TAMPA, Fla. -- Purely for the purpose of being morose this morning, let's just suppose the Steelers lose here tonight.
I know, I know. But hear me out.
Suppose that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers lose -- and that, of course, is now the precise order in which those entities lose in the public eye -- and they've dug an 0-2-1 hole that has them looking up at almost all of the NFL, including the Browns. This despite entering the season with a theoretical wealth of offensive talent and maybe, just maybe, a generational window of opportunity.
It'd be kind of tough to take, huh?
The calls for the head coach to get fired will reach a crescendo, unlike any even following the playoff failures against the Patriots or Jaguars. That's obvious. There also will be greater scrutiny of Kevin Colbert's recent work, from never attempting to replace Ryan Shazier to recent first-round draft picks who haven't shown well at all. There will be greater pushback against the players themselves, as well, particularly those who have behaved like idiots and have damaged the once-untouchable brand.
But I think this one will go further. I think it'll start climbing all the way to the top, to Art Rooney II.
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