Stephen A. Smith on Steelers loss

I agree. And it's frustrating to see such talent go to waste. Imagine what it would be like without a good QB...the 80s all over again. I sure as hell don't want to live through that kind of football again. Once was more than enough.

It's one thing to play up to the best of your abilities and still get beat by the better team. That you can live with. But to strut around like you've done something after barely winning or to get your ass handed to you by a bunch of back ups who just want it more, well that's just unacceptable, especially from players who are paid to be the best. Man I'm still pissed about their lack of urgency with their season on the line. At least play like you care if you lose or win. Is that too much for fans to expect? I don't think so.

 

Across the board fans are recognizing this performance for how indicative of Tomlin's teams this is.

I personally used to fault Ben a lot for Steelers losses and he does make dumb decisions regularly. However, after Ben carried a mediocre defense to the playoffs (only time he has made a playoffs without a top 5 D) I changed my opinion.

Ben has his limitations. He is the kind of QB who makes big plays happen but struggles with consistency. Ben has defied my expectations of him and I am amazed at how well the offense has performed at certain stages.

I don't find it fair to put the Ravens loss on Ben when there were key drops by Wheaton and Bryant, Tomlin failed to review Brown's 3rd down catch (as if timeouts were important to him hahaha), and the OL struggled.

Ben in 7 of 9 seasons with Tomlin has played with mediocre to terrible offensive lines. Credit Tomlin with ignoring the OL in the draft, making no effort to retain Faneca, hiring Zierlein etc.

My point is that Ben has no business executing a game plan that should be drawn up for Tom Brady. This offense has no bootlegs to extend plays, no play action (which Ben used to be the best at but now struggles) and makes him throw a lot on 3rd and long or just in general.

Ben went 17/22 for 160 yards when he was allowed to open it up in the 2nd. The problem is the only way the Steelers can win now is if Ben plays amazing for both halves. There is no room for error with a defense that can't hold its own and a running game which is strong but ignored.

 

Wait, what? When Tomlin arrived we had Smith, Simmons, Colon, Kemoeatu, Hartwig, Essex.... it was a line of veterans, with contracts in place. Marvel Smith had 2 years left. Kemo would soon sign a 5 year deal. Colon as well. The Offensive Line that was bequethed to him was terrible, but you can't turn over an entire roster immediately, and an aging defense was appropriately Tomlin/Colbert's focus early on... and they quickly moved on to the oline. It's ridiculous to say it was ignored.

2010 1st Pouncey, (5th Scott)
2011 2nd Gilbert, (6th Williams)
2012 1st Decastro, 2nd Adams, 7th Beachum

Imagine if we treated the secondary that way...

Nonsense

we have the 2nd fewest 3rd downs in the league.

trying to have it both ways?

 

For a better draft pick. At least I think that's better than screwing your rivals out of playoff spot that they will probably end up loosing anyway.

 

You'd think Rex wants to stick it to the Jets. Let's hope so anyway.

 

In the 2015 season, the Steelers are 9-1 when tying or winning the turnover battle and 0-5 when losing the turnover battle (Reported by Tomlin during this week's presser).

Numbers, to date from ESPN
http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/stats/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-steelers

Interceptions
-------------
Ben: 18 TDs and 14 INTs.
Jones: 3 TDs and 4 INTs
Vick: 2 TDs and 1 INT.
Team total: 23 TDs and 19 INTs

Fumbles
-------
Defense has forced 13 fumbles, recovered 11 of those fumbles and taken 15 INTs.
Opponents have forced 11 fumbles, recovered 5 of those fumbles and taken 19 INTs.

Takeaways: 26
Giveaways: 24

Team turnover ratio: +2

It would appear that the players on the field should focus on protecting the ball more. That should provide 2-3 more wins for the season.

It seems coaching staff is going over this with the players on the sideline and when reviewing film.

 

that's our only hope

we want rex to be like the ravens were focused towards our team

 

"The offensive line that was bequeathed to him was terrible"

Except that Faneca was an All-Pro, Hartings and Smith each made the Pro Bowl and Simmons and Starks were both pretty good.

OL was a strength in Ben's first 2 seasons finishing 2nd and 5th in team rushing

Tomlin started Mahan in his first year not Hartwig.

You made no mention of Alan Faneca haha.

Left side of the line is much, much worse than what Tomlin inherited.

Addressing an OL that fell apart from 06-08 in 2012 is not something to brag about.

Tomlin inherited an aging defense? They were in their ****ing prime.

Lebeaus D from 2007 ranked in scoring: 2, 1, 12, 1, 1, 6.


Wahhh poor Tomlin! Ahaha!

 

Faneca isn't relevant, there's this thing called a salary cap... and this thing called age.

 

Faneca was a 2nd team All Pro his first year with the Jets.

Can't say it was a money issue when the Steelers never offered him a decent contract.

Faneca publicly complained that Tomlin was chosen over an internal hire. That is why he was never offered money. And that's what happened.

Good hire on Zierlein - Z with the Steelers 3 years setting the top 3 sack totals against Roethlisberger. Tomlin coached with the guy. He will own that hire. Obviously.

 

there's this thing called a salary cap. the steelers were over the cap going in to the offseason before the 2008 season. Faneca was a free agent. the Jets made Faneca the highest paid oline in the league with a 5 year deal, at 31 yrs old. and they cut him after 2 seasons... Tomlin/Steelers made the right choice.

try again.

 

Don't care.

You didn't even mention the best guard in Steelers history, said Tomlin started with Hartwig at C, said the OL Tomlin inherited was garbage when Ben's blind side was protected by a Pro Bowl calibre LT and a HOF LG.

The line BECAME garbage with Tomlin as they then started Mahan at C and hired Zierlein as OL coach and changed the blocking philosophy.

Zierlein three years were all highs for Ben being sacked. 46, 50 and 47 sacks in those 3 years. Ouch.

Tomlin is infallible to you. Nothing is his fault. No point in talking to you further.

Steelers went from a HOF OL in Grimm who was part of 4 SB victories to an OL coach who didn't make it to the NFL until he was 61.

 

Well, you should care about making a silly complaint. You can't complain about not offering Faneca a contract. It's straight silly.

He inherited a pro bowl LT with a busted back.

Complaining about the departure of Grimm is just being ignorant of the situation.

Tomlin drafted Pouncey to solve the Center problem.

all this tit for tat stuff ignores the reality. Tomlin rebuilt the offense into a top tier offense.

I have many Tomlin complaints. They are rooted in actual football though.

 

I never complained about the departure of Grimm. I used a comparison to illustrate the major downgrade in OL coach.

Your reading comprehension sucks.

If Tomlin gets credit for "rebuilding the offense" then he gets blame for a hugely deteriorated defense, and poor ST play. Three phases right?

Tomlin has been the HC for 9 years. The whole roster is SUPPOSED to turn over in that time. People still talk like he has been here 3 years and took over a bad team. "Rebuilding" haha.

 

Oh your complaining about the huge downgrade from a Hall of Fame Oline coach to a new hire.... wow, tell me more.

He took over a contender, kept it in contention, managed the rebuild in fantastic fashion, and built an offense that can play with anyone. Is the defense where it needs to be? Nope. Is the failure to develop Edge rushers something he owns? Yup. Is the neglected Secondary on him? Yup. Has he rebuilt the Dline? Yup? Is the LBer core rebuilt? Yup. Is the best WR/RB combo in the league something he gets credit for? Yup. The hires of Haley and Munchak? Yup.

But this is the entitled nature of a fan base that didn't recognize they were watching a once in a generation defense in the recent super bowl era.

 

Shhhh... it's all the players' fault!

 

In response to the Baltimore game. Yup. 100% the players fault.

People use the term "not prepared" to describe the Steelers a lot. That may have been true when you go back to the New England game. It was easy to see the lack of prep and confusion on the field. But the Baltimore game? There was no visual clues to poor preparation. So anyone using that excuse is just using rhetoric to further an already held belief.

What we saw in Baltimore was a poor secondary. Sometimes you just have to accept the simplicity of having low talent at corner. Baltimore was able to run simple seam routes and comebacks, and our corners aren't athletic enough, they aren't high IQ players that can read and react quick enough, and exasperating the problem is poor tackling (give Tomlin blame for continuing to put Blake on the field).

While some are busy ripping Tomlin for a 4th down call... I see a well blocked run that would've succeeded had Foster not tripped over Cody's foot.
While some are busy ripping Tomlin for "failed prep"... I see an inexcusable INT from Ben
While some are busy ripping Tomlin for "losing to bad teams"... I see a Top 5 offense with the ball in it's hand and a chance to win, but Bryant dropping a pass he has to make".

There was no problem with the offensive game plan
The defense did what we should expect from this young defense at this stage (held to 20 points)
We didn't win because the offense, and the strengths of the team, failed to execute on the field.

HC own their records, the results. No way around that. But this was not a game that was called poorly, this was not a game that we weren't prepared for. This is a game the players failed to hold up their end of the bargain.

 

Ha. You must watch a lot of ESPN if you think the Steelers are a contender. No playoff wins since 2010 means the Steelers are contenders like the Bengals are contenders.

You even sound like Tomlin. "He owns that." Hahaha.

The LBer corps* is rebuilt? What? Shazier looks lost half the tome despite his upside, Jarvis can't buy a sack, Harrison is the best OLB at 37...

Jarvis should be off the team next year as will Harrison probably. So the rebuilt LBers don't have anyone to rush from the blindside...

The DBs are a mess and Tomlin has chosen Blake over a very promising Boykin. Tomlin has his favorites and they play even if the Steelers lose.

Vs. Broncos

"WTF! Ben can't win games he keeps throwing picks!" He says in a game where when Blake was on the field the D gave up 27 points in a half and in the second half when Boykin came in 0 points. "WTF Ben?! Arrgh!"

Vs. Ravens

Steelers give up 13 points in the first half to what was one of the worst offenses in football. Tomlin costs team 3 points by going for it on 4th from the 25 which ends up being the deciding points, and also fails to challenge a 3rd and 16 pass Brown actually caught.

Ravens convert 8/8 3rd downs in the 1st half take Boykin replaces Blake. Ravens convert 1/10 3rd downs in the 2nd half score 7 points when Tomlin's other BFF Gay gets burned on the outside.

"Hurr! WTF Ben?! Why you can no more win??? Grrgh!"

 

Wow talk about reading comprehension issues

"Took over a contender"

I specifically spoke to the lack of developing edge rushers.

Tomlin's reliance on Blake is something I criticize.

Wow talk about reading comprehension issues.

 

"Tomlin... kept the team in contention."

A team in contention is a contender no? Reading comprehension vindicated!

Bahaha.

Tomlin's team lost to a Ravens team with 20 players on IR (8 starters) and Ben is 100% to blame despite obvious blown decisions by the HC.

Oh but you don't like Blake so you're unbiased.

Was the first loss to the Ravens Ben's fault for being injured? Hahaha.

 

Stephen Smith is right. No way do the Jets lose to the Bills. Steelers are done and should start reserving tee times for January.

 

Yes when Tomlin was hired, he kept the team in contention, by you know winning a super bowl, and going to another
Read: "He took over a contender, kept it in contention, managed the rebuild in fantastic fashion, and built an offense that can play with anyone"

^ see it's like a timeline

 

4th and 1 was not a blown decision, it was a blown blocking assignment due to misfortune of Foster stepping on Wallace foot

 

Stop. You're embarassing yourself.

Kicker is hitting 93% of his field goals.

Steelers score a TD on 60% of their red zone tries. That puts the likelihood of settling for a FG anyways at almost 50% regardless of making the 4th.

You go for it on 4th from the 45-35 yard line. You don't go for it from the 25.

Who does that?! Ha ha ha.

So... Tomlin "kept the team in contention" means Tomlin kept Cowher's defense + Woodley together with Cowher's Defensive Coordinator who had been with the Steelers since 92?

Yeah I would agree with you that was Tomlin's smartest move. Way to not **** up Cowher's team! (Apart from fielding an OL that had a penalty on 5 different drives in XLIII. Zierlein was a great hire. GJ Coach T! Hahaha!)

 

If it was 4th and 1 from the 1 it is still a questionable call! Ahaha! This guy is hilarious.

Unbelievable. Ha ha. Wow.

I'm never getting over this one too funny. Ha ha.

Of course if it is 4th and 1 from the 1 they go empty backfield. Guaranteed TD... What could go wrong? Ahaha!