What we've learned...

[tanda10506]

Originally Posted by Millers the sh!t

All true... The Steelers are in a recession. We are all in for at least ten years of mediocrity. Tomlin extinguished one hell of a good team.

Not 10 years. The Rooney's won't allow it go that long this time around. I think we will be LESS then mediocre as long as Tomlin is here UNLESS he starts getting some good draft picks on defense. I think the offense has MORE then enough talent to be successful, the talent on offense is far superior to most teams, therefore the draft picks need to be spent on defense. As I showed earlier, Tomlin has not done very well with defensive picks. If he starts getting some good draft picks to at least replace a few of the vets, then we'll be back to mediocre. If not, then this team will stink something fierce for a year or two. After that I see a change being made. No disrespect but at his age Rooney could die any time. I'm sure he want's to see another championship and that's only going to come with Ben still on the team. Unfortunately Ben has seemingly lost his 4th quarter magic, so it will be an uphill battle more then ever. It can be done, the spirit of the Steelers organization is not dead nor will it ever be, these players and coaches just don't seem to play with it right now. Somewhere down the line after we get some good defensive draft picks and the proper adjustments are made (coaches and players), another Cowher/Porter/Farrior/Ward will come along and teach the new guys what it means to be a Steeler, and then we will be back in contention.

[tony hipchest]

What we've learned... is that if all the bitching barbaras come out at once it will crash the servers with too much traffic.

it quite comical how this board is usually at a snails pace after a win, but after a loss, especially a meaningful loss this early in the season, the negative nellies come out of the woodwork and flood the servers like cockroaches.

[pete74]

What are you guys talking about? We still can pick it up this year and win the super bowl let alone the next 10. Giants just barley made playoffs last season and lost to alot of crappy teams before going on to win the super bowl. All that matters in the nfl is when you click. If we click at the right time you'll all be jumping back on the wagon

[tanda10506]

Originally Posted by pete74

What are you guys talking about? We still can pick it up this year and win the super bowl let alone the next 10. Giants just barley made playoffs last season and lost to alot of crappy teams before going on to win the super bowl. All that matters in the nfl is when you click. If we click at the right time you'll all be jumping back on the wagon

Being realistic has nothing to do with being on a wagon. I love the team and I will still be watching and cheering for them every game, but that doesn't mean there's not obvious flaws. Of course we can get things going at the exact right time like the Giants did, and I'd love to see it, I just don't see it happening with the veteran's dropping off, the new guys looking mediocre, and the coaching staff looking below that. Either way I'll be at the same place on Sunday.

[Fire Arians]

Originally Posted by pete74

What are you guys talking about? We still can pick it up this year and win the super bowl let alone the next 10. Giants just barley made playoffs last season and lost to alot of crappy teams before going on to win the super bowl. All that matters in the nfl is when you click. If we click at the right time you'll all be jumping back on the wagon

the giants started off 6-2, and after that, the only losses (other than the redskins) they had were against playoff contenders (SF, packers, eagles, saints).

on the other hand, we're losing to the bottom feeders. Sorry man, as much as I like to be optimistic on the Steelers season, we aren't going anywhere this year. I can understand if we lost to contenders on the road, but those were the worst of the worst. and we lost to them, so what does that make us? lol.

[steelerchad]

Originally Posted by ZoneBlitzer

The Steelers are dull and dimwitted. They are shockingly predictable and their losses are telegraphed right from the outset. Just as in the Raider game, I knew that they were going to lose right from the kick off.


What we learned from last night...

Thursday night football is murder, it sucks for both teams and it is a crippling disadvantage to have to play. Every team in the league should be forced to play a Thursday night game to even the playing field.

Apparently, the Steelers went in the game last night with no offensive gameplan. They decided to just wing it. That was cute.

The "Standard" is mediocre and average at best. This year's Steelers are just not that good and that's putting kindly. The only reason they won against the Eagles last week was because of Santa Claus, aka Mike Vick.

Tomlin is a chummy cheerleader. He's not a disciplinarian or master tactician. He's more like an Amway representative who reads tea leaves and believes in "The Secret". Consequently, the Steelers have an undisciplined ADD team that space out throughout games. It has been the signature of Tomlin's teams for quite some time now.

The Steelers have piss poor talent in the secondary. Ike Taylor has been pass interfering for the last few years. Now the league is catching up and calling him out on it. Any defensive back who can't catch the simplest of balls should be cut immediately.

The Steelers have the most poorly conditioned Oline in the league supported by the worst training staff. You could initially chalk it up to bad luck but now it is a serious trend. I've never seen such frail athletes. They need some beef up front who are flexible and athletic not just strong lumbering oafs who can't touch their toes.

Ben, who had an incredible run at it...is no longer clutch. He just isn't. He choked in the Super Bowl and he has been choking for the last couple of seasons. I used to feel confident for the Steelers when it came to late 4th quarter drives but not anymore. It seems that things are evening out for Ben in his career. The guy you could always count on now struggles to get it done. Moving your kicker for a 54 yarder is not getting it done. He was just off last night. He forced a lot of balls and was just barely over a 50% completion percentage.

This team can't win on the road. Why? Because the crowd noise really affects the slow offensive line. They can't burst off the ball quickly on their chosen count like they can at home. They will continue to lose road games.

Finally, this team can no longer play situational football. Get a good return to the 50? Offense goes three and out. Get a turnover at midfield? Offense moves it 8 yards and kicks. Drive to the red zone to close out the half. Ben craps the bed and throws a telegraphed interception. They consistently fail to read the game. They lack concentration and discipline. This all comes down to coaching. If the chummy coach lets them get away with it in practice, it is going to show up in games.

The season is indeed over...as far as playoffs are concerned. The Steelers are painted into a very tight corner. With injuries, age, ADD coaching, bad play calling and poor conditioning and discipline, you can stick a fork in this year's edition. Let the downward slide begin.

I don't know about crowd noise in Nashville. That stadium was half Steelers fans, at least. With the crowd split 50/50 it was hardly a crowd noise advantage for the Titans.

[wootawnee]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

What we've learned... is that if all the bitching barbaras come out at once it will crash the servers with too much traffic.

it quite comical how this board is usually at a snails pace after a win, but after a loss, especially a meaningful loss this early in the season, the negative nellies come out of the woodwork and flood the servers like cockroaches.

Tony I always count on you for saying the things Im feelin.... Its tough to beat the the worst team in the league with half of your team on the bench.........

[OX1947]

Originally Posted by pete74

What are you guys talking about? We still can pick it up this year and win the super bowl let alone the next 10. Giants just barley made playoffs last season and lost to alot of crappy teams before going on to win the super bowl. All that matters in the nfl is when you click. If we click at the right time you'll all be jumping back on the wagon

Issue is our division will never have a 10-6 division winner, let alone 9-7. NFC East blew last year and Romo over throwing on a perfect open receiver would have ended the Giants. No such luck for the Steelers.

Steelers would have to win 7 or 8 in a row to make up for what happen the last few weeks.

[teegre]

Originally Posted by pete74

What are you guys talking about? We still can pick it up this year and win the super bowl let alone the next 10. Giants just barley made playoffs last season and lost to alot of crappy teams before going on to win the super bowl. All that matters in the nfl is when you click. If we click at the right time you'll all be jumping back on the wagon

1995: 3-4... made SuperBowl

2005: 3-2, and eventually 7-5 & needing to win last four games... won SuperBowl

I'm with you.

[Hawaii 5-0]

we've learned they're 0-3 on the road so far this season...

Road struggles a concern

10/12/2012
by F. Dale Lolley

ASHVILLE, Tenn. – Perhaps these Steelers just lack a killer instinct.

Don’t get me wrong; we’ve seen it at times, particularly in the friendly confines of Heinz Field.

On the road, however, things have been quite different.

This team just doesn’t seem to have moxie on the road, something that separates average teams from good ones and good ones from great ones.

The Steelers aren’t likely to find many road venues more accommodating than LP Field was Thursday night yet they still lost, 26- 23. Half of the crowd here was wearing black and gold.

But these Steelers stumbled and bumbled their way through a game against what should have been a far inferior team, one that had given up 30 or more points in each of its first five games en route to a 1-4 start.

When you consider the Titans came into this game averaging 17 points per game and scored 16 in the first half against the Steelers, you can see the issue.

This was a team the Steelers of previous seasons would have come out and put away in the first half before locking things into cruise control in the second half. For whatever reason, this group only does that at home, if at all.

Perhaps the leadership the Steelers lost in the offseason with the retirements of Aaron Smith, Hines Ward and James Farrior was a bigger loss than anyone imagined.

Certainly, the Steelers have competently replaced those three on the field.

Smith hadn’t played much in recent seasons, and Larry Foote and Antonio Brown split time with Farrior and Ward, respectively, last season.

Where’s the grit on this team?

Who’s the guy who is going to get in the face of others when they aren’t pulling their weight?

James Harrison is gritty and has the ability to speak out when somebody’s not getting the job done, but last night was just his second game of the year after he underwent knee surgery in August.

On offense, however, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has the team’s complete attention as a leader, but there’s a seeming lack of the fire that Ward brought to each game, even at the end of his career when he wasn’t used as much.

This team also lacks discipline, as can be seen from the fact it entered Thursday night’s game leading the NFL in penalties per game.

The Steelers did a better job in that regard against the Titans, but some of the penalties assessed against them were big, including a 25-yard pass interference call against cornerback Ike Taylor in the first quarter that put the ball at the Pittsburgh 2-yard line.

The Steelers forced a field goal in that situation, but those are simply the type of plays that must be cleaned up, particularly if you hope to win on the road – even against a below-average team such as the Titans.

If it only happened last night at Tennessee, it could have been chalked up to playing on the road on a short week.

Considering we’ve seen the Steelers muddle their way through all three of their road games, a trend has certainly developed. It doesn’t bode well for this team in the long term unless the Steelers figure out a way to solve some of the issues that confront it on the road.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/...-lolley-column