Concede the North...

[NoKap#7]

I know it's a hard pill to swallow after starting off the season so well, but as a fan I would rather they just sat out key players with injuries these last two games. There's nothing really to be gained from winning the North other then getting the one home playoff game. At this point they would be facing Chargers or Texans in the playoffs and although obviously no game is a gimme I would feel pretty good about a healthy Steelers squad opening up against either of those two teams, even on the road

They've proven as a healthy team they are more then capable of having a significant playoff run by going 5-0 against teams with winning records before this injury bug hit. I think most of us feel this is the best team they've had since the 2017-2018 team. Why not present them with the best chance to win it all??? Discuss.

 

[madinsomniac]

Thats idiotic. A home playoff game in way easier to win than a road game... you always try to get the division... they get ten days after the KC game to heal up.. but you dont just let the Ravens have the division...

 

[SteelerFan448]

The Steelers defensive home/away defensive splits this year are enormous. The Steelers absolutely want to win the division and get a home playoff game.

 

[Litos]

The Steelers defensive home/away defensive splits this year are enormous. The Steelers absolutely want to win the division and get a home playoff game.

this closes the discussion

 

[Fiji Mariner]

The time for resting starters was the Eagles game
That ship has sailed

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Doesn't matter. They've lost playoff games with better teams than this.

 

[warriors42]

What makes anyone think we have a choice

 

[stillwright]

The time for resting starters was the Eagles game
That ship has sailed

Eagles game was meaningless. Raven's game meant everything. Wonder how the Chief's game shakes out in the realm of importance?

 

[SojournerSteel]

Doesn't matter. They've lost playoff games with better teams than this.

And against weaker QBs.

 

[insaniti]

Eagles game was meaningless. Raven's game meant everything. Wonder how the Chief's game shakes out in the realm of importance?

It's very important to keep pace with the ravens, who play the Texans. But the real question is, KC has the #1 seed locked up. What do they have to play for? Mahomes is beat up a bit.

 

[SteelerSask2]

If you win one Game you get Houston for sure. They got their own problems. With the secondary torn up and no Elliot or Pickens Wednesday that is a lost cause anyhow. Rest the injured including Watt for two weeks. Play to win vs. Bengals to secure 5th spot. Take your chance against Houston.

 

[KStilley]

If the Steelers lose the last two games and the chargers and Denver win their last two, guess where the Steelers are heading, same place as last year. That's right, Buffalo.

San Diego has the Pats and Raiders, Denver at Cincinnati and home against a Cheifs team that will definitely be resting some guys (if they beat us Wednesday/F#@% you Roger) by half time. I will say the Broncos will have their hands full against the Bengals but we all know what the bungles can do on any given Sunday especially when their season is on the line.

I don't think your idea makes much sense.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Eagles game was meaningless. Raven's game meant everything. Wonder how the Chief's game shakes out in the realm of importance?

They upped the importance by dropping the Rats game that meant something

It meant squat if they could’ve focused on the 1 of the 3 games in 10 days that was of utmost importance

Sadly they had themselves positioned to make only 1 of those 3 matter but alas now this one matters more than it should’ve.

Have zero doubt the Chiefs dispatch is with prejudice and get into the extra bye week they earn by doing so

 

[Steelers1356]

But the real question is, KC has the #1 seed locked up. What do they have to play for? Mahomes is beat up a bit.

Not yet. The Bills own the tiebreaker unless they lose today.

 

[JMM]

Concede nothing. Play every game like it's your last. That goes for meaningless games, in my opinion anyways but we see teams resting starters all the time at the end of the season but at least with the Steelers how many times did we see starters rested and they play like crap for the first half or more in the next game. Bad habits creep in quick.

 

[Steelmann]

I hate the concede the game….tank for the draft…this game means nothing mentality.

 

[stuntmanmike]

It's very important to keep pace with the ravens, who play the Texans. But the real question is, KC has the #1 seed locked up. What do they have to play for? Mahomes is beat up a bit.

It’s a gut feeling but I think we beat the chiefs and everyone has their false ideas about the stillers proven but facts are: We are just average. We are not disfunctional like the jets or browns but we’re no better. We have an average front office, average hc, average coaching staff. We are just an average team that depends on very highly paid skilled players to pull our beacon out of the fire now and again so we can maintain our averageness. I can live with Coach Tomlin but he has to hire better coordinators! Years ago stealers drafted a bad *** hard hitting linebacker out of Colorado Chad Brown. Brown hit you so hard there was a real danger your *** would fall off!! When they drafted him we had hard hitters the Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene on the outside. The coaching staff then, one of the best defense defensive coach staffs ever assembled that included Don Capers, Marvin Lewis, Dick Lebeau didn’t sit around with their thumbs in their ears they rebuilt the defense to include Brown giving us three of the best blitzers in football on the field at the same time! Chargers beat us to go to Super Bowl but defense did its job. But faced the same delima 30 years later, our very very average coaching staff sat there and never found a way to incorporate all three blitzers at the same time. What this does is put undue pressure on the secondary. In a pass happy era this makes absolutely no sense unless your just average you don’t really care about anything but the status quo.

 

[Steelersfan84]

It’s a gut feeling but I think we beat the chiefs and everyone has their false ideas about the stillers proven but facts are: We are just average. We are not disfunctional like the jets or browns but we’re no better. We have an average front office, average hc, average coaching staff. We are just an average team that depends on very highly paid skilled players to pull our beacon out of the fire now and again so we can maintain our averageness. I can live with Coach Tomlin but he has to hire better coordinators! Years ago stealers drafted a bad *** hard hitting linebacker out of Colorado Chad Brown. Brown hit you so hard there was a real danger your *** would fall off!! When they drafted him we had hard hitters the Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene on the outside. The coaching staff then, one of the best defense defensive coach staffs ever assembled that included Don Capers, Marvin Lewis, Dick Lebeau didn’t sit around with their thumbs in their ears they rebuilt the defense to include Brown giving us three of the best blitzers in football on the field at the same time! Chargers beat us to go to Super Bowl but defense did its job. But faced the same delima 30 years later, our very very average coaching staff sat there and never found a way to incorporate all three blitzers at the same time. What this does is put undue pressure on the secondary. In a pass happy era this makes absolutely no sense unless your just average you don’t really care about anything but the status quo.

So you can live with being average?

 

[Fiji Mariner]

It’s a gut feeling but I think we beat the chiefs and everyone has their false ideas about the stillers proven but facts are: We are just average. We are not disfunctional like the jets or browns but we’re no better. We have an average front office, average hc, average coaching staff. We are just an average team that depends on very highly paid skilled players to pull our beacon out of the fire now and again so we can maintain our averageness. I can live with Coach Tomlin but he has to hire better coordinators! Years ago stealers drafted a bad *** hard hitting linebacker out of Colorado Chad Brown. Brown hit you so hard there was a real danger your *** would fall off!! When they drafted him we had hard hitters the Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene on the outside. The coaching staff then, one of the best defense defensive coach staffs ever assembled that included Don Capers, Marvin Lewis, Dick Lebeau didn’t sit around with their thumbs in their ears they rebuilt the defense to include Brown giving us three of the best blitzers in football on the field at the same time! Chargers beat us to go to Super Bowl but defense did its job. But faced the same delima 30 years later, our very very average coaching staff sat there and never found a way to incorporate all three blitzers at the same time. What this does is put undue pressure on the secondary. In a pass happy era this makes absolutely no sense unless your just average you don’t really care about anything but the status quo.

All 3 pass rushers were on the field first game of the year vs the Falcons if you’re referring to Watt, Highsmith and Herbig

Didn’t yield too many results but would’ve likely been something they went back to if not for all the injuries to the OLBs

To circle back to your opening statement tho, what makes you think we beat the Chiefs?
Just a hunch or is there some matchup that excites you?

 

[Fiji Mariner]

I hate the concede the game….tank for the draft…this game means nothing mentality.

Big difference between load management and setting your team up for its most important game of the year and “tanking for the draft”

Sometimes games are what they are…Essentially of such low importance they are nearly meaningless
Sometimes games are absolutely crucial and must win to achieve your goals

I hate the concede the first playoff game every year mentality but apparently the ownership is cool with it.

 

[Confluence]

Rest all who are dinged/tired/injured vs Chefs. Start Kyle Allen and as man PS guys as possible in this meaningless exhibition game.

Bring everyone possible to beat the bungles and start the playoff drive well rested. Tomlin teams do well after a bye.

 

[madinsomniac]

So we are clear, if the Steelers beat the Chiefs and Bengals, the Division is won by Pittsburgh, regardless of Ratbird results

If the Ravens lose to Houston and Cleveland the division is won by Pittsburgh, regardless of Steelers results

If we beat the Chiefs and lose to Cinci and the ravens beats Houston but loses to Cleveland, the Division is won by Pittsburgh

If the Ravens lose either game, and the Steelers beat Cinci, the division is won by Pittsburgh


The Ravens two paths to the division are

Outright winning more than the steelers ( so thhe Steelers going 1-1 and Baltimore going 2-0 or the steelers going 0-2 and the ravens going 1-1

Tying but having more division wins ... they play Cleveland week 18 and we play cinci... so they havve to beat cleveland abd we have to lose to Cinci

 

[slashsteel]

It’s a gut feeling but I think we beat the chiefs and everyone has their false ideas about the stillers proven but facts are: We are just average. We are not disfunctional like the jets or browns but we’re no better. We have an average front office, average hc, average coaching staff. We are just an average team that depends on very highly paid skilled players to pull our beacon out of the fire now and again so we can maintain our averageness. I can live with Coach Tomlin but he has to hire better coordinators! Years ago stealers drafted a bad *** hard hitting linebacker out of Colorado Chad Brown. Brown hit you so hard there was a real danger your *** would fall off!! When they drafted him we had hard hitters the Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene on the outside. The coaching staff then, one of the best defense defensive coach staffs ever assembled that included Don Capers, Marvin Lewis, Dick Lebeau didn’t sit around with their thumbs in their ears they rebuilt the defense to include Brown giving us three of the best blitzers in football on the field at the same time! Chargers beat us to go to Super Bowl but defense did its job. But faced the same delima 30 years later, our very very average coaching staff sat there and never found a way to incorporate all three blitzers at the same time. What this does is put undue pressure on the secondary. In a pass happy era this makes absolutely no sense unless your just average you don’t really care about anything but the status quo.

I don’t think their GM and Assistant is average. The depth on this team is arguably better than in years past. Their money focused D falls short of expectations despite being deep at OLBer. So for me Austin is a liability.

Already put my thoughts on Tomlin out there. But I do feel strongly a reboot is needed.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

I don’t think their GM and Assistant is average. The depth on this team is arguably better than in years past. Their money focused D falls short of expectations despite being deep at OLBer. So for me Austin is a liability.

Already put my thoughts on Tomlin out there. But I do feel strongly a reboot is needed.

Makes me wonder if this was a contract year for Mike if anything would be different heading down the stretch

Sometimes you need to hold a coach’s feet to the fire
Sometimes the seat needs to warm up too

We both know that is not the case, he is cozy as hell even if he should end the season on a 5 game losing streak…still cozy

Would’ve loved to see some contract year coaching out of him to see if anything was different or is this his best effort we are witnessing?

 

[slashsteel]

Makes me wonder if this was a contract year for Mike if anything would be different heading down the stretch

Sometimes you need to hold a coach’s feet to the fire
Sometimes the seat needs to warm up too

We both know that is not the case, he is cozy as hell even if he should end the season on a 5 game losing streak…still cozy

Would’ve loved to see some contract year coaching out of him to see if anything was different or is this his best effort we are witnessing?

Yeah unfortunately they do not put him in uncomfortable situations as you mentioned. Which tells me they are ok with what he has produced lately. Sad but true.