I got home from rookie minicamp Saturday afternoon and settled onto the couch just in time to watch a rerun of the last quarter of the Steelers' loss in Super Bowl XLV to the Packers.
The thing I was struck by watching that game was how many holes that 2010 Steelers team had on offense.
Don't think so? How's an offensive line that included the always forgettable Jonathan Scott at left tackle, Doug Legursky at center -- subbing for an injured Maurkice Pouncey -- Chris Kemoeatu at guard and an aging Flozell Adams at right tackle?
Or, how about tight end David Johnson starting at fullback because offensive coordinator Bruce Arians didn't believe in employing a true fullback?
Or maybe a well-past-his-prime Hines Ward?
Point is, the Steelers had a lot of average to below-average talent on that offense that was one drive away — or not turning the ball over three times to lead to three Green Bay scores — from winning a Super Bowl. They reached that point because they had a defense that included stars all over the field. Heck, the team went 3-1 to start that season without a suspended Ben Roethlisberger and could have easily won all four of those games.
Why bring this up now?
Well, other than seeing the game Saturday and it jogging my Jonathan Scott memories, it's germane to the conversations regarding this current Steelers team. Many seem to believe the Steelers need a shut-down defense — as if that exists in today's NFL — to reach the Super Bowl.
While it certainly wouldn't hurt, it's not a necessity if the offense lives up to its end. The Steelers have a wealth of offensive talent, as much as those teams of the 2000s had on defense. That's why the Steelers have been in the hunt for a championship in each of the past few years and will be again this season despite the loss of Ryan Shazier.
Regardless of what fans think of the team's weaknesses — and there are some — the Steelers are one of the favorites in Las Vegas to win the Super Bowl again this year.
It's easy to focus on the flaws in the team you follow without looking at the league as a whole. Every team has its weaknesses. There are no complete teams in the salary cap era. The Steelers still have a really good team returning.
• The best thing that could have happened to the Pirates this season was putting together a classy show for the return of Andrew McCutchen and then going out and winning the game.
They did both, convincingly.
We're now nearly one quarter of the way into this season and the Pirates have continued to win. And they are doing so without having anyone do anything extraordinary and with some guys off to slow starts. It gives some hope this team can continue to win.
• It's going to be a long, interesting offseason for the Penguins.
One thing this team should have learned is that you can't just turn the switch off and on over the course of a season. Sports just don't work that way, no matter how talented you might be. The Eastern Conference was much deeper this year than it had been in the previous two.
• I spent a lot of time at rookie camp watching Randy Fichtner work with Mason Rudolph. A lot of it was footwork and timing.
Fichtner, who is now pulling double duty as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, has the kind of calm demeanor needed to work with young quarterbacks. He's kind of like a quarterbacks whisperer.
• The Steelers didn't waste any time throwing anything at first-round draft pick Terrell Edmunds. He lined up at safety, linebacker and was making defensive play calls.
He likely won't be asked to make play calls once the veterans show up in a couple of weeks, but the safety and linebacker stuff? That will be critical.
• All of the people complaining about Gregory Polanco's slow start and wondering why he has remained in the No. 2 spot in the Pirates' batting order need to realize that even when his batting average dipped below .200, he was getting on base.
Polanco's on base percentage currently sits at .329, even though his average is now at .224 after going 11 for his past 31. That's still not ideal, but his batting average on balls in play early in the season was among the worst in the league. That will balance itself out.
Polanco has walked 20 times already this season after doing so just 27 times last season. His OPS is .784, just two percentage points behind the career-best .786 he posted in 2016.
There's room for improvement, to be sure, but he's not the train wreck that some would suggest.
• How laid back is John Mitchell in his new position with the Steelers? After quietly watching new defensive line coach Karl Dunbar work with that unit on the opening day of rookie camp, Mitchell was in the cafeteria having lunch while practice was still going on Saturday.
It's a different role, to be sure, for Mitchell, who has been with the Steelers for more than 20 years. But working with players on life skills and such seems to be treating him well.
