Game Thread: Week 15 @ Bengals

[thedddd]

There we go

 

[wings-pens2166]

not that it mattered, but another holding on DeCastro on the 2-pt try

just not Dave's day

 

[thedddd]

Nice comeback win. And naturally the Eagle gift wrap a win for the Ravens.

 

[wings-pens2166]

well, on the one hand it was as ugly as ugly gets, but

on the other hand a win is a win, I guess.

still in first

 

[wings-pens2166]

Nice comeback win. And naturally the Eagle gift wrap a win for the Ravens.

yeah, as a Steeler fan, it kinda pissed me off, but I do get it from a Philly point of view. it's not like they had anything to lose really as far as their season goes.

 

[NorthCoastSteelersFan]

And yet ANOTHER team finds out what happens when you disrespect the Terrible Towel.

St. Myron's wrath is powerful indeed.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

well, on the one hand it was as ugly as ugly gets, but

on the other hand a win is a win, I guess.

still in first

Nah...the Philly game was as ugly as it gets...the OFC and DEF struggled for a lot of the 1st half, but a shut out and the OFC dominated the ball in the 2nd half...more like a tale of two halves.

I'll take it...that's a pretty good DEF in CIN...was more frustrated with DEF in 1st half and ST kick overage.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Coaching... Questionable clock management in the 1st half, and penalties became an issue again. Officiating was irritating, but it is what it is. That drive at the end of the 1st was baffling. The stat line of that drive showed it took 51 seconds to lose 1 yard before the 2 minute warning. They ended that drive by spiking the ball on 2nd down and an incomplete pass on 3rd down, then settled for a FG to end the half rather than being in a position to score a touchdown. 51 wasted seconds and a wasted spike on 2nd down (with a TO remaining none the less…) left 4 points off the board. No excuse for that sort of circus act. But I was happy to see how professional the team carried themselves today. They played a clean game and didn't let the Bungals get the best of them mentally. Tomlin had his troops in the right mindset. Wasn't entirely enthused with the playcalling near the RZ, as evidence of the 1 for 5 down there. Aside from a few strange playcalls I thought Haley coached a decent gameplan and made some good adjustments. Butler as well. B-

Offense... Hats off to the offense for staying patient. Cincy D played pretty damn well, but Ben started to abuse them in the 2nd half. Didn't show in the stat sheets due to the Cincy D's penalties, but make no mistake Ben played well. Showed much better decision making, and good poise in the pocket. Still only scratching the surface of his A game though. O-line showed up today. Only allowed 1 sack, and pounded out some tough yards. The battles were won & lost in the trenches, and thankfully there were more wins than losses. Props to Rogers for stepping up today to contribute in a big way. Cincy covered AB & Green very well, so Ben needed that 3rd & 4th option. Still feels like they are leaving a lot of points on the board, but I'm happy as long as they score more than the opposing offense does. B-

Defense... I was beginning to wonder if the Steelers D was left at home today, but it was good seeing the defense show up in the 2nd half. That’s the defense that needs to be there from the start against Baltimore. Big game ball to Timmons who showed Burfict how a man plays the ILB position…monster stuffs at the goal line, tackles all over the field, and of course the big INT to turn the tables. All of that while playing clean football. Kudos to the D after losing Tuitt early then Mathews. They were desperately thin on the DL but they got it done, well except for McCullers at the goal line. Solid 2nd half play all around. B-

ST... Thank goodness for Chris Boswell. He kept the team afloat while the offense sputtered. A franchise-tying record day of 6 FGs. Thought for a while that the Steelers were going to try to win with 7 FGs 21-20 lol. Coverage units were awful today. Big thanks (again) to Boz for that TD-saving tackle. C+

Overall... I'm ecstatic over the win, but it was a bipolar effort. The Steelers made a lot of mistakes today that will be capitalized upon by playoff-caliber teams. They need to stop making boneheaded clock management decisions and stupid penalties. Those sort of gaffs could cost them next week and, if they make it, in the postseason. Thankfully the Steelers came out relatively unscathed. Hoping to hear good news about Tuitt (knee - day to day) & Green (entered concussion protocol) soon because they will be needed next week. B-

Outlook... Steelers get a much-needed home matchup next week for the division crown. It's simple, they win and they're in. Lose, and they'll need a boatload of help to make it (if its even possible?). Baltimore escaped the Philly game by the hairs on their chinny-chin-chin thanks to a blown 2-pt conv call by the Iggles. Surprised to see Baltimore let Philly hang around that long when it looked like they had the game in the bag. But a lot of their wins this season have been similar, narrow escapes. Not exactly the defense everyone thought they were, but they are certainly near the top of the league right now. Their offense has found a new talent in Kenneth Dixon. That dude is a tank. Watching him run, he gains over half of his yards AFTER contact. Pretty incredible runner considering he doesn't look very imposing. Their ground-game success has opened up the play action for mr. heave & pray. Wallace is still finding some success as the 1-trick pony. Hopefully the Steelers secondary can keep a lid on it this time around. The Ravens team looks better than it did in week 9, but so do the Steelers. I think the Steelers have improved the most though. This game will be a matchup for the memory books, sure to have some fireworks.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Coaching... Questionable clock management in the 1st half, and penalties became an issue again. Officiating was irritating, but it is what it is. That drive at the end of the 1st was baffling. The stat line of that drive showed it took 51 seconds to lose 1 yard before the 2 minute warning. They ended that drive by spiking the ball on 2nd down and an incomplete pass on 3rd down, then settled for a FG to end the half rather than being in a position to score a touchdown. 51 wasted seconds and a wasted spike on 2nd down (with a TO remaining none the less…) left 4 points off the board. No excuse for that sort of circus act. But I was happy to see how professional the team carried themselves today. They played a clean game and didn't let the Bungals get the best of them mentally. Tomlin had his troops in the right mindset. Wasn't entirely enthused with the playcalling near the RZ, as evidence of the 1 for 5 down there. Aside from a few strange playcalls I thought Haley coached a decent gameplan and made some good adjustments. Butler as well. B-

Offense... Hats off to the offense for staying patient. Cincy D played pretty damn well, but Ben started to abuse them in the 2nd half. Didn't show in the stat sheets due to the Cincy D's penalties, but make no mistake Ben played well. Showed much better decision making, and good poise in the pocket. Still only scratching the surface of his A game though. O-line showed up today. Only allowed 1 sack, and pounded out some tough yards. The battles were won & lost in the trenches, and thankfully there were more wins than losses. Props to Rogers for stepping up today to contribute in a big way. Cincy covered AB & Green very well, so Ben needed that 3rd & 4th option. Still feels like they are leaving a lot of points on the board, but I'm happy as long as they score more than the opposing offense does. B-

Defense... I was beginning to wonder if the Steelers D was left at home today, but it was good seeing the defense show up in the 2nd half. That’s the defense that needs to be there from the start against Baltimore. Big game ball to Timmons who showed Burfict how a man plays the ILB position…monster stuffs at the goal line, tackles all over the field, and of course the big INT to turn the tables. All of that while playing clean football. Kudos to the D after losing Tuitt early then Mathews. They were desperately thin on the DL but they got it done, well except for McCullers at the goal line. Solid 2nd half play all around. B-

ST... Thank goodness for Chris Boswell. He kept the team afloat while the offense sputtered. A franchise-tying record day of 6 FGs. Thought for a while that the Steelers were going to try to win with 7 FGs 21-20 lol. Coverage units were awful today. Big thanks (again) to Boz for that TD-saving tackle. C+

Overall... I'm ecstatic over the win, but it was a bipolar effort. The Steelers made a lot of mistakes today that will be capitalized upon by playoff-caliber teams. They need to stop making boneheaded clock management decisions and stupid penalties. Those sort of gaffs could cost them next week and, if they make it, in the postseason. Thankfully the Steelers came out relatively unscathed. Hoping to hear good news about Tuitt (knee - day to day) & Green (entered concussion protocol) soon because they will be needed next week. B-

Outlook... Steelers get a much-needed home matchup next week for the division crown. It's simple, they win and they're in. Lose, and they'll need a boatload of help to make it (if its even possible?). Baltimore escaped the Philly game by the hairs on their chinny-chin-chin thanks to a blown 2-pt conv call by the Iggles. Surprised to see Baltimore let Philly hang around that long when it looked like they had the game in the bag. But a lot of their wins this season have been similar, narrow escapes. Not exactly the defense everyone thought they were, but they are certainly near the top of the league right now. Their offense has found a new talent in Kenneth Dixon. That dude is a tank. Watching him run, he gains over half of his yards AFTER contact. Pretty incredible runner considering he doesn't look very imposing. Their ground-game success has opened up the play action for mr. heave & pray. Wallace is still finding some success as the 1-trick pony. Hopefully the Steelers secondary can keep a lid on it this time around. The Ravens team looks better than it did in week 9, but so do the Steelers. I think the Steelers have improved the most though. This game will be a matchup for the memory books, sure to have some fireworks.

Another good job Face!

My thoughts

OFC...3 of 5...CIN kept the LB within 5 yds of the LOS nearly the whole game and they often crept inside that making it a tough day for Bell to really get going...I thought the 1st series was the way to go...short passes but spread it around more. I only saw one target to James, and a couple to Hamilton...with them bracketing AB, and paying a lot of attention to Green it seem like there were other players open, especially in the RZ. Steelers dominated the clock in the 2nd half so I upgraded this phase to a 3. Please use Coates on more than just deep balls...CIN had that covered, dbl covered most of the time.

DEF...4 of 5...Losing Tuitt on the 1st series and later Mathews, the DEF made a big move in the 2nd half tightening up both the running lanes and the coverage was tighter, and a little more pressure. Hard to shut out any team for a half, much less on their home field...pretty clear Haley did not want his players back to Dalton so he stayed in zone pretty much the whole game. Not sure if it was the coverage or the game plan, but Eifert was a none factor in the passing game...I expected him to go for 7/80+.

ST...3 of 5...Boswell gets the game ball this week...6 FGM and the shoe string tackle that probably saved a touch down...the coverage team, sucked...I keep saying at least one position coach should be concerned about his job.

Summary...Steelers did what they had to do. As you mentioned, they didn't get sucked into the chippy play...Gilbert's 15 yder was the only stupid penalty...need a better game on both sides of the ball this week...probably won't have Green as he'll likely be in protocol (hopefully not) and Tuitt didn't seem too serious, but maybe a slight sprain, and Mathew ankle we'll have to see what the injury fallout is later in the week.

This week is the season. Win and they will be the 3rd seed...lose and they may not make the playoffs as MIA is not going away.

 

[Psych-Ward]

Coaching really needs to do something about the penalties.
Just seems to be the same ones week in and week out and by the same players.

Hard fought, good game overall.......

And as @FaCe-LeE-uS pointed out.....

Fear The Curse!!!
Dont fuck with the Terrible Towel
or suffer the Terrible Curse!!!!

Myron wins every time bitches!!!!

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Coaching really needs to do something about the penalties.
Just seems to be the same ones week in and week out and by the same players.

Hard fought, good game overall.......

And as @FaCe-LeE-uS pointed out.....

Fear The Curse!!!
Dont fuck with the Terrible Towel
or suffer the Terrible Curse!!!!

View attachment 152718

Myron wins every time bitches!!!!

DeCastro is getting to be redundant with the holding lately, but if it saves an obvious hit on Ben...do what you gotta do. The chop block, I need to see it again, but Bell should know better than go low when somebody is already blocking a guy. Burns...just lost where he was (looking in the backfield), sucked bu he tighten up as the game went on. Tuitt/Gilbert..., especially Gilbert's stupid.

Whatever was said at the half about penalties needs to be said before the game.

 

[NorthCoastSteelersFan]

One more thought.

Good job by Bell and a couple of others, not reacting when Burfart tried to provoke them.

Fuck you, Vontaze...if you weren't in the NFL, you'd probably be in prison for robbing 7/11s.

 

[Psych-Ward]

One more thought.

Good job by Bell and a couple of others, not reacting when Burfart tried to provoke them.

Fuck you, Vontaze...if you weren't in the NFL, you'd probably be in prison for robbing 7/11s.

Easy Killer!!!!

Don't want to put that ticker in time warp!!!!!

 

[NorthCoastSteelersFan]

Easy Killer!!!!

Don't want to put that ticker in time warp!!!!!

Holding it in can have the same effect, bro.

Besides...I wrote my little anti-Burfart post with a smile on my face...our boys won, after all.

 

[Psych-Ward]

Holding it in can have the same effect, bro.

Besides...I wrote my little anti-Burfart post with a smile on my face...our boys won, after all.

That a boy......

Ya just have to remember two words when it comes to the Bengals......

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

That a boy......

Ya just have to remember two words when it comes to the Bengals......

View attachment 152720

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Guess he doesn't believe in the curse... He still had this to say after the game:

Judges' ruling? Yep... I think he just cursed Cincy's entire 2017 season.

@NorthCoastSteelersFan @Psych-Ward

 

[cincygrad]

I think it's fitting that our 3.0 yard a carry running back is talking about towels and not talking about football. It pretty much defines the 2016 Bengals - All bark, no bite.

I've been a Bengal fan for my entire life, so it goes without saying that I'm used to being disappointed. But this year's version of the Bengals is the worst version I have ever seen. They actually make me miss those talent-less 90s teams. You guys saw firsthand what this team is about..... Enough talent to play ball, but when things get tough they fold like a tent. Bunch of gutless shit-talkers that aren't good enough to back up their loud mouths. They've taken on the personality of their coach and captains and it's ugly.

Best of luck the rest of the year. I'll be rooting against you guys, because that's what I do.... But best of luck nonetheless.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I think it's fitting that our 3.0 yard a carry running back is talking about towels and not talking about football. It pretty much defines the 2016 Bengals - All bark, no bite.

I've been a Bengal fan for my entire life, so it goes without saying that I'm used to being disappointed. But this year's version of the Bengals is the worst version I have ever seen. They actually make me miss those talent-less 90s teams. You guys saw firsthand what this team is about..... Enough talent to play ball, but when things get tough they fold like a tent. Bunch of gutless shit-talkers that aren't good enough to back up their loud mouths. They've taken on the personality of their coach and captains and it's ugly.

Best of luck the rest of the year. I'll be rooting against you guys, because that's what I do.... But best of luck nonetheless.

Any chance Marvin Lewis gets canned? Seems like he's been on the hot seat for 3ish years now. I'm sure this is preaching to the choir... But the Bengals have always been an extremely talented group, just lacking proper leadership. The offense still has a young nucleus (Dalton, Green, Eifert, Bernard/Hill, etc), and the defense has a ton of talent. Not hard to believe the Bengals would be back on top competing for the division crown as soon as next year.

 

[Cali Steel]

Fuck ya'll towel???
Fuck ya'll team.......