Rest and take the 2 seed

Everyone would be excited if we won and NE lost, but I like our chances at #2 seed and probably the Jags will be our opponent. I know Ben won't throw multiple picks again. Plus let NE have to tangle with Ravens or Chiefs. Strange things can happen, then we would continue to host. I like those odds better than counting on the NY Jets....J is for Just.....E is for End......T is the The.....S is for Season......
Just End The Season......Jets Jets Jets. Bowles is heading to AZ if BA hangs it up. Who is Jets QB this week?
Hmmm, rest em.

WHY take any chance to get hurt vs a team who already has #1 pick in draft even if they win. Browns will try anything to win. I don't like the Gregg Williams wild attack, especially in this situation. It's the end of the season for Browns and they will put out all stops, especially Gregg Williams dialing up multiple blitzes with nothing to lose. Let Hugh take the polar plunge and keep our guys healthy.

Off the subject, I have been impressed with USC's Sam Darnold the 2 times I have been able to watch him compete. Tough kid with strong arm. Who doesn't get shook. Gonna be a good one.

 

Now we've got three threads of support for Mike Tomlin living in his fears.

It isn't just about the slim chance at the No. 1 seed. It's about staying sharp. The Steelers' offense will go three weeks without playing together before the divisional round. They are going to be out of sync. This is an offense that took half the season to get its act together and this is going to disrupt the progress they made. It's the same fearful thinking that caused the Steelers to play conservatively with the lead against the Patriots two weeks ago, which is one reason they don't already have the top seed locked up. It could be just as costly, not just for the top seed, but possibly in the divisional round. Who the Patriots have to get through that week won't matter much if the Steelers lose to the Jags again.

 

I understand these pros and cons. I do. All I am saying is that I am ok with them resting in this perfect storm game. Other teams in much better weather will be holding out players.

It doesn't matter who we play. It will be tough, but I would rather see Smith or Flacco go into Gillette than Bortles. Just looking at people who have more experience playing the Pats, especially in that environment in January.
Isn't it really about who everyone wants the Patriots to play?
I am very confident round 2 with Jacksonville. It will be tough, but it will be at home in January.

 

Jacksonville has beaten Pittsburgh in the cold plenty of times over the years. With that being said if AB is healthy and we can’t beat Jag offs at home then shame on us. They are one dimensional offense and shouldn’t be able to score with us.

 

I can see arguments on both sides......I have a novel idea though.....how about our back up QB who is very well paid go out and win us a game. We can't rest everyone and there will be enough talent that has to play for him to do so.....

 

Whoa nelly! I was shocked to see how well they play us in the Burgh. 6-6 record and they have won last 3 of 4. That makes no sense to me.

 

Landry can beat the Browns. I hope that special sauce plays.

 

Jax maybe our toughest opponent in the playoffs and that includes the Pat's. They give us the biggest match up problems with their defense. All,we have to do with the Pat's is double up on Gronk.

 

Even if Ben did not throw a single pick in that game against the jags, we would have lost. They completely dominated the LOS the entire game. If we would have scored more points the Jags might have set the NFL single game rushing record.

 

It’s tough all around imo


Jags - heavy run team with good D, we can’t stop the run.

Pats- not at home and they cheat, refs can’t talk from Brady’s...never mind

Chiefs- lol

Raisins- thorn in our side, DO NOT want to face them a 3rd.

Titans- lol

Chargers- my dark horse for an upset but not super bowl bound


We are super talented on offense. Anything but a super bowl trip imo is a wasted year. NFC is stacked so I can understand (kill myself lol) a loss.

 

It isn't just the quarterback, though some of y'all have way too much faith in Jones. The Steelers have other talent, but what makes this team a contender is the combination of Brown, Bell and Roethlisberger. None of them will play Sunday. The probable starting running back with Bell out was unemployed two weeks ago. They are also going to be without Pouncey on the offensive line and they are taking Heyward out of a defense that is shaky to begin with.

The Browns have played some teams tough. When the Titans were still playing well, the only won by three. They also hung around in San Diego. Both of those teams are better than a Steelers team without Roethlisberger, Bell, Brown, Pouncey and Heyward.

Regarding the Jaguars, a huge key with Jacksonville all season has been the start of games. Jump on them early and they put too much on Bortles and things fall apart. Let them start fast, as the Steelers did in October, and they are dangerous. How do you think the Steelers will start, especially on offense, after going three weeks between games for most of the key players?

 

Some of you are overreacting.

Firstly in regard to the Jaguars, yes it is likely they will be our divisional round opponent. They did not jump on us early as you claimed. The Steelers were leading that game midway through the 3rd quarter 9-6.

The issue in that game was this was a very different Steelers team in October than it is now. At that time the Steelers were very much reliant on the defense with a struggling offense.

The offense was still trying to figure out how to incorporate JuJu and Bryant on the field together. Ben had trust issues with his other targets and was forcing things to AB early in the season. It's the reason he had 5 picks in the game and the wheels fell off in the 3rd quarter after a 9-6 lead.

The defense was then forced to gamble and sell out due to the game breaking open from Ben's picks and the offenses lack of production. The defenses last resort of gambling opened up huge running lanes.

It's highly unlikely that New England loses to the Jets. It can happen but doubtful. Even if New England lost and the Steelers won by playing their starters, it would be fatal to go into the playoffs as the #1 seed while starting Jones at QB and Ridley at RB because Ben & Bell are out for the playoffs.

Tomlin is calling this right. You still wish for a loss by New England all the while keeping enough players around Jones to give them a chance to beat Cleveland. Ben is a 35 yr. old QB in his 14th yr. and just played a full season.

Bell has had over 400 touches this season which is a league high. You sit them in this situation. You also have to take into account if Tomlin chose to play them and they won, but got injured just to turn around to see New England still won. It wouldn't be worth it.

New England is playing their starters because they simply feel that they have to. Pittsburgh has put pressure on them and they don't want to come back here. It will hurt the Patriots dearly if the Jets can somehow take them the distance. Brady is nursing a sore ACL and the more shots he takes, the more sore it will get.

Jacksonville will be a formidable opponent for sure however, the Steelers and Patriots are handling this final week differently. Tomlin made it clear how big of a game that the Patriots game would be. Haden practiced that week, but Tomlin didn't make the game big enough to play him vs the Patriots. He waited until he was sure he was ready and started him vs the Texans.

Tomlin is thinking long term, big picture here. His priority is health over seeding. He feels that if his team is healthy they can win anywhere.

Belichick on the other hand is playing his key guys even though he has a 40 yr. old QB on a sore ACL. He's playing for seeding. He's not confident that they can make it back to the Superbowl unless they are playing in Foxboro. Big difference between the two.

 

Oh don't get me wrong I'm with you I would like to see the starters for a half at least. My point is LJ has been hanging around long enough and I think w still have enough talent playing to take care of Cleveland....if he plays well. My point is how about he earns some of that money and plays as well as it takes to get the W. If we lose because he is terrible I'll be pretty pissed...

 

I agree and disagree. I agree Ben is going to be rusty and off point with his receivers. But I think they should play maybe a series or two just to stay in sync. Ben was limping a little in the Pats and Texans game. Bell has a ton of carries and could use the rest. Heck rest everyone if your going to rest Ben and Bell. With AB out we dang sure don’t want Bryant or Juju getting hurt. Plus Juju was nursing a hamstring. So I agree with you on the being out of rhythm and especially against the Jags defense if that’s who we play. But everyone’s banged up and could use some rest. Although I thought that was the whole idea of getting a top seed was to get a week of rest. I’m conflicted like a lot of people about how it should be done because if we go out and lose in the first game it’ll be all about the rust but if we go on and win the SB or get to it it’s the right call. Only time will tell!

 

Jacksonville is going to be coming into Pittsburgh with a ton of confidence if that’s our opponent. They made Ben throw 5 picks in Pittsburgh regardless of what time in the game it was. They have nothing to lose because they weren’t suppose to be this good yet and we are. To me their the last defense we want to see after not playing for two weeks and most likely going to be rusty. All that said I hope we thump them!

 

Brady doesn't have a sore ACL. It's a sore Achilles tendon.

He's playing he's guys because he is the smartest coach in the game. Your argument seems to be built on this idea that Belichick is coaching like a scared amateur and Tomlin is the confident master. I don't know how anybody could think that way based on their careers. All due respect to Tomlin, but given the choice, I'm going to assume Belichik is the one making the right decision.

Also, from what we've seen, the Patriots are the ones who should be thinking they can win anywhere if they are healthy. The Steelers need every edge they can find against that team. That they played them close in Pittsburgh doesn't change that.

Sure, it will help to have Haden in the rematch. It would help to have Brown, too, but that is far from guaranteed at this point.

If 40-year-old Brady can play, 35-year-old Roethlisberger can play.

What I said about the Jaguars is they have been at their best when they can start strong. The best way to beat them is to jump on them early and force them to put the game in the hands of Bortles. The last thing you want to do is give them the opportunity to play with a lead, which is what we saw in that second half in October. Trying to rally against that team is trouble and the Steelers should know it, so letting the team get even further out of rhythm by sitting the key guys this week is a mistake.

 

I'm fairly certain Smith-Schuster and Bryant are going to start and play most, if not all, of Sunday's game.

 

Rewind your DVR to the Dolphins last year, they ran for 250 yards on us in the regular season and we destroyed them in the playoffs

 

The Jags' running game against the Steelers is a bit misleading. The Steelers shut Fournette down until the fourth quarter. He did most of his damage when they were protecting a significant lead and ripped off that 90-yard run when the game was already out of reach.

 

So you're saying that Billy Boy is flawless? So you think he plays his 40 year old injured QB if they had a 1 game lead on the Steelers? I don't.

Also an overturned call helped the genius win that game not any type of mastermind things he's done.

It's also not just AB and Haden that were out that game but also Gilbert and McDonald.

As far as Jacksonville is concerned I said they are a tough opponent. Where did I call them a cakewalk? You say it doesn't matter at what point in the game! I pointed out it was a 9-6 Steeler lead late in the 3rd!

You said they jumped on them early! You're wrong. You also are ignoring the fact that I said this team is much different than that meeting. Yes Ben threw 5 picks, but the Steelers are much different.

The Jaguars are not the only team that the Steelers offense struggled against. The offense was out of sync the entire first half of the season and you know it.

It's no discredit to Jacksonville because it will be an extremely hard game to win, but to compare this Steeler team in October to what they are now is inaccurate.

As far as rust, the issues of rust have come up during several parts of the season and they are 12-3. If our team has issues with rust then we might as well forfeit the season and not watch because there are 2 weeks between the Championship games and the Superbowl.

Some folks act like we never had a bye in franchise history and never rested players. The coach knows the players better than we do like it or not.

He knows who to rest and who not to. He knows who's dinged and who is not. Having a 35 yr old QB and a RB that has more of a workload than any player in the league this season and getting them fresh is a good idea.

 

Sorry Mizzou to disagree but perhaps you didn't catch the Cotton Bowl last night - in a national stage show-off game against a ranked opponent he was just awful (as was the entire team). I was even rooting or USC mainly cause I detest OSU so much. But count me as not impressed. USC has a habit of trotting out these over-hyped golden boy QB's who leave early and then proceed to fall flat on their faces in the NFL - the list is now long and distinguished dating all the way back to the test tube experiment known as Todd Marinovich. I'd be more apt to look towards the State of Oklahoma for BB's possible replacement if that was what you were hinting at.

 

yeah and the Steelers are going to play lights out at home against a team they owe. This is not even the same team. The steelers have improved dramatically since their last meeting with the Jags. I believe we see an entirely different outcome this time around. I look forward to it and I hope the boys are looking to right a wrong as well.