Rodgers

MM's grade should be based on visible progress. That is something we didn't see with Tomlin's last half decade (or more). And since MM is some offensive guru I expect to see it rising beyond average. The run game in particular needs emphasis if Rodgers is the QB. Not sure how much MM will be involved on the defensive side but Graham would have to work real hard to be worse than Austin.

First half of the season could be choppy but expect them hit their stride into the meat of the schedule.

 

If Aaron Rodgers plays QB in 2026, I think we need to understand that ownership is driving the bus and demanding maximum regular season wins over anything else.

 

I don’t want Rodgers back because he will stunt the growth of our younger players. The hope is MM will improve our player development on the offensive side of the ball. This was the biggest issue with Tomlin and company.

Rodgers preferred throwing to old
vets who barely knew to offense instead of having some patience with Wilson. Sure, mistakes will be made by young players but that is part of development.

I watched Rodgers make all types of faces at Roman Wilson yet he went to his buddy 3 times in the red zone and they looked like they were running different plays on each of them.

 

Dunno. How many seasons did McCarthy have Rodgers sit behind Favre before playing him? That seems to have worked out just fine.

And which FA QB will get the Steelers more wins in the post season (cause there is none in the draft that will)? Rodgers is a bridge QB with the bridge extended by a season by a team with a new HC and new DC.

 

Bridge QB is a nonsense concept that does not work.

Either draft a guy or play Will Howard. Or decide you can fix Willis or Murray.

Anything else is just wasting the most valuable resource in the league - time.

 

Mahomes admitted that being on the bench behind Alex Smith during his rookie year in 2017 helped him in the long run.

It can work, but you need the right QB! You can't rush it too much; it can ruin a career very quickly.

 

This x 1,000. Steelers have wasted the last 5 years after Roethlisberger at QB.... and last 10 years at HC with Tomlin. Wasted my 40's and early 50's watching mediocrity.

 

I am as well. Some will cry but suck it up buttercups. This team is nowhere near competing for a championship.

The Pickett miss set the franchise back.

Howard I would give a chance to compete. Unfortunately his early injury last season threw a wrench into his development.

The Reindeer is what he is. A back up who can come in and save a few games.

I am NOT on board with Willis or Murray. What the projections of what Willis will get on the open market are laughable and they will have to drag Murray away from his PS5.

I'm starting to get lukewarm to trading for Mac Jones. Studying under Shanahan and Klay Kubiak.

Let them fight it out to be the starter.

But alas the gummy worm owner will stand by the window waiting for Rodgers to ride in on his Ayahuasca horse to "Run it Back"

 

What???

 

The same reason Mike Vrabel did attempt to attack Ds in certain ways until he had to, and many HCs do this, but for some reason people only notice this when the Steelers do it.
Hell everyone loves Cowher, but if he got a 10 point lead, no matter how we got it, You could bet we weren't taking any chances throwing it , anywhere. The Reason Ben said he preferred Tomlin when He 1st became the HC, because He didn't whole him back like Cowher did.

 

Cowher was maybe the best coach ever to protect a 11 points lead or more...110-1-1 in his career.But you are right about Cowher,when he had the lead,it was Cowherball until the end of the game,a big reason why the pass attempts of Ben in 2004 and 2005 was very low....Not because he was a game manager since it was not the case

 

This is what frustrates me. Not that people have a bad opinion of Tomlin. That’s fine. But people talk about it like they’ve only ever watched the last 5 seasons of Steelers football.

I know I didn’t hallucinate 15 or so seasons. At least I don’t think I did…

Tomlin helmed teams that were aggressive early, late, and every which way when he had the players to do it.

What do people think would’ve been the outcomes if Fields aired it out like say 2009 or whatever Ben did? 5TDs and 500 yard games?

 

Even in the Killer B era, the first quarter was also a problem, especially on the road. Their offense was at its best when they were in a two-minute situation in the first half or late in games when the Steelers needed to score.

I mean,in 2004 and 2005,the steelers were first in first quarter scoring.In the killer b's era,they were 20th in 2014 and 2015,4th in 2016,10th in 2017 and 21st in 2018,so below average in 3 of those years in the killer b's era

Tomlin always wait too long to open up the offense.Starting fast has never been a goal for Tomlin,here the link as one of the example( https://steelersdepot.com/2023/10/m...tinued-first-quarter-futility-out-of-offense/ 0. )The offensive explosion were often coming at the end of the first half when Ben had more control of the offense

For Cowher,it was very important for him to starting fast because they could play the cowherball for the rest of the game to protect the lead and play in their style and they were great for that in 2004 and 2005 with Roethlisberger

 

Did you watch Cowher helmed teams?

Don’t let the stats lie to you. While Tomlin era teams may have been slow to start scoring, it wasn’t because they played conservative.

my point is not whether they were effective or not but that this idea that Tomlin had the Steelers playing risk averse offense for his entire tenure is just false. Tomlin-Ben teams were highly aggressive. Especially when Arians was running things.

 

Arians said in the past that he couldn't open up the offense the way he wanted in Pittsburgh, and even then, it wasn't enough because, according to Rooney, the Steelers weren't running the ball enough (even though they were often among the leaders in rushing attempts and possession time under Arians). He was fired after that (to be fair to Tomlin, it was Rooney's decision). Of course, the other reason was the sacks allowed.

The only time the Steelers tried to win games offensively, game after game in the killer b's era, was in the second half of 2015 after Bell was injured for the season.Here's what Arians said after that in 2016

https://www.cleveland.com/steelers/2016/03/bruce_arians_steelers_offense.html

The steelers offense had other moments that they were aggressive, but it wasn't aggressive every game, especially not at the start of games... Their offense was at its best when Roethlisberger had more control,like the 2 minutes offense

And look at the games in 2004 and 2005, it wasn't uncommon for the Steelers to score 10-14 points in the first quarter or in the first two drives, especially when Roethlisberger was the QB.Many seem surprised by the fast starts the Steelers had against the Colts and Broncos in the 2005 playoffs, but getting off to a quick start was actually one of the Steelers' greatest strengths in those two years.

 

Your conflating results/effectiveness with the approach.

There was not a time or place that Ben wasn’t airing the ball out to.

The idea that Tomlin doesn’t attack the deep middle of the field or only runs the ball late in games or whatever conclusions folks like to draw based on the last handful of years is just not true.

I watched the games. I remember the debates about not running the ball enough early and late in games. Going bombs away on 3rd and short. Ben tossing red zone picks over the middle. All of it.

I remember a playoff game against the Jets, I believe, where Tomlin authorized a throw on third down late in the game. It was successful and Steelers kneeled out the win. Biggest story in Steelers internet was that it was the wrong move and team should’ve ran the ball and punted and played defense.

Tomlin’s approach changed based on the capabilities of his roster. Many seem to forget that.

 

I'll give you this... He was aggressive at the end of the game when we were leading, and when the Steelers needed a first down to close the game, and it was the right thing to do... I was frustrated when he didn't do that, like in his first playoff game against the Jaguars in 2007 (up 29-28) or in 2014 against the Bucs (up 24-20), and they ended up losing that game after that. But generally, Tomlin played to win in those situations.

Regarding the deep passes on the third down and short, I understood the Steelers' argument, since they had AB or Martavis Bryant more likely to be in a one-on-one matchup, and it was a good idea, but sometimes it was a bit too much because it became too predictable for the opponent after that... I've always preferred deep passes on the first or second down instead of the third down

 

Do people think this hasn't been the case for a while?

 

LOL.

They drafted a 1st round QB in a weak QB class and wasted 2 years on him. This QB class is equally weak. Playing a 6th round QB or a backup isn't getting them closer.

Steelers went through seven QBs in the 20 years between Bradshaw and Roethlisberger and you're complaining about 5 years?!

 

"Retired"

 

Apparently.

Didn’t you hear it was Mike Tomlin in charge of everything? Selecting veteran QBs and other players to stave off a rebuild and preserve his legacy of non-losing seasons with his media buddies.

Just ask. Folks will tell you all about it.

 

Do we need to fact check this?

The change in offense happened with Arians departure and Haley's arrival. And it was necessary because BA would have gotten Roethlisberger killed before his 30th birthday (7 step drops, hold the ball for deep throws).

 

I agree about tomlin. Harbaugh/McDermott are gone because their teams could do more. But Tomlin had to go because his teams couldn't do more.

 

No... I'm complaining about 9 years, not 5. Tomlin should have been fired after loss to Jaguars in playoffs.