Bruce Arians...

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Nothing is more emblematic of his "genius" than running Mendy up the middle four straight times after we got first-and-goal from the two.

:HeadBanger :HeadBanger :HeadBanger


Please, send him back to Cleveland already...

[hawaiiansteel]

I'm not defending Arians' play calling in that situation, but it would help if our OL were able to generate any kind of push.

[jj28west]

I am wondering if BA calls several plays based on how the D lines up because he did have a WR package in there on at least one play and maybe Ben calls it once they line up?

I would love to see the rookie TE fall down and then quickly get up and get a toss from Ben but Ben was in no condition for play action.

[chiken]

The only problem with the 4 runs is that it was with Mendy and not Redman.. There comes a time when you just have to beat the 1 frickin guy who keeps knocking your block off... just those 2 in the hole and he was stoning Mendy.

[Slapstick]

Mendenhall is a #1 pick...

The entire offense should be able to get a yard...

I agree with Tomlin: If the offense can't punch it in from that distance, then you deserve to potentially lose the game...

[Oviedo]

It's about the players failure to execute not the play calls. Mendy scored two TDs last week on the same type of runs. Last week the players executed and this week they sucked.

Bottomline is that we need two new Guards. Priority is getting rid of Kemo followed by Foster. Legursky also not a front line starter.

[Oviedo]

The only problem with the 4 runs is that it was with Mendy and not Redman.. There comes a time when you just have to beat the 1 frickin guy who keeps knocking your block off... just those 2 in the hole and he was stoning Mendy.


The problem was that Mendy was getting hit by two and three players not one.

[Ghost]

I am in total agreement that you should be able to get 2 yards but after 2 plays and not getting a yard you must have a play somewhere in the playbook to use to get a TD.

If it was just last night you could chalk it up to blocking but inside the 5 has been a total nightmare this entire season. It's week 14 - have one damn play that can get a few yards. Ridiculous.

[feltdizz]

I am in total agreement that you should be able to get 2 yards but after 2 plays and not getting a yard you must have a play somewhere in the playbook to use to get a TD.

If it was just last night you could chalk it up to blocking but inside the 5 has been a total nightmare this entire season. It's week 14 - have one damn play that can get a few yards. Ridiculous.

Redman is the answer. On 2nd down Mend was rocked by #51...

Mend is running better but he wasn't getting low at the GL.

Ben's knee also made it hard to run anything besides a sweep and we all know if a sweep didn't work it would be board meltdown.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

should of faked the handoff on first down and floated a jump ball to wes saunders.

[papillon]

We're going to blame Bruce Arians for an offensive line that couldn't push the number 31 ranked rushing defense back 2 yards? Not. The calls were fine, the execution sucked. I would have sent Redman in after Mendy got rocked.

Pappy

[RuthlessBurgher]

The scary part is that sieve of a Cleveland run D (they have a solid pass D, but an awful run D) allowed 200+ yards to Ray Rice last week (but we couldn't advance 1 yard on 4 tries).

[Mister Pittsburgh]

We're going to blame Bruce Arians for an offensive line that couldn't push the number 31 ranked rushing defense back 2 yards? Not. The calls were fine, the execution sucked. I would have sent Redman in after Mendy got rocked.

Pappy

I don't blame him for our line sucking. I blame him for not factoring that into the equation. What, is it a freaking surprise our line sucks? It has since Hartings and Feneca left.

[steelblood]

I'm not an Arians fan in general, but his playbook was extremely limited there. Ben couldn't move well enough to drop back and avoid the blitz with that many guys coming. We could have done a toss play, but we may have lost 3 yards doing that. Really, the only other option I saw, was to set up like goal line, then flex out Saunders and Heath w Wallace and move ben into shotgun. Then, we could have tried a rub or a jump ball with a favorable matchup.

Arians called a pretty good game, I thought. Fumbles and penalties (along with some bad blocking on the goal line) made things a lot closer than they were.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

I am in total agreement that you should be able to get 2 yards but after 2 plays and not getting a yard you must have a play somewhere in the playbook to use to get a TD.

If it was just last night you could chalk it up to blocking but inside the 5 has been a total nightmare this entire season. It's week 14 - have one damn play that can get a few yards. Ridiculous.
$$$

Arians had one play on that first and goal--it was the "perfect" call ...everyone knows, the genius always makes the right call; it's just that the players don't always execute it. And in this case, they couldn't execute it. The blocking sucks. Mendy is weak at the point of attack. Guess what? The genius KNEW all this. So what did he do? He KEPT calling the SAME play--four times in a row.

All year long, he's been dismal in the red zone...but it's never his fault, always someone else's.

Yes, "ridiculous" is the right word to use for this chump.




We're going to blame Bruce Arians for an offensive line that couldn't push the number 31 ranked rushing defense back 2 yards? Not. The calls were fine, the execution sucked. I would have sent Redman in after Mendy got rocked.

Pappy


I don't blame him for our line sucking. I blame him for not factoring that into the equation. What, is it a freaking surprise our line sucks? It has since Hartings and Feneca left.


$$$$



Monday morning at the Arians' home. Mrs. Arians asks Brucie to attach a shelf to the wall.

BA (takes screw and hammer in hand): "The best way to attach it is to screw it up to the wall studs."

Mrs. BA: "But dear, that's a hammer..."

BA: "It's the only tool we've got."

Mrs. BA: "Brucie, honey, you don't drive a screw with..."

(Bruce attempts to pound the screw in.)

Mrs. BA: "But Brucie, we have nails..."

BA: "SCREW it up, that's the best solution..." (Repeatedly pounds on the screw with his hammer, in spite of his wife's protests, until finally, the shelf cracks and falls)

Silence for a moment. Then Mrs. BA shakes her head.

Mrs. BA: "Yeah, you screwed it up allright..."

[papillon]

I'm not an Arians fan in general, but his playbook was extremely limited there. Ben couldn't move well enough to drop back and avoid the blitz with that many guys coming. We could have done a toss play, but we may have lost 3 yards doing that. Really, the only other option I saw, was to set up like goal line, then flex out Saunders and Heath w Wallace and move ben into shotgun. Then, we could have tried a rub or a jump ball with a favorable matchup.

Arians called a pretty good game, I thought. Fumbles and penalties (along with some bad blocking on the goal line) made things a lot closer than they were.

In retrospect a 3 yard loss would have been good, because, then Tomlin woiuld have kicked the FG that would guarantee a tie had the Browns managed enough offense to score a touchdown late. With the ball at the 1, Tomlin eschewed the FG for the game clincher and the Steelers failed and put themselves in a position to lose the game.

A loss of 3 yards would have brought Sushi out which is what I was screaming when they went for it.

Pappy

[Slapstick]

Tomlin coached to win the game...I won't fault him for that...

There is no excuse for not punching it in from the 1 yard line...I thought this when the Saints couldn't do it in week 1, I feel the same way now...

[papillon]

Tomlin coached to win the game...I won't fault him for that...

There is no excuse for not punching it in from the 1 yard line...I thought this when the Saints couldn't do it in week 1, I feel the same way now...

Normally, I agree, but with an injured Ben, Pouncey and Hood, the Steelers needed to manage the game and escape with a win. IMO, the best bet at that time was to make it a 7 point game to ensure the tie and potentially win.

Pappy

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Tomlin coached to win the game...I won't fault him for that...

There is no excuse for not punching it in from the 1 yard line...I thought this when the Saints couldn't do it in week 1, I feel the same way now...

Against a better opponent, that decision might well have cost us the game. It nearly did against the Clowns.

When you're up by only 4 points, and it's 4th down with about 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter (and you know your OL is weak in the middle)? Take the three points. Doesn't seem like a difficult decision at all.

[Slapstick]

You are all entitled to your opinion and that's fine...second guessing at this point really doesn't do much because the Steelers won...

But, I think Tomlin made the right call...

[feltdizz]

The scary part is that sieve of a Cleveland run D (they have a solid pass D, but an awful run D) allowed 200+ yards to Ray Rice last week (but we couldn't advance 1 yard on 4 tries).

Ray Rice doesn't bullsh#t in the hole... but if you watched the game last week the conditions were wet and cold and Cleveland held Baltimore at the GL one time and held up for 2 or 3 plays before Rice got in on another GL possession.

They also showed highlights of Cleveland making GL stands in 2 other games. This is an area where they are pretty good. With Ben's foot a play action was out of the question.

Ben looked like peg leg handing the ball off so a PA could have ended in a sack given our OL at the GL.

[feltdizz]

You are all entitled to your opinion and that's fine...second guessing at this point really doesn't do much because the Steelers won...

But, I think Tomlin made the right call...

I agree.... our D was playing well and we ended up getting the ball back at their 45.

[Ghost]

I, for one, can't blame Tomlin as I have consistently b!tched this season about not finishing teams off when given the chance and that was the chance. A TD there ends the game and breaks their will.

Yeah the line has to step up but there were 1st graders watching that knew the play call. Is there some rule about being creative inside the 5? Fake the dive and throw a lop tp Wallace or Miller. Direct snap to Brown. An attempt at anything other than a play that continually failed would have been great to see.

And you cannot blame a gimpy Ben. What we saw last night was the rule, not the exception. They have been horrid in close all season.

[Oviedo]

We're going to blame Bruce Arians for an offensive line that couldn't push the number 31 ranked rushing defense back 2 yards? Not. The calls were fine, the execution sucked. I would have sent Redman in after Mendy got rocked.

Pappy


Good to see someone else saw it for what it really was versus just continuing to hate on the guy who isn't on the field blocking, running or catching.

[pittpete]

Bottom line is O-line sucked Got no push.
I hate Arians
I think Mendy dances too much
I think Redman's a harder runner
but the Oline did nothing,nothing,nothing
Whats so hard to understand?

[feltdizz]

Bottom line is O-line sucked Got no push.
I hate Arians
I think Mendy dances too much
I think Redman's a harder runner
but the Oline did nothing,nothing,nothing
Whats so hard to understand?

Mend had a 1 on 1 in the hole with a LB and a ton of steam and was blown up. What more can you ask for on a GL play?

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Bottom line is O-line sucked Got no push.
Check.

Mendy dances too much
Check.

Redman's a harder runner
Check.

Oline did nothing,nothing,nothing

Yet knowing all this, BA called for a Mendy plunge FOUR STRAIGHT TIMES!


Whats so hard to understand?
See above.

Look, I'm not saying it's BA's fault that the OL sucks...or that Mendy isn't good in short yardage situations...but isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

If Ben was too gimpy for ANY other playcall (and I'm not necessarily buying that), they could bring in Charlie in that situation...but Mendy up the gut four straight times? Can't believe anyone here can defend that kind of "playcalling."

[fordfixer]

I believe BradshawsHairdresser Should be banned. How dare he start a thread about Bruce Arians with out the word "Fire" as the first word :lol: :lol: :lol:

[BradshawsHairdresser]

I believe BradshawsHairdresser Should be banned. How dare he start a thread about Bruce Arians with out the word "Fire" as the first word :lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol:
Might not be the first word, but I'll do my best to make sure it's the last... :lol:

[bostonsteeler]

Monday morning at the Arians' home. Mrs. Arians asks Brucie to attach a shelf to the wall.

BA (takes screw and hammer in hand): "The best way to attach it is to screw it up to the wall studs."

Mrs. BA: "But dear, that's a hammer..."

BA: "It's the only tool we've got."

Mrs. BA: "Brucie, honey, you don't drive a screw with..."

(Bruce attempts to pound the screw in.)

Mrs. BA: "But Brucie, we have nails..."

BA: "SCREW it up, that's the best solution..." (Repeatedly pounds on the screw with his hammer, in spite of his wife's protests, until finally, the shelf cracks and falls)

Silence for a moment. Then Mrs. BA shakes her head.

Mrs. BA: "Yeah, you screwed it up allright..."

Priceless!! :D :D :HeadBanger :HeadBanger

[steelernation77]

FWIW the PG reported this week a pass was called on 3rd down but Ben audible to the run when he saw the coverage.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

We' Goes again, because an attack route blames Bruce Asian advantage peaceful couldn' t pushed 31st has arranged the defense following 2 yards which flushed?
????
Can anyone interpret this?

Here's my best take on yingxuy's statement: He's saying the blame goes to Bruce, he's the 31st best OC in the league, he couldn't get 2 yards on first and goal from the two, therefore, he ought to be flushed.

[WindyCitySteel]

It's about the players failure to execute not the play calls. Mendy scored two TDs last week on the same type of runs. Last week the players executed and this week they sucked.

Bottomline is that we need two new Guards. Priority is getting rid of Kemo followed by Foster. Legursky also not a front line starter.

But you're fine with the OC who calls plays that depend upon said guards doing what we already know they can't do?

Ben is the offense. Just give him the damn ball and let him make magic. Most of the pass plays that work are him improvising anyway.

[feltdizz]

It's about the players failure to execute not the play calls. Mendy scored two TDs last week on the same type of runs. Last week the players executed and this week they sucked.

Bottomline is that we need two new Guards. Priority is getting rid of Kemo followed by Foster. Legursky also not a front line starter.

But you're fine with the OC who calls plays that depend upon said guards doing what we already know they can't do?

Ben is the offense. Just give him the damn ball and let him make magic. Most of the pass plays that work are him improvising anyway.

I thought Kemo pulling on run plays was his specialty and I totally disagree with Ben improvising on the only pass plays that work.

Ben improvised on the sack that ended in a high ankle sprain. He threw on the back shoulder to Brown and that resulted in a TD.

I know Ben is great at extending plays but fans tend to have foggy memories when it comes to remembering the actual plays in a game. Countless times people have posted about BA's inability to do something different but when a person actually pulls up the play calls in a game they usually prove the BA hating fan wrong.

Not saying BA is the greatest but it's no different then saying Mendenhall fumbles a lot or spins all the time. I guess Miller is a fumble machine now and Wallace has questionable hands.

[BURGH86STEEL]

It's about the players failure to execute not the play calls. Mendy scored two TDs last week on the same type of runs. Last week the players executed and this week they sucked.

Bottomline is that we need two new Guards. Priority is getting rid of Kemo followed by Foster. Legursky also not a front line starter.

But you're fine with the OC who calls plays that depend upon said guards doing what we already know they can't do?

Ben is the offense. Just give him the damn ball and let him make magic. Most of the pass plays that work are him improvising anyway.

I thought Kemo pulling on run plays was his specialty and I totally disagree with Ben improvising on the only pass plays that work.

Ben improvised on the sack that ended in a high ankle sprain. He threw on the back shoulder to Brown and that resulted in a TD.

I know Ben is great at extending plays but fans tend to have foggy memories when it comes to remembering the actual plays in a game. Countless times people have posted about BA's inability to do something different but when a person actually pulls up the play calls in a game they usually prove the BA hating fan wrong.

Not saying BA is the greatest but it's no different then saying Mendenhall fumbles a lot or spins all the time. I guess Miller is a fumble machine now and Wallace has questionable hands.

Kemo pulls well. Kemo's biggest issues are staying healthy and committing the untimely penalty. I feel that Kemo's mistakes were unfairly singled out more then many other players that made mistakes.

Ben was hurt running around when he could had just thrown the ball away. Ben's not going to change.

Ben made more plays from the pocket then he did extending plays. He's better in the pocket then fans seem to remember. Ben's inconsistent style hurts the consistency of the offense. The offense may never be "thing of beauty" with Ben as the QB. Ben does his part to help this team win. That's what really matters.

Regardless of the facts, I don't believe you will make any believers out of the people that hate BA. They have it in their minds that he's terrible and can't do much right. They attempt to sum up the offense based on a handful of play calls or games. They focus on the negatives and ignore the positives. BA may not be the best OC in the league and he is surely not the worse. It's funny but all this team did was win with BA's assistance.

Make my words, fans will find ways to hate/disagree the next OC. They will disagree with play calling, personnel packages, state he isn't playing to player's strengths, ect. I know that because it's what many fans did in the past.

[NorthCoast]

Sorry, but the starting probowl center was out of the game, you had a Kemo that clearly wasn't ready for the game, a Browns team that was playing their Superbowl for the season and you expect 4 identical runs to make it across the goal?
The other team gets payed too. They were probably laughing at the Steelers for being so obvious with the playcalling.
Execution of the play might factor into it if you had superior talent on the OL. The Steelers don't. Their talent is average to less than average, so the other team needs merely to match it and I would say the Browns DL is collectively better than our OL given that Mendy didnt reach half of what the Browns typically give up on the ground in a game. It just says what a sad state our run game really is in this season.

[Steel Life]

Sorry, but the starting probowl center was out of the game, you had a Kemo that clearly wasn't ready for the game, a Browns team that was playing their Superbowl for the season and you expect 4 identical runs to make it across the goal?
The other team gets payed too. They were probably laughing at the Steelers for being so obvious with the playcalling.
Execution of the play might factor into it if you had superior talent on the OL. The Steelers don't. Their talent is average to less than average, so the other team needs merely to match it and I would say the Browns DL is collectively better than our OL given that Mendy didnt reach half of what the Browns typically give up on the ground in a game. It just says what a sad state our run game really is in this season.
Not to mention that the Browns' NT Rubin is their best DL (wouldn't mind seeing him in B&G) & we ran to their strength. How about an off-tackle play out of a jumbo set? At least then you give Mendy a chance to bounce it or get to the outside. Poor line-play, a suspect GL back & predictable playcalling are a recipe for the result we got...& a better OC would know the difference.