U mad, bro?: Steelers fans emote after a bad playoff loss in very different ways

This week we had a life lesson reinforced after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 42-21 loss in Kansas City during Sunday’s playoff game.

The truth hurts.

People handle that pain differently. Some embrace it and admit it.

Then they lash out.

Others deflect it and deny it.

Then they lash out.

We’ve got plenty of examples from both responses in this week’s “U mad, bro?”

Let’s start with Todd since he has all the answers for the Steelers enumerated already.

1. Coach Tomlin needs to act like a coach and not a buddy to his players.

2. Fire Keith Butler.

3. Fire Matt Canada.

4. Hire a GM who makes good draft decisions.

5. Stop hiring and drafting players from the University of Maryland.

6. Send Chase Claypool to counseling.

7. Hire an offensive line coach who knows how to coach.

8. Hire a new strength and conditioning coach.

9. Who replaces Big Ben??

10. We need a Center, a Nose Tackle, 2 inside Linebackers, a Safety, 2 CBs and a QB. The 2022 Draft can not answer all of those needs.

Geez. That all, Todd?

Actually, now that I type that, probably not.

Soooooo … Let’s go Maulers!!?? It’s USFL season, baby!

This guy named Michael thinks I was too negative about the Steelers going into the game against the Chiefs. And, well, in general, I guess.

@dlolley_pgh @TimBenzPGH isn’t a 1/2 glass empty guy, he is a 7/8th glass empty guy, he needs an afternoon radio hour to match all the other hot take negative people on air

— Michael Redd (@Steelman7558) January 16, 2022

My prediction was Chiefs 40 Steelers 17. The final was 42-21.

I said the Steelers would be 8-8-1 and the last team eliminated from the playoffs. They finished 9-8-1 and were the last team in.

You can call me 7/8 negative. I’ll call it 7/8 accurate.

When I tweeted that exact response back to Michael, this fellow jumped in on the conversation and wagged his finger at me for bragging.

Do you want a pat on the head and a cookie, Tim?

— Aaron (@TricDicRic) January 17, 2022

Yes. I would like a cookie. But I want you to give it to me. Not one of the Steelers wide receivers. They’d probably just drop it on the floor.

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This guy was also not a fan of my negative — yet entirely accurate — prediction of what would happen in the playoff game.

Listening to @TimBenzPGH do a Steelers playoff pre-game show on @SteelersNRadio is like listening to REM’s “Everybody Hurts” right before making love on your wedding night 😉

— me! (@Vonoelhoffen1) January 16, 2022

Hmm. How did losing by 21 in a playoff game feel? That hurt at all? Or are you used to it by this point?

Patrick wants to see the Chiefs get some comeuppance in the next round from the Buffalo Bills.

I can’t wait until the bills pound this team into the ground!

— Patrick hogan (@Patrick40504158) January 17, 2022

Maybe. But I don’t think so. I’m picking K.C.

By the way, Patrick, did you just channel your inner Chase Claypool? Did you just tell me the Chiefs are “gonna get clapped” after beating the Steelers?

Uh oh. I better not give him any ideas.

Gregory isn’t thrilled with reports that Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is retiring after the draft.

“If Colbert is retiring, why keep him around to make draft picks? So, the next GM starts his tenure with players he had no part in drafting? It just doesn’t make sense.”

Not to get all “zen” on you here, Greg, but whenever a new guy does take over, won’t he be starting his tenure with a roster mainly full of players he didn’t draft? I mean, they don’t gut teams whenever a new general manager takes over.

Colbert’s contract runs through the draft because they’ve been working on the scouting process for this draft all year. In theory, they can name his successor tomorrow if they wanted and have that guy on board as a consultant for this year.

I suppose.

But, in all likelihood, they are going to promote Brandon Hunt and/or Omar Khan from within anyway. So, they are already on the ground floor of this process.

This is an email from “KOP II,” ripping me for suggesting that Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson’s omission from the Pro Bowl wasn’t a big deal.

I pointed out that three guys who made it in front of Johnson — Ja’Marr Chase (Bengals), Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) and Stefon Diggs (Bills) — had better numbers and Keenan Allen’s (Chargers) were at least commensurate.

Basically, I said Johnson was deserving of a Pro Bowl honor. But not before any of those other four guys.

To be fair, this guy sent the email before Johnson dropped two balls and had a false start in the playoff game. But based on the tone, I don’t think his opinion is changing.

“Do your homework before you claim Diggs is having a better season than Johnson.

I live about 20 minutes from Buffalo and work in the city. I am a Steelers fan. I watch every Bills game and can tell you Johnson is far better than Diggs at this point is their respective careers. In fact, I consider Diggs to be one of the more overrated receivers in the AFC. The stats prove Johnson’s superiority empirically. He’s played roughly 14.5 games with an aged QB compared to Diggs’ 16 with a QB with the best arm talent in the league (Yes, Allen’s is superior to Mahomes’ and Rodgers’). He’s also played a much tougher (pre-season ranked) schedule (hardest strength of schedule vs. 23rd hardest schedule).

Try to do your homework and maybe readers won’t have to ‘be mad, bro.’ It’s either lazy journalism or ignorance.”

Homework? Do yours.

Diggs had more yards, receptions, first downs, touchdowns and yards per catch at the time the Pro Bowl teams were announced. He finished the regular season with more yards, yards per catch, touchdowns and first downs.

What stats are you talking about, “empirically”?

Also, did Diggs fumble in the open field without being touched like Johnson did against the Chiefs in the regular season? Does he have a bunch of shallow crosses on third downs that end up short of the sticks like Johnson and the rest of that receiving group does?

How many yards does Diggs have in fourth quarters or second halves of games when the Bills were trailing by 23-30 points? Let alone the drops that crept back into his performance as 2021 dragged along.

And stop crying about the schedule. That’s the siren song of a Steelers fan who is out of excuses.

Want “lazy”? Sure sounds like you are the one being lazy. “He’s my guy on my team. I wear his jersey, so he is better!”

That’s lazy.

Finally, Bob didn’t think Mark Madden and I were hard enough on Mike Tomlin during our “Madden Monday” podcast.

“You and that Madden guy are funny. Not the ha ha, slap your knee funny, the other funny. I really enjoy (sarcasm) how you guys deflect the accountability and responsibility of the coaching staff and front office for that disastrous Steelers 2021 season and smoke and mirrors 2020 season. You two make it sound like this team just showed up out of nowhere and the head coach and his staff had nothing to do with fielding and coaching that unmitigated disaster. You have to go back to 1968 before you experience that style of dreadful coaching and decision making and assessment of talent.”

Bob, I get your point. But I think you missed ours.

By saying the team was so bad it was never going to be anything better than roadkill in the first round of the playoffs, that’s not letting the coaching staff off the hook. That’s an attempt to highlight how much this roster needs to improve.

And it was to say whatever coaching magic you could’ve expected Tomlin, or Chuck Noll, or Bill Cowher, or Vince Lombardi, or Bill Walsh to conjure up, they weren’t going to beat the Chiefs on Sunday or be better than a nine-win team this season.

But, back to your opening statement, you’re saying I’m funny? How? Like a clown? I amuse you? I’m here to make you laugh? I’m here to …

Oops. Better stop there.