Blame the D if you want

No I'm saying the defense did what people expected BEFORE the game. Now because the offense was terrible, people are claiming the defense was terrible and the reason for this loss. Look above in the thread "carved up by Ryan Mallet", etc.

The defense was average today. They gave up some yards and points, but nothing that people didn't expect pregame. After the 1st 2 scoring drives, the Raven offense was pretty much a punt (other than those 2 drives set up by Ben INTs) and they gave the Steeler offense (which just about everyone here believes is the best in football) 3 possessions in a 3 point game where 1 TD drive wins the game and the Steeler offense netted 64 yards and an INT and 0 points.

Other than scoring points, what more could the defense have done to set up the Steeler offense to win the game? Yes, a turnover would have been nice, but does anyone really HONESTLY think the Steeler offense shouldn't be able to score 1 TD in 3 drives with the game on the line?

 

What have I done other than ask a serious question that no one seems to answer with anything other than telling me the defense sucked? I haven't insulted anyone or used profanity. I just am asking how the expectations for mediocre defense are the same as a elite offense and which unit underachieved greater relative to expectations by everyone on this board, judging by their pregame predictions.

 

The ravens had faith in a 4th string QB that he could throw a career high in yardage, 41 times.
No one fears this Defense anymore.

 

You did insult me, when you said "Did you say something" That wasn't meant as a term of endearment. My statement may have been testy but it wasn't meant as a personal insult simply stating you were responding to me with something other than a factual response, more of a jab (not sure what you'd call it). I am sorry if you were insulted by it.

I'm not absolving the defense or claiming they were good, but they did enough to allow the offense to win. Here's ESPN's take, who unlike me (and most people here - get paid to analyze).


What it means: The Steelers are not the playoff threat they thought they were, at least not today. Roethlisberger is blemishing a historically good passing year with too many picks. He’s got 14 on the year, and his two on Sunday were all on him. Both were errant throws. The quarterback who made the necessary throws to win was Ryan Mallett, who got booted from the Texans for missing team activities before being picked up by the Ravens.

"I'll tell you guys the same thing that I just told the football team -- we're capable of beating anyone, but we're also capable of losing to anyone," coach Mike Tomlin said.

What were they thinking? The Steelers blew through two timeouts in the first eight minutes of the second half, leaving one timeout for the final 22 minutes of a close game. They needed those timeouts as they approached the two-minute warning with a 20-17 deficit. It’s good the offense wants to get organized, but those timeouts are crucial in the final minutes of games -- especially in a Ravens-Steelers rivalry that has been decided by three points or less in six of the eight previous meetings. Roethlisberger said after the game he didn't remember why the offense called the timeouts.

One reason to get excited: For the second straight week, the Steelers showed they can make adjustments to overcome sluggish starts. Without much offensive explosion, the Steelers did some nice things in spots, using creative blitzes to get off the field, rushing a safety or a corner on occasion. Stephon Tuitt's late third-down stop was impressive. The defense wasn’t great but picked things up enough to give the offense a chance. Usually, this would be enough. Roethlisberger smartly started dumping off to the middle of the field. He got in trouble when he forced throws, and eventually he had no choice but to do so.

 

Even great offenses get shut down every now and then. Look at the teams that lost today. Packers, panthers, Seahawks, steelers. Bottom line is sometimes the special teams or defense has to bail out the others when they are not producing. No excuse to let mallet convert all those 3rd downs. No excuse for all these scrub qbs. It should've been a 13-10 win. Ugly, but a win.

Good teams find ways to consistently win. Bad teams don't. Anamolys happen, but our standard is succumbing to scrubs.

 

You really went through ALL the gameday threads?? Wow. Obsess much? I concede.

 

Perhaps I was in the gameday thread while it was being posted? Heck, the post right above yours in this thread is calling for the defense/ST to win the game since the offense was not producing.

 

None of those other teams (Pack/Panthers/Seahawks) were playing for a playoff spot (essentially). Each of those teams have the same opportunity next week. Pack wins, they win the NFC North. Seattle was a WC regardless. Panthers win, they get the NFC 1 seed. Same for the Pats. They get the 1 seed with a win next week. Every team can have a bad game, the Steelers had their mulligan when they lost to the Ravens at home. The second loss to them likely will keep them home for the postseason.

 

Rossi clearly is putting the blame squarely on the offense, specifically Ben.

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/9690853-74/steelers-roethlisberger-ravens#axzz3vau6Dku5

As did Labriola, on the Steelers own website.

http://www.steelers.com/news/labrio...e-Ravens/29db294e-8e23-41cc-8763-8410eb27863d

As did Bouchette and Dulac on the tribune video recap.

Look I get it, no one wants to blame the pro bowl HOF franchise QB because the Steelers aren't any good without him. But, he has to be better (consistently). The defense, while maddening and frustrating beyond belief, doesn't really have that much talent and has been mediocre for years. That's on Colbert and Tomlin's drafting and personnel decisions. Fixing the defense should be an offseason priority, but what more can they give the offensive side of the ball. For them to fail as miserably as they did yesterday is beyond disappointing.

 

Here I will simplify it: Shaky Ben+Bad Defense=loss. Both sides played horrible to an inferior team. There, simple.

 

Thats because they only gave up 20 points, good enough to get a win, that is if the offense had shown up who averages 30 points a game didnt stink up the game....

 

Thank you. Some one finally understands. Labriola said it on the radio this morning. 20 points should never beat this offense. Tunch and Wolf both just said it on their show....both guys thought the offense would go down and score when they got the ball down 20-17.

 

I get you JPP. We are an offense first team. Now you see why offense doesn't win you championships. 20 points to 5th stringers and a scrub qb is unacceptable. Not getting off the field on key downs is unacceptable. This team is unacceptable lol

 

Old Ben would've drove down and won the game. He has lost his magic touch ever since 2010 SB. Funny how we haven't won a playoff game since.

 

Not disagreeing that the defense doesn't need to be addressed, but that's an offseason issue. In season (particularly this season), the offense took this team where it was going to go. I disagree that offense can't win either.

2009, Saints #3 in offense, #20 in defense - Won SB
2011 Giants #9 in offense, #25 in defense - Won SB
2014 Pats #4 in offense, #9 in defense - Won SB (against #1 defense)

 

He's had good defenses in that time period too.

#1 D in 2011
#6 D in 2012

 

I'm not sure what you're arguing. I think most are blaming the loss on Ben and the offense.

 

I used to stick up for the D the last couple years but it is hard to when Manziel and Mallett put up such great numbers.

I will say that you need a good defense to win a shootout and when Ben throws 40+ times a game the other team gets a lot of its own chances.

Only 4 teams have been thrown against more than the Steelers.

Giving up 20 ppg when sustaining drives and running the ball is an afterthought is actually pretty good all things considered.

 

The need 30 plus points in a game to win, because the defense gives up points, and can not get off the field on third down. Like the saying goes, offense sells tickets, defense wins championships. Our defense is far from championship caliber.

 

Do people need to have their heads examined? This game is ALL on Ben Roethlisberger.

The defense pulled home a D- facing a guy who cant catch a goddamned flight, sorta learned a playbook in 12 days, and had a crisp, easy day.

The offense? F. They failed. Ben Roethlisberger failed this team, he clearly never gives a **** during games against awful teams. He was apathetic, AB was feeling himself and nobody got **** done but DeAngelo Williams. The Ravens were starting pieces of toast versus the best aerial attack and had a lights out day.

The coaching? D-. Not prepared. Not much more needs to be said.

 

I was thinking today that I was gonna try and figure out the lowest rated defensive units to ever win the Super Bowl. I would be shocked if a 31st ranked d ever won it. I think the Cardinals team we beat were ranked very low in d weren't they? But first in offense?

 

The thing about the Manziel game though is that they pretty much had to throw because we got up on them. I still agree that the d is horrible though. They still couldn't get off the field in that game. I'm just sick of seeing us giving up easy yard after easy yard all in the spirit of "not giving up the big play". That's why we always lose to teams that employ the death by a thousand papercuts type scheme.

 

Going by regular-season points-per-game average:

Winner (defense rank); Loser (defense rank)
NE (8); SEA (1)
SEA (1); DEN (22)
BAL (12); SF (2)
NYG (25); NE (15)
GB (2); PIT (1)
NO (20); IND (8)
PIT (1); ARI (28)
NYG (17); NE (4)
IND (23); CHI (3)
PIT (3); SEA (7)
NE (T2); PHI (T2)
NE (1); CAR (10)
TB (1); OAK (6)
NE (6); STL (7)
BAL (1); NYG (5)
STL (4); TEN (15)
DEN (8); ATL (4)
DEN (6); GB (5)
GB (1); NE (14)
DAL (3); PIT (9)