This was to be the game that would showcase the new Kevin Gilbride offense. With the exception of Jerome Bettis, all starters would play one full half of awe inspiring football. Dermontti Dawson was finally back to help stabilize our already improved offensive line. This would be the game that would quench all the fears of last years ineptitude. The hometown crowd would be cheering euphorically at each Kordell Stewart completion. The scoring would be swift, and it would be plentiful.
Alas, it was not too be.
There wasn't any first half scoring by the men in black and gold. Kordell ran for his life. The front line was incapable of giving any protection for their quarterback, or open any holes for the running game. Instead of the team hearing loud cheering, they were greeted with a chorus of boo's as they jogged to the tunnel at half time.
And now mass hysteria has overcome Steeler fans everywhere.
Newsgroups, message boards, web sites and newspapers are all predicting doom and gloom for the Steelers organization. I happen to think they are being very premature. Wasn't this a preseason game? I am as disappointed as anyone in the play of our offensive line, but I am not ready to give up hope on them. This was the first game the whole group has played together. It takes time for each individual cog to work as one. I think they are very close.
I like to give credit where credit is due, and it appeared to me that the offensive line was simply outplayed by a very prepared Washington Redskins defensive line. These guys had the luxury of operating as a group for quite some time. Playing against a front five of the Steelers, who were operating for the first time as a unit was a mismatch. Will this be an ongoing problem? I think not. They will practice together this week, learn off of their mistakes, try it again against Buffalo, and then go into Cleveland and kick some butt!
Apart from the poor play of the starting unit, there were a lot of positives that came out of this game. Troy Edwards showcased his breakaway ability, and his overpowering running after the catch. Amos Zereoue gave us a glimpse of his speed and elusiveness. Joey Porter continues to improve, and impress. This is a very young and talented Steeler team that just needs a little more time to gel as a unit.
We all hoped the gelling would have happened Saturday night. It didn't. But that is no reason for the masses to get worried. There are two weeks to get prepared for the games that count. When the buses pull into Browns Stadium, and the team tastes their first bite of real action, they will be more than ready. I'm sure they wont implement the playbook to perfection, but they should have a very good understanding of their individual roles. Improvement will happen quickly, perfection will take a little while longer.
by Steelergil (Aug 29, 99)