I am not worried....

Unless we do not get healthy in time for the playoffs. I feel that if we rest the players now who have been hurt or have a tendency to always lately get hurt, (Ben, Pouncey, Woodley, Polomalu, Sanders, etc.) we can be healthy and then beat ANYONE in the playoffs. If not, we have no chance against anyone... I would rather lose the final three regular season games and be healthy and ready to knock everyone out in January.

Do you agree with me or do you feel we need to play our best players from now on to get our rhythm and act together for the playoffs?

 

I'm leaning towards disagreeing with you. While it would be nice to rest our guys up (we are mostly a veteran team so we should be able to retain our rhythm) part of me thinks we need to push for the #1 or #2 seed.

I think the best is to push full-speed ahead and see how things turn out. I would consider holding Ben out of the Browns game even if he is feeling a lot better as they always seem to play us very tough.

 

If the Rats lose a game, we're back in a position to get a bye. Houston will probably lose another regular season game. That would give us a bye.

Our last two SB runs have been out of the #2 seed with a 12-4 record. That sounds pretty reasonable. If we have to go to Gillette for the AFCCG, the Pats will appropriately be favored, and I believe that we can win that game.

Sweep the Pats (reg. reason and playoffs) and win the conference in their stadium? *Borat voice* Nice.

 

I'd say rest for rams. Our 2nd stringers can probably handle them. For the browns I think any fully healthy starters should play at least a half. Don't want to be kicking off rust in the playoffs.

 

If they wanted to rest their wounded then they wouldve put up a better effort to win the game against the 49ers and then they couldve rest their players.

 

3 games in3 weeks on the road will be tough but I think we can do it so I am not too worried even if we are the 5 seed as long as we are half way healthy

 

The only consistant thing I have seen this year is an inability to play well on the road.
I would rather see them have a week off and have a possibility of a little rust building than to have to do this 3 times on the road...just don't have a lot of confidence in that.

 

Good points... I have determined as I have gotten older that having a bye in the playoffs is usually not a good thing. I have seen too many higher seeds come out flat. I would prefer being healthy and playing every week then having much time off. I also do not want us to be the #1 seed. As stated here, we have done much better when we were not #1.

 

I'm not confident that even if you rested all the starters for 2 weeks they would still be 100%. This team has been banged up all year and the injuries have seemed to linger.

 

.

 

I'm more worried now more than at any other time of the season.
This OLine is in shambles. Pouncy is injured and hopefully recovers fully cause it obvious he is the only player that can hold his blocks for more than 2 seconds.
Starks started off being really good but last week he was beaten on nearly every play.
Mendy dances too much. Redmen is underused.
Ben is hurt and can't scramble which he must rely on.
Arians doesn't gameplan and can't make adjustments during a game to save his life. Tomlin lets him and Ben do what they want no matter the opponent's strengths/weaknesses.
Timmons is lost out in coverage and Farrior / Foote are showing their age.
Hope is better than Big Snack but watches most of the game from the sideline.
Troy is awesome when he can stay on the field.
Speaking of being on the field. Mr. Ward has seen his playing time dwindle down to <8 plays per game.
Heath has suddenly started dropping balls and/or fumbling alot lately.
Clock Management can be coordinated better by my step daughter who doesn't even care for the game.
We Don't have Cheerleaders and can't bring back Block Numbers.
Pimp Dylan hasn't said much lately. Does he even know we have a new message board?
Conspiracy surrounds the Steelers from Harrison to the Light going out in SF.
The old message board went kaput.
OTHER THAN I THINK THAT OUR CHANCES ARE GREAT!

 

4evr...
Easy, chicken little... Breathe!...
Yes, you do have valid reasons for concern, and I am a bit worried myself... We have had very few games this year, where we looked sharp, but we are still the Pittsburgh Steelers...
We have a good group of players... Who know how to come thru when it counts(Usually, which is why I am so confused by our loss to the Niners...),
With our backs against the wall, we play better than most teams in this league!
As to whether we should rest our starters, and rely on the wildcard we have locked up...
I don`t think so.
There is still a miniscule chance that the Cravens could lose to Cleve, or Cincy...
Even if we had beaten San Fran, we still had to win these next two games.
I was not looking at that as a given, as most seemed to.
I can understand wanting to have our players healthy for the playoffs, but even with healthy players, we have struggled on the road this year.
I would have been MUCH more comfortable, if the road to the bowl came thru Heinz Field!
And I think that is still remotely possible.
I believe we need to do our best to make that happen.
I am also not convinced that a week or two of rest would help our players get significantly better(health-wise), to make it worth the chance of them getting "rusty", by sitting on the bench, and potentially losing the last two games.
The flip side is...
With what we`ve shown so far...
We could lose either of these games, even WITH our starters in the game...
And... If Ben goes down for good... We are done!
This team relies on him to make plays and win the game.
If he can`t do that, we are toast.
From all I have seen and heard, high ankle sprains linger longer than a couple weeks.
I dont know that he could sit three weeks, then come out and do what we need him to do, to win in the playoffs, anyhow, so I say..
Let`s go out swinging! With our best players on the field, and see what happens!
Go STEELERS!!!