My observations from the Bills beating

Not sure if this needs it’s own thread, but my observation is our punter is not good. Jordan Berry doesn’t have a big leg, but he rarely hurt the team with his kicks the way Harvin does from time to time.

 

That might bring the team together. If not that then Pickett punching Shaq Lawson. I can see that bringing the oline together to protect the rookie. Here's hoping at least.

 

Art is more likely to extend Tomlin’s contract than buy it out.

 

Definitely cool seeing him step up.

Not on a positive outcome really, but I like the fire in James Daniels.. and Pickett

I'd rather have players that give their heart than primidona skill players that would rather be somewhere else.

 

They at least showed some heart. I have absolutely no problem with what Daniels did.

 

Oh, you’re talking about the 2008-2011 Ben, not the old, decrepit, quarterback who was a shadow of his former self and a statue in the pocket Ben that we’ve seen the last couple of years. You had me there for a minute.

 

I love Najee Harris. The dude is awesome a person and obviously a specimen of an athlete, but why oh why is Jaylen Warren showing him up?

I love Dionte's route running skill, but why can't I trust him on 3rd down to catch the ball? Why have I lost all faith Claypool is a starting WR in the NFL?

Rolling out is fun and all in the passing game, but when it seems like a necessity to cover up for a weakness in the Oline it is ineffective.

You have to be able to convert 3rd downs.

It's not happening. Also there is very little big play threat

 

I agree with your opening statement that Ben was done and we needed to move on. In fact, where the organization screwed up was not moving on from him earlier. We tried to squeeze the last drop of juice from an orange that had no more to give. Today's beatdown was no worse than the ones the Chiefs and Bengals put on us last year. The gap between the best teams in the conference and the Steelers is deep and wide. We've got a long ways to go.

So how did this chasm form?

My two cents:

a) We hung on to aging veterans without a good succession plan for too long, i.e. Ben and the OL.
b) Things have changed, both internally and externally, but we haven't changed personnel philosophy. For example, we still think that we can get away with average DBs as we did 20 years ago, but that's not how the league works anymore.
c) While the rest of the league is going offensive, we're going contrarian by spending more cap money on D than any other franchise in the league. Contrarian can sometimes work, but contrarian approaches are usually adopted because its a tacit admission that you can't do conventional better than others.

In short, our current shortcomings aren't due to personnel or even coaching. They're more deeply rooted than that. These are organizational deficiencies and that comes from the top and that doesn't mean MT, that means ARII. MT is just a symptom of the malaise.

 

Against a defense that was also decimated.

 

If it makes people feel any better, Big Ben never got stomped like this.

Even the statue tin man form of him.

This post is not a knock on Kenny Pickett

 

Did you not watch the Bengals and KC games from last year?

 

I thought the problem was solved once we hired Flores.

 

Because Jaylen sees the opening and hits it. Najee sees a mosh pit of humanity and says “that looks fun, think I’ll go there”.

 

Which year did Cowher start 1-7. I will wait for your response

 

We haven't went 1- 7???

 

I disagree regarding Ogunjobi. I thought he was very good the first four games, but he left the game early with a back injury today.

 

They're pissed, and they should be. I knew they were going to lose, but that was an embarrassment. That doesn't mean the defense sucks when healthy. It doesn't and it isn't.

 

You could have saved yourself some time just by simply saying we suck.

 

The Bills' front seven was intact and they were all over the running game and gave Pickett very little time to throw.

That said, the Steelers absolutely should have been better offensively against an opponent missing its entire secondary. Pickett needs to get better, though he was decent. Johnson and Claypool didn't do nearly enough. Harris was awful and the line wasn't much better.

 

Last year a lot of people here thought our WR's were a real strength. That has turned out to be a misconception. The FO at least knew it. They let most go and spent picks on wideouts. The problem is the best of last year's bunch are not very good. We went from a perceived strength to an actual weakness, except for Pickens who looks like he's going to be very good

 

Let me channel my inner tomlin: our FG kicker needs to execute better.

 

Down 24-3 and your D is getting absolutely shredded and is injured and you are tying to kick FGs? Is it possible for a team to just forfeit the rest of the season to guarantee that #1 pick and Bryce Young?

 

Honestly, I went the other way. I got angry with a few plays in the second quarter, but after that, I was just numbly watching the debacle unfold. I saw somewhere that it was the worst beating the Steelers have taken since the 51-0 demolition at the hands of the Browns in the 1989 season opener. I'm not sure if that is true, but it certainly had a similar feeling. I was in the stadium for that one. The difference was I actually knew they were going to lose the game today before it started. The disbelief was just how bad they looked doing it. I had hopes that the offense would put up some points because Buffalo was missing its starting secondary.