Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

[SteelTorch]

Over the past few years, the O-line has come under a lot of fire for their performance. But one of their most stalwart defenders has been none other than Ben Roethlisberger. Except maybe once, I've never heard him say anything but positive things about our linemen.

Ben is our first franchise QB since Terry Bradshaw, and like him or hate him, he's a vital part of this team, and his voice may carry more weight than we realize. This may be a long shot, but I'm wondering if all Ben's praise on the O-line got our front office thinking that fixing the OL wasn't a priority and could be put off.

After all, Ben said one year he wanted a tall receiver, and got one (Limas Sweed, and we know how he turned out). Perhaps his continuous praise on the OL has led Colbert and crew to ignore the O-line until it's gotten to this state. I wonder the same thing about Bruce Arians. The guy sucks, yet all Ben does is praise him. Perhaps that is the only reason BA still has a job with us.

Any thoughts?

[MeetJoeGreene]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

Despite what he publicly says ... I hope he is tearing into them behind closed doors.
I would hope bens public praise doesnt influence draft or personnel.

[fordfixer]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

I think if Ben said what he really thinks about the o-line they would be so so beaten down they may get even worse

[Eich]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

I think getting to and winning super bowls has a lot more to do with tolerating our O-Line situations than ANYTHING Ben says to the MEDIA.

[Sugar]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

Ben is just being a good teamate. It's not his job to coach or evaluate talent, it's his job to be the best he can with the talent around him. If his praise has somehow influcened the FO or coaching staff to keep substandard talent then that's their fault, not his.

[Doogie36]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

and what pay cuts are we making to get us a GREAT OLINE? anyone?

Even the DREAM TEAM has holes in it and lost 2 in a row.

You guys need to realize we can't be GREAT at everything. Brady and Manning have SOLID LINES but they lack big name WR's dont they? They also lack big name Defensive players at LB and CB. Everyteam is missing something.

Ben can escape and buy that extra second or two so the need for a BILLION DOLLAR BRICK WALL isnt necessary with him as QB. It's that simple! We spend ALL of our money and yet you all still want them to be PERFECT.

Bengals have to leave 11 million under the cap in case Palmer reports. Do we waste 11 Million dollars?

Lets appreciate what we have and cheer for those we have! I hate this week on this board. I really do! We won our first games last year ugly without our MANNING PAID QB!!!!!!! We are winning this year without Starks and Flozell.

We just got done playing FREENEY! He is a PROBOWL talent! We do not have PROBOWL OLINEMAN nor can we AFFORD them unless you want to get rid of Troy, James, Ben, Woodley, Ike, Timmons, Miller, Big Snack, etc. I mean come on!

I'd take a Bad OLINE over a bad Defense anyday of the week when you have a QB like BEN!!!!

Please point me in the direction of a PERFECT TEAM and when you do GO CHEER FOR THEM instead of complaining about the 6 time world champs. Last time we needed a good OLINE to get to the SUPERBOWL was 95 when we had NEIL i stand still ODONNELL.

[Sugar]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

and what pay cuts are we making to get us a GREAT OLINE? anyone?

Even the DREAM TEAM has holes in it and lost 2 in a row.

You guys need to realize we can't be GREAT at everything. Brady and Manning have SOLID LINES but they lack big name WR's dont they? They also lack big name Defensive players at LB and CB. Everyteam is missing something.

Ben can escape and buy that extra second or two so the need for a BILLION DOLLAR BRICK WALL isnt necessary with him as QB. It's that simple! We spend ALL of our money and yet you all still want them to be PERFECT.

Bengals have to leave 11 million under the cap in case Palmer reports. Do we waste 11 Million dollars?

Lets appreciate what we have and cheer for those we have! I hate this week on this board. I really do! We won our first games last year ugly without our MANNING PAID QB!!!!!!! We are winning this year without Starks and Flozell.

We just got done playing FREENEY! He is a PROBOWL talent! We do not have PROBOWL OLINEMAN nor can we AFFORD them unless you want to get rid of Troy, James, Ben, Woodley, Ike, Timmons, Miller, Big Snack, etc. I mean come on!

I'd take a Bad OLINE over a bad Defense anyday of the week when you have a QB like BEN!!!!

Please point me in the direction of a PERFECT TEAM and when you do GO CHEER FOR THEM instead of complaining about the 6 time world champs. Last time we needed a good OLINE to get to the SUPERBOWL was 95 when we had NEIL i stand still ODONNELL.

I live in Bengals country and used to live in Lions country. I've seen a lot of bad football in my short time on earth. Before you know it, Ben, Troy, Deebo and all will be gone.
Let's be thankful for what we do have and appreciate it while we can.

[williar]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

Or it could simply be that Ben understands that he is part of the OL problem. I know it is difficult for most fans to fathom Ben being a fault for anything concerning this team's perpetual offensive problems. There is nothing I would love to do more that talk to one of these OL'men, off the record of course, and find out how much of the OL problems are directly attributed to the way Ben plays. Holding the ball too long, slow release, being a moving target, and not being cerebral enough to quickly recognize pre snap reads, setting up his protection, ability to audible into better plays based on what the defense is showing. I believe there is a lot more than what meets the eye. Ben is not just being a nice guy.

[Flasteel]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

Ben is just being a good teamate. It's not his job to coach or evaluate talent, it's his job to be the best he can with the talent around him. If his praise has somehow influcened the FO or coaching staff to keep substandard talent then that's their fault, not his.

Well put!

[SteelTorch]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

and what pay cuts are we making to get us a GREAT OLINE? anyone?

Even the DREAM TEAM has holes in it and lost 2 in a row.

You guys need to realize we can't be GREAT at everything. Brady and Manning have SOLID LINES but they lack big name WR's dont they? They also lack big name Defensive players at LB and CB. Everyteam is missing something.

Ben can escape and buy that extra second or two so the need for a BILLION DOLLAR BRICK WALL isnt necessary with him as QB. It's that simple! We spend ALL of our money and yet you all still want them to be PERFECT.

Bengals have to leave 11 million under the cap in case Palmer reports. Do we waste 11 Million dollars?

Lets appreciate what we have and cheer for those we have! I hate this week on this board. I really do! We won our first games last year ugly without our MANNING PAID QB!!!!!!! We are winning this year without Starks and Flozell.

We just got done playing FREENEY! He is a PROBOWL talent! We do not have PROBOWL OLINEMAN nor can we AFFORD them unless you want to get rid of Troy, James, Ben, Woodley, Ike, Timmons, Miller, Big Snack, etc. I mean come on!

I'd take a Bad OLINE over a bad Defense anyday of the week when you have a QB like BEN!!!!

Please point me in the direction of a PERFECT TEAM and when you do GO CHEER FOR THEM instead of complaining about the 6 time world champs. Last time we needed a good OLINE to get to the SUPERBOWL was 95 when we had NEIL i stand still ODONNELL.

Nobody here is asking the team or the O-line to be perfect, genius. That's impossible. But it's not too much to ask them to at least be dependable. I'm sorry, but when Mendenhall can only muster 2 yards a carry against the freakin' Colts defense, something is wrong. We're ranked in the bottom quarter of the league as far as rushing efficiency. If you're happy with that, I pity you.

When the play of the O-line starts to hamper the entire team, which it clearly is doing, then YES, I am going to worry about it. I'm not asking for them to be perfect. But they have to be better than they are now. If they don't, then we're not going anywhere this season.

Do I love the Steelers? Heck yes. Does that mean they're free from criticism? No. So get off your dumb soap box and don't tell me what team I should be rooting for.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Re: Has Ben's praise actually HURT this team?

and what pay cuts are we making to get us a GREAT OLINE? anyone?

Even the DREAM TEAM has holes in it and lost 2 in a row.

You guys need to realize we can't be GREAT at everything. Brady and Manning have SOLID LINES but they lack big name WR's dont they? They also lack big name Defensive players at LB and CB. Everyteam is missing something.

Ben can escape and buy that extra second or two so the need for a BILLION DOLLAR BRICK WALL isnt necessary with him as QB. It's that simple! We spend ALL of our money and yet you all still want them to be PERFECT.

Bengals have to leave 11 million under the cap in case Palmer reports. Do we waste 11 Million dollars?

Lets appreciate what we have and cheer for those we have! I hate this week on this board. I really do! We won our first games last year ugly without our MANNING PAID QB!!!!!!! We are winning this year without Starks and Flozell.

We just got done playing FREENEY! He is a PROBOWL talent! We do not have PROBOWL OLINEMAN nor can we AFFORD them unless you want to get rid of Troy, James, Ben, Woodley, Ike, Timmons, Miller, Big Snack, etc. I mean come on!

I'd take a Bad OLINE over a bad Defense anyday of the week when you have a QB like BEN!!!!

Please point me in the direction of a PERFECT TEAM and when you do GO CHEER FOR THEM instead of complaining about the 6 time world champs. Last time we needed a good OLINE to get to the SUPERBOWL was 95 when we had NEIL i stand still ODONNELL.

This has it's merits. It is true. In this salary cap era you sometimes have to pick and choose where to be great and where to let it slide. This team has invested heavily in a franchise QB and defensive talent. Often conventional wisdom says that you protect your QB with O linemen but that would mean that we are not a team that can win with D (this season aside so far).

As posted in another thread, it was speculated that we could be without some of the following players next year:

Smith
BMac
Farrior
Foote
Casey
Keisel

That is 5 starters and a top backup off of a once stellar D. We could have each of their replacements already on the roster (no new money). Some of that will be eaten up by the fact that we may be over the cap already (although I wouldn't worry too much about the numbers being thrown around right now, I'm sure that provisions are in place) but we will see if the team is willing to change their philosophy if they use the draft and other resources to try to bring in OL help, or try to replace our D players with new money.