Sign in here if you will not be jumping from the nearest bridge tonight

You call it a blanket statement I call it principle. Losing to Cleveland is something that you can't justify at all, ever.

I see alot of excuses there, Let me go Mike Tomlin here for a minute:

"No Excuses, No explanations. The Standard is the Standard, and the next man is up."

This is what we're led to believe, and as cheesy and irritating it is to us, there is a reason he says it.

We hold him to the standards he says he coaches by and he catches hell from us after games like this.
Even in today's post-game he acknowledged he expects no support from us after a game like that.
(Aside from the statements being classy and applicable to life mind you.)

Now don't get me wrong, as I've stated I'm not going anywhere and I'll be here week to week and I'll continue to be rooted behind the team until I'm dead.
But when you've played like we have, lost to the caliber of teams that we have, I"m sorry but I'm not going to be blindly supportive. I'm not going to cheer for a JV performance against a college team.

The players understand this. They know that we're down on them because we love them and want them to succeed.

I'll acknowledge the D has been playing well, but it's clearly not enough.
You go crazy over there about how good we could be with ben back in the lineup.

I'll be over here being realistic, thanks.

 

The bodies are already way to high under the bridge for it to be considered a jump. Might need a ladder to get the top of the pile soon.

 

I should add on, while I don't like our chances this week in Baltimore, I'll still be here and I still think it's possible we can win that game.

Just don't expect me to be open about it.

 

Saying that injuries are excuses is well and good, but lets face it, they are facts.

It may be the politically correct thing to say. It may be the responsible thing to say. It may be what the coach should say. But you can't ignore it.

Sure Tomlin is supposed to say things like "next man up" and "the standard is the standard", but lets face it, if what he says was true why are there starters and back ups? 3rd stringers and practice squad players? Shouldn't the starters for each game be determined by drawing their names out of a hat? Why have a training camp other than to practice? It simply isn't true. There IS a drop off from starter to back up, from back up to 3rd stringer.

And the Steelers are down to #3 at the most important position on the field. Sure all teams have injuries, but how many are down to #3? And how many would have fared much better against a wretched Browns team if they were?

Hang in there, let them get Ben back in there and they'll be okay. Get AB and the Oline back to health and they can compete with EVERY SINGLE team in the league.

 

If we were a healthy team there's no way we'd even be near this scenario depending on how far you want to take that back, but that's never how this works.
We are a heavily prone-to-injury team. That's why the standard exists.

The backups are there because the choice has to be made about who gives the team the best chance to win. I won't ignore the dropoff and I know among steelers fans here it's acceptable to talk about the excuses but it's good practice not to.

I'll acknowledge again the D has been playing pretty great given the circumstances, but 8 turnovers against Cleveland doesn't give me alot of hope for the future backups or not.

It's clear you understand how bad this hurts, but I can't force myself to hold the same optimism you do. If we lose next week we've lost the division. Hell, if we win it's still likely we lose the division, but if we lose this next game we're in for a world of hurt in December.

If we lose this next game I don't know what I'll do.

 

Furthermore if we lose this next game, that'll be two straight years we've been swept by Baltimore.

 

Well if they do sweep us it will be great to watch them lose in the playoffs. I will probably find whatever board all their junkie fans hang out on and troll it hardcore and remind them that they only get rings for beating playoff teams ya know? lol.

 

I know too well.

Like last year how they went on after we were one and done.

None of us want that to happen this year.

 

Its only a game and I still have to go to work tomorrow so no jumping for me LOL

 

You hit the nail on the head. My thoughts exactly and the way I approach watching football. This is all just entertainment for me so I think it allows me to watch the game more calmly, more objectively, and more rationally. I can assess the situation and talk about the 3rd string QB without feeling like I'm making an excuse. I'm making a simple observation of fact.

A lot of people see it as a excuse and refuse to acknowledge it as if they are a coach or player on the team. After all that's what coaches and players SHOULD say. No coach should get up in front of the media and say that things would have been different if they weren't down to their last healthy QB. Nor should the players.

 

I have one bridge in mind, but wait there is somebody
already taken it. You have to laugh before you cry!

 

No bridge jumping from anyone here at our house. The Steelers are our team win or lose. I made it through the '80s, I can make it through this no problem. In fact the wife put up her tree yesterday AFTER the game:

 

Always keeping cool.