March Madness is everywhere you look, so we here at Steel City Underground felt like getting in on the craze with a Steelers-inspired tournament all our own: Steelers Who Marched Us to Madness.

The concept is simple. Over a period of the last five seasons, there have been a number of additions the Steelers have made who came in with high expectations. Several of those additions ended as subtractions for one reason or another, leaving Pittsburgh after a disappointing run with the franchise.

We have compiled eight of those names into a March Madness-style tournament, with you, the fans, voting on who was the most disappointing acquisition who “marched us to madness”.

The standings for the tournament are as follows:

 

Note: realizing this could be a bit insensitive to the actual player discussed, we would like to remind everyone that the tournament only involves past players and you should only consider their time with the Steelers when voting or leaving comments. This is merely an entertainment exercise to gauge fan expectation versus how a player’s tenure in Pittsburgh turned out, which may have disappointed for any variety of reasons.

Let’s look at how this championship came to be.

The fans have spoken

Josh Scobee faced Antwon Blake in the semifinal bracket.

https://twitter.com/steelcityundrgr/status/847781177503219712

Fans haven’t forgotten Scobee, who only played four regular season games in Pittsburgh. The kicker cost the Steelers at least one, if not two wins, by missing two field goals in each of those losses.

While many felt Blake wasn’t a strong corner, Scobee’s mistakes overshadowed Blake’s poor play.

https://twitter.com/steelcityundrgr/status/847416840255029248

The vote between Dri Archer and LeGarrette Blount was a lot closer, with fans still holding a grudge on Blount for the way he handled his business while with the Steelers.

About the players

LeGarrette Blount

Yesterday I profiled RB Ben Tate, who had a cup of coffee with the Steelers, playing a single playoff game (and not doing very well in it, which led him to be matched up with Blount in this bracket).

Ben Tate would’ve never been in this “tournament” had LeGarrette Blount been any sort of team player, to begin with.

Acquired via free agency in 2014, Blount was signed to be a hammer to Le’Veon Bell‘s sickle; a backup capable of starting where necessary, and helping give the young running back a breather. (You know, like DeAngelo Williams.)

However, this was too tall of a task for Blount, who walked out of a Monday Night Football game against the Tennesee Titans back in November of the same year, before the game was over. Apparently, the running back was unhappy with his role, one in which he was second fiddle to Bell, who ran for a then single-game career-high of 204 yards.

Blount did not receive a carry in that game, and after having a pair of touchdowns to open the season, he only had 65 carries through 11 games.

At the end of the season, Bell would be placed on Injured Reserve and miss the Wild Card game in which Ben Tate was signed on short notice to play in. Had Blount stayed, history may have been different. The Steelers would’ve had a capable backup who had been with the team all season. The Patriots, who Blount scurried back to after walking out on the Steelers, wouldn’t have had a bruising back to help carry them to the Super Bowl.

Also, tension with Blount had mounted in weeks leading up to what would be his meltdown and dismissal from the team. He often complained publicly about his role, and even got into an on-field altercation with defensive assistant Joey Porter.

But that wasn’t his most famous backstep while with the Black and Gold. Prior to traveling to board a flight for a preseason game months earlier, Blount and Bell were arrested for marijuana possession. The incident also cost Bell time, as both were suspended the next season.

The verdict:

• Blount cost the Steelers a capable backup who was desperately needed in a postseason game against a rival Ravens team.
• Blount helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl.
• Blount caused Le’Veon Bell to enter the first stage of the NFL’s Substance Abuse Policy, which has had a ripple effect on Bell, and the team, ever since.

Josh Scobee

Speak for yourself, but has there been another player ever made you break fixtures in your own home as much as Josh Scobee?

I remember being excited about the trade for Scobee. The Steelers had lost reliable kicker Shaun Suisham for the season, due to a freak special teams accident on the awful turf used in Tom Benson Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame (yes, during a preseason game – an extra one at that.)

Their first “fix” was picking up former Saints kicker Garrett Hartley, but he too would go down to a preseason injury.

On comes Scobee, who had been a reliable kicker for the Jacksonville Jaguars. All that was needed in exchange was a future sixth-round draft pick? What could possibly go wrong?

How about everything?

In Pittsburgh’s first game of the 2015 season, Scobee missed his first two field-goal attempts in a 28-21 loss to the New England Patriots.

Three weeks later, the Steelers would host the Baltimore Ravens in a dismal Thursday Night Football game, in which Michael Vick subbed for an injured Ben Roethlisberger. Struggling to move the ball all game, the Steelers still led the Ravens 20–17 part-way through the fourth quarter. However, Scobee would miss not one, but two field goals which would’ve closed out the game. Instead, the Ravens reliable kicker, Justin Tucker, tied the game, sending it into overtime.

Scobee was so untrustworthy that the Steelers coaching staff opted to “go for it” on fourth down in OT, not once, but twice, rather than risk another Scobee miss.

Pittsburgh would lose that game, and days later, Scobee would lose his job.

Who’s your pick?

Vote now for who you feel was more disappointing as a Steeler:

https://twitter.com/steelcityundrgr/status/848870301425426432