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2014: The Seventh Ring Is In Sight

I definitely don't think it's out of the question

Our offense was really starting to get in gear the second half of last year, and we've only improved it (on paper). We could easily score 27-28ppg this season if Wheaton and Bryant (maybe even *** ******) are productive and the line stays healthy

On the other side, I think it'll be pretty hard to do worse than last year. The CB position does worry me, but I think this defense can be great if the young guys pan out. Worilds needs to continue his strong push from last year, Jarvis needs to at least approach double-digit sacks, Tuitt needs to start and be a force, and Shazier needs to be what we drafted him to be.

Sure that's a lot of "ifs", and taken all together, maybe not entirely likely that they all happen just how I described. But each one doesn't seem so unlikely on their own merits. To me, it's really a matter of health, the 1st and 2nd year talent becoming the players we drafted them to be, and Worilds having a big year. With all that, we can bring home number 7.

Our running game should be improved, as well as our blitzing ability and special teams play. We're still a bit weak in pass coverage, but I think we can hold our own.
 
I don't see how the offense only improved. They lost their 2nd best WR in Cotchery and their 3rd best WR in Sanders. Wheaton hasn't shown anything yet and Bryant is raw. Also there is no way in hell they are scoring 28 PPG. No Steeler team in the history of the world has scored more than 26 PPG and that was in the era of 14 game seasons. No modern Steeler team has come close to that. Last year even when piling up a ton of cosmetic points against NE they only managed 23.7 PPG.

The only saving grace they have is the schedule which is about as easy as you can get in the NFL. They don't play Seattle, SF, GB, NE, or Chicago. They also don't have to play Oak. Then they don't leave the ETZ but one time against Tenn. On top of that they play 4 of the worst teams in the league 4 weeks in a row (TB, Jax, Clowns, Texans). If they can't win with that schedule then shame on them.

Martavis Bryant is an underrated receiver who has the size and skill set we need in the red zone. Also, we picked up the sure-handed Lance Moore in free agency this year, so he'll likely be our number 2 guy oposite Brown. We also have Buress, who could turn his career around yet. Time will tell.
 
Martavis Bryant is an underrated receiver who has the size and skill set we need in the red zone. Also, we picked up the sure-handed Lance Moore in free agency this year, so he'll likely be our number 2 guy oposite Brown. We also have Buress, who could turn his career around yet. Time will tell.

I doubt very much that Buress will be back. Getting old and coming off a serious injury for a receiver.
 
I doubt very much that Buress will be back. Getting old and coming off a serious injury for a receiver.

Not only do I think he will not be back, I can't see where they would put him if he tried to fit in. They have a couple "tall" receivers to work with that are on the right side of 30. In fact, he's nowhere to be found on the roster...right beside Holmes.

IMO anyone here could beat out Burress, including Moye.

15 Brown, Justin WR 6-3 209 23 R Oklahoma
10 Bryant, Martavis WR 6-4 211 22 R Clemson
85 Heyward-Bey, Darrius WR 6-2 219 27 6 Maryland
14 Moye, Derek WR 6-5 210 25 1 Penn State

This guy makes the point that we got it made....I'll buy in when I see how well these youngins adapt.
10-6 sounds about right !

.http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.co...hy-the-steelers-will-win-the-division-in-2014
 
Manning up to lesser teams and not playing down to your competition is all coaching and discipline. They should come in looking to blow out lesser teams. Of course, they should look to do that against every team. This team can and should put up 30 on just about every team. If they can do that, the D will not have as much pressure on it and by mid-season, the D will start rounding into shape for the playoff run and the playoffs. I see no reason we shouldn't be in the playoffs this year and once there, you never know.
 
Manning up to lesser teams and not playing down to your competition is all coaching and discipline. They should come in looking to blow out lesser teams. Of course, they should look to do that against every team. This team can and should put up 30 on just about every team. If they can do that, the D will not have as much pressure on it and by mid-season, the D will start rounding into shape for the playoff run and the playoffs. I see no reason we shouldn't be in the playoffs this year and once there, you never know.

I agree with coaching and discipline being the issue here. However they aren't scoring 30 a game. No Steeler team in their history has scored anywhere close to 30 a game. There was one team last year that even came close to 30 a game and that was Denver's historic run at 37 PPG. NE could only muster 27 PPG. The Steelers have too many issues including not having a clear #2 WR, having to use 2 players to play RT, only 1 good TE and praying nobody ever gets hurt on the OL. The defense will need to step up this year as well because the offense isn't coming close to 30 a game.
 
I agree with coaching and discipline being the issue here. However they aren't scoring 30 a game. No Steeler team in their history has scored anywhere close to 30 a game. There was one team last year that even came close to 30 a game and that was Denver's historic run at 37 PPG. NE could only muster 27 PPG. The Steelers have too many issues including not having a clear #2 WR, having to use 2 players to play RT, only 1 good TE and praying nobody ever gets hurt on the OL. The defense will need to step up this year as well because the offense isn't coming close to 30 a game.
The Steelers live and die by the defense. They lose most games when the D allows more than 20 and win most games when the D allows less than 20 because historically the offense doesn't really score much.
 
We ended the season on a high. The team has adjusted to Ol' Rog's rules to make us a "non-factor".

I see good season - 11-5.
 
I would be pleasantly surprised if the team does well this year. They are in a big rebuilding mode right now. I think we will be drafting high again next year and hope we can draft Ben's replacement so we have time for him to get trained before he gets tossed into the game as a green kid. Ben has a few good years left with a bit of luck the team can put a team around him before he retires, I just think it will take more than we have on the team now.
 
The term "rebuilding mode" reminds me of my pilgrimage to Heinz field on opening day of the 2004 season. After Maddox led us to a last second field goal over the Raiders, I went to the live broadcast of Myron Cope and Tunch Ilkin's post game radio broadcast. They took questions from the audience and accepted mine, which was something like, "with the Steelers in an obvious rebuilding year, where do you guys see the Steelers at the end of the year?" Tunch and Myron both took issue with the term "rebuilding year" and proceeded to explain that Cowher, much less any other coach doesn't look at a season so young as a rebuilding year. The next week, Maddox goes down and a rookie QB gets the nod in Week 3 to go on a 15 game win streak ( counting the Jets playoff game ). I see all the gurus and board vets who are smart football guys being realistic and respect their opinions but I also get the notion that none of us are prophets. It's May and the F.O. has obviously made strides to inject some talented and speedy youth onto this roster. Kudos to them for that! Here's to hoping! Towels up, fellas!
 
30 points may be stretching it a bit but I think we should be shooting for that in every game. I do think we should be able to score in the mid-twenties and beyond in 75% of our games and 30 plus in 50%. This team still has that fire power and with Haley letting Ben loose the back half of last year, they started to put some numbers on the board. The potential is there and with a much better running game this year, I want to see us in the top 10 and even top 5 scoring offenses in the league.
 
I wish our GM and planning ahead would look at the definition of success as more than one-year increments.

I have said since before the draft, I expect a pretty good bounce back year from Tomlin and Company. We'll have some highs and lows, but I think we jump back into the national discussion as a 10 or 11 win team.

The problem I will have (I know from experience) is how Tombert will treat this roster coming off a 10 or 11 win season and a probable final-8 appearance in the playoffs. They will spout success and good things and optimism when I wish we'd just get back to work at making the roster better. Get rid of the dead weight and players that are performing "under the line". Plan and try to look 2 years ahead at the positions, salary cap issues that need fixing.

Let's get Worilds under contract. Let's get Cortez Allen under contract. Let's have a real plan for Pouncey that gets us SOMETHING regardless if he stays or goes. Let's be proactive with Heyward instead of reactive.

10 or 11 wins isn't going to change the fact the 2008 and 2009 draft classes are gone or erase that hole on our roster. We need to keep plugging and working to get better just as hard next year as this year.
 
I wish our GM and planning ahead would look at the definition of success as more than one-year increments.

I have said since before the draft, I expect a pretty good bounce back year from Tomlin and Company. We'll have some highs and lows, but I think we jump back into the national discussion as a 10 or 11 win team.

The problem I will have (I know from experience) is how Tombert will treat this roster coming off a 10 or 11 win season and a probable final-8 appearance in the playoffs. They will spout success and good things and optimism when I wish we'd just get back to work at making the roster better. Get rid of the dead weight and players that are performing "under the line". Plan and try to look 2 years ahead at the positions, salary cap issues that need fixing.

Let's get Worilds under contract. Let's get Cortez Allen under contract. Let's have a real plan for Pouncey that gets us SOMETHING regardless if he stays or goes. Let's be proactive with Heyward instead of reactive.

10 or 11 wins isn't going to change the fact the 2008 and 2009 draft classes are gone or erase that hole on our roster. We need to keep plugging and working to get better just as hard next year as this year.

Your Post are very good, I too am concerned about the HUGE gap, in the drafting department. Seems like management, is willing to ride a good season. If we do go 11-5, they thing all is well, then just let things ride out. Maybe, we will get surprise, then see this coming off season, get the work needed to keep improving


Salute the nation.
 
With the way injuries go in the NFL and momentum, nobody can really predict who will be strong contenders until late in 2014.
I give the Steelers as good as chance as any to avoid injuries and be playing well at the end of 2014.
 
With the way injuries go in the NFL and momentum, nobody can really predict who will be strong contenders until late in 2014.
I give the Steelers as good as chance as any to avoid injuries and be playing well at the end of 2014.
 
Your Post are very good, I too am concerned about the HUGE gap, in the drafting department. Seems like management, is willing to ride a good season. If we do go 11-5, they thing all is well, then just let things ride out. Maybe, we will get surprise, then see this coming off season, get the work needed to keep improving


Salute the nation.

What the ****, is with all, the commas? English, do you speak, it ************?
 
Offense has improved

I don't see how the offense only improved. They lost their 2nd best WR in Cotchery and their 3rd best WR in Sanders. Wheaton hasn't shown anything yet and Bryant is raw. Also there is no way in hell they are scoring 28 PPG. No Steeler team in the history of the world has scored more than 26 PPG and that was in the era of 14 game seasons. No modern Steeler team has come close to that. Last year even when piling up a ton of cosmetic points against NE they only managed 23.7 PPG.

The only saving grace they have is the schedule which is about as easy as you can get in the NFL. They don't play Seattle, SF, GB, NE, or Chicago. They also don't have to play Oak. Then they don't leave the ETZ but one time against Tenn. On top of that they play 4 of the worst teams in the league 4 weeks in a row (TB, Jax, Clowns, Texans). If they can't win with that schedule then shame on them.

The offense will be better next year mostly due to our o-line and running game. We get a 100% Bell to start off the season with a helluva 2nd string back in Blount. Munchak as our offensive line coach will only help things along with a healthy pounce. Our screen game will be wicked scary with Brown, Wheaton, Archer, and Bryant as potential threats, (all have elite speed.) We took care of the reliable vet with the acquisition of Lance Moore. Emmanuel Sanders isn't going to make or break any offense, he will be easily replaceable. Heath Miller was injured at the beginning of last season, which cost us big time.
 
The offense will be better next year mostly due to our o-line and running game. We get a 100% Bell to start off the season with a helluva 2nd string back in Blount. Munchak as our offensive line coach will only help things along with a healthy pounce. Our screen game will be wicked scary with Brown, Wheaton, Archer, and Bryant as potential threats, (all have elite speed.) We took care of the reliable vet with the acquisition of Lance Moore. Emmanuel Sanders isn't going to make or break any offense, he will be easily replaceable. Heath Miller was injured at the beginning of last season, which cost us big time.

ummmmmmmm no
 
The offense will be better next year mostly due to our o-line and running game. We get a 100% Bell to start off the season with a helluva 2nd string back in Blount. Munchak as our offensive line coach will only help things along with a healthy pounce. Our screen game will be wicked scary with Brown, Wheaton, Archer, and Bryant as potential threats, (all have elite speed.) We took care of the reliable vet with the acquisition of Lance Moore. Emmanuel Sanders isn't going to make or break any offense, he will be easily replaceable. Heath Miller was injured at the beginning of last season, which cost us big time.

The OL hasn't changed since last year when they were 27th in running yards and 29 in YPA. I like Bell and Blount and think they'll make a good tandem but the OL is still an issue. WR is still an issues as well. Wheaton is totally unproven, Bryant is very raw and Archer has an entire thread devoted to his lack of abilities. They still only have 1 good TE in Miller. Cotchery was their TD guy and now he is gone. So I don't see much difference between this year and last year. I just don't see a lot of upgrades. BTW here are Lance Moore's stats from last year:

Moore: 37 catches 457 yards 2 TDs
Sanders: 67 catches 740 yards 6 Tds.

But yea, Sanders won't make or break an offense but Moore is sure going to make this one better?
 
There still isn't a leader on the team. Jerome Bettis, Joey Porter, Hines Ward...leaders. This team don't have one.
 
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