Steelers in good shape despite loss

[fordfixer]

Steelers in good shape despite loss
Jimmy Johnson
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Pitt ... ens-100310 (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Pittsburgh-Steelers-not-hurt-by-loss-to-Baltimore-Ravens-100310)

Updated Oct 4, 2010 12:12 AM ET

Historically, the Ravens have struggled going into Pittsburgh. So, as poor as their track record in Pittsburgh is, getting a win against an unbeaten Pittsburgh team is a large step for them.

This win could mean the difference between having a good year or a great year. Psychologically, this win was a huge hurdle for the Ravens.



For Pittsburgh, this loss doesn’t really hurt them. For the Steelers to be 3-1 without Ben Roethlisberger, Sunday's loss is not a major setback. I will say that both of these teams, as well as they play defense, they will be in the mix until the very end.

The Steelers have really impressed me with the way they are playing defense right now. I mean, they did play well enough to win most games today, losing only in the final seconds. You add Roethlisberger to their offensive firepower, and if everybody stays healthy, I have to say the Steelers can be as strong as any team in the NFL.

Big Ben returns this week, and I do not expect any rustiness with him. He’s going to report in shape. We are talking about an experienced veteran. This is not like some young guy who has missed a lot of time. I don’t see him missing a step. And we all know how talented he is.

The Ravens spent the offseason adding these offensive weapons, but it hasn’t translated yet to the field or to the scoreboard. It is so important for them to protect the football that at times they really look conservative on offense. But that’s their style. In their mind, they have to win with special teams, defense and not turning the ball over.

So, the Ravens may never look real flashy. They are going to win games at the end like they did today, hanging tough on defense, playing the clock and making a big play when it counts.

[Scarletfire1970]

I wasn't that impressed with our defense yesterday. I was impressed Ike Taylor had an INT. How bout that? lol.

[BURGH86STEEL]

Steelers are in a very good position right now. I'd take 3-1 for each quarter of the season.

[ramblinjim]

As p1ssed as I was yesterday over the loss (how is Bolden always so wide open?) I do get the fact that 3-1 through these first four games puts us in a really good spot with Ben coming back.

Our defense only gave up 17 and outside of one good drive our offense just didn't seem to have anything at all.

[Scarletfire1970]

Defense giving up points in the 4th qtr to lose the game is the story of our season last year. It was the reason we didn't make the playoffs. It's repeating itself and that is what everyone is really worried about.

[Oviedo]

Very concerned about the deja vu of a team passing their way down the field against our defense late in a game. Saw that way too many times last year. Can't just wait for someone to make a play. Adjustments need to be proactive. Quit rushing Troy and let him play back in pass defense!!!!!!!

All in all we have to like where we are with 12 games to play. Even if we lose one-third of those games we will finish 11-5. I have to like our odds.

[feltdizz]

Very concerned about the deja vu of a team passing their way down the field against our defense late in a game. Saw that way too many times last year. Can't just wait for someone to make a play. Adjustments need to be proactive. Quit rushing Troy and let him play back in pass defense!!!!!!!

All in all we have to like where we are with 12 games to play. Even if we lose one-third of those games we will finish 11-5. I have to like our odds.
:Agree

after the first TD... Baltimore marches right down the field on us to tie. It's like we went soft that series.

Stop blitzing Troy and we win yesterday. How do we give up the sideline when a team has no time outs? It looked like Brady was back there on the last drive. Where the hell was Woodley at yesterday?

I'll take 3-1 all day long but we gave away a game yesterday.

[hawaiiansteel]

Mon Oct 04 09:20am PDT

How much better (or worse) are the Steelers with Big Ben back?
By MJD

The next time we see the Pittsburgh Steelers, they'll have franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger(notes) back under center. Large Benjamin is back at practice Monday, and by the time they're again playing a meaningful game -- the Steelers are on bye this week -- Ben and his teammates will have had two full weeks to reacclimate to one another.

Without Roethlisberger, the Steelers are 3-1, with the only loss coming to the Ravens, who, some will tell you, are the best team in football.

So how much better can the Steelers get?

Let's take a quick look at the numbers. Through four games, Dennis Dixon(notes) and Charlie Batch(notes) have combined for a passer rating of 77.5. That's not a sparkling number, but when you've got a murderous defense, it's good enough to get you to 3-1, even against a relatively tough schedule.

If Roethlisberger can return and play as well as he did last year, he'll replace that 77.5 passer rating with his 100.5. Obviously, you can't count on a repeat performance, but if Roethlisberger's a more mature guy and he's as well-prepared and focused as he says he is, you can't discount the possibility that he'll be even better, either.

For our purposes here, though, we'll play with last year's number. So if a team gets a quarterback that's roughly 23 passer rating points better than its current quarterback, how much does it improve?

Using this year's numbers, 23 points is just about the difference between Peyton Manning(notes) and Chad Henne(notes), or Tom Brady(notes) and Matt Ryan(notes), or Phillip Rivers and Seneca Wallace(notes). These are not trades you'd want to make.
Consider the Steelers running game, too. Rashard Mendenhall(notes) has grown into one of the league's best featured backs, piling up 411 yards through four games, a total good for second in the league. He just pounded out 79 yards and two touchdowns against the stingy Ravens. And he's done this while defenses have known that he was getting the ball, because no one is gameplanning around the marvelous arms of either Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch.

Take Rashard Mendenhall, and imagine him with bigger holes, more opportunities on draw plays and less attention from opposing defenses. And take that Steelers defense -- currently giving up a league-best 12.5 points per game -- and imagine it with more rest between drives, better field position, and the ability to blitz more freely with more leads. Imagine the Steelers, with all the things they've been doing to get to 3-1, doing them even better.

Of course, there is a pessimistic way to look at things. In a way, the Steelers' hot start has put Roethlisberger in the pressure cooker. Over the past couple of years, the Steelers have been criticized a bit for getting away from the running game, and now they're back to it, and they look strong. Should Ben be a little rusty, maybe take some unnecessary risks with the ball, and the Steelers drop a game or two ... considering all the other circumstances, it might not take much for the fanbase to turn violently against him.

But again, that's just looking for pessimism. I think it's considerably more likely that Roethlisberger returns as the dangerous, game-changing quarterback he's always been, and transforms the Steelers from a very good team into something scary.

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