Solid Take: Steelers must be who they are, not who they want to be.

I think only 3 TDs in the entire opening quarter!!!

Not sure how many opening drives out of half time, but just as pitiful I’m sure.

This scheme is a joke and fools gold.

Who cares we are never under .500 if nearly ever win feels dirty, weak, lucky and my blood pressure is elevated. Tomlin has never heard of 60 minute football. He wants to keep it close and pull a rabbit out of a hat in the last two drives. THAT will get you to .500 but never further. And it certainly never gets us better draft position.

 

I liked Todd Haley even if cry baby Ben didn’t. He saved Ben’s career by not having him sacked 65+ times a season. I don’t even know why we moved on from him other than Ben’s relationship with someone who pushed back against his desires. Those offensive years were great!

 

There’s an interesting article on steelersdepot about Wilson’s struggles the last month. When the Steelers were doing well the defenses they were facing played a lot of man coverage. Against the eagles, chiefs, ravens, and bengals it was far more zone. With the eagles playing 100% zone. The chiefs and Ravens were both over 70%.

 

Somebody needs to

 

With Lewis Black as a sub.

 

There should be some analysis to find the weakness and then plot to exploit that.

Baltimore, no matter what anyone says, is not good against the pass.
If you can hold the front 7, you can pass. You also have to get the 8th man out of the box.
I love it when on my first possession against a team like this, go for the home run ball 1st play. Use Calvin Austin's speed.
Force that Defense to think twice and then you can run.

What I saw in the loss wasn't so much the 4th down call but rather predictability.
They run from the same formations. I am a bit surprised with Aurthur Smith's game plan.
I'd also use an up-tempo offense and force Baltimore to keep their defenses on the field without substitutions. They hate that.

On defense, it's the same plan.
Keep Lamar in the pocket, he'll throw the pick - it is a given.
Henry can do some damage, but the key there is putting helmets on him behind the line of scrimmage and frustrate him.

My faith in the game plan has wavered. Aurthur is a bit of a disappointment and Austin just doesn't seem to come up with those designs that go against tendencies and blow up the opposing offenses. It's the same old, same old.

 

Haley was good, too, but I'm not sure he was as creative as Arians.

 

Agreed all the way around. They are too predictable on both sides of the ball. They don't have superior talent. They need to stop counting on four pass rushers to get home. The offense needs to figure out how to beat a damn zone and get the passing game going again. There should be opportunities against the Ravens, but Wilson is going to have to show he can hurt them with some intermediate passes. He can't ignore the middle of the field.

The defense needs to be better than the last meeting and it should be. Porter left that game twice with injuries. They were better when he was in there. Elliott and Jackson both missed the game and there were far too many ugly breakdowns in coverage. All three of Jackson's touchdown passes in that game came on busted coverages, which better not happen as often with a healthy secondary. If Zay Flowers can't play, which is a strong possibility, that allows the Steelers to use more sets with three safeties or three outside linebackers on the field together. It allows them to mix Trice in place of Jackson, which gives them a more physical player on the outside. Hell, I might play him more even if Flowers is out there. That and Elliott's presence should help the run defense, which was atrocious in Baltimore. Wilson and Pickens need to be much better Saturday, but the real key is the defense's ability to ugly it up. Keep the score in the teens, force two or three turnovers, and the Steelers have a shot.

 

agreed - I have stated 100 times all over the place, that HALEY saved Ben's career - he was going to DIE by the age of 32 (playing that style) if it was not for HALEY!

he TAUGHT Ben what a check down was!

 

this will be our finest moment!

 

True. Arians was an excellent offensive coach, but he was too close to Roethlisberger. He let him do whatever he wanted.

 

that is what I felt. It was TOO MUCH sandlot. Ben needed structure - Haley was great for that

 

Both Haley and Arians were the last 2 good OC we have had. Arians at times was a little too pass happy but overall a much better OC then what we have for the last several years.

 

I remember people calling for Ariens head about “the bubble screens”. Then they became the hottest thing in the NFL for a few years. Atleast a staple in a lot of offenses.

 

I'd take the bubble screens all day rather than the "toss it outside to the aging gazelle with cement hooves" that we do now.

 

The bubble screens turned out to be a very effective package with the right talent.

 

This is a Tomlin bashing post that is really just saying what some of us have been saying for a good several years... I like it!, but where are all of the "look at me", "you made me look" posts?