Rust!!!

Sit em all. Don't wanna risk anything. They will be fine. They won't forget how to play football after the bye week, please.

 

Don’t worry Mike will not allow you to live in your fears

 

I need a life sized doll to sleep with then. Not sure if my cowher poster looking down on me would agree though

 

Was that meant as a joke? It really doesn't work as a comparison to make the point.

 

Even chemically, rust formation isn’t a time-linear process.

 

It's not going to be just Roethlisberger and Bell. Pouncey and Heyward are also going to sit this one out. That is a shaky defense without its best player, an offensive line without one of the best centers in the game, a mediocre backup quarterback and two scrubs off the street at running back.

The Browns do run the ball well, something the Steelers struggle to stop even with Heyward. That takes the pressure off Kizer and maybe cuts down on his screw-ups. Cleveland's defense is also decent, good enough to shut down Pittsburgh without Bell, Roethlisberger, Brown and Pouncey.

The Steelers are giving this game away, which may end up meaning nothing. Or if the Jets get very, very lucky, it might cost them the top seed. I already pointed out that the Patriots lost in this exact situation just two years ago, costing themselves the top seed. The Steelers' cowardly approach might also take some pressure off the Patriots and let them take guys out early on Sunday.

More importantly, it's going to make the Steelers even rustier when they do play in the divisional round. One week without a game due to the bye is enough of a challenge. Now it's going to be two. it's a terrible decision, one that could very likely ruin this season every bit as much as the injuries that are scaring the coaching staff so much.

 

Is Ben definitely not playing? Only place I heard this is from Marcus Gibert interview. What is Tomlin on record as saying?

 

Or Fire Marshall Bill..

 

Practice, practice be prepared. Simulated live practice.

 

He sat out practice Wednesday and Friday and had only a limited workout Thursday. Tomlin hasn't confirmed anything, tut that sure sounds like he's sitting.

Worse, it sounds like he will be inactive. I'm guessing Bell will be, too. They won't even be able to change their minds if they're struggling and the Jets are winning. I'm amazed that so few people see the level of stupid in this decision.

 

What if Ben and Bell play and we get the #1 seed but get hurt and are out for the playoffs?

Better yet, what if Ben and Bell play and we win but they get hurt and are out for the playoffs and the Patriots beat the Jets?

Did it cross your mind that Belichick is playing his guys because he feels that he had to? Brady is nursing a sore ACL. If the Jets put up a fight and make them play for 4 quarters, that sore ACL of Brady's is going to be even more sore.

With that in mind, Belichick is playing for seeding because he doesn't want to come back here, not because he's smarter than Tomlin. He feels he NEEDS the top seed.

Tomlin said how big the Patriots game would be, but even though Haden practiced that week, he refused to play him until the following week. Tomlin appreciates the bye, but his priority is HEALTH over seeding.

He knows if they are healthy, they can beat anyone anywhere. That's his approach and he's confident in it.

 

Thst team that keeps winning Super Bowls is only playing their guys because the Steelers put pressure on them. Brady has a sore ACL he has been playing on for weeks. They are playing him because they don't want to come here not because they are so smart.

You think Brady's ACL is going to feel any better if the Jets take them to 4 quarters? You have a 40 yr. old QB with a bad ACL yet you are playing him! What does that tell you? That tells you that they absolutely feel that they NEED the top seed.


Tomlin is fielding a team in week 17 that still gives him a chance to beat Cleveland in case the Patriots would miraculously lose. You don't put your key players out there and risk losing them for the playoffs with the long odds of the Jets beating the defending Champs in their house with a 3rd string QB.

Ben is 35 years old and has just played a full season. Bell has over 400 touches on the year which is tops in the league. Pouncey is nursing an injury. Heyward has had a large amount of snaps without rotation.

Tomlin's priority is health. He has a bye. He knows if they are healthy they don't NEED the top seed. That's not living in your fears! He knows if they have a full deck they will beat anyone, anywhere. That should be the main focus right now, top seed second.

 

Tough call, but its probably better to sit our top guys. Also, Steelers can play down to any opponent and lose even with killer B's. Imagine playing our guys, losing the game and losing somebody due to injury.

What matters most is that AB recovers in time for the playoffs. We will need AB, Ben and Bell playing great to win in the playoffs. The defense did well against the Texans, but I think we will need the offense to carry us to victory.

If Steelers end up playing NE in championship game (hopefully we make it there) then the biggest concern is how do you stop Gronk. I don't think we can do man-to-man all game and cover him.

I would not inactivate Ben, Bell, Hayward in case NE falters and Steeler need those three at the end of the game. I think they can still warm-up enough to avoid increasing the risk of injury.

 

As I mentioned on the other thread, Brady's injury is an Achilles' tendon, not an ACL.

Your approach suggests Tomlin knows what he is doing and Belichick is making a mistake out of fear. Now take an objective look at their track records. I'll take Belichik's judgement over Tomlin's every time.

Tomlin is doing what he claims he won't do, living in his fears.

 

The Patriots are not resting Brady or Gronk because they want to win so as to have #1 seed and home field advantage. They rarely lose at Gillette stadium. Steelers are not going to get #1 seed unless Jets beat NE. The chances of this happening are very remote. I do not like the Jets chances and certainly would not place any bets on that game unless I was betting with NE to win by a large margin..

 

I think it was 2008 and Ben was playing in the season finale against the Browns and he left the game on a stretcher after taking a big hit.

 

Which is why that is the smaller of my concerns regarding sitting Roethlisberger, Bell and Heyward. My larger issue is that they are sure to be even more out of sync than necessary in the divisional round.

 

I don't think his post suggested that at all. Belichick and Tomlin both are balancing risk/reward and making strategic decisions.

Brady and Gronkowski have shown they can miss games and return in sync. Belichick isn't playing them tomorrow out of concern for double-bye-week rustiness. He wants the #1 seed.

Ben looks like an old man getting up off the ground, and he seemed to tweak a hamstring recently. Bell has an astronomical number of touches, which didn't fare well last year (groin). I think Tomlin is taking the long view while still fielding a team with a credible chance of victory.

 

I still think its the right coaching decision. Tomlin does not "live in his fears" but he is not stupid either to risk injury to his key players when there is a chance of this happening. Imagine if something were to happen to Ben? Wow this place would be on fire. There is NOT enough bridges in the Burgh to accommodate all of the jumpers lol

 

and this was the game harrison was going to play. we saved him all year for this moment and now look.