Recently I was thinking about my time writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout my career doing so, I’ve essentially done it all.

Commentary, news, breaking stories, features and even took a stab at simple film room breakdowns.

The one thing I’ve never done is work on just a random thought type format.

I can’t speak for you, the reader, but I am always thinking about writing and the Steelers. Thinking about different aspects of the team and game. Thanks to reading Myron Cope’s biography I decided to put a unique spin on this type of feature.

Now, for the name of the article, anyone who is familiar with the Styx song “Renegade” should know where it came from. If not, this is where it came from…

The jig is up, the news is out
They finally found me
The renegade who had it made
Retrieved for a bounty
Nevermore to go astray
This’ll be the end today of the wanted man

The jig is up…time for some randomness.

Has it all been about injuries?

The Steelers are coming off their dreaded 3-game losing streak, and fans know all about the issues the team has been dealing with throughout this bad stretch of games. However, are we over-thinking what truly has been hindering this team? Has it been nothing more than key injuries to players who make their respective units “click”? To me, I think it absolutely was a large reason for the team stumbling into Week 18 and the playoffs. George Pickens is the only dynamic playmaker on offense, and without him the Steelers weren’t able to do what they wanted against some top defensive units. Without DeShon Elliott and Donte Jackson, then without Joey Porter Jr. vs. the Chiefs, the secondary was hampered and communication was a clear issue. I realize many of these players returned vs. Kansas City, but they hardly had time to practice and get on the same page. Getting these players back with both rest and time to prep should have the Steelers in position to perform at a higher level than what we’ve seen recently.

No more excuses

With that being said, the Steelers don’t have any excuses anymore to not perform better than what we saw throughout the majority of December. Sure, Donte Jackson is questionable for the game Saturday night, but they have all their pieces back at their disposal. On top of that, the Bengals are not on the same level as the Eagles, Ravens and Chiefs. This will be a good test, but the Steelers can’t blame the schedule makers, injuries, or anything else at this point. Time to put up, or shut up.

The headache is real

For those who don’t follow the social media trends, or maybe missed Thursday’s media session for the Steelers, George Pickens was in front of microphones, which is always a scary situation. Alan Saunders of SteelersNOW asked Pickens about how Russell Wilson said they weren’t on the same page on the route concept which equated in the interception on Christmas Day.

Here is the interaction:

I asked #Steelers WR George Pickens about not being on the same page with Russell Wilson during the interception against the #Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/e5Lh314gSl

— Alan Saunders (@ASaunders_PGH) January 2, 2025

Was this egregious? Absolutely not. But was it just one of a long line of issues surrounding Pickens throughout his tenure with the team? It absolutely was. The thing is, the act is getting old, and fast. There comes a point when an organization has to realize the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze. With Antonio Brown, the juice was well worth the issues they dealt with, but with Pickens? I don’t see it. Should they keep the receiver long term? There should be serious conversations about his impact on the field vs. his impact within the locker room. At this point, I think his future with the team is in question. But that’s just my opinion…Diontae Johnson wasn’t this big of a headache and he got traded last offseason for Donte Jackson and pick-swap. Just saying.

Najee’s Future

Speaking of player futures with the Steelers, everyone is curious about Najee Harris’s future with the team. The former 1st Round pick will likely get a shot at testing free agent waters. If he dips his toes in those waters and comes back to the Steelers at a cheap price, maybe he returns. Otherwise, I think fans should prepare themselves for No. 22 to be wear a new uniform in 2025, again barring no one else wants him, or he is willing to take a bargain bin deal to stay.

Return to the ground game

As the Steelers prepare for the Bengals Saturday night many fans are excited to see the Steelers sling the rock around the yard, but not me. No, what plays well heading into the playoffs is the ground game. If there was a primary means of moving the football which I want to see vs. the Bengals it would be a punishing ground game. The Bengals are surrendering 128 yards rushing per game this season, and I would love nothing more than for Harris and Jaylen Warren to run it down their throats in front of the home crowd on Saturday night. A performance like that could help spring board the team into the playoffs.

Motivation? Plenty there in Week 18

If the Ravens beat the Browns at home Saturday afternoon, which we are all expecting to happen, there are some who are wondering if the Steelers will still have anything to play for. What will their motivation be at that point? There is plenty to be motivated for, and ending the Bengals postseason dreams should be near the top of the list. But what might be at the top of the list would be the Steelers ability to right the ship before the playoffs. Getting “right” doesn’t have to mean blowing out the opponent, but having a solid performance and get the stink of the 3-game losing streak off them before the single elimination tournament begins next weekend. If you’re into seedings, the No. 5 seed certainly is more attractive than the alternatives. Yeah, plenty of motivation to be had for the black-and-gold.

Announcer Review

The Steelers faithful will have to hear the Monday Night Football crew Saturday night with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call. Outside of Aikman at times falling in love with specific players/teams, I don’t mind this crew. I don’t hear a ton of them, but when I do I can think of a bunch of crews who are worse.

Officiating Crew Breakdown

It’s John Hussey’s crew who has Steelers vs. Bengals on Saturday night. Let’s break it down…

When it comes to this crew, it might be one of the simplest crews we’ve analyzed so far. Although Sebrina Brunson being a “case specialist” certainly has me wondering what kind of cases she is specializing in these days. Other than that, I hope this crew does a good job, and we aren’t screaming about the officiating after the game. Who am I kidding? I know we’ll be yelling about the officiating no matter what…

That does it…the jig is up, they’ve finally found me. This renegade is outta here…be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18.