"Why can't we be like the Pats...."

[steelerschik]

Originally Posted by maddog78

Atlanta is a fraud. Houston looked to have been exposed last night, too. SF at NE next week. We'll see how good they are.

GB is interesting, but their offensive line is miserable. Maybe Eli will save the day again.

LOL, I think Pats fans would be on suicide watch if Eli beat them again! Of course everyone else in the world would love it. The only reasons I have my doubts about Atlanta and Houston are their QBs. And I know it's possible those teams peaked too early, I don't know. The mere thought of the Pats in another SB is almost too much to bear, so I'd rather see Houston and maybe they could pull it off since the Pats would have to go there to play. And really watching GB possibly win another SB, I guess if it's not the Steelers in the SB, I don't want anyone in it let alone win, lol. The pickins are slim.

[Stairway to 7]

Originally Posted by maddog78

They do have a better line. Or maybe better line coaches. They lose guys and plug guys in all the time and don't miss a beat.

They work together as a unit. Our guys routinely let blitzers through while doubling the guy next to them.

Wouldn't be so sure about them losing it this year. I'm not impressed by anyone in the NFC. Alas, it's still December and they look great every December. Two years ago they were rolling along like this and lost to Mark Sanchez in the playoffs.

Things do change so fast though.

Right now, they're the best team in the NFL, simple as that. I watched SFG destroy Chicago and I thought they were the best team, turns out Chicago are yet again, just an also-ran team.

Never thought ATL were good. Houston - exposed now.

I know it's obvious but right now I'm looking at NE, SFG and GB as potential SB winners and that's it.

[Steelers>NFL]

The big part where I wished the Steelers would be like the Pat*: is starting rookies on defense. The Pat* started 3 rookies on defense this year. And they are flying around getting after the ball, creating turnovers etc...
Plus by the time they are in their 3rd season they will by then be great ball players. and know the defense very well. Basically learning on the job. Whereas the Steeler way is, play so sparingly as a rookis, second year play more like 30-50%. By third season start. So basically you just lost 2 years of a young players talent and hunger, because he needs to learn and overly complicated defense. Frustrating to wait and see approach.
Play the kids. Let them learn the hard way. Yes there will be mistakes. But should be nothing that team can not overcome...

[TRH]

Originally Posted by maddog78

Atlanta is a fraud. Houston looked to have been exposed last night, too. SF at NE next week. We'll see how good they are.

GB is interesting, but their offensive line is miserable. Maybe Eli will save the day again.

Atlanta and Houston are both frauds. I'd be surprised to see them go far in the playoffs.

[ETL]

Originally Posted by NEPatriots

Thinking it over....
Yeah, you should all just become Patriot fans.

Thanks but no thanks. We would like to win Super Bowls.

[TRH]

Originally Posted by Steelers>NFL

The big part where I wished the Steelers would be like the Pat*: is starting rookies on defense. The Pat* started 3 rookies on defense this year. And they are flying around getting after the ball, creating turnovers etc...
Plus by the time they are in their 3rd season they will by then be great ball players. and know the defense very well. Basically learning on the job. Whereas the Steeler way is, play so sparingly as a rookis, second year play more like 30-50%. By third season start. So basically you just lost 2 years of a young players talent and hunger, because he needs to learn and overly complicated defense. Frustrating to wait and see approach.
Play the kids. Let them learn the hard way. Yes there will be mistakes. But should be nothing that team can not overcome...

I agree.
I always hear around here "oh he can't start yet..doesn't matter if we drafted him 1 or 2 or whatever...he has to sit around the sidelines "and learn for a couple of years"......

Funny....Dante Hightower has been starting for them right out of the gate (and he's not the only one) and he's been a monster out there at LB.
I wish we had taken him like we were supposed to (although i still have high hopes for DeCastro).

[ETL]

Originally Posted by Stairway to 7

Crock of shit.

???? - so you want the Steelers to lose their identity and become like the Pats?

(I don't think you read the post)

[ETL]

Originally Posted by Stairway to 7

I don't think so, Tomlin will still be a moron who needs an abacus and can't manage a game, and much as I hate the Pats they will still be far better coached and prepared than Captain Cliche's teams.

The real issue here is that you cannot stand anyone who is critical of the team.

You're wrong. I am critical of the team - I call it out when they play poorly. The difference between you and me is that I don't jump overboard when something bad happens.

Its as if you get so passionately angry over a loss that you want EVERYONE to express just as much anger and disgust and when that does not happen -you then vent your anger on people like me who are upset about the loss but know that in the big picture, the Steelers are still a good football team.

[FanSince72]

Originally Posted by ETL

Admit it - don't you wish our offense and team was like the Pats? They go up 42-7 on teams like Houston, routinely score 40+ points and blow out the weak teams like they should. . In short, they act and behave as a dominant team should.

In contrast, the Steelers lose to teams with losing records such as the Chargers, Browns, Raiders and Titans. They are "Jekyll and Hyde", "bipolar", they "do not have an identity" and they wimper to wins over lowly teams like KC. They never seem to blow out an opponent and rarely score 40+ points.

So don't you wish we were like the Pats? If you deny it - just look at what you posted in the past 24 hrs. It sure sounds like you wish the Steelers won like the Patriots. Wouldn't rooting for a team that plays and wins like the Pats cure all your Steeler angst?

Before you think of me as a traitor - let me tell you why I like the Steelers just the way they are. The Pats are good and just like the Steelers, they give their fans the opportunity to win the Super Bowl year in and year out - which is all we fans can realistically ask for. However, the Steelers have a better defense and generally play football that allows their defense to be be on the field less than they have to. The Steelers generally win the time of possession battle and they do this by being dedicated to running the ball and winding down the clock. This means that we air it out less, play more ball control and score less.

Have we been successful? You bet. Since 2005, the Steelers have gone to 3 Super Bowls and won 2. The Pats have gone to 2 Super Bowls and won 0. When it comes to crunch time, teams seem to be able to stop the Pats high powered offense and find ways to score on their defense.

Do you think the Pats fans are eternally happy because their team "dominates"? Wrong. Just like any other team's message board - there are always things to gripe about. Calls to fire Belichick and sit Brady were rampant after the loss to the Cardinals and the Pat's 1-2 start. See its not always greener on the other side.

Do the Pats have a chance to win the SB this year? Absolutely! They are a good team - but I like our Steelers just fine, thank you, and recent history seems to favor how the Steelers like to play football. It may be boring, inconsistent and anger / anxiety provoking at times but every now and then, they put it all together and reward us fans with a SB win.

Go Steelers.

People can say what they want about Belichick and they can make fun of videotape scandals or preferential treatment of Brady but the fact is that New England puts out a consistently great product year in and year out. This year, for example, marks the tenth year in a row that New England has won at least ten games.

I've always said that the smartest thing any coach could do would be to try to follow Belichick's methods. He prepares for games based upon the pluses and minuses of each team he faces and then adjusts his game plan to suit the situation. New England isn't a "passing team" or a "running team" or a "defensive team" but rather they are whatever they need to be based upon the opponent.

Another thing that Belichick does (and in my opinion is the most important thing) is that he prepares his 2nd and 3rd string players as he does his starters and is thus able to overcome injury without missing a beat. I've often thought of him as the Henry Ford of the NFL in the way that his teams consist more of interchangeable parts rather than superstars.

You can hate the Pats all you want, but as a model for how to field a consistently winning team, you couldn't find a better example than New England and Bill Belichick.

[ETL]

Originally Posted by maddog78

All things considered, I'd rather we play like them. A miracle play won our last Super Bowl, and two miracle plays cost them their last two. It's not like they have a flawed formula and ours is etched in gold. And let's face it, the only reason we played Green Bay was because the Jets took out NE. They housed the Steelers in Pittsburgh that year.

There's nothing that says you can't dominate on offense AND defense. It's not just about TOP. They possessed the ball plenty. Their defense does give up yards, but not points and they force a lot of turnovers.

I'm not a traitor, either, but I'm not going to pretend we're just as good as them when we're not. If we sneak into the playoffs, I hope we don't travel to Foxboro.

You are right. Both teams give their fans a chance to win the SB and a few plays went the Steelers way and a few went against the Pats. And you are correct in pointing out how NE has had the Steelers number - especially in the playoffs.

Basically, they are a team with a good coach and a good QB