I'm Not Convinced...

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

There's a difference between a game that makes a difference for the playoffs and a "meaningless" game.

If Tomlin thought the game was meaningless he would have sat a whole lot more people to protect them from injury than he did.

[Oviedo]

There's a difference between a game that makes a difference for the playoffs and a "meaningless" game.

If Tomlin thought the game was meaningless he would have sat a whole lot more people to protect them from injury than he did.

Not true and he addressed this in his press conference after the game. You can only dress so many on game day and are limited in your flexibility by the number of roster spots you have allocated to different position groups. There is no way you could have gotten everyone off the field you wanted and have 11 viable players on both sides of the ball plus rotating in subs.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Not true and he addressed this in his press conference after the game. You can only dress so many on game day and are limited in your flexibility by the number of roster spots you have allocated to different position groups. There is no way you could have gotten everyone off the field you wanted and have 11 viable players on both sides of the ball plus rotating in subs.

Well, I didn't say everyone, did I? How many people on the D did he put in street clothes?

You wouldn't have a link to the pc handy, would you? Thanks!

[Oviedo]

Well, I didn't say everyone, did I? How many people on the D did he put in street clothes?

You wouldn't have a link to the pc handy, would you? Thanks!

can't find it now, but will look

[BradshawsHairdresser]

There's a difference between a game that makes a difference for the playoffs and a "meaningless" game.

If Tomlin thought the game was meaningless he would have sat a whole lot more people to protect them from injury than he did.

$$$$$$$$
He could have sat Shazier and Timmons and Mitchell on D, but he didn't. Backups like Chickillo, V. Williams and Matakevich saw little, if any, action on D. Curious approach for a HC to take if he truly thought the game to be totally meaningless.

[Slapstick]

Maybe Shazier and Timmons really wanted to stay in...maybe Tomlin indulged them because he couldn't deactivate them...

[feltdizz]

Maybe Shazier and Timmons really wanted to stay in...maybe Tomlin indulged them because he couldn't deactivate them...

Maybe Shazier is well rested from all the games he missed these last 2 years.

[Starlifter]

Good thing the browns won last week. It would have been unfortunate for the Steelers to be the last team between them and a winless season - and all the ensuing pressure that would have put on our team. We sure dodged a bullet there!

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Maybe Shazier and Timmons really wanted to stay in...maybe Tomlin indulged them because he couldn't deactivate them...

I'm sure that's it ... V. Williams and Matakevich didn't want to play, and they didn't need the in-game experience as much as Shazier and Timmons did.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Maybe Shazier is well rested from all the games he missed these last 2 years.

These past 2 years, his history is that he gets hurt often. Guess Tomlin must've forgot that in deciding to play him nearly every snap in an entirely "meaningless" game.

[Slapstick]

Again, if the game really meant something, why did Roethlisberger, Brown, Bell, and Pouncey sit? You can't deactivate everybody...

If Timmons and Shazier wouldn't give up their helmets and they weren't inactive, what would you have done, coach?

[Steelerphile]

The negativity the fans express never ceases to appall me. The game wasn't meaningless. You want to win every game, but it wasn't a must win. They have a winning streak to keep going, and some momentum. It's a real game, not a preseason game. If Shazier is healthy why shouldn't he play. Maybe he is overcoming his initial tendency to get dinged, just like Timmons, who got hurt early in his career and since then has been on an iron man streak.

Instead of crying they didn't get a blow-out, I celebrate they were able to make enough plays to stay in it and come back to win. They have a 7-game win streak, hottest team in the NFL. I think that is something to be glad of. I guess I'm different from a lot of fans. I appreciate that the talent is spread out very evenly in the NFL and don't whine over not winning every game by blowouts. Every team has good players.

Right now Belichick and NE have something special, but Tomlin and the Steelers have something really good. I am a Steelers fan; so, I am excited about the opportunity of making the playoffs and having a good chance, instead of being pouty they are not the Patriots.

The game wasn't meaningless but the intensity will increase a lot for the playoffs.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Again, if the game really meant something, why did Roethlisberger, Brown, Bell, and Pouncey sit? You can't deactivate everybody...

You can't deactivate everyone, but you can sure as heck play your backups rather than your starters where possible.

If Timmons and Shazier wouldn't give up their helmets and they weren't inactive, what would you have done, coach?

If players won't sit when their HC tells them to, then you've got some REALLY big problems. But I don't think anyone besides you is suggesting that Timmons and Shazier were out there because they were refusing their coach's orders to sit.

[feltdizz]

The negativity the fans express never ceases to appall me. The game wasn't meaningless. You want to win every game, but it wasn't a must win. They have a winning streak to keep going, and some momentum. It's a real game, not a preseason game. If Shazier is healthy why shouldn't he play. Maybe he is overcoming his initial tendency to get dinged, just like Timmons, who got hurt early in his career and since then has been on an iron man streak.

Instead of crying they didn't get a blow-out, I celebrate they were able to make enough plays to stay in it and come back to win. They have a 7-game win streak, hottest team in the NFL. I think that is something to be glad of. I guess I'm different from a lot of fans. I appreciate that the talent is spread out very evenly in the NFL and don't whine over not winning every game by blowouts. Every team has good players.

Right now Belichick and NE have something special, but Tomlin and the Steelers have something really good. I am a Steelers fan; so, I am excited about the opportunity of making the playoffs and having a good chance, instead of being pouty they are not the Patriots.

The game wasn't meaningless but the intensity will increase a lot for the playoffs.

We have a lot of Steeler Dads on here.

[Starlifter]

I know there are a lot of arm chair coaches on this board. Maybe one of them could break down the Steelers 53 man roster and tell me who the starting 22 should have been. I mean, we probably have 8 LB's activated for every game so it would make sense to sit the starting 4. Same thing with the O-line. 5 starters and we probably dress like 12. So that's easy math.