Sean McDermott - Bills

I know, but once again, they already had Pierre. Everyone knew Slay was washed up. He was having trouble covering in Philly with that pass rush and roster full of talent. Why would they think they were going to get a CB that could cover who was an old man and already couldn't cover?

That's where if they save that money on Slay they would have had a lot more money for a free agent wide receiver.

That's all I'm saying. There is a time and a place for vet signings. They are a requirement at times, and sometimes you can strike gold for a year or so. I just wish they did it a little less.

 

Pat Mahomes, and Joe Burrows so fast it would break necks.

 

I said turnovers....He had 0 turnovers in the previous 6 playoffs game before the game vs Denver...He had 0 turnovers in mutiples playoffs game in 2021,2023 and 2024

 

Burrow can't stay healthy

 

He had fumbles. 16

 

He hasn't missed much more than Lamar Jackson, and has actually taken his team to a SB.

 

Fumble lost and just fumble are not the same thing...The fact Allen had 0 turnovers in 2021,2023 and 2024.This is fact

 

I take Josh Allen over Burrow,this is for sure.The difference in 2021,the chiefs score a TD vs Buffalo in overtime,so Allen never had the ball and Mahomes had a interception in overtime the week after vs Bengals.Allen and Burrow had no control on this situation

 

True. However, to say that Allen deserves zero blame is also disingenuous as a whole. Sans the game against the likes of Kansas City with 13 seconds remaining, Allen had his chances. He needs to capitalize on those.

 

When a team needs to score 30 points or more against a Spags defense in the playoffs, the team is in serious trouble.

Since 2020, the Chiefs averaged 35 points per game in 4 playoff games against the Bills... 25 points per game against the rest of the league for the chiefs since 2020. The only thing you can blame Josh Allen for in the losses is that he wasn't perfect.The margin of error was too small and it's a recipe for disaster.Same thing for Rodgers from 2009 to 2016 with the exception of 2010

 

Read it again. In the last 6 playoff games Josh Allen has had 0 turnovers. It's not up for debate, it's factual.
You can literally go to PFR and look for yourself.
Josh Allen Playoffs Game Log | Pro-Football-Reference.com

 

I posted the vet FA WR list. It was tumbleweeds and nonsense. Take a look. These dudes all stink: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/signed/_/year/2025/position/wr

Davantae Adams and he made it clear he wasn't going to come here. Just about every single other FA WR signing was a total and complete bust.

I guess Cooper Kupp might have been helpful...but why would he sign here?

You know this and anyone else will have to take my word, but I have been consistent that I thought the Slay and Ramsey signings/trades were a silly idea. Both players were available because their last team decided that they couldn't play man coverage any longer. The Steelers went out and got them to stick them in man coverages. It is was ridiculous. It was the RIGHT idea...man coverages on the outside...mix up your stuff over the middle....stay in base...rush the snot out of the passer....great way to play defense. Ramsey, Slay, and Thornhill were hilariously low percentage bets to make.

But those bets cost the Steelers nothing but 2025 cap space they had nowhere to go with. Who else were they going to sign? There were no FA WRs that wanted to play here besides washed up vets that are friends with Rodgers. Few up and coming WRs are going to sign on for that either. Rodgers and Smith are not exactly king makers for young WRs.

If you, as an organization, want to pursue high ceiling-low floor all in bets around your old QB...washed up DBs were about your only option on the open market.

I believe you and I share the belief that it is a losing strategy. But, again, this is who this organization has been my entire life. I've been following the team from the end of the Noll era to now. And they always think they are like 2 guys away from doing a thing. They've only every turned it over to the youngin's when they run out of cap space.

 

I understand what you are saying, and we are kind of saying the same thing on a lot of this discussion. The problem becomes that the head coach really wanted and pursued old quarterbacks. They got rid of the only really good wide receiver in Pickens, and he was on an affordable rookie deal. They replaced him with a wide receiver that makes over $30 million a year. They overpaid for Metcalf. This is where there is a huge cause and effect on who they can sign or who they can trade for. They put themselves in these boxes and it is frustrating.

 

Yeah, who knew sometimes a player gets more playing time and proves he can play . Describing Spillane as a great player is a stretch, he's the same guy decent against the run but you don't really want in pass coverage. DeShon Elliott probably played his best ball of his career in 2024 with the Steelers, your point is wrong anyway because the three guys you listed weren't bad players with the Steelers.

 

Yeah. That isn't up for debate.

I am still not sure there wasn't an organization wide POV on that path to roster construction. If the new guy comes in and starts Will Howard...then I guess it will be apparent that it was Tomlin. But if the Steelers sign another "bridge" QB then we might see that ownership is putting their thumb on the scale.

 

When Jim Nance said that about Allen not having a turnover in 6 straight playoff games I thought "uh oh" and around 2 plays later he had that killer fumble right before halftime.

 

Exactly. Allen owns a good bit of this last playoff loss. Certain QB favorites always get a pass and are excused by the national sports media.

Justin Herbert gets constantly heralded as a top 5 QB and his terrible playoff performance is excused by a bad O-Line, his Former Head Coach, he wasn't healthy, etc. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs, 674 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 54.7% completion rate, 13 sacks, 69 rushing yards, and 3 fumbles. A good amount of those poor performance are on him. His stats reek of 'Playoff Choker' and are comparable to Andy Dalton.

There really only three active QBs that have proved they are 'clutch' in the postseason and won a Superbowl, Stafford, Mahomes, and Hurts. I am not counting Rodgers, Flacco, Wilson who are in various states of being on their way out of the league.

I just want the future franchise Steelers QB to be associated with that 'clutch' group.

 

against Denver,everyone agree....but before that,Allen was great in the playoffs for the most part....Stafford won nothing in Detroit,he is a perfect example that a great QB can be wasted in a mediocre team