This team has no chance without Ben

[WindyCitySteel]

They're going to lose every game without him. If it gets to be 2-5, 2-6, might as well IR him and play for next year with a better draft position.

Plenty of talent in Pittsburgh, just no brains in the coaching staff to utilize it.

Ben masks a lot of problems with the coaching.

[pittpete]

I'd disagree..Defense had 5 sacks and two turnovers..
We lost this one because of bad coaching decisions.
Hopefully coaching staff will learn and adjust.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Above .500 while he is out is all they need. I'd take Vick with say a 3-2 record... Especially considering the teams coming up

[WindyCitySteel]

I'd disagree..Defense had 5 sacks and two turnovers..
We lost this one because of bad coaching decisions.
Hopefully coaching staff will learn and adjust.

Tomlin continues to bungle in game decisions - he won't get better. Haley continues to call garbage games. That won't get better. I do like Butler, the lone bright spot on the staff.

[WindyCitySteel]

Above .500 while he is out is all they need. I'd take Vick with say a 3-2 record... Especially considering the teams coming up

I'd take that all day, but last night was the easiest of the games Ben will miss. We're the only team who could lose a home Thursday nighter with a 13-point 2nd half lead.

@SD, Arizona, @KC, Cincy.

You see three wins there?

[Steelhere10]

SD and KC are equally bad.

[pfelix73]

Ben may be back sooner rather than later if this keeps up.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

I'd take that all day, but last night was the easiest of the games Ben will miss.

Yep. Baltimore was ripe for the taking. Steelers blew a big opportunity.

They need to do better during these early games, because the schedule is brutal at the end of the season.

[Slapstick]

They need a new kicker. Problem solved.

[SS Laser]

They need a new kicker. Problem solved.

yes sir game should have been won at like 2:26 in the 4th and 1x in the 4th! IMO the rat turds were playing the run most of the night or just have that good of a D line still? Bell had a couple nice runs because he is shifty. The O line had a bad run game IMO. The reason that Haley and Tomlin were grabbing at straws at times. Plus Vick is not good at all Gradkowski wins that game much easier IMO. Vicks only plus is escaping with his feet. But not good on designed runs. The steelers thought that run play behind Villanueva was money. But was not. Lol! Bad game by players and coaches. But it all came down to a very bad kicker who did not get any better since the 1st game! Should have replaced him with another susiham and not wasted a draft pick for a kicker! How many times have fans cried that the steelers are not proactive and not go out use a draft pick if needed to upgrade a bad player! Lol did not work this time. I see why they do not do that now. Comes back to bite you in many ways! The cap, draft, and games when that player fails! Any kickers out there still that can nail a 41yd high pressure FG?

[BradshawsHairdresser]

They need a new kicker. Problem solved.

Would the Steelers have won last night with a better kicker? Yes. But let's not pretend that's the only issue this team has, or that addressing it will solve all their problems. That would be incredibly short-sighted and detrimental to their progress going forward.

For instance, the Steelers would have won last night if they'd done a better job of stopping the run. They'd have won if their coaches had done a better job of decision-making and situational play-calling. Heck, they'd have won if Antonio Brown had held onto that long pass from Vick, or if Vick could make some of those throws near the end just a bit more accurately.

Get a new kicker, by all means...but work on tackling, come up with a plan to stop the run, give the receivers lots of reps catching deep balls from Vick (since he has the opposite "spin" on it), reinforce with Vick the need to set up properly before he throws, come up with better situational plays to get short yardage, make use of your best offensive weapon...maybe stop going with your "gut" so much on coaching decisions, and use some common sense...


They're going to find themselves in some games, probably in the next few weeks, in which just having a better kicker will not be enough. They need to try to improve wherever improvement is needed.

If they can't win three out of the next four games, they're going to be in an awfully deep hole. When Ben comes back, it's likely going to take him a week or two to get back in the groove. They just can't afford to wait until after midseason to start playing well.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Any kickers out there still that can nail a 41yd high pressure FG?

That's the million dollar question. Pickings are slim at this point. Guess we all appreciate Suisham a little more than we used to.

I'm still frosted that they wasted a draft pick on Scobee. Someone in the FO failed to do their homework, as he was not good last season and was about to be cut by the Jags.

[papillon]

That's the million dollar question. Pickings are slim at this point. Guess we all appreciate Suisham a little more than we used to.

I'm still frosted that they wasted a draft pick on Scobee. Someone in the FO failed to do their homework, as he was not good last season and was about to be cut by the Jags.

Remember he's the third option this season. Hartley getting hurt late in preseason limits what you can do. they went after an experienced kicker with a late round draft pick and got him. At the time it looked like a coup, because Scobee had a good FG record and he could kick the ball out of the end-zone on kickoffs. It didn't work out, now they are in all likelihood down to plan "D" or hope Scobee can get out of his funk.

pappt

[WindyCitySteel]

We have bigger problems than our kicker. Systemic problems, if you will. Tomlin is a dunce.

[url]http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/two-shaky-mike-tomlin-calls-in-ot-helped-ravens-avoid-0-4-start-041355233.html[/url]

[Slapstick]

He made those calls because his kicker was unreliable. If he had a reliable kicker and made those decisions, then you may have a point about systemic problems...