IS THE STEELERS’ SEASON SLIPPING AWAY?

A few weeks ago, after a comeback win in Jacksonville, Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva relayed a story to me from a book called Sapiens. And we tucked the lesson away deep in my Nov. 19 MMQB column, one that the ex-Army Ranger has leaned on in 2018.

Author Yuval Noah Harari’s idea goes that human beings rule earth because we are the only animals capable of believing in things that exist only in our own imagination, like (as the description on his site reads) “gods, states, money and human rights.” Harari goes on to retell the story of humankind through that lens.

It’s the way in which Villanueva is choosing to position his team’s fight through distraction on its way to the home stretch of the season.

“Our team is like that—we’ve all been there for so long, we understand each other, we know how it’s done,” the former Army Ranger said. “The main theme is there, that coach [Mike] Tomlin wants us to look after each other, our preparation, and not blink. That’s how he wants the personality of this team, sharing myths, sharing values.

“And at the end of the day, it’s that mature mentality that we have—that we haven’t done anything yet.”

Since our conversation, the Steelers have proven Villaneuva’s point. They hadn’t accomplished anything yet. Seven days after that last-second win over the Jaguars, Ben Roethlisberger threw an unsightly pick to blow a chance to force overtime in Denver. Seven days after that Pittsburgh squandered a 23-7 lead against the Chargers and lost on a last-second field goal.

Now the Steelers are 7-4-1, just a half-game up on the Ravens in the AFC North, with their chances of getting a playoff bye—very real two weeks ago—slipping away.

They again face the question they have since August. With so much noise around the team, will the “shared myths” that Villanueva analogized back during Thanksgiving week carry them through? Or will they blink?

In this week’s Game Plan, we’ll look at the Heisman finalists from an NFL perspective, and I’m going to get to all of your questions—which were heavy on coaching search stuff, for one reason or another, this week. But we’re starting with the Steelers, and a game at Oakland that increasingly looks like a must-win.

Sunday’s trip out west isn’t a must-win for the Steelers because of who they’re facing. It’s must-win, because of who they aren’t facing. A week from Sunday, the Patriots come to Heinz Field. Then the Steelers travel to New Orleans.

Bottom line: Going into that back-to-back stretch off a missed lay-up (yes, the Raiders are playing better, but still …) and a third straight loss would be a killer.

So this Steelers season, with Roethlisberger at 36 and Antonio Brown at 30 and Le’Veon Bell not playing and headed for the door, has hit its crossroads. Pittsburgh could kick the Raiders all over the infield at the Coliseum and use the game as a launching point. Or this could be where 2018 goes to die for a wildly talented but aging core.

Of course, this isn’t just about Villanueva playing Jumbo Socrates or the team finding motivation to save its campaign. There are tangible reasons for the rut the Steelers are caught in. And so I called a few coaches who’ve studied them to break down Pittsburgh’s problems—and why things haven’t quite been right for the Steelers since that wild comeback in Jacksonville. Three main issues came up.

• James Conner isn’t Bell, and Conner is now hurt. “Conner’s a tough runner, but he’s not Bell,” said one opposing defensive coach. “And Bell is a receiving threat that Conner is not.”

First, there’s the suddenly sputtering run game—Pittsburgh has averaged 55.3 rushing yards per over its last three games, after more than twice that number in each of the five games before that. Conner’s looming absence after suffering an ankle injury in the second half of Sunday night’s loss only exacerbates that issue.

But even with Conner in there, the Steelers were starting to really feel Bell’s void in the passing game. Bell could actually play receiver, which allowed Pittsburgh to throw out of empty sets with an extra linebacker on the field (to account for the run). Now, to go empty, the Steelers have to use a combination of receivers and tight ends, which allows the defense to anticipate it and match personnel.

So gone is one way Pittsburgh became accustomed to killing opponents.

• Talent in the secondary is thin. Early on, the Steelers’ issue was giving up explosive plays. That’s not as big a problem anymore—but the secondary remains one. Former first-round pick Artie Burns was benched in favor of journeyman Coty Sensabaugh, with venerable vet Joe Haden, now in Year 8, having a lost step.

While the move to Sensabaugh stabilized some things, the shuffling has caused a depth issue. And there’s also the problem of not being able to match up with big-time receivers on the front end. Not exactly a shocker that Keenan Allen (14 receptions, 148 yards and a TD) had his way with the Steelers on Sunday night.

• They still miss Ryan Shazier. Coach Mike Tomlin said himself that injuries to Morgan Burnett and Cam Sutton, two guys who’d play the “dimebacker” (a hybrid/safety linebacker), has been an issue. The team has addressed it by employing first-round pick Terrell Edmunds in that role, and he’s made the kinds of mistakes you’d expect from a rookie. All this is to address the fact that the linebackers were yielding explosive plays.

This is where Shazier shone—he could run as well as any ’backer in the league. It really does feel like the Steelers have been chasing his absence since he got hurt, which explains why certain teams have been aggressive with their tight ends against Pittsburgh.

This shouldn’t read like an epitaph. The Steelers still have a two-time Super Bowl winner at quarterback, a top-two or -three receiver, and strength on both lines of scrimmage. They have a playoff-tested coaching staff. They’ve got home field for the Patriots game.

And Villanueva is right. The group has been through a lot together. In July and August these same questions were asked, as it seemed to some that Pittsburgh was finally going to be crushed under the weight of self-generated drama. Instead, Tomlin did what he usually does—play master psychologist and channel all the personality and ego, and ride out the bumps.

The coach’s ability to do that has enabled so many things in Pittsburgh—not the least of which is freedom for GM Kevin Colbert to cast wide net in acquiring talent—over the last 12 years. And that’s been a big factor in two Super Bowls, a championship, and near annual trips to the playoffs.

That’s why it was probably silly for anyone to think this would all blow up over the summer. History should’ve told all of us that wouldn’t happen.

Conversely, history should’ve also served as a warning sign for what’s happening now. Because whether or not this group of Steelers will ever find its ceiling as a team remains very much an open question.