Fitzgerald Toussaint "inconsolable" after Steelers loss

[MCHammer]

the fumble was just another play in a game of missed opportunities. the fumble didn't mean the defense had to give up a 65 yard drive for a TD. nor did it mean they should allow the 2 point conversion as well. it didn't mean the steelers offense should fail to get a first down let alone a TD when needing it to tie the game. the fumble wasn't the reason we punted instead of kicking a 50 yard field goal a mile high up in altitude. it also wasn't the reason we decided not to challenge the denver defense when we were deep in our zone and ran 3 runs up the gut only to shank another punt and give them another short field.

although I understand for some simple minded folks - it's easy to blame that ONE play. one is the simplest of numbers......

Exactly right. You can add the decision to go for it on 4 and 1 at the Broncos 30 yard line during the second possession by throwing deep. The correct call is to either 1) kick the FG or 2) call a play designed to pick up a first down, rather than a TD.

Going deep is a low percentage play (yes, even when the Steelers do it). Sometimes playing sound football "by the book" makes sense. Lots of blown opportunities in this game. Touissant's fumble is just 1 of them.

[Bluto]

Exactly right. You can add the decision to go for it on 4 and 1 at the Broncos 30 yard line during the second possession by throwing deep. The correct call is to either 1) kick the FG or 2) call a play designed to pick up a first down, rather than a TD.

Going deep is a low percentage play (yes, even when the Steelers do it). Sometimes playing sound football "by the book" makes sense. Lots of blown opportunities in this game. Touissant's fumble is just 1 of them.

Heath was wide open on that play for an easy first down. he should have checked it down. He probably gets an easy 10 t0 12 yards. That is the throw Brady makes and keeps drive alive. Ben I love his confidence but he needs to play a bit more patient..

[Chucktownsteeler]

he should be. he lost the game.

Bullsh!t, he fumbled at around the 9 or 10 minute mark of the 4th quarter. The defense could have stopped the Broncos and forced the punt but they allowed a 65 plus yard drive. It's not Fitz's fault.

[feltdizz]

Exactly right. You can add the decision to go for it on 4 and 1 at the Broncos 30 yard line during the second possession by throwing deep. The correct call is to either 1) kick the FG or 2) call a play designed to pick up a first down, rather than a TD.

Going deep is a low percentage play (yes, even when the Steelers do it). Sometimes playing sound football "by the book" makes sense. Lots of blown opportunities in this game. Touissant's fumble is just 1 of them.

The problem is Ben isnt a fan of short passes... he will always go for the homerun and its something we have to deal with for the rest of his career.

[NorthCoast]

We didn't have the more talented team...with AB, perhaps we do...

So the Steelers needed the #1 WR in the NFL to beat a Denver team with a weak-armed QB and no running game but NE can beat pretty much anyone with not a single #1 draft pick on offense??? How is this possible?

Sorry, not buying what you are selling.

[RobinCole]

Where a player is drafted does not indicate his talent. Both Brown and Brady were 6th-round picks. Limas Sweed was a 2nd-round pick. I could name a hundred more examples. The draft is just a calculated guess. Because of injuries, we were not the more talented team on Sunday night. Bell or even DW could have made a huge difference in the running game and that's just one position. Brown would definitely have been better at returning punts than Wheaton. Whereas Denver was relatively healthy.

[NorthCoast]

Where a player is drafted does not indicate his talent. Both Brown and Brady were 6th-round picks. Limas Sweed was a 2nd-round pick. I could name a hundred more examples. The draft is just a calculated guess. Because of injuries, we were not the more talented team on Sunday night. Bell or even DW could have made a huge difference in the running game and that's just one position. Brown would definitely have been better at returning punts than Wheaton. Whereas Denver was relatively healthy.

Your statement is just not true. I was just looking at draft analysis going back 10 yrs. Draft position and success in the NFL are very much correlated. In fact, you can break it down by position to show the probability of NFL success for example of drafting a CB at #10 vs #41. Did you know drafting a CB after round 2 has just slightly better than 50/50 chance of success in the NFL?

What I found very fascinating is that WR ranks one of the most risky positions to draft and this seems to be where the Steelers have a knack. That tells me the Steeler scouts know something other teams haven't figure out because they have found WR success throughout the draft.

The least risky (best chance of success in the NFL)? Offensive linemen. That suggests most teams know exactly what it takes for an OL to be successful and those selections stick more often than any other position.

There is a whole lot of other information about what positions a team should select based on draft position, again statistics over 10 yrs of players in the NFL.

The Steelers select what, #26 in the upcoming draft? It might surprise you what position is least risky (highest chance of success in the NFL).

[DukieBoy]

I suspect this team will really around Fitz, console him, and make him feel like a brother. And that as a result, the entire team will come away stronger.

I feel bad for the kid.

(I must be getting old!)

X2 The getting old part, too ... I'm right with you there.

[Slapstick]

So the Steelers needed the #1 WR in the NFL to beat a Denver team with a weak-armed QB and no running game but NE can beat pretty much anyone with not a single #1 draft pick on offense??? How is this possible?

Sorry, not buying what you are selling.

What do #1 picks have to do with it? Brown wasn't a #1 pick...neither was Brady.

What the Steelers did not have was their leading receiver. Nor did they have their leading rusher. I'm not selling anything and could not possibly care less what you buy...

[feltdizz]

So the Steelers needed the #1 WR in the NFL to beat a Denver team with a weak-armed QB and no running game but NE can beat pretty much anyone with not a single #1 draft pick on offense??? How is this possible?

Sorry, not buying what you are selling.

It's possible because Brady rarely throws long passes on 3rd and short when a TE or RB is wide open underneath...

but Brady is also 2-6 in Denver so....

[Shoe]

but Brady is also 2-6 in Denver so....

That's interesting... I wonder what that can be attributed to (after all, DEN hasn't been a particular powerhouse during Brady*'s tenure).

[feltdizz]

That's interesting... I wonder what that can be attributed to (after all, DEN hasn't been a particular powerhouse during Brady*'s tenure).

Mile high air?

[Captain Lemming]

The problem is Ben isnt a fan of short passes... he will always go for the homerun and its something we have to deal with for the rest of his career.

Actually, this is what makes Bell missed even more than the ability to run.
He does so much after the catch Ben began to LOOK for him and forced it less often.

As well as Deangelo played, Bell as a receiver was something special and Ben is much better with him.

[RobinCole]

OK, NorthCoast, I should have said that where a player is drafted does not NECESSARILY indicate his talent. I trust you will not dispute that. Of course first-round picks ( especially the top ten picks) have a higher success rate than seventh-rounders. But need I remind you that Ryan Leaf was a first-round pick and is just one of many QBs chosen in the first round who flopped. Gino Torreta. Johnny Football.

Tony Mandarich was a first-round pick. Jamaine Stephens was. Again I could name hundreds but do you really want to see them? I say again, the Steeler team that took the field against Denver Sunday night was not the more talented team.

[Oviedo]

What do #1 picks have to do with it? Brown wasn't a #1 pick...neither was Brady.

What the Steelers did not have was their leading receiver. Nor did they have their leading rusher. I'm not selling anything and could not possibly care less what you buy...

Picking high in each round is a huge benefit. Just look at the Bumgals. They are the team they are because of constantly having high draft picks to the point even they couldn't screw it up forever.