Williams: Stormy season might be on tap for Steelers

When you’ve played in four Super Bowls from 1996 to 2011 and eight AFC Championship games from 1995 to 2011, you’ve been walking on sunshine.

Sometimes, it’s going to rain.

It could be a stormy season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which shouldn’t be that big of a surprise. After all, the NFL — from the draft to the schedule — is designed to reward bad teams quickly. When franchises consistently contend (the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Giants and Ravens come to mind), they defy the NFL’s Pete Rozelle Law that proclaims all teams are created equal.

A decline for the Steelers has been in the making for two years. After Pittsburgh lost to the Green Bay Packers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV, they took a very un-Steeler-like gamble. The organization that’s known for letting older players go one year too soon rather than overpaying for golden years chose to pretty much stand pat.

The NFL lockout of 2011 is why. The lockout wiped out rookie minicamps, OTAs and just about every offseason activity designed to give new players and coaches a decent chance to compete. The Steelers’ braintrust figured they were this close to winning a seventh Super Bowl so maybe it’s better not to release aging players to free up salary cap space.

The gamble nearly paid off. The Steelers were 9-3 in early December and chasing the Ravens (9-3) for the AFC North crown. (Baltimore had won both games against the Steelers and held the tiebreaker).

But the gamble unraveled in a Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a high ankle sprain. The gruesome injury happened when Scott Paxson grabbed Roethlisberger’s left leg and Brian Schaefering hit him in the chest, causing him to tumble awkwardly.

Somehow, Roethislberger found a way to play in the second half, even connecting with wide receiver Antonio Brown for a 79-yard touchdown in a 14-3 win.

But 11 nights later in San Francisco, Roethlisberger wore a walking boot and struggled to escape the 49ers’ pass rush, throwing three interceptions in a 20-3 loss that all but ended the Steelers’ division title hopes.

Three weeks later, Roethlisberger still was barely able to move in the pocket as the wild-card Steelers lost to the Broncos (and Tim Tebow) in Denver. (Want a definition of humiliation? How about “Tebow beats you in overtime with a short pass that goes 80 yards.”)

Had Roethlisberger remained healthy, maybe the Steelers could have found a way to win in New England against their kryptonite (the Patriots). We’ll never know.

The Steelers haven’t been the same since the loss in Denver and failure to protect Roethlisberger is a major reason why.

Predicting which Steelers offensive lineman will be the first to suffer a season-ending injury has become a frightening game. Willie Colon once dominated this category; with three serious leg injuries in his first four NFL seasons, center Maurkice Pouncey is his successor.

Adding insult to injury was Steelers guard David DeCastro delivering the season-ending blow to Pouncey during the first drive in Sunday’s opener against the Titans.

The Steelers also lost linebacker Larry Foote for the season. Questions abound.

Can Kelvin Beachum adapt to being a center?

Can left tackle Mike Adams block any outside pass rusher?

How many sacks will former Steeler linebacker James Harrison get when the Steelers travel to Cincinnati for an AFC North showdown with the Bengals (also 0-1)?

The line will deliver the key answers.

Tom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write him at williams@vindy.com.