ONE thing we lack is...

[ZoneBlitzer]

Ben isn't the leader that this team needs.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I'd say we lack a message board where absurd fans can air their grievances about the team in a knee jerk manner..............uh, never mind.

[tanda10506]

Originally Posted by ZoneBlitzer

Ben isn't the leader that this team needs.

I think Ben has become much more of a leader and he started showing it last year in Denver. Even though the O line was below average and our WR's couldn't get open, he still RAN around with a high ankle sprain and made some excellent decisions and great passes while doing it. Also, yesterday he continued to play hard and made some great throws (a few that weren't caught) even though we were getting blown out and nobody gave a crap. That said, I do agree with you. Ben is a great example to the rest of the team about what toughness and competition is all about, but he doesn't seem to be the type to rally the team mentally or make a locker room speech. We haven't had that since Porter and Cowher really. The defense played so well in 2008 that they were always fired up and ready to go. Farrior was the last leader on the defense and nobody has picked it up since he left. I expected Harrison and Timmons to pick it up, especially Timmons, but nobody picked it up.

As for the offense, I don't see who the leader would even be. I don't think Ben is going to be that guy, likely due to his past and not wanting to look like an a******, but I don't see who else it could be. Ward was the last emotional leader on offense and we let him go a bit to early IMO. Either way nobody has filled his spot. Time for someone to step up. It be nice if it was Tomlin, Cowher lit a fire under his team and it would be nice to see Tomlin do the same. Somebody needs to do it!

[ZoneBlitzer]

Originally Posted by tanda10506

I think Ben has become much more of a leader and he started showing it last year in Denver. Even though the O line was below average and our WR's couldn't get open, he still RAN around with a high ankle sprain and made some excellent decisions and great passes while doing it. Also, yesterday he continued to play hard and made some great throws (a few that weren't caught) even though we were getting blown out and nobody gave a crap. That said, I do agree with you. Ben is a great example to the rest of the team about what toughness and competition is all about, but he doesn't seem to be the type to rally the team mentally or make a locker room speech. We haven't had that since Porter and Cowher really. The defense played so well in 2008 that they were always fired up and ready to go. Farrior was the last leader on the defense and nobody has picked it up since he left. I expected Harrison and Timmons to pick it up, especially Timmons, but nobody picked it up.

As for the offense, I don't see who the leader would even be. I don't think Ben is going to be that guy, likely due to his past and not wanting to look like an a******, but I don't see who else it could be. Ward was the last emotional leader on offense and we let him go a bit to early IMO. Either way nobody has filled his spot. Time for someone to step up. It be nice if it was Tomlin, Cowher lit a fire under his team and it would be nice to see Tomlin do the same. Somebody needs to do it!

Couldn't have said it better. He's not that vocal guy and I think this team misses the likes of Ward. This team has to play with some fire in the belly to execute well.

[JewniorGong]

We lack, in this order of importance:
-Hunger/urgency
-Pass rush
-Explosion at RB/run blocking
-Bigger plays from receivers

I don't know if we lack leadership from players because there are more than a few vocal vets on the squad. I'm not sure that the hunger is there. A lot of the vets have rings already, I'm not sure if some of the young guys are even interested in that, and I'm not sure the coach views each game as equally important

[ZoneBlitzer]

Originally Posted by JewniorGong

We lack, in this order of importance:
-Hunger/urgency
-Pass rush
-Explosion at RB/run blocking
-Bigger plays from receivers

I don't know if we lack leadership from players because there are more than a few vocal vets on the squad. I'm not sure that the hunger is there. A lot of the vets have rings already, I'm not sure if some of the young guys are even interested in that, and I'm not sure the coach views each game as equally important

Agreed on your points but when those line items aren't there, that's when leadership is needed to inspire and motivate.

[jiminpa]

...a head coach.

[JeromeBetties63]

Originally Posted by TRH

\

No. It's not.
Butler is averaging i believe 43 point something a kick this year and netting out at 38. The league leaders are at 48-ish and netting around 41. Thats a 3-yard difference from the leaders.
If what you said was true - Butler would be punting 28 yard punts all the time. Which he doesn't. Nobody in the NFL is getting "out-kicked" by 15 or 20 yards.

We're losing the field position battle because our offense isn't moving the ball anymore and we're STARTING beginning of games punting deep inside our own territory (at times even deeper - because we're also committing our most costly penalties while deep in our own territory). This has directly led to extremely poor field position. What makes it worse is the fact its happening at the beginning. So our "poor field position" continues and its like being in quicksand. Very hard to get out of - unless you're moving the ball consistently, of course - which we're not doing.

It was one of the main reasons we lost the first Ravens game. Those yards are about when and where too. Some kickers are putting it out of bounds at the 12 for a 28 yard net. The guy does not have a big leg....period. Did you go to school with him or something?

[TRH]

Originally Posted by JeromeBetties63

It was one of the main reasons we lost the first Ravens game. Those yards are about when and where too. Some kickers are putting it out of bounds at the 12 for a 28 yard net. The guy does not have a big leg....period. Did you go to school with him or something?

No - but there's FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR bigger problems on this team than the f-ing punter.
How many 3-and-outs have we had inside our own 20? And not only that - we commit stupid, idiotic penalties while down there too....further squashing us to our own end zone. Then our punter has to f-ing kick it, if not out of the end zone, than near the goal line - all the while having to play it safe so there's no 'fumbled' long snap or blocked kick (which would be an almost surely automatic TD).
When he gets the kick off, it seems as if the other guys are taking the punts almost near their own 40 - then as someone stated above - getting 10+ yard returns (or once again - our idiotic Special Teams commits some god forsaken penalty).
I've seen this way too many times this year. We don't need to worry about the punter "first" (which thats not even one of the top 3 or 4 reasons we keep getting buried)
It's not the #!*$%! punter thats the issue.

[ETL]

One thing we lack?


CHEERLEADERS!