A theory about why we win or lose

[NJ-STEELER]

Game plan ...Game plan... that is why!!! and assuming it's going to be easier to play a sub-par team.


You cannot waste a bunch of time running down the field then, get no points and then expect this below average backfield to play lights out.
on 4th down they should have kicked the field goal or for god sake tricked the **** out of birds by faking the run on first and would have been an easy pass..
hell Ben could have taken it to the corner.


Why are they not doing the game plan like last year when Ben Threw 6TD against the Ravens? pass ..pass pass... then run...


With this team you have to pass to establish the run!!! period!!!

with bell out. Absolutely.

[NJ-STEELER]

Yeah, Tom Brady has thrown 8 career TD passes to DE/LB Mike Vrabel.

how many of those were 1st and 10s away from inside the 2 yard line.
An incomplete on 1st down there and you're still 2 yards away from a td

an incomplete to nix, Spaeth, Johnson. Leaves you with a 2nd and 10. And long 3rd down conversions.

Basically what we saw Sunday

[NJ-STEELER]

Too long of a post to quote you pap. But here's my response.


Re 20 he pass play. I know the stats they keep on that. I simply just thought you meant long passes when you referred to Ben not being patient and going deep.
Deep, to me means a bomb.

And im not sure if you saw the whole field on that int intended for Johnson. But he did stop coming back to the ball.

Yes, I agree it was a bad decision to throw it at the time. Ben should of fling it into the stands.
I've said that since day 1.
But your wrong about Johnson. He was running back towards the LOS and stopped when the ball was in the air which allowed the DB to cut in front of him. They didn't show a replay of it from that angle right away but did so after.
That's a brutal mistake for anyone out for a pass

[NJ-STEELER]

Game managers still throw INT's... they also make the playoffs and win.

You guys always saw that label as a knock on Ben but since he now has to carry the load due to a bad defense we see its much harder than fans imagined. Fans who were upset at that label claimed Ben could win a SB throwing it 40 to 50 times a game if you just gave him weapons and an OL.

Well, we gave him a tall WR, another WR who is considered the best in the game, a beast of a RB and a solid back up this year and we havent turned the corner.

IMO there was never a problem with throwing 26 to 30 times a game and letting the D do the heavy lifting. But ans wanted more... winning playoff games with a middle of the pack offense wasnt enough.

Silly labels...

My the only thing I would consider as "gave him" is bell. Who many on these boards thought was a reach in the 2nd.

Waiting until the 6th and 4th round to address these weapons isn't something like cincy and Atlanta drafting green and jones 3rd and 6 the overall.

In fact, before bell was drafted, we were one of the few teams in the league (jax... When their offense stunk was another) that didn't have a pick in the top 2 rounds at the so called skill positions. Rb and wr.

Major even sure why you're including bell anyway when mentioning not going far in the playoffs.
He didn't play on the playoffs last year because he was hurt and is out again this year

[NJ-STEELER]

yes, the defense scored a lot of points and created short fields for our offense early in Ben's career.

We also had 2 years where our O didn't score a TD for 10 straight qtrs.

Ben even said he was embarassed for the offense a few times.

It was still an explosive offense that always turned it on at the right time in the playoffs but we definitely had a ton of help from a great defense when we went deep in the playoffs.

as well we should have.
What was the stat in 09. Something like 65% of the salary cap was paid towards the defense.

that is how the FO chose to build the team. When you allocate that much of the cap to the defense, they sure had better be a top unit

This defense was a top 25 defense of all time when they won Sb 43.
Coupled with an OL that many experts said was the worst they have ever seen play in a Super Bowl.

what happened in the draft??? Pass on max under to take an 4-3 dt to play in a 3-4.

Then go to the year we drafted worldis. Again coming off a year in which the defense was a top 5 unit.
Use a mid 2nd round pick to play back up for years behind Harrison and Woodley

[feltdizz]

as well we should have.
What was the stat in 09. Something like 65% of the salary cap was paid towards the defense.

that is how the FO chose to build the team. When you allocate that much of the cap to the defense, they sure had better be a top unit

This defense was a top 25 defense of all time when they won Sb 43.
Coupled with an OL that many experts said was the worst they have ever seen play in a Super Bowl.

what happened in the draft??? Pass on max under to take an 4-3 dt to play in a 3-4.

Then go to the year we drafted worldis. Again coming off a year in which the defense was a top 5 unit.
Use a mid 2nd round pick to play back up for years behind Harrison and Woodley

and now the offense should do the heavy lifting and carry us to a playoff win since the offense is getting paid

[RuthlessBurgher]

and now the offense should do the heavy lifting and carry us to a playoff win since the offense is getting paid

Yeah, once we do extensions for guys like Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, and David DeCastro (in addition to what we are already paying Ben and Pouncey), then our offense will likely eat up 65% of the cap like our defense used to.

[papillon]

Yeah, once we do extensions for guys like Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, and David DeCastro (in addition to what we are already paying Ben and Pouncey), then our offense will likely eat up 65% of the cap like our defense used to.

That's a scary thought, because even with more to spend on the defense currently the defense is struggling. We know what the offense can do and it probably isn't getting appreciably better and they will be getting paid more. How does the defense get better under this scenario?

They may have to make some decisions about very good players from the offense and whether they have capable backups in place. Even when the Steelers were spending heavy on defense the offense at least had Ben. Currently, the defense does not have such a player.

Pappy

[NJ-STEELER]

I doubt it's anywhere near the 65 % figure and that's including the inflated QB contract.

Are te we still taking cap hit on one, Troy and Woodley?

[papillon]

I doubt it's anywhere near the 65 % figure and that's including the inflated QB contract.

Are te we still taking cap hit on one, Troy and Woodley?

I believe next year's dead money is less than a million dollars, both Polamalu and Woodley come off the books I think. Personally, I think Timmons may be a cap casualty, he's been a solid player over the years, but his cap number next year is 15,000,000 I just don't think the Steelers are getting their money's worth, IMO.

Pappy

[NorthCoast]

I believe next year's dead money is less than a million dollars, both Polamalu and Woodley come off the books I think. Personally, I think Timmons may be a cap casualty, he's been a solid player over the years, but his cap number next year is 15,000,000 I just don't think the Steelers are getting their money's worth, IMO.

Pappy

Wow... that's a tough call. I get what you're saying but Timmons is the one consistent and constant player on this defense. He may not create the splash plays anymore but having a steady vet influence counts for something. $15M worth?? IDK, maybe ask him for a major haircut to stay.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Wow... that's a tough call. I get what you're saying but Timmons is the one consistent and constant player on this defense. He may not create the splash plays anymore but having a steady vet influence counts for something. $15M worth?? IDK, maybe ask him for a major haircut to stay.

We can't ask Shazier to take a major haircut, since he has no hair.

[fordfixer]

We can't ask Shazier to take a major haircut, since he has no hair.

That's just cold making fun of a mans disability

[Slapstick]

Now a QB playing badly who led a team with a great defense to a SB?

[Slapstick]

Pedestrian is not the same as poorly...

For example, in 4 playoff games with Baltimore, Dilfer threw only 1 INT vs. 3 TDs...at 8.1 YpA...