Mark Madden: Steelers' lack of accountability abounds

The Pittsburgh Steelers have no accountability. We saw that Monday night in a big way.

Gunner Olszewski committed one of the dumbest plays ever. He fielded a kickoff at the 9-yard line near the sideline midway through the first quarter, inexplicably toe-tapping to momentarily stay in bounds. Like he was catching a pass.

Olszewski’s gaffe cost the Steelers 31 yards. Had he let the kickoff go out of bounds, the Steelers get the ball at the 40.

It was idiocy of the worst sort. Stupidity that gets you benched or cut.

It got Olszewski none of the above. He went right back out there, doubling down by fumbling the ball away later that quarter.

Olszewski pulled the most brainless move in Pittsburgh sports since Pirates first baseman Will Craig “trapped” Chicago’s Javier Baez in a rundown between first base and home plate two seasons ago. It showed complete ignorance of the situation. It was like a bad own-goal in soccer or shooting at the wrong hoop in basketball.

But Olszewski paid no consequences.

That’s because the Steelers have no accountability.

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That’s why veterans Patrick Peterson and Dan Moore Jr. struggle mightily at their respective positions while high draft picks Broderick Jones and Joey Porter Jr. sit and wait behind them.

That’s why the offense and defense both look disheveled and disorganized.

Nobody’s supposed to know an unpleasant moment. It’s a get-along gang.

But the players just love playing for Coach T.

Olszewski should have been benched immediately, perhaps cut after the game. It’s not like you’re replacing Jerry Rice.

Sometimes the best way to get everybody’s attention is to shoot a hostage. Mike Tomlin had a chance to do that at a time when his team badly needs focus. He passed.

Tomlin says his offense must “get our mojo back.” You say stuff like that when you have no idea what the problem is or how to solve it. Or when you’re not willing to take the steps necessary.

It might sound like I’m down on Mike Teflon, I mean, Tomlin. Good guess.

He’s the only NFL coach who manages to keep blame from trickling up. He has made results meaningless in a results-based business. Results besides merely having a winning season, anyway. Media both national and local stooge for him.

The illusion is set to continue, too.

The Steelers are lucky to be 1-1. Only by the grace of luck and outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. (I may have underestimated the latter. I don’t know if he’s worth every dime of his $68 million contract extension, but he’s a key component.)

But now the Steelers play subpar Las Vegas and hopeless Houston. They figure to be 3-1 going into a Week 5 home game against Baltimore.

It’s all headed to 9-8, give or take. Just as surely as Olszewski toe-tapped at the 9.

Unless it turns out that Kenny Pickett just plain stinks, as broached in the last installment of this space.

That’s not out of the question.

After 15 NFL games, Pickett has nine touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of 69.7. He has yet to play a legitimately great game. Just a couple of timely drives. We’re told he “knows how to win,” but Pickett’s record is just 8-6.

The Steelers play another quarterback who knows how to win this coming Sunday. Jimmy Garoppolo. Except Garoppolo actually wins. He’s 45-20. Uh-oh.

If Pickett hadn’t gone to Pitt, the citizens would be clamoring for Mitch Trubisky. They may yet be.