Open up the offense for Pickett?

For me, I want to see 35+ passes a game. I don't want a return to Cowher ball, I have no desire to be bored to tears.

 

It is important to find a balance in that area, too. You may adapt some to attack an opponent's weaknesses, but you can't allow that to push you to abandon your strengths.

 

They can bore me all they want if they win.

 

I don't want the Cowherball but I also don't want a dink and dunk offense with 40 pass attempts per game like it was the case with Ben at the end of his career and the first half of 2022...we need balance and more big play!

 

This goes for defense as well. I feel one of the Steelers biggest issues is lack of in game adjustments. I agree if you have a particular strength that you need to lean upon that but if you know beforehand or mid game that strategy won’t be or isn’t successful you need to pivot to a different approach. For example if a team is loading the box and Najee is getting crushed behind the line over and over you need to open up the downfield passing option to open things up. Defensively if you are playing a soft zone and a team is picking you apart with underneath crossing routes you need to adjust to a tighter man to man. These are obvious things but things I don’t think we do enough because of pride and a lack of willingness to adapt.

It doesn’t mean the adjustments will always work but at least you are trying as opposed to doing the same crap over and over that clearly is not working.

The most important part of this team becoming a contender will be Pickett throwing downfield somewhat successfully. The last several years our offense has been way to easy to defend for a defense. Short dink and dunk passes and running the ball on early downs. Need to get more aggressive or you will not be able to score enough to beat good offensive teams on most occasions.

 

that is easy to say about the last several years but don't you think it was done out of necessity rather than just him not knowing what he was doing?

they didn't have the players in place to do what many wanted them to do. the o-line, the receivers, the qb. now that they have fixed those area's, we are seeing the change. if you don't have the players to do certain things it will fail. it's the system designed around the players.

just like the defense up until now, they didn't have TJ for much of last year, the ILB'ers were not up to snuff, the D-line wasn't a strength, the DB's were not the greatest, so you try to adjust to get the most out of what you have to work with until you can fix those spots. it's really not hard to understand.

 

Exactly. Patriots were mostly boring when they won 6 Super Bowls in 20 years. The year they were exciting... they lost the Super Bowl, 2007.

 

One of the most exciting games I watched was against the Oilers 40+ years ago

Final score was 6-3

 

This team has yet to be really tested in an actual battle with opposing sides tactics meeting for real. I think we have talent but that only goes so far. How the talent is used against the other team's talent will matter as much as anything in determining the outcome. I am not sure our game planning still has the first 15 plays scripted or not and i never liked when they did this as I believe it gives the other teams coordinator an advantage. Game planning and, more importantly, in game adjustments, will continue to be as it has been since there is no reason for it to have changed. Whatever the other team gives us is what we should do. If it sounds stupid and works, it's not stupid. In short, who knows what this team will do when the rounds start going down range for real. Just hoping and guessing at this point and soon we'll all be really happy or not. JMO>

 

The coaches can gameplan and scheme and call all the right plays. It’s the player that win and lose football games. Sure, a coach may call a pass on the GL in a Superbowl and be forever vilified for not running, but game to game it is ultimately on the players to execute.

The right call, the right players, the right execution is a beautiful thing to watch.

 

In 16 seasons Tomlin has not game planned for an opposing team but maybe 5 times. I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening suddenly this season. A tiger does not change it's stripes.

 

Well whatever excuses you want to make for them is fine and some are warranted. I’m a results guy and it hasn’t been pretty. Let’s see what this year offers and then what excuses will be made.

 

I don't know about You , but I've seen adjustments from series to series in games ....on both sides of the ball. You have to remember....no team....none....are great at all things. If You are not a great press man team.....You don't just start pressing anyways for the rest of the game....You do it in bits, and pieces.
Example: Bill Belichick is known as a great game planner, and adjustment guy.....Yet because He has built a predominately man team.....he can't just go into zone across the board, and it's why He can't beat the Lamar Jackson's, and Cam Newtons of the NFL. 1st You build for Your division....You can't build for every team, and therefore You can only adjust so much.

 

Cowherd just said that Pickett's ceiling is a "more accurate Dak Prescott" and a "more mobile Kirk Cousins." B+ quarterback. He doesn't think Pickett will be a Super Bowl winning QB like Roethlisberger and Bradshaw.

 

And Doctors told Rocky Bleier he would never play football again.

 

Agreed. That is why his two touchdown passes so far this preseason were so important. Neither was a bomb, but both were down the field over the middle, a part of the field they need to attack more.

One thing they have really missed since they pushed LeBeau out the door has been his ability to make in-game adjustments defensively.

 

You can win a Super Bowl with a more accurate Prescott or a more mobile Kirk Cousins, but Pickett might have something those two don't. He has already shown a knack for playing his best with the game on the line. That hasn't always been the case with either of those guys.

That said, why is anybody taking Cowherd seriously? Is he going to suggest the Steelers turn to Haskins if Pickett doesn't pan out? That joke of a graphic on his show wasn't even his only stupid mistake recently. He embarrassed himself again yesterday, saying that the Seahawks won't win the AFC Championship because he can't see Geno Smith beating Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow in the playoffs. Somebody needs to explain to Cowherd that he is right, but only because the Seahawks are in the NFC, not the AFC.

 

Now that is a very good take. (See, we can agree on things.)

 

I think Cowherd grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so in his childhood and young adulthood, the Seahawks were an AFC team. Can't remember what year the Seahawks moved to the NFC West and out of the AFC West.... 2002 maybe?

I don't take Cowherd seriously since he contradicts himself frequently... but his show is better than Bayless/Sharpe and the Carton show. Bayless/Sharpe is all Cowboys and Lakers... while Carton is all NYG/NYJ/PHI. At least Cowherd/McIntrye attempts to cover all 32 teams.

 

Didn't Sharpe leave Bayless's show? I haven't been watching or listening to any of those lately.

It is just such a sloppy, stupid mistake from a guy who has made some glaring ones.

 

I didn't see the Haskins mishap. Damn.... that is bad.

 

The year we started 11-0 then went bust. Most if not all of us knew it was most faux, injuries, age, inexperience, lack of depth, covid and scheduling moves...the bottom fell out.

Last year started out like that year ended, things started getting on track, but the weaknesses were evident. Omar's aggressive approach in filling those holes, youth gaining experience, and depth that has not been there for awhile is the beginning foundation for what could be a championship run (not necessatily this year), the elements are there.

 

really? wow. i just don't know what to say, you seem to have that narrow mind already made up.

 

Cowherd is so awful...The seahawks are in the NFC since 2002

 

I am not commenting about what he said, but a general pessimistic attitude I have seen on several chat thread from different sites, namely from YT and FB feeds. Several in particular are the praises for Warren and the absolute absurdity that Najee is a bust. 1000 yards is not what it once was, but behind the line he had, wearing a steel shoe for half of last year and still producing over 2900 all purpose yards in 2 years is pretty damn good. 3.9 ypc is not great, but another HOF guy nicknamed the 'Bus' had a career avg of 3.9.

Is Warren faster, yes. Is his ypc better yes, in 25% of the carries Najee had. Could Warren handle 300 plus touches in a 17 game season, perhaps, but he does not have to because we have a bruiser that can. My point is no matter what happens I will be a fan, also will critique when things are bad, but when management starts addressing those areas of 'bad', you at least get a glimmer of hope and optimism.