Ben calling out coaches and teammates

[Eich]

First it was about practices that were too physical, leading to injuries. Now it's for lack of accountability, urgency:

http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_ben_roethlisberger_concerned_about_lack_of_ urgency_from_teammates/s1_127_22405033

Is there friction between Ben and Tomlin? Haley? Is this just Ben being frustrated or is there more to it?

[BradshawsHairdresser]

It's good that Ben sees the problem of the younger players' lack of urgency and accountability, and is trying to get the team to take steps to rectify it. But as Head Coach, shouldn't Tomlin have been taking the lead in addressing this?

[Steelhere10]

He's played a month of stinking football and after his first good game of being the lowest rated QB since week 6, he really don't have room to call out anyone.

[papillon]

There are, in all likelihood, a few things at play here:

1) Ben's days of playing at a level good enough to win a Super Bowl are limited
2) All of the unnecessary suspensions (Bryant, Bell, not sure if anyone else) are not helpful
3) I would think Ben is directing his "younger players" comments at the defense because the offense by and large is a veteran group led by him.

Without access to practices its difficult to assess what may be going on there but if you look at the defensive product on the field I think you get a picture of what may be happening on the practice field. Too many football fundamentals are affecting the defense, guessing rather than playing your responsibility, poor tackling, poor decision making (if you're a single high safety and you have the choice to help on Bryant or Beasley, I would think Bryant would be the better choice.), bad angles (see the screen pass for TD, at least two Steelers took poor angles on Elliot and IMO, a lack physicality (the front 7 are getting moved off the ball too easily).

Much of this has to do with the youth movement and some lackluster draftees on defense. I think we are ll getting a real good picture as to why Dick Lebeau (I'm sorry) was hesitant to use rookies on defense. There was a lot of complaining about using the vets rather than infusing youth and now we're seeing some of the reasons for the reluctance of a DC to insert youth. Of course, there are exceptions to this but by and large using too many rookies and even 2nd year players will get you missed assignments, poor tackling, and lack of a sound defensive scheme.

Pappy

[RuthlessBurgher]

There are, in all likelihood, a few things at play here:

1) Ben's days of playing at a level good enough to win a Super Bowl are limited
2) All of the unnecessary suspensions (Bryant, Bell, not sure if anyone else) are not helpful
3) I would think Ben is directing his "younger players" comments at the defense because the offense by and large is a veteran group led by him.

Without access to practices its difficult to assess what may be going on there but if you look at the defensive product on the field I think you get a picture of what may be happening on the practice field. Too many football fundamentals are affecting the defense, guessing rather than playing your responsibility, poor tackling, poor decision making (if you're a single high safety and you have the choice to help on Bryant or Beasley, I would think Bryant would be the better choice.), bad angles (see the screen pass for TD, at least two Steelers took poor angles on Elliot and IMO, a lack physicality (the front 7 are getting moved off the ball too easily).

Much of this has to do with the youth movement and some lackluster draftees on defense. I think we are ll getting a real good picture as to why Dick Lebeau (I'm sorry) was hesitant to use rookies on defense. There was a lot of complaining about using the vets rather than infusing youth and now we're seeing some of the reasons for the reluctance of a DC to insert youth. Of course, there are exceptions to this but by and large using too many rookies and even 2nd year players will get you missed assignments, poor tackling, and lack of a sound defensive scheme.

Pappy

Pappy...c'mon, man...rational analysis after a loss? Don't you know it's much easier just to say Tomlin sucks, Butler sucks, Haley sucks, etc.?

[Eich]

Pappy...c'mon, man...rational analysis after a loss? Don't you know it's much easier just to say Tomlin sucks, Butler sucks, Haley sucks, etc.?

No one has said that (yet) in this thread.

But Ben is clearly wanting Tomlin to do something different. First indirectly calling him out on the overly-physical practices. And now on accountability for the younger players.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Sucking while playing rookies and 2nd year players at least has the benefit of getting them valuable on the field experience they can use to improve. Keeping them on the bench doesn't.


We've lost a bunch of games in a row, some to horrible teams, and yesterday with a complete collapse of the defence (on the last drive - 2 facemask penalties, and can't prevent 2 touchdowns with less than 2 minutes to go). One playoff win since 2010.

Surely somebody is accountable? Or not?

[SteelCrazy]

Pappy...c'mon, man...rational analysis after a loss? Don't you know it's much easier just to say Tomlin sucks, Butler sucks, Haley sucks, etc.?

Hey die hard homer, how do you think all these problems came about? Someone is to blame, who the hell is it, super answers man?

[Steelhere10]

The last couple of weeks it's been Ben, sprinkle in some Haley, Tomlin and Butler or the OL take your pick they all share blame.

[squidkid]

wow. not too hard to figure out that tomlin isnt cutting it.
ben rips him a couple times
bell tels us how practices are a joke.


it should be quite clear buy now that tomlin has never really had any control of this team. cowhers players, cowhers coaches. then rooney fired and hired the next OC and DC

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Hey die hard homer, how do you think all these problems came about? Someone is to blame, who the hell is it, super answers man?

why does everyone like to point fingers in today's world instead of just fixing shi. err.. stuff? "I don't care how we got here, let's talk solution", should be the actual response.

[feltdizz]

Gilbert needs to tell Ben to stop whining.

Whats up with Ben not keeping things in the locker room?

He finally plays well and the D stink it up and now he wants to air out the young guys?

Not good.

[fordfixer]

He's played a month of stinking football and after his first good game of being the lowest rated QB since week 6, he really don't have room to call out anyone.

How many quarters or "good football have you played in the last month. Just to ask who does have room to call them out, He has more room than any of us but yet we do it more than anyone.

[squidkid]

Gilbert needs to tell Ben to stop whining.

Whats up with Ben not keeping things in the locker room?

He finally plays well and the D stink it up and now he wants to air out the young guys?

Not good.

maybe he is tired of keeping it in the locker room and wants to pressure tomlin into doing something about it.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Hey die hard homer, how do you think all these problems came about? Someone is to blame, who the hell is it, super answers man?

Why do we always have to assign blame to someone? Two teams play, one wins and one loses. Our team competed, their team competed, and it was quite the spectacle to watch. We played a hell of a game against a hell of a team.

It's not as if Prescott and Elliott are total green rookies who shredded us but are below average against everyone else. Dallas hasn't lost a game in 2 whole months. Dak is completing two thirds of his passes and has a 14-2 TD-to-INT ratio. Zeke is the first player in the NFL this season to rush for over 1000, and he has Eric Dickerson's rookie record firmly within his sights. That Dallas o-line is the best in the league, and there isn't a close second.

And yet, one short week after our offense had as pathetic a performance in my recent memory, we managed to stay with them all game long, punch for counterpunch.

When I was walking out of the stadium yesterday, I was ticked off that we blew it at the end...there are no moral victories in this bottom line business. But I certainly was more hopeful about our prospects after this weekend's nailbiter than last weekend's embarrassment. I acknowledge that our defense is still really green, and I'm not necessarily shocked when really good offenses are able to put up big numbers against them (I actually think Dallas' offense could be more difficult to defend overall that New England's).

Also, as just a football fan in general, even though my team ultimately came out on the losing end, I was able to appreciate that game for being the true blow-for-blow battle that the NFL is striving to be (must have been somewhat like how Cards fans felt witnessing the crazy, wild spectacle that was SBXLIII, albeit with much less at stake on this given day).