Stephen A. Smith on Steelers loss

RPO IZSB, if you think Ben is the reason the Steelers aren't making the playoffs then you logically must argue that the Steelers should cut or trade Ben.

Arians was not the problem. The offense has put up better numbers but the situationsl football is as bad or worse despite a much better OL.

Lebeau was not the problem. The Steelers are giving up fewer points but the pass defense is horrendous.

Tomlin is not the problem he is a great coach. So...

Fire Ben? Start Landry Jones?

Tomlin might be a great coach so let's see how he does without Ben who is making dumb mistakes and killing the Steelers chances. Right?

Can't have a 2-time Superbowl winning QB holding Tomlin back haha.

 

You know, perhaps Ben makes bad decisions and Tomlin does as well.

And likewise, sometimes they both do well.

I've said this for several seasons now: if you want to reduce all the Steeler problems to one issue - Tomlin, Ben, Colbert, secondary - then you're massively over-simplifying things.

 

Let me cut you off at the first sentence, no I don't think that

But I appreciate the fact that you need to understand my position in the framework of an all encompassing singular narrative.

 

I don't need to understand your position. Wow you're pretty arrogant huh? Smarter than everyone else. The only person capable of a nuanced opinion.

The fact is you're a charlatan
who never bothered to address Tomlin's catastrophic appointment of Zierlein to OL Coach because it doesn't fit your narrative.

You place blame on Ben for the Ravens loss when Steelers QBs threw double the interceptions against Seattle but you were "willing to place blame there on Tomlin" like your opinion is the alpha and omega.

I spent years arguing that Tomlin should get credit for the Super bowl win and that he would be successful with his own players. I was wrong. The further into Tomlin's tenure we get the more obvious it is that he makes personnel decisions based on ego, and game decisions that might not be based on anything.

Ben is responsible for this season because he is having a bad year. He doesn't play well when he is injured and he has been beat up a lot this year.

Tomlin is responsible for this year because his game plans have compounded Roethlisberger's poor play by having him throw it more than all but 3 QBs in the NFL.

Tomlin is also the one who has ordered multiple failed 4th down conversions (worst in the NFL) including one against the Ravens that is going to cost the Steelers a shot at the playoffs likely.

If the coach decides to win or lose a game based on 4th down conversions when they are the worst in the NFL at it... who gets the blame?!

Tomlin is also the one that has doomed the secondary to being among the worst in the NFL by starting Blake over Boykin due to a personal grudge.

If only Tomlin and Ben get blame then Tomlin deserves 70% of it and Ben 30%.

 

I agree that there are multiple problem areas for the Steelers. To me though what really stands out is that the glaring weaknesses on the Steelers are never covered up in the game plan.

1 of the top 10 teams who pass the most as a % are going to the playoffs. NE.

7 of the top 10 teams who run the most as a % are going to the playoffs.

The point is that Ben has had some struggles this year. Nome of the weight of carrying the team has been taken off his shoulders.

Example vs Ravens:

Steelers ran 44 plays over 25 minutes

Ravens ran 72 plays over 35 minutes

Kind of hard to put that on Roethlisberger when he completed over 70% of his passes.

3 and 15 to end the game go deep even though you will go for it on 4th as well.

4th and 15 another missed deep pass.

Why not use the middle of the field twice?

(Not to be confused with the 2 3 and 16s).

Tomlin, Butler and Haley were outcoached. The end.

 

Oh, are you going to cry arrogance after your fisher price comment? Cute.

The "catastrophic" hire of Lary Zierlein... Whom we went on to win a super bowl with.

Catastrophe!!!

You're hilarious

Do I need to draw a picture to explain the difference between "breaking down each play" and "counting stats"?

This is a very basic concept. I'm on the breaking down plays side, you are on the counting stats

Well, I can't take anyone who believes they've digested ego through the television seriously.

I have no interest in lazy all encompassing narratives

I have no interest in lazy all encompassing narratives

I have no issue with aggression on the first drive. Love it. Good call. Unfortunate trip in executions

Blaming the outcome of games on actions in the first quarter is idiotic

I have much more to say about this but it's way over your head

Dumb

 

Epic bending of statistics with no context....

 

No context? Balanced offense wins games.

The "New NFL" is a myth. Not everybody can be the Patriots and a lot of teams have tried and lost their own identity.

The Seahawks are what the Steelers were when Ben came into the league. That is the model the Steelers should have maintained.

That's the point.

Ravens just beat the Steelers with nobodies while eating the clock with a half-assed running attack.

How do you not understand the context?

 

That's hilariously naive. There is literally nothing similar about the two teams. I'm sure you're ready to post rushing stats, defensive stats, etc... But the resort is that everything about both sides of their play books is literally as different as it gets.

Simpleton

 

Wow! I think that's a record for most quotes in one post.

@TerribleTowelFlying can you confirm?

 

I'm not a moderator, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Enough with the name calling.

 

No Jack I think my debate about Troy and the defense with Lloyddestroys during the off season had the most quotes. This one is close. Oddly enough I don't feel the need to enter this one.

 

Wow that was great. This is the type of speech the Rooney's should give in a team wide meeting and tell these guys they want a return on there money that they are paying them and not getting it.

 

A 1st, I agree. I think our Steelers will finish the season a 10-6 team and will miss the playoffs, yet again, by one play, game, roster move. Even worst, the NFL will go into post season without arguably it's most dangerous offense.

Travesty.

 

What a bunch of malarkey.

I think the reason we might miss the playoffs is losing 6 games and losing on a tie breaker.

I think each one of those losses can be broken down into specific player failures, executions failures, coaching failures, and just plain bad luck.

I've only discussed the Baltimore game. I won't repeat myself

Why are we talking about Arians/Lebeau? You sound like someone more concerned with being right about the past than breaking down the present

Nonsense

I get that this twisted logic makes sense to you. I'll stick with our very good coach and very good QB, our very young top tier offense (weapons and OL), and I'll continue to focus on improving the defense.

What a bunch of malarkey

 

No one time me and Mac Daddyo talked about something for like so many brackets that one page would be consumed by him telling me something and vice versa. LOL! I can't even remember what it was about but mac is my boy though and that dude knows more Steeler ball than most of here will ever even begin to!

 

Didn't that one end up breaking the message board?

I seem to remember pleading people to stop quoting so pages would actually load...

 

Yeah I think it actually led to TTF making a new bracket system! LOL!

 

I aint touching that with a 10 foot pole! LOL!