One of the terms Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has popularized in recent years is “popcorn,” a word he uses to describe a series of small non-systemic problems that create a bigger one. Well, the beans are in the pan for defense and the stove is on. Things are about to explode, and in the wrong way.
This is not to say that it was all bad, not at all. After all, this is where the “popcorn” problem is. But the more you have, the harder it is to keep everything in the pan, so to speak. This is the work of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin heading into Sunday and beyond.
“We’re trying to educate our kids about how it all comes together, how we all have to work together to be a really good defense,” he told reporters yesterday, via transcript. “Not that there are huge and blatant mistakes, but there is an error here, an error there, and it’s not just a group or a person, but in particular moments, when you make those mistakes, you get hurt.”
It’s a missed contrast here, a bite on a double move there. Overcome a gap and it’s a great game. They might be things you’ll do well 99 times out of 100, but if the opposing offense takes advantage of the one time you don’t, that’s the only time that matters.
“This is what we are really focusing on, trying to reduce the number of errors. Sometimes mistakes are just a wrong line, all kinds of different things, “Austin said.” Mike likes to call it popcorn. It’s not like you can just say, ‘Ok, hey, if we fix this, we’re good to go.’ We just have to make sure we reduce the number of small mistakes because they lead to big problems. “
Oh, and by the way, no one ever said “popcorn” problems are better than bigger systemic problems. Systemic problems are more significant, but easier to deal with. There is little you can do to combat these little cumulative mistakes other than simply trying to train to the best of your ability individually and as a whole unit.
Because the idea is that you don’t know when and where they will appear. Every team in every game has popcorn here and there, but you have to keep them in the pan long enough to win the game. The Steelers did not do it, neither in attack nor in defense.
But the defensive problems were certainly more disappointing. In attack it was expected given the turnover, but the defense had to be elite. Coach Mike Tomlin said so himself. They showed elite potential in the first game, but not since then. Will TJ Watt get them back to where they need to be to face a rising attack?
