What will you feel if Jets turn into another Bucs-Jags game?

[Slapstick]

Lance Moore is right...

[hawaiiansteel]

Tomlin blames Steelers loss to Jets on turnovers, not lack of preparation

November 11, 2014
By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers’ penchant for losing to bad teams is not a preparation issue and is more about having two of his star players commit four turnovers against the New York Jets.

Tomlin said it has been uncommon for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to throw two interceptions and NFL receiving leader Antonio Brown to lose two fumbles, but that’s what happened in the Steelers’ 20-13 loss to the Jets on Sunday.

Roethlisberger had only three interceptions prior to the Jets game and had not thrown two in a game since the 2013 season finale. Brown is one of the most sure-handed players on the team.

“I’m sure we can bounce around a myriad of things, but I tried to focus on what’s tangible, and on Sunday we turned the ball over and didn’t get any,” Tomlin said. “When those things happen, you have a tough time winning football games.”

It was the second loss this season to a team that had one of the worst records in the league. Since the start of the 2012 season, the Steelers have lost seven games to teams whose combined record at the time they played was 9-36 – a .200 win percentage.

The Steelers will get another one of those teams Monday night when they play the Tennessee Titans (2-7), who have lost six of their past seven games, in Nashville.

Tomlin said the Steelers will again be without safety Troy Polamalu (knee) and inside linebacker Ryan Shazier (ankle), each of whom did not play against the Jets. He also said nose tackle Steve McLendon aggravated a previous shoulder injury and is questionable.

Safety Sharmarko Thomas (hamstring) and special-teams player Ross Ventrone (hamstring) each have a chance to return, Tomlin said.

Tomlin said he did not condone the actions of safety Mike Mitchell, who leaped over the line of scrimmage when Jets quarterback Mike Vick took a knee to run out the clock. Several Steelers players had words with Mitchell after that play.

“It was not professional, I’ll say that,” Tomlin said. “Mike is an emotional guy, he’s new to us, and he’s learning how we do business.

“I showed that play to our team about how we play. You see Troy (Polamalu) do that often, but it’s a very different scenario.”

Tomlin began his weekly news conference by saluting military personnel on Veterans Day, in particular one of his own players – tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a West Point graduate and U.S. Army captain who has served active duty in Afghanistan.

Tomlin said the Steelers will take Villanueva, who is on the practice squad, to Monday night’s game in Tennessee.

“It’s a sign of our appreciation for the sacrifice he made and all our men and women,” Tomlin said. “It’s very humbling. It’s great to have him be a part of us.”

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/11/11/Tomlin-explains-Steelers-recent-losses-to-bad-teams-looks-ahead-to-Tenn/stories/201411110170[/URL]

[fordfixer]

Looking back isn't always the answer

So instead of immediately focusing their attention on their next game, against the Tennessee Titans, the Steelers (6-4) chose Monday to look into their rearview mirrors. The sight they saw was familiar.

“Let me tell you a story about two monks who are on a journey. Some time during their journey they stop at a clearing, and in the clearing is a stream, and they stop at the stream. On the one side of the stream is a fair maiden trying to cross. And the first monk, without any hesitation, crosses that stream, picks up the fair maiden and carries her across and sets her down. The two monks carry on in silence. Sometime later on their journey they stop at another clearing. The second monk says to the first, ‘You picked up that maiden. Do you know it’s against our beliefs and our religion to come in contact and touch a person of the opposite sex?’ The first says, ‘I set her down back there, but you carried her all the way here.’ … I’ll see you guys tomorrow at 10:00 AM.”

Chuck Noll

[Slapstick]

Wow. Chuck Noll with the Zen parable...

[sick beats]

Hey Tomlin, turnovers are often CAUSED by a lacking focus...and both of Brown's were absolutely from him not focusing as he handled the ball. Focus IS ONE product of preparation. As you prepare, you preach being focused. The head coach is in charge of the team's focus, motivation, alertness, etc. The fact that Tomlin doesn't seem to even grasp this is beyond scary. There is no mystery regarding why this Tomlin-coached team losses to the very worst teams in the league on a consistent basis (1-8 vs .200 and worse teams is pathetic): the come into those games sleep walking. That is on the head coach, period. It's down right embarrassing.

[sick beats]

What will I feel if it doesn't? That is what I'm more concerned with at this point.

Well, guess what? What I feared is EXACTLY what did happen. Tomlin is 1-8 vs. .200 winning clubs. That is a pathetic stat. And then he comes OUT and says they didn't lose from poor preparation, but from turn overs. Well, guess what? Turn overs are a byproduct of lacking focus; coming in focused is part of preparation. And Tomlin doesn't even grasp it. BOTH Brown turnovers (which we killers) were a byproduct of a lack of focus. That isn't even arguable. He came into that game way too loosey goosey. A top head coach would have prevented that. But "Mr. Cool," swing my head set cord around once again didn't have the team prepared to play a horrible team. How can anyone deny a trend of 1-8? Go ahead and attempt it. It should be funny to watch.

[feltdizz]

Hey Tomlin, turnovers are often CAUSED by a lacking focus...and both of Brown's were absolutely from him not focusing as he handled the ball. Focus IS ONE product of preparation. As you prepare, you preach being focused. The head coach is in charge of the team's focus, motivation, alertness, etc. The fact that Tomlin doesn't seem to even grasp this is beyond scary. There is no mystery regarding why this Tomlin-coached team losses to the very worst teams in the league on a consistent basis (1-8 vs .200 and worse teams is pathetic): the come into those games sleep walking. That is on the head coach, period. It's down right embarrassing.

you are blaming Tomlin for AB fumbling and Ben throwing INT's? C'mon bruh.. that is stupid

[Slapstick]

you are blaming Tomlin for AB fumbling and Ben throwing INT's? C'mon bruh.. that is stupid

While the whole 1-8 thing is far from good, our two best players turned the ball over 4 times...

I don't give credit to Tomlin when Ben throws 6 TDs...I'm not going to blame him when Ben throws 2 INTs...

[feltdizz]

While the whole 1-8 thing is far from good, our two best players turned the ball over 4 times...

I don't give credit to Tomlin when Ben throws 6 TDs...I'm not going to blame him when Ben throws 2 INTs...

I blame the OC and Tomlin for our first quarter game plan on offense. Throwing 1 yard passes against a good front 7 is a horrible idea.

Turnovers are on the players though...

and 1-8 is more than far from good. It flat out sucks.

[sick beats]

you are blaming Tomlin for AB fumbling and Ben throwing INT's? C'mon bruh.. that is stupid

It's not stupid at all. Like EVERY TIME Tomlin prepares for bad teams, they came out uninspired, unfocused, unprepared, listless, etc. That IS on the head coach. Why weren't Browns and BB ready to play well? Do you think a Jimmy Johnson, Parcells or Belichick team would come out so unfocused for every single game vs. the worst teams? No way. If Tomlin were 8-1 vs. sub .200 teams, then we could say the one loss was an aberration, but he is 1-8. Johnson or Big Tuna would be all over the team heading into playing such weak teams, and he would command the players' attention and NOT head into the game with their stars playing so sloppy and unfocused. The head coach is supposed to keep them with their head space right. Tomlin fails to do this, over and over and over and over and over and over again.

[bostonsteeler]

you are blaming Tomlin for AB fumbling and Ben throwing INT's? C'mon bruh.. that is stupid

I think he's blaming the lack of focus that led to those turnovers on the coach. I think getting the team focused *is* part of coaching. The Steelers do a lousy job, and year in and year out they come out weak and torpid against poor teams and get their hineys handed to them.
Its like the entire team takes it easy and the game for granted *in spite* of their outstanding record of dismal results. That is coaching.

[sick beats]

I think he's blaming the lack of focus that led to those turnovers on the coach. I think getting the team focused *is* part of coaching. The Steelers do a lousy job, and year in and year out they come out weak and torpid against poor teams and get their hineys handed to them.
Its like the entire team takes it easy and the game for granted *in spite* of their outstanding record of dismal results. That is coaching.

$$$$$$$$. Precisely.

[feltdizz]

I think he's blaming the lack of focus that led to those turnovers on the coach. I think getting the team focused *is* part of coaching. The Steelers do a lousy job, and year in and year out they come out weak and torpid against poor teams and get their hineys handed to them.
Its like the entire team takes it easy and the game for granted *in spite* of their outstanding record of dismal results. That is coaching.

year in and year out? I think it's the last 2 or 3 years.

[hawaiiansteel]

On the Steelers: Trend of losing to NFL bottom-feeders could continue

November 12, 2014
By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mike Tomlin either could not or would not explain how his Steelers continually lose to opponents with some of the worst records in the NFL, but they’ll give it the old college try again Monday night.

The 6-4 Steelers, favored again, might be just the tonic for the 2-7 Tennessee Titans, who have lost three games in a row. Nashville loves its Monday Night Football, and the Steelers will not find the kind of support there they received Sunday at MetLife Stadium when half the crowd waived Terrible Towels.

The Titans have not lost in seven years on a Monday night, and they’ve won their past four. Also, coach Ken Whisenhunt has even more incentive to stir up his team — Whisenhunt not only lost out to Tomlin for the job as Steelers coach in 2007, his Arizona Cardinals lost the Super Bowl to Tomlin’s Steelers at the end of the 2008 season.

The New York Jets (1-8 at the time) upset the Steelers Sunday, 20-13. It was the seventh time since the start of the 2012 season the Steelers have lost to some of the worst teams in the NFL — combined, those teams were 9-36 when they played the Steelers.

“I’m sure we can bounce around a myriad of things regarding the mental element of it,” Tomlin said on the topic of losing to teams with much inferior records. “I tend to focus on what’s really tangible. In regards to Sunday, we turned the ball over a lot and we didn’t get any. At minus-4, it’s going to put you in a tough position to win regardless of who you are playing or where you’re playing or what the circumstances of the game are.”

Yet, losing four turnovers may be part of the entire trend of losing to inferior teams.

Nothing this season can compare to what happened to Tomlin’s teams in 2009. Then the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Steelers started 6-2 before losing a tough game at home to Cincinnati, 18-12. The Bengals improved to 7-2 with that win, and the Steelers could console themselves because they would play three of the worst teams in the NFL over the next four games.

First up were the Kansas City Chiefs (2-7). The Steelers lost to them in overtime, 27-24. Kansas City finished 4-12.

After an overtime loss at Baltimore, the Steelers returned home to play Oakland (3-. The Raiders won, 27-24. Oakland finished 4-12.

Next it was at Cleveland (1-11), where the Browns won, 13-6. Cleveland finished 5-11.

The Steelers had just lost three games in four weeks to teams with a combined 6-26 record when they played them.

Tomlin tried all kinds of psychological ploys during that stretch, including the one in which he promised “We will unleash hell here in December.” The losses to Oakland and Cleveland followed, and the Steelers’ attempts to return to the Super Bowl fell flat at 9-7 and out of the playoffs.

Tomlin made no promises Tuesday to unleash anything.

[URL]http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/11/12/On-the-Steelers-Trend-of-losing-to-NFL-bottom-feeders-could-continue/stories/201411120087[/URL]