Why we can't afford the "Tomlin" slow start this season.

Let's face it: Most seasons we have some real tomato cans on our schedule and we can afford to lose games to the likes of the lowly Bears. This season? We simply can't afford it, as we have less games vs. punchless teams, as it now appears.

The rest of the way...

@Ravens - Looked like giant killers until this week, but can we really assume we beat these guys? I never do, even when we have the far better talent.

Jags - Even at home, no way do I assume we beat these guys. They destroyed Texans at Houston, got beat bad my TN (but TN looks for real) and then thoroughly demolished undefeated Ravens. Jags' D is for real; they finally are getting results from all those high D draft picks and could make our feeble O look pathetic. This is no gimmee game.

@KC - Could be the best team in AFC at this point. And at KC? We could lose by 21.

Bengals - They gave GB everything they could handle. Not as bad as their record. And it's inner div. so anything could happen. We did just lose to the Bears who are far worse than Cinci.

@Det - The current Steelers team (without improvement) will get crushed in Det.

@Colts - Luck will be back. Whole different animal.

TN - Look like they are becoming a real team. No gimmee.

GB - Always have a shot with Rogers.

@Cinci - Who knows.

Ravens - It's the Ravens.

Pats - Nothing needs said.

@Texans - They gave Pats all they could handle.

Browns - They stayed with us week 1, will be better this game.

Bottom line, we can't afford the super slow Tomlin start. We won't make it to the playoffs if they don't wake up from sleep walking like usual. If we start 4-5 like last season, post season won't be likely.

 

Yea I agree the entire month of October is not going to be a cakewalk. It's why losing that game in Chicago yesterday was so crucial because it was one of your easier games on the schedule that if your a Super Bowl contending team and want to stay with teams like the Pats and Chiefs for homefield advantage come December and January you simply have to win that game. The Steelers now really can't afford to lose too many more games moving forward if they hope to get homefield or at worst a bye week. The Chiefs are already 3-0 so if the Steelers go into that game in a few weeks in KC on October 15th still trailing the Chiefs by a game in the standings they are going to HAVE to win that game or there is essentially no way they will win a tiebraker at season's end with the Chiefs.

So this is a key next 2 or 3 weeks with these games at Balt, the Jags at home and at Kansas City. Not to mention you got the Bengals at home and at Detroit to finish up this month. The way Ben is playing now and the way Bell is playing as well there is no way this Steelers team at least from where I sit will go the entire month of October and not lose at least 1 game I just don't see it right now based on these first 3 games.

And now After tanking to the Bears yesterday you almost have to win them all if you hope to keep pace with teams like the Pats and Chiefs for homefield advantage come playoff time.

 

That schedule is tough. Some of those teams have really improved over last year. The way Ben and the offense are playing we might be lucky to go 8-8.

 

FYI it's more of a Steelers players slow start, they're the one's on the field missing tackles .

 

15-1

 

Jacksonville has always concerned me personally since Dante Fowler Jr. was drafted two years ago. Adding the likes of "The Next One" in Jalen Ramsey, Myles Jack (someone who should have never been there), Leonard Fournette and Cam Robinson made things even worse. That team now has players who have not only that edge but the nasty to boot.


Of all those teams you mentioned Wack, Jacksonville worries me more so than Tennessee, Kansas City, Indianapolis and even Houston.


Nevermind their ludicrously loaded defense but their entire team now has an edge similar to those Jacksonville teams of the early to mid 2000s. This team is as classic as they get; break you mentally then smash you physically.



Of course the outlier will be Blake Bortles but him doing just enough will be an issue.

 

Ugh... some of the early footage I saw against the run was atrocious.


Game keeps cutting in and out for me via NFL Game Pass so I cannot exactly get a read on what exactly happened... yet.

 

Seems like everyone has a good d nowadays lol or our offense just died with ben’s soul in 2010

 

Jackonsville had zero business drafting two top five talents to begin with in 2016; three first round talents overall if you account for Yannick Ngakoue.


That fabricated "time bomb" knee injury story regarding Myles Jack did not help. Had the media not spun that wheel the way it did, Myles would be on a different team without question.


Even worse? Nevermind the best running back from the draft but also arguably the best offensive tackle from the class also fell into their laps too.



Both Fournette and Robinson are the equivalent of a raging inferno; the flames are ignited while the sweltering heat sustains its destruction.

 

Yea their D looks disgusting, I don’t feel confident at all. Ben will get killed

 

If you look at our remaining schedule before the bye week,ravens, jags, KC, cincy, lions, this so called easy schedule at the start of the season dont look so easy now with 3 of those remaining games on the road and all 5 games against tough opponents, we could easily be 3-5 by the bye week predicated on the way we have been playing the last 3 weeks.........