the STANDARD is the standard!

Ben was already limited on how he could attack the field before the injury. There was no run game to fall back on. They weren't even one dimensional, they were .5 dimensional.

 

Exactly, or every team would just go smoke ,and mirrors. LoL

 

Your totally correct....injuries had nothing 2 do with it....losing Haden, Bush at his best, Ben got His knees busted in Dallas. Dupree lost...for the year.
..Zack Gentry for the year right before the Washington game...Matt Feiler....lost during that time....Robert Spillane during those losses. I'm sure I could find more, but these are what I remember.
So not only starters , but their backups, but NO that had nothing 2 do with it. LoL
As for the Offense... 154 points scored after they got figured out. You would think being so figured out people would have stopped the scoring, or something.

 

Glad everyone let us win. Hope they let us this year.

 

I mean, there are worse fates. So what that we aren't a legitimate contender to win it all this year? We have been for the better part of 2 decades. No professional sport that has a balanced salary cap will ever see too many teams be as successful as we have been for as long as we have been. Only Tom Brady has been more successful than us as a franchise.

All we can do is position ourselves to be contenders in as near a future as we can. We just spent a first round pick on a QB who looks like he could end up being the real deal. We have a younger pass rusher and safety in their primes to build around. We have a young loaded corps of WR's, a young stud RB... is there still work to be done? yes. But Heyward will eventually age out and we will replace other players that make good money with picks and FA's. If we can manage to make a halfway decent OL within the next 2 years, we actually have a legitimate chance to be a top caliber team again. It doesn't take long to turn it around. It really will depend on Kenny Pickett's development and how well we draft. Simple as that.

We can't realistically expect to be competitors right away after the roster turnover we have had the past couple years and losing our franchise future HOF QB to retirement. The fact that we can be mediocre at all is a good sign that we actually have a reasonably competent team that is managed and positioned in a way that if we hit on Kenny P., that we could be legit contenders again for the next decade.

We need to stop acting like our coach, ownership, and front office have ridden this team into the abyss. Its just not true.

 

Well Done

 

Thank you sir

 

All I know is that we last had a losing season in 2003. Then the Roethlisberger era happened. We went to the playoffs in 6 of the next 8 years with 2 Super Bowl appearances (both wins). We then had MASSIVE roster turnover from and old team in 2011 and everyone was scared we were "HeAdEd FoR mEdIoCrItY" and "HeLd On To ThE oLd GuYs ToO lOnG" like we are this year. We went 8-8 in 2 consecutive seasons, then followed it up with another run of making the playoffs 6 out of 8 years with a Super Bowl appearance (loss). We just had turnover like we did in 2011. I think we know what we are doing. If we go 9-8/8-9 so be it. We could just be a stud KP away from another sick run "the Pickett Era". Maybe everyone and their soggy diapers will want to see it.

 

That season is the near-perfect summary of Tomlin's coaching career. All it's really lacking is a tie.

 

well.....we will see how good Ben actually was. He did much of that with a STAR STUDDED defense , that Dick Lebeau managed. Ben + a top 5 D = success. this is not revisionist history, it is factual. We will see what MikeyT can do on his own, with not a great supporting cast of coordinators. then the bottom fell out, any number of first round embarrassing playoff losses. Change is here, that is for sure. and we will struggle to compete this season with better teams.

 

reasonable thoughts and reply. We will see. I was ready for Cowher to leave , when he did. it was a couple years late , IMO. I am there with Mike T, now - too. You win and die in the trenches. We are not dominate on either side of the LOS, and have not been for a while. Losing Tuitt was a HUGE blow. and Alualu is another year older. We got trucked, violated up the middle last year. Edmunds sucks too, let's not forget. Teams have not forgotten - brace yourself. Bush still sucks. Jack will help - I hope, A LOT. but we will see...

 

Yeah, we likely will struggle with the good teams this year. Unless the OL improves greatly over the year, our offense won’t be consistent enough (even with all our weapons) to compete with SB hopeful teams. We had a ton of injuries last year on both the OL and DL. Just hoping we stay as healthy as possible. If we do I think we will at least field a competitive, fun to watch team.

 

TS is the TS.

 

not really a 'ton' - every squad suffers some loss to players. Part of our problem is weak depth. we had some loss, but not a ton.

the Ravens had a TON.....

 

We didn't have as much as the Ravens for sure, but those position groups got hit super hard with injury. Its easy to see why the DL and OL struggled so much. Tuitt missed the entire season to tragedy and Alualu got injured for the year in the second game. We had Chris Wormley miss a couple games, we literally brought Montravius Adams in to end up starting because we were getting so thin. Of a possible 51 man games from our starting 3 on the DL, we got 19.

In a salary cap era its hard to have great depth everywhere, you really end up relying on the late round picks from your previous 2-3 drafts. We are strong in some areas (QB, TE, DL, Secondary) with our depth, and weak in others (RB and OL are the biggest offenders here, ILB could be close to a weakness too). I don't think we are in a worse situation than too many teams in the league regarding depth. I feel like the entire league feels that way about its depth. Good some places, not so much in others.

 

Then the standard for the offensive line sucks. They haven't drafted a first rounder Since DeCastro in 2012. Here are the ten drafts since then:

2022 20th Overall (5 offensive, 2 defensive, 0 special teams)

2022
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Kenny Pickett (QB) Pittsburgh 20
2 George Pickens (WR) Georgia 52
3 DeMarvin Leal (DE) Texas A&M 84
4 Calvin Austin III (WR) Memphis 138
6 Connor Heyward (TE/FB) Michigan State 208
7 Mark Robinson (LB) Mississippi 225
7 Chris Oladokun (QB) South Dakota State 241

2021
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Najee Harris (RB) Alabama 24
2 Pat Freiermuth (TE) Penn State 55
3 Kendrick Green (C) Illinois 87
4 Dan Moore Jr. (OT) Texas A&M 128
4 Buddy Johnson (LB) Texas A&M 140
5 Isaiahh Loudermilk (DE) Wisconsin 156
6 Quincy Roche (LB) Miami (Fla.) 216
7 Tre Norwood (S) Oklahoma 245
7 Pressley Harvin III (P) Georgia Tech 254

2020
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
2 Chase Claypool (WR) Notre Dame 49
3 Alex Highsmith (LB) Charlotte 102
4 Anthony McFarland Jr. (RB) Maryland 124
4 Kevin Dotson (OL) Louisiana 135
6 Antoine Brooks Jr. (S) Maryland 198
7 Carlos Davis (DT) Nebraska 232

2019
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Devin Bush (LB) Michigan 10
3 Diontae Johnson (WR) Toledo 66
3 Justin Layne (DB) Michigan State 83
4 Benny Snell Jr. (RB) Kentucky 122
5 Zach Gentry (TE) Michigan 141
6 Sutton Smith (LB) Northern Illinois 175
6 Isaiah Buggs (DE) Alabama 192
6 Ulysses Gilbert (LB) Akron 207
7 Derwin Gray (OL) Maryland 219

2018
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Terrell Edmunds (S) Virginia Tech 28
2 James Washington (WR) Oklahoma State 60
3a Mason Rudolph (QB) Oklahoma State 76
3b Chukc Okorafor (OT) Western Michigan 92
5a Marcus Allen (S) Penn State 148
5b Jaylen Samuels (RB) North Carolina State 165
7 Joshua Frazier (DL) Alabama 246


2017
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 T.J. Watt (LB) Wisconsin 30
2 JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR) USC 62
3a Cameron Sutton (CB) Tennessee 94
3b James Conner (RB) Pittsburgh 105
4 Joshua Dobbs (QB) Tennessee 135
5 Brian Allen (CB) Utah 173
6 Colin Holba (LS) Louisville 213
7 Keion Adams (LB) Western Michigan 248

2016
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Artie Burns (CB) Miami (Fla.) 25
2 Sean Davis (S) Maryland 58
3 Javon Hargrave (NT) South Carolina State 89
4 Jerald Hawkins (OT) LSU 123
6 Travis Feeney (LB) Washington 220 (Comp.)
7a Demarcus Ayers (WR) Houston 229
7b Tyler Matakevich (LB) Temple 246


2015
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Bud Dupree (LB) Kentucky 22
2 Senquez Golson (CB) Mississippi 56
3 Sammie Coates (WR) Auburn 87
4 Doran Grant (CB) Ohio State 121
5 Jesse James (TE) Penn State 160
6a Leterrius Walton (DE) Central Michigan 199
6b Anthony Chickillo (LB) Miami (Fla.) 212 (Comp.)
7 Gerod Holliman (S) Louisville 218


2014
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Ryan Shazier (LB) Ohio State 15
2 Stephon Tuitt (DE) Notre Dame 45
3 Dri Archer (WR/RB) Kent State 97 (Comp.)
4 Martavis Bryant (WR) Clemson 118
5a Shaquille Richardson (CB) Arizona 157
5b Wesley Johnson (OL) Vanderbilt 173 (Comp.)
6a Jordan Zumwalt (LB) UCLA 192
6b Daniel McCullers (DL) Tennessee 215 (Comp.)
7 Rob Blanchflower (TE) Massachusetts 230


2013
Rd Player (Pos) School PK (Overall)
1 Jarvis Jones (LB) Georgia 17
2 Le'Veon Bell (RB) Michigan State 48
3 Markus Wheaton (WR) Oregon State 79
4a Shamarko Thomas (S) Syracuse 111
4b Landry Jones (QB) Oklahoma 115
5 Terry Hawthorne (CB) Illinois 150
6a Justin Brown (WR) Oklahoma 186
6b Vince Williams (LB) Florida State 206
7 Nick Williams (DT) Samford 223

Not only did they largely ignore the offensive line, when they did expend a pick, they mostly missed. Chuks has been serviceable. Dan Moore has been somewhat disappointing. Kendrick Greene has stunk. But he was a project to begin with. Shouldn't be using third round picks on projects. WTF? In ten years, they couldn't spend two second rounders and two third rounders for the offensive line? That's one of the reasons it stinks. Dri Archer? Senquez Goulson? Sammie Coates? Markus Wheaton? Anthony McFarland? I get that many linemen are not NFL ready because of the modern college game. However, the Steelers refuse to address the problem by using high round draft picks on studs or spending cap space on high quality free agents. Then there is the issue of choosing mediocre and unproven o-line coaches because they are cheap. Well, the chickens have come home to roost. It is the primary reason why this team will struggle to win 8 or 9 games this year. The other problem is that they will need to start addressing the defensive line next year as well. The only hope I have, and it is a glimmer to be sure is that these guys somehow develop some chemistry and hit their stride five or six games in. I just don't think the overall talent is there.

 

I'll bump my own post.

and add to it:
We drafted 2 WR's in the first 4 rounds - that was wrong, so was Najee Rd 1 last year.

Rooney + Tomlin = dark years to come.....

To HIS credit, Minkah is playing exceptionally well, but he still does not and will not hit hard. Why would he? He knows this team stinks and he is thinking about his health and family first.

 

i was wrong. We DO suck.

the maybe worse is coming to pass.

 

I agree, but I also have an issue with this.
You Do not always take OL in the first round. That's where you want marquee players (in picks 1-10) that make differences - play makers (players other teams have to game plan for)
OL is a safer pick.
You can get good to very good linemen in rounds 2-5.
But, to agree with this logic, they do need to put a little more emphasis on the line, it would be nice to pick up a pair of OT's early on.
Drafts also have to be graded with Free Agency. If you signed 2 really good OL, why use a pick in the 1st?
'21 and '22 I can't really grade yet but there rest are pretty clear, and I usually put the Steelers in the B/C ranges. They typically have their full complement of picks, and occasionally add.

My issues are:
- Maybe scouting could use some fresh faces. The Steelers seems to always pick solid blue-collar players (Historically) but are not hitting on those so much anymore. They need to up their game in the later rounds.
- Put some emphasis on OL: I do think they should look really hard at securing the OT position with a good draft. If Kenny pans out, 2023 would be a good time to do so. Even if they wind up with the 5th pick, I would look hard at OT. Maybe they can pick up a OG in the 2nd or 3rd.

* I normally subscribe to building an OL from C out... I think they can repurpose some of the current linemen and go for fast athletic OT to help spring Harris and keep rushers off Kenny.