The real reason that I backed off posting on this great board . . .

[Sword]

Can you find a post where I give him all the credit?

My position has always been that talent is more important than coaching.

I just argue against the idea that changing the coach magically makes everything better.

starts with coaching........other teams bench is better then our starters.....

[Steelhere10]

I worry that it's inability and not ego.

If it was ego, he might still take some hole shots against cover 2. Or hit deep balls against a single high safety.

He still has the arm to throw deep, but doesn't seem to have the accuracy.

It's like he's some odd combo of Alex Smith and Flacco.

I hope your right and its just ego, because then losing a few games might change his mind.

Or maybe that it's something about the surgery and it will get better sometime in the next 2 to 3 weeks.

That pass to James last night for the TD, or the pass to Ju in Baltimore or the bomb to Claypool against the Eagles and Denver etc, shows its not the inability. I can go on and on, it's shows the lack of practice which equal timing is the problem.

[Steelhere10]

Ben don't want to practice, be under center, do play action fakes or be patient with the running game. And you have coaches that are trying to cater to his wants.. He's like an employee that's been on the job longer than most, so he feels like no one can tell him anything.

[NorthCoast]

2 losses in a row after 11 wins means you are right?

Roethlisberger's post game: "we're not in panic mode right now. we're 11-2....."

hey feltdizz, was that you holding his cue cards?

[feltdizz]

Ben don't want to practice, be under center, do play action fakes or be patient with the running game. And you have coaches that are trying to cater to his wants.. He's like an employee that's been on the job longer than most, so he feels like no one can tell him anything.

Early on when we were winning and Ben was talking about sandlot style and calling plays on the fly...

well, what now?

Has that changed or is this still Ben running the show?

Remember, this is why he gets the big bucks!!!

[Steelhere10]

Ben have a lot of control over the offense. He even said maybe he need to call the plays that's called instead of changing to his own plays. He said that just last week. The throws he not making have a lot to do with taking days off, especially with young recruiters IMO.

[Steelhere10]

Fitch said a couple of weeks ago, that missing the long pass may have something to do with Ben not practicing. Add it all up and that's the answer!

[NorthCoast]

He is a good coach and manager. His problem, much like Noll is sticking with his vets and ast. coaches too long. Loyalty is a good trait to a point. The ass-clowns running this offense should have been shown the door. This offense can't win in the NFL. It is not much better, if any at all then with mason and Duck last year. Teams are putting 9 amd 10 players in the box. It's not going to work.

So rewind to Aug 2020. Which players were you going to boot before this season started? Remember, no training camp and they were looking to keep guys with game experience. In a normal season, maybe they do some things differently. Colbert has been silently rebuilding this defense on the fly. I think they can do the same with the offense once Roethlisberger moves on.

[SteelBucks]

Fitch said a couple of weeks ago, that missing the long pass may have something to do with Ben not practicing. Add it all up and that's the answer!

Ben practiced the entire week. Does he normally? No but he did this last week.

[Djfan]

That's exactly what I was trying to say in my twisted tongue in cheek post.

Unfortunately, I think the Mike Tomlin pressers are the source of love and hate of the guy. It's kinda funny in a way because the same words are taken with polar opposite interpretations and I see how either side can love and hate the guy. And even why some hate and love him simultaneously.

What other venue do we have to gauge whether our coach has his finger on the pulse of the team? How else can we know if the team is responding to the coach unless they are doing what he says or addressing things that are issues?

In our current world, everything is heightened and these pressers are no different that politics. And I get Djfan's original point. Everyone has to feel a way about Tomlin like they do everything else. And they have to feel strongly and people have to social signal on those extremes so we limit conversation and rational thoughts.

For the average fan, sports is supposed to be a release from the real world. And you're supposed to be able to celebrate and complain with your buddies without judgement. But this social signaling is so black and white and of life or death importance to more and more people. At the same time, I don't blame anyone for taking sports to the extreme right now. I think there's heightened importance because life is crappy in many ways right now.

I say give everyone the benefit of the doubt right now and we should all try to find some humor in the ridiculousness of it all.

Tomlin sucks. Tomlin is awesome. And that's my thinking.

You said it better than I did. Thanks.

[Mr.wizard]

This comes down to execution on offense, the offense was averaging almost 30 a game earlier in the season using the same offense and the last three games they averaged less than 20. So I think its obivously not play calling or coaching, it falls squarely on the shoulders of the players and their lack of execution. More importantly than the points we were scoring was the T.O.P, we were sustaining drives which also was really helping our defense.

[Steelhere10]

Ben practiced the entire week. Does he normally? No but he did this last week.

One week out of a16 game schedule with young receivers is nothing. He wants to win Super Bowls going the short cut route. You hardly ever hearing the Brady, Rodgers, Wilson etc if this word taking that much time off especially with a young offense.

[Steel Maniac]

there is no middle ground for debate on that topic here anymore. sadly it's the haters vs. the ball washers. just watch this thread develop. you'll see.......

Exactly.....

[Steel Maniac]

I think, as I did before the season began, that Tomlin is a very good, but not great, head coach. I don't blame him for most of the problems this team currently has, many of which have been mentioned in this thread. And I don't think the Rooneys are anywhere near ready to take the position away from him. As long as MT keeps turning in non-losing season and the Steelers keep making money, he's gold. I would not be surprised if he coaches here for another 15 years or more.

Yep.............

[Northern_Blitz]

That's exactly what I was trying to say in my twisted tongue in cheek post.

Unfortunately, I think the Mike Tomlin pressers are the source of love and hate of the guy. It's kinda funny in a way because the same words are taken with polar opposite interpretations and I see how either side can love and hate the guy. And even why some hate and love him simultaneously.

What other venue do we have to gauge whether our coach has his finger on the pulse of the team? How else can we know if the team is responding to the coach unless they are doing what he says or addressing things that are issues?

In our current world, everything is heightened and these pressers are no different that politics. And I get Djfan's original point. Everyone has to feel a way about Tomlin like they do everything else. And they have to feel strongly and people have to social signal on those extremes so we limit conversation and rational thoughts.

For the average fan, sports is supposed to be a release from the real world. And you're supposed to be able to celebrate and complain with your buddies without judgement. But this social signaling is so black and white and of life or death importance to more and more people. At the same time, I don't blame anyone for taking sports to the extreme right now. I think there's heightened importance because life is crappy in many ways right now.

I say give everyone the benefit of the doubt right now and we should all try to find some humor in the ridiculousness of it all.

Tomlin sucks. Tomlin is awesome. And that's my thinking.

FWIW, I like Tomlin as a coach because of the success.

And even though I attribute most of that success to the players, I think most coaches are too driven by ego to try to not be seen as the reason for team success.

I don't think Tomlin has that problem, and I think that's what makes him one of the better coaches in the league (somewhere toward the top of the 2nd tier IMO).

There's only 1 coach I would clearly take over Tomlin. And he hasn't looked that great this season after a steep drop in talent (especially talent per cap hit) either.

Coaches are important in that they are supposed to put players in positions to succeed (or at least not prevent them from getting to a place where they can succeed).

But it's the players that decide the game on game day.

FWIW it was nice to see MT follow through on reducing snaps for guys that drop the ball. I guess that's the kind of thing a coach can do. Although I think we would all agree that our best chance for success is when guys with as much talent as DJ before and after the catch could get their sh!t together during the catch. Execution is the most important part IMO.