The biggest thing about the first preseason game is...

Preseason really does not matter at all, but it might shed a little light on things to come in the regular season. That being said, our offense is going to stink again this year, and it won't be because of the talent.

Granted, the running game looked much better, which I am excited about. I am excited to see LSH some more, and obviously Bell when he is ready. But I don't think that we can depend on a moderately improved running game to help us contend. We really need a passing threat to contend.

I made this point to a few people I was watching the game last night with. The past few years, I haven't felt like we have had a true go-to receiver threat (except for Heath last year, but he can only do so much). I love AB and I think Sanders is poised for a solid year, but I don't feel like our receivers bring us that threat like we once had with Hines and Burress.

To me, Brown and Sanders and Wheaton are Randel El type guys, and there is nothing wrong with that. But I think we are lacking the receivers that bring the extra utility that Burress and Ward did, and even Nate Washington to a degree.

Perhaps I am just spoiled from watching a Hall of Famer in Hines Ward for so long, and a legitimate receiver that was one of the best at leaping and scoring in his prime in Burress, but for now I cannot help but wonder why the Steelers insist on only getting the Randel El type guys. This was the case with BA as well as Haley.

I will probably return to this observation later on in the season, as I feel that it is essential in today's league to have a wide range of receivers that offer different traits and utilities, rather than just stock up on one mold.
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All of that being said, I don't think that the receivers will play much of a role in Haley's offense, and I fear that it will lead to our demise. I highly doubt, as with every year, that our defense is going to be the reason we may have a bad year. Rather, I think that it will be because of our inability to score points, especially when we go on these massive 8 and 9 minute drives that result in 0 or 3 points, which will be a trend this season I fear.

I understand the purpose of controlling the clock and giving your defense rest, and I respect those elements, but we don't have an old team anymore. We can play at a high speed and with intensity I feel. However, if we can't at least have the ABILITY to score a touchdown in less than two minutes, which nothing from last nights game suggested that we have the plays or coordination to do so, then it will be a long, and painful season filled with many excruciating defeats.

I hope in the end that I am wrong, but I see the signs on the wall now.

 

While I don't think we need to overreact to a pre-season game, I believe it could be a foreshadowing of things to come in the regular season. Like, preparedness, intensity, etc. This seemed to be carryover from last year when the Steelers came out flat and seemingly unprepared all too often. That's on Tomlin and the aura of this team had better change between now and the start of the regular season or his coaching career with the Steelers may go south in a hurry.

 

You guys are getting all this from one glorified scrimmage? Wow!

 

Agree with you both. Looked like much of the same, said this last year and nothing from last night showed any different.

This team cannot methodically go down the field on long time consuming drives without something bad happening like pennalties, stupid plays that don't work (not sure why) ie screens to the backs. The way this offense is designed is similar to last year, this team cannot and will not score a lot of points. It will always be close games just like last year, and we could loose how many games by 3 points ???

Good teams will out score us........ NE, Cincinnati, Green Bay, San Fran, Denver, maybe even Baltimore.

The team is too undisciplined for this type of offense. Wish I was wrong about this.

 

With those comments I don't know how both of you are walking. That sort of knee jerk is atleast a torn acl and mcl. Hell I don't think Sean spence jerked his knee nearly that much.

 

I may feel differently if we were coming off an 11-5 playoff season last year, but how many times last season did we get out-played by (seemingly) inferior opponents and just seem flat and unprepared for the game. Remember the San Diego game last year? There were several other games where we didn't have the kind of intensity we needed and that just seemed to bleed over into last night's pre-season game. I know, I know, it's only a pre-season game. They don't really matter, do they? I think OTAs, set the tone for training camp, which sets the tone for the pre-season games, which sets the tone for the regular season. Why are we continually coming out flat and with little intensity? We'd better get the answer to that question prior to the regular season and it's up to Tomlin to figure it out and fix it.

 

Green Bay and Indy made the playoffs last year. We were stuck in pre-season mode for most of the second half of the 2012 season. We need some intensity. We need to not come out flat. That's all I'm saying.

And besides, everyone knows the Colts are doomed this year because BA is gone.

 

**** the whole, it's only preseason thing. I get the intensity argument and we seemed flat. But, when there is no game plan, there is not rhythm, there is even bare minimal care as to the outcome of the game why get up and get ready. Preseason is about personal accountability and single person stats. I care less about intensity and more that Dwyer looked like ass.

There should be much more consideration not on the fact that dick lebeau d let up a long Td but that Clark and Polamalu are out of position. When it comes to preseason I put nothing on any coach. It is vanilla vs vanilla and lets see how you can play in the big leagues.

 

I don't think I'm getting my point across very well so let me try it this way...WE WERE VANILLA VS NEAPOLITAN FOR MUCH OF LAST SEASON AND GUESS WHO WAS VANILLA?! We're so flat, we make the Kansas Plains look like the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I would think that after our pathetic performance and lacidaisical preparation last year that one of the things we'd like to improve on in the pre-season is TEAM INTENSITY! It's just not there and that's on the HC.

Now, on to pre-season game two. I still have hope we can find that intensity but last night was a disappointment. Even if it was only a pre-season game.

 

Yes it is preseason but you also see tendencies, short passes by our guys, longer passes by Eli. No pressure from our first team D line, pressure from there First team line. We come out flat the other team does not.

We all know that Green Bay will make the playoffs. Colts should not of made it last year. Can anybody say after yesterday, that we will are sure to make the playoffs.??

 

I wouldn't be too worried, but some of the gaffes were pretty bad by our team. I only listened to the game online, and it seemed like amateur hour out there.

 

Its not about losing a pre season game...its about how we looked losing a preseason game....

Maybe with Ben and the starters in for 60 minutes..they find their groove and put some real pressure on teams....but what we saw from top of the roster to the bottom in a preseason game...did highlight areas for concern....we all better hope it was just VANILLA NO GAME PLAN..BLAH BLAH BLAH

HACK

 

I just wanted to see a 15-20 yard pass by the first team. It was rare last season and non-existent last night. Say what you will, but you have to be able to do that in today's league if you want to have a chance to contend.

 

Also, I love your avatar Hack.

 

Those two kids were definitely a bright spot!

 

IMO, Flat == using 2 timeouts very early in the 1st half.

 

Correct.

 

I like what you are gettin at but I wouldn't call it flat I'd call it out of sync.

As I have said before, tomlin is not the cheerleader that Cowher was and that's what I like about him. I love the business mentality. Also, I know we all hate the bonehead moves by worrilfs yesterday but I will say I like the excitement. He knows he is fighting for a job.

If we say areas of concern what are we talking about? Talent levels vs talent levels right. Who can out play the other guy across from him, that's the vanilla. But, what is flat? No emotion? No fire? No urgency? Or do we look less talented? Do we look lazy?

I think we played well outside of the first series on offense. Our defense won't let that play to Cruz happen during the year. Come on think about it. The passing game looked as it should with a 2nd year TE and young WRS. Our o line did well after it settled in. McClendon did well even on the doubles I saw him receive.

I saw a ton a bright spots. We couldn't get a TD the giants got 1 big play. We let up 0 plays over 30 for TDs last year if I repeat that stat correctly. Flat is an argument of mentality. To assume we know the collective team mentality is both presumptuous and preposterous.

Its preseason let's focus, like the coaches, on the talent levels we saw.

 

Heath Miller really is the star receiver for this team now...so lets pray he comes back quickly and 100%.

AB might have say about that this year, but he needs to take it to the next level to be a true #1 this year.

 

The biggest thing about the first preseason game is... That the team should come out looking like they are prepared to play a good football game.
Especially in our case, with last season looming over our heads, we should have come out and played fundamentally sound football.
I agree, there were a lot of pleasant surprises, in individual efforts, and talent levels of our backups, which is ALSO what these games are about, to a large degree.
However...
Given the mental mistakes that killed us last year, I really expected to see a more focused, disciplined team.
I didn`t.
Edit... To put it in perspective, I don`t think the Giants commited their 1st penalty, until the 3d qtr...
And, I watched the Clown`s preseason game, and noticed that one of the talking points for their offense, was that they moved the chains, got in the endzone, and committed NO penalties by their 1st string offense.
Wish we could say that...

 

Any fans that gets worked up about preseason games one way or another doesn't get it and probably never will get it.

 

You will see a lot of 22 doing just this...guaranteed!



HACK