SuperBowl or Bust - Now or Never

[Northern_Blitz]

This seems to be true. And now that defenses know there is little threat of a mid to long completion the QB has been found out. The coaches should have been on this. If Roethlisberger can't throw those routes, we better build a dominating run game or it's game over.

It is also very possible that they found out about this far too late to do anything about it. Remember, no training camp, no preseason.

I agree with you that there wasn't time to put in a new offense.

I also thought last year that we didn't have great rout combinations so MR didn't have much choices (or maybe he was just bad at making choices... Or both).

It feels hopeless, but I also don't think there's that much we need to do better. Seems like plays are there, but we're just not able to see them or the throw is inaccurate, or the WR drops it.

A comedy of errors this month.

[Northern_Blitz]

This is how I felt in 2018. When we went 13-3 and had a golden path to at least the AFC championship game where we were better than the pats that year. Or so I thought.

We couldn’t even handle the jags.. at home. Blake Bortles.

I agree that the Jags game was deflating.

Do you remember the 2002 AFCC or were you too young (the 2001 season) ?

That was probably the most dejected I ever felt after a playoff loss.

And it was the year that we created Tom Brady I think

1998 was a bad loss too. Also at home in the AFCC.

The O'Donnell SB was also pretty bad, but I think I've repressed that game. Same with the GB SB...like they never happened.

The Tim Tebow game.

[feltdizz]

I agree that the Jags game was deflating.

Do you remember the 2002 AFCC or were you too young (the 2001 season) ?

That was probably the most dejected I ever felt after a playoff loss.

And it was the year that we created Tom Brady I think

1998 was a bad loss too. Also at home in the AFCC.

The O'Donnell SB was also pretty bad, but I think I've repressed that game. Same with the GB SB...like they never happened.

The Tim Tebow game.

The Chargers loss is probably the worst for me. We were clearly the better team and made so many boneheaded mistakes.

Still not sure how anyone thought the Jags loss was shocking. We lost to them at home in the same year and Ben was a turnover machine in that game.

I think fans really told themselves the first loss was a fluke loss. I could see if we beat the snot out of them the first game.. but you can’t lose to a team twice AT HOME and continue to think you had the better squad.

[Steel Maniac]

Dunno, ...I guess they feel like their HOF QB would pull a rabbit out of his helmet at some point.

We’ll need a rabbit or two next week against the Colts.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

If you're gonna go 3 and out so many times, why not just run the ball every play to eat a little clock and preserve the D?

You will kill more clock, but you don't take up more actual time. Whether you run or pass you still have 40 seconds in between plays. If a team winds down the play clock there is still 40 real seconds then the punt. A 3 and out will give the D about 3 minutes of rest without a TV timeout.

[Eich]

There have been a lot of heart-breaking losses over the years. But in many of them, at least we were competitive. Right now, I feel like we can't even be competitive. With anyone. The first half of that Bungles game was a deeper level of inept than I thought possible.

1st Drive: 3 plays, 3 yards, punt
2nd Drive: 3 plays, -7 yards, fumble
3rd Drive: 10 plays, 17 yards, interception
4th Drive: 3 plays, 7 yards, punt
5th Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, punt

24 yards of offense? Against a division rival? On Monday night? With the division title in sight?

There is no excuse for play this bad.

[flippy]

You will kill more clock, but you don't take up more actual time. Whether you run or pass you still have 40 seconds in between plays. If a team winds down the play clock there is still 40 real seconds then the punt. A 3 and out will give the D about 3 minutes of rest without a TV timeout.

You keep the game clock running with runs vs incomplete passes which should net out to less series and game clock for the D to be on the field.

[Captain Lemming]

I agree that the Jags game was deflating.

Do you remember the 2002 AFCC or were you too young (the 2001 season) ?

That was probably the most dejected I ever felt after a playoff loss.

And it was the year that we created Tom Brady I think

1998 was a bad loss too. Also at home in the AFCC.

The O'Donnell SB was also pretty bad, but I think I've repressed that game. Same with the GB SB...like they never happened.

The Tim Tebow game.

When SD beat us as the number one seed was in my opinion the biggest disappointment ever.

Unlike the Tebow year, loss to the Jags, we were unquestionably the best team in the conference.

That one hurt because we lost to an inferior team on the cusp of the SB.

[feltdizz]

When SD beat us as the number one seed was in my opinion the biggest disappointment ever.

Unlike the Tebow year, loss to the Jags, we were unquestionably the best team in the conference.

That one hurt because we lost to an inferior team on the cusp of the SB.

yep. I sat there stunned for 5 minutes after that loss. I really thought we had a great chance to beat that SF team.

[NorthCoast]

When SD beat us as the number one seed was in my opinion the biggest disappointment ever.

Unlike the Tebow year, loss to the Jags, we were unquestionably the best team in the conference.

That one hurt because we lost to an inferior team on the cusp of the SB.

Agreed... still burned in my memory...ugh. I remember it being an unusually mild day for mid-January which probably helped Diego.

[Captain Lemming]

Agreed... still burned in my memory...ugh. I remember it being an unusually mild day for mid-January which probably helped Diego.

That tight end sealed it...I don't even remember his name...never heard of the guy until that play to be honest. I never heard more from him since.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

That tight end sealed it...I don't even remember his name...never heard of the guy until that play to be honest. I never heard more from him since.

Was it Albert Papunu or something?

I was in Florida for that game. Inside watching a football game on a beautiful day. And then just sat and didn't step outside for a couple hours after.

[Chucktownsteeler]

yep. I sat there stunned for 5 minutes after that loss. I really thought we had a great chance to beat that SF team.

One of the best Steeler teams not to make it to the Super Bowl, IMHO.

[flippy]

Everyone gave up on this team. Just like in 2005 leading up to the playoffs prior to winning SuperBowl XL.

We all came into the Indy game thinking, we can work this out only to be severely let down in the 1st half. That 1st half was the nail in the coffin of this season.

Then something happened. We're far from perfect, but there's a sliver of hope.

Ben might not be done.

Conner might have some value.

Juju might have some value.

CC isn't done for the season.

Ebron can still catch.

The D feeds off the O's success.

Somehow, these guys still believe and seem to be gutting it out.

I honestly thought players had given up. I thought our coaches were done. But one little spark seems to have woken everyone up.

It wasn't pretty.

Ben doesn't have the arm strength he had before and needs to play a little more cautious with his throws.

But that doesn't mean he needs to be too cautious.

Attempts outside the hashes and down the field opened up a lot.

I'm tempted to want to see us go no huddle from here on out. I think it could be our one chance. Lord knows we can't call plays and run a structured O right now for whatever reason.

I think running no huddle might force Ben not to get stuck in his own head and doubts. It's distracting him from playing in his fear. I think that's the real thing happening here. Ben knows he doesn't have the arm he once did and he's overthinking everything and we need to do the thing that distracts Ben. No huddle.

[Eich]

It's funny how from week to week, we can look like pretenders and contenders!!

Ben's arm looked plenty strong to me yesterday. He damn near over-threw DJ on the long TD pass. Great throw, magnificent catch by DJ! About 50 yards in the air - which should be nothing for an NFL QB, but at least we saw him do it and do it with ease.

I'm not worried at all about Ben's arm strength. His knees maybe. His mental game, maybe. He still has enough arm.

I'm just thrilled they gave us some reason for hope at this point in the season!