Oh, how the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers have fallen.
A year ago, they were embarking on a remarkable run to the Super Bowl and a record-setting sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy. Today, they're demoralized, beaten and not even in the playoffs.
The Steelers capped the 2009-10 season with a third-consecutive win in Miami on Sunday. But it was not enough to overcome a devastating five-game losing streak earlier. And Sunday's game was like so many this season: Defeat nearly snatched from the jaws of victory.
Pittsburgh's 9-7 season can best be characterized in three words -- lack of execution. Too often, the long-storied defense collapsed in the fourth quarter. And it received no help from a special teams unit that seemed to make opponents' kickoff returns for touchdowns the norm rather than the exception.
The Steelers will have to do more than some soul-searching in the off-season. Management will have to review the coaching situation. Head coach Mike Tomlin is secure but there likely will have to be some changes on his staff. And the roster most assuredly will be changing. Some players -- such as running back Willie Parker -- likely will be lost in free agency.
But while the Steeler Nation laments a season it would rather forget, there's plenty of reason for optimism that the Black and Gold will be back on track come September. And the chants of "Stairway to Seven" will begin anew.
