Can we just stop already with the ben debate!

[KYPITTFAN]

Can we all just acknowledge Ben is not top tier anymore! I am a huge Big Ben supporter and am glad we get one more year of him. That being said it's time to retire AFTER this season. He has been so much to this team for so long we don't dare sit him down. We also move on with the post Big Ben error next year. I still say Ben is no more than 30% of the offensive problems. Everyone always says the play starts with the QB. It does not. The center (Offensive line) starts every play. Nothing works with a bad O Line. Pitts O Line has not only been not good, but it has been bad from some time now. You and I get aggravated with the lack of a run game and short passes. This is all on the O Line. The defense crowds the line, stops the run and forces a pass. The O Line can not protect long enough for deep routes, thus short passes. With the defense already crowding the line too many times the short passing does not get a 1st down. Putt Big Ben behind a very good O Line and he would be just fine. May not make the Pro Bowl but he's stats and our wins would be good. Bottom line. Without a O Line Ben needs to retire NEXT year and we need a mobile QB.

[Ernie]

It's a vicious cycle.. we are limited because of Ben's inability to stretch the field vertically.. especially between the seams. In the NFL.. if you have a QB that cant make all of the throws.. it's just a matter of time before that gets exposed/abused. Couple that with the fact that our O-line does not get push up front... and well.. here we are.

[whatever]

Tomlin has wasted so many seasons of having loaded rosters.
A few of us could see what really needed to be done several seasons ago. Now this what we are left with.
Those same fans that praised every draft pick to be bpa and player acquisition, are pretending they didn’t say those things and are now blaming Ben.

[Northern_Blitz]

... That being said it's time to retire AFTER this season. He has been so much to this team for so long we don't dare sit him down. We also move on with the post Big Ben error next year. ...

I think this is how it plays out provided (i) the OL can keep him healthy and (ii) he doesn't opt to sit because we're eliminated from the playoffs and it's not worth the punishment (I don't think Ben will do this because he's an amazing competitor...but he might get strongly encouraged to take that path).

[T.Ferguson]

Tomlin has wasted so many seasons of having loaded rosters.

This right here, and with all the talk of Ben's declining performance it's hard not to look back at the last 10+ seasons of his career and think about how many of them were simply wasted and it's not like the Steelers weren't perennial favorites in the AFC during this time. 3 playoff wins is all the team has to show for it.

[Captain Lemming]

This right here, and with all the talk of Ben's declining performance it's hard not to look back at the last 10+ seasons of his career and think about how many of them were simply wasted and it's not like the Steelers weren't perennial favorites in the AFC during this time. 3 playoff wins is all the team has to show for it.

In the last decade Steelers were NEVER consensus favorites in the AFC.

[whatever]

In the last decade Steelers were NEVER consensus favorites in the AFC.

I don’t think he said ‘consensus’.

[Northern_Blitz]

I don’t think he said ‘consensus’.

How about favorites from people that weren't homers?

[T.Ferguson]

In the last decade Steelers were NEVER consensus favorites in the AFC.

Most years the media considered the Steelers to be one of the best teams in the AFC at the start of the season. It was always Pats, Steelers and another team - Usually Baltimore/Denver.

[Captain Lemming]

I don’t think he said ‘consensus’.

"I" could say the Browns are SB favorites. Doesn't make them SB favorites.

All you need to be a SB favorite of some talking head is to be a playoff caliber team.

By THAT standard, Harbaugh is the biggest offender in the conference.

[Northern_Blitz]

"I" could say the Browns are SB favorites. Doesn't make them SB favorites.

All you need to be a SB favorite of some talking head is to be a playoff caliber team.

By THAT standard, Harbaugh is the biggest offender in the conference.

And the question in the AFC for the vast majority of Tomlin and Ben's career isn't "who's the favorite in the AFC?" it's "who's got the best chance to upset the Pats". Because the Pats with brady were the favorite basically every year.

[Steel Maniac]

Tomlin has wasted so many seasons of having loaded rosters.
A few of us could see what really needed to be done several seasons ago. Now this what we are left with.
Those same fans that praised every draft pick to be bpa and player acquisition, are pretending they didn’t say those things and are now blaming Ben.

Yep. Not addressing the O-line earlier and letting an entire O-line get old and depressed falls squarely at Colbert’s feet.

And staying with Ben one year too long lays at the feet of Rooney Jr.

Wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t go after Garoppolo in the off-season. Since all we do is look through other teams garbage for QB’s.

[whatever]

Most years the media considered the Steelers to be one of the best teams in the AFC at the start of the season. It was always Pats, Steelers and another team - Usually Baltimore/Denver.

Exactly.
And our talent was better than the pats, our coaching wasn’t.

[whatever]

Yep. Not addressing the O-line earlier and letting an entire O-line get old and depressed falls squarely at Colbert’s feet.

And staying with Ben one year too long lays at the feet of Rooney Jr.

Wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t go after Garoppolo in the off-season. Since all we do is look through other teams garbage for QB’s.

Tomlins fault….
Obviously Tomlin felt our oline was great because he didn’t confront Colbert on improving it.

[whatever]

"I" could say the Browns are SB favorites. Doesn't make them SB favorites.

All you need to be a SB favorite of some talking head is to be a playoff caliber team.

By THAT standard, Harbaugh is the biggest offender in the conference.

You mean those same talking heads that say Tomlin is a great HC?