AB Problems, Steelers' Underachieving Because of Team Culture

[Northern_Blitz]

Nice chunk of research NB. And for those saying Payton had better control of the locker room, you're forgetting bounty gate.

Thanks North
Re Locker room stuff.

I'd probably argue that them having the same results means:
1) they have similar control of the locker room
2) Tomlin is better at something else that makes up for having less control of the room
3) Tomlin is worse in the room, not better at anything else, and being good with the room has no significant impact on wins

[Disco1981]

I didnt realize we were arguing with each other lol..

You thought right

[fordfixer]

https://www.steelers.com/video/pouncey-on-ab-time-heals-everything

[Ernie]

This has always been my point about Tomlin.

He makes mistakes with time management (often ones that seem obvious at home).

But I think all NFL coaches make these mistakes.

So, I don't think replacing Tomlin won't get rid of this issue.

But if he continued to resist having a guy to advise on clock management (and replays to a lesser extent) I'd let him go.

It seems like such an easy way to improve decision making (where Tomlin would still have final say). And it's something we can do without impacting the cap.

Seems like such a no brainer.

the glaring issue I see with Tomlin right now is his not having control of his locker room. The pro Tomlin guys will argue against it until the cows come home. Weve all seen the evidence though.

[Northern_Blitz]

the glaring issue I see with Tomlin right now is his not having control of his locker room. The pro Tomlin guys will argue against it until the cows come home. Weve all seen the evidence though.

I think that this makes sense.

Tomlin certainly should shoulder some of the responsibility for the locker room, but without knowing what went on inside I don't think we can know how much. I'm a believer that most of it should fall on AB (and the rest on Tomlin and Ben).

Was Phil Jackson a bad coach when Shaq and Kobe were feuding? Or did he do a good job holding them together for as long as he did? I don't know the answer.

I think the AB situation is bad and there seems to be something going on between Ben and Brown. Maybe Tomlin could have nipped it in the bud, but maybe coming down harder on AB earlier would have led to an earlier blow up. I don't know.

I don't think Bell was a locker room issue, just a guy who desperately wanted to test UFA despite (1) the CBA not allowing him to and (2) him having a very lucrative (but likely below market value) offer from the Steelers.

The Harrison situation was handled poorly. I think he should have (1) given him more reps and (2) not cut him even if he was being a jackass in meetings.

I also think he handled Blount poorly. I think that has been the biggest personnel issue under Tomlin's tenure. Not giving him reps led to him pouting his way off the team. It strengthened the team we lost to in the AFCC at a time we were weakened because we didn't have depth at RB (because Blount left). Who knows if that cost us a trip to the SB, but it certainly made our odds worse.

[Ernie]

good post blitz... many good questions to ponder

[SteelerOfDeVille]

good post blitz... many good questions to ponder

agreed... very much so

[Steel Maniac]

I think that this makes sense.

Tomlin certainly should shoulder some of the responsibility for the locker room, but without knowing what went on inside I don't think we can know how much. I'm a believer that most of it should fall on AB (and the rest on Tomlin and Ben).

Was Phil Jackson a bad coach when Shaq and Kobe were feuding? Or did he do a good job holding them together for as long as he did? I don't know the answer.

I think the AB situation is bad and there seems to be something going on between Ben and Brown. Maybe Tomlin could have nipped it in the bud, but maybe coming down harder on AB earlier would have led to an earlier blow up. I don't know.

I don't think Bell was a locker room issue, just a guy who desperately wanted to test UFA despite (1) the CBA not allowing him to and (2) him having a very lucrative (but likely below market value) offer from the Steelers.

The Harrison situation was handled poorly. I think he should have (1) given him more reps and (2) not cut him even if he was being a jackass in meetings.

I also think he handled Blount poorly. I think that has been the biggest personnel issue under Tomlin's tenure. Not giving him reps led to him pouting his way off the team. It strengthened the team we lost to in the AFCC at a time we were weakened because we didn't have depth at RB (because Blount left). Who knows if that cost us a trip to the SB, but it certainly made our odds worse.

I really hate the way the Harrison situation went down. I think that went a long way in the players eyes because Harrison was looked up to by a lot of players before it went down the way it did. Tomlin really showed weakness in how he handled that.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

JuJu Smith-Schuster said he's reached out to Antonio Brown, hasn't spoken to him yet but points out everyone's on vacation so communication is minimal. He said "no doubt" he expects to talk to him at some point. Doesn't want him traded because he makes the Steelers better.

1d




Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Steelwrs Center Maurkice Pouncey said from the Pro Bowl that he believed team can work out issues with Antonio Brown, compares Brown and Ben Roethlisberger to two brothers in a dispute. "Time heals everything," said Pouncey, who disputes Brown threw a football at anyone.

1d

[Ernie]

in some ways AB makes us better... and in some ways he makes us worse. I'm not sure if it's a "Net positive" at this point in time.. Quitting on your teammates with the season on the line... is something players never usually recover from.... and then to mock your coach as he and Harrison supposedly did... well, if true that's pretty much unheard of IMO

[Buzz]

I think the AB situation is bad and there seems to be something going on between Ben and Brown.

There has been lots of stuff out in the media that tries to blame Ben for the antics AB pulled the last week of the season. But the more that comes out from folks who were actually there, the less justification there is for that position. Pouncey recently said there was no "blow up" between Ben and AB at that walkthrough -- certainly no football thrown at another player, etc. The fact that AB is still not returning calls from teammates and management, and also that he has not yet offered any credible reason for what he did, lead me to believe that the whole fiasco was probably the result of that MVP vote. He felt he'd been slighted by his teammates, so he quit on them.

Doesn't mean it's a good idea for Ben to call out teammates in the media, but the more I learn, I don't think there was anything especially "going on between Ben and Brown." I think that stuff was manufactured by the Ben haters and the media looking for click bait.

[NorthCoast]

Cowherd today claiming Steelers receiving little interest for AB.

AB may be a tougher sell than many expect.

[Northern_Blitz]

There has been lots of stuff out in the media that tries to blame Ben for the antics AB pulled the last week of the season. But the more that comes out from folks who were actually there, the less justification there is for that position. Pouncey recently said there was no "blow up" between Ben and AB at that walkthrough -- certainly no football thrown at another player, etc. The fact that AB is still not returning calls from teammates and management, and also that he has not yet offered any credible reason for what he did, lead me to believe that the whole fiasco was probably the result of that MVP vote. He felt he'd been slighted by his teammates, so he quit on them.

Doesn't mean it's a good idea for Ben to call out teammates in the media, but the more I learn, I don't think there was anything especially "going on between Ben and Brown." I think that stuff was manufactured by the Ben haters and the media looking for click bait.

I hope that you're right and it's just AB being AB. I think that would make it easier for him to come back vs. him having a big issue with Ben.

[pittpete]

IMO this isnt H.S. football
There are $$million$ of reasons why i think most of AB's teammates could accept him in the locker again.
Like Pouncey said, 'time heals all wounds'

[RuthlessBurgher]

Maurkice Pouncey, JuJu Smith-Schuster show support for Antonio Brown from Pro Bowl

8:41 AM ET

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are supporting Antonio Brown from the Pro Bowl.

Center and captain Maurkice Pouncey said he believes the team can work out its issues with Brown, while receiving mate JuJu Smith-Schuster stressed he doesn't want Brown traded.

The Steelers are shopping Brown after the All-Pro receiver did not show up for the season's final Saturday walk-through and cut off contact with the organization.

"We're a band of brothers. We've been together a long time," Pouncey said. "You can't tell me a great phone conversation or a sit-down can't get things right."

Pouncey compared Brown's relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to brothers who occasionally have a dispute but find ways to make up. Pouncey also disputed a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report that Brown threw a football at somebody during the Wednesday walk-through in Week 17. "It didn't happen," he said.

Brown became upset and left the walk-through after Roethlisberger wanted to run a hot read again and the team put somebody else in the lineup, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter, who also reported that Roethlisberger and Brown talked afterward and that Brown felt underappreciated by some in the organization.

Pouncey believes that time can heal issues and every star player he has been around has had an edge to him, an "it" factor.

"The simple fact it's two Hall of Fame players, there's a reason it's being brought up so much," Pouncey said about Brown and Roethlisberger. "Rightfully so. I agree everyone has opinions and everybody can talk about things.

"But I honestly think, and I've been playing football a long time, things will get worked out. They are the best duo in Steeler history. If you don't want to talk to two Hall of Famers who have played with each other and did so much together, I just don't understand what 'team' is anymore."

Smith-Schuster, who replaced Brown in the Pro Bowl due to injury, said he has reached out to Brown and hasn't heard back but stressed that players are vacationing this time of year and contact is minimal. He "no doubt" expects to chat with Brown soon, he said.

Smith-Schuster won the Steelers' MVP award, as voted on by teammates, after recording a team-high 111 catches and 1,426 yards.

"He helps out the team a lot -- not only myself, he makes the team better," Smith-Schuster said about why he doesn't want Brown traded. "Obviously I don't control the situation, but if I could, I wouldn't like for that to happen."

Asked about the source of Brown's frustration, Smith-Schuster said he's focused on himself.

Brown has an NFL-record six straight 100-catch seasons and led the league with 15 receiving touchdowns in 2018. During the season, several coaches and players stressed that Brown's ability to draw double-teams from defenses helps unlock the offense for other playmakers.

But tension seemed to be building throughout the season. Brown had a flare-up on the sideline in a loss to Kansas City in Week 2, and the next day, he tweeted "trade me let's find out" to a former Steelers employee who floated the notion that Brown should thank Roethlisberger for his production. Coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged after the season that there might come a point when Brown's antics outweigh his positives.

Pouncey said issues inside NFL locker rooms boil over when a team loses. The Steelers finished 9-6-1, losing four of their last six games to fall out of the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

"We've got a lot of great players on this team. We should be in the playoffs playing," Pouncey said. "I honestly think we should be still playing right now. For reporters that have been following this team a long time, for the fans who have been following a long time, I get it that it's disappointing, trust me. It's disappointing to us. We all want it. Whenever things like that happen, sometimes you can overlook some of the bad things that have happened over the years. When you're winning, everything's great."

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25833485/pittsburgh-steelers-support-antonio-brown-pro-bowl