Browns game versus Denver..,

I am sort of glad the Browns found a way to win that game last night because had they not that would have meant the Steelers beating them next week would mean the Browns losing 3 games in a row on consecutive weeks at home and that just doesn’t happen very often with a lot of teams especially decent teams like the Browns.

As I’ve said on here all week this game has turned into a could win game to a should win game for me. Case Keenum looked okay last night and managed the game alright and made some plays at times but the Steelers defense still should be able to get after him and force some mistakes or turnovers that can impact the game. D’Ernest Johnson ran well so that Steelers will have to shut down the run in this game whether he starts or if Nick Chubb is back. I don’t believe Mayfield will play next week again so looking at this game if the Browns struggled to beat a bad Broncos team the Steelers should be able to find a way to squeak out a close win and win this game in Cleveland.

This game is really important now with the Browns winning last night. There will be a huge difference between winning next week in Cleveland and getting to 4-3 with a legit chance of getting to 6-3 with Chicago and Detroit up next, and dropping the Browns to 4-4 as opposed to losing this game and being 3-4 and the Browns improving to 5-3. The Steelers playoff chances will either improve tremendously with a win with 10 games still left, or they will take tremendous hit by losing this game and be a huge uphill battle the rest of the way. It’s a huge swing game for sure.

 

Agreed, but We will Win.
I really think every Week I've seen improvement in the Offense.
Now If the D can go without giving up 3 Straight scoring drives ...Either way I think We will beat the browns this game, and people will say again....Well if they had this, and if they had that...like any team in the NFL is completely healthy.
You don't think Denver would have like all their LBs back last night???

 

Who

 

Both teams were banged up last night. I hate to say it but fair play to the Browns for finding a way with all those injuries. They stuck to the task, sign of a well coached team.

A mostly healthy Steelers can beat the Browns with Keenum under center but I wouldn’t bet money on it. The offence may have made some small incremental improvements since the start of the season but I don’t trust them one bit to get it done when it matters. I would never be happier to be proven wrong.

 

beating them next week would mean the Browns losing 3 games in a row on consecutive weeks at home.... Is there anything more "Browns" like that doing just that? I can't think of any team more likely up for the task than the browns. I guess the Bengals but futility is something they have traditionally been very good at.

 

To further that point this is the sign of a well coached, well prepared and most importantly players knowing their role and reason for it.


#25 with that bizarre run around the QB and the straight out to a wr position at full speed it forces the CB to engage him in case its PA. The safety is then frozen because he has over the top responsibility and if he abandons it to play the run it opens up 25 who has inside positioning. The pulling guard establishes who he is blocking well before hitting the hole, he judges that the center and tackle are good no need to mess them up by trying to help. He takes the next free defender sealing him inside. #81 the TE pulls from LT to right behind the guard knowing Johnson is on his tail. He too recognizes he doesn't need to help a dbl team block and slides higher up in the lane sealing the inside backer and Johnson hits the lane for a solid gain.

It's the type of play the Steelers used to run with Miller and Bell but have gotten away from. What can't be stressed enough is the awareness and knowing their roles.

 

The Browns run block and they run block extremely well.

You can see why Chubb and Hunt are the best 1-2 punch in the NFL

You just witnessed a UDFA rookie go off like crazy on Denver.

But, you guys saw Denver, even we ran on them, and we can't run block at all, nothing like the Browns run blockers.

Not sold on Baker Mayfield, I don't think there is a huge drop off from Mayfield to Case Keenum really.

Doesn't matter I'm not so sure that the Bengals aren't even better than the Browns, but Ravens look like the best in our Division thus far.


Steelers better show up and play a complete game Browns depleted or not.

 

We struggled to beat a bad Broncos team. It came down to the last 30 seconds.
BTW - The Broncos OL looked pretty pedestrian last night.

 

Not much Difference in Keenum, and Baker IMO. So that's a wash. IMO

 

Hey steel_ben7.

I am not one for clichés too often but some do hold truth. This "Thing" (our season) going forward has to be taken with a "Playoff" game urgency and mentality. This team, IMO has no margin for error and (cliché now) has to be seriously taken One Game at a Time especially with the growth of the Offensive Line.

If this is Ben's Swan Song, as I stated in another thread, they picked a tough year having to do it with a Completely Overhauled Offensive Line. It is imperative that the O-Line grows-up and real fast if this Team is going to be "Significant" this season. I am sure that they are trying their best and they have shown some intermittent improvement. I still think a big part of us not exploding Offensively is Ben's mind-set and insecurities with this O-line (again, they are doing their best). Some are real and some are manifested IMO. Whichever, he has just as much responsibility to take this urgency approach as everyone else. He has to get over any psychological hindrances that may be affecting his performance and "Let it Rip". He has to really "Go for Broke".


Their last win was so critical. It should not have come down the way it unfolded. The first half and a 14-0 lead only to evaporate has been a trademark of this team for years. This has been, and continues to be, totally unacceptable. Just as having to rely on an interception in the end zone to end the Denver game. They are playing with fire.

Ben knows the skill-set players for the most part on this Offense and I am comfortable saying that he is comfortable with Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth. He has the weapons and this team can put up the points. Now the onus is even bigger on the Offense with the Defense being banged-up. The Defense in the Bill's game was a nice unit. Since then, injuries have hurt. Now, the Offense is going to have to step it up even more. The Defense lost a big piece with Alualu gone. There are no back-ups that are of his caliber on this team. Ingram and Shobert have shown me little to nothing and have not come as advertised up to this point. They need to get it together and fast like everyone else.

I hope that the whole Organization is using this break wisely and EVERYONE is taking a hard look in the mirror.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

I think Keenum doesn't have the huge splash play ability that Mayfield does and thus less risk of turning the ball over but he does miss that intangible it factor. I wouldn't dismiss Keenum's veteran status as he will be slightly better prepared to manage a Steeler defense than a normal backup.

 

I’m not a huge Baker fan but I think he is a tier or two above Keemun all the same

I would say it’s the running game that makes that offence go, they are good enough to win a lot of games with Keenum if they get Chubb going full tilt

 

Case Keenum put up Ben Roethlisberger type numbers against Denver 21/33 - 199 Yds. Although, Keenum has a slight edge with 9.47 yards per completion to Ben's 6.5 yard average. So if Keenum is still starting, we should be in for a good game.

 

The Steelers better fix that run defense if they want to beat the Browns.

 

I don't care, but have to say it. Everything about the Stains suck. Everything and anything I can think of. JMO>

I would think with a bye before we play these A holes we are fairly healthy- while they seem to be not so much. Last time we played this team they came into our house and ripped us a new one. Its payback time. Here's hoping some on our team feel this way.

 

Hey steelersrule6.

Like you and I talked about and you dismissed it, we have to have a stout Nose Tackle. Alualu is strong and can hold down this position. The run game is not dead in this league and there are some teams that depend on running the ball. The stains are one of them. We have no back-up that is of Alualu 's caliber. Seattle was running wild over us in the second half of that game. They are going to have to do better. We needed Alualu all season and now he is gone for the year. There is no one on this roster that can fill his void. I am open to a trade somewhere. A Free Agent somewhere. We were able to get away with the front three with no Tuitt but now two of the three starters are gone up front. Yikes! This does not bold well on paper and again was evident on the field and again, especially in the second half of the Seattle game.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Hey Steel Hog.

I wrote this reply because of your words: "....they came into our house...." It got me to thinking about how it used to be when an opponent came into our house and how it is now for seemingly the most part. Nostalgic and very sad IMO. At least this is how I having been feeling more and more over the passing years.


The following paragraph (blue font) was posted from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Comments section from:

Joe Starkey’s mailbag: Who's a better coach — Mike Tomlin or Bill Cowher? 10/19/2021



Commenter: Black Ngold

"No comparison to the team culture under Cowher compared to Tomlin. Cowhe’s teams has a disposition the represented the city of Pittsburgh. The Steelers were feared and opponents knew it would be a hard hitting game regardless of outcome. Not having an elite QB until last few years makes Cowhers body of work so much more impressive. Tomlin initially won with Cowhers culture. Over time the Steelers have changed. Still winning with Ben and in weak AFC Central for most of the years, but stopped being feared. Tomlin has a great rapport with the players, more so than Cowher. But, like businesses, schools administration and other industry's, after awhile its time to make changes at the top. Doesn't mean the current guy is horrible but its time for a new voice and new culture."


Back to me. I am not trying to stir who is the better Coach thing here. This is about a commenter regarding the chat. The comments about the “Culture” that has seemingly faded away under Tomlin over time. It was an “aura” a “mystique” when a team came into Pittsburgh to play. They knew it was going to be a “street fight”. The Steelers’ Teams under Tomlin have gradually lost that edge over his time here IMO. It is disappointing. I miss it. Any Steelers’ fans who followed them even as far back through the Noll era (where it all started) to present day, I would think are in agreement with the commenter’s comments. I know I am. I underlined some of the key focus-words in his comments that really drive home the point and resonate with me.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

The problem with comments like the one you’ve quoted is that they’re pure perception. Unless it’s someone inside the organisation, we as fans know nothing about team culture.

Regardless of how it was done, the Steelers have one of the best records over the last 20 years. I don’t believe any team strolls into Heinz Field thinking they’ll have an easy game.

 

That is definitely pure perception. The same "game" could apply to Cowher:
Cowher had initial success with Noll's culture (making the SB, 5 regular season division champs in the first 6 years).
And then the Steelers changed, having 6 years of mediocrity.

How did he decide that the AFC Central was weak most of those years?
(Or what made the division "strong" while Cowher was coaching?)
I keep reading posts on how the Ravens have better coaching and drafting.
The Bengals had a stretch where they made the playoffs in 6 out of 7 years (2009-2015).

I think he says the division is "weak" because the Steelers were regular season division champs (7 times under Tomlin) as much as the other teams combined (Ravens 4, Bengals 3). Rather than give the Steelers credit, he decided the division must be weak.

 

Yeah it always made me laugh when someone says we are in a weak division. I could argue one of the strongest.
Most times a Division has had 3 teams in the playoffs, and has represented the SB 5 times since 2000.....with 4 wins. Don't see how this would be a soft, or weak division.

 

They're also missing Carlos Davis at NT he should be back soon, I doubt they will make a trade.