Are we really this spoled and mental?

[lloydroid]

Looking round here, you'd think we had the worst D in the NFL.

This just in.

We have the #2 over all D, and the #1 D vs. the pass. And yet, we sit here and act like our pass D is just horrible. All it is is the very best in the NFL. Geez. How bad can our DBs be if we are the very best pass D in the league? And this is withOUT having Troy play.

[SDSteel1]

Got to complain about something, we are Steeler fans!

[Oviedo]

Spoiled = Absolutely

Mental = Probably

[fezziwig]

I was never that much into stats or at least you can throw all the begining of the season stats out and come playoffs, they don't mean too much me then either. To me this is the identity time of the season for a team because by now, they are usually showing what their true colors are. I think our colors are the great black n gold that usually gets the job done most seasons. Yeah, we had our problems here and there but I think we are turning the corner and hopefully if things keep building the way they have been we, could be on our way to another good season.
We could have easily been 6-1 or 7-0 this season in my opinion. Banged up defense, new OC, new faces taking on new responsibilities it could all be ironing itself out if they keep their focus.

[Lonbull]

I find it very odd -- that no matter how poorly the Offense plays it never seems to be their fault that they lost the game on most message boards I've been apart of.

If our offense can only score 3 points in a game -- it's expected that the defense perform a shut-out.....rarely is it seen the other way -- that if our #1 Defense allows 16 points in a game the offense should be able to score 17.

Spoiled has always been a problem for most Steelers fans IMO ---- However I will say this --- I think Steelers fans (and "real" football fans) are having some adjustment issues with the "New" NFL.

The NFL right now is (IMO) a hybrid between what it was up to the mid-90's and Arena style football scoring. 5,000 passing yards had only been achieved once in NFL history when Dan Marino did it in 1984 and for the next 16 seasons the leading QB in passing yards fell about 300 (or more) yards short of 5,000.

In the past 5 seasons 5,000 yards has been eclipsed twice and last season Brees threw for an additional 476 yards on top of 5000 --- which equates to almost 350 yards a game.....when you consider that 300 yards used to be kind of big deal -- that's a sizeable change in the way the game is being played. Also you have to keep in mind that Personal Fouls and Pass Interference are called far more often and that just makes it more of an offensive game.

I understand that certain fans "hear" that the Steelers Defense is #1 in the league and just don't care.....I read one poster here who said that "Our defense was the kind that looked good statistically, but in reality wasn't very good".....and I'm thinking HUH??? Granted the team is only as good as their record, but the numbers you produce are all you can really show at the end of the day.

I think many fans (especially Steeler fans who have come to enjoy great defensive play) are waiting to see defense like they remember it.....but in reality the NFL isn't the same league as when guys like Rod Woodson and Greg Lloyd were playing....let alone going further back to the days of Jack Lambert and Mel Blount.

And in no way do I believe those players from the past were simply better, or better coached -- the league has simply changed.

Like it or not the NFL likes being a Peyton Manning kind of league -- squeeky clean players, lots of endorsement possibilities, and lots of passing yards.....perhaps their is some irony in the fact that an offensive Quarterback from today is matched with a star defensive player from the past. Where the league is now....and where it was.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Exactly...when you compare the Steeler D of today to Steeler D of yesteryear, it cannot possibly matchup, strictly because of the new era of Goodell's air-it-out and don't-hit-anyone-hard pansy league. It's seems like we are giving up way more yards and points compared to the Lloyd-Woodson-Lake Steelers or the Mean Joe-Lambert-Blount Steelers because we are...every team is giving up more yards and points because of this new offensive era. It's like comparing the home run numbers in baseball during the roid-crazy Bonds-McGwire-Sosa era to the dead ball era...can't even compare.

But, when we compare our defense of today to other defenses of today...we are consistent top-notch year-after-year-after-year. We may not be flashy with a ton of picks and runbacks for touchdowns, but we are quietly effective. It's may not be as exciting as the dominance of the Steel Curtain or Blitzburgh, because no defense is allowed to be truly dominant anymore. But if our defense can simply do it's job (and it has been...in spite of numerous injuries...after some early season slip-ups), a team with a solid defense and a franchise QB like we have will always be a contender.

[Oviedo]

I find it very odd -- that no matter how poorly the Offense plays it never seems to be their fault that they lost the game on most message boards I've been apart of.

If our offense can only score 3 points in a game -- it's expected that the defense perform a shut-out.....rarely is it seen the other way -- that if our #1 Defense allows 16 points in a game the offense should be able to score 17.

Spoiled has always been a problem for most Steelers fans IMO ---- However I will say this --- I think Steelers fans (and "real" football fans) are having some adjustment issues with the "New" NFL.

The NFL right now is (IMO) a hybrid between what it was up to the mid-90's and Arena style football scoring. 5,000 passing yards had only been achieved once in NFL history when Dan Marino did it in 1984 and for the next 16 seasons the leading QB in passing yards fell about 300 (or more) yards short of 5,000.

In the past 5 seasons 5,000 yards has been eclipsed twice and last season Brees threw for an additional 476 yards on top of 5000 --- which equates to almost 350 yards a game.....when you consider that 300 yards used to be kind of big deal -- that's a sizeable change in the way the game is being played. Also you have to keep in mind that Personal Fouls and Pass Interference are called far more often and that just makes it more of an offensive game.

I understand that certain fans "hear" that the Steelers Defense is #1 in the league and just don't care.....I read one poster here who said that "Our defense was the kind that looked good statistically, but in reality wasn't very good".....and I'm thinking HUH??? Granted the team is only as good as their record, but the numbers you produce are all you can really show at the end of the day.

I think many fans (especially Steeler fans who have come to enjoy great defensive play) are waiting to see defense like they remember it.....but in reality the NFL isn't the same league as when guys like Rod Woodson and Greg Lloyd were playing....let alone going further back to the days of Jack Lambert and Mel Blount.

And in no way do I believe those players from the past were simply better, or better coached -- the league has simply changed.

Like it or not the NFL likes being a Peyton Manning kind of league -- squeeky clean players, lots of endorsement possibilities, and lots of passing yards.....perhaps their is some irony in the fact that an offensive Quarterback from today is matched with a star defensive player from the past. Where the league is now....and where it was.

What message boards are you reading. For the past three years we have read nothing about how screwed up the offense is, how they don't possess the ball, how they don't let the defense rest, etc. etc.

It has always been the offenses fault until it so obviously isn't this year that people can't ignore the defensive problems.

[hawaiiansteel]

What message boards are you reading. For the past three years we have read nothing about how screwed up the offense is, how they don't possess the ball, how they don't let the defense rest, etc. etc.

I agree, Bruce Arians bashing has run rampant here for the last couple of years.

[lloydroid]

Exactly...when you compare the Steeler D of today to Steeler D of yesteryear, it cannot possibly matchup, strictly because of the new era of Goodell's air-it-out and don't-hit-anyone-hard pansy league. It's seems like we are giving up way more yards and points compared to the Lloyd-Woodson-Lake Steelers or the Mean Joe-Lambert-Blount Steelers because we are...every team is giving up more yards and points because of this new offensive era. It's like comparing the home run numbers in baseball during the roid-crazy Bonds-McGwire-Sosa era to the dead ball era...can't even compare.

But, when we compare our defense of today to other defenses of today...we are consistent top-notch year-after-year-after-year. We may not be flashy with a ton of picks and runbacks for touchdowns, but we are quietly effective. It's may not be as exciting as the dominance of the Steel Curtain or Blitzburgh, because no defense is allowed to be truly dominant anymore. But if our defense can simply do it's job (and it has been...in spite of numerous injuries...after some early season slip-ups), a team with a solid defense and a franchise QB like we have will always be a contender.

Very well said.

[grotonsteel]

Looking round here, you'd think we had the worst D in the NFL.

This just in.

We have the #2 over all D, and the #1 D vs. the pass. And yet, we sit here and act like our pass D is just horrible. All it is is the very best in the NFL. Geez. How bad can our DBs be if we are the very best pass D in the league? And this is withOUT having Troy play.

I think the biggest reason Steelers are #2 D overall is because of the Offense holding the ball for long time. I am not saying Defense sucks but seriously i don't think they are a dominant D. This Steelers D is No Sack-No Turnover D.

[flippy]

Ranking D's by yardage never tells the whole story. We may be #2 in yards, but we're #10 in points per game.

Look at it this way, do you trust the D on the field with the game on the line at the end of a game? Stats go out the window at that point.

All that said, I've said I hold Ben accountable. The offense is #13 in scoring afterall. So you could argue the D is holding up it's end of the bargain better than the O.

On the other hand, would you rather have Ben on the field with the game on the line? I would too. So again, stats are misleading.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Interceptions, forced fumbles, sacks....how do we stack up there?
Our offense is still middle of the pack as well.

[Oviedo]

Interceptions, forced fumbles, sacks....how do we stack up there?
Our offense is still middle of the pack as well.

I dare say we are probably in the lower half in some areas of "game changing" stats. That is where we are failing.

[flippy]

Interceptions, forced fumbles, sacks....how do we stack up there?
Our offense is still middle of the pack as well.

The 49ers have played 1 more game than us and have 3 more INTs, 2 fewer FFs, and 3 more sacks. Not that big a difference. Yet most think they have the best defense in the league.

They have given up 7.7 less points per game. Not sure those stats are driving the point differential.

[Shawn]

Spoiled = Absolutely

Mental = Probably

Now see I would have reversed the two.