Game Thoughts and Issues

[Idioteque]

Arians' offense indeed had the exact same problems, but at least it had a workable philosophy behind it. Go downfield and let the playmakers make plays. The problem under Arians is that that philosophy doesn't always work; it has to be supplemented with some quicker and more efficient routes because even the best gunslinging QB is going to have a handful of "off" games.

Haley's philosophy, on the other hand, is extraordinarily pussified. Just take the few yards here and there that the D is gracious enough to give you. Bubble screens and 4-yard curls. Don't force ANYTHING and NEVER, under any circumstances, throw to a receiver if there's a defender within 5 yards. Ever.

 

[Coryea]

The run game is much better now, but we had a deep threat when BA was here, but under both guys we throw a ton of we screens and have no offensive flow to our play calling

 

[thesteelcity]

Those guys are not the problem. Tomlin started this **** slide and he owns it. Arians looked like **** while here. Tomlin is the guy that has the most opportunity to **** things up and he has.

I wish the Rooney's had the balls to make all the moves, starting with Tomlin. I would give the O keys to Munchak and the D to Butler. How this team has been playing against the fellow bottomfeeders, they will get their ***** handed to them against BAL, IND, HOU, CIN, NO and ATL. It's fine to sit idle until after the season, but doing nothing basically means you accept that this is a horrible team and it is what it is. How is that fair to the fans? A lot of money is put out for tix, food, travel, gear, etc. Being a successful lawyer/businessman, ARII can't be pleased with this organization as a whole. His team just got embarrassed by the Browns. He needs to make a move to wake up the dead.

 

[Superman]

The run game is much better now, but we had a deep threat when BA was here, but under both guys we throw a ton of we screens and have no offensive flow to our play calling

this offense only seems to work when it's no-huddle. quick, up-tempo, getting the ball to the WRs or quick handoffs.

I really liked that we FINALLY snapped the ball while a defensive player was trying to get off the field.

 

[keslerclan]

As far as the coaches are concerned...we all know that Tombert is what's wrong but neither will be going anywhere soon enough.

Everyone calling for Lebeau's retirement must not have been watching Steeler football very long. IMO NOTHING gets by this guy and he is still as creative as they come BUT he believes in a 3-4 base designed system...which we AREN'T running due to inadequate talent on the edges of our defense. Nothing has worked since moving Troy up to LB. The rush LBs only rush a fraction of the time now and even when they do, we are playing out of our base defense with no NT in the game. The drop-off of McLendon to Cam Thomas was clearly evident yesterday.

Why would you blame a perennial top 5 DC with our defensive woes now? Why would you replace him w a LB coach with ZERO experience as a DC?

How good is Butler at his job now without talent at OLB? I admit, Butler looked like a 'hot prospect' when the LBs were considered the strong point of our defense. NOW, despite heavy drafting at the position w 3 #1 draft picks and a #2, his coaching looks like *****? I blame it equally on him and the guy drafting (assuming he advises Tombert as to who HE likes, which isn't a given but is the league norm)

On defense, I say play base D most of the time and let the safeties play the pass on anything over 3-wide sets (Shamarko is better in coverage than Troy, if healthy, IMO) Our dime D and Package D has been making the worst QBs look like all-stars anyway WHILE giving up the run. Better to stop the run with our base package of 3-down linemen and 2 OLBs while taking our chances with the pass. At least we limit the offenses options.

You sure as hell don't get better at 'driving a golf ball' if all you do is practice putting!

Our defense has become a quagmire of 4 LBs who line-up out of position, a safety doing the same and everyone is moving on the play-action and getting SMOKED.

I would let DL run the show on D entirely and stop trying to promote a 'hybrid' 4-3 scheme into his philosophy (which is what I think is happening w Tomlin)

On offense, I give the OC job to Fichtner as I have said in the past. He has a ton of OC experience working miracles in offensive production and points scored at Memphis and Ark St with juggernaut QBs like Danny Wimprine and Cleo Lemon who set school records at both schools under Fichtner. Ben would freakin love the guy too. I love Munch at his current spot and wouldn't change it by making him an OC as he has NEVER been one in his career.

 

[MT~Forged]

I still do not see what makes Butler look like the savior.

I think that DL sholud go, but not because he has lost it. He needs to leave BEFORE his reputation is COMPLETLY ruined. You just can not make steak out of a **** sandwhich. I DO NOT BELIEVE that DL is the one pulling the trigger on players in the draft, he is just trying to do the best with what he is given. Just because DL may be telling them who he wants, does not mean they are getting him those players.

 

[blitzburghv5]

I still do not see what makes Butler look like the savior.

I think that DL sholud go, but not because he has lost it. He needs to leave BEFORE his reputation is COMPLETLY ruined. You just can not make steak out of a **** sandwhich. I DO NOT BELIEVE that DL is the one pulling the trigger on players in the draft, he is just trying to do the best with what he is given. Just because DL may be telling them who he wants, does not mean they are getting him those players.

Oh he talked up players like Shazier..he raved about him..........said he was special. (and in time he could be). DL's rep is already ruined...the game has passed him by. His 10-15 yd cushions on the wideouts are played out. Who the **** does that ?!!! His schemes fool no one and everyone runs the zone blitz so QB see that **** in practice. Hes a dinosaur tryin to maintain in the cyberage. He needs to quit. I think hes still allowed to stay on because of his past rep. Hes being stubborn. He should hang up the headset. No disrespect but its past time to move beyond Dick.

 

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

Prediction: If the Steelers lose to the Texans - and they continue to struggle offensively - Haley will be fired by next Tuesday.

Just a hunch he's on double-secret probation, and close to being "expelled."

 

[Tibs]

No disrespect but its past time to move beyond Dick.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

A few more random thoughts.

Steelers cut Hoyer and drafted Landry Jones with a high pick.


Chose to keep Worilds over Woodley. Woodley may have had injury issues but at least he made plays when healthy.


Let Keenan Lewis walk and gave Cortez Allen a contract.


Cheap free agent pickup Moats is just as good as 1st round Jarvis and high $ Worilds


Raven snagged Elvis Dumervil, Eugene Monroe, and Steve Smith. Steelers got Moats, Levi Brown, and Lance Moore.


Steelers can't stop a zone run scheme and their own offense uses zone runs. That tells you how ****** the Steelers are at zone runs that it doesn't even provide good practice for other teams that use zone.


This defense is so dumb, they consider a play action bootleg to be a"trick" play.

 

[Dsteelmans]

Arians' offense indeed had the exact same problems, but at least it had a workable philosophy behind it. Go downfield and let the playmakers make plays. The problem under Arians is that that philosophy doesn't always work; it has to be supplemented with some quicker and more efficient routes because even the best gunslinging QB is going to have a handful of "off" games.

Haley's philosophy, on the other hand, is extraordinarily pussified. Just take the few yards here and there that the D is gracious enough to give you. Bubble screens and 4-yard curls. Don't force ANYTHING and NEVER, under any circumstances, throw to a receiver if there's a defender within 5 yards. Ever.

Unless it's third and one, then it's bombs away baby .

Someone should be ******* fired for that call alone.

 

[slashsteel]

yeah who was making the personnel decisions, is it leaning heavy on Tomlin or Colbert? Rooney knows the answer and should fix the problem.

Then you have a team that has been progressively getting worse.

Not only do they hover around .500

they do it painfully ugly against mediocre to bad teams.

Which yeah makes this team a bad team.

I have seen enough, Steeler Nation has seen enough.

When do owners one and all see enough?

How low does this team have to go for a fricken change to take place?

One head coach who is better at clichés than game adjustments.

One assistant coach who forte was golf but daddy squeezed him some opportunity.

Another assistant stuck in what was.

Other teams have adjusted, this team has steadily declined.

I feel it is just cluster ***** of sucks.

Time to realign the ducks

quack

 

[FAB802]

They won't fire Haley, or Tomlin and LeBeau will be here until he decides to leave. If by some chance Hell does freeze over I don't want Butler. He is a LeBeau disciple so nothing will change. I want someone who will blow the defense up and get with the new NFL. It's all about the pass, and the best defenses are the ones who can get to the QB with four guys. We can't get there sending six sometimes.

Offensively I don't know what the problem is. We have a top ten QB, no he is not elite. We have a legit top ten WR, and RB. The secondary pieces are more than serviceable. The line is a yo yo from week to week with their play. There is no reason we shouldn't be scoring twenty plus points a game regardless of what plays are being called.

While we are at it, why can't we overpay for a real ST guru and try to make a difference there to offset the completely **** play we have on offense and defense?

The front office needs blown up too. I've lived through a couple of these ****** runs, and this one will be no different other than wasting a good QB while they do it. I want Tomlin gone too, I just don't see it happening given our team history. If he were to go I would hope they spend a month interviewing every coach they can both college and pro to get an answer.

 

[JJ_Steel]

Great post FAB802, anyone watching this team the last 4 years can tell it is poorly coached and unprepared on game day. I also love your idea of going outside the organization for a new DC, we need some big uglies up front that can push the pocket not just speed rushers on the outside who are negated by quick 3 step drops or game planning.

 

[black and gold apex]

Tomlin is the head coach, the players are lackluster on the field, no leaders, no fight, and not ready to play. How do you not look at the head coach. The OC can only call plays, not make the plays. The OC can't make an offensive line block and protect. The OC can't have players catch the ball, The OC can't make players ready to play.

 

[keslerclan]

Watching the MNF tonight I realized how talent/experience stricken we are on offense...let alone defense.

The 49ers have Crabtree, Boldin, Brandin LLoyd and Stevie johnson as their top 4 WRs...154 career TDs among them with none under 24 TDs

We have AB, Wheaton, JB and occasionally Lance Moore (who has the most career TDs of the bunch w 39)...AB has 20 career TDs totalling 59.

We do not have the talent to compete at a high level (or more obviously, a low one).

 

[Ghost of Frenchy Fuqua]

I knew that looked familiar:

So how do the Niners assemble a receiving corps that includes Boldin, Crabtree, Lloyd and Stevie Johnson?

Meanwhile, the Steelers have Brown, Brown, Brown and Brown.

 

[JJ_Steel]

The dumb *** Tomlin said today he is fine with Archer taking out the kickoffs from deep in the end zone, guy is ******* clueless at best.

 

[insaniti]

Watching the MNF tonight I realized how talent/experience stricken we are on offense...let alone defense.

The 49ers have Crabtree, Boldin, Brandin LLoyd and Stevie johnson as their top 4 WRs...154 career TDs among them with none under 24 TDs

We have AB, Wheaton, JB and occasionally Lance Moore (who has the most career TDs of the bunch w 39)...AB has 20 career TDs totalling 59.

We do not have the talent to compete at a high level (or more obviously, a low one).

Boldin was traded from one brother to the other for peanuts. Brandin Lloyd is a journeyman WR who has bounced around the league unable to stick to a single team. He's also 33. Stevie Johnson fell out of favor in Buff after a injury riddled season, running his mouth, and not producing on the field.

It's easy to judge after the fact, but it's not like Lloyd and Johnson were signed for huge deals. We have a lot of inexperience at WR, and sometimes that's just what you have to deal with. The Patriots did just that last year, and are dealing with it again this year. The Bengals have 59 among their amazing WR group as well, and 31 of them are from AJ Green.

Who knows why Lance is having such a problem here in Pittsburgh, he had some solid years in NO. J. Brown and Wheaton are second year players trying to work themselves into the groove, but only one of them was really expected to make the team. I don't think we expected Cotchery to bolt for the Panthers, I don't think ANYONE saw that coming to be honest.

 

[Litos]

Boldin was traded from one brother to the other for peanuts. Brandin Lloyd is a journeyman WR who has bounced around the league unable to stick to a single team. He's also 33. Stevie Johnson fell out of favor in Buff after a injury riddled season, running his mouth, and not producing on the field.

It's easy to judge after the fact, but it's not like Lloyd and Johnson were signed for huge deals. We have a lot of inexperience at WR, and sometimes that's just what you have to deal with. The Patriots did just that last year, and are dealing with it again this year. The Bengals have 59 among their amazing WR group as well, and 31 of them are from AJ Green.

Who knows why Lance is having such a problem here in Pittsburgh, he had some solid years in NO. J. Brown and Wheaton are second year players trying to work themselves into the groove, but only one of them was really expected to make the team. I don't think we expected Cotchery to bolt for the Panthers, I don't think ANYONE saw that coming to be honest.

after such productive season it was not far-fetched to see a desperate team throwing money to Cotchery. I could see it coming. Yet I don't mind having so many young guys on the roster, Wheaton can become a very good #2 by the end of the season, Lance Moore just catched his first tD so maybe he starts a good groove. Just have to wait on Martavis and Wheaton development along Justin Brown, who has better hands than what he has showed up.

 

[Hineswardkickedurpanzyass]

If this team was a true business it would be called Kmart, and all of those employed would be looking for a new job at Walmart.

 

[Hineswardkickedurpanzyass]

I don't think we expected Cotchery to bolt for the Panthers, I don't think ANYONE saw that coming to be honest.

that is part of the problem. I am paid 1/100 of what Tombert is paid to fix problems and to anticipate the unexpected. I do a much much much much much better job than either dumb and dumber and yet I still have a ****** job and these ******* tards are still there. The standard is gone, we suck. Who is responsible?
**** you Tombert. **** you. Give me the keys to the franchise, it is not like I could do worse.

 

[JJ_Steel]

When you know you are losing Sanders, have an unknown in Wheaton in reserve you damn sure as hell lock up Cotchery for a couple of years before letting him go out in free agency. You know he is from North Carolina and you know the Panthers have no WRs so you sure as hell perceive them as a potential threat to signing Cotchery. Of course we do neither and let him visit a team that can guaranty him a starting spot in his home state, hhhmm what will he do what will he do ?

 

[keslerclan]

Boldin was traded from one brother to the other for peanuts. Brandin Lloyd is a journeyman WR who has bounced around the league unable to stick to a single team. He's also 33. Stevie Johnson fell out of favor in Buff after a injury riddled season, running his mouth, and not producing on the field.
Although alot of production exists among their players...they all also have size and physicality which we don't. Their top 4 are all over 6' and 200#

It's easy to judge after the fact, but it's not like Lloyd and Johnson were signed for huge deals. We have a lot of inexperience at WR, and sometimes that's just what you have to deal with. The Patriots did just that last year, and are dealing with it again this year. The Bengals have 59 among their amazing WR group as well, and 31 of them are from AJ Green.

They also lost their version of our Cotchery in Marvin Jones to injury who also had 10 TDs last year. Again, all of the top 4 are over 6'-1" and 200#. Our top 4 only has 1 player (J.Brown) over 6' and 190# AND he's the worst of the bunch, IMO.

Who knows why Lance is having such a problem here in Pittsburgh, he had some solid years in NO. J. Brown and Wheaton are second year players trying to work themselves into the groove, but only one of them was really expected to make the team. I don't think we expected Cotchery to bolt for the Panthers, I don't think ANYONE saw that coming to be honest.

As I stated before, we have NO physicality at WR which means we have nobody but the slowed down version of Heath to open up the middle of the field for us. Ever notice how when we played J-ville, their back-up CBs looked like all-pros? We have no one who can get separation except AB and no one who is willing or able to go down the seams to keep the safeties from playing up or helping the outside lanes.

Who is gonna be our Hines Ward or Jerricho Cotchery this year and start catching balls down the middle? We got nothin, IMO.

 

[slashsteel]

As I stated before, we have NO physicality at WR which means we have nobody but the slowed down version of Heath to open up the middle of the field for us. Ever notice how when we played J-ville, their back-up CBs looked like all-pros? We have no one who can get separation except AB and no one who is willing or able to go down the seams to keep the safeties from playing up or helping the outside lanes.

Who is gonna be our Hines Ward or Jerricho Cotchery this year and start catching balls down the middle? We got nothin, IMO.

I think they needed to lock up one WR but let two go before the season. In a passing league?

If I wasthe owner someone would get **** canned just for that.