What else is new? Brady, New England a cut above

By: Joe Smeltzer 

#12 in your programs. #1 in the history books. (Photo

The New England Patriots are better than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That's why the Sunday's AFC Title Game turned out the way it did. It wasn't because of crooked officiating. It wasn't because Pittsburgh's superstar running back, Le'Veon Bell, left the game before halftime. It wasn't because defensive coordinator Keith Butler decided to stick with the Zone defense, thus giving Tom Brady time to grab his cell phone, order from Dunkin' Donuts, pick up the delivery, and still complete a pass for a 30-yard gain. It might not even be because the Steelers played poorly, which they most certainly did.

The Steelers would have had to be more than good Sunday night to get the W. They would have had to be great. They would have had to turn in a historically impressive performance, and this is because New England is, as the title says, "A cut above" the rest of the NFL.

If you know your history, then the title of this post might seem like a cheap shot, as "A Cut Above" was the title of the 1979 Pittsburgh Steelers highlight film. But the Patriots are what the Steelers were in the 70s. It's up for debate whether New England is the greatest "dynasty" in league history, but they are certainly the longest running, as they've been doing this for 15 years. That is not normal.

Going into the game, I thought the Steelers had a shot. Of course, I did. Why wouldn't I? Pittsburgh was red hot, on a nine-game winning streak (the longest in the NFL,) and had that "destiny" feel to them. But as soon as I saw Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons demolish the team with the second longest winning streak in the NFL, that being the Green Bay Packers, I saw the writing on the wall.

The Steelers ran out of gas, much like the Packers did hours prior. When a team plays as well as the Steelers did for as long, it is not uncommon for them to run out of gas at somepoint. As good as Ben Roethlisberger is, he is not Tom Brady. As much potential as this young Steelers defense has, it still has work to do. Sunday's game reminded us that the Steelers are not quite there yet, and taking things into consideration, it was impressive that Pittsburgh got that close to being there.

A lot of people look at 2016 as a pretty quiet year for the Steelers regarding injuries, and they have good reason to do that. As far as the big guns go (Bell, Brown, Ben, etc.), most of them were able to stay at least decently healthy this season, and that was a rarity. When you look at those facts, it's easy to think that the Steelers were expected to get as far as they did. However, some other things need to be considered, such as the fact that, for most of the season, Pittsburgh had three rookies starting on defense, did not have a legitimate #2 receiver behind Antonio Brown, and played over half the season without their defensive anchor, Cam Heyward. That is not to say that Pittsburgh's success was some big shock, but it is worth noting that this team, as good as it is, still has plenty of room to get better, and a clean Bryant and a healthy Heyward would go a long way in doing that.

On the contrary, I have a hard time seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers getting to the Super Bowl in 2018. It's not because I don't think Le'Veon Bell can stay healthy/clean. It's not because I don't think Ben Roethlisberger still has a few solid years left in him. It's not because I don't think Martavis Bryant's return to the NFL will have an impact. It's because of the New England Patriots.

Believe me when I say that I try to be a "glass half full" kind of guy. But as long as Tom Brady is an NFL quarterback and Bill Belichick is an NFL head coach, I can't feel good about any teams chances to knock New England off of the top of the football mountain. If Bryant and Heyward are back healthy, then the Steelers very well could have the most talented roster in the NFL next season. That's fine. But what New England does better than any team in the NFL now, and maybe ever, is take random men and turn them into stars.

Troy Brown. Deion Branch. David Givens. Are any of these names synonymous with football immortality? I sure don't think so. Yet, those three men were the leading receivers on Super Bowl championship teams. Oh, it's true. Tom Terrific does not need an Antonio Brown. He does not need a Marvin Harrison, and, as the second half of this season has proved, he does not need a Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots offense has been dominant for the better part of two decades because apparently, receivers grow on trees for them. As most Steelers fans know, one of Mike Tomlin's signature phrases is "next man up." Well, New England personifies that phrase. Would anybody be surprised if 2017 sees another Chirs Hogan-like player take over a playoff game for New England? If the answer is yes, then you don't know enough about what this franchise is capable of.

And don't think the Patriots mystique is all about Brady and the no-named supporting cast. New England's defense has played a big part in the dynasty as well. Despite not having a superstar like J.J. Watt, Von Miller or Kahil Mack, New England's D gets the job done, and will be a roadblock for any franchise with the misfourtune of having the Pats on their schedule, especially as the last digit of the year changes.

The Pittsburgh Steelers window for winning a seventh Lombardi is not closed, no sir, and there is a realistic chance that on February 5th, 2018, commishener Goddell presents Arthur J. Rooney III with that beautfiul silver football. But as long as the 6th round pick from San Mateo, California, is healthy and under center, than my skepticim of that dream will remain high.