The Steelers: Yeah, we suck.

[SFNL]

I wouldn't be surprised if we pulled the upset this week.

Why?

Because I'm starting Andy Dalton, AJ Green & Cinci's D in fantasy this week.

 

[Gooch1034]

I wouldn't be surprised if we pulled the upset this week.

Why?

Because I'm starting Andy Dalton, AJ Green & Cinci's D in fantasy this week.

haha I am starting AJ Green too and he typically does well against Pitt. Because of this, I have the same feeling as you.

 

[Midnightangel]

Nope.

Same as last week.

Got near in the red zone and fumbled.

We can't run, or pass, or get turnovers, or protect the ball.

We're in trouble.

 

[BigBlueNation111]

I wouldn't be surprised if we pulled the upset this week.

Why?

Because I'm starting Andy Dalton, AJ Green & Cinci's D in fantasy this week.

Green killed my ff last night!! I thought for sure he could get me atleast 7.00 pts!!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Green killed my ff last night!! I thought for sure he could get me atleast 7.00 pts!!

Dalton is more to blame there. His accuracy was all over the place last night.

 

[Droopdog51]

Hey, I'm rather new here (A CBS refugee). Especially new to the Steelers boards. I've been much more active on the college boards. However, I am a life long Steelers fan. I jumped on the bandwaggon in the mid 70s and haven't left. On top of that, I've had to endure a life in Dallas Cowboy hell here in Texas. Anyway, I thought I would give you a couple of thoughts/rants/observations on this years Steelers.

1. They spent 1st round picks on the D-line 2 out of 3 years and they are not performing. Ziggy and Heyward look better but they are nowhere near a replacemnt for Arron Smith and Big Snack. That hurts when you spend those pick and they don't live up to the position they were drafted.

2. The defense is soft. Thats hard to swallow. I'm sure we all remember when the Steelers used to hit people. Well, I just haven't seen it recently. I watched parts of the 49er/Seattle game. The Steelers are not near as physical as both of those teams. Other teams used to worry about playing the Steelers because of the physical play of the Steelers. Not anymore. The Defense needs to get back to what they were a few years ago.

3. Offense. What the hell are we? A running team, a passing team, a college spead team? I can't figure it out. I watch these bubble screens and think that is setting up a big play latter. Nope. we just keep running the bubble screen and the DB jumps it. They draft O-Line with the first two picks last year with the thought of getting back to running the ball. That's not working out. Is it the talent or the blocking scheme? You tell me. Ben can't just wing it all the time. That sandlot bit is getting old and is leading to mistakes. Example the INT that all but ended the game last night. He flung into an are where there were 2 Steelers and 4 Bengals. No wonder it was tipped and intercepted.

4. I think some of the current players and coaches are living off past success and reputation. I don't see any heart in many of the players. when ben was sacked late in the game and the 2 DL for Cincy were mauling him on the ground. Not one of his oline did anything about it. In years past they would have atleast pulled the defends off their QB. I hear people talk about how Tomlin is a great HC because he has a Lombardi and went to another Super Bowl. I think if he was a great HC we would have won the SB vs. GB and should have atleast made the playoffs when he promised to "Unleash Hell in December". Dick Lebaue, I love and respect the guy to death, but I think its about time for some new blood. I know thats blasphamy, but it may be time.

I really hate to see what will happen this season. I was so discussed last season that I gave up hope toward the end. I had a glimer when they drafted J. Jones and L. Bell but that was squashed with the horrendous preseason and Bell's injury. The regular season isn't helping much to bring any faith back.

I'll be a Steeler fan till I die but I can't be like Cowboy fans and not have any objective opinion of the team. hell, Cowboy fan thinks that if they string 3 first downs together, the offense is unstoppable. Right now I would settle for the Steelers stringing 3 first downs together.

 

[Cali Steel]

Seems Tomlin is talking about shaking things up......
What do they really have to shake up?
Perhaps he may want to scrap the entire first string, and go with the practice squad?
At this point, I'm not so sure that would be a bad move.......

 

[element1286]

3. Offense. What the hell are we? A running team, a passing team, a college spead team? I can't figure it out. I watch these bubble screens and think that is setting up a big play latter. Nope. we just keep running the bubble screen and the DB jumps it. They draft O-Line with the first two picks last year with the thought of getting back to running the ball. That's not working out. Is it the talent or the blocking scheme? You tell me. Ben can't just wing it all the time. That sandlot bit is getting old and is leading to mistakes. Example the INT that all but ended the game last night. He flung into an are where there were 2 Steelers and 4 Bengals. No wonder it was tipped and intercepted.
QUOTE]

I completely agree. They have no idea who they are, and where they want to take the offense.

I would think they want to have a traditional offense based on the running game and play action passing. Ben is at his best when he has a bit of extra time, and the receivers are at their best running intermediate routes. But I'm still not sure if this is the goal, since Haley doesn't seem to be a guy who would favor that type of offense.

But the line/rb situation is so bad right now I don't think it is possible anway.

 

[Droopdog51]

our O-line is so bad they cut block and injured the best line we have to help the others not look so bad. And for the love of God can we find a RB that can hold onto the ball and doesn't stutter step or use a sipn move in the backfield.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Hey, I'm rather new here (A CBS refugee). Especially new to the Steelers boards. Right now I would settle for the Steelers stringing 3 first downs together.

Based on the way they're playing I was afraid this thread might turn into a sticky!

Welcome! I'm not too long removed from the ESPN board myself and like you a life long Steeler from '72.

On your points.

Yes...it has been a downward slide pretty much from that January night in DEN. Tomlin & Colbert certainly got their pound of flesh and then some from that great group of players.

To state the obvious, collectively this group of players are not as good as the guys they've replaced. But, we're talking about one of the best 3-4 NT in the history of the game, a HOF SS (now in decline), Not one, but two DEs that could do their job and still wreck havoc in the backfield, possibly the best OLB in a long line of great ones in PIT...I could go on, but I think you get the jist...and to think these guys were not immediate starters, they were groomed for a yr or more before they hit the field.

It's not realistic to think we should have the same level of talent picking in the bottom (and a couple of mid round picks) of the draft for nearly a decade. The moniker "NFL = not for long" is true. No wonder CIN talent base looks so much better than ours...they EARNED all those high draft picks.

On DEF, it's different from the past, but I think we have enough...on the hitting...oh, there are hitters still on the squad, but years of fines have taken it's toll I think.

Most troubling is the lack of explosive players on OFC.

Equally as troubling (and this falls on Tomlin) is the fact that the team didn't look prepared to play at times LY and would be in tight games or lose to teams that rarely make the playoffs.

OFC indentity...agree we're getting mixed signals because they don't have an identity. The owner wants the old smash mouth running game back...but the personnel the GM has brought in don't fit that kind of game plan. Yes...they got a great prospect this year in Jarvis Jones, but if they really wanted to get back to a power running team, you gotta get the horses up front to do that. Also...Paulson, noted for his hands in college, would have been left on the board in favor of a better blocking TE if you have a single minded focus on identity.

In short they want to be something the personnel is not ideally suited for.

I said I wasn't coming back to this thread (bad karma, etc.), but it is what it is...right now we do suck.

 

[element1286]

our O-line is so bad they cut block and injured the best line we have to help the others not look so bad. And for the love of God can we find a RB that can hold onto the ball and doesn't stutter step or use a sipn move in the backfield.

The obsession with large running backs is strange. I get it Jerome was a big guy, it doesn't mean every back drafted needs to be 6'2 230 or above.

Willie Parker was the antithesis of Bettis, find the best back in the draft every other team seems to be able to find them.

 

[SJ20]

Welcome aboard to all of our new posters!

 

[Droopdog51]

I'm wondering if an 0 -3 start and another terrible performance from the offense gets the OC fired? Heard a stat this morning that the Steelers have a combined 7 rushing attempts in the second half for the first 2 games. What the hell is up with that? How about a draw play or something if we are going to pass that much.

 

[dare2be]

I'm wondering if an 0 -3 start and another terrible performance from the offense gets the OC fired? Heard a stat this morning that the Steelers have a combined 7 rushing attempts in the second half for the first 2 games. What the hell is up with that? How about a draw play or something if we are going to pass that much.

A draw play would take too long to develop and get blown up in the backfield due to the stellar performance of the OL.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I'm wondering if an 0 -3 start and another terrible performance from the offense gets the OC fired? Heard a stat this morning that the Steelers have a combined 7 rushing attempts in the second half for the first 2 games. What the hell is up with that? How about a draw play or something if we are going to pass that much.

The O-line isn't performing that well so they are abandoning the run game. Not necessarily all the O-line's fault since Redman sucks something awful. On just a few run plays, Felix was able to double Redman's contributions. So I think the run game will get better when they stop playing Redman so much.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[Fiero425]

Well at least you guys know what's what! I feel for you!

 

[GreenNickle]

Never let a garbage season go to waste
This is a season the Steelers will know who they want to keep and who needs to be let go.
Windows of opportunity open and shut fast in the NFL, the Steelers have proven they know how to turn chicken poop into a T-Bone steak with all the fixins.
It will not be this year but they will open the window again and be dominant in the AFC North for another decade in two more years.

 

[tshirt]

The last time the Steelers started the season 0-4, the landing on the moon had not happened yet, nor did Woodstock.

 

[dare2be]

Never let a garbage season go to waste
This is a season the Steelers will know who they want to keep and who needs to be let go.
Windows of opportunity open and shut fast in the NFL, the Steelers have proven they know how to turn chicken poop into a T-Bone steak with all the fixins.
It will not be this year but they will open the window again and be dominant in the AFC North for another decade in two more years.

I dunno, this has the uneasy feeling of the 80s Steelers...veterans on the downswing, younger players not really gelling into their roles. Normally we'd have distinct areas where we know what needs fixed, here we have a hodgepodge of problems with no easy fixes.