Mark Madden: Steelers are flawed in assembly, administration but blessed by perception

As the Pittsburgh Steelers cling to their 2% chance of making the playoffs, it might be more fun to look ahead to next year.

On second thought, maybe not. Their problems are great, and they are many.

This space has mentioned how rallying to 7-8 will enable the Steelers’ failures to hide in plain sight.

That doesn’t just apply to fans and media. The Steelers are also accomplished when it comes to fooling themselves.

The Steelers have pronounced need at offensive line, defensive line, cornerback and inside linebacker. That’s a lot of holes to fill.

The offensive line has improved marginally. It doesn’t stink quite as bad as it did.

It’s easy to see the Steelers thus concluding that the offensive line is good enough and doesn’t need much help, let alone overhauled.

Second-year left tackle Dan Moore Jr. has started two straight seasons. He shouldn’t start next year. He’s no better than adequate, and probably worse.

Moore has been described as a work in progress, but what’s his ceiling? How many fourth-round picks become anchors at the offensive line’s most important position? Moore would be better as a backup, or maybe at guard.

Moore, left guard Kevin Dotson and center Mason Cole just aren’t good enough. Certainly not to start side-by-side. None helps hide any of the others. Right tackle Chuks Okorafor isn’t terrific, either.

Inside linebacker Devin Bush stinks. The Steelers declined his fifth-year option for 2023. The former first-round pick responded to his impending free agency by being mostly invisible this season.

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But it’s easy to imagine the Steelers bringing Bush back on a cheap deal, like they did Terrell Edmunds this year in the same situation.

Edmunds has played OK. But he’s part of the Steelers inexplicably feeling compelled to keep largely intact a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season.

That’s how wideout Diontae Johnson got a two-year, $36.7 million extension and hasn’t yet caught a touchdown after 15 games this season.

That philosophy will next manifest itself when cornerback Cam Sutton gets rewarded for his meh play. Sutton is in the last year of his deal.

If all these players are good enough to keep, why doesn’t it add up to more wins, perhaps even the occasional victory against a foe with a winning record?

The Steelers are a team incredibly flawed in assembly and administration, but blessed by perception and PR.

ESPN’s Damien Woody spoke for talking heads everywhere when he said, “I’ll always believe in a Mike Tomlin team.” The record doesn’t matter.

Tomlin isn’t going anywhere till he decides. So, hey, let’s all believe!

There’s no rush for the Steelers to draft an offensive lineman. They haven’t taken one in the top two rounds since David DeCastro in 2012.

Or a defensive lineman. They haven’t taken one in the top two rounds since Stephon Tuitt in 2014.

In the last two drafts, the Steelers have picked a quarterback, wide receiver, running back and tight end in the first two rounds. No need to get pedigree in the trenches. It’s just not important, right?

The Steelers will address a need in the first round of the 2023 draft. They’ll just do it for all the wrong reasons.

The Steelers will choose Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., son of the former Steelers linebacker.

Porter will likely have to move to safety, but that’s not important. The buddy system is what’s important.

I can imagine Coach T overruling the scouts, who want to take an offensive lineman in the first round: “Nah. Take Peezy’s kid.”

It will be glorious.