ZT Coach of the Year Odds

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(07-01-2021, 07:35 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Stuff like this makes me realize how interestingly fluid the nature of optimism can be.  Going into 2019 the optimistic take on 2019 was that Marvin was stale and not trying and ZT was going to hit the ground running and get us back into relevance with a fresh new style of coaching our proven players.  

Going into to 2021 the optimistic take on 2019 is that the roster was hopeless and it was completely foreseeable that we were the worst team in the league.


Maybe I forget stuff...but going into 2019 wasn't the idea that we:

1. possibly had our Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVey
2. finally had an offensive-minded HC for Dalton
3. finally had a coach who wouldn't bench John Ross because he didn't like him
4. finally had a coach who wouldn't be afraid to use Joe Mixon

What else was there?  I must have seriously missed all the "This roster is total crap, we're gonna go 2-14 no matter who our HC is."  I sure as heck didn't hear that from the optimistic folks, did I?  Again, maybe ZT is awesome this year...more likely the optimists next year are talking "Instant reboot" with our next HC.  

I'll say that I really hope the Steelers' rebuild takes as long as ours does.

100% true, but in fairness we had the most money tied up in a handful players that were either injured (Waynes, Reader), fell off a cliff talent-wise (Dunlap, Atkins), or both (Green).  Those five guys gave absolutely nothing over the past two seasons (you could say Dunlap finished strong in 2019, but damn did he suck the first half).  That is your Pro Bowl talent on the team.  Your top pay guys.  And you got NOTHING from them.

Fast forward to 2021.  Reader and Waynes are healthy.  Green, Dunlap, Atkins are gone and replaced with younger talent.  

The offensive line was the perfect storm losing XSF in week 1 and the RG position became a revolving door of revolving doors.  Mike Jordan's play actually worsened.  Jonah got injured again.  Bobby Hart was Bobby Hart.

Fast forward to 2021 again.  Reiff replaces Hart.  Spain most likely replaces Jordan.  Carman replaces the revolving doors.  Jonah is healthy and in what is essentially a contract year.  

We can continue to piss and moan about the results of 2019 and 2020, but it led us to where we are today.  This is the no excuses season.  Either they win 10 games and perhaps squeeze in to the playoffs, or they lay yet another egg and we have a whole new coaching staff.  There won't be a middle ground.  I am betting on the former.