the NFL awards teams with a new head coach an additional minicamp, allowing extra time to install their systems and get to know players. That didn’t happen this year.

The Browns have hired a new head coach every 1.75 seasons since returning to Cleveland in 1999 (12 times), and the owners, unknowingly, couldn’t have picked a worse year to revamp. Stefanski and his staff were forced to develop the Browns Way 12.0 virtually.

The Bengals have second-year head coach Zac Taylor and rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. Because the pandemic delayed in-person player/coach unions, Taylor only just met his new quarterback face-to-face in July.

The Bengals, Browns, Cowboys and Giants could surprise us all and actually have their house in order come game time.

We’re about to see just how extensive the advantage of team loyalty is and if it translates to winning games. But I’m betting that experience wins out.

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How should you feel about the Vikings trading Stefon Diggs?

Despite not making a Pro Bowl, Diggs was one of the best receivers in the NFL. But, like many other receivers before him, he wasn’t happy.

Late on Monday night, the Vikings traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Bills in exchange for a first-round pick, fifth-round pick, sixth-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick. The Vikings also gave up their 2020 seventh-round draft pick.

So, you’re a Vikings fan. How should you feel?

There’s no doubting Diggs’ talent. Despite not making a Pro Bowl, Diggs was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. But, like many other receivers before him, he wasn’t particularly happy. Why? Do you know any crime detectives who could help us decifer his tweets?

But at least we don’t have to see the tweets again. My goodness. The tweets.

The Vikings went to having maybe the best one-two punch at receiver in the league to perhaps the worst receiving group in the league. Rick Spielman will have to add probably two more receivers for this deal to look decent, especially considering it looks like the Vikings are still in win-now mode. The free-agency group is thin at receiver, but the draft looks incredibly deep. Adam Thielen could use some help right now.

It seems weird to say the Vikings are in win-now mode, but here they are trading their best wide receiver. How does that make sense?

It seemed like Diggs was gone no matter what. If he wasn’t happy in Minnesota (and he wasn’t shy about it), that would be bad for the locker room and a distraction, much like it was last season. While the Vikings don’t have his replacement, Spielman got an absolutely haul for him — especially when you consider what the Texans got back for DeAndre Hopkins earlier in the day. 

It’s not an ideal move, certainly, to trade your best receiver and the man who gave us the Minneapolis Miracle. But the Vikings did about as good as they could have in getting a solid return for a disgruntled star. Now it’s about to Spielman to find receivers to fill his place.

We can’t wait for the tweet when Diggs finds out about Josh Allen’s accuracy.