Last offseason brought many changes to the team that no one could see coming. It was heady times for the fanbase. We had two new quarterbacks, a real offensive coordinator, and a high profile linebacker plucked from a division rival. The possibilities were limitless. We might have an offense that scored more than 17 points in a game!

Well, they did average 22.4 points per game, so there’s that. The offense ran the ball fairly well when Justin Fields was in…at first. They passed the ball fairly well when Russell Wilson was in…at first. The problem is that these games are filmed, and other teams watch those films, and they see things. Trends, you might call them. After about four games, opposing coaches felt fairly confident on what to expect and planned accordingly. Look, if you and I can guess correctly about eighty-five percent of the time on the personnel, formation, and play call, that says more about the team than it does our football IQ. And it’s not good.

The harder the schedule became, the more conservative the game plan became, for both sides of the ball. A team can be non-competitive in losses, and a team can be boring, but it can’t be both at the same time and not expect the fan base to start sounding the alarm bells. The current calls for change have been as loud as I have ever heard them. It’s not hard to understand why. If you have a teenager at driving age, go find a picture of them from the last time the Steelers won a playoff game. They will still be in short pants and not to be trusted with Kool-Aid on the carpet.

As the days turn into weeks since Derrick Henry and the Ravens unceremoniously put the Steelers in a headlock, gave them a noogie, and made them cry Uncle, the team response to the demands for change seem to tracking towards “nana-nana boo-boo, stick your head in doo-doo.” That’s not the official team response from Art Rooney II, of course. I’m paraphrasing for effect, but it feels like I have captured the overall message.

It’s likely that the upcoming season will be a “run it back” situation. I’m not sure how accurate the reports are, but I’m reading more and more articles that the team is working on bringing back Russell Wilson. I can’t imagine what the state of the fanbase would be if that actually happens, but Jeff Hartman might have to invent a new level below 1 on the DEFCON ratings. I’m also seeing reports that the organization views Jalen Milroe as a first round talent and a potential franchise type quarterback.

When a team has the “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with” approach to drafting a QB, you get Kenny Pickens. This is not the draft or the team situation to reach on a quarterback, especially in the early rounds. There are needs all over this team, from the wide receivers, an aging defensive line, and cornerbacks that don’t jump out of the way when a big scary running back is headed at them. Missing on another high draft pick at QB would be a disaster on many levels, not just that position.

The excitement brought by all the upheaval and changes of the last off-season could be replaced by the dread and doldrums of knowing exactly what to expect this time around. The defense is getting older and slower, and the offense looks primed to be a running for the sake of running team without actually being good at it once again. Are real changes coming? No one knows for sure, but the longer they wait, the longer the odds of any real impact get worse and worse. The offseason should be a time of excitement and anticipation for the fan base, but it feels like a summer tv schedule of reruns we’ve all seen a thousand times before right now.

The organization doesn’t owe us any promises of results or playoff success as fans, but it does owe us excitement and entertainment for our hard earned dollars. Playing smart football is fine, but living in our fears football is boring and hard to watch. The opponents won’t be any easier next season, so at least give them…and us…something to think about when watching the game film. That’s not too much to ask, is it?