Football coaches spend hours studying video, looking for any edge they can get.
Sometimes they outsmart themselves.
There's reason to believe that could be a factor in the Steelers' 0-1-1 start, with a tough game in Tampa Bay looming Monday night.
As the Kansas City Chiefs were racking up points at a pinball pace last Sunday, the TV shots were the same: Overhead angles showing wide-open receivers and field-level shots showing Steelers defenders coming off the field in complete confusion.
Sometimes coaches lose sight of a basic truth, which is the best schemes work only if the players can execute them.
Lets' start with the understanding that the Steelers have too many average players on defense.
Maybe some of them will get better with experience, like first-round draft pick Terrell Edmunds. Then again, everyone is still waiting for former first-round draft pick Bud Dupree to improve, and this is his fourth season.
Ryan Shazier's injury was a huge loss to a defense that needed help behind the line. Even though the shortage of defensive talent was blatantly obvious, the Steelers didn't seriously address the need in the draft or free agency.
So now they have players who may not be good enough, and those players are struggling to understand and carry out their assignments.
A long time ago, the Steelers had a defensive coordinator named Rod Rust. He invented a scheme called "read and react" that called for players to recognize the formation and the offense's initial move, then choose from a variety of options to stop the play.
It was the kind of thing that probably played well at coaching clinics, a sophisticated strategy that was advanced beyond the standards of the day.
But "read and react" was a dismal failure. The players hated it and, more importantly, they didn't understand it.
The plan that followed with a different coordinator was "Blitzburgh,"and it was a huge success until offenses caught up with it. The players were unleashed. There was structure, but not so much that it turned into shackles.
Last week defensive coordinator Keith Butler and cornerback Joe Haden (who didn't play against Kansas City) agreed that the Steelers needed to simplify their defense.
The best plan isn't worth anything if the players can't carry it out.
Getting more basic may not help. After all, the talent gap is still real.
But never expect players to do things they're not capable of doing.
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It looked like Pitt has been taking lessons in tackling from the Steelers.
That's not a good thing.
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The Pirates could be without Gregory Polanco until June next season.
Even when he returns from shoulder surgery, how long will it take him to get back to peak form?
Because of that perceived need, some Pirates fans are suggesting there's a free agent who could help. His name is Andrew McCutchen.
Here's the answer to that. No, no, no and no.
It's over. McCutchen had some great years with the Pirates, but that's in the past. He's declined since his MVP years, and he's a pretty ordinary player these days.
The Pirates would be smart to add an experienced outfielder as a hedge against a slow return by Polanco. McCutchen should not be the choice, though.
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That Monday Night Football crew calling the Steelers-Buccaneers game will be Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland with Lisa Salters on the sideline.
They may be fine and they may do an excellent job.
It just seems like Frank Gifford, Dandy Don Meredith and Howard Cosell were there a million or so years ago.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
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