Emphasis on splash plays

Tomlin frequently emphasizes the need for and importance of “splash plays” on offense and defense. When we have a few, we tend to win (as do most teams). But, I think that emphasis undermines a few things. First, you also need basic, good game plans, not reliance on the infrequent and unpredictable spectacular plays - you don’t get them, you lose. Second, splash plays often focus on an individual - who intercepted, who made the spectacular catch, who blocked the punt - and ignores or minimizes the other team members who did their job and contributed. That would seem to reinforce the “me first” culture that seems to be an issue with this team.

Maybe emphasizing team first, basic good plays rather than splash plays would go a long way to righting this ship.

 

There's been very few splash plays on offense all year, and very few on defense the last 5-6 weeks. Splash plays sure do help, but you need to play good sound fundamental football consistently as well. That's where the Steelers are sorely lacking

 

This is one of the reasons I never liked tomlin, I don’t think he understands football well - always relying on low probability plays to win.

 

I don't believe anything Tomlin says anymore.

We call timeouts at the end of last weeks game to force the Colts to kick a FG. A FG that they didn't want to kick to begin with, and then we get the ball back and run 2 draw plays up the middle to end the game. WTF??? Splash Plays???

Only Mike Tomlin would have cost the Steelers those last 3 points allowing the Colt to score 30 points. I was disappointed that not 1 reporter asked Mike Tomlin about this in his post-game!

 

Yeah, like when Tomlin decides to punt the ball away late in games being down by two scores. I know he has a defensive mindset, but he's delusional to think that his defense is going to get key stops late in a game when they're dead tired from being on the field 80% of the time. Add in factor the of all the injuries to the defense this year, and it's borderline insanity on his part

 

There are splash plays, there are trick plays, if you bank on this to consistently win games you are a moron. How about you get the fundamentals down enough that things like play action and trap running actually work. Then when the time is right and needed you can call your trusty receiver like ARE or Hines to throw a splash pass for a TD...Oh wait we can't run trap ot play action and do not have any trusty person to throw that splash play...first things first MT.

 

You stole my criticism from a few days ago
http://thesteelersfans.com/forums/threads/worst-steelers-team-in-20-years.32124/page-2#post-1222235

 

I still think we may see the return of the Camp/Preseason Mason Rudolph to Calvin Austin connection being the go to "Splash" plays against Cincinnati.

With Pickens now sitting in the Dog House with DJ, maybe Calvin Austin gets a little more OFFENSIVE play time this week.