Don't look now but your Pittsburgh Steelers are in first place

Some fans are still struggling with Tomlin being a defense-centric coach. His entire psyche is built around it. In tight situations he will almost always default to putting it on the defense. After all, they are richly paid! But I don't agree with punting out of the EZ. Not sure if that was planned or a gaffe.

 

This is why I think that the biggest mistake of the entire game isn't going / not going for it on 4th down. Honestly, either of those decisions is reasonable. It's the 80+ yard play that screwed us. In part because we basically had no CBs left.

Which is why the big mistake in this game is passing (incomplete) with 4:21 left instead of just running and making them choose whether they want (1) 45 seconds to run off the clock or (2) use their 2nd timeout. The next play was also a pass (completed), but that was bad clock management...although maybe it's just because I "learned" football watching Cowher play Marty-ball?

You run on both of those plays. Then they have no time outs @ 4:14. Instead of 1 timeout with 4:14 left (or 1 timeout with 3:30 left). And they would be down by 10.

Imagine if the 2nd pass was also incomplete? Then they would have 2 TOs left.

I would have then went for the FG. But my guess is that going / not going for the FG in that situation didn't change the win% much. Either way, giving up an 80 yard play in the next couple downs screwed us. And since we basically had no CBs left at that point, you run to drain as much clock as you can. And I would have kicked a FG to force them to score 2 TDs with no TOs left.

 

Yep.

It really sucked when teams realized that Ben didn't have much accuracy on medium and long passes anymore. So they didn't have to bother with having safeties over top...something that he'd routinely kill teams for doing for the most of his HoF career.

 

The entire AFC, with the exception of the Bills, looks way more wide open than I think most of us thought going into the year.

 

I agree. This is going to be true for both Jackson and Allen. They'd better win it soon, or it's not going to happen. All those hits add up over time. Neither one is going to be playing into their 40's like Brady or Rodgers.

 

I don't recall specifically that play. But, was it a designed pass or was it an RPO? Maybe Rodgers made the decision to pass based on the look of the defense?

 

The AFC is not great this year. The NFC has more teams with great offensive and defensive lines.

I am most surprised by the complete defensive collapse by the Ravens. I expected them to be average. They have a ton of injuries now, but when their defense was healthy against the Bills it looked terrible. Their schedule is soft on the back end and ours harder, but you aren't winning many games when your defense is statistically near the bottom of the league.

If their defense can't get healthy, we might win the division even with a 10-7 or 9-8 record. If the Steelers could get consistent O-Line play, we would run away with the division.

 

agreed......NFC is the conference this year, but BUFF could beat them on any given Sunday.....and only BUFF right now......

 

it always was going to be obout the OLINE play, many here stated that in March.

Sunday was the best to date. Keep learning, most of these guys are babies, 3 years or less. Coach, teach, study - WORK HARD. Good things can happen!

 

This is a good question and I don't remember.

Either way, you run the ball on both of those plays. Even if you think they are going to go for a loss.

The goal isn't to get any more yards at that point.

The goal is to take away timeouts and/or clock.

Incomplete passes are too much of a blessing to the other team at that point.

 

Let me answer for him, and I'm not doing this to be mean, because I like @HeinzMustard , but because it has become a on going joke. He is 0-4

 

This is why I laugh when people say only the Steelers have problems with Wrs.

 

Thanks. I kinda knew the answer. My bad I was trollin. I like Heinz as well. He is a good guy he just has a very pesisimistic outlook on all things Steelers. A guy like him would likely characterize himself as a realist. I get it but I always try to be positive unless I see a dumpster fire of course. A good quality in life is to always be optimistic. Nothing and I mean nothing is gained from being negative unless of course it's for your feelings.

 

The Eagles are a lucky ass team they blocked an FG attempt, and a punt and returned it for a TD the last two games.

 

I totally agree, and those are exactly my views on things, and life.

 

I don't begrudge them, that's a part of playing football.

 

I'm just sick of their fans I have been going back and forth with some of them on social media.

 

Their defense is fine and they face very good teams in the last 3 weeks but their offense are not the same right now.Barkley struggle after so many touch last year....Their special teams are amazing too!

 

Ravens fans say the same thing about the Steelers.

 

But getting TDs two weeks in a row from blocks on special teams rarely happens, Ravens fans are coping right now after reading their message board.

 

Do you send them your family clown pictures

 

True but the eagles would beat the rams without the TD after the block.....

 

Fox Sports just announced that Lamar Jackson is out for the next 2-3 weeks.

 

Texans and rams,bye week after that