Cortez Allen benched this week

[K Train]

He should be benched, and by benched i mean only kind of since he will play a ton.

Benching is a good motivational tool....he wont want to be the #3 CB. Just play him in man and cover 6. Hes horrible in zone, just terrible

[fezziwig]

Lhyif I'm upset of the benching but, as the two steps forward and three steps back the team is doing. Really ! They give him a contract and only now realize he's not up to par ? This is coaching and Colbert all over this mess.

[feltdizz]

He should be benched, and by benched i mean only kind of since he will play a ton.

Benching is a good motivational tool....he wont want to be the #3 CB. Just play him in man and cover 6. Hes horrible in zone, just terrible

whatever it takes to win.

If he can't get it done.. bench him.

[WindyCitySteel]

When he doesn't bench guys he's not holding people accountable. When he does bench guys, he's being silly and stupid because when a guy fumbles or gives up a big play, he's got to "forget the last play" and "get back on that horse". If you will.

There's no rhyme or reason to his benchings. Why does Cam Thomas play and not Allen? Why do Justin Brown and Lance Moore not get called out for dropping balls, but he spends 10 minutes skewering Wheaton in the presser?

He's rearranging the deck chairs now and proclaiming the ship (coaching) sound.

[WindyCitySteel]

He should be benched, and by benched i mean only kind of since he will play a ton.

Benching is a good motivational tool....he wont want to be the #3 CB. Just play him in man and cover 6. Hes horrible in zone, just terrible

That's another problem. They don't have guys for this system anymore. Tomlin says "play better", as if at any point in the next ten years McLendon will play like Hampton or Hood/Cam Thomas will play like Aaron Smith.

Allen could be a good cover corner, but we'll never know in this system

[feltdizz]

Lhyif I'm upset of the benching but, as the two steps forward and three steps back the team is doing. Really ! They give him a contract and only now realize he's not up to par ? This is coaching and Colbert all over this mess.

I would really like to know what Colbert, Tomlin and DL see when watching this defense. They definitely aren't seeing what the rest of us are watching.

It's like we don't value play makers, if you know the playbook you get a hat even if you are slow and horrible on gameday

[sick beats]

There's no rhyme or reason to his benchings. Why does Cam Thomas play and not Allen? Why do Justin Brown and Lance Moore not get called out for dropping balls, but he spends 10 minutes skewering Wheaton in the presser?

He's rearranging the deck chairs now and proclaiming the ship (coaching) sound.

Troy was 20 yards away from his man, twice. But no mention of him needing to play better. That man crush that Troy has with Dicky solves that.

[Steelhere10]

It's another indication this team is in the tank. They develop Lewis, do not sign him to a contract. They had a choice of dumping Ike and Cortez for Lewis but no, lets over pay Cortez that is now a bench warmer. They have an old but still okay Ike on IR. They're hitching their wagon to backup in McCain. Yes, this should be the perfect plan for those that see no wrong in our
team as long as they are wearing black and gold. Rooney's need a wide broom. Say hello to the 1960's Steelers...

Have you looked at Lewis this year comparing him to Cortez. Cortez is better at Qb completion pct, Qb ratings against, interception and pass defensed. So let's not put Lewis in the Hall yet.

[feltdizz]

Let's face it...you and guys like Windy will find fault in every move or non-move that's made. Same holds true for anything Tomlin might say or not say. If Allen was starting this week, you'd probably complain about that. Maybe you should look at our depth at safety (especially this week) before you start complaining about Troy being benched.

I don't think you'll find a single poster who is happy about the job Troy or Tomlin have turned in to this point. But when all you do is incessantly complain about everything, it's hard to find credibility with your comments.

great post... there are 3 or 4 posters on here who complain so much they don' realize they are bashing their own suggestions.

[K Train]

If tomlin benched allen its because hes folding under pressure, if he doesnt its because hes a players coach and the steelers coachnes never make changes or adjust.

More damned if he doesnt, damned if he does

[fezziwig]

Then what is the problem ? What is the answer ?

[Discipline of Steel]

I guess few remember when Ike was benched and he turned out fine, back when they still called him Isaac...lol
Chill out people

[BURGH86STEEL]

If tomlin benched allen its because hes folding under pressure, if he doesnt its because hes a players coach and the steelers coachnes never make changes or adjust.

More damned if he doesnt, damned if he does

I think Tomlin is benching Allen because he appears to be making too many mental mistakes. I believe coaches can accept if players lose battles. What coaches cannot accept is when a player makes mental mistakes that hurt the team. Mental mistakes are generally one reason why most rookies don't start.

[hawaiiansteel]

MCCAIN READY FOR OLD MATES

Oct 17, 2014
Jim Wexell
Publisher SteelCityInsider.net



The new Steelers cornerback isn't the only new look for the team, according to Jim Wexell's Thursday notebook.

PITTSBURGH -- Brice McCain won't go all in when asked whether he's the Steelers' starting cornerback in place of Cortez Allen.

The player must confirm what reporters see in practice, so McCain's been asked that question several times in the last couple of days.

"It's a long week," is the start of what McCain sees as fit to state. "Right now I'm working some plays with the ones but that doesn't mean anything. We've got a long week to go. I'm working my butt off to get it."

Players normally don't gain and then lose a starting assignment within the space of one practice week. So the Steelers' free-agent acquisition from the Houston Texans goes about preparing to start against those Houston Texans with Andre Johnson in mind.

Johnson, of course, is the Texans' star receiver. The 6-3, 230-pounder has caught 961 career passes for 13,080 yards and 62 touchdowns. He's been with the Texans for 12 years since being drafted third overall out of Miami in 2003.

McCain, a 5-9, 185-pound cornerback, spent five years with the Texans after being drafted in the sixth round out of Utah in 2009. He started 10 games with the Texans and intercepted four passes, and he covered Johnson just about every day in practice during his five seasons with the team.

"Lotta coverage on Andre," McCain said. "That's my boy. He made me a good corner. He made me better."

Will that familiarity benefit either player?

"DBs are DBs and receivers are receivers," McCain said. "It's just who will make the play. Everybody's got skills. It doesn't really matter. It's different than last year, which was different than the year before. People are different. People run different, run different routes. It's different every year. There's nothing the same. When I went against Andre in practice every day, it's not going to be the same when I see him on Monday. And a game situation is a lot different than practice. It's live, you've got to tackle him to the ground. It's way different. I'm just looking forward to playing against him in a game. It should be very exciting."

McCain has been an exciting cornerback with the Steelers when given the opportunity. He left Houston after a miserable 2013 season in which he struggled to recover from a broken foot suffered late in 2012. But he said he's as healthy as he was during his pinnacle 2011 season, and showed off those skills in returning an interception for a touchdown to seal the Steelers' win over Jacksonville two weeks ago.

McCain had moved up to become the nickel back when Ike Taylor was injured, and this week he's swapping roles with the struggling Allen.

Does McCain believe the Steelers are poised to begin playing consistently good football?

"We think that every week, but you've got to do it on game days," he said. "We go all through the week thinking this is the game we're going to turn it all around, this is the game we're going to ball out. We think that every week. When we don't do it, it's a disappointment but we come back the next week thinking the same thing."

[URL]http://pit.scout.com/story/1469827-mccain-ready-for-old-mates?s=68[/URL]

[fordfixer]

Let's face it...you and guys like Windy will find fault in every move or non-move that's made. Same holds true for anything Tomlin might say or not say. If Allen was starting this week, you'd probably complain about that. Maybe you should look at our depth at safety (especially this week) before you start complaining about Troy being benched.

I don't think you'll find a single poster who is happy about the job Troy or Tomlin have turned in to this point. But when all you do is incessantly complain about everything, it's hard to find credibility with your comments.

Well said...