Kovacevic: It'll take a Rooney, not a Ray-Ray, to address this mess taken in Kansas City, Mo. (DK's 10 Takes)

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Ray-Ray McCloud's dragged down by the Chiefs' L'Jarius Sneed in the second quarter Sunday in Kansas City, Mo.

DK's 10 Takes

Kovacevic: It'll take a Rooney, not a Ray-Ray, to address this mess

By Dejan Kovacevic

Dec 27, 2021 • 11:30 am

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Fire Matt Canada.

Now, while the season's still (mathematically) salvageable.

Fire Adrian Klemm.

Now, before he makes the first-ever voluntary lateral move (escape) from the NFL to a college.

Fire four-fifths of this offensive line ... into the hot sun.

Now, before they get hurt (pulled) in favor of backups who legit might outperform them.

And yeah, fire anyone who's even peripherally responsible for assembling all of the above.

That, my friends, is the sorry state of these 2021 Steelers, exposed within an excruciating framework by an opponent that's now everything they once were. Within a 36-10 the scoreboard-doesn't-tell-the-story slaughter Sunday evening at Arrowhead Stadium. Within a fifth consecutive first half that didn't include a touchdown for the first time since 19-freaking-40. Within a fourth consecutive defensive rout on the road, with their opponents running up 41, 41, 36 and 36 points.

That's not embarrassing. It's beyond that.

That's not a setting where anyone on the outside should be calling for seismic change. It's got to come from the very top.

And that's all I've really got at this stage, at least from the larger scope: The moment this is mercifully over, Art Rooney II must commandeer a process unlike any he's undertaken in his tenure atop the ownership structure, whether he's up to it or not, to ask questions I'm guessing he's never asked. To overturn stones I'm guessing he's never felt comfortable overturning. To think about this entire operation in a way that stretches past however things have been done for a half-century.

Is Rooney up to it?

We'll see, but if it were me, I'd start with one seemingly silly question once they're all gathered in the same room: Gentlemen, how did we reach the point that, with our season on the line in a hostile setting against the class of the conference, Ray-Ray McCloud was our go-to guy?

And once a hard silence fell over the room, I'd roll the film:

" "

The final toll on the Ray-Ray damage: Four catches on eight targets for 25 yards, one missed block on a fourth-and-1 pitch, one flag for taunting, and one 5-foot-9 frame that's not exactly a fit for a designed flea-flicker to be thrown his way ... and result in an interception when it sails over his head.

Now, that's not to suggest all of that's McCloud's fault. He was, for instance, born into whatever height he'd attain. And Ben Roethlisberger might've overthrown anyone with that pick. And Ben generally could've made better choices with his receivers. And Canada isn't qualified to design or direct any offense above a scholastic level.

But that's missing the point regardless. Because, again, the question being posed is how things disintegrated to this extreme.

And the answer I'd offer, before anyone had a chance to respond, is arrogance and ego.

Follow the trail: Everything that's wrong with this team, including the defense wearing down, is rooted in the offense. Everything that's wrong with the offense is rooted in the line. Everything that's wrong with the line is rooted with the decision to enter this season with a pack of children there. And everything that's wrong with that decision is rooted in the ego and arrogance of a front office and coaching staff who saw themselves as being limitless in their ability to teach that pack of children how to succeed in the NFL over, oh, a handful of summer lessons.

How could a plan be built on this?

That's arrogance.

Even once it was clear that a catastrophic result was afoot, as early as last summer with David DeCastro's departure, scarcely a single adjustment was made. One free agent, Trai Turner, was added. No others arrived. No one else was acquired via trade despite that deadline reaching deep into the season. Precious few practice-squad types passed through the doors, either. Even internally, there was next to no shifting of starters vs. reserves.

Why?

Because it was more important to be right.

That's ego.

And then the dominoes just keep on falling: Ben's release time drops to microscopic levels, as he realizes he can't stand behind this line. His scanning of the field becomes nonexistent. And Canada, whose lack of imagination still somehow stands out in this setting, can't come with any solution more creative than setting up the resident squirtbug receiver for rapid-fire tosses.

How did Canada get promoted to an NFL coordinator's position when his resume reflects no such qualifications?

Because Tomlin's prioritized coordinators he can control ever since losing the great Dick LeBeau, inherited from Bill Cowher's staff. They promote from within under the pretense of keeping it all in the family. The fact is, this way is less threatening to the head coach and, as long as I'm ticking everyone off, a lot cheaper.

That's arrogance and ego.

How did Klemm get promoted to offensive line coach when his resume's highlight was being an assistant to someone they just fired?

Because Tomlin and Colbert have gotten away with this sort of thing forever, strolling down the hall to hire in-house rather than conducting high-profile national searches for what surely would be hotly pursued openings. And that's on Rooney, too.

That's arrogance and ego.

How did Tomlin respond when I asked after this game why McCloud's taken on such a prominent role in the offense?

With a single sentence: "The attention that 18 and 11 get."

Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool, of course.

Now, I'm no Bill Walsh when it comes to offensive wizardry, but I'd like to think I can discern a one from a two. As in single-coverage from double-coverage. And while Claypool consistently sees safeties slide across on his straight-line routes -- he's usually the only one running them -- the next extra body I see on Johnson will be the first in forever. Defenses might lean his way, but that's hardly the degree of 'attention' that would mandate an all-Ray-Ray approach.

Why paint it the way Tomlin did when it's so easily refuted?

See above.

Which brings me here: How was Tomlin, in particular, permitted to wrest so much control of operations that he could commandeer all of the above and anoint a third-round rookie to be his starting center and hand Kendrick Green No. 53 on the opening day of rookie camp and lift him after one quarter in preseason games as if he were some grizzled vet and stick with him as the starter even as he's still getting steamrollered every other snap?

That's a question only the chairman in the mirror can answer.

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Mike Tomlin looks up at the Arrowhead Stadium scoreboard in the fourth quarter.

• It's funny but, for a fleeting moment, just after the Chargers and Ravens lost and just before the football flew here, the Steelers had slid into the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. Now, at 7-7-1, they're in 10th place with a 15% chance of qualifying and ... really, just forget it.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals won't beat these Chiefs next week -- I'm not sure anyone will -- but they'll beat the Browns after that. And the only other scenario involves an array of weirdness in the AFC wild card picture.

Besides, what's the point?

To get Green and the other children a single Sunday of playoff experience?

Aren't they already grizzled vets?

• Not to belabor what's above, but, for fairness, Ben offered a similar stance to Tomlin's when I asked why the offense is using McCloud so much, including whether Johnson/Claypool are being nullified as options.

“It's a little bit of both," Ben answered. "Ray-Ray is very shifty and quick. He finds ways to get open in man coverage. He’s really good with that. They’re doubling Tae and Chase a lot, too.”

Last word on this, respectfully, is his.

• Not to further belabor what's above, but Colbert's going to retire after this season, Canada's got to get fired and, as I alluded, Klemm's already lined up the offensive line coach's job at the University of Oregon. Between all that and the infinitely bigger deal of Ben being done, the time for a hard reflection and reset for Rooney will never be better.

• I didn't even bring up culture, but I could. No, not the shaking-fists-at-clouds complaints about TikTok, social media and celebrations -- all 32 NFL teams partake -- but more along these lines:

" "

As someone who's followed this franchise for a lifetime, that sickens me, seeing Cam Heyward go sprinting 20-25 yards downfield in a desperate attempt to assist a teammate ... while most everyone else just watches.

It's happened a few times this season, and I brought that very thing up with Cam himself after the game, asking what he can do as defensive captain to change it.

"One man misses a tackle, 10 people gotta be there," Cam began after a bit of a pause. "I look at it as there's an opportunity to make a play on every single down, and we all have to be accountable. I preach it every day. But to preach it, you've got to live it. And if I'm not living it, they won't follow. I'm going to continue to run to the ball. That's what I was taught. That's respect to the guys before me. Hopefully, we'll got a lot more guys to the ball."

Can't believe this has to come up. Just can't.

• Meanwhile, T.J. Watt's persisting through cracked ribs, for crying out loud. And then, when pressed on whether or not he has cracked ribs, he replied, "It's something minor."

Try breathing through cracked ribs.

OK, now try being basically punched in the gut for three straight hours through cracked ribs.

• I mentioned McCloud being flagged for taunting, and that merits a little elaboration.

It occurred in the third quarter with the Steelers down, 30-0, and here's the whole sequence:

" "

Now, this wasn't exactly a pivotal penalty, the way Claypool's was in Minneapolis. But the latter earned a sustained benching from Tomlin, and this one didn't even see McCloud come off the field.

I asked Tomlin if he had the same concern about this penalty as he had with Claypool's.

“I categorically disagree with it," he came back, without a flinch, regarding the call itself. "I thought Ray-Ray was signaling first down, and he turned around and the guy just happened to be there. I think we have to exercise some common sense.”

The common sense he's citing, clearly, is that of the down judge, Frank LeBlanc, who made the call.

But there's other common sense Tomlin didn't cite. Such as simply returning to the huddle and leaving the signaling of the first down to LeBlanc.

• Green (calf) and Turner (knee) both exited in the fourth quarter, the former replaced by J.C. Hassenauer, the latter by Joe Haeg. I'm working to convince myself that no one got hurt and that this is a conspiracy to try new starters without forcing Tomlin and Company to admit their flaws.

Even if my Oliver Stone try gets stoned, Hassenauer needs to start. Like, now. Enough's enough.

• I don't care about the Chiefs. No one reading this cares about the Chiefs. But the Chiefs, who again claimed the AFC West with this victory, are 11-4, winners of eight in a row and headed right back to a third straight Super Bowl. Maybe with their best balance yet.

Most of the postgame discussion on the home side was about missing Travis Kelce and not knowing until late that they'd have Tyreek Hill.

"Everybody kind of put it together and did great— the offensive line, wide receivers -- so it was a nice day all the way around against a good football team," Andy Reid would say. "You play a Mike Tomlin football team, you know it’s going to be full of grit and determination."

Andy's been around long enough to remember.

• Ben didn't have his best day: 23 of 35 for 159 yards, with an early pick, a late touchdown, a couple sacks and a fumble that led to a Kansas City score.

"It's frustrating," he'd say more than once in his session.

Whatever.

All that matters over these final two games is Ben. It's almost over. His family flew here from Pittsburgh, just like they'd flown all the way out to Los Angeles, and that's no accident. He's already asked several of his old teammates to show up at Heinz Field for the game next Monday against the Browns.

Regardless of what unfolds for the Steelers, a proper sendoff for one of the most accomplished athletes in our city's rich sporting history would be wonderful.

• Thanks, as ever, for reading. Dale Lolley and I will fly home Monday to see if we've still got anything left under our respective trees.