Steelers Quietly Became the Team to Beat After the 2018 NFL Draft

Yes... I'll watch the games, but honestly... I have no confidence in the leaders of this team, with the exception of Roethlisberger. We don't have true championship-caliber leaders on this team like Farrior, Porter, Taylor, Polamalu, Clark, Smith, Hampton, Ward, Miller, Parker, Holmes... players that put the team before themselves. Steelers have more great talent assembled on this team than any other time in Steelers history... but the current crop are mostly selfish pricks, are not champions and probably never will be, except for Ben. Sad but true.

 

By the way the Steelers blew out the Dolphins in 2016 30-12 That game was never in doubt.

 

Small point, but I'm not sure I'd agree Holmes put himself before the team in the way Smith, Clark or Miller did.

(Presuming you mean Santonio, not Ernie)

Hampton also used to report to camp out of shape several years in a row.

I'm also not sure there aren't players currently who put the team first. Guys like Heyward, Watt, Jesse James and DHB (all joking aside) seem to at least potentially fit the mould you're talking about. The last two are obviously a different calibre to the superstars, but the case could still be made.

Overall, though, I'm kind of ambivalent about the whole leaders on the team thing, as there's too much of it happens behind closed doors to reall yget a sense of what kind of leadership is there and isn't there. There's a story about one year where Porter called out Ben in a team meeting for basically not leading by example, and had a massive go at him. Until the story came out, you would never have known there was that kind of discord that by just watching on the field.

 

The best all around Steelers player of recent history is Heath Miller. I think every Steeler nowdays should model themselves to be like him. I know Ben misses him

 

Holmes delivered in the playoffs in '08 and was epic in Super Bowl XLIII. Unlike Heyward and Tuitt vs. Jaguars. Yeah, I like to pick on the DEs for failures in stopping the Jaguars and Bears run game. For the amount of money these guys are making, they need to step up their game... big time.

As far as I'm concerned... Heyward and Tuitt are overrated and almost as bad as Mitchell and Spence in performance on the field. They pad their stats vs. Browns and other bottom feeders, but when it comes to better teams, they don't do squat.

 

Ah, ok. But for me, there's a difference between someone stepping up on the big stage, and someone who's 'team first' or a great leader. Terrell Owens, for example.

Agree that we need to see more consistency out of the D-line in general.

 

We don't know yet how Bostic and Burnett are going to pan out. One thing I do know... is these players are not the 2nd coming of Farrior and Polamalu. Are they an improvement over what Steelers had? Maybe. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it... the Shazier injury set this defense back for years. It's gonna take a couple more drafts to fix the D, long term.

I believe a total overhaul is needed on D. Switch to the 4-3... get some 4/3 DTs and DEs along with coaches who can implement this defense as quickly and smoothly as possible.

 

No need to apologize. You are entitled to be wrong if you want.

I'm not saying it was luck that they lost, but they were in the game. They were down seven with the ball in the fourth quarter. That clearly fits the definition of being in the game. By the definition you two are floating, the Broncos weren't "in the game" before John Elway led them on that famous drive against the Browns, as an example.

 

Apparently, you missed the entire regular season outside of the games against the Browns. That is the only explanation for your evaluation of Heyward last season. You should go back and watch those games. Some of them were a lot of fun.

 

Playoffs are when we need the D-line to step up. They failed miserably along with the OLBs and ILBs. Not gonna assign all blame to the DEs... but it starts in the trenches and the Steelers were getting blown off the line.

 

Were you psychologically traumatized to fear the Jaguars after the Jacksonville debacle? For that matter, do you have immense levels of fear when New England is mentioned within any circumstance within the board? No facetious intentions either as I really want to know.

 

The entire defense failed miserably in that playoff game, but that doesn't excuse the misguided hyperbole regarding Heyward.

 

... and Tuitt.

 

Tuitt was invisible the second half of the season. He certainly wasn't as bad as Mitchell or Spence, not even close, but he was definitely disappointing.

 

I don't fear New England. I've watched teams over the years totally dismantle and rattle Brady, Belichick and their vaunted offense. Seahawks, Broncos, Giants, Jets in Ryan era, etc. Steelers have never been able to do that even with HOF'ers... LeBeau, Polamalu, possibly Harrison. 2011 was a beautiful anomaly. I credit Arians more for that win for his use of Mendenhall and Miller... (and Ben) ball control...aka time of possession, than I do LeBeau and the D.

 

I understand your concern about Bostic's health however I think you are going to be surprised with what you see on the field:

After signing with the Colts in 2017, Bostic started in 14 games for Indianapolis, recording 97 tackles with a sack and a fumble recovery. He sprained his knee against the Denver Broncos on Dec. 14, and was then placed on injured reserve for the second straight year.

“Before that, I haven’t missed a game since my ninth grade year,” Bostic said of his injury history. “I missed no games in college, then obviously I broke my foot, and then I got [my knee] rolled up on last year. I would’ve missed one game and came back, but I really think all that stuff is behind me.”

Two of Bostic’s primary responsibilities with the Steelers would be calling the defensive plays and playing in coverage, both of which he says he’s comfortable with.

“I was a three-down player there,” he said about last season in Indianapolis. “I never came off the field. I did call all of the plays. I covered as well. A lot of people don’t really know I can do that much, but that is something I definitely can do. I just really haven’t had a chance to show that off as well.”

Having played with so many teams has given him experience in different defensive alignments, which Bostic says plays into his strengths.

Let's not forget just letting Mitchell go improves this defense. Also we are moving to a whole new style of defense with more dime which means less LB's. This draft really showed that just with the picks of Edmunds and Allen.

Also to all the people who keep saying how much we have to improve well I have to say this. Considering we were one bad call away from beating the Cheats and only 3 points away from the Jagoffs I would dare say as bad as this defense was we were still right there and now we improved the D were should be considered one of the top teams. jmo

 

I like your optimism, but like the old saying goes... "I'll believe it when I see it."

I'm not getting my hopes up for the defense. Defense starts up front and Steelers are average to below average in the trenches vs. good teams.

 

Not a problem I still wonder why your a fan, you are the most negative guy around here(or at least one of them)I would have liked to have read your posts in the 80's. lol

 

Real Steel has me beat on the negativity. I get depressed when I read his posts.

 

We don't NEEEED to be the best offense.
We don't NEEEED to be the best defense.
or have the best special teams.

Need to have all 3 facets up to par, along with winning enough games to get good seeding, THEN we need to have health plus situational coaching along with execution....

damn I'm captain obvious

i'll make it simple. make the playoffs roll the dice who knows what happens.

 

Well, Bostic says he thinks the injuries are behind him, so it must be true!

You seem to basing many of your hops on Bostic's evaluation of himself. It's nice that he has confidence, but it's not really a good reason to believe he's good.

Yes, Bostic played every down last year, but it was on a bad defense. I'm sure he will be an upgrade over the failed options they trotted out there last season after Shazier got hurt, but that's a very low bar.

 

If you read today’s quotes, Ben is way far from being a leader. Personally, I never thought of him as much of a leader. It’s always been about him.

IMHO

 

I am not saying I am a believer but what I have read on him I liked plus I have to trust the Steelers with their evaluations right? It might be a low bar but it is a done deal and there is nothing you and I can do about it but hope it works out. I was on the Zach Brown bandwagon so Bostic wasn't my option but that didn't happen and here sits Bostic.......

 

I also like the addition of Bostic and I love the addition of Burnett. I agree that Matakevich is better than Moats/Spence. However, we really don't know yet that we have better coaching. I sure hope it's true, but it's not a certainty.