Chapter 1: What are the players' reactions to the Steelers' playoff performance?
You know what, Limits? I'm calling an audible. We have all year, really, to talk about the future. Let's listen to some of the sound from last night. And can we all agree, by the way, that if the idea here, and I think the idea here, was to win a playoff game this season, they failed spectacularly.
I mean, I don't know of a person who thought that at minimum the Steelers had to win a playoff game. Maybe. Maybe after the Ravens game. Remember I was teetering limits? I was teetering last week and I said if they're even competitive in a playoff game, I might call this season at least a moderate success. But then they go out and get beat by a million points and it should have been worse.
So I don't know who could possibly argue that this was a successful season. The high point was the Baltimore home game, I think. The road game was pretty good, too. The low point was an absolutely ludicrous loss to Cleveland, an all-time franchise embarrassment. And then what we saw last night, the worst home playoff loss in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
By any reasonable definition, this was a failure. It was. It was a failure. So why don't we go over some quotes? It was a failure if they had to win a playoff game. And when you haven't done that for eight years, you better do it in your ninth year. And you've been outscored by an average of two plus touchdowns every single time. I mean, how much more evidence do we need here before we move on?
So let's hear some sound from last night from what had to be just a despondent locker room and podium over in the media room. Limits, I'm going to let you, dealer's choice here, and then I'll riff on it.
Well, Joe, I'm going to throw it right back to you. I'm going to give you a choice, A or B. What do you select, A or B? B. B means we will start with the defense, and we start with Cam Hayward on any talk around Mike Tomlin.
I don't really care about that noise because they don't know what Mike T puts into this. They don't know how he goes out of his way to prepare every man. They don't know about the countless nights that man is in their studying film. Coaches don't do so much. Players have to play better. And in those critical moments, our players have to step up.
I mean, I think I do know how much he puts into it. He puts his heart and soul and his life into it. And so do all the players. I don't think you get to this point in life at that level of your profession if you're not. But what does that have to do with anything? Everybody's doing that. He doesn't win ever in the playoffs anymore. His teams get hammered all the time.
And now it's been nearly a decade without coming close to a playoff win. It's almost becoming like a satire here. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous that people keep defending this. What are we talking about?
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Chapter 2: What are the implications of the Steelers' playoff history?
Cam has been that four times. Here's the list of guys who have more than that in Steelers history. Lambert, Ham, Dawson, Fanica, Webster, and Woodson. Six. That's it. Joe Green had four, which seems unbelievable. They didn't have more. Polamalu had four. TJ Watt has four. Antonio Brown, four. And Hayward, four. That's the whole list of guys, four or more.
And that's pretty darn amazing, if you ask me. How about Minka? Clocks in with three, oh limitless wonder.
Yeah, I mean, up until he couldn't grab an interception and save his life, he had a really good run here in those first three years.
Greg Lloyd with three. Donnie Schell with three. Jack Butler. The Butler did it. Unbelievable that Mel Blunt only had two first-team All-Pros. Wow!
Chapter 3: How does Cam Heyward view Mike Tomlin's coaching efforts?
Le'Veon Bell clocks in with two. You proud of him, Limits? Marquise Pouncey with two. Fan Twitter brought to you by South Hills Kia, Peterstown.
Sorry, I was sitting out of that response like Le'Veon Bell set out for a year.
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Next. All right, let's move along from Cam to Alex Highsmith. And Highsmith's response to the game.
We were a really close team, really close unit. Like I said, it did feel different this year, and so we just didn't get it done. It sucks.
And what I think is interesting about that is Highsmith thought it was different. The team thought it was different. I think a lot of us were sucked into it, thinking that this team was going to be different.
The one to break off this streak of years without a playoff victory, partly because of the quarterback, because of some of the guys that they had on defense, because of Gainwell and Warren, and you get Metcalf back. But once again, after 64 minutes, it's the same result.
What stood out to me was him saying this was different right after he said we had a close team. Were they not close in other years? That makes me wonder about that. I thought he had a pretty darn good year. Nine and a half sacks. He looked like for the first time he was back in 2022 form when he signed that contract. Listen, it's not like there's still not some good talent around here.
There's some young talent around too. Now he's getting up there a little at 28, but Herbig is a young player. I loved what I saw of Harmon for the most part. Zach Frazier. I think McCormick is a good player. I think Dylan Cook may have a future. Fotonu took a huge leap forward. Joey Porter. Like, there's some young talent around here. I think that's undeniable.
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Chapter 4: How does Cam Heyward feel about Aaron Rodgers' potential return?
I mean, I'm glad if the locker room feeling was nicer, that's nice. It's nice to be nice to the nice, as Frank Burns once said on MASH. Limits, who are you talking to?
Pony is claiming that you misquoted him with your Schottenheimer quote.
No, I didn't quote him.
I read a show note off of our website. It was the notes, yes.
Okay, that's fine. I didn't attribute it to any one person. I said the show note said that.
Now poor Donnie is going to get chewed out by Pony.
Maybe. I don't know. But let it be known that there has been a case, whatever the case there, let it be known that there has been a case of a 10-win coach who won a division getting fired. In fact, he was a 14-win coach, and his name was Schottenheimer. And that's the kind of playoff company you're keeping these days. Schottenheimer and Marvin Lewis and Jim Mora. Playoffs!
Remember when we used to laugh at the Bengals and Marvin Lewis?
Playoffs!
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