Knee-jerk analysis: Steelers need to make severe changes after getting bodied by Texans

It’s time for severe change for the Steelers

SOS. Same old Steelers.

Is anyone really surprised at this point? The Texans were better than the Steelers from the opening kickoff. Houston drove down the field on Pittsburgh in 12 plays and scored a touchdown to go up 7-0 and never looked back. The Steelers played the same song they have all season thus far with their first half possessions. Here is what the Steelers did in the first two quarters:

• Drive one: Eight plays, interception
• Drive two: Three-and-out
• Drive three: Three-and-out
• Drive four: Five plays, punt
• Drive five: Five plays, punt

The Texans outgained the Steelers 271-53 in the first half, and they had 15 first downs to the Steelers’ four. The defense was very passive. Against what was practically the Texans’ second-string offensive line, the Steelers totaled zero sacks. C.J. Stroud sat comfortably and threw for 306 yards on just 16 completions for two touchdowns. By the end of the game, Houston was toying with Pittsburgh, running a halfback pass inside the 10 yard-line that resulted in a touchdown pass from Devin Singletary to Dalton Schultz. Houston finished with 451 total yards- the Steelers had 225. The rookie quarterback outgained the Steelers by himself.

Najee Harris was really the only Steeler who showed up Sunday. He ran hard, and constantly turned nothing runs into positive yardage. He finished with 71 yards on five yards per carry. That makes it even more baffling that on fourth down and one, Matt Canada sent Kenny Pickett out in shotgun where he took a sack and injured his left leg, causing him to miss the rest of the game, and potentially miss time depending on the severity of the injury.

Severe changes need made. The problem is we know everything will remain the same. The same way they have over the last three years. Mike Tomlin will talk a big game and say changes are coming, but nothing will be different. Matt Canada will still have a job. He’ll be in the booth next week and call screen passes that go nowhere and keep the Steelers from taking any sort of step forward. At this point, this is equally, if not more on Tomlin than it is on Canada. Anyone with eyes can see he’s not good, and yet he is still employed.

Frankly, I’m tired of hearing about the 16 straight seasons without a losing record- where has that gotten the Steelers? Congratulations on constantly being mediocre. This is rapidly approaching similar territory to where the Eagles were at the end of the Andy Reid era. Everyone knew Reid was a good coach, but it was time to move on. At what point do the Steelers acknowledge that things aren’t working with Tomlin? When will enough be enough? Because right now, the “Steeler Way” is being stuck in the past while accepting mediocrity, and that can no longer be acceptable.