Despite record, there are some concerns

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Here’s all you need to know about the Pittsburgh Steelers state of mind: The shuffleboard table is still busy.

Moments after fielding a series of questions on why the Steelers don’t exactly look like the Steelers through the season’s first three weeks, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joined cornerback Ike Taylor at the table to take on a couple of teammates in what is becoming a weekly battle for locker room supremacy.

To the players, Pittsburgh’s so-so 2-1 start is just that, a start. They judge seasons around here by what happens in January, not September.

“I think we’re a team that’s trying to figure out ourselves,” tight end Heath Miller said. “Hopefully, we can do it sooner rather than later.”

There’s plenty to be concerned about, to be sure. The running game is in a rut. The offensive line is banged up and will go into Sunday’s game at Houston (2-1) with its fourth different combination in as many weeks. The defense can’t seem to get the ball back.

Even the coach is off his game.

Mike Tomlin lost track of how many timeouts the Steelers had in the final minute of Sunday’s 23-20 win over Indianapolis. He called a timeout with eight seconds and the team in field goal range figuring if there was a botched snap all holder Dan Sepulveda had to do is fall on it and the team would get another shot.

One problem. The Steelers didn’t have any more timeouts in case disaster struck. The issue was moot when Shaun Suisham drilled the game-winner. The surprising mental gaffe, however, was not lost on Tomlin.

“I have to get better too,” he said. “I am a guy in development from a game management standpoint. I don’t run away from that.”

And the Steelers aren’t running away from their problems, even if they’re winning in very un-Steelerlike fashion. The franchise that leads the NFL in rushing since the 1970 merger is throwing it all over the lot.

Sure, Roethlisberger has more weapons at his disposal now than at any time in his career. Still, the inability to running back Rashard Mendenhall is an issue.

Mendenhall has just 148 yards through three games, or 184 yards less than he had through the same period a year ago when opponents were lining up to stop him.