What hurt us MOST this season

[SteelTorch]

Circumstances being as they are, there's a chance we may not make it into the playoffs even if we win against Miami. Even if we do, I'm making this thread since this season has been about as disappointing as last year's season was fulfilling. Feel free to add your own insights.

My top reason:

MISTAKES

Sure we had a bad secondary and unreliable offense, but I have lost count of the sheer number of missed opportunities this season. Frankly put, we either played like we didn't know what to do, or we failed to capitalize on great opportunities that could have made the difference this season. Dropped passes, dropped interceptions, returns for TD's, and the like. Mistakes cost us games against Cinci, Cleveland, Oakland, and Kansas City. Even with injuries to Troy and Aaron Smith, we could have found a way to make this a solid season. We didn't.

This year, we saw a team that looked undisciplined, uncoordinated, and outcoached. The blame goes to everyone, players and staff, for this. Tomlin had better find a way to screw this team's head on straight.

Runners-up include the following, of course.

2. Bad secondary
3. Bad OC (PLEEEEEEASE FIRE BRUCE ARIANS!!!)
4. Bad special teams.
5. Aging defense

All in all, this season left a sour feeling in my stomach. It's not so much the fact that we lost a lot, but the fact that we could have easily won so much more. But, as always, I still have faith in the team and know we'll bounce back.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I can only guess, but it seems like there was a malaise across the team for much of the year. "Bad team, we'll beat 'em without having to concentrate or focus ...".

I put a lot of that at the head coach's door. Having said that, ours is very young and inexperienced, and I don't think it's unexpected that he wouldn't have the skill set yet to fix that kind of situation. Lots of much more experienced coaches haven't been able to turn things like this around.

Maybe we'll make it in this year. If not, we've got a lot of challenges for next year, not the least of which some of our guys are getting too old.

In the big picture, we'll always be fine, because these are THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS!!!!

[BATMAN]

I truly believed and I feel the Rooneys believed also, this team was set to make another Super Bowl appearance. Not only did I feel this way this season, I felt this way the start of last season. With the talent on our team, Tomlin now being in his third season, I felt it would all come together.
Last year with it being Tomlins second season and winning a Super Bowl lead me to believe Tomlin was ahead of schedule.

Rooneys giving Harrison his coin, retaining Farrior, keeping the team in pretty much of its same personal package, we should have been in the playoffs.

Tomlin has disappointed me with his lack of addressing obvious problems. He talked big, promised changes were coming and yet, he did little to nothing. The guy was not prepared to handle the role of Super Bowl champs.

Mistakes: He should have never retained Arians.

[Sugar]

The biggest thing that I see is the mistakes on ST. Yeah the O and D had their various problems, but the ST is what killed us, IMO.

Did the O have malaise at times? Sure, but we still finished with two 1K receivers and a 1K RB (who didn't even start the whole year). We have a QB w/ 4K yards passing as well. The D struggled late in games, but overall they were good enough to be a top 10 in the league.

Missing FG's, fumbling returns for TD's, allowing huge returns and returns for TD's all contributed directly for at least four losses this year. It's sad when you lose to teams that can't compete with your O or D but they beat you because they get the big returns. Giving up points when your D isn't even on the field is simply frustrating.

While this isn't the worst season in my memory (not by far), it is easily the most dissapointing. We had the opportunity and talent to shine with the greats this year and completely crapped the bed.

[papillon]

Situational football

3rd and short
Red Zone offense
3rd down defense
Special Teams (this is all situational to me)

Pappy

[NorthCoast]

As I watched the Philly-Denver game last night I could only wish we had CBs like Philly. I was thinking about how many of Orton's wounded ducks would have been completions against our secondary. When your CBs have NO interceptions in a season something is very amiss.

[RussBII]

As I watched the Philly-Denver game last night I could only wish we had CBs like Philly. I was thinking about how many of Orton's wounded ducks would have been completions against our secondary. When your CBs have NO interceptions in a season something is very amiss.

It's not just the CBs. I still contend that Ike's had a decent year.

The weaknesses in the secondary (Carter / Gay) are REALLY weak. Then everyone else begins to look like hell. Ike not catching the ball is not a new thing. Every other WR on the field being wide open is a new thing.

[VirgilBosett]

I can't remember a season with so many attempted ARM TACKLES, and poor secondary coverage. BS attitude and experience from the D took this team very far last year. Ike Taylor, Carter, Gay, Mundy, and even Clark and Farrior at times look like they want to run up to ball carriers, or beside them, and watch someone else make the tackle. They seem to lack intensity and desire. Secondary coverage is even worse. I think the D dealt with the loss of Arron Smith better this time than the last. The same could not be said for Polamalu's absence. This should be Carter's, and Townsend's last season, and Taylor needs to be the number two CB at best.

ST's are horrible.

The offense has a couple faults, but is mostly quit good. I would love to see them improve in a couple areas, but those areas don't get addressed from year to year, and probably won't again this offseason...... as long as Arians is retained.

If they back into the playoffs it will be darn lucky. They play like a team that wants to go home early, and the last two wins are hardly anything to be excited about.....although I am a little pumped because it sure as heck beats watching them lose.

I won't turn in my tickets, and the ink won't run on my tattoo. In almost 40 years as a Steeler fan I've obviously seen worse, but this season reeks of failure and dissapointment.

Will the shortcommings be dealt with by Tomlin this offseason, or will we hear a collection of his famous & favorite cliche's.

[Ghost]

The inability to hold a lead in the 4th quarter killed the Steelers this year. Take just 2 of the games they had leads in (4th and 10 against Cincy was a back breaker) and the Steelers are cruising into the playoffs.

Not the biggest mistake per se, but the Cleveland game hurt the most. That game was a disgrace and with everything on the line; the players looked as if they wanted to be anywhere else in the world other than a football field. Mentally checked out against a terrible, hated division rival. Sickening.

[feltdizz]

Last game was another 60 minutes of ugly and the only reason we won was because Mason did a SWEEEED.

The LB's looked better but the DB's were terrible again and can't catch a thing.. The analyst kept saying they had great position on Heap yet they were behind Heap and boxed out easily...

However, the worst part about out team is the D's lack of stopping teams after we score TD's. It seems like all season the D has given up 7 right after we get 7. We haven't been able to keep a double digit lead for more then 1 possession all season.

and those damn 3rd down's on both sides of the ball...

Why do we go empty? It's an automatic sack 85% of the time.