Can someone please explain why?

[AxnJxn]

No when you have a team that has to pass down the field in that spot with no timeouts the defense has the advantage. it doesn't matter if your best playmakers are on offense, the risk of stopping the clock with a pass and leaving them with one timeout and a 1:30 is too great, versus leaving them at mid field with no timeouts and 40 seconds. if you can trust your defense to get a stop in that spot it doesnt really matter who your coordinator is, your not winning to many games.

No, when you have a league that has placed an emphasis on penalties that are advantageous to passing teams, and a defense that is missing their #1 CB and his replacement is playing below average ball, you don't have the advantage. Should I also add in the lack of game experience that Spence has? I thought he had a very solid game, but his man made the catch on the long pass play.

This happens every single week in the NFL. Hell, Philly went right down the field late in the game twice today, and that was against one of the best defenses in the league in SF. Our defense had proven in the second half that they weren't stopping TB's offense. It doesn't matter if it was 0:40 or 1:30, one TO or none - they weren't stopping them. That was obvious.

You can play not to lose all you want. I'm playing to win. At the least, do something creative - a QB draw, a screen, or a high percentage passing play that keeps the clock rolling. Even the Wildcat would have been a better idea. That play call on third down was simply awful, and there's no defending it.

[Ernie]

Not blaming the offense for the loss...but, specifically...placing the blame on Haley for what most on this board feels was a piss poor play call on 3rd and 5.

[Mr.wizard]

No, when you have a league that has placed an emphasis on penalties that are advantageous to passing teams, and a defense that is missing their #1 CB and his replacement is playing below average ball, you don't have the advantage. Should I also add in the lack of game experience that Spence has? I thought he had a very solid game, but his man made the catch on the long pass play.

This happens every single week in the NFL. Hell, Philly went right down the field late in the game twice today, and that was against one of the best defenses in the league in SF. Our defense had proven in the second half that they weren't stopping TB's offense. It doesn't matter if it was 0:40 or 1:30, one TO or none - they weren't stopping them. That was obvious.

You can play not to lose all you want. I'm playing to win. At the least, do something creative - a QB draw, a screen, or a high percentage passing play that keeps the clock rolling. Even the Wildcat would have been a better idea. That play call on third down was simply awful, and there's no defending it.

So basically we should of tried to throw into coverage against our endzone in hopes we would draw a penalty?

[Ernie]

we did it the play before... why not? lol

[AxnJxn]

So basically we should of tried to throw into coverage against our endzone in hopes we would draw a penalty?

Into coverage? TB is playing the run in that instance. Did you even read what I wrote? I didn't even say you have to throw the ball. Run a QB draw that keeps the clock going. Ben's certainly shown he has the ability to do that, and he's not exactly small and easy to tackle.

I never said to hope for a penalty - not sure why you feel the need to inject things into what I am saying that I'm not. But, if you throw the ball, you bring the odds of a penalty into play, and those aren't there on a running play.

I get what you are saying, I just don't agree. Are you completely incapable of understanding that there might be another way to win the game? You know, like throwing for a first down? If you do that, you take your defense completely out of the equation.

[Mr.wizard]

Into coverage? TB is playing the run in that instance. Did you even read what I wrote? I didn't even say you have to throw the ball. Run a QB draw that keeps the clock going. Ben's certainly shown he has the ability to do that, and he's not exactly small and easy to tackle.

I never said to hope for a penalty - not sure why you feel the need to inject things into what I am saying that I'm not. But, if you throw the ball, you bring the odds of a penalty into play, and those aren't there on a running play.

I get what you are saying, I just don't agree. Are you completely incapable of understanding that there might be another way to win the game? You know, like throwing for a first down? If you do that, you take your defense completely out of the equation.

Ya I read what you wrote, you wrote about drawing penalties, but in order to do that you have to have receivers running past the 5yd chuck zone and if we did pass it would be short and safe not really a chance for a penalty, now your risking a sack fumble, another Problem with short passing is it has a higher chance of being tipped by the D line.

If the D is line is playing the run, what makes you think that a qb draw with ben would work?

Ya I know there are lots of ways to win the game and there are also lots of ways to lose them, so as a coach you put your team in situations that has the highest chance for success.

[AxnJxn]

Ya I read what you wrote, you wrote about drawing penalties, but in order to do that you have to have receivers running past the 5yd chuck zone and if we did pass it would be short and safe not really a chance for a penalty, now your risking a sack fumble, another Problem with short passing is it has a higher chance of being tipped by the D line.

If the D is line is playing the run, what makes you think that a qb draw with ben would work?

Ya I know there are lots of ways to win the game and there are also lots of ways to lose them, so as a coach you put your team in situations that has the highest chance for success.

Not necessarily. You can draw a PI anywhere on the field. My point about the QB draw was to come up with something more creative than that awful play they ended up running, and if you empty the backfield, TB is more likely to play pass and the QB draw might work. I don't know if Dri got hurt, but how about getting him the ball in space on a bubble screen? Same for Le'Veon, who converted a 3rd and 13 out of almost nothing. Play action. A shovel pass. I think I would have taken almost anything over what they ran, even an incomplete pass, because that would mean they were playing to win.

I agree with putting a team in the best position to win. We just disagree as to what that was in this situation.

[NJ-STEELER]

cause its what the yinzers want

RUNNN THE BALLLLL!!!!!


they were all in their glory last week, meanwhile the league is trending with more and more passing all the time

[steelz09]

The fact that we are having this discussion is pathetic and is a good indication of how ****ty this team is.

TB needed a touchdown in 47 seconds to win the game and they made it look easy. 47 seconds to score a TD from ~50 yards out with no timeouts. TB! TB is one of the worst teams in the league. Then again, the Steelers are one of the worst teams in the league as well.

[phillyesq]

I'm fine with running the ball there. What I'm not fine with is the play calling. You bring in Blount to close out games. Tampa's D struggled with Blount but overall kept Bell in check, in large part because of smaller, faster guys like Lavonte David. If you are going to run, go heavy and run. Don't run out of the damn shotgun. Haley has called these shotgun runs and draws in a few key situations, and none of them have worked.

[Ghost]

A lot of mention about the Bell run but how about Pouncey getting a 5 yard false start right before that. Can't fathom getting that penalty at that time in the game. Totally changes the play call on 2nd down.

[K Train]

I'm very very frustrated. I've never coached a football team in my life but, why
did they not throw to win .... to get the first down at 3rd down and 5??????

Don't you put the game in a QB hands who threw 3 touchdowns and passed for over 300 yards?

Especially making ben throw 40 passes that game.....finish them. It would be different if they had a top 5 defense to close out the game but the defense just played over their head on the previous series, totally unfair to expect them to repeat that.

Bad play call, shame for a game called pretty well overall.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Run a QB draw that keeps the clock going. Ben's certainly shown he has the ability to do that, and he's not exactly small and easy to tackle.

Yeah, like late in the playoff game against the Jaguars in the 2007 season. Brilliant call there.

[AxnJxn]

Yeah, like late in the playoff game against the Jaguars in the 2007 season. Brilliant call there.

Yes, if it didn't work 7 years ago with a completely different team against a completely different opponent, there is absolutely no way it's going to work now. /s

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

That's not true the tampa offense only had 64 total yards at the half. The right play was to run and punt. We passed on second down and didn't get the first, you cant risk an incompletion to stop the clock. Its perfectly reasonable to expect your defense to get a stop against that offense in that scenario. That ending is on lebeau and that defense.

If we are choosing to only use the stats from one half in order to make a decision, I would prefer to use the second half. Up until that point, Tampa had gashed the Steeler D for 240 net yards in the second half. I would prefer to keep that off the field at the end of the game.