Random thoughts after L vs Minn

some of my random thoughts after today's (yesterday's) game:

-Can't win games if we always fall behind by 10+ pts before halftime.
-Officially, I'm a member of the "bench Adams" Club. If Foster is out, what's next? I wonder Bechum will play LG, and that means Adams will keep his job at LT.
-5 sacks, 56 total dropbacks, 51 throws... that's because we're playing from behind, and that 3 stats mean that we're risking the football too much
-The int thrown by Ben was a consequence of a missed read by both: Ben thought Sanders was going inside, and Sanders thought Ben was gonna pump-fake and throw outside.
-Le'Veon Bell: welcome to the Steelers. Nice start!
-M Wheaton: Nice start too, hope he gets more opportunities soon. (he dropped one difficult throw, but we'll give him a mulligan here since he had a broken finger)
-J Cotchery played a great game today. Where was THIS Cotchery last 2 weeks? I've always liked him, but he has to be consistent
-2nd consecutive big game from A Brown.
-H Miller is back. 100%. No coincidence: the biggest runs last week and today were right behind Miller's blocks.
-Our O has been better the last two weeks. Reasons? We were really missing our TE and a RB... and we tried to run over the middle a little less today.
-How long has it been since we had a meaningful last offensive drive before today?.
-Free advice to our FO: We have too many TEs and RBs. If you're gonna deactivate them, or just dress them for STs, it would be better to get rid of them and bring some OL help and activate Moye.

-4 games. 4 total sacks, 0 fumbles recovered, 0 interceptions. Come on! Who's gonna win some games with those stats?
-Besides one (just one) sack by Woodley, who else was close to getting a sack today? Where is our pass rush? We are rushing with 4, covering 5 receivers with 7 defenders, and they're still able to get open? Where have our DB blitzes gone? Why are our CBs playing so far from the LOS on 3rd and short?
-Conservative playcalling on D has never been LeBeau's style. Is he missing personnel, or he's losing his touch?
-That one was a shameful play by Timmons: stiff armed as if someone was playing Madden over him. Remember when Peterson ran over Gay 4 years ago? This one was as shameful as that one.
-The 2 long TDs were simply bad execution (missed tackles on both), but our D Playcalling hasn't been great lately.
-Let's be honest: Woodley, Taylor and Timmons are not playing up to their contracts so far
-C Allen couldn't cover, couldn't tackle... Rust or Bust?
-...And that's why we shouldn't have let K Lewis walk away.
-The closest play we've been to create a turnover this season: a fumble that bounced out of the hands of 2 steelers.
-Honestly, who has been closer to grab an Int?
-...I'll answer that one: If Ike could only hang onto a ball once, or twice... And I'll ask again: besides Ike, who's been closer to grab an Int?
-Two long TD plays were all I need to realize we're old and slow on defense. No one was even close to grab Jennings or Peterson... Simpson was stopped on that long pass because he's by far the slowest receiver of that group.

-Besides that penalty last week, what's exactly the excitement about Z Mesko? He hasn't been even average, with short punts. I know, his hangtime has been better than Butler's, but 31, 33, 39, 36 yd punts the past 2 weeks?
-By the way, why isn't Wheaton returning kicks? F Jones seems slow

Bright side:
-first 4 picks are somehow under development.
-Le'Veon Bell: if we had a decent oline, we could see his potential
-M Wheaton: liked his approach. I want to see what he can make in open field
-J Jones: Still a couple steps away from making a big play
-S Thomas: will he be splitting time with Clark by midseason?
-We're just 2 games behind everyone on the AFC North. Really. Does it mean something?
-If someone feared that Miller would never be the same, he's proving them wrong. The toughest player on the team
-Velasco has been a great pickup. Probably, our best oliner right now. Once you give it a second thought, it's nothing to be proud of: what does this tells you of every other linemen we have?

Shameful questions:
-When will we win our 1st game?
-Will we allow 50 sacks this season? Will we sack our opponents more than 20 times?
-When will we have a 100 yd rushing game as a team?
-Will Bell have a 100 yd rushing game this year? Against Who?
-When will we create our first turnover?
-Will we play a turnover free game this season?

 

Good thoughts as always, WWW.

I'll add/repeat:

- Some signs of hope; it's almost cruel how they do this to us.
- For much of the game, we kept Peterson in check. Two big plays - his 60 yard run, and Jennings' huge catch and run - were killers.
- We also started the 2nd half doing exactly the right thing. Drive down the field methodically, score to get within 3.
- Problem was, we then gave up 14 points in 5 mins. Whether it's softness or what, we need to get initial contact to mean something - the defense is struggling to take a guy down first time. And when you're on 3rd and 3 or whatever, that's huge.
- Just for once, it would be nice to lead a game.
- Ben is not scrambling. There were moments last night when he could have easily rushed for 3-4 yards minimum, and just didn't.
- The one big play the defense creates on a fumble, the Vikings recover for a first down. Just luck? Or are they not following through the plays well enough?

 

it doesn't take an offensive genius to know Mike Adams is NOT a LT...he did however play a decent RT last year, put him back on the right side and let beachum play LT or go find a LT somewhere....your LT has to be tenacious and never quit on a play, meaning that your feet never stop moving. I cant believe I watched Adams actually stop moving during a play not once but several times...are you kidding me??? If they can find a guy as good as Velasco off the street, I can almost guarantee there is a better LT on the street than whats on this team right now.

 

There was a big burly guy in the stands they should have picked up in place of Adams

Adams almost seems like he does not even care. He is very slow in addition to his lack of effort. He has to go

Bman

 

My thoughts after letting this one settle in is ,,have We Steeler fans been a bit spoiled ?
Every team in the NFL would surely trade us our past 10 years ..Yes its rough ATM ,and i know you can't live in the past blah,blah ,,i just think we need to remember we cheer for hands down, the best franchise in the NFL .Better days are ahead and it won;t take nearly as long as it takes almost all other franchises !

 

I wish I could share your enthusiasm. We have been a medicore team since we lost in the Super Bowl to the Packers. That game alone exposed some big holes on this team. That was, what, three years ago? What has been addressed? Not much, if anything. This team has SO many areas that need to be addressed at this point that I fear this is going to be a LONG process.

 

I hear ya beard ,i do ...Its just, i live almost in the middle of the state of PA so theres a few Philly fans here too and they keep telling me to quit my complaining and try being an Eagles fan ,,i guess i can understand how a lot of other fans look at us Steeler fans when we b!tch and moan about how the team is doing ...

 

I know! I live in NW PA so there are a lot of Browns fans here. I never REALLY got how they felt year in and year out. I honestly have NO idea how to handle this. Should I just quit watching? Should I suffer through and continue to watch? I have no clue.

 

They need to flip flop Adams and Gilbert, if that can't be done, sign anybody that can play LT and I mean anybody. Adams is getting beat like a red headed step child.

 

I agree that Adams needs to be moved...but do we really want to put Gilbert on Ben's blindside? That scares me even more than Adams I think.

 

Oh we all most definitely need to watch and suffer through so we can look back in a couple years and say remember when .......?
I think a lot of teams wish they had the luxury of saying wait a couple years ,we'll be fine ..Honestly don't see this lasting more than a couple years..
Im an optimistic person in all aspects of life ..Heck ,i root for the Buccos too ..21 years later ,,yay!!Man ,i can still see Sid sliding past Spanky !!

 

This was a mediocre team when we played that last super bowl. For all the offensive woes the defense has been bad for quite some time. We get lucky and our luck has run out, think about it, the super bowl, how many passes did that group of receivers drop? I counted 9 catchable balls and at least 4 that would have went for TDs. The problem has always been the secondary and Lewis, who I thought was a bust, all of a sudden "got it", he became a starting level CB in the NFL and he left and we let him go as we had Cortez Allen and got back Gay, it makes me wonder. The play calling under BA was horrible at times but I seriously now believe he called a game that the players could execute, it was almost as if he knew there was going to be missed blocks on every snap as Ben always seemed to have an escape route. Under Haley the short receivers are covered and the check down has to try and block, who is there left to throw the ball but in all fairness, BA never had to deal with an O-line this bad. And that is the biggest problem there is on the offensive side of the ball, on Bell's 1st TD run he barely got the ball and was met by a defender, I never ever saw any O-line in the league that is this bad except for last seasons Eagles, Vick got hurt as those guys were pretty bad but this group always lets at least 1 defender come free even when they're only rushing 4 and that is the sad part. The D-line is going to be bad until we find someone who can replace Ziggy Hood, but I wouldn't think it is that hard since he is officially a bust, he never turned into anything and next year I hope he is on another tem but if he is it will be as a back up making league minimum as he just isn't good. Please don't tell me it is because he isn't playing his natural position, he can't get off a block to even slow a runner down or get penetration, he is a waste and must go, next year there will be a house cleaning I bet.

 

Another turnover fest for Ben, the team does look old and slow, even the defense is pitiful, I hate to use comparisons but the patriots have 14 rookies on their roster and they are 4-0, amazing what real coaches can do for a team, time to clean house on this coaching staff, starting with Tomlin....

 

Wouldn't be such a turnover fest for Ben if the D wasn't constantly spotting the other team 17 pts in the 1Q.

I'm definitely not saying Ben isn't culpable in at least 1 of our 4 losses - but no way you pin the loss on him yesterday. He was just trying to make the plays after being put in a huge hole.

 

what would you like to see Ben do? sure hes turned the ball over this year too many times, but the deck is stacked against him. he has maybe the worst oline in the NFL. he has a group of sub par rbs. Bell looked good yesterday, but that was only his 1st game and the still didnt have a rb even sniff a 100 yards. there wr group is also below par. aside from AB they have no one else that would even get much playing time on another good team. Sanders and Cotch are both average wr and the fact that they are #2 & #3 wrs on this team says a lot.

Ben very seldom has a clean pocket to pass from a is usually under pressure withing 2.5 seconds. since he has small wrs to throw to and no time to let those guys get open he has to hold the ball longer and teams are trying to strip the ball from him and are doing a great job of it. maybe the Steelers defense can learn some things by watching other teams.

im not giving Ben a free pass here, but come on man. without Ben this team is worse than the Jags right now.

 

Yesterday's game reminded me of last year's game against Denver. The offense finally had some life and the D let them down in a big way.

 

This.

 

I think you should continue to watch and root for them. They are your team through good times and bad times. I know you are a true fan and that means you stand by your team period. It is painful and has been for a short period of time, but none of us fans are short timers. The Steelers are the greatest franchise in pro football and have won 6 SB trophies. This is not the best of times for them but looking at the big picture none of us would rather be a fan of any other pro football team. The Steelers will be back to where thet belong (a contender year in and year out) before long. When they do return to their normal form we will even be more thankful they are our team.
That's just my opinion. I been on board with them for 60 years since 1953 when I was 11 years old. I've seen some grief with them through the years and some very good times but either way they are my team and will be until I am no more. I don't know how I was lucky enough to be born in Western Pa. and become a Steeler fan but I'm glad it worked out the way it did. This year is probably written off, but IF they can win three or four of the next four games, which is highly unlikely, but possible, they are right back in the hunt.
Sorry for being so long winded. But I do think you should keep watching them and rooting for them. THEY WILL BE BACK.

 

I know and Im sure I will. I cant imagine NOT watching. I have watched since 1975. Its just so PAINFUL to watch. It pisses me off to see them struggle and not have anything done to fix it.

 

It will be fixed. The Rooneys are good and smart business people. This is complicated enough that the fix probably isn't quick or easy. I'm sure they are starting to see the problems more clearly and trying to figure the best way to solve them.

 

If it's any comfort, the coaches & owners have to watch right along with the rest us. Unfortunately, this Tomlin coached team has broken Cowher's 0-3 start record and may well be on pace to break a few more records.

 

I would flat out cut Adams today and take the lost on the salary cap. Inexcusable for someone to give up on plays and getting our 102 million dollar quarterback killed. Ben will not make it through the season as long as Adams is the left tackle.