U mad, bro?: Steelers fans bristle at negativity after Ben Roethlisberger's new deal, NFL's overtime idea

In this week’s “U mad, bro?,” Steelers fans clap back at my lack of faith in the team. Someone doesn’t like the NFL’s new overtime proposal. And I share the best email I have ever received.

Jerry read my article about the Baltimore Ravens’ new overtime proposal. Like me, he wasn’t a huge fan. And he would like to advance an idea of his own.

“I would end the game with a field goal competition, similar to the NHL’s shootout format. Both teams use the same goalpost but the home team gets to decide which one is used.

Give each kicker three kicks to make, with each one 10 yards further back than the previous one - say 25, 35, and 45 yards.

If both kickers are tied after the first three rounds then they keep going in an elimination format, moving the ball back five more yards if both kickers convert - no change to the distance if both miss. The team whose kicker converts the most kicks is given 3 points and wins the game by a field goal. I think that would be fun to watch.”

So what happens if they both stall out at 55 or 60 yards? Do we start moving the kicks in again? Or just have ‘em keep swinging away until someone loses a leg?

I have a better idea. How about pistols at dawn between the head coaches? Or darts between the quarterbacks? Or a spelling bee between team captains?

Talk about a proposal that would give the Ravens an advantage! I thought their own proposal was bad enough. But with yours, the Ravens would be unbeaten in overtime until Justin Tucker retires.

I thought the goal of tweaking overtime rules was to minimize the impact of kickers. Not elevate it. My god, kickers are going to wind up with $13 million cap hits if you put this rule into place.

Overtime isn’t as broken as people want to make it out to be. Everyone just wants to sound like the brightest guy in the room to come up with some other alternative.

Leave overtime alone. Or ditch it entirely and end the game after regulation. Or go to the college format and move the start line back to the 40 to make it a bit harder on the offenses.

And, sorry, Jerry, harder on the kickers, too.

“J Wade” tweeted me and seems to think I wasn’t positive enough about the prospects of the Steelers in 2021 now that Ben Roethlisberger has reworked his contract.

Player health on D,running game, oline...each year brings different things Tim. No one saw 11-0 start with Ben coming off major surgery.Just breathe and enjoy the ride and trust a team that competes each year for the North & trip to tourney as Tomlin calls it

— jwade03 (@steelers2031) March 4, 2021

The “bad luck” injury card? C’mon.

In 2019, they had one defensive injury all year — Stephon Tuitt. Spare me that narrative. You want them to have perfect health on defense every year?

Look at how much the Cleveland Browns were pinched by injuries and covid-19. And they drilled the Steelers in the playoffs. The Steelers also lost to Cincinnati’s third-string quarterback. They almost lost to the Ravens with only two-thirds of their roster and Robert Griffin III at quarterback.

Injuries. Please!

“Just breathe and enjoy the ride?” I did breathe deep. It was an audible gasp of horror every time the offense touched the ball in the first quarter of the wild-card game.

It was tough to “enjoy the ride” when the car ran out of gas two-thirds of the way through the season.

However, “PTDukie3” seems to agree with J Wade.

Who are they “losing” Tim? Pouncey? Feiler? Al? Conner? Those guys are addition by subtraction w the way they played in ‘20. Highsmith played well, Bush is back. Keep Sutton or Hilton. The D will be fine. Upgrade O during the draft.

— Dave (@PTDukie33) March 4, 2021

Right. Because most teams find a new starting center, new offensive tackle, leading pass catcher, top rusher, second tight end, nose tackle and dime corner in one offseason — with a shrinking cap — all the time.

Yup. Happens every year.

Oh, and I should throw “pass rusher” into that mix. Count me among the few that needs to see more than one sack in six starts from Alex Highsmith before anointing him a worthy full-time starter opposite T.J. Watt.

Hmm, I detect a trend developing here. You’re up next, Zach.

When things aren’t right, they aren’t right. When things were going right, they beat BALT (twice), TEN, and CLE (38-7), all notable playoff teams. I’m just saying, we’ll see which Steelers were the real Steelers once this season starts and play for them resumes. Can’t deny 11-0.

— Zach Szklenski (@ZachSzklenski) March 4, 2021

I’ll agree with you there, Zach. We’ll see for sure!

Hey, I’m not denying 11-0, nor the quality of competition they faced to get there.

But you seem to want to deny 1-5. And who 1-5 came against. Teams such as Washington, Cincinnati and a covid-maligned version of the Browns at Heinz Field.

Oh, and I will deny that 11th win versus Baltimore. That was a crime against humanity. Let’s start saying 10-1 from now on to be more realistic.

Let’s wrap up with some guy who actually liked something I wrote. Steve enjoyed my Steelers-Led Zeppelin running-game column.

In fact, Steve may have enjoyed that column a little too much.

“I agree. All I hear is this team ‘Ramble On’ about how they need to run the ball. Instead, we are forever stuck in the ‘Dancing Days’ of primadonna wide receivers and a pass-happy offense that gives game-planning ‘No Quarter’ to a balanced attack.

‘How Many More Times’ will they give only lip service to addressing the issue?

It’s been ‘Ten Years Gone’ since the Steelers went to a Super Bowl. Missing are the days when opposing defenses would be ‘Trampled Under Foot’ late in games with the Steelers holding a lead and draining the clock on them.

Who’s to blame? Kevin Colbert can say ‘It’s Nobody’s Fault but Mine,’ but certainly, Tomlin and Roethlisberger are also at fault.

Until they appreciate the obvious need of a balanced offensive attack, I’m afraid ‘The Song Remains the Same’ with the Steelers and we’ll again wallow through the ‘Good Times, Bad Times’ of an offense that can put up impressive numbers, but will make us ‘Sick Again’ as we’ll be ‘In the Light’ of defenses that can shut down a one-sided attack.”

You’re right. Even though Roethlisberger is back for an “Achilles Last Stand” kind of season, it’d take a “Fool in the Rain” to bet any money on the idea of the Steelers “Goin’ to California” for next year’s Super Bowl in Inglewood.

You’d have to be “Dazed and Confused” to do that. Then, when Big Ben retires, Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins, “Your Time Is Gonna Come.” And I fear we won’t see this franchise “Bring It On Home” for another Super Bowl “Celebration Day” in Pittsburgh any time soon.

It may not occur until I’m “In My Time of Dying.” Unfortunately, “That’s the Way” it’s going to be.

Next season is destined to be a “Heartbreaker.” But “Hey, Hey What Can I Do?” I can only speak the truth. It’s up to Steelers fans to understand that the “Stairway to Heaven” is “Over the Hills and Far Away.”

Anyway, Steve, let me say “Thank You” for the best email ever submitted to “U mad, bro?”