What's The Problem With Rushing the Football?

[Crash]

Hey Cap, I noticed you skipped this one:

Excuse me?

They blew 4th quarter lead in the very first game LeBeau came back, and the evil pass happy Ben didn't play, and the evil pass happy BA was the WR coach.

They also blew a lead at Jacksonville.

Blew a lead at New York.

2005

Gave up a GW FG after the offense tied the game against the Pats.

Blew a 14-0 lead the next game at San Diego.

Blew a 7 point 4th quarter lead against the Ravens.

Same problems, even when they try and run the ball like you want.

6 blown 4th quarter leads with the beloved Bill Cowher and his run game calling the shots.

You talk about 2007?

Tie the game in Denver, the defense gives it right back. Lose.

Need one stop to beat the Jets? Nope. Lose.

Tie the Jags in game one, the defense gives it right back. Lose.

Need one stop to beat the Jags in the playoffs? Nope. Lose.

Anything else? Those are the three best seasons you yap about, and yet the same ^&*()_ problems remain in the 4th on defense don't they?

Watch the games. You need help? Ask.

[Slapstick]

What? You mean they used Leinert because they paid him big money? I'll be damned.

But they didn't use him...

[Slapstick]

Tell me I'm wrong? Kordell was directly involved in the hiring of Ray Sherman in 1998.

Ben gets a golf coached shoved down his throat with no input or leeway after winning two rings.

Kordell calls Pittsburgh a racist city, says the NFL didn't give him a chance after 2003 because of race, and Rooney allows him to "retire" a Steeler? I would have told him to go sheet in his race card playing hat.

Rooney sat there and let Goodell bend Ben and his team over. He should have came out in public and stated "Ben was not charged, according to the PCP you can't be eligible for suspension unless charged, so any suspensions handed out will be done by US".

But he didn't, he let Goodell make up his own rules for Ben, and did squat.

Ben should have kept it in his pants with McNulty and DTF...

[SteelAddicted]

I think it's pretty simple what the Steelers want to do on offense this year.

They want to have the ability to run the football when the situation calls for it. They want to have a more physical and effective running game. They want to use the run to set up the pass through play action. The Steelers are not going to be a 1st & 2nd down run, 3rd down pass kinda team. The Steelers want to control the game by running if they want and explode the game by passing if they want. The Steelers are implementing a lot of no-huddle to keep teams off balance.

BA's playbook wasn't horrible, however BA refused to call the right plays at the right time. Haley will hopefully be a better playcaller.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I'm one who believes this offense needs dedication to the running game to improve on what we have seen. I know the importance of getting better as a whole and more importantly how that translates to the situational running game. Many are arguing "play to their strength" passing game should be the focus but we have seen that can't be called on all the time to win the games. It has its limitations and it is even more evident against good coaching, talented secondaries, or when weather or field conditions play a role. So play any argument you feel is right...But I don't think Haley's focus will be a 180 & "3 yards and a cloud of dust" football.

Haley is a cerebral coach and he knows what works with the talent he has on the Steelers. But he also knows that having a strength means that the weakness can easily be exploited in the gameplanning by a good coach. That is what we have seen year after year under BA. That is the focus on dedication to the running game and essential to the offense getting better. Here is the fact of the whole situation. Dedication to the running game has absolutely no negative impact on the offense and only positive results will come from it. So why would anyone resist that goal?

[papillon]

I'm one who believes this offense needs dedication to the running game to improve on what we have seen. I know the importance of getting better as a whole and more importantly how that translates to the situational running game. Many are arguing "play to their strength" passing game should be the focus but we have seen that can't be called on all the time to win the games. It has its limitations and it is even more evident against good coaching, talented secondaries, or when weather or field conditions play a role. So play any argument you feel is right...But I don't think Haley's focus will be a 180 & "3 yards and a cloud of dust" football.

Haley is a cerebral coach and he knows what works with the talent he has on the Steelers. But he also knows that having a strength means that the weakness can easily be exploited in the gameplanning by a good coach. That is what we have seen year after year under BA. That is the focus on dedication to the running game and essential to the offense getting better. Here is the fact of the whole situation. Dedication to the running game has absolutely no negative impact on the offense and only positive results will come from it. So why would anyone resist that goal?

Because that doesn't put the ball in Ben's hands 40 times a game.

Pappy

[Crash]

Ben should have kept it in his pants with McNulty and DTF...

He had consensual sex with McNulty, and the physical evidence proves that he didn't have intercourse at all with Miss DTF.

[Crash]

Because that doesn't put the ball in Ben's hands 40 times a game.

Pappy

He threw 34 passes a game. If that's too high, why are you paying him $15 MILLION?

Dedication to the run game is one thing. Running for the sake of running is another thing all together.

The FIRST SIX, red zone first and second down plays in Ben Roethlisberger's Super Bowl career, with two different OCs I might add:

6 runs, 0 passes = 1 TD (run by BEN on 3rd down), 2 FGs.

Again, why are you paying him if you aren't going to use him?

[Captain Lemming]

Hey Cap, I noticed you skipped this one:

Excuse me?

They blew 4th quarter lead in the very first game LeBeau came back, and the evil pass happy Ben didn't play, and the evil pass happy BA was the WR coach.

They also blew a lead at Jacksonville.

I dont have all year to address all the games you mentioned. I am sure a few are legit comebacks. But not as many as you claim as you also spin stories to make your point. I will just address the first team you mentioned Jax.

I am unsure of what game you refer to here. It looks like 2004 but we WON that game with Ben.

It must be 2005 when Tommy was in am I correct? Is that not the game that ended tied in regulation on with a DL coached corner interception to send the game into overtime?

And please inform us Crash, how exactly did we lose thar game in OT?

You who can remember evey play in Steeler history without looking it up because you alone "watch the games".

Somebody MUST have looked at just the scores and does not even remember how we lost that game.

Go ahead Crash look it up, you need not admit it.

Hint DL was in NO WAY at fault for THIS loss.

[Crash]

I dont have all year to address all the games you mentioned

Translation, Crash just handed me my ass.

Who said anything about losses? You claimed that LeBeau's defense wasn't blowing leads when they played Cowher Ball.

Once again, with facts, that is proven to be inaccurate.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Because that doesn't put the ball in Ben's hands 40 times a game.

Pappy

Well that would be a good thing. In the 5 losses last year including the playoffs...BB averaged 42 drop backs and completed 55% of his passes with a 65% rating. In his 11 wins...BB had 32 drop backs and completed 67% of his passes with a 103% rating. 40% of the season sacks came in those 5 losses and he was sacked every 13 dropbacks on the season. Including the playoff game, BA averaged 37 passing plays per game and 27 rushing plays per game. That's a +10 on passing plays. Simply by the numbers, there isn't any evidence that BB dropping back 40+ times a game is a good thing.

On thing many people are forgetting is what impact pass pro has on the OL from a conditioning standpoint. Your pounding in the trenches is what wins your the battle of attrition. Dropping back 40+ times a game helps the defense win the battle of attrition while you self inflict. Then when the time comes where you "need to" impose your will in the run game...You already wore yourself down. When I played, I would have rather run the ball every play where the yard to go was under 7 on 2nd & 3rd and smack them in the mouth on 1st down to the point where they had to sell out against the run. Then keep them guessing against the PA when they did. You could feel their bodies wearing down as your fired out and took the wind out of them as the game wore on. It got easier and easier as the game went on and when you needed to pass there was no gas left in the tank to rush the QB and when you needed to run the push came from the OL. That part of football will NEVER change even in this QB league.

The Steelers have the QB and can get in a shoot out with the best of them. Come post season, there isn't a next week if the coaches across the field dialed it up. The sure equalizer in football is an effective run game. That is a whole story in itself. But getting positive plays on the ground on 1st down thickens the DC playbook on 2nd. Having shown you can run the ball keeps that playbook thick on 3rd & medium. Equally important is the fact that the seconds are ticking away means your D is resting and making adjustments between series. Just being able to improve the effectiveness and dial it up if & when you have to will seperate the Steelers from the pack. That will put them in a small group of teams where, if needed, they could use it to take away from the other teams strength. This passing offense will benefit and I don't anticipate a drop off. If the D picks up the TO & sacks now that Woodley & Harrison are healthy...The play count & opportunities will be there.

[Crash]

In the 5 losses last year including the playoffs...BB averaged 42 drop backs and completed 55% of his passes with a 65% rating.

And 4 of the five losses the defense gave up points on their opening series. 3 of which, before the offense ever saw a blade of grass.

[Captain Lemming]

Who said anything about losses? You claimed that LeBeau's defense wasn't blowing leads when they played Cowher Ball.

Once again, with facts, that is proven to be inaccurate.

Oh so NOW you define blown leads as including WINS? Up by 14 we win by 7? Is that what you mean?
That is too funny.
Is your case THAT WEAK CRASH?
A skeptic might think that you are changing the debate.

But let us go by that definition. Are you now saying that you were talking about the 2004 game that we won because you said "Ben didn't play" and he was in the 2004 game.

We all know you meant the 2005 game so PLEASE tell us how DL was at fault?

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

And 4 of the five losses the defense gave up points on their opening series. 3 of which, before the offense ever saw a blade of grass.


[/COLOR]

The Steelers went 1-5 for 3 points in their opening drives in those games. I don't see how 3 punts, an INT, and one FG equates to the O pulling their weight. I'm not dismissing the Steelers D by any stretch. They looked aged and slow as the year went on. There is room for improvement on both side of the ball.

[Crash]

Oh so NOW you define blown leads as including WINS?

Always have. Just because the offense bails LeBeau out that doesn't let him off the hook when his prevent defense bites him in the ass.

Are you talking about the 2004 game that we won because you said "Ben didn't play" and he was in the 2004 game.

Oh for Christ sake, the defense blew a 4th quarter lead in Jacksonville in 2004, Ben played.

The defense blew the lead against the RAIDERS in 2004, Ben didn't play.

READ!