Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

[redundantman]

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[Oviedo]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

Well stated. The reality is that football is a series of peaks and valleys. Fortunately as Steelers fan we have many more peaks and they tend to be higher than 90% of this league. Kinda like being Swiss.

This year is definitely a valley. I think more so it is a valley where the road to it went over a steep ledge. That is what has shocked us. That and we all know one or two plays per game could be a four win difference in this season.

The reality is great teams make those plays happen. We haven't so therefore we aren't a great team.

I just hope that those in charge don't fool themselves into believing that this season is just an anomoly and don't do the "rectal exam" and top to bottom evaluation required. There are some real systemic issues that we need to face and we can't shy away from changes, some significant if necessary, moving forward.

Change is hard and it may result in a lackluster 2010 but we have to do whatever is required to get this ship back on course for the longer journey.

[redundantman]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

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[Oviedo]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

Well stated. The reality is that football is a series of peaks and valleys. Fortunately as Steelers fan we have many more peaks and they tend to be higher than 90% of this league. Kinda like being Swiss.

This year is definitely a valley. I think more so it is a valley where the road to it went over a steep ledge. That is what has shocked us. That and we all know one or two plays per game could be a four win difference in this season.

The reality is great teams make those plays happen. We haven't so therefore we aren't a great team.

I just hope that those in charge don't fool themselves into believing that this season is just an anomoly and don't do the "rectal exam" and top to bottom evaluation required. There are some real systemic issues that we need to face and we can't shy away from changes, some significant if necessary, moving forward.

Change is hard and it may result in a lackluster 2010 but we have to do whatever is required to get this ship back on course for the longer journey.

Change.

Lets keep in mind that there is a price to pay associated with any fix. Be a shame to use a chainsaw where an exacto blade would possibly do the trick.

Management will no doubt take the stance of "this team won the Super Bowl last year they are not that bad". But I am starting to wonder about Tomlin.

I think Tomlin learns a hard lesson from this season and becomes a better coach because of it. This was just his third year. He still has lots to learn. Guy who have been doing this more than a decade have bad season, Noll has, Landry has, Parcell has, Shanahan has, Gruden has. It's all part of the process.

I have no doubts that Tomlin comes out of this better.

[JTP53609]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

i hope tomlin becomes better, because after we nearly lost in detroit i thought we would start playing better the rest of the year, i thought that was our wake up call, than almost a month later we lost to K.C., than I knew we would not take any more opponents lightly than we lost to the raiders....and than i had a bad feeling going into last night and sure enough....

[Starlifter]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

what reporter was it that said after denver the steelers wouldn't lose again???

what a miserable 5 weeks this has been....

[redundantman]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

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[buckeyehoppy]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

1. For those of you who like reading these posts I apologize for last week. I didn’t have the heart to watch the game much less think about it.

Look at it on the bright side, RM...it appears that network television is softening its stance on airing pornography.

2. I feared the Steelers would lose this game. I told people they would flat out lose this game. So I was prepared for the loss but I was not prepared for what actually happened. I did not expect the Browns to take it from them.

I said three months ago that we would lose this game. Of course, I also predicted that we would grab Lombardi Trophy #7. Ya can't have everything.

3. Yesterday afternoon I went to the dentist and had an old cavity excavated to find out I will need my first ever root canal. After last night I am sort of looking forward to it.

Complex dental procedures v. Freezing my unit off, risking death from exposure to -10' wind chill. Hello Dr. Sally Molars.

4. Actually I exaggerate … I only watched the last quarter last night. I had a conflicting engagement so I set my machine to record (a VCR for those of you who recall the good old days) and attended to business. I got home in time to see the Steelers trailing in the fourth. I watched until their final drive … Ben got sacked to bring about a 3rd and 19 … I walked away from the TV so I could talk to my girls before they went to bed. There was no point in watching the rest of it.

Did I mention that network TV is softening its stance on airing pornography? The first half alone challenged community standards in 49 outta 50 states (Nevada being the only exception...yay!)

5. Like many of you I’ve been trolling Steelers message boards since the days of newsgroups … alt.fan.pittsburgh.steelers and all that.

Getting A Life...it's an overrated concept!

6. It seems to me (and experience bears it out) that there are a subset of posts that you see every year. There are the foolishly optimistic 16-0 posts. There are always the posts criticizing the coach (if Jesus Himself coached the Steelers people would post on message boards about how much He sucks). There is the never-ending draft talk. And thread topics can often indicate the way the season is going. You know the season is over when you start seeing the “Ok, if we run the table” posts. We’ve been seeing them for a couple of weeks now.

I ain't touchin' the Jesus reset. But the "run the table" remark allows me to drop "if my aunt had a package, she'd be my uncle" on you. Of course, if Coach Tomlin had a package, BA would've been launched into the Allegheny River months ago.

7. You have to appreciate the optimism. The Steelers get beat by the Chiefs, the Raiders and the Browns and people will still talk about how the Steelers can make the playoffs. Well kids …

Well, I could win the lottery, too...I'd just have to buy a ticket to play. My odds are still better than the Steelers at this point.

8. The biggest two factors in Steelers losses: Special teams and the lack of plays from the defense.

Yep.

9. The biggest weaknesses of this team? That’s obvious. You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a commentator pontificating on the topic: O-line and secondary. I find it difficult to argue with that assessment.

OL isn't a problem. Benjamin says so. I believe him. Case closed. OTOH, Ike Taylor couldn't cover a twin bed.

10. Mathematically the Steelers are “still in the hunt” for the playoffs. Unfortunately for them the Steelers are “in the hunt” in the sense that they are the one yelling “rabbit season” to their opponents “duck season”.

And this is the Steelers "Elmer Season".

11. Seriously, who is not laughing at the Super Bowl champs right now?

We might have a shot at the Montreal Alouettes.

12. It is said that you are who you are when you are under pressure and facing adversity. For those paying attention we will learn much about the Steelers over the next however many games.

We'll see if they are spoilers...or merely spoiled by the SB success.

13. Should the Steelers maintain this impressive free-fall they will repeat the record that enabled them to draft Ben Roethlisberger.

Well, we've already set the record for longest losing streak by a defending SB champ. Why not go for the gusto.

14. Seriously, we are watching a historic skid … it is happening right now. Years from now we’ll be sitting with our great grandkids and after we have them pull our finger we’ll tell them about the “Great Skid of Aught-nine” and how we eventually appeased the football gods by tieing onions to our belts.

If Coach Tomlin grabs the bull by the ballz, it doesn't have to be too historic. As for the football gods...I've got an "onion" for 'em.

15. Gadzooks. Great googly-moogly etc.

Yeah...but who da Chefs?

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Redundant Thoughts Week 14 @ Browns

Well stated. The reality is that football is a series of peaks and valleys. Fortunately as Steelers fan we have many more peaks and they tend to be higher than 90% of this league. Kinda like being Swiss.

This year is definitely a valley. I think more so it is a valley where the road to it went over a steep ledge. That is what has shocked us. That and we all know one or two plays per game could be a four win difference in this season.

The reality is great teams make those plays happen. We haven't so therefore we aren't a great team.

I just hope that those in charge don't fool themselves into believing that this season is just an anomoly and don't do the "rectal exam" and top to bottom evaluation required. There are some real systemic issues that we need to face and we can't shy away from changes, some significant if necessary, moving forward.

Change is hard and it may result in a lackluster 2010 but we have to do whatever is required to get this ship back on course for the longer journey.

I agree...I think there is a major overhaul to the coaching staff (O.C. and special teams coaches gone...possibly o-line and secondary coach as well), which will lead to an adjustment period (back in the playoff hunt next year with between 9 and 11 wins, but we may lose in the first or second round of the playoffs...similar to the transition year from the last disappointing post-Super Bowl year to the following season involving massive upheaval of the coaching staff). I think we can become legit title contenders again in 2011 if we make the right moves in terms of hiring new coaches and bringing in the right talent in the next two years.

Anyone have a problem with continuing the Champions-Disappointments-Revival-Champions-Disappointments-Revival three year cycle?