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Gripes and worries so far.....

T

TWEEK1106

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Let me preface this by saying if you're the type of fan who takes the whole" the Steelers FO knows what it's doing and any second guessing is heresy" attitude.........go ahead and hit the 'back' tab and forget about this thread...... it's not for you.


Gripes and worries for me so far?

#1. LT position. Have not heard great things from anyone regarding this position. Big Al seems to have the inside track to start, but have heard nothing but now good our ends look against him and Harris. Not good.

#2. Corners. William Gay is probably our best corner and that's the problem in a nutshell.

#3. Injuries. Won't go so far as to say this team is"snakebitten" and I know other teams deal with just as many, if not more. It does seem like this team never has a 'light' year for injuries. Always seems to deal with team/season altering injuries without pause to enjoy the team as it's meant to be.


Anyone else able to take off the rose colored glasses for even a minute?
 
The Good:

Ben looks amazing. The OL is very good and deep. The WR's and RB's are very good. Coates looks like a breakout player!

Rookie Hargrave looks like he can add to the pass rush, 2nd-year man Chickillo looks like he has improved as a pass rusher and coverage backer.


The Bad:

Injures. Shazier dinged again. The TE unit is a huge question mark. Green is still not 100%. Golson out 12 weeks, maybe more. Burns does not look ready to play. I have not heard Dupree's name much this camp.


The Ugly:

Bell and Bryant suspensions. I'm not sure if Bell can make or pass his next test. The DB's as a group are going to be toast. We have no slot corner and limited depth at both corner and safety.

There you have it, no rose colored glasses here.
 
Coach said:
The Good:

Ben looks amazing. The OL is very good and deep. The WR's and RB's are very good. Coates looks like a breakout player!

Rookie Hargrave looks like he can add to the pass rush, 2nd-year man Chickillo looks like he has improved as a pass rusher and coverage backer.


The Bad:

Injures. Shazier dinged again. The TE unit is a huge question mark. Green is still not 100%. Golson out 12 weeks, maybe more. Burns does not look ready to play. I have not heard Dupree's name much this camp.


The Ugly:

Bell and Bryant suspensions. I'm not sure if Bell can make or pass his next test. The DB's as a group are going to be toast. We have no slot corner and limited depth at both corner and safety.

There you have it, no rose colored glasses here.
Click to expand...

repuS lwoB here we come!
 
Steelers will be fine. The secondary is a question mark, but I think this team will gel soon. I say week 3
 
TWEEK1106 said:
Let me preface this by saying if you're the type of fan who takes the whole" the Steelers FO knows what it's doing and any second guessing is heresy" attitude.........go ahead and hit the 'back' tab and forget about this thread...... it's not for you.
Click to expand...

Oh, no back tab needed. I have no problem having a realistic mindset about the Steelers, good or bad. They are not infallible or perfect and knowing that is healthy, as opposed to being a zealot.


Gripes and worries for me so far?

#1. LT position. Have not heard great things from anyone regarding this position. Big Al seems to have the inside track to start, but have heard nothing but now good our ends look against him and Harris. Not good.
Click to expand...

Oh, I do not share concern here. Big Al was already "serviceable" last season, and another camp under Munch he should be even better. Gilbert is already one of the better RT in the NFL. And signing Harris added a proven vet who was good enough to win a Super Bowl with Denver. I feel our OT position is in the best shape that it has been in many years. If you give me the choice of either Beachum or Al/Harris, I take the later. Two proven bodies better than one, and the Al has a high upside than Beachum. I am comfortable with either Al or Harris. I am not concerned.
#2. Corners. William Gay is probably our best corner and that's the problem in a nutshell.
Click to expand...


Gay is underrated. Just imagine the shape we'd be without him. Cockring showed promise. At least Blake is not on the roster so no way Tomlin can keep starting him, regardless of how horrid his play is. That is a big plus.

#3. Injuries. Won't go so far as to say this team is"snakebitten" and I know other teams deal with just as many, if not more. It does seem like this team never has a 'light' year for injuries. Always seems to deal with team/season altering injuries without pause to enjoy the team as it's meant to be.


Anyone else able to take off the rose colored glasses for even a minute?
Click to expand...

I don't really know if we are more injury prone than the average team. Maybe, but I'm not sure. So far we have been doing OK on the injury front, other than an unproven 2nd round pick at CB, who also missed all of last year. We can't afford anymore DBs going down for they year.

I don't know why you are assuming everyone in here lives in Steeler denial and only thinks the team is always perfect. I don't get that impression. There are a few like that but certainly not everyone is like that.

To be fair, some in here still try to defend Jarvis Jones as not a terrible draft pick. Now, I agree that those folks are zealots and live in denial. I will agree with you there.
 
I'm only worried about injuries. I expect ever part of the team to play pretty good with the exception of the secondary. I expect the defensive line to play about average to above average (which is actually below average for a Steeler line)But...(and here's my homerism..) If someone on the line can figure something out a' la Harrison did about 10 years ago and start playing way above expected levels that could change everything. Nothing makes a secondary look better than a dominant lineman.

But honestly...I expect to see a lot of 35-31 football games this year. Not my cup of tea (I've always been a defense guy) but I'll take it if it's Pittsburgh with the 35 at the end.

But injuries make everything I said even more worthless than it already is. Blood pressure may be the silent killer but I blame injuries. Because nothing can make my blood boil faster than an unlucky injury. (except maybe a bases loaded , one out, inning ending double play. That's pretty tough on me too.)
 
bmoritz said:
I've heard that Villenuava has looked good at LT.
Click to expand...



I included this because while I've heard some decent things coming out of camp I've also heard that Harris is nothing but a poor man's Beachum and that Big Al got put on roller skates by Shazier. Just a little worrisome especially if a guy LITERALLY 100lbs less than him can set big Al back 10yrds on a bullrush
 
the corner situation though? don't get me started......borderline professional negligence on the part of our HC/GM
 
No worries! As I understand it, the concept of the game is to score more points than your opponent.

Easy peezy Just put up 40 a game.
 
Harris anchored the Bronco LT for a whole season and into a Lombardi Trophy....with an old immobile QB.
 
I'm only worried about the injuries. If the offense can stay healthy, then maybe they can negate what I predict will be awful secondary play.
But Damn, the secondary surely will be ahead of where they started last season. Remember that toasting the cheats gave us to start the season. Ugh.
 
TWEEK1106 said:
the corner situation though? don't get me started......borderline professional negligence on the part of our HC/GM
Click to expand...

With a good pass rush from Cam, Tuitt, Hargrove/McCullers, and the LBs you can hide a suspect secondary. From time to time will they be exposed. They are young and inexperienced, it will happen. I was not a big fan of the Burns pick or any CB pick in the first round. Way too many CB busts over the years IMO to waste a first round pick. I like Gay and Cockrell...they aren't superstars but will be good enough I think (as long as we can get a pass rush).
 
The sky if falling, the sky is falling Oh nO !!!!!!! I think our beloved STEELERS will surprise many. Perfect, heck no, but definately improved from the START of the season last year. They are a notorious slow starting team but hopefully they gallop out of the gates.




Salute the nation
 
I trust NO ONE. NFL cant get out of their own way...

STEELERS make the Bowl!
 
TWEEK1106 said:
the corner situation though? don't get me started......borderline professional negligence on the part of our HC/GM
Click to expand...

That used to describe how they handled the OL, and prior to that, would describe how they treated QB position.

Once they get stubborn about something, they get pig headed. I used to blame Cowher but it's still like that since he's been gone.
 
TWEEK1106 said:
the corner situation though? don't get me started......borderline professional negligence on the part of our HC/GM
Click to expand...
A first round corner this year, and a second round corner last year. What more do you expect? We're not going out and signing Richard Sherman. Can't help it if last year's pick can't stay healthy. It happens. The corner many on this board wanted is already out for the year in Cincy.
 
I'm fine with Big Al at LT.
DB's are somewhat less than adequate. Gay is good enough but teams just have to avoid going his direction and it's a field day.
At the same time, the DL has improved and maybe takes a little pressure off the DB's but the LB's with three recent first round draft picks are not. Hell, our two best LB's are long-time vets one of whom is 38.
 
We haven't played one preseason game. We were doing just fine at end of year, the defense was playing better, the offense was doing its thing, come on give the Steelers some love fans.
 
black and gold apex said:
We haven't played one preseason game. We were doing just fine at end of year, the defense was playing better, the offense was doing its thing, come on give the Steelers some love fans.
Click to expand...

and Tomlin tricked the Great DL in to taking on his worst CB!!
 
2nd page and still no Tomlin bashing? WTH is going on in this twilight zone?

Depth at RB is concerning considering the age of D Will and the stupidity of Bell. D Will has defied his age so far and love him, but Father Time can be cruel when RBs get into their 30s.

Gripe: Whiff is back do to his ability to do several things poorly so likely a candidate with a higher upside will be jettisoned when the 53 is constructed, if Grimble loses a spot to keep Whiff argh!!!

Worried about depth on the interior of the OL, especially considering Pouncey's past history of injuries/surgeries.

Do we have a backup DE on the roster or will Tuitt and Heyward have to play 90% of the snaps every game and be gassed in crunch time and down the stretch when games really matter. The combo of Walton, Mathews and Lyons doesn't comfort me much...I like the rookie DT, but coming from a small school vs weak competition doesn't make me want to rely on him and then there is McCullers. We are thin as can be along the DL.

Finally the biggest concern has to be the secondary, no need to even beat this dead horse.

In many ways we seem to be exactly where we were last year heading into the season which leads me to believe this season has 11-5 written all over it and likely a road game in the AFC championship. As Steeler fans we are accustomed to being spoiled with SB wins, hoping for the best but there are definitely reasons to be concerned.

HERE WE GO STEELERS!!!
 
Fiji Mariner said:
2nd page and still no Tomlin bashing? WTH is going on in this twilight zone?

Depth at RB is concerning considering the age of D Will and the stupidity of Bell. D Will has defied his age so far and love him, but Father Time can be cruel when RBs get into their 30s.

Gripe: Whiff is back do to his ability to do several things poorly so likely a candidate with a higher upside will be jettisoned when the 53 is constructed, if Grimble loses a spot to keep Whiff argh!!!

Worried about depth on the interior of the OL, especially considering Pouncey's past history of injuries/surgeries.

Do we have a backup DE on the roster or will Tuitt and Heyward have to play 90% of the snaps every game and be gassed in crunch time and down the stretch when games really matter. The combo of Walton, Mathews and Lyons doesn't comfort me much...I like the rookie DT, but coming from a small school vs weak competition doesn't make me want to rely on him and then there is McCullers. We are thin as can be along the DL.

Finally the biggest concern has to be the secondary, no need to even beat this dead horse.

In many ways we seem to be exactly where we were last year heading into the season which leads me to believe this season has 11-5 written all over it and likely a road game in the AFC championship. As Steeler fans we are accustomed to being spoiled with SB wins, hoping for the best but there are definitely reasons to be concerned.

HERE WE GO STEELERS!!!
Click to expand...

Well, give me the 2015 Steeler team with a healthy Ben for 16 games, and I'll take my chances. I do think our defense will be improved, given that it will be Butler's second season as DC...we spent the early portion of last season searching for an identity on defense (remember all the Cover 2 technique that was taught in training camp and then scratched pretty much immediately?). I think we will see fewer blown assignments and confusion this year. Our secondary - while clearly the weak point of the team - at least starts 4 guys (Gay-Golden-Mitchell-Cockrell) who will know where to line up and should be on the same page. If Tuitt and Shazier continue ascending and Bud Dupree steps up...
 
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