Steelers MVP?

[NorthCoast]

And some of yinz didn't want to pay the guy;

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ob77bc][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2ob77bc]Screenshot 2023-01-12 152121[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/191750946@N04/]R W[/url], on Flickr

[Captain Lemming]

And some of yinz didn't want to pay the guy;

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ob77bc][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/2ob77bc]Screenshot 2023-01-12 152121[/url] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/191750946@N04/]R W[/url], on Flickr

What is hilarious is some of the reasons is "what if he gets hurt"? We just paid a guy for nothing. Sadly that chart only reinforces that flawed logic.

So I am jumping ahead of that now.

A VALUABLE PLAYER IS SUPPOSED TO HURT THE TEAM WHEN HE IS MISSING.

If you don't "need" a player... why pay him?

You don't put an expensive ring on and marry the ugly girl because she can't break your heart. If you value something it's loss is SUPPOSED TO hurt.

Watt deserves his money because he is indispensable.

[Northern_Blitz]

What is hilarious is some of the reasons is "what if he gets hurt"? We just paid a guy for nothing. Sadly that chart only reinforces that flawed logic.

So I am jumping ahead of that now.

A VALUABLE PLAYER IS SUPPOSED TO HURT THE TEAM WHEN HE IS MISSING.

If you don't "need" a player... why pay him?

You don't put an expensive ring on and marry the ugly girl because she can't break your heart. If you value something it's loss is SUPPOSED TO hurt.

Watt deserves his money because he is indispensable.

This.

You keep elite players when you can because they are worth the cap hit. The issue is when you pay an above average guy like an elite guy and hope that he gets there.

I think problem with signing truly elite guys comes when they start to decline. Because they are still getting the big cap hit. Often bigger than intended because the team will restructure their large contracts and push the hit to the end of the contract when the player may not be as good.

Hopefully Watt ages like Cam. I generally don't like big 3rd contracts, especially for non-QBs (who aren't kickers or punters). But Cam's play has kind of had me rethinking that a bit. Although that might be like saying that buying a scratch ticket was a good idea just because it paid out.

[Captain Lemming]

This.

You keep elite players when you can because they are worth the cap hit. The issue is when you pay an above average guy like an elite guy and hope that he gets there.

I think problem with signing truly elite guys comes when they start to decline. Because they are still getting the big cap hit. Often bigger than intended because the team will restructure their large contracts and push the hit to the end of the contract when the player may not be as good.

Hopefully Watt ages like Cam. I generally don't like big 3rd contracts, especially for non-QBs (who aren't kickers or punters). But Cam's play has kind of had me rethinking that a bit. Although that might be like saying that buying a scratch ticket was a good idea just because it paid out.

I was NOT for resigning Cam on his current deal at all for the same reason. Thought his age would bite us with a steep decline about a year in.

Clearly, he has lived up to his money.

[Northern_Blitz]

I was NOT for resigning Cam on his current deal at all for the same reason. Thought his age would bite us with a steep decline about a year in.

Clearly, he has lived up to his money.

I also didn't want to sign Cam to that contract. Happy to be wrong.

[Buzz]

What is hilarious is some of the reasons is "what if he gets hurt"? We just paid a guy for nothing. Sadly that chart only reinforces that flawed logic.

So I am jumping ahead of that now.

A VALUABLE PLAYER IS SUPPOSED TO HURT THE TEAM WHEN HE IS MISSING.

If you don't "need" a player... why pay him?

You don't put an expensive ring on and marry the ugly girl because she can't break your heart. If you value something it's loss is SUPPOSED TO hurt.

Watt deserves his money because he is indispensable.

Therein lies the rub

because he is indispensable, when he's out, the D craters

if he's out/limited for more than 1/3 of the games, it pretty much wrecks this team's chance of contending for a championship

because he takes so much of our cap space, we're limited when it comes to hiring a decent player(s) to fill in for him when he's hurt (prob. won't even be able to re-sign Highsmith)

IMO, better not to be quite so dependent on mr. Watt

[WindyCitySteel]

There's another thread on this, but I'll say the same thing here. This is perverse team-building. What other team in the league is helpless if their best DL gets injured?

When your goal is to score 18 and not turn it over, and your secondary is screwed without a pass rush, you're fuqued if your best pass rusher gets hurt.

Couple that with the fact that they made no effort to acquire depth this year and it's even more mind-boggling.

Is this team really serious about winning? If they are, then they have a really low football IQ.

[Bittspurgh]

There's another thread on this, but I'll say the same thing here. This is perverse team-building. What other team in the league is helpless if their best DL gets injured?

When your goal is to score 18 and not turn it over, and your secondary is screwed without a pass rush, you're fuqued if your best pass rusher gets hurt.

Couple that with the fact that they made no effort to acquire depth this year and it's even more mind-boggling.

Is this team really serious about winning? If they are, then they have a really low football IQ.

Yeah that's the problem. Tomlin and Khan / Colbert know nothing. We need some HI IQ gurus, to get the team more serious about winning.

If only the Rooney's read this forum from time to time, they would clearly see the ills of their program.

They would see the answers to their prayers happen to be legends around here.

[feltdizz]

Yeah that's the problem. Tomlin and Khan / Colbert know nothing. We need some HI IQ gurus, to get the team more serious about winning.

If only the Rooney's read this forum from time to time, they would clearly see the ills of their program.

They would see the answers to their prayers happen to be legends around here.

I’m crying.. lmao.

[feltdizz]

Therein lies the rub

because he is indispensable, when he's out, the D craters

if he's out/limited for more than 1/3 of the games, it pretty much wrecks this team's chance of contending for a championship

because he takes so much of our cap space, we're limited when it comes to hiring a decent player(s) to fill in for him when he's hurt (prob. won't even be able to re-sign Highsmith)

IMO, better not to be quite so dependent on mr. Watt

You and I agree on the concern over his cap hit.

What I realized though is the “less than 50% of snaps” means the Viking game where he only played the first 2 quarters when we were getting smashed in the first half is one of the games that is a loss.

If we went with games he played in that stat isn’t as lopsided.

We all know Watt is valuable but it works both ways. If a player eats up this much cap space and continues to his games his cap hit also part of the reason we play worse because so much of it is being used on him.

Hopefully he plays 17 games next year and doesn’t end up like his brother who was injury prone the moment he signed a huge deal.

[WindyCitySteel]

Yeah that's the problem. Tomlin and Khan / Colbert know nothing. We need some HI IQ gurus, to get the team more serious about winning.

If only the Rooney's read this forum from time to time, they would clearly see the ills of their program.

They would see the answers to their prayers happen to be legends around here.

I’m crying.. lmao.

Wow, that was really original tongue-in-cheek humor, perhaps while you contemplate a career in standup you can respond to even one of my points.

Tomlin is such a great coach that he's virtually winless over the last two seasons if...

...a defensive end plays fewer than 50% of the snaps.

Good God that is amazing.

[Bittspurgh]

Wow, that was really original tongue-in-cheek humor, perhaps while you contemplate a career in standup you can respond to even one of my points.

Tomlin is such a great coach that he's virtually winless over the last two seasons if...

...a defensive end plays fewer than 50% of the snaps.

Good God that is amazing.

Nah Bruh, Its deeper than stand-up for me. Some of yawl are the "comical" ones. Predicable, even pansy like a times.

I am a "STEELERS" fan First. HC, doesn't matter, QB, doesn't matter, OLB doesn't matter.... Scout team staff, don't matter... Parking attendants at Heinz.... who cares... I often joke with my wife and kids, that I was a Steelers fan before I was a husband and / or father. all 3 of my sons were born during the NFL season. I used to always tell my wife, she can go into labor whenever , wherever she needs to, but it can not be for 3.5hrs on a Sunday..... Those 3.5 hours I am booked... I am not sure what kind of fan most are, but in the NFL I am STEELERS fan first. I can not even partake in fantasy football, because I just cant cheer for anyone outside of a Steeler uniform. Now there are other league greats that I admire, but really only a fanatic about one team. In other sports I am fan of a player, and not the team. Example in the NBA I do not have a "team" I am a rabid fan about, but I do like players. Example I like Keven Durant. He has played for OKC, GS, and now Brooklyn..... So I follow him... Not those teams. Could care less..... The Rooney's could take a team bus to Walmart and pick up the first 25 men they see, put them in uniform and put them on the field on a Sunday, and I will be right there watching. Cussing, complaining, ranting, and raving but I will be watching those Steelers with Pride.

It is the Black and Gold, and the symbol on the side of the helmet that gets my attention.

Sure we want to win every game. Sure it was great having a "Franchise QB" for so long. I would be willing to bet, many of you Tomlin bashers, wanted Ben gone after the 1st super bowl..... then after the 2nd allegation, then after the super bowl loss, then some folks, announced his demise whenever a loss occurred from about 2017 on.... Point is; the days he was bad, it was rough around here for a week or so. (predictably) but the totality of his career as it is now packaged, I am thrilled that Ben was our QB for as long as he was. The overall collective effort, is a HOF career. Certainly there days he didn't look or even act very HOF-like... But his accumulative score puts him among the best to ever do it. There better QBs, but NONE during his 18 years that I would have taken above him NONE. Not Brady, Manning, Rodgers (who I think Ben is clearly better than). I am not saying he is better than every QB, but for Steeler fans, at least this Steelers fan, he was the one for us....... Perfectly imperfect.

Same with Mr. Tomlin, I love the guy..... The Man.... the leader.. the orator, at least the persona that we are allowed to see. But the Coach Tomlin, does or does not do things I agree with, but at this moment, and during this past season I wouldn't have wanted anyone else leading our very young team.

Realistically I loved Cowher the same way. and towards the end wanted him gone.. But nearly 20 years later, as I reflect on the Chin, it is with nostalgia, and I remember him showing his human side like when hugging and kissing his crying daughters and wife at the Super Bowl Loss..... the no nonsense teams the showed up weekly and where the legal bullies on the field. And yes even in them days we would find ways to lose to lesser teams. It happens its the NFL.

[NJ-STEELER]

indispensable.

that's all that was needed to be said.

we pay a few other guys top money, but without TJ in the line up those guys play like below average players

[Northern_Blitz]

There's another thread on this, but I'll say the same thing here. This is perverse team-building. What other team in the league is helpless if their best DL gets injured?

When your goal is to score 18 and not turn it over, and your secondary is screwed without a pass rush, you're fuqued if your best pass rusher gets hurt.

Couple that with the fact that they made no effort to acquire depth this year and it's even more mind-boggling.

Is this team really serious about winning? If they are, then they have a really low football IQ.

Aaron Donald played 11 games this year.

He's clearly the best comp for TJ in the league (although he may be declining a bit now). I wonder what the Rams D looked like with / without him. Maybe bad in both cases based on their record, but I didn't really follow them.

This is always the thing about having great players outside of their entry level contracts in leagues with a salary cap. You don't get to have good depth and elite players at the same position.

It's most clear with QBs in football. But I think edge rushes are probably the next highest paid position.

Edited to add: I don't think scoring only 18 pts is our goal. I think the QB play / offense was only really good in Watt's first year (before he really leveled up).

Part of the reason that we're so dependent on Watt is that we have generally had bad offenses (I think a lot because of poor QB play). So we tend to only win when we hold the other team to 17 or less. If we could have an offense that could score an average amount of points, I bet that the with / without stats on Watt look better.

But we rarely win when the other team score 20+ pts...which is pretty bad. Hoping KP and company solve this problem next season.

[Bittspurgh]

Aaron Donald played 11 games this year.

He's clearly the best comp for TJ in the league (although he may be declining a bit now). I wonder what the Rams D looked like with / without him. Maybe bad in both cases based on their record, but I didn't really follow them.

This is always the thing about having great players outside of their entry level contracts in leagues with a salary cap. You don't get to have good depth and elite players at the same position.

It's most clear with QBs in football. But I think edge rushes are probably the next highest paid position.

Edited to add: I don't think scoring only 18 pts is our goal. I think the QB play / offense was only really good in Watt's first year (before he really leveled up).

Part of the reason that we're so dependent on Watt is that we have generally had bad offenses (I think a lot because of poor QB play). So we tend to only win when we hold the other team to 17 or less. If we could have an offense that could score an average amount of points, I bet that the with / without stats on Watt look better.

But we rarely win when the other team score 20+ pts...which is pretty bad. Hoping KP and company solve this problem next season.

Well Said^^^