U mad, bro?: Steelers fans voice opinions on Super Bowl aspirations, Kenny Pickett, JuJu and the Pats, even T.J. Watt's allergy

The Pittsburgh Steelers offseason doesn’t mean that the team is off the radar. At least not with Steelers fans who read “Breakfast With Benz.”

As usual, this week my inbox and Twitter interactions are flooded with Steelers fans giving their opinions on all sorts of topics.

You know, like JuJu Smith-Schuster’s social media habits, T.J. Watt’s nut allergy and Kenny Pickett’s hand size.

Yeah. Only the important stuff. Here’s a small taste in this week’s “U mad, bro?”

We start with DJ - B_rad on Twitter. He’s not buying the idea of JuJu Smith-Schuster going to the New England Patriots in free agency.

JuJu+TicToc= Bill Belichick. Does not compute. pic.twitter.com/CXRbOcOh1l

— DJ - B_rad (@Yinzerinkc) February 23, 2022

What do you mean? You don’t see Bill Belichick and JuJu doing the milk crate challenge together?

Sure. TikTok may be a little ambitious, B_rad. But since JuJu is so tech savvy with his phone, maybe he can at least teach Belichick how to text better.

Robert thinks I’m missing the boat with my Steelers analysis.

“Benz, why don’t you write about the major problem with the Steelers. Let’s look at the coaching. They hired an offensive line coach that (was with) four teams. They promote an offensive coordinator that never headed that position (in the NFL). As for QBs, look what L.A. did with a QB that couldn’t win in Detroit. I’ll bet the Detroit sports writers were glad to see him go.

I would rather see the Steelers spend their money on offensive linemen, and defensive backs. If you give any QB time in the pocket, he will complete the passes. Give (Mason Rudolph) a chance before you blast him. By the way, I haven’t heard the Steelers worrying about QB, have you?”

Well, Robert, have you heard many of the Steelers publicly back Rudolph either? Prior to Monday when Kevin Colbert stated, “If the season started today, Mason would be our starter,” there hadn’t been much — if any — public weight thrown behind Rudolph at all.

By the way, which defensive backs and offensive linemen are they going to get on the open market if they think guys like Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds are too expensive to keep?

As far as Matt Stafford goes, was he a “QB who couldn’t win in Detroit”? Or is Detroit a place that couldn’t even win with Stafford at QB? Seems to me, based on the results of this year, it’s the second thing.

Also, if the line makes the QB, explain to me how Aaron Rodgers and Joe Burrow performed as well as they did this year behind poor line play.

As for your point of not being critical of coaching, I spent plenty of time ripping the offensive play-calling decisions after games last year.

I’ll also add that, while many other people were clamoring for Dwayne Haskins to be Ben Roethlisberger’s backup, I was saying that Rudolph deserved a second chance with his own team before Haskins was granted one immediately upon his arrival.

So let’s not act like I’m unnecessarily “bashing” Rudolph. You just want to create a victimizing narrative that doesn’t exist.

Speaking of bashing quarterbacks, here’s Tom on the idea of the Steelers drafting Pitt’s Kenny Pickett despite his allegedly small hands.

“Forget that spoiled, entitled, non-playing-in-bowl game punk. No loyalty to team. Just Kenny. Small brain, forget the hands. Hope he rides the pine as backup for a long time and he can reflect on his priorities.”

Yes, Tom. Clearly all players should prioritize a non-New Year’s bowl game played on a Thursday night sponsored by a chicken sandwich over potential first-round NFL draft status.

Maybe somebody else in this conversation should reexamine his priorities.

Related:

• First Call: New job for ex-Steelers assistant; Brian Flores absolves, praises Bill Belichick; a Steeler who may be better elsewhere

David has a few opinions about my Steelers coverage.

“You state the Steelers goal is, always has been, and should be the Super Bowl. Do you actually believe anyone on the team believed that was a possibility last year or even the last five?

Frankly I saw no evidence they were doing anything that made the team championship capable. No number 1 receiver, no linemen of even average capabilities on either side of the line, a HOF QB who can’t move out of his own way or throw a pass further than his own feet for years. No capable backups or playing time for the backups. A head coach who has no idea how to read or understand the play clock. No coaches any other team wants.

Just what says the Steelers are trying to win?”

David, I assume you are referring to this piece I posted on Feb. 16. That wasn’t me stating the Steelers’ goal every year is making it to the Super Bowl. That was a quote from Art Rooney II.

Now, in theory, should that be the goal for the Steelers every year? Of course. It should be for every team.

Do I believe it in 2022 for the Steelers? Did I believe it the past few seasons? Well, that’s where Rooney and I probably differ.

Then again, I’m not sure how much Rooney himself truly believed such a thing was possible. Maybe when they were 11-0 in 2020, he allowed his mind to wander. But reality hits hard, doesn’t it?

The Steelers traded a first-round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick when they were 0-2 and had just lost their starting quarterback for the year in 2019. They traded up to get Devin Bush. They made late acquisitions of Trai Turner, Melvin Ingram and Joe Schobert.

They are trying to win. I just don’t know how good they are at making it happen anymore.

Finally, Antonio didn’t like that I wrote about T.J. Watt’s admission that he has a tree nut allergy. Watt talked about it on Barstool’s “Pardon My Take” podcast. So I joked that the NFL should ban all forms of nuts from the sidelines to keep Watt safe from nefarious opponents.

“You really didn’t think when you made a joke of players spitting nuts out at T.J. Watt? Everything they do on the field — spitting, twisting, kicks, need I go on? You don’t think a player wouldn’t even rub this on their sweaty arms. And, yes, if they grabbed T.J.s arms it would work.

Tim, that was stupid. Let it go.”

Antonio, if it’s so obvious to both of us, did opposing offensive linemen really need me to point it out in print before they figured it out on their own? It’s not like Watt’s quotes were going unheard with me writing about them. That podcast has a very wide national audience.

Are you suggesting I shouldn’t have written about it, even though J.J. Watt was the one who told the hosts about his brother’s nut allergy in the first place? I mean, T.J. and the Barstool guys didn’t avoid talking about it. They joked about it for three or four minutes.

I’m pretty sure the Ravens, Bengals and Browns would’ve gotten this info on their own eventually, don’t you? It’s not as if I had some sort of underlying ulterior motive for posting that story.

At any rate, thank you for your email. Thanks to all of you for reading “U mad, bro?” But, most of all, thanks to our new sponsor, Wonderful Pistachios!

Could I interest you in a few complimentary bags, Antonio?