Steelers Wild Card MV3's

I'm tired, boss. I've never said this about any season, but I'm glad it's over. The last month has been so deflating that Tom Brady wanted to know my location. But I'll provide some positives while the fans go off on social media about the coaching, the team not caring, and winning seasons. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy either, but I started this, and darn it, I'm going to finish it! Here's to the last MV3's of the season.

Honorable Mentions:

Cam Heyward - 10 tackles, 2 TFL

Alex Highsmith - 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 QB Hit

Van Jefferson - 2 rec, 37 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD

#3: Corliss Waitman - 5 punts, 51.4 AVG, 5 inside 20

Yes, a punter is in the top three. Cry about it because I will, too. Despite the injury to Cameron Johnston, Corliss has done well this season. He tied for tenth longest punt of the year with 71 yards and tied for eleventh in punts inside the 20 with 27. If Johnston can't recover, Corliss is a solid option.

#2: Russell Wilson - 20/29, 270 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 3 carries, 6 rushing yards

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that Wilson is a fantastic human being. He is charitable, humble, and generally a good person. But Wilson shouldn't be brought back; if he is, he shouldn't be a starter. He's had his good games, and he's had his bad. The only issue is that we saw Seahawks Wilson slowly morph into Broncos Wilson, and by the time we realized it, it was too late. Yes, he performed well here, and if he comes back next year, he will be a solid backup. But as a starter? Those days are over. It's sad, but it happens to all athletes. Fields as QB1 next year, no questions asked.

#1: George Pickens - 5 rec, 87 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD

There's a weird feeling in my gut that the Steelers will completely start over in the receiving room. Despite Pickens being a solid starter, the Steelers may try a trade with him. Pickens has shown no confidence in Pittsburgh's future. It's a shame; look at his face from week one to now. Injuries are holding him back, the receiving room without him struggling, and the offense buffering when he has the potential to be a top-ten receiver in the league. The front office did a lousy job getting backups for the receiving room. Calvin Austin is still solid, but besides that, it's very lackluster. Pickens has said it is all love, and he'll be back over social media, but for the next few months, we'll if the front office agrees.

The season is over, and the team can reset. And if you want my opinion, it's not so much as the player's fault. Next year, we can fix the offensive line, get Justin Fields back, reset the receiving room, and get better secondary help. But if you wanna know who to blame, the coaches and personnel. Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin need to be let go. And I hate to say it, but it may be time for Mike Tomlin to move on—one of the best regular season coaches but an average playoff coach. In the last six first-quarter playoff games, the opponents had 73 points, and the Steelers had zero. In the 1st quarters of the Steelers past five games, the opponents had 47 points, and the Steelers had 3. He's trusted his offenses to Randy Fichtner, Matt Canada, and Arthur Smith. And this may be a hot take, but Art Rooney II isn't that great either. There have been no playoff wins since the late, great Dan Rooney's passing, and the narrative hasn't changed a bit. But what changes, if any, will the Steelers make this offseason? We shall wait and see, but as for this series' conclusion, it's been fun, and I look forward to doing it again next year. Thank you, Steeler Nation.