Week 10 vs CAR...***TNF***

[ATL96Steeler]

This is a frightening game for me. This Panthers' offense looks scary good. Trickery and misdirection and not to mention, Cam Newton is balling out right now. They have the 2nd best running attack in the league, yet we are 6th against the run. They have the 19th best passing game, but we are 21st against the pass. Carolina has had 100+ yards rushing in all but 1 game this year, our defense has only allowed 100+ rushing yards twice this year and 0 times in the last 6 games.

The key here is staying on top of Cam and keeping an eye on where the ball is going. We can't be caught off guard by misdirection and what not. Another key is causing turnovers. Carolina hasn't turned the ball over since Week 6 against Washington. At the beginning of the season, I had this as a lock win because I didn't expect Carolina to be this good. Now, I'm not too sure. Our defense is our kryptonite. I also think it will be a lot harder to get the running game going against this defense. Carolina's secondary won't let up on us so Ben is gonna have make precision throws tomorrow night. We have homefield advantage so that should help us, but we are 2-2 at home. With that said, both of Carolina's losses came on the road.

This has been one of the toughest games for me to analyze, to be honest. After this, i thoink the toughest game we have is against the Chargers. Man, 4 of the last 5 games on our schedule are gonna be very important, especially if we lose this game. I'd love to say we have this game in the bag, but I don't think we do. I'd love to say we win this game, but I don't think we do.

Carolina 30
Pittsburgh 21

Terry...obviously no one could predict a 30 pt win, but based on how ATL and NO have both won 4 of the last 5 against CAR with high powered air attack OFC, I had a pretty good feeling the matchup favored the Steelers last night. Really have to credit Fichtner for disregarding the stats and looking at the tape and challenging the CAR secondary early and often.

The game obviously tilted hard to PIT in a very quick span...a response 70 yd bomb TD, pick 6, DEF force a 3 & Out, PIT drive for another TD and suddenly the Panthers were in no mans land down 21-7. Exactly what PIT needed and exactly what CAR did not need to happen. That took a lot of the playbook away from CAR and PIT OL feasted on a pass rush that is iffy at best aside from Addison and the blitzes were getting picked up exposing that same secondary that ATL and NO have been feasting on.

But...like I said early in another post...Tomlin has to keep the pedal to the metal and get thru @ JAX and @ DEN with 2 more wins...cannot afford a slip up...long way to go yet, but if they can keep it going...the week 15 matchup with NE...the 2 seed might be on the line.

 

[Yo Tee]

Terry...obviously no one could predict a 30 pt win, but based on how ATL and NO have both won 4 of the last 5 against CAR with high powered air attack OFC, I had a pretty good feeling the matchup favored the Steelers last night. Really have to credit Fichtner for disregarding the stats and looking at the tape and challenging the CAR secondary early and often.

The game obviously tilted hard to PIT in a very quick span...a response 70 yd bomb TD, pick 6, DEF force a 3 & Out, PIT drive for another TD and suddenly the Panthers were in no mans land down 21-7. Exactly what PIT needed and exactly what CAR did not need to happen. That took a lot of the playbook away from CAR and PIT OL feasted on a pass rush that is iffy at best aside from Addison and the blitzes were getting picked up exposing that same secondary that ATL and NO have been feasting on.

But...like I said early in another post...Tomlin has to keep the pedal to the metal and get thru @ JAX and @ DEN with 2 more wins...cannot afford a slip up...long way to go yet, but if they can keep it going...the week 15 matchup with NE...the 2 seed might be on the line.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who thought this would be a blowout. I thought we would play decent defense, but holy shit. The only bad things I can say about this game are our coverage on McCaffery, especially on that 2nd TD pass where he was WIDE the fuck open, and that DPI from Burns. McCaffery seems like he could just run anywhere he wanted to. Was that blown coverage by Burnett on that wide open TD or was Bostic blocked out by Olsen?

If this is how this offense is going to play, buckle up boys because we're in for a treat the 2nd half of this season. Holy shit! I was watching this game last night and I was just waiting for the moment Carolina got some momentum and our defense just fell apart. Just seemed like Carolina was severely outmatched the entire game. O-line couldn't protect Cam. Their special teams turned the ball over. Their defense couldn't stop the offense when Ben was out there on the field. Whatever the game plan was, let's keep this going, Pittsburgh!!!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who thought this would be a blowout. I thought we would play decent defense, but holy shit. The only bad things I can say about this game are our coverage on McCaffery, especially on that 2nd TD pass where he was WIDE the fuck open, and that DPI from Burns. McCaffery seems like he could just run anywhere he wanted to. Was that blown coverage by Burnett on that wide open TD or was Bostic blocked out by Olsen?

If this is how this offense is going to play, buckle up boys because we're in for a treat the 2nd half of this season. Holy shit! I was watching this game last night and I was just waiting for the moment Carolina got some momentum and our defense just fell apart. Just seemed like Carolina was severely outmatched the entire game. O-line couldn't protect Cam. Their special teams turned the ball over. Their defense couldn't stop the offense when Ben was out there on the field. Whatever the game plan was, let's keep this going, Pittsburgh!!!

Agreed...There were a handful of guys I saw on one of the Steeler blogs boasting they would give the 7 (this was earlier in the week before the line dropped) but 7 pts is not a blow out.

McCaffery is a complete mismatch to almost any LB in space and few S can stay with him m-t-m...him going for 130 combined is not a disgrace...definitely a blown coverage on the wide open TD pass, but I'd have to look at it again to see who blew it.

Once PIT got the big lead, it took CAR out of what they want to do, and allowed the PIT DEF to tee off on Cam to the tune of 5 sacks and 7 QB hits. CAR was banged up on the OL which imo has never really been great, but their style of play hides it...when they are forced to pass it, and the DEF knows it, the cracks show up.

OFC...we hopefully can see some consistency with starting fast. If the OL plays the way they did last night, this OFC can beat any team in the league...it was good to see the DEF have a great night, but I'm still concerned about them facing top tier passing OFC...the only one they have defended well really since last year was the ATL game this year.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

HC...5 of 5, in spite of a shaky 1st series by the DEF, this was the most complete game the Steelers have played in a long time...totally dominating a pretty good team on both sides of the ball.

OFC...5 of 5, I picked the Steelers by 7 because I liked a lot of the matchups favoring them but no way did I expect a 30 pt blowout. I said from the outset I thought Ben and the passing game would be effective, the CAR secondary was not as good as the stats. OL played very well and were rewarded with a perfect game by Ben...perfect QB rating last night...Kudos to Fichtner as well, called a great aggressive game.

DEF...5 of 5...not sure what adjustment was made or what was said, but the after that 1st CAR driver they kicked it into gear and swarmed Cam...getting pressure from all angles...one causing the pick 6 by VWill....Burns is playing himself right off the roster next year.

ST...4 of 5...two punts and one < 30 yds...on an otherwise perfect night, Berry had to stick out like a sore thumb.

Summary...Vegas has this one right all along but got scared it seems...lol. Now the Steelers get the needed 10 day break after a TNF game. I'm not sure it was the most important win of the year, but after a shaky start, I think gave the Steelers a huge boost of confidence and the national stage it showed that PIT is a contender.

This win give them a 3 game lead on BAL in the loss column. CIN hosts the red hot Saints. Win and the Bengals stay one game back, lose and CIN drops 2 back and travel to BAL for the 2.0 game next. PIT hits the road as well going to JAX, once a national TV game now bumped to a 1p, and @ DEN the following week.

They can't afford a lapse in this two games that I'm sure they will be a road favorite....this is the scary stretch for a Tomlin team so let's hope they get thru it 2-0. As of this morning I haven't heard any details on Connor, aside from in concuss protocol...now with Rooney on record I trust Bell's agent has told the FO he is reporting this week....hopefully JC is cleared and ready to roll in JAX.

Excellent writeup ATL!

Coaching... On a short week against a contender, this had the recipe of a game that could quickly spiral out of control. Hats off to the coaches for being the more disciplined team. They were laser-focused last night. Even when Carolina opened up the game with a statement drive they weren't phased on EITHER side of the ball. That's the mark of a team that's got what it takes to go the distance. They played clean & aggressive football. Exactly what their formula for success has been over this 5 game winning streak. Pardon the similes, but the offense is purring like a lamborghini, and the defense is roaring like a Mustang GT350R... A recipe to drop panties anywhere within a 5 mile radius. An over-exaggeration for sure, but you get the point. A

O... Wow. The potential was on display last night. Combine the top O-line with a HOF QB playing his A-game, and surround him with all-pro talent at skill positions... It's a recipe for success against any defense. The offense imposed its will through the entire game and there was nothing the Panthers D could do but stand & watch. Even in 3rd down possession situations Fichtner didn't shy away from anything. This is the confidence & swagger a team with this much talent needs to play with. Great play from everyone. Still marveling over the next lump-of-coal-turned-diamond Matt Feiler. The Munchak Effect. A+

D... Indeed it looked like this game was going to be a massive shootout after the first 2 possessions. But kudos to Butler & Co for making the necessary adjustments to take away Carolina's strengths. I knew McCaffrey was going to be a problem, but it was a problem that Butler had to accept because he was able to minimize the damage in the end. Great pressure up front from all involved. And it helped out the secondary immensely (aside from Artie). The stunts & blitz packages are very difficult for any O-line to defend. Thats a pro of having uber-athletic players on the front 7. B+

ST... Boz came through while Berry still looked like he was punting for a JV squad. Even the coverage teams showed up. B-

Overall/Outlook... Perfect storm game for the Steelers. Panthers came in unfocused on a short week. They still played well to keep things close before the half, but then the lid got ripped off. Their team looked demoralized when the Steelers offense was scoring at will. I don't think Panthers are a bad team at all. This should serve as a good wakeup call for them. Steelers on the other hand made a statement last night. This level of play will carry them to January if they can keep it up. Bell will report this week so be careful of what you read. Media is going to want to ignite some flames. A

 

[Yo Tee]

With his perfect passer rating last night, Ben Roethlisberger is now tied with Peyton Manning at 4 for most games with a perfect passer rating. That was also the first time Ben had a perfect passer rating while throwing for more than 300 yards

 

[Superbelt]

Artie Burns 2018 Highlights:

 

[Psych-Ward]

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I SAID IT!!!!!!

Ben throws 25 times or less his stats are fuckin amazing.......
Someone want to pull them stats

 

[Superbelt]

Best Burns to play for the Steelers Defense:

Artie?

C. Montgomery?

Frank?

George's corpse?

Ken?

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Excellent writeup ATL!

Coaching... On a short week against a contender, this had the recipe of a game that could quickly spiral out of control. Hats off to the coaches for being the more disciplined team. They were laser-focused last night. Even when Carolina opened up the game with a statement drive they weren't phased on EITHER side of the ball. That's the mark of a team that's got what it takes to go the distance. They played clean & aggressive football. Exactly what their formula for success has been over this 5 game winning streak. Pardon the similes, but the offense is purring like a lamborghini, and the defense is roaring like a Mustang GT350R... A recipe to drop panties anywhere within a 5 mile radius. An over-exaggeration for sure, but you get the point. A

O... Wow. The potential was on display last night. Combine the top O-line with a HOF QB playing his A-game, and surround him with all-pro talent at skill positions... It's a recipe for success against any defense. The offense imposed its will through the entire game and there was nothing the Panthers D could do but stand & watch. Even in 3rd down possession situations Fichtner didn't shy away from anything. This is the confidence & swagger a team with this much talent needs to play with. Great play from everyone. Still marveling over the next lump-of-coal-turned-diamond Matt Feiler. The Munchak Effect. A+

D... Indeed it looked like this game was going to be a massive shootout after the first 2 possessions. But kudos to Butler & Co for making the necessary adjustments to take away Carolina's strengths. I knew McCaffrey was going to be a problem, but it was a problem that Butler had to accept because he was able to minimize the damage in the end. Great pressure up front from all involved. And it helped out the secondary immensely (aside from Artie). The stunts & blitz packages are very difficult for any O-line to defend. Thats a pro of having uber-athletic players on the front 7. B+

ST... Boz came through while Berry still looked like he was punting for a JV squad. Even the coverage teams showed up. B-

Overall/Outlook... Perfect storm game for the Steelers. Panthers came in unfocused on a short week. They still played well to keep things close before the half, but then the lid got ripped off. Their team looked demoralized when the Steelers offense was scoring at will. I don't think Panthers are a bad team at all. This should serve as a good wakeup call for them. Steelers on the other hand made a statement last night. This level of play will carry them to January if they can keep it up. Bell will report this week so be careful of what you read. Media is going to want to ignite some flames. A

Great work per norm Face!

A day later, I'm kind of like Tomlin...I know they're not 30 pts better than CAR, but once that flurry of pick 6, 3&out, TD was over and they were down 2 possessions I thought they were in some serious trouble even in the 1st Q. I've seen CAR quite a bit living down here, and I think can count on one hand how many games I've seen them comeback after being down 2 possessions.

The Steelers have some good momentum going...I really hope this Bell situation doesn't cause them to lose focus in JAX or DEN over the next two weeks.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Great work per norm Face!

A day later, I'm kind of like Tomlin...I know they're not 30 pts better than CAR, but once that flurry of pick 6, 3&out, TD was over and they were down 2 possessions I thought they were in some serious trouble even in the 1st Q. I've seen CAR quite a bit living down here, and I think can count on one hand how many games I've seen them comeback after being down 2 possessions.

The Steelers have some good momentum going...I really hope this Bell situation doesn't cause them to lose focus in JAX or DEN over the next two weeks.

CAR... Agreed. Even when they pulled within 1 possession in the 2nd qtr you could see the defeat in Cam’s eyes when their defense gave up yet another long TD & an immediate answer to them putting points on the board. Their entire sideline looked stunned. Going on the road and getting roped like that numerous times in 1 half is not something you can recover from. That’s just brutal. They came out in the 2nd half very flat-footed and mailed the rest of the game in.

Bell... it’s going to get interesting no doubt. The coaches must have a lot of confidence in their team not letting it come between anybody or else I’d imagine they would have rescinded the tag by now & let him walk. Long week gives Conner plenty of time to clear protocol. Tomlin better not waste any time declaring Conner the starter or else the media will pour gas on those coals. Bell is not just coming in rusty & in need of conditioning work, but he also has to learn a new offense. But who do you think will get the axe off the 53? Justin Hunter? Stevan Ridley or Jaylen Samuels?

 

[ATL96Steeler]

CAR... Agreed. Even when they pulled within 1 possession in the 2nd qtr you could see the defeat in Cam’s eyes when their defense gave up yet another long TD & an immediate answer to them putting points on the board. Their entire sideline looked stunned. Going on the road and getting roped like that numerous times in 1 half is not something you can recover from. That’s just brutal. They came out in the 2nd half very flat-footed and mailed the rest of the game in.

Bell... it’s going to get interesting no doubt. The coaches must have a lot of confidence in their team not letting it come between anybody or else I’d imagine they would have rescinded the tag by now & let him walk. Long week gives Conner plenty of time to clear protocol. Tomlin better not waste any time declaring Conner the starter or else the media will pour gas on those coals. Bell is not just coming in rusty & in need of conditioning work, but he also has to learn a new offense. But who do you think will get the axe off the 53? Justin Hunter? Stevan Ridley or Jaylen Samuels?

CAR...yep...imo should have pulled Cam after JJ scored to make it 45-14...still a lot of game left, but they weren't coming back from that....needless exposure to make the score look better...not sure why he was still out there.

Bell...If Tomlin wants to keep this OL engaged like they have been...Connor damn well better be the starter if Bell comes back.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[Yo Tee]

I love the way the Steelers O-line went to fight for their QB. Not many other O-lines do that, or at least not many that I've seen. When DeCastro and Pouncey grab your face like that, there's not much you can do aside from take it. There's no stopping those guys whey they got you like that lol

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I love the way the Steelers O-line went to fight for their QB. Not many other O-lines do that, or at least not many that I've seen. When DeCastro and Pouncey grab your face like that, there's not much you can do aside from take it. There's no stopping those guys whey they got you like that lol

It's like trying to fight off a grizzly bear... You're better off jumping into a fetal position and putting your hands over the back of your neck.

 

[Psych-Ward]

This is fuckin awesome.......

Must see........

Mic'd Up: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, head coach Mike Tomlin fired up for big TNF win | Week 10

@FaCe-LeE-uS
@ATL96Steeler
@SteelersPride
@Mangler
@Maximus Rex
@Superbelt
@Ojb81

 

[Ojb81]

This is fuckin awesome.......

Must see........

Mic'd Up: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, head coach Mike Tomlin fired up for big TNF win | Week 10

@FaCe-LeE-uS
@ATL96Steeler
@SteelersPride
@Mangler
@Maximus Rex
@Superbelt
@Ojb81

Lol, gotta love Tomlin with "git his ass! git his ass!"

hahaha, and ben getting sacked, says "gosh dangit!" i guess he's making the effort to watch the swear words, admirable.

 

[Maximus Rex]

This is fuckin awesome.......

Must see........

Mic'd Up: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, head coach Mike Tomlin fired up for big TNF win | Week 10

 

[Psych-Ward]

Lol, gotta love Tomlin with "git his ass! git his ass!"

hahaha, and ben getting sacked, says "gosh dangit!" i guess he's making the effort to watch the swear words, admirable.

Tomlin, as we agree is a dick.....

I think Ben is cleaning up his language because of his kids, but yea it sounds funny as hell hearing a grown man yell "GOSH DANGIT"

 

[ATL96Steeler]

This is fuckin awesome.......

Must see........

Mic'd Up: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, head coach Mike Tomlin fired up for big TNF win | Week 10

@FaCe-LeE-uS
@ATL96Steeler
@SteelersPride
@Mangler
@Maximus Rex
@Superbelt
@Ojb81

OUTSTANDING!!!!

Thanks Psych!!

 

[SteelersPride]

This is fuckin awesome.......

Must see........

Mic'd Up: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, head coach Mike Tomlin fired up for big TNF win | Week 10

@FaCe-LeE-uS
@ATL96Steeler
@SteelersPride
@Mangler
@Maximus Rex
@Superbelt
@Ojb81

lol that is great, get em' Omar