Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

OOnegative · 09-11-2018 8:23am

52-21 against a hot Panthers team, 22-25 passing for 5TD’s for Ben in just 3 quarters. Cam sacked 5 times by the defense and the Wizard of Bos perfect in the kicking game, keep it going boys!!!!

Tom Mann Centuria · 09-11-2018 9:29am

Was watching the updates on twitter at work last night, fantastic to read them! , shame I couldn't watch it though.

OOnegative · 09-11-2018 3:04pm

Jon Bostic leads the defense in tackles so far this season with 35 on top of 2.5 sacks, for someone who was regarded as a rubbish pick up in free agency that’s not a bad return.

dfx- · 09-11-2018 3:14pm

It really was an excellent performance in what was expected to be a tight game. Seven different TD scorers - what the offense has threatened to be for years. Every possession was a scoring possession until the 4th quarter - a long way from the Chiefs/Ravens punt-a-thon.

Sacks, an interception and a special teams turnover.

No penalties as well until Artie Burns came in. He was then benched again after a PI call straight away. I wonder if it's time to just sit him out all season.

OOnegative · 09-11-2018 3:39pm

dfx- wrote: »

It really was an excellent performance in what was expected to be a tight game. Seven different TD scorers - what the offense has threatened to be for years. Every possession was a scoring possession until the 4th quarter - a long way from the Chiefs/Ravens punt-a-thon.

Sacks, an interception and a special teams turnover.

No penalties as well until Artie Burns came in. He was then benched again after a PI call straight away. I wonder if it's time to just sit him out all season.

Yeah poor Artie “Gets” Burns ain’t having a good season!!!

kiers47 · 09-11-2018 4:10pm

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Was watching the updates on twitter at work last night, fantastic to read them! , shame I couldn't watch it though.

Rarely able to stay up for late games anymore with work early. Especially not thursday.
Woke last night at about half 3 or so for some unkown reason. Switched on NFL app. 52-14:eek:. Actually had to check it a second time as i was sure it also said 13 mins remaining in the 4th and thought no way we have scored 52 in 3 quarters of football.

Thought to myself "NICE" and swiftly fell back to sleep. haha

dfx- · 12-11-2018 5:58pm

https://twitter.com/Pittsburgh_Dad/status/1061760230122577920

dfx- · 14-11-2018 6:12pm

Even better news - no more is Bell showing up or isn't Bell showing up.

I think Sunday's game is a lot tougher than some people are expecting off the back of last week.

OOnegative · 14-11-2018 6:17pm

dfx- wrote: »

Even better news - no more is Bell showing up or isn't Bell showing up.

I think Sunday's game is a lot tougher than some people are expecting off the back of last week.

I think the Steelers will have a big point to prove on Sunday, the Jags plain embarrassed them twice last year. We’re on a good run, keep it going in Florida.

OOnegative · 14-11-2018 9:38pm

The Jaguars hold the upper hand over the Steelers 12-11 in there overall meeting record.

dfx- · 18-11-2018 8:03pm

this is looking like a carbon copy of last year.

The Sparrow · 18-11-2018 11:27pm

dfx- wrote: »

this is looking like a carbon copy of last year.

Famous last words :pac:

kiers47 · 19-11-2018 10:30am

I still dont know how we won that game and i watched the highlights again this morning.

dfx- · 19-11-2018 2:56pm

There have been some dreadfully close recovery wins in the last year, this one is the ugliest.

Even the final drive and final play wasn't smooth with drops, botched options, one of the Offensive Line getting in the way of Ben's dive more than the tackler and an INT. Defense struggled to stop the run, but only gave up one TD and got it together in the 4th quarter.

But you don't get extra style points...

It's also great that amongst all his INTs against them and a very noisy Jag defense for the last 12 months, Ben strikes the final killer blow himself.

OOnegative · 19-11-2018 2:59pm

dfx- wrote: »

There have been some dreadfully close recovery wins in the last year, this one is the ugliest.

Even the final drive and final play wasn't smooth with drops, botched options and an INT. Defense kept the score down, but they seemed not to stop the run early on and they were running every single time.

But you don't get extra style points...

Take a win any day, ugly or not!! Ben done his best to lose & win in the one game.

kiers47 · 19-11-2018 3:10pm

OOnegative wrote: »

Take a win any day, ugly or not!! Ben done his best to lose & win in the one game.

The Conner drop on his way into the endzone was absolutely criminal. You gotta catch those. Especially in these games where the offence is struggling to get something going.
The Jags just seem to have our number. Luckily enough its unlikely they will make the playoffs and really bar the Chiefs id fancy our chances against most other opponents on any given day. Even the Chiefs apart from earlier this year we can normally get one over on them.

The schedule is rough enough though. I could see all the remaining games go either way bar Oakland be disappointing if we couldnt do a number on them even on the road. The Ravens beating the Bengals was also a nice result to give us that 2.5 game cushion.
Realistically another 3 wins would surely see us top the division. 3-3 is hardly that much to ask for

OOnegative · 19-11-2018 4:53pm

Next three games, @Denver, vs Chargers and @Raiders are three we should be winning next two vs Patriots and @Saints could go anyway. Actually fear if the Saints continue on there current vein of form they could give us a whooping!!

kiers47 · 19-11-2018 5:08pm

Its never that easy to go to Denver and play mile high i wouldnt be so confident tbh. The bookies currently have us 3.5 point favorites. 1 thing is for sure the heavy hitters will smash that. It has to go off under a field goal with Denver at home.

Chargers also are a really good team but hopefully at home we can take them.
Oakland should be straightforward alright.

Id be happy if we could win 2 of them games being realistic.

Id be hoping we could be in bonus territory by the time the saints come around and just playing for home field advantage in the playoffs.

At the moment id find it hard to see how we win that game on the road.

kiers47 · 19-11-2018 5:28pm

Just had a look at some previous results there and i know its different season to season. But i am just weary that Denver in Denver is a bit of an outlier with the altitude etc...

In any case we are 11-19-1 vs the Broncos since 1970
Just including road games we are 5-12-1 so pretty brutal record historically.
Even since 2003 we are 2-5-0 against them in Denver.

I love your confidence but im gonna wait until Sunday haha

dfx- · 19-11-2018 5:56pm

I don't think a bye is possible. Chiefs are too far ahead and the Patriots have soft games against the Bills, Dolphins and Jets to go.

We have a better record than the Ravens against Carolina, Cleveland and possibly Cincinatti. They also have to face Chiefs and Chargers to come and there's a 2.5 game head start. Win in Denver and we're nearly there. But there's a lot easier places than Denver to go.

Then Chargers, Patriots and especially the Saints are bonus games. I'd love to have everything wrapped up and just take a shot at New Orleans if the offense fired. It could end up 100 all:pac:

Tom Mann Centuria · 19-11-2018 6:38pm

I keep watching it!

https://twitter.com/steelers/status/1064568437400231936?s=20

Tom Mann Centuria · 25-11-2018 11:51pm

Boswell the new QB!

Tom Mann Centuria · 26-11-2018 12:16am

Followed by a 97 yard touchdown.

Tom Mann Centuria · 26-11-2018 1:27am

D'oh. Should have won that.

kiers47 · 26-11-2018 1:30am

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

D'oh. Should have won that.

For sure.

Denver remains such a tough place to go.

OOnegative · 26-11-2018 9:18am

Missed last nights game, over 500 yards in offense and we still lose!!! 5 INTS from Ben in past two weeks is way to many. My confidence for the win proved wrong, tough game next against a hot Chargers.

dfx- · 26-11-2018 3:21pm

Hugely frustrating and costly defeat to play well yet be terrible at the same time. Fumbles, drops, turnovers, trick plays, penalties.

Could've been within 0.5 games of the Chiefs and killed off the division.

kiers47 · 26-11-2018 6:57pm

I watched a fair bit of the game again today when i had a chance. Disappointing probably wouldn't do it justice. We absolutely bottled that one the turnovers were a killer. Their defense was good but the Connor fumble and interception at the end were just down to bad plays by us.

I knew it would be a tough one to win. Anyway onwards and upwards to another difficult game next weekend against the chargers. I guess Melvin Gordon being most likely out is a big bonus hopefully that she be enough to see that one swing in our favor back in Heinz Field.

OOnegative · 28-11-2018 6:59pm

https://es.pn/2AxRnou

Jeez keep $hit like this in house, a man of his experience should know a lot better.

dfx- · 04-12-2018 2:48am

...

...

...

ugh.

OOnegative · 04-12-2018 8:51am

dfx- wrote: »

...

...

...

ugh.

Dogfight now to the end of the season with the Ravens to see who wins the Division. We should really be 9-3-1 but we’re not.

kiers47 · 04-12-2018 2:05pm

I had serious concerns about those 2 games as i mentioned. But in reality we should have at least won one of them if not both. I dont think ive seen things transpire so much against us than that Chargers game.
The good news i guess is that we surely have 2 very winnable games left in Oakland and Cinci who are pretty f*cked without Dalton or Green.
That and the Ravens have to go away to the Chargers and Chiefs.

Sit back and hold on tight it seems

Tom Mann Centuria · 10-12-2018 8:39am

Wheels have fallen off just at the wrong part of the season. Coming out the wrong side of close games every week now.

OOnegative · 10-12-2018 8:43am

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Wheels have fallen off just at the wrong part of the season. Coming out the wrong side of close games every week now.

Wheels completely fallen off, the early games last night done them some favours with losses for the Ravens, Patriots & Texans but we didn’t capitalize on them. IF we make the playoffs it won’t be a long run.

The_Honeybadger · 10-12-2018 11:26am

Steelers quite unlucky past few weeks with the Boswell slip, bad calls vs Chargers, Ben and Conner injuries etc. Patriots at home is a must win now as they’ll need two from the final three to make it you would think. Should be a cracker.

kiers47 · 10-12-2018 11:57am

OOnegative wrote: »

Wheels completely fallen off, the early games last night done them some favours with losses for the Ravens, Patriots & Texans but we didn’t capitalize on them. IF we make the playoffs it won’t be a long run.

Pretty gutting stuff really. The defensive play calling has been brutal i thought the past few weeks. Really really one dimensional. So easy to read and pick apart.
The secondary is just killing us. We need to draft or trade for replacements or at least help for Burns, Davis, Edmunds et al.. Im not convinced they are up to it tbh and they certainly dont perform well together.
Burns and Edmunds are 2 of our last 3 first rounders and they would struggle to get on the top 20 defenses. Not good enough really.

I suppose there is zero chance Tomlin would consider someone like Earl Thomas. But he will be entering free agency and he would be a good base for to build a half decent secondary. He will be 30 next year but i think he is still capable of performing to a level well above what we currently have. Wishful thinking i would imagine.

dfx- · 10-12-2018 4:32pm

You've got to wonder how many first round draft picks have gone into that defense for the last five years and they just cannot turn the ball over or even cover anyone (in Burns' case)

What is Burnett doing here:

https://twitter.com/Alex_Kozora/status/1071968722422824960

Tom Mann Centuria · 17-12-2018 1:22am

Great win, didn't really expect it how previous defensive displays have gone, but that was great.

discobeaker · 17-12-2018 1:28am

I need a sit down after that match. MASSIVE win for us

dfx- · 17-12-2018 1:45am

Another season preserving win.

Lose to the Raiders 'comically', beat the Patriots with an INT on Brady. A good run at 2nd seed has turned into hanging on to 4th seed. What might've been...

The_Honeybadger · 17-12-2018 1:56am

Take a bow Jaylen Samuels and those OL and DL what a win. Hopefully that 48 yarder will see Boswell back to his best as well. Steelers have been unlucky these past few weeks and hopefully this is a corner turned. Got some serious breaks with all those penalties admittedly.

Pats will be disgusted with their performance and their indiscipline in particular but they just don’t have the talent they once had, Gronkowski is a shadow of himself and Brady is only playing ok by his standards. They are where they are only because they are in the weakest division in football.

dfx- · 24-12-2018 2:04am

Win in Baltimore, beat the Patriots, push New Orleans all the way in the Superdome and probably should've beaten them too.

But the playoffs are realistically over. Denver and Oakland.

The_Honeybadger · 24-12-2018 2:30am

Those calls on the two NO scores in the first half were killers but the fake punt attempt was just suicide at that stage. Pittsburgh were the better team tonight in many ways. F it anyway.

Cannot see Cleveland being good enough to go in to Baltimore and win so you’d imagine that’s the season done.

OOnegative · 24-12-2018 9:48am

With a roster as talented as the Steelers have, you shouldn’t be losing to the likes of Denver or Oakland. If we miss the playoffs it’s the teams fault. See the Bengals game has been switched to 9.25pm next Sunday for whatever reason.

dfx- · 24-12-2018 9:07pm

There's also another year wasted of Ben. He's not got that many left - 2 or 3 maybe? AB doesn't either, the OL as well. When they are able to compete in the Superdome, there should've been nothing to fear on the road in the playoffs, but they won't be there.

The defense has badly let the team down again, not getting any stops and not turning the ball over. Too many times it has been down to Ben to run final drives - even in Cincinatti.

The_Honeybadger · 24-12-2018 10:20pm

Secondary needs huge work in the off season and probably a change of coordinator. Backfield should be easily enough sorted. Team probably has a two year window to make a run if they get it right in the draft and make a few good pickups with the Bell money.

I wouldn’t rule out the Browns doing Pittsburgh a favour next weekend they are on a roll with a dynamic young team and we have seen crazier results this year.

OOnegative · 28-12-2018 9:14pm

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

Secondary needs huge work in the off season and probably a change of coordinator. Backfield should be easily enough sorted. Team probably has a two year window to make a run if they get it right in the draft and make a few good pickups with the Bell money.

What do we have left in regards a Super Bowl window, 2 years? Big Ben will most likely be gone by then, AB, unless he does a Jerry Rice will be on the wind down. Ju Ju will be in his prime but most likely will be like the D’Andre Hopkins of old before D’Sean was drafted. Possibly Washington will have broken out to.

We really need to make the best of 2019/20 before we go into another down period for the franchise, have resigned myself to the fact we’re missing the playoffs this year. The secondary is a huge problem and needs sorting, god bring back 43!!

The_Honeybadger · 28-12-2018 10:07pm

OOnegative wrote: »

What do we have left in regards a Super Bowl window, 2 years? Big Ben will most likely be gone by then, AB, unless he does a Jerry Rice will be on the wind down. Ju Ju will be in his prime but most likely will be like the D’Andre Hopkins of old before D’Sean was drafted. Possibly Washington will have broken out to.

We really need to make the best of 2019/20 before we go into another down period for the franchise, have resigned myself to the fact we’re missing the playoffs this year. The secondary is a huge problem and needs sorting, god bring back 43!!

You’d wonder what Ben will be like in two years but there is at least another good season in him if he stays healthy. AB will be 31 at the start of next season but he is a great athlete and pro and I could see him playing at a high level in to his thirties.

Looking at the secondary questions need to be asked about the draft and why they took another receiver and a third choice QB early when there are so many holes on defence. They should have a top 20 pick next time for the first time in years so they will surely use this on the best defensive player on the board and try to pick up a good free agent or two as well. Trade up in the draft if needed. Butler is surely a goner?

The season overall has been a bit of a disaster, the Oakland game in particular was just a calamity and looks like it’s going to cost us a playoff place that should have been a formality for an insanely talented team like the Steelers. We can’t close tight games and all of the losses are littered with sloppy silly mistakes and cheap turnovers. Refs screwed us a bit in the chargers and saints games too but it shouldn’t have mattered and can’t be used as an excuse.

The Bell situation was far from ideal, they were full sure he would be back and by the time they realised he wasn’t coming it was too late to make any personnel moved. Imagine what €14m could have done for that secondary if you knew you had it available at the start of the season. I still don’t understand his decision but I’m glad he is gone now and the cap space will be a huge plus going in to 2019. I’m not sure who is in contract years on the OL and DL but if they can be kept reasonably intact and they put together even an average back seven then the Steelers are as good as anybody.

I still can’t believe they will miss the playoffs having been 7-2-1. Could Tomlin be in trouble I wonder?

dfx- · 29-12-2018 1:27am

Ben's contract is up to and including 2020 I think, but he might go longer. He might be around longer than 2020, but might not be at his peak anymore.

He has been protected well recently with a good offensive line and rarely sacked, but how long has Pouncey, Foster and Gilbert got left? Foster might go this year, Gilbert is always injured.

Juju will be getting near a new contract in 2020 and that complicates things even for fan favourites.

I just don't think there's time left to fix the secondary to make use of all those^, unless they hit the ground running. The Steelers are still going to be low in the draft, they're not getting any first picks soon. It's not how the Steelers generally do things, but they have to make a splash outside of the draft imo.

The_Honeybadger · 29-12-2018 1:54am

There is no time to fix anything through the draft but the Steelers have €18m to roll in to 2019 after the Bell no show. They will have to make a few FA moves and have cap room to do so. We all agree they have one, possibly two years before they hit reset.

Of course there are several issues to look at but in terms of making a run in 2019 the Steelers are not in a bad place at all as long as it is well managed. The longer term picture is much more uncertain.

Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

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