Deja Vu

This season is almost a carbon copy of the 2020 season where they started 11-0 with the exception of the record. Outsiders and fans alike knew we were likely the worst team ever to start off 11-0 in the NFL. It was only a matter of time before an inept offense and major injuries to an already overworked defense started to take its toll.

You saw players like Devin Bush (who was playing pretty good at the time), and Bud Dupree who was having his best season since drafted go to IR. If I'm not mistaken Joe Haden missed both the Cleveland games at the end of the season. Now the injury bug has reared its ugly head again with Holcomb, Alexander and Fitzpatrick going down.

Just like the 11-0 team this 6-3 team doesn't strike fear into anybody. If you thought Kenny hadn't been exposed already get ready, because he won't have a once steady defense (at least againt so-so competion) to help keep the team in the game. With the exception of the Cardinals and Patriots this could start to get really ugly as it did down the stretch of the 2020 season.

Time for Kenny to put on his big boy pants, because being down double digits in the fourth quarter isn't an option for this team.

 

Time for Kenny to get his big boy pants on?! More like time for the entire Offense to put together a complete game. Less than 130 yards passing sure as hell isn't going to cut against some of the top teams in the AFC; nevermind less than 250 at that. Even if that is not included, the Offense still feels wildly out of sync.


Granted, the past two games showcased that the team needs to rely on both the Offensive Line and the Rushing Attack to win. However, Kenny will be needed to make two to three great throws. Didn't happen nearly as much today but I expect that to change moving forward.

 

The good news is that a good portion of our remaining "tough games" are divisional opponents. These games shouldn't be hard to get up for. Our non-divisional opponents are pretty easy in comparison. Seattle is tough, but hard to imagine a much easier road than Arizona, New England, and Indy.

The 2020 and 2023 teams aren't very similar though. That 2020 team shared some key injuries, but they were far better offensively than this team averaging nearly 9 PPG more than 2023. That team was actually good and was undone by key injuries. This team is just ok and is surviving solely on being simultaneously the best in the league at turning the opposition over and the second best in the league at not turning it over. Also, the 2020 offense was carried solely by its QB play while the 2023 team is being held back by it.

 

The offense is the best it has looked in a long time all things considered. It's the first time we've scored 20+ points in back to back games since weeks 10-12 of last year (first three games after the bye). Its the best two rushing performances of the season and its not even close. Its still far from a competent offensive unit, but its a hell of a lot better than it has looked in stretches for the past year and a half.

KFP does have to put his big boy pants on. If this team can run successfully, there is ZERO reason why he shouldn't be able to succeed in the air simultaneously. We need the Kenny from the second half of the Rams game if we want to make a real push into the playoffs, not the guy he has been the past two weeks. Again, the problem isn't that Kenny CANT do it... he HAS proven he can play at a high level in short stretches. He just needs to do it more consistently.

The last 8 games of the season are big for KFP. He either steps up, plays well, and wins some games to put us in a competitive playoff race.... or he continues to throw for under 200 yards a game, struggles as he has all season, and we fall by the wayside at the end of the season. If the latter happens, the Steelers should be prepared to entertain other options at QB if they present themselves.

 

I know we are worse than our record, but that is about all I can think of comparing to when we started 11-0.

Instead of an old QB who can only get worse, we have a young QB who may improve with time.

We now rely more on our defense than the offense to get a win.

I think there is another factor. Judging by yards allowed and the like in stats, our defense is ranked poor. What we have going for us on defense is disruption factor. Teams we play get out of their offensive play routine to deal with our pass rush and we are generating turnovers. That can make a good offense sputter. The few games we can`t disrupt the opposition effectively, we get beat bad.

We are built to win ugly, but that won`t cut it should we make the playoffs.

 

It wouldn't be a big surprise if the Steelers collapse for the rest of the year since they're not a good team....9-8 is the likely scenario but at least the streak will continue!

 

kenny needs to get his head out of his azz.

 

What's there to expose? Teams already know we do the back shoulder and Kenny rolled out to the right on 3rd downs. That's it.

 

True. As soon as they figure out how to defend that pass its a wrap for Kenny...I'm not sure why the defender doesn't just trail on the play. Kenny seems to have issues throwing out accurately ahead of/leading his receivers. The one td Calvin Austin scored earlier in the year is the only time it stood out

 

Week after week it’s bad play calling or the pass protection ain’t squared away leading to happy feet and sloppy throws. Still avoiding the middle of the field with the same staff and different QBs if the kid had a chance he sure ain’t being helped. Them back shoulder passes are gonna get jumped for 6 the other way almost happened occasionally yesterday. No play action for the most part on a 200 ground game performance is inexcusable and that’s on the staff. This playing cautiously for 3 years and longer considering the same happened with fichtner is disastrous. The whole league knows what’s coming every game. keep it up and it’ll fall way short again. I like Kenny just hope he ain’t been wrecked yet presuming he had the talent to take this stage to begin with.

 

Yeah you’re right it does eerily look like the 20 season. Let’s hope we can avoid the end result of that one. Are Kenny, Tomlin, and Matt saying let’s just sustain this way of play to post season then we’ll talk changing it up?
Might that be what KP is thinking? “Let’s just get there and then I’ll open it up a bit?” If so, it’s brilliant in its own way.

And Before the inevitable “you’re giving too much credit” post just look at our position. If we get one of the next two division games, umm, we’re almost there division wise for post season. As ugly as our wins are we’ll be a tough out and might they then “open it up a bit” as previously noted?

Interesting season for sure.

 

See , but this is what I always said about that 11- 0 team.....injuries derailed us....You just brought them up. Had we not had some of those injuries, and then Ben's knees not getting sawed in half late that year....I believe a different outcome. No team in the league looks very good with a bunch of starters out. I'm not saying for this year, but the 11-0 season. We are what we are this year, and injuries will make it worse.

 

Was watching 97.3 The Fan tonite, they said the same thing! We are good enough right now to beat bad teams… Tenn, Green Bay but can steal a win against a good team!
Did you you know the Steelers record is like 22-1? When we don’t have a turnover? When we have 1 turnover or more we are 24-28.
We can’t afford a single turnover with the lack of offense we got!

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-l...nkanddunk-offense-seems-broken-042835063.html

I thought Ben had a lot to do with the issues on that team actually. He couldnt get the ball down the field anymore and the Steelers were limited to wide receiver screens and dink and dunks if i recall. Washington was the first to really get wise to it and they started bringing all their players up in the box close to the line of scrimmage and dared the Steelers to throw deep (which they couldnt). Being that the league is pretty copycat more teams followed the same pattern assuring the demise of that team.

 

Everyone is looking at the remaining schedule and seeing only 3 wins. If the Pittsburgh Steelers hold true to the past they will lose 1-2 of those games we think are in the bag and turn around and win 1-2 we were sure we'd lose.

At start of season, after those 3 pre-season wins and remembering that comeback from 2-6 the previous year I looked at the schedule and said the last game against the Ravens will be just like a Playoff game. I still think that are season will come down to that final game. Sure wish it was in the Burgh.

 

I have no clue why Kenny can't put together a whole game. We have some tough inter division games coming up and need to win them all. He better get going and show he has the ability to be a 4 quarter QB

 

Since 2019, for the most part, they have a great record against very weak teams, even if it has never been easy games

But these are the games against very good teams, especially outside of our division that the Steelers struggle so much since that time and that they are not competitive.

 

Reminds Me a lot of the NE team in Bradys 1st year.

 

I would agree that the 2 teams are not similar, after the 11-0 start the team faced the 'pandemic reshuffle' and played a lot of games in a short period. Injuries, an aging line, and everything just crumbled. Despite injuries I think this team can compete better, but divisional rivalry emotional can only go so far. If the game is close, then the play is going to be more focused and really anything can happen. Our first game against Cincy could have been (and actually should have been) a loss, same could actually be said of out browns and ravens games this year. As for the rest of the schedule, no opponent is easy with this team, even NE. We (at this point) do not put the other team away, so far we have prevailed, but you keep opponents in and sooner or later it can and will catch up with you.

 

Sunday is a huge game because I think it may be our best chance at a divisional win with the remaining games. If burrow is healthy I don’t think KP can keep up and I certainly don’t like our chances at Baltimore. Cleveland’s D is exceptional this year though I have no idea how we will score more than 6-10 points without defensive TDs like week 2.

 

Yes, while we could have lost those games we didn't. And its not like Cleveland is a great team, nor will Lamar all of the sudden figure out how to play well when it matters the most. Sure, there are never any easy wins with this team but there aren't any teams left on the schedule that are so good that I would say its an inevitable loss. KC, Miami, Philly, Dallas, SF all seem like unwinnable games for us. The rest we would at least have a decent shot.

 

If we have turnover problems they will be because of the punt or kick returners since they seem to always not know what they are doing.

 

Id add Cincy to that list if they are healthy.

 

Maybe? Not sure I'd go as far as saying its UNwinnable. But yeah, they are better than us when healthy. Their team this year is worse than last year's team injuries aside. I wouldn't be super confident, but I still think we can beat them.

 

When did the Browns defense become the 85 Bears? The Ravens dropped over 30 on them last Sunday .