It look like we are stuck with the boring playcalling of Haley....

[RuthlessBurgher]

Stevie Wonder can see our OL sucks... it's not news people... if we can see it then the coaches damn sure see it and aren't doing enough to fix it. It's not a valid excuse.

I think the "we aren't doing enough to fix the OL" excuse is officially played out. In the last 3 drafts, we used 4 out of the 6 "premium" picks in the 1st or 2nd round on o-linemen. A first round center, a first round guard, and two second round tackles. Plus, after using these premium picks on the OL, we also attempted to solidify our OL depth with another 7th round OL pick in 2012, another 6th round OL pick in 2011, another 5th round OL pick in 2010, and also 3rd & 7th round OL picks in 2009, a 4th round OL pick in 2008, etc., etc., etc. We are not ignoring the OL...far from it. With Kugler now at UTEP, we need to find an OL coach that can turn these guys into the players that we thought we drafted.

[Sugar]

Hey folks, I hate to say this but our Steelers will probably be more competitive next season and win a few more games. However, if you are dealing in reality we have too many issues to get resolved to be a championship team, no one draft will fix it.

I disagree with this. A healthy Steelers team is better than the Ravens team playing in the AFC Championship this weekend. IMO, drastic changes aren't needed. Get healthy and continue to make the additions needed via the draft and a couple solid free agents. In other words, what they usually do.

[steelz09]

I disagree with this. A healthy Steelers team is better than the Ravens team playing in the AFC Championship this weekend. IMO, drastic changes aren't needed. Get healthy and continue to make the additions needed via the draft and a couple solid free agents. In other words, what they usually do.

I don't think we are that far off either but we are seriously lacking in a few areas.

I would add kicker to the list. Mark my words, we will NEVER win a Super Bowl with Suisham as a kicker. So, every year that we go into the season with him as our kicker, I am willing to guarantee that we won't win a SB.

[Sugar]

I don't think we are that far off either but we are seriously lacking in a few areas.

I would add kicker to the list. Mark my words, we will NEVER win a Super Bowl with Suisham as a kicker. So, every year that we go into the season with him as our kicker, I am willing to guarantee that we won't win a SB.

I'm not seeing Sushi as a problem. He did a good job this year. Do you have some reason to think he'll regress? I'm curious because of all the Steelers "issues", kicker seems to be one of the least problematic to me.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

I think the "we aren't doing enough to fix the OL" excuse is officially played out. In the last 3 drafts, we used 4 out of the 6 "premium" picks in the 1st or 2nd round on o-linemen. A first round center, a first round guard, and two second round tackles. Plus, after using these premium picks on the OL, we also attempted to solidify our OL depth with another 7th round OL pick in 2012, another 6th round OL pick in 2011, another 5th round OL pick in 2010, and also 3rd & 7th round OL picks in 2009, a 4th round OL pick in 2008, etc., etc., etc. We are not ignoring the OL...far from it. With Kugler now at UTEP, we need to find an OL coach that can turn these guys into the players that we thought we drafted.

I don't give a rats azz how many picks we have 'used' on the OL. I look at the players themselves. I see Gilbert who missed half the season, DeCastro that missed most the season, Adams that missed 1/4 of the season, Pouncey that has missed parts of every season, and I say keep drafting them cause these guys aren't reliable. I'm also all for competition for the starting job and have no problem taking an Eric Fisher to push Gilbert and Adams. I have no issue taking a Chance Warmack to push DeCastro and Belchum or Foster. I wouldn't even have a problem trading down and taking that OC from Alabama (can't recall his name at the moment) to push all of them including Pouncey.

[steelz09]

I'm not seeing Sushi as a problem. He did a good job this year. Do you have some reason to think he'll regress? I'm curious because of all the Steelers "issues", kicker seems to be one of the least problematic to me.

Suisham wasn't bad but there is 1 reason and 1 reason only why I am willing to guarantee that the Steelers won't win a SB with him as our kicker.

You need to have a kicker that can kick a 50+ yard field goal in the clutch and in the "elements". To get to the SB and win it, you need a kicker that can do that and I don't think Suisham can. The road to the SB for the Steelers will be in the "elements" (Pittsburgh, Cincinatti, New England, Baltimore..). There will be bad weather along the way. There will be close games decided by 3 points or less. You need a guy that can get those 3 points in the clutch from 50+ out.

[feltdizz]

I don't think we are that far off either but we are seriously lacking in a few areas.

I would add kicker to the list. Mark my words, we will NEVER win a Super Bowl with Suisham as a kicker. So, every year that we go into the season with him as our kicker, I am willing to guarantee that we won't win a SB.

lol...what? Sounds like a built in excuse for a player who proved you wrong this year.

[steelz09]

lol...what? Sounds like a built in excuse for a player who proved you wrong this year.

Did I miss something? Last time I checked, we didn't make the playoffs this year.

Suisham proved me wrong alright... He was clutch in the most important game of the year... going 1-3 against the Bengals in a must win game.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Kickers are schizy...Look no further than David Akers as a prime example. In 2011, he scored an NFL all-time single season record 166 points. He followed up that Pro Bowl performance by missing THIRTEEN field goals this year (an abysmal 69% FG percentage).

Suisham made 93.3% of his kicks for us in 2010, then fell to 74.2% in 2011, then back up to 90.3% this season. Who knows what to expect from him in 2013.

[Slapstick]

Did I miss something? Last time I checked, we didn't make the playoffs this year.

Suisham proved me wrong alright... He was clutch in the most important game of the year... going 1-3 against the Bengals in a must win game.

Suisham isn't alone in that Bengal game...the short miss was a bad snap and a bad hold...he caught the ball on the laces (LACES OUT!!!)...

Hopefully, he doesn't disguise himself as a woman and attempt to kidnap and murder Butler...

[steelz09]

Kickers are schizy...Look no further than David Akers as a prime example. In 2011, he scored an NFL all-time single season record 166 points. He followed up that Pro Bowl performance by missing THIRTEEN field goals this year (an abysmal 69% FG percentage).

Suisham made 93.3% of his kicks for us in 2010, then fell to 74.2% in 2011, then back up to 90.3% this season. Who knows what to expect from him in 2013.

Yea, the Akers situation is weird and you're right... kickers are headcases.

I don't want to get to far off topic but my point isn't Suisham's accuracy per se. It's how the combination of "field elements" + field goal length + leg strength will effect his accuracy.

His lack of leg strength requires him to overcompensate for longer field goals or field goals in weather conditions such as higher winds. When he has to compensate, his accuracy is a major issue. If he doesn't compensate, he'll come up short. If the field goal is shorter and/or doesn't have the "elements", the guy is money.

[lloydroid]

It was a long time ago, and I added the smiley face to my post to try to take a little bit off of the rubbing it in aspect.

And as I as recall, your team made the playoffs that year, and my team didn't.

We went 10-5-1, beat Cleveland in the play offs (to a Arians-run offense, coming way back from behind because Cleveland refused to rush the ball, allowing us to come back) and then lost to TN in a tight one. I think we got called for roughing the kicker or something like that, as I recall. The first two games of that season, both opponents (you guys and a Gruden-coached Raiders with Rich Gannon at QB) just passed the crap out of the ball, and made our once-feared D look inept, as the way to beat that D is to not waste downs on trying to rush the ball. Both of those teams made the D look like Swiss cheese. It's amazing that they made the play offs, with that trait being so exposed in the 1st two weeks.

[lloydroid]

Did I miss something? Last time I checked, we didn't make the playoffs this year.

Suisham proved me wrong alright... He was clutch in the most important game of the year... going 1-3 against the Bengals in a must win game.

I don't fully blame the Squeezer. Tomlin made the idiotic decision to try a 54-yarder, while every one knew that was an unlikely successful FG attempt. How many moronic decisions did Tomlin make this season?

[lloydroid]

If your asking about him staying, Dulac said, Haley met with the Cardinals and demanded so much that its unlikely he will join their staff. From what I'm hearing, Ray Horton is their second choice if they faill to get who they want.
Haley wants to stay here and I don't blame him. Going to the Cards is what I said in another thread.....waiting on death row for execution.
That team is competing with A great 49er team, Seattle and even the Rams will get better. The cards have a piss poor Ol and no QB. they have a decent defense but thats about it. They will be firing coaches for years until they get help on that O-line and a QB.

All true, but teams have proven this season that you fix your QB position in a short order. You _CAN_ but that doesn't mean you will. Look at Russell Wilson, et al. It can be done. And I find it a little surprising that Haley doesn't have the confidence to feel he can fix the QB and OL situations in a relatively short time. Head coaching jobs are not plentiful. Only 32 of them in the world. And HC make 5x what OC make. Plus, where would you rather live? In dreary, gray, dirty, rusty Western PA or AZ?

[steelz09]

I don't fully blame the Squeezer. Tomlin made the idiotic decision to try a 54-yarder, while every one knew that was an unlikely successful FG attempt. How many moronic decisions did Tomlin make this season?

Tomlin's made numerous bad decisions this past year. I told my buddy before the kick that he was going to come up short. I said if he doesn't overcompensate, the kick will be accurate but it'll be short. I said if he overcompensates, he might "get it there" but it'll be a bad hook or pushed right.

Sure enough, he didn't overcompensate and it was over 5 yards short. And just like I said previously.... < 45 yards, Suisham is pretty darn accurate.... but he simply doesn't have the leg to kick those type of field goals.