Wednesday, February 16, 2005
In Defense of Bill Cowher
So, the 2004-2005 NFL season is officially over. I must admit I felt like the Super Bowl ended the season with more of a whimper than a bang; to say nothing of the ESPN-televised Pro Bowl. Normally, this is the time when I go into a mild depression and waste time watching bad golf on TV. But this year is different as I have a brand new beautiful baby girl to keep me busy.
Despite my new forward-looking perspective, now would be a good time to take a moment to reflect on the season that has just ended. Not surprisingly, this leaves me thinking about my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. I hope readers will let me indulge a little personal venting. I feel I need to get a defense of Steeler head coach Bill Cowher off my chest.
After the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, I read a lot of people taking their frustration out on Bill Cowher. He can't win the big game. He is too conservative. He got outsmarted by Bill Belichick. He may be a good coach, but he isn't a great one. These were the complaints of Steeler fans.
I think this is a load of hooey. Allow me to explain. The first thing it is necessary to remember is that this team went 6-10 the year before. The record this year? 16-2. And the Steelers beat both of the Super Bowl teams during the regular season in convincing fashion and with a rookie quarterback. The Steelers also had a almost completely revamped coaching staff with new offensive and defensive coordinators. There were key injuries on both sides of the ball. There was every opportunity for the Steelers to fall apart this year, but they gutted out the best record in the league. The Super Bowl expectations were only the result of this amazing accomplishment.
Does every team want to win the Super Bowl? Heck, yeah. Am I disappointed the Steelers didn't add "one for the thumb" this year? More than you can imagine. But let's not throw the coach out with the bath water here. Bill Cowher is a solid coach in a very tough league. He may not have the world on a string like Belichick seems to, but he has produced some very good teams that have competed at the highest levels.
Let's take a look at his resume:
In Cowher's 12 seasons, the Steelers have captured seven division titles, earned eight postseason playoff berths, advanced to four AFC Championship games, and made one Super Bowl appearance. He is one of only six coaches in NFL history to claim at least seven division titles.
Not bad, huh? But what about this season, you may ask, didn't he underachieve again by losing the Championship Game at home? Yes and no. Did he take that next step toward greatness by going to the Super Bowl and having a chance at a ring? Obviously not. But that ignores the remarkable season that preceded that heart wrenching loss and the factors that went into it.
Did anyone dream that when Tommy Maddox went down in the second game of the season against Baltimore that the Steelers would not lose another game until the AFC Championship? Besides Maddox, the Steelers had to deal with significant injuries to their 2001 No. 1 draft pick, nose tackle Casey Hampton, safety Mike Logan, linebacker Kendrell Bell, and offensive lineman Kendall Simmons, not to mention lost games for running back Duce Staley and receiver Plaxico Burress. The Steelers were very young in the secondary, as well. Cowher deserves credit for molding this team into a very tough and cohesive unit that one 15 games in a row against some quality opponents.
I will freely admit that if Cowher wants to elevate his stature to the next level, he will need to get to the Super Bowl and win. So let's talk about that game in January. The key questions for me are did he put his players in a position to make plays and did he put his team in a position to win the game? I think the answers are both yes.
There is one ugly fact that a lot Steeler fans, including me, ignored going into the game against New England. A rookie quarterback has never led his team to the Super Bowl. There is a reason for this. The season is too long and the competition is too tough. Rookie of the Millennium Ben Roethlisberger had an awesome season, but he didn't have enough in the tank on that fateful Sunday night.
Remember, he played in 14 games in college in 2003. In 2004, Ben played in all four preseason games and 17 regular season and postseason games. That is 21 games. Clearly, he was mentally and physically exhausted. This is not when you want to face the defending Super Bowl champs looking to avenge a ugly loss during the regular season. Ben's three interceptions proved fatal despite a desperate comeback attempt.
Many sought to criticize Cowher for his playcalling, but if you look at the film, the plays were there to be made, but the players didn't make them. On the interception return for a touchdown, Roethlisberger threw it to the wrong receiver. The play was designed to go deeper and it was open. Late in the game when the Steelers were trying to get within a touchdown, Ben tossed an awkward lob pass to Plaxico Burress in the endzone, but Burress couldn't come up with it. The Steelers had to settle for a field goal and lost a lot of momentum.
Cowher was criticised for that call and for going for the field goal. But if Burress, who likes to talk a lot of trash and is complaining about not getting the ball enough, catches the pass that hit him in his hands, the question is moot. Cowher can't make the catch for him. I say Cowher did the right thing by getting points. They were only down 11 points with almost the entire fourth quarter to go. Unfortunately, some key penalties and big plays allowed the Patriots to add points and eat up the clock. Roethlisberger threw his final interception and the Patriots iced the game.
It is clear to me that the Steelers had the talent to win the game and that Cowher put the team in that position. His players were in a position to win the game and they failed. I don't think any coaching decision could have changed the outcome. What are the odds that a team can overcome four turnovers against a very good team? Slim. Ultimately, players have to make the plays. Tom Brady and his teammates avoided making key mistakes and won the game.
One final point is worth noting, as well. A lot of teams would love to have Cowher's problem. Look at the Browns and Bengals or the Arizona Cardinals or a host of other teams who haven't even sniffed the post season recently. How about teams like the Miami Dolphins who, despite great talent, can't even make the playoffs or lose in the first-round every year? Or look at the Philadelphia Eagles, a team who lost three straight championship games and just lost a Super Bowl. Is Andy Reid a bad coach because he doesn't have three or four rings? Sometimes, you get beat because the other team was better that day.
Bill Cowher has worked hard to address key Steeler weaknesses and mould a team that can win a Super Bowl. This is an arduous task in the free agency era. He has come agonizingly close lately only to fall short. But I will take his stability and determination over a great many fly-by-night sensations.
The Rooney family knew what they were doing when they signed Cowher and they know what they are doing when they gave him an extension. As a diehard Steeler fan, I hope he is around for a long time. I have a strong sense that he will one day get his ring and take his place with Chuck Noll as a great Steeler coach.