We won yesterday despite bad coaching and bad officating!

Couldn’t disagree more...I have seen MR stand tall in the pocket these past few games as it was collapsing. One replay in the Indy game showed a closeup so close that you could clearly see his eyes as he was being pressured. Not even remotely fear, but CONCENTRATION. Anyone else see that replay? He may be ultra raw, but scared he is not.

 

I don't see Mason beings scared either. If you're afraid you don't take off running knowing full well a db is going to clock ya.

 

Yep! If anything, he needs to learn to get rid of the ball quicker rather than stand there waiting for the chance and the smackdown.

 

This is my confusion and frustration as well. And as I look at these facts, I lean toward Fuchtner and Tomlin being the problem.

1. There is countless evidence that MR knows how to find guys downfield and despite the fact that the NFL is very different from college, he didn't simply forget how to find an open receiver downfield.
2. Fuchtner's play calling and lack of creativity, now that Ben can't over-ride him, is being exposed week by week.
3. Tomlin's lack of "in game" involvement shows that he isn't about to veto Fuchtner.

Create a game plan that allows MR to sling it! If he sucks, oh well, we weren't going anywhere anyway. If he gets some confidence and starts connecting, it changes everything for the offense! As long as Fuchtner can see it and use it!

 

The coaches let Mason sling it.
It's on Mason if he's not throwing to open Wrs or is inaccurate with his passes.

They've managed to be in every game except one with the approach they took. They are doing some thing right.

 

I don't see it. A few downfield passes does not constitute a "sling it" game plan. Just like anyone else, he will need to do it a bunch of times to get it perfected.

Watch this video.

http://thesteelersfans.com/forums/threads/the-rudolph-playbook.23224/#post-722190

 

You are being completely unreasonable with a young QB at the helm. Mason did some good things and not so good things up to this point.

The coaches are trying to win games. Not lose games by letting a young QB lose games by throwing ints.

 

Aren't opinions awesome!

 

Yes they are.

Most times it doesn't work out as planned for young QBs.

At the end of the day the Steelers are competing and winning games with their approach to games with good defensive play, a young QB, and a young WR group. Injuries are not helping their cause. Let's see what happens as Mason and the WRs develop.

 

They would care if we had a couple more time outs left.

 

That shanked kick would not have mattered if:

1. Tomlin had challenged Samuels TD run which was called short.
2. Fuchtner and Tomlin hadn't been conservative in our last drive when we needed one first down and we had not punted once all day.
3. Tomlin and Fuchtner had not gone conservative after the Samuels TD was called short resulting in a field goal instead of TD.
   
4. Tomlin had not wasted time outs on challenges everyone knew would not be reversed.

 

The Samuels run was not getting overturned to a TD. I have even seen screenshots that make it pretty clear he was down before the ball crossed the line. Regardless, there was no view that was conclusive to show it was a TD. Even if you think the entire knee was on the defender, you can't see that the lower leg is not down. That was not getting overturned.

 

I love the idea that Mason and the WRs suck, we have no running game, and yet we continue to win with terrible coaches. It is kind of amazing.

 

It also wouldn't have even happened had the Colts not been gifted a completely BS PI. It should have been 4th and 10 and we had just gotten a ton of pressure on the previous downs. So lets slow down a little on how "lucky" we were that they missed it. They were lucky to even get to try it.

 

Absolutely! I just don't like to engage in "oh poor me" discussions about officiating because it's like complaining about taxes..... a waste of time

 

Oh, for sure. There is no way any of us aren't by now aware of how bad the officiating is. We get what we deserve at this point for continuing to support the NFL.

 

We don't control the coaches, players, or officials.

Officials seem to be costing teams a chance to win games in today's NFL more often than in the past. I think that's a worthy factor to discuss.

The league doesn't allow the officials to make the right calls even after reply. The league will lose more fans if they don't get it fixed.

 

They need to take those challenge flags out of the game especially when it concerns PI. None of these PI calls are going to get reversed.

 

They are saving the reversals until the playoffs. .

 

I kind of mixed here. Sure you want him to get rid of the ball before bad things happen. But isn’t it better to have a guy holding it a little bit longer because he is thinking and planning rather than throwing it sooner because he has abandoned the thought process. Personally, I thing the guy thinking has more upside. Once experience settles in. I saw a 6th round draft choice from somewhere in Michigan who concentrated on thinking who did ok?

 

I didn't have a problem with the challenges in the sense that sometimes you have to throw **** at the wall to see what sticks.pete Carroll won a PI challenge without a PI being called in our game if I remember correctly. Didn't agree with it but sometimes wonky ass rules pay off with a flag toss these days.

 

It's like they have a directive to accomplish at certain times.

 

I have said that since the new rule was put in place. I feel like the officiating gods decided to show the NFL that they can make rule changes but they don't have to abide by them.

 

This is what I have been saying so far. To me, Mason has shown fortitude and guts. The man is playing tough up to this point. He stated he has a "chip" on his shoulder since he was not drafted as a first rounder. I hear this cliché all of the time. Frankly, it is redundant and irksome. However, maybe he is using it as motivation. I really do feel that he is going to be good.

The problem with some here is they want Ben 1.0 success right off the bat as they compare MR minute by minute. Not fair. Not fair for any player when compared to a potential HOF. I remember when everyone was throwing Troy under the bus regarding his first season. We all know how that turned out. I am not saying Mason will be a HOF, I am not saying that he won't. Only time and performance will determine that. The QB position is the primary cog of the Steeler Machine. So far, he has done a noble job of navigating the "O". We are winning games with him at the helm. Right? Those games that we have lost, have really not been his fault but rather due to the untimely blunders that can be pinned on other players. STEELWINDS