To sum it up

[Jigawatts]

Ike has stone hands.

Colts got the bounces.

Ben is not elite.

Our running game sucks.

Colts made plays when they had to.

Steelers did not make plays when they had to.

Holmes is thinking about his next joint.

Gary Russell returning kicks.

1st down = run = no gain = second and 10 or more.

Max Starks cost us a huge 10 yards.

Dallas Baker the touchdown maker? Should have kept Reid.

[Ozey74]

Re: To sum it up

If Ike Taylor bounces Mannings first TD pass to the ground and we end up winning, were all happy. This is nothing more than a bad loss. We get em' next week.

[Jigawatts]

Re: To sum it up

It's one of those that we should have won. Just like the Giants game. I think I'd rather
see a blow out than watch my team lose a game that they should have won. If the game
is in the grasp, they have to do the thinkg to take it. Doing just enough to lose is
unacceptable.

[papillon]

Re: To sum it up

Ike has stone hands.

He may have stone hands, but, he was in good position all game long. I can live with the unfortunate bounce that cost the Steelers a TD as long as he can keep covering like he did tonight. He made some outstanding plays that no one is talking about.

Colts got the bounces.

Nothing you can do about that; can't expect that every week if youre playing the Steelers. It was just in the cards for the Colts today. Eh..

Ben is not elite.

I'm not sure that he isn't, he's having a bad stretch. He had moments of brilliance again and, unfortunately, he had moments of ineptitude. Isn't this what we always say about Ben?

Our running game sucks.

Difficult to argue this point. I will say this, a fullback could change that, IMHO.

Colts made plays when they had to.

Steelers did not make plays when they had to.

Holmes is thinking about his next joint.

Yea, he seemed to disappear today, but, on a positive note, Ward was very good today, except for one drop. Washington continues to be an enigma, he'll make plays and then disappear. I don't know if that's his inconsistent route running or Ben just not finding him. It would take tape review to determine that and that isn't happening.

Gary Russell returning kicks.

1st down = run = no gain = second and 10 or more.

Max Starks cost us a huge 10 yards.

Too many other screw ups all game long to give Max a hard time. He did a decent job against one of the premier pass rushers in the league; yea, he got beat some, but, he also worked his tail off to keep Freeney off of Ben. The stunt he ran late in the game looping all the way around from RDe to the left side just in time to tackle Ben as he tried running out of the pocket was a sick play.

Dallas Baker the touchdown maker? Should have kept Reid.

What were you expecting from a guy who rarely sees the field?

Pappy

[Jooser]

Re: To sum it up

Well, I guess I'm through ranting about Ben tonight. All I can say now that I've settled down is this. This team is missing that killer instinct that Cowher's teams usually had. Once those teams had you down by 10 points, you could usually chalk up a win for the Steelers. Instead, this current team seems to find ways to shoot themselves in the foot, aka Giants and Colts. We've got more weak links than we think, but overall I think the D was sufficient to win. I can't blame them for one of the TDs, though Deshea's holding call was a killer on that short drive at the end of the half. We didn't look that same without Woodley. He's definitely one we need to go every week. Oh, well, maybe we'll bounce back against the Chargers next week.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Re: To sum it up

I think I'd rather see a blow out than watch my team lose a game that they should have won.

I disagree here Jig. After every loss this year I have said "We lost this game, but I do not fear facing this team again. If we get blown out then there would be nothing positive to take into a possible rematch.

[blacknblue80s]

Re: To sum it up

One more observation: We missed Woodley almost as much as we missed Aaron Smith last year. Peyton was way too relaxed back there.

[kennyes]

Re: To sum it up

Yep, Woodley on defense and Big Money on offense.

[buckeyehoppy]

Re: To sum it up

One more observation: We missed Woodley almost as much as we missed Aaron Smith last year. Peyton was way too relaxed back there.

Peyton had all day to do what was needed. When you have a QB of his caliber, you don't let him get away with mistakes...and he got away with at least a handful all day when the Steelers D couldn't come up with the ball.

[AngryAsian]

Re: To sum it up

Our pass rush was very poor, and very uncharacteristic of what we've produced out there in recent games. We'll shake off this loss, but there are some things on this team that we can't shake off as quick. I think the plays we engineer from the git have been very poor in design, so thus execution will lead to poor yardage yields and/or injuries of players. I think Ben tries to do too much with the limited plays he's given. No consistency is what his legacy keeps yielding. They keep making Eli and Ben comparisons.... Ben keeps going up and down in performance and decision making capabilities while Eli keeps the assent slow, steady with upward mobility. I think we are exactly like the Giants.... with the exception that the G-men have great offensive play calling and a QB who doesn't try to do it all.

[Oviedo]

Re: To sum it up

Observations:

1. The Colts got a couple lucky bounces. That made all the difference.
2. Troy missed a sure Interception that he likely would have returned for a TD.
3. Ben just isn't Ben.
4. We really miss Mendenhall. You can't not have BOTH Mendenhall and FWP out and still expect an elite running game.

Good things:

1. Short passing game works. Ben is better than holding the ball.
2. Manning really did nothing except for the lucky bounces
3. We are still 6-3, about where most of us thought we would be about now. 10-6 or 11-5 are a real likelihood.

[stlrz d]

Re: To sum it up

Observations:

1. The Colts got a couple lucky bounces. That made all the difference.
2. Troy missed a sure Interception that he likely would have returned for a TD.
3. Ben just isn't Ben.
4. We really miss Mendenhall. You can't not have BOTH Mendenhall and FWP out and still expect an elite running game.

Good things:

1. Short passing game works. Ben is better than holding the ball.
2. Manning really did nothing except for the lucky bounces
3. We are still 6-3, about where most of us thought we would be about now. 10-6 or 11-5 are a real likelihood.

This!!!

[MeetJoeGreene]

Re: To sum it up

All three of their TDs were gifts. Ike tried to catch an INT instead of batting it. The other 2 were short, short fields based on INTs thrown by Ben.

This was a game we should have, should have, should have won.

I am still in shock.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: To sum it up

Our pass rush was very poor, and very uncharacteristic of what we've produced out there in recent games. We'll shake off this loss, but there are some things on this team that we can't shake off as quick. I think the plays we engineer from the git have been very poor in design, so thus execution will lead to poor yardage yields and/or injuries of players. I think Ben tries to do too much with the limited plays he's given. No consistency is what his legacy keeps yielding. They keep making Eli and Ben comparisons.... Ben keeps going up and down in performance and decision making capabilities while Eli keeps the assent slow, steady with upward mobility. I think we are exactly like the Giants.... with the exception that the G-men have great offensive play calling and a QB who doesn't try to do it all.

Great points all, I would just add that watching the Giants it looks like Eli has a 10 yard force field around him all the time. His O-line seems completely awesome, whereas ours can barely be called that.

Ben's force field is about 6 inches shorter than the average wingspan of a D lineman or safety.

[Ghost]

Re: To sum it up

I’m going to have to disagree on the “should have won”.

On Offense -

Ben threw two horrendous int’s. Just ridiculous. And he shouldn’t have been throwing on the first one. Run it and punt if you have to.

No running game.

1st and goal on the 4 or 5 and the Colts D stepped it up. That was huge by them to keep it to a FG that late in the game.

The last drive the colts D again played it perfectly.

Defense –

Dropped and tipped balls.

This is not a rip on the D as they’ve pulled the team’s bacon out of the fire all season – but last night they needed to hold the Colts to FG’s after the turnovers and couldn’t do it. And not sure why they stopped coming but Manning had insane amounts of time back there.

The colts had a couple of nice, long drives including the winning TD drive.

Coaching

3rd in 2 before the half – why are they throwing down field.
How can you not have 1 play in the entire playbook that you feel confident is a guaranteed 2 yards.
Why is Dallas Baker in the game on the last drive when he’s not played the entire season (was someone hurt?)
Why did they not blitz more?

Honestly – I think the Colts out played the Steelers. I think the Steelers could beat them if they played again but last night the better team, at least for the night, won the game.