The Pittsburgh Steelers started out the 2024 regular season on a high note, winning three straight games and a stellar 3-0 record. Were things perfect? Not even close, but wins are wins. What has happened since? Back-to-back losses to the a Joe Flacco led Indianapolis Colts team and the banged up Dallas Cowboys, and now the Steelers are 3-2 heading into a Week 6 game on the road vs. the Las Vegas Raiders.

Regardless of what happens this Sunday afternoon in Vegas, fans are getting disgusted. This isn’t anything new, but it certainly looks like several fans are absolutely reaching their tipping point with the organization.

Before you read into the above paragraph, it isn’t necessarily all about Mike Tomlin, but the organization as a whole. It’s more about the trajectory of the team over the past 5 years. It seems like more and more of the fans who consider themselves die hard fans are starting to waiver about what they think about the team.

It isn’t as if they are going to stop watching, but they feel very neutral about a team they were once passionate about. As an example, these are comments from a YouTube video of my Mailbag Segment of the “Let’s Ride” podcast:

“Watching since ’72, huge fan. Died with every loss. The style of play over the last 10 to 12 years has steadily gotten harder to watch. It is boring and ugly with no dominance. The most expensive D etc and they really can’t stop anybody when it counts. The coach is a D guru to boot. Beat in playoffs by Bortles at home and Tebow on the road proves out the shortcomings”

“Been a fan since ‘69, and mostly a fan that got too worked up. Sadly however, these past few years of ineptitude has moved me to the indifferent camp. Any more I may watch them or may not. Sad.”

These are just two fans’ opinions, but when I listen to Dave Schofield on his “Pittsburgh Standard Time” podcast, you can hear it in the player below, starting to doubt Mike Tomlin and the overall direction of the team, it got me thinking…are even the most devout fans starting to question things? Are they starting to reach their tipping point?

It isn’t like the wins aren’t there, but the repeated pattern of behavior and methods seems to be what is getting to these fans.

I know what many of you might be thinking, “This isn’t anything new. Been this way for years!”

And you’re right, but I guess the majority of optimistic fans were hopeful the Steelers would find a capable quarterback, coordinator, offensive line, etc. What they see now is better quarterback play, a new coordinator, a serious emphasis on the offensive line, and the same results. When you put it in context like that, you can’t blame fans for teetering on the edge of losing hope of any potential turnaround.

So, are these fans past the point of no return? I don’t think so, but change is necessary.

No, not change in coordinator or coaching staff, but change in the process. This fan base is praying for a dominant performance. A performance which doesn’t have them sitting on the edge of their seats in the final minutes as they hope and pray for another one score victory.

Oh, and that can’t be a one-off, it has to start to resemble a team who isn’t just going to hover around mediocrity, but a team who could be vying for a championship.

I think we can all agree the Steelers aren’t there yet, but the process can certainly start changing at any point, and what better place to start than Sunday vs. the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6? Another loss, or a narrow victory, might have some fans going beyond their tipping point…