Expectations for next season

A rookie ILB or Safety is not going to make much of a difference until their 2nd year? They just have to be decent. They don't have to make the pro bowl. TJ Watt didn't make the pro bowl in his rookie season.

We franchised Bell so we can't do much in free agency? Franchising is cheaper than paying him #1 NFL RB pay. We never do much in free agency because the guys are not worth the money they are getting and the Steelers trust their draft board.

 

Did you happen to notice the QBs who lit up the Steelers defense in '17? I'll give you a hint. It wasn't Andrew Luck, Deshaun Watson or Aaron Rodgers. It was their backups.

 

Those backup QB's beat other teams as well.

Did you happen to notice the backup QB who beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl?

 

Irrelevant. Foles had a lot of prior starting experience with Eagles and Rams. Hundley and Brissett... not so much.

TJ Watt played well for a rookie... but near the end of the season, he hit the wall which is typical. Not a big deal.. he should be great this year and most likely one of the few bright spots on the defense.

 

Irrelevant. We won those games against Green Bay and Indianapolis.

 

There is still a lot to play out before I want to make a prediction on a win loss total for this team.

I think the AFC North will be harder next year. I wouldn't expect 6-0 again in the division.

But, anything below double digit wins would be disappointing given the talent the offense has.

 

You're expectation is that the Steelers always have the #1 offense and the #1 defense and we win every game by at least 45 points and that we go undefeated and win the super bowl every year. That's beyond impossible.

The Patriots have the best QB ever and the best head coach ever and they can't even do that.

 

I wouldn't worry about convincing some of these guys. They were predicting an 8-8 season for 2017.... At midseason. Doom and gloomers

 

Are you talking about me?

Sorry, but in my opinion... the Steelers screwed up by not letting Bell walk and using that money for proven free agents at ILB and Safety. The defense is a huge liability and will continue to be. A serviceable RB could have been had in the draft.

FA ILB + FA Safety + RB in round 2 or 3 > Bell + rookie ILB + rookie Safety

Just sayin'

 

Yeah, you're right. I'm wasting my time. I don't understand nit picking about a games that we won. Yes, our defense needs to get better but it will get better. OLB Watt is going to be better. CB Haden is an improvement. We just need a few pieces, a decent ILB and Safety and we're there.

If TE MacDonald can stay healthy our offense will be unstoppable.

No one knows what will happen next season, that's what the NFL is all about.

 

We were 13-3 last year and we're not losing anyone important. With the draft and Free Agency we will improve.

 

I'm not happy about Bell's past suspensions but he's a very good RB, maybe even the best in the NFL. I don't see losing him as a plus. A serviceable RB is not Le'Veon Bell.

If you're going to complain about money then you should complain that we're paying Shazier full pay this year instead of giving him some kind of injury settlement like some other team would do, but we don't play that way because we're the Steelers. Some things are more important than the salary cap.

Rookies can play well, especially 1st and 2nd round guys. They should be able to come in and start and do the job.

 

We don't compare to ne.. they have at least been to Superbowl in recent memory so it doesn't matter what happened to them.

 

Hampton/Bell type of success is rare... and that's what the Steelers need in rounds 1 and 2, to make any kind of significant improvement. Can it happen? Yes, but it's highly unlikely... especially where the Steelers are drafting. They were 9-7 in 2000... the year before Casey Hampton and Kendrell Bell were drafted. Both of those guys were rookie game-changers on defense. Steelers were 13-3 last year, so chances of striking '01-like gold are drastically reduced.

 

Our last Super Bowl was 2011, so, seven years ago. New England had a three year gap in Super Bowl appearences in 2009, 2010, and 2011, and then a four year gap from 2013 to 2016.

Your expectations are impossible. No team can live up to them.

 

We got OLB TJ Watt at #30 in last years draft.

 

Yeah, but we also had a healthy Ryan Shazier... arguably the best player we had on defense. Circumstances have changed drastically for the worse.

 

Why don't you take a deep breath and then check out this thread.

http://thesteelersfans.com/forums/threads/nfl-network-hotties.19309/

I guarantee it will make you feel better.

 

One thing I think we can all guarantee. Steelers secondary will still get lit up by subpar QBs.

 

If the door has really been shut for this current team then I see no reason to not take a QB in this year's draft and let him learn under Ben. I feel the offense will be the same if not better than last year but I don't see the defense improving at all, especially since tagging Bell and the consequential salary cap issue. I think that was a huge mistake but time will tell. We need to get Ben's replacement on the team now instead of waiting for him to retire. If they wait I believe we'll be looking at multiple years of suckness. Makes me sick just thinking about it!

 

At some point, there needs to be results. Ten years without a SB win is unacceptable for this organization. Especially when the team across the parking lot keeps winning cups.

 

It's pretty simple. Better team and better coaching.

 

We will have a exciting regular season (other than losing 2 games that we have no business losing) but come playoffs we lose to a team that has better coaching and leadership, whether it will be the Jags, Pats or Texans. We will once again be jilted from having a head coach who has an inability to coach game day and fails to get the players focused as they should be. When you have the inmates running the asylum this is what happens.

 

Should be interesting, alot of AFC teams have improved. ILB, Safety needed badly.

 

You say the same crap every year , thinking they will go 9-7 or worse.