Steelers Shouldn't Make The Mistake Of Hitting Panic Button Yet, According To Ben Roethlisberger

The Pittsburgh Steelers have already been on a rollercoaster in 2023, and they have only played one regular season game so far. Perhaps this is the logical point for the tale of the 2023 Steelers, considering the heights that their hype reached before a game that counted had even been played. Whatever the reason for the Steelers clunker to open the 2023 season, Ben Roethlisberger doesn't see any reason for the team or the fans to be reaching for the panic button yet.

Steelers Have Plenty Of Time Left In 2023

If the lead-up to the 2023 opener hadn't been revolving around the juggernaut that was the offseason and preseason Steelers, maybe the loss to the San Francisco 49ers wouldn't have the sting it is carrying. Everything seemed to be going Pittsburgh's way; whether it was their free agent signings, their 2023 NFL Draft, or their near-perfect 2023 preseason, expectations were in the stratosphere.

Then came the 49ers and Week 1 of the 2023 campaign, where everything fell apart in a painful, rapid motion - much like the disappointment that is Matt Canada's jet sweep. Kenny Pickett was inaccurate and seemed off from the start; the expensive and star-studded defense spent most of the game on the field and was exhausted, all ending in a 30-7 loss. Despite very few bright spots to speak of outside of TJ Watt, on Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger on Monday, there was still hope.

Roethlisberger's co-host Spencer Te'o brought up one of the things he loves most about the NFL season when the subject of the Steelers' opening day loss to start the 2023 season. Te'o talked about the length of a season, and how teams that struggle early still have time to turn the boat around, unlike what happens if you start to crumble late in the year.

"The beautiful thing about the NFL is, yes, every game matters, however, you've seen it time and time again, year after year, man, you can get good when it counts, right? You can do that [Steelers loss] Week 1, you can't do that Week 8!"

Roethlisberger agreed, and brought up how Pickett's rookie season in 2022 was pretty much a tale of two chapters; the first half of the season, and the second half. It isn't a secret that Pickett improved as he went along, helping the team finish the season on a 7-2 positive note, despite narrowly missing the playoffs. If his rookie year was any indication, Pickett will only go up from here.

Steelers Shouldn't Panic Yet In 2023

The knee-jerk reaction to the lifeless 2023 season opener the Steelers left on the field is to fire every coach, release every player, and generally take a scorched earth policy for the rest of the year. Luckily, none of the fans have control within the franchise, but there are still plenty of questions swirling about after a disappointing start to the 2023 season.

Canada is once again under fire for his complete lack of creativity, but there is plenty of blame to go around. With so many people already panicking, Roethlisberger went out of his way to make sure Steelers fans understand that panic is a premature response.

"I also want to say this real quick, I don't think it's panic time for the Steelers... I'm not saying there will -- but there will be people talking that it's panic time, but it's not that time yet."

With nearly two decades of NFL experience behind his words, Roethlisberger certainly knows when panic is an appropriate response. Remember that it was Roethlisberger under center in the 2005 season when a 7-5 Steelers team needed to win out just to make the postseason. He then had to go through the top-seeded teams as the sixth seed, but eventually won Super Bowl XL. If there wasn't time for panic at that point, choosing panic after a Week 1 loss to a ridiculously talented team in the 49ers is the definition of jumping the gun.

Roethlisberger is choosing belief, and he trusts Pickett and the team, something the entire fan base should do as they take a deep breath. With a huge Monday Night Football game looming in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign, beating the Cleveland Browns should be the focus of both the franchise and the fans. No panic here; however, if 0-2 comes calling, we can reconvene on the panic issue.

Do you agree that it isn't time to panic after the 2023 Week 1 loss?