Originally Posted by
Oviedo
There is a lot of emphasis on the sacks allowed, but easily 20-25% of those sack were on the QB trying to extend plays and could be easily rectified by Ben getting rid of the ball either to TEs and RBs or just throwing it away. Yes we lost Faneca, but does anyone really think the Faneca of 2007 was the same as the Faneca of 2000-2005? Hartwig will solidify the center position. Starks I think will regain the RT position. Smith seems healthy. If our OL stays healthy I expect a improvement in this area. I expect them to be at least the same which resulted in our QB having the best season of his career and our RB a league leading rusher.
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The above post is where you allow "fandom" to be your undoing
1) Losing Faneca (all pro , who had to put up with Mahan next to him) and inserting a guy who has never played is a big deal.
2) Kendall Simmons had 7 blown blocks that led to sacks. He had as many blown blocks as the entire Browns offensive line had all season.
3) Hartwig has been given his unconditional release by 2 teams.
4) Roethlisberger had the most "hurries" in the NFL last year of any QB. (yes they keep a stat for "hurries." He had the best passer rating while being hurried. Anther words thanks to Ben, we won more games then we should have. If 20% of the sacks were on Ben to get rid of the ball sooner, what about the 20% of the sacks where he literally had no chance to get a throw off , but yet still broke a tackle and escaped pressure? And getting rid of the ball earlier doesn't necessarily solve your problem. It might mean you just end up with more incompletions and you end up punting the ball more often. A lot more often.
5) The defensive line has Zero depth. We saw what happens when AAron Smith leaves the lineup. Colbert didn't do anything to address this.
6) Special Teamshas been a disaster for three years. It has nothing to do wih scheme or practicing harder. It's all about the over all lack of depth. The poor drafts from the 3rd round on over the past 3-4 years has caught up to the steelers. Tomlin will take the blame. But Colbert should.
7) Schedule, The easy schedule last year allowed the Steelers to make the playoffs. That and unbelivable third down passing from the QB. But you have to face the facts. This schedule is brutal and the Steelers had the biggest drop statistically in the 2nd half of the season last year then any team had in last 10 years. They now get one of the hardest Schedules ever, coming off that Fall.
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