Is the competition really that good or do we play down?

[Steelthe#1dynasty]

It is just me or have the Steelers repeatedly played down to the competition over the years? I mean, this team has been loaded with talent over the previous 15 or so years and we consistently lose to inferior opponents on a regular basis. Yay....Yay ..I know the offense line sucks.....However, with the talent on this team (regardless of a rookie coach) we should be 12-2 going into Thursday's match up with the Rams. As a die hard Pittsburgh fan, it is extremely discouraging to know that we've squandered so many opportunities to become truly great. I'm tired of Indy and the Pats winning games they should win and we consistently blow our opportunities or simply struggle to game plan effectively (i.e., AZ, NYJ, Den, etc.).

[HometownGal]

I think it's a little of both, quite honestly. I believe we played down to AZ, Denver and the Jets - no way in hell we should have lost those games. Pretty much everyone was healthy and the team looked like it was clicking on all cylinders. The losses to the Cheats and the Jags were simply better teams playing good solid football for 60 minutes. I think the Steelers also peaked a little too early. Key injuries are aiding in the downward spiral we have seen over the last couple of weeks. However, I believe the Steelers still have time to turn it around and win the AFCN with a little extra effort (and a lot of extra effort from our OL) and confidence.

[Dino 6 Rings]

It is the NFL and every team has profesionals on it. Hence the old saying "Any given Sunday"

So it happens, you lose some you should win, win some you should lose.

It happens. Now just go out and play your best for 60 mins and if you lose after giving your best effort, I can live with it. Its losing when you only play for 59 mins at 90% that I get so frustrated.

[BlastFurnace]

I think anyone can beat anyone in the NFL. Every once in a while, you get an elite team that just steamrolls everyone, but most teams year in and year out can be beaten by anyone on the schedule.

It's not that the Steelers lose, that is to be expected from time to time. It's the way they have lost this year that has been frustrating. Cutler, Clemens, Garrard, and nearly Anderson all drove their teams down on their last drive to either tie the game or win it at the very end of the game. We have made lousy run defenses look great, lousy pass defenses look great and lousy pass rushes look like the Steel Curtain front 4 of the 70's.

What I underestimated from the previous year is how losing our leaders....Porter, Bettis, Cowher, Hartings, Randel EL, Kimo has affected the team. I looked at last season as an aberation and didn't think of how some players that are left (Marvell Smith, Farrior, Faneca, Haggans) are simply 2 years older since SB XL and have slowed down.

[SteelCityMan786]

Any given sunday anything can happen.

As for what the Steelers have done it's been a pit of both. 3 of the 5 losses have been to either Subpar or bad teams. 2 of the losses are understandable because they're actually "good teams" (Depsite 1 of them are spys)

[Cape Cod Steel Head]

We play down.

[SteelerFanInCA]

With the exception of the pats & jags, I'd have to say we seem to play down to our opponent level.

[SteelersMongol]

Originally Posted by SteelerFanInCA

With the exception of the pats & jags, I'd have to say we seem to play down to our opponent level.

Agreed. How about overconfidence?

[Preacher]

OK...

How about this thought.

What if we actually play to our talent level on most Sundays. How about if the real problem is that we used to have a coach that knew how to get our players to play ABOVE their talent level, so that the whole was much better then the sum of the parts?

That could be why pretty much none of our players that go to another team ever do much outside of Woodson.

Now, we have a coach that does not play the emotion game, but expects simple professionalism. As a result, we are seeing what the sum of the team is, and it is not measuring up to the best teams in the league. The result is that we have to up our sum... better o line, another receiver, and a healthy defense.

[br7]

I was thinking all season we play down to the bad teams, but after these last 2 weeks I have my doubts.
I think we are an avg team to be honest, with a elite qb!

if our defense holds in the jets, jags and denver game after the roethlisburger gametying drives this team could very well be 12-2 or 11-3
when ben played bad last yr this team was 8-8, I think it shows the talent level is more closer to the 2003 steelers and adding a bigtime qb is what makes this team a playoff contender!