We need to keep in mind...

...with all this "fire Tomlin, LaBaeu, Haley, Ben, Colbert, Rooney, Steely McBeam" talk, we need to remind why we lose games like this.

We scored 6 points going into half. Look at our record when we score less than 10 points going into halftime. It isn't pretty. We lose games like this because we consistently come out flat. We are not aggressive enough in the first halfs of games, and as a result, we don't score points, and as a result we play "Catch up" a lot. Two turnovers were not the reasons we lost. We lost becuase we weren't aggressive in the first half, as with all of our losses this year.

I know the 70's people on this board and across Steeler's Nation don't like admitting this, but the running game doesn't score points. It is a great support for the passing game and in many situation, but you cannot base your offense around the run. Bell is a great back and I am not saying that we should not run the football, but a running based offense does not score, and at the very least it takes forever to score. The dink and dunk passing game is the same thing.

Our offense is at its best when we can throw intermediate passes, between 8-15 yards, all the way down the field. Simple routes and spreading the ball out to our many playmakers and weapons facilitates a moving offense. Throw in playaction, which was again absent in today's loss, and we get our splash plays that put up a lot of points. That's how we beat the Colts and Ravens.

Ben did hurt his hand and his passes were sailing after that, yes. But the "run first" or "dink and dunk" offense have clearly been the focal point before the Colts game and clearly after the Ravens game. Many look at the Titans game and think we dominated because Bell put up 200 yards rushing, but we were borderline bad until late in the game.

Notes:
-Wheaton is very fast. Wheaton also has great hands. He has had some miscommunications with Ben this year, but he fights and gives a lot of effort. He blocks well too. He should be the one running those deep routes instead of DHB.

-DHB and Bryant both appeared to not put in a lot of effort fighting for the ball today, especially DHB on that deep INT. Justin Brown is better than DHB, and if the team wants to suit 5 WRs, he should be the choice.

-Bell is very good.

-I thought the O-line did a good job today. Adams looked pretty good, and I am his biggest detractor in the world.

-The defense is not good, but we knew that coming in. Brees carving them up should be no surprise.

 

Ben's passes were sailing from the very start before any injury.

 

Plus.......it hurts me to say this but Ben can be a drama queen at times. The dude is tough as nails but sometimes....

 

Good points.

I had mentioned about the running game a week or so ago. Despite what some diehards here want to believe, the running game will not get you the points you need against offenses in today's NFL. For all that we were amazed by Bell's 200yd game against the Titans - we BARELY won against a really bad team. That should speak volumes. Add to that a very poor defense, and you have a recipe for a struggling team.

I'm not surprised at all by what happened against the Saints. My only disappointment is that the offense, once again, came out flat. And that rests on the shoulders of Ben. He had a bad day. Let's move on.

 

we stalled in the red zone , when we do we have problems

 

You can't settle for FG's when your defense is giving up TD's... The difference between us and the elite teams is red zone efficiency. The really good teams score TD's more often then settle for FG's. We move it great between the 20's but once we get into the red zone we seem to shoot ourselves in the foot with dropped passes, missed open WR's, penalties and turnovers. Those items turn you pretty quickly into a .500 team which is where we are trending...

 

Move on to where? Do you feel any comfort in this team with 4 games left? I don't. It was a total team blunder yesterday. I am starting to sour on Mike Tomlin. It's time to replace the mummy LeBeau. Sorry but your scheme is old as you and teams have your number. They have had it for years. Sure talent makes a roster, but when the scheme is so crazy anal and players have no freedom to improvise when they see a play breaking down, this is the result. Stay in your lane, do your job. Time for a fresh approach, fresh ideas, a new scheme. Ben's play is like a see saw. It seems he has no emotion. He was far form good yesterday, but, this Defense has to be one of the worst I have seen as a Steeler Fan. Pathetic...

 

I agree with everything you said until you got to the part that Adams looked good. I thought he was playing with roller skates and kept backing up into Ben. That's how Ben hurt his hand and that is how the guy he was blocking got the interception. Come on now, Adams is really bad in pass protection and I still don't see what he does good in run plays as some have said.

 

With 4 games left, there's no where to move on, this was an important game to win, not to squander away playing sloppy ball after two weeks to prepare, this game would have put us a 1/2 game out of 1st place in this division with the chance to take 1st place with a win next week, they aren't moving on, they are moving backwards.....

 

Why can't any Steeler fan just admit....we just aren't a good team. It's that simple. NOT. GOOD. lol. like I said TEAM, meaning one facet is always off. Offense, Defense, special teams, coaching.

 

Also relying on the running game is great...if you have a stout defense. Then again no one in the NFL can have a stout defense anymore. This league is about turnovers and scoring.

 

I'll have to disagree. Running is absolutely the way to go...........IF your defense can stop the other team. All the talking heads agree, to beat the Bradys, Mannings, Rodgers, Brees' of the league, you need to keep them off the field. A really good running game eats up time and does that. I know this isn't a poular opinion in this "fantasy" world but, think back to the game a few years ago at Heinz against San Diego. We kept the ball in the 3rd quarter for all but (I think) 42 seconds.
Running isn't glamorous, or exciting but a W in the real world is 1,000,000 times better than your fantasy team having a good game.
Besides, what good is it to have really fast, tall receivers when your QB overthrows them half of the game?

 

Unfortunately, Seattle does.

 

Our defense gives up 143 yards rushing and lets Brees throw 5 TD passes to 5 different receivers, whats the excuse for that????

 

The team has no mental toughness, we came out doing well on offense and all it took was a terrible play call and then that was when the miscues began. A false start at home is unacceptable, that is on the coaching staff, I keep saying this, the team looks as if it isn't even practicing. I swear Tomlin has them practice for 2 days and that is it, and it looks like it. I'm also hoping Mr. LeBeau retires after this season, his scheme is outdated and the players we have aren't capable of playing in this scheme. Our secondary is so bad that the LBers have to play in coverage most of the time, every time a safety stays deep we give up big chunks on the ground, and when they play the run, the CBs get beat deep, make no bones about it, this team is bad.

 

I am not surprised, we just came out flat. Ben is to blame for this loss. We needed some kind of momentum and needed to score to force them off their run game and we didn't. I wouldn't be surprised if we come out next week and win big, shut everyone up for the week at least lol.

 

They are winning low scoring games. I sure miss that, but then again I would just be happy with a win. Ugly, pretty, lucky doesn't matter just want a W.

 

Had few high prior to the hit..and only got worse after the hit...the early highs was lack of practice and the 60 mph winds lol

 

I wonder why the rats only needed a week to prepare, and they beat those losers in their own house???? But us, we couldnt get ready in a month, the keystone Kops are running this show....Wasnt Ike Taylor a real joke in this game, and he's going to cover AJ Green Sunday????

 

ben is struggling at throws over 15 yards as of late. there have been too many high throws prior to this last game too.

 

For starters they have a better ol and defense ththan we do. Is that enough for you?

 

NO!!!! It has to be the coach! Didn't you get the memo?

 

Yeah I saw that stupid freaking memo. Fortunately my formative years weren't spent in the public school system.