F'n DEFENSE all over the field. Holy cow!

[Mr.wizard]

Maybe you should talk to the staff, where that notion first originated.

Ok, let me get them on the phone.....

I don't see anyone calling him out over toughness, what I do see is a hard nose linebacker throwing his body around the field and sticking his helmet in there on every play, that doesn't look like somebody who is a stranger to pain. If you get to this level of football, you know how to play through pain. When you are injured it's not a matter of pain tolerance, it's a matter of you being able to perform job effectively, what good is a Ryan Shazier on a bad MCL, what good is he with a bad shoulder and can't tackle?

[RobinCole]

Just curious. Who are these staff members and players who have questioned Shazier's ability to play through pain? I don't read every blog and article about the Steelers so perhaps I missed their names. Besides which, I agree with Wizard. The real issue is how effective a player can be when playing while injured. I don't care if he can play with pain; I care if he can play well. If he's limping around he's most likely hurting the team. I award him no points for gutting it out.

[Shoe]

Gronkowski has not played a full 16-game season since 2011. He will not this year either. So, what's his problem? Too small to play TE? Don't think so. Can't play with pain? Never heard anyone say or even hint at that. Or is he just "brittle"? Haven't heard that either. As Wizard says, maybe he just gets injured.

You're joking right? How about a little context. Yes, Gronkowski has missed chunks of three seasons: back surgery, ACL reconstruction, and ankle surgery. Every other season, he's strapped up every game. Last year, he got carted off the field in Denver with a knee injury--he missed one game.

I make the point again: I like Shazier and want him to do well. But imagine Shazier gets carted off with the same injury as Gronk (carted off) today in Cincinnati: Who among us thinks he is the type to strap it up for Week 17?

[feltdizz]

You're joking right? How about a little context. Yes, Gronkowski has missed chunks of three seasons: back surgery, ACL reconstruction, and ankle surgery. Every other season, he's strapped up every game. Last year, he got carted off the field in Denver with a knee injury--he missed one game.

I make the point again: I like Shazier and want him to do well. But imagine Shazier gets carted off with the same injury as Gronk (carted off) today in Cincinnati: Who among us thinks he is the type to strap it up for Week 17?

Seems like Gronk gets injured A LOT.

Gronk responsibilities are completely different from Shazier's. Gronks job is to catch passes, avoid defenders and block every so often.

Shaziers job is to take on OL, tackle RB's and react which is damn near impossible to do when injured.

Players on offense know where they are going so they can play with a gimpy ankle for 20 plays a game and hopefully catch 3 or 4 passes. You cant trot out a gimpy defender and expect them to chase guys around or wrap up a player if they have an injured shoulder/arm.

[Shoe]

Seems like Gronk gets injured A LOT.

Gronk responsibilities are completely different from Shazier's. Gronks job is to catch passes, avoid defenders and block every so often.

Shaziers job is to take on OL, tackle RB's and react which is damn near impossible to do when injured.

Players on offense know where they are going so they can play with a gimpy ankle for 20 plays a game and hopefully catch 3 or 4 passes. You cant trot out a gimpy defender and expect them to chase guys around or wrap up a player if they have an injured shoulder/arm.

Seems like he gets injured a lot--because he does get injured a lot. But he doesn't miss action unless its bad enough to require surgery. All those games that Cole was referencing (that Gronk has missed) are season-ending... that has nothing to do with being tough or not.

And yet again, Im saying that I'm rooting for Shazier. But I'm not going to pretend just because I like him. If Shazier was on the Ravens, would we be calling him an injury-prone? I think we would.

[RobinCole]

Repeat: Gronkowski has not played a full 16 game season since 2011. And will not this year again. This speculation about whether Shazier would miss more games than Gronk for the same injury is utter nonsense. For one thing, the chances of two players having precisely the same injury and precisely the same damage from it are slim to none.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

So encouraging to see the Steelers' defense rounding into form. The way they stepped it up in the second half vs. the Bumgals, the improving play of the youngsters ... it's exciting to see them coming on like this late in the season.

[Shawn]

Just curious. Who are these staff members and players who have questioned Shazier's ability to play through pain? I don't read every blog and article about the Steelers so perhaps I missed their names. Besides which, I agree with Wizard. The real issue is how effective a player can be when playing while injured. I don't care if he can play with pain; I care if he can play well. If he's limping around he's most likely hurting the team. I award him no points for gutting it out.

I read a quote I believe by Tomlin and Vince Williams...so the coach was needling him and also a teammate. The quotes I believe were put out there to motivate him. But, they centered around the idea that Shazier was having a hard time playing through pain. Knowing the difference between being injured and in pain...and being able to play through pain. I didn't just make it up or pull it out of thin air.