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Thread: SuperBowl or Bust - 2016 / 2017 Edition

  1. #1
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    SuperBowl or Bust - 2016 / 2017 Edition

    Who's got plans to be in Houston for the 2/5/17 weekend?

    I'm feeling pretty good this season that our Steelers are going to be in town that Sunday collecting Lombardi #7. While we have a number of injury and suspension issues heading into the season, I see it a lot of positives that outweigh all the negatives.

    The key formula for winning #7 is in tact - Big Ben + Defense = Championships. Notice the plural - Championships. This team is still poised to be in position to win multiple Lombardis and this year is when the next run begins.

    Offensively, losing Heath and Martavis are negatives that most teams would struggle to overcome. Having Bell out for the first couple of games isn't optimal. However, can you remember a season during the Big Ben era where we were entering the year with what looks to be a dominant O Line? Offensively, the O Line gives me supreme confidence this unit is positioned to carry this team all the way to Houston. While we still have some of the best skill players in the league, it really doesn't make much difference. The key is, we'll be able to run the ball effectively behind this line. Play action will open up. And Big Ben will have just a little more time in the pocket (of which he'll be sure to use every last millisecond) to perform his magic. Let's break it down a little further to make it crystal clear - Ben and this offense could carry this team with Richardson, Johnson, Grimble, Rogers, and Coates starting at the skill positions. Brown, Bell, Williams, etc. are just the icing on the cake.

    Defensively, it all starts up front where I believe we're stacked. Hargrave is an unknown at this point, but I have a strong feeling the 3 man front of Heyward, Tuitt, and Hargrave have the potential to be the most dominant 3 man front the Steelers have ever put on the field. Tuitt is ready to take the next step and has the upside to be even more productive than Heyward starting this year. Hargrave can be even better in time and 31 other teams are going to be asking themselves how they passed on him in the draft.

    There remain a number of outstanding questions in the front 7 behind the D Line. We'll still need another big year out of old man Harrison because Jarvis hasn't panned out. The injury to Bud isn't helpful either, but we're solid up this middle with Timmons and Shazier. But the key here is this - for the first time in many seasons, I expect the D Line to keep our LBs clean to make plays all over the field. And no one will benefit from the improved play of the D Line like Ryan Shazier. In fact, he's going to benefit so much and is on such an upswing in his career, that I'm penciling in Shazier as a future multiple winner of the NFL DMVP award. May the football god watch over him and keep him clean and healthy, but I see Shazier as the guy that takes the biggest step forward on the entire team. We'll have to figure a way to generate pressure with our OLBs and have to have some faith that Harrison's body can hold up. No matter who we utilize on the outside, I expect big production because of the improved D Line.

    The one area on the team that I really can't say for sure what we have yet is our DBs. But if the front 7 can create pressure and stop the run, I think we'll be fine on the backend. I've always been a fan of Mike Mitchell and think some time in our system puts him on a path to make plays for us. I've also been a big fan of Robert Golden and his work ethic, effort, and coverage skills from the S position. I think he'll be a big surprise performer for this team. The questions for me are more on the corners. What have we got besides Gay and Cockrell? Gay will always be steady for us and I expect Cockrell to improve this season because he's another young guy with a good head on his shoulders and we're going to start to see benefits from the mental side of his game this season. Beyond these guys, we just don't know, but does it matter if we can dominate in the front 7? I think there's a parallel with the offensive skill positions where we could be fine with Thomas, Dangerfield, Burns, and Gilbert on the back end of this front 7.

    We've got the horses to stay in any game and play with any team in this league. We just need Ben to get us over a couple humps when it comes to the postseason and he's got to remain healthy for us to have a real chance. I truly believe last year's injury to Ben was the only reason we don't already have #7 in Pittsburgh.

    And in today's NFL, you cannot downplay the importance of a Kicker. Boswell gives me extreme confidence when Tomlin wants to put points on the board when we're at 50 yards+ out.

    Overall, there's a lot of questions on this team for this season. But I think the key ingredients are there to get us over the hump and to start doing it this season and for many more to come.

    Hope everyone enjoys this season and y'all are as amped up as I am. I'm gonna be ready to run through a brick wall by 7pm tonight. Let's get this started!!!!

    Who ride?

  2. #2
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    Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight!football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight! Football is back! The steelers play tonight!
    Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

    Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

    We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

    We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

  3. #3
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    Flippy--you realize you just jinxed us don't you?

    Seriously, I'm really excited about this season.

    I think we go 12-4 or better
    I think we win the AFC North
    I think we play in the AFC Championship game
    I think we........

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oviedo View Post
    Flippy--you realize you just jinxed us don't you?
    Just like I jinxed us before the 05 / 06 Season with the original SuperBowl or Bust thread

  5. #5
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    Tomlin on captains, AB vs. Josh, Gilbert
    Posted 2 hours ago


    Bob Labriola
    Steelers.com

    Coach Mike Tomlin addressed a variety of issues before the regular season opener.


    Q. It’s an annual rite for football teams, that being the election of captains. Is that just a quaint tradition, or does it have some function?

    A. It is a tradition, and it does have a function. Being selected to represent your team, not only at the coin toss but also in other formal ways, is a big sign of leadership. One of the things we talk about all the time is everyone is capable of leading. We subscribe to that, but we acknowledge what a tremendous honor it is be selected a captain. They’re voted on by their peers, and the guys have a great deal of respect for the process itself.

    Q. What’s the procedure for that here?

    A. I hand out ballots. I have the ballots blank. I have an offensive space on the ballot, a defensive space on the ballot, a special teams space on the ballot. I really don’t put any parameters on it. I think the fewer parameters the more representative the process is. Sometimes guys pick one or two guys for offense, one or two guys for defense, one or two guys for special teams. I really try to minimize the parameters and just want to see their thoughts and feelings.

    Q. Once the captains are selected, do they end up being conduits to you from the players, or from you to the team?

    A. Not in any formal way. As I said, you don’t have to be a captain to lead. I have many relationships with guys who are in position to lead and have experience with leading, and I lean on as many of these guys who have strengths in that area as I can.

    Q. Tonight is the opener against the Washington Redskins. Is the opener a different game in any way, maybe in terms of the strategy you’re comfortable with, or monitoring players’ snaps because none of them have played a full 60 minutes since the end of the previous season?

    A. It is different, and the most significant way it’s different – and I have shared this with the team over the past few days – is it’s less about the opponent you play and what they’re capable of doing to you, and it’s more about you being you and minimizing the negativity that we do to ourselves. We have to be assignment-sound. We have to be a detail-oriented group. We have to do fundamental things well. We can’t be highly penalized. One of the key ingredients to having a good game the first week out is doing those things that make you a tough team to beat. And by that I mean not beating yourself.

    Q. For a team to get off to a good start to a season, what are the important elements to attaining that?

    A. It’s handling the fundamental things. The team that tackles the best, the team that’s the least penalized, the team that makes the opponent earn it – and by that I mean not making mistakes that produce chunk plays and points – that’s the team that usually comes out on top.

    Q. Over the past couple of weeks, there have been some players get contract issues resolved. Vince Williams, Antonio Brown, and just a couple of days ago it was David DeCastro. Is that something that’s addressed by you, either one-on-one or in a group setting?

    A. We talk about the elephant in the room. We subscribe to complete transparency, but we don’t spend a lot of time talking about those things. The lines here with the Steelers in that regard are very bright. I think our policy of not extending contracts and not talking extensions for contracts once the season starts provides a very bright line. There’s a very definite end to those types of things, and so it’s less of an issue here than it is in many, many places.

    Q. Do you ever share that with the team as good news, though?

    A. Certainly. You work shoulder-to-shoulder with men. You watch them chase their goals and dreams. To see some of those things pay off in the form of longevity or the security associated with contracts, sure you’re happy for them, and you acknowledge that.
    Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

    Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

    We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

    We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

  6. #6
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    Q. Last year in the opener, the challenge was Rob Gronkowski. Tonight it will be Jordan Reed. How are they different as tight ends, and in the problems they pose for a defense?


    A. There’s only one Gronk. Not taking anything away from Jordan Reed, because he’s a quality player, but Gronk is one of the best in the world regardless of position. That being said, Reed is going to be a big-time challenge for us. The rapport that he has with Kirk Cousins, the way they work on possessions downs, his patience in route-running and at break-points, make him a difficult guy to cover. Like Gronk, he is a tough cover for linebackers because of athleticism and a difficult cover for safeties because of his size.

    Q. Is there a specific down-and-distance situation or a particular area of the field where Reed is most effective, or is he a man for all situations and places?

    A. That will be determined as we get into this season. Last year, he was a guy for all situations, but part of that probably had to do with the lack of availability at times of DeSean Jackson. Reed was highly productive in the red zone, he had 11 touchdowns last year, and he’s a big third-down guy, particularly when you’re talking about third-and-medium. The rapport and the timing he has with Cousins is really highlighted in that area of the game.

    Q. When a game is going to contain a five-star individual matchup – like Antonio Brown vs. Josh Norman – is that something you embrace and emphasize, or do you try to treat it like any of the other individual matchups?

    A. I really treat it like any other individual matchup. AB has been in so many of these over the past several years, and he usually always wins. It’s not as much of a story as it’s made out to be in the media. The coverage of quality wideouts who are working with a quality veteran quarterback – like No. 7 and No. 84 – it’s overstated. I doubt that Josh Norman is going to be out on that island in the ways we like to sit around and talk about it. If he is, it’s probably going to be a difficult evening for him. That’s just the nature of the game. We had a similar matchup a few years ago with Joe Haden in Cleveland, and AB won all of the significant downs there. He’s just at that point of his career – on top of his game mentally and physically and emotionally – he’s not a one-man job. Antonio Brown is a multiple-man job.

    Q. Will there be a discussion about keeping the trash talk from becoming a penalty?

    A. I’m not concerned about that at all.

    Q. From a defensive coordinator’s standpoint, what’s the advantage of matching up a cornerback with a wide receiver all over the field?

    A. The familiarity associated with body mechanics and nuances that are specific to an individual (can be a positive). There are negatives associated with that as well – the cornerback has to be able to play on both sides of the field. You can be on the strong sides of formations and the weak sides of formations, and that creates complexities from a coverage standpoint. But the consistency of getting to know someone that you’re covering, and what makes him work, and the routes that they run, and how they get in and out of breaks, there are advantages there. We’ve done it in the past. We’ve done it for very specific reasons usually. The matchup, whether it’s speed or stature. We had a lot of success in the past giving Ike Taylor a matchup on A.J. Green and so forth, but it takes unique individuals like Ike Taylor with a unique resolve, because it is what it is. It’s tough business.

    Q. Is there any trickle-down effect to matching up, because you have to move other people around as well?

    A. It creates issues, but they’re issues that you deal with in the secondary week-to-week and usually by the time you step into the stadium the level of preparedness has made it a non-issue. That’s generally the case. It’s not something that’s decided in the stadium and on the sideline. It’s something that’s decided at the very onset of the work week, so that by the time you get into the stadium those complexities or issues are over.

    Q. The Antonio Brown-Josh Norman matchup – if it happens – is the outcome of that as much about the personality of the quarterback, in this case Ben Roethlisberger, as it is the receiver vs. the cornerback?

    A. There’s a saying for old secondary coaches like myself: There’s no defense for pinpoint accuracy. So when you’re talking about an elite quarterback working with an elite receiver, a guy who’s capable of creating space when there’s very little and a guy who’s capable of throwing into a tight space when there’s very little, that’s what I mean when I say that’s a tough matchup. We have two guys who fit that description, and that’s what makes that one-on-one battle a difficult one. I would imagine the Redskins aren’t spending a lot of time worrying about winning that battle. They’re worried about not letting that matchup dictate the outcome of the game. Therein lies a significant element of the mentality. When we face someone who brings special talents and has a special relationship, we’re just trying to minimize their impact on the game so we can win it. Trying to win that matchup will usually put you in position where you’ll lose sight of the bigger picture, which is winning the football game.

    Q. As the 53-man roster was being formed, the Steelers acquired Justin Gilbert in a trade. During the preparations for the 2014 draft, what kind of young man did you find him to be?

    A. Extremely talented, and when you’re talking about the first cornerback picked in the draft that’s a reasonable expectation. His height, weight, and speed were unique and still are unique. I flew into Stillwater and had an opportunity to take him out to dinner and spend some time with him on the evening before his Pro Day, and then spend time with him in a formal way – in a classroom setting talking ball – the day of his Pro Day. I found him to be a very sharp and engaging young man. I was highly impressed with him. He was a guy we would’ve definitely considered had he been available when we were on the clock. That being said, we weren’t shocked, given all the things I said, that he wasn’t available. But when you get an opportunity to boomerang back and maybe acquire a guy you have met, and he has the traits I described, particularly when you’re talking about what we had to give up, we felt pretty good about taking advantage of that opportunity.

    Q. You said at your news conference that you didn’t talk to other people about Justin Gilbert about what happened in Cleveland, but that you talked to him about it. What were you looking to learn from that conversation?

    A. I wanted to hear accountability for being here. A guy of his talents and his draft position shouldn’t be here. I just wanted to make sure that he was ready to accept responsibility for whatever or any part that he played in him being here and not trying to shift that responsibility to environmental things and some of the things people can do or say in the process of seeking comfort. I found comfort in the fact that he wasn’t seeking it. He really expressed exactly what I hoped he would express – that he was responsible for him being here, and that he was ready to move forward.

    http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Tomlin-on-captains-AB-vs-Josh-Gilbert/4febc22b-a649-498f-b086-44af142fb735
    Steeler teams featuring stat-driven, me-first, fantasy-football-darling diva types such as Antonio Brown & Le'Veon Bell won no championships.

    Super Bowl winning Steeler teams were built around a dynamic, in-your-face defense plus blue-collar, hard-hitting, no-nonsense football players on offense such as Hines Ward & Jerome Bettis.

    We don't want Juju & Conner to replace what we lost in Brown & Bell.

    We are counting on Juju & Conner to return us to the glory we once had with Hines & The Bus.

  7. #7
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    I have missed the Super Bowl or Bust thread for FLIPPIN' YEARS!





    LET'S GOOOOOOO STEELERS!!!!!!!!

    ​2019 MNFE CHAMPION

  8. #8
    Legend

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    ​2019 MNFE CHAMPION

  9. #9
    Legend

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    Week 2 Victim: Ben-Gals



    River Dance.......(giggles)
    ​2019 MNFE CHAMPION

  10. #10
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    So far I'm liking the 2-0 start. We're winning, yet not even being close to playing as good as this team eventually can down the stretch. There's a lot of unexpected bright spots I've noticed this week all over the field to start the season. Here's a couple that give me some hope:

    1. TE play - These young guys all have quite a bit of work to do, but we're getting decent all around production from James, Johnson, and Grimble. They're making a difference in the running game, pass pro, and passing game. Most importantly, these guys are willing blockers and have all made a couple key blocks in certain situations. I don't see many TEs across the league so committed to being complete players. I really was concerned this unit would have a huge drop off without Heath. Granted, they are by no means near complete, but I think with some more experience, this can be a solid unit down the stretch.

    2. Artie Burns and Sean Davis - These guys are athletes we've been lacking in the secondary for a really long time. Gotta call out Burns specifically for the pass defense he had in the end zone. That flat out surprised me. I can barely remember a time when a Steelers CB played the ball like that. I even liked the way Burns grabbed the WRs hip on the PI that was called against him in the EndZone. I say that was a ticky tack PI call that will eventually go his way once he establishes himself. Long way to go, but I think we have 2 special young players in these guys.

    3. Robert Golden - Seems like we're already getting better S play with Golden and Mitchell than I expected from the start of the season. I've been a believer in Golden since the first time I saw him in his first training camp. He's solid in coverage for a S and seems to have stepped right in without missing a beat in a very complex position the way the Steelers use their Ss interchangeably. He's never going to be a game changer, but he's got something about him that reminds me of a young Willie Gay or Deshea Townsend. Just another solid DB that's going to be consistent and help this team.

    4. Hargrave - While our D Line so far seems to be solid against the run and eating up blockers to free up Shazier and Timmons to cleanly make plays, they've been overall subpar to start the season and one of the biggest reasons we haven't been able to get much pressure yet despite the fact that our opponents have been playing from behind. However, I'll patiently wait for this group to improve and I think they have the talent. The one thing Hargrave has done that jumped off the screen was catching a WR from behind going downfield. I know he got a horse collar tackle penalty and all, but we've got another athletic freak on the field and it's a 300 lb+ NT no less. He's got a longer way to go in terms of transitioning to this level of competition than most college players. But I'm excited to see how far he gets by week 17.

    5. Cockrell - Maybe the rain helped yesterday a bit, but he pretty much shut down AJ. Just because we drafted some young DBs that are likely going to push him out of the starting line up, I think smart/hardworking kid from Duke isn't going to go quietly in the night. He's far from great or even solid at this point, but he just showed he can play with one of the best big WRs in the game. Overall, these DBs are supposed to be our weakness and our D is giving up 300+ passing yards and making it look easy on opposing QBs. But we have to consider this is happening with almost 0 pressure and we're generally limiting big plays and TDs. It's starting to feel like Butler has the horses that Lebeau/Tomlin always wanted for this Defense to work. Eliminate the running game. Play conservatively in the secondary and bend, but don't break. Eliminate the big play and opportunistically create splash plays. Like every other fan, I want to see dominance on D, but what we've been doing in our uber conservative approach is working so far. I'm starting to think our DBs are going to have to lead the way and force some coverage sacks eventually.

    6. STs - Does it feel like we have one of the best units in the league from one of the worst not too long ago? Berry put nearly every punt inside the 20 yesterday pinning Cincy back. Boswell gives me confidence we have the best K in the league no matter the conditions. Remember how hard it was to kick at Heinz Field for everyone? Put Boswell out there in rain from 50 and it's automatic now. I also have a feeling between Brown and Rogers, we're going to get a couple PRs for TDs this season that are going to make a difference.


    Of course we could talk about all the obvious contributors like Ben, Williams, Brown, Shazier, the return of Bell, etc. But it's the little things that give me hope in this team.

    The one big negative I see on this team thus far that needs to be corrected is our OLB play. We desperately need Bud back and Jarvis needs to either produce or come off the field. I'm not going to be too hard on Moats and Chickillo and will give both of those guys some leeway. But at this point, Jarvis continues to be a liability on the right and I don't see anything that points to him getting any better. Can anyone give me anything positive about the guy at this point? I think he's one guy I'm giving up on which is really hard for me to do.

    Who ride?

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