Steelers Fever Exclusive Editorial: One Play

[maddog78]

Originally Posted by teegre

The point is still the same: this season is far from over for PITT.

BALT is 5-1, but could very easily be 2-4...

Uh, I got news for you. If Baltimore goes to 6-1 and we drop to 2-4, the season *is* over.

I don't care what Baltimore might be if they didn't win the games they've won.

They put 5-1 on tape, we put 2-3 on tape.

I don't expect this team to magically start playing better defense and running the ball better by doing nothing differently.

[maddog78]

Originally Posted by Rick5895

The play that points to the loss in Tennessee to me more than any other play is ..Titans on the TD tying drive in the 4th (eventually make 23-23) Keenan Lewis has the ball thrown right to him, hits him in the chest and he drops the ball. That is the play that hurt us the most. He catches that ball , we get good field position and quite possible looking at a 10 or 14 point win. Those are they types of plays we are failing at this season.

Eh, if we had played like a good team for the first 55 minutes, that dropped INT would mean we only won by 24, and not 31.

The fact that the game was close late is all was disgraceful.

[steelfury02]

yes, the magic wand "but the Ravens only won close games" prognosticators are the same ones sounding off when the Steelers barely win: "But a win is a win - score doesn't matter."

They aren't going to magically just change cause they have the ability to and have shown it in the past - if they are going to start winning, it will have to be as they are learning and still overcoming mistakes. If we go 2-4 and B-more wins again, that is it - you can mark it down. You aren't getting a high seed going 1-4 in the AFC 6 games in and will be playing for a low seed at best

[steeltheone]

" One Play " is what we should expect with potential of talent at wideout...

[teegre]

maddog
No one is saying that nothing needs to change. Those slight losses NEED to become slight wins… and that can only occur via some sort of change. The argument appears to be “how much” needs to change.

Sure, it would be great to have the 2008 defense, but it is not going to happen. And, hoping for blow-outs is not likely, either. This defense is who it is (although, adding Woodley & Polamalu will make some difference).

Some of us are saying that the season is not lost, because those slight losses can indeed become wins with one (or two) significant play(s) per game. On defense, one extra stop, or better yet, a turnover. On offense, a completion on third down, in order to run out the clock (and/or get into better field goal range)… or, a WR not dropping a TD.

Troy & Woodley should make that “slight” difference. As should Wallace (et al)… and BB. [More on this, below.]

steelfury
[NOTE: I’m not just talking to you, steelfury; I’m talking to the general masses, who have given up on the season. Ergo, the following is not a “direct” response to you, although you post sparked the following.]

Wait a second. Y’all cannot have it both ways.

The nay-sayers are claiming that even if the Steelers had won those two games (OAK & TENN), that the Steelers did not win in desirable fashion. I thought that a win was a win…???

The Taperiots are only 3-3… how come some of you can claim that their three losses are not significant? They have the same number of losses as the Steelera. A win is a win… and a loss is a loss… right?

The Falcons got clobbered by the Raidahs… yet, because the Falcons eked out a win, some of you want to ignore the fact that Falcons “should” have routed the Raidahs. Shouldn’t the league’s only undefeated team have trounced the Raidahs??? So, the question really is: why do the Falcons get a pass (for having trouble with the Raidahs), but not the Steelers?

The truth is:
On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.

The Taperiots should still be feared, despite their 3 losses. The Steelers have been injured, and still have the same number of losses as the Taperiots, Broncos, Chargers, Dolphins… et cetera. And, most importantly, the Ravens have eked out games while playing pretty darn bad (they gave up back-to-back 200 yard rushing days), and now, they are now injured; so, they are only going to get worse.

steeltheone
Exactly.

Wallace, AB, and Cotchery have each dropped, fumbled, or tripped away a TD. In games decided by 3 points, those “extra” 4 points would have been huge.

I also put the onus (not the “blame”… the “onus”) on BB to win these games. His defense is not giving him the stops that he needs; so, he needs to put the team on his shoulders, and make those third down completions (in both the OAK & the TENN game, he had a chance to end the game with a completed third-down pass). I am not saying that it is “fair” to put the onus on him… but, he IS the team right now.

[steelfury02]

Teegre, - there is a feeling that a fan gets when their team is stacking wins, and especially in close ones against supposedly superior teams or teams on the same level as your hometown team. When you have a team that is piling wins in the face of adversity and consistently pulling them out in the 4th quarter - you have a battle tested team that no one wants to face

I don't think it is unreasonable to say that some fans are getting a little sick of seeing this group of players (and some who are now gone) play down to the competition and are visibly flat in what should be a game that they treat as a heavyweight fight, get up for just as much as the other "important" games and completely annihilate them because in fact they are superior to the Raiders and the Titans out there - and especially after seeing teams demolish them - it is hard not to ask "Why do they make it this difficult?"

As previously mentioned, there seems to be a trend in the last few seasons where we just aren't sure if they have the capability to go on the road, and even against "inferior" opponents. Maybe it is just the way the NFL has changed and how scoring has gone up - teams can rally more easily - I dunno I don't have the answer, but I also don't have that same feeling I had at least with the 2010 team, 5 games in. They wanted it - I think this team does, but they seem to have forgotten that showing up and being the Steelers isn't enough - they have to fight for it like a #1 challenger, not a fat and happy "2x Super Bowl Champion."

They better act like their season and their respect is on the line week in and week out

[teegre]

Originally Posted by steelfury02

Teegre, - there is a feeling that a fan gets when their team is stacking wins, and especially in close ones against supposedly superior teams or teams on the same level as your hometown team. When you have a team that is piling wins in the face of adversity and consistently pulling them out in the 4th quarter - you have a battle tested team that no one wants to face

I don't think it is unreasonable to say that some fans are getting a little sick of seeing this group of players (and some who are now gone) play down to the competition and are visibly flat in what should be a game that they treat as a heavyweight fight, get up for just as much as the other "important" games and completely annihilate them because in fact they are superior to the Raiders and the Titans out there - and especially after seeing teams demolish them - it is hard not to ask "Why do they make it this difficult?"

As previously mentioned, there seems to be a trend in the last few seasons where we just aren't sure if they have the capability to go on the road, and even against "inferior" opponents. Maybe it is just the way the NFL has changed and how scoring has gone up - teams can rally more easily - I dunno I don't have the answer, but I also don't have that same feeling I had at least with the 2010 team, 5 games in. They wanted it - I think this team does, but they seem to have forgotten that showing up and being the Steelers isn't enough - they have to fight for it like a #1 challenger, not a fat and happy "2x Super Bowl Champion."

They better act like their season and their respect is on the line week in and week out

I can't say that I don't agree with your feelings. (Wait... did I just double-negative that sentence correctly?) To clarify, I feel annoyed that they have lost their edge, as well.

BUT, I also do not feel that the season is over. I think that there are correctable parts, that can turn this team around (one more stop on defense; one more third down on offense).

As far as their attitude goes:
Sometimes... it takes a huge slap in the face, to get some teams to realize that the following is not true: "We are better... the other team will give us the win." These players have never really experienced "loss" (only two play-offs missed in eight seasons). Ergo, they are arrogant & cocky: not cocky in a bad way... just from being used to winning and/or from being young & naive (speaking about the offense on this one).

I rememebr Dermontti Dawson talking about it, back in 1997ish. Some of those players had been to the play-offs six years in a row... and didn't understand until they lost against JAX.

Similarly, a few years ago, it was losing to CLEV.

And, I think that this past loss (to TENN) was a similar slap across the face.

Or, maybe not.

Either way, I still contend that the season is not over.