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Love on the field.......... hate off the field...........You be the General

Agreed... AB did have Ben throwing to him. The on field stuff was the best of the best from AB. The off the field behind the scenes **** show.........

I often wonder if maybe .....AB and Bell stayed....what could have been.

Though we won nothing when they were here but their early exit cut short a few more seasons where maybe something special could have happened before Ben retired.
This is the wrong question.

The correct question is what would have happened with a halfway competent head coach instead of Cool Shades McDummy?

We had them together for FIVE FN YEARS.
Four of those years they made the playoffs.
Two of those years were one and dones ( 0-1 ).
One year of 1-1 in the playoffs, and the other 2-1 losing to the Cheats.
Haley was the OC for that entire time, and because of him or in spite of him, the offense was humming with the 3 Bs.
While the D wasn’t 70s Steel Curtain, 90s Blitzburgh, or 2000s Deebo / Troy P DPOY versions, it certainly wasn’t a liability the magnitude that would submarine seasons.

I will NEVER forgive that mental midget for squandering such generational talent.
 
I thought the '16 season was the year, we had won 7 straight games to end the season, Bell started his first playoff game (finally being healthy). He went on to set franchise records in back to back playoff games for rush yards. Boswell set the record for most FG's in a playoff game, but unfortunately Bell got hurt in the Chiefs game, and left early in the Patriots game. In that game, we shut their running game down, but allowed the GREAT Chris Hogan to go off for 9 catches, 180 yards, and 2 TD's.

Little did I know, that would be the last year the Steelers would win a playoff game. Such potential wasted...
 
I thought the '16 season was the year, we had won 7 straight games to end the season, Bell started his first playoff game (finally being healthy). He went on to set franchise records in back to back playoff games for rush yards. Boswell set the record for most FG's in a playoff game, but unfortunately Bell got hurt in the Chiefs game, and left early in the Patriots game. In that game, we shut their running game down, but allowed the GREAT Chris Hogan to go off for 9 catches, 180 yards, and 2 TD's.

Little did I know, that would be the last year the Steelers would win a playoff game. Such potential wasted...
that's exactly it

Ben - AB - LB ... and we're kicking FGs because of some deer-in-the-headlights simpleton calling the shots.
 
Yup, Bell had 30 carries for 170 yards, Brown 6 catches 105 yards, and it was 6 FG's... Classic Tomlin game
It easy to understand the Tomcepts that lead to more Tomlinships!
 
Ben and AB had that special connection on the field you don't see too often. Both of them elevated each other's game. AB also had the knack for making clutch plays to win games or extend drives when needed. Obviously he has a ton of off field issues, but on the field he was certainly one of the best.
 
If I have a must win game, I'm taking Ward.

Our defense would be a lot tougher if it had a couple guys with Ward’s demeanor.

He was a joy to watch play the game. Definitely an all time favorite Steeler!
 
Our defense would be a lot tougher if it had a couple guys with Ward’s demeanor.

He was a joy to watch play the game. Definitely an all time favorite Steeler!
Ward was a tone setter and a winner. It's pretty remarkable he was able to epitomize what the Steelers were all about while playing offense. The Steelers don't have any of those guys anymore. There isn't a winner at the NFL level who sets the cultural tone in the locker room because there isn't a player on this team who has done anything of any significance in a game that has mattered while wearing the black and gold. This is why it's important to at least win A playoff game. That's how you start to build a true winning culture.
 
That's nearly as much a Big Ben reel...just fantastic stuff.



Fully agree, without Ben, AB doesn’t elevate nearly as much.

Remember when AB had that public out-cry of him “making” Ben and not the other way around……….

I called Bull-**** on that big time.



Salute the nation
 
Ward was a tone setter and a winner. It's pretty remarkable he was able to epitomize what the Steelers were all about while playing offense. The Steelers don't have any of those guys anymore. There isn't a winner at the NFL level who sets the cultural tone in the locker room because there isn't a player on this team who has done anything of any significance in a game that has mattered while wearing the black and gold. This is why it's important to at least win A playoff game. That's how you start to build a true winning culture.

I don't know if I agree with this statement at all, in fact I don't agree with this. Watt has done a TON of significant things while wearing the black and gold, in specific games and in entire seasons. He absolutely sets a tone out there. Our issues aren't the "culture", our issues are 100% scheme driven. Both on offense and defense, it really is that simple. This conservative approach, playing it safe, trying to keep the score close until the 4th quarter nonsense. It isn't sustainable in the NFL. We aren't aggressive on either side of the ball, and it'll get you 10 wins, but not much else.
 
I thought the '16 season was the year, we had won 7 straight games to end the season, Bell started his first playoff game (finally being healthy). He went on to set franchise records in back to back playoff games for rush yards. Boswell set the record for most FG's in a playoff game, but unfortunately Bell got hurt in the Chiefs game, and left early in the Patriots game. In that game, we shut their running game down, but allowed the GREAT Chris Hogan to go off for 9 catches, 180 yards, and 2 TD's.

Little did I know, that would be the last year the Steelers would win a playoff game. Such potential wasted...



I might add that the 1st playoff game, they had that game won and yet they continued running Bell hard. It was as if they wanted him to get that accolade instead of lessening his load and preserving him for the next week. Bell was “gimped” injn this game which shortened his next game against the cheatriots.

A coaching decision was made, just the wrong one in game that was already won.



Salute the nation
 
I might add that the 1st playoff game, they had that game won and yet they continued running Bell hard. It was as if they wanted him to get that accolade instead of lessening his load and preserving him for the next week. Bell was “gimped” injn this game which shortened his next game against the cheatriots.

A coaching decision was made, just the wrong one in game that was already won.



Salute the nation

He does to love to “run em till the wheels fall off”

Poor strategist and load manager but great with word salads
 
Ward was a tone setter and a winner. It's pretty remarkable he was able to epitomize what the Steelers were all about while playing offense. The Steelers don't have any of those guys anymore. There isn't a winner at the NFL level who sets the cultural tone in the locker room because there isn't a player on this team who has done anything of any significance in a game that has mattered while wearing the black and gold. This is why it's important to at least win A playoff game. That's how you start to build a true winning culture.
I think Ward is one of the most under rated Steelers of all time. He played his prime years with Tomczak, Graham, Kordell, Maddox before the league went pass happy, still put up the numbers, didn't get a franchise QB until he was 29, then add in the post season performer and all the intangibles, blocking, tone setting, he should be in the HOF.
 
I don't know if I agree with this statement at all, in fact I don't agree with this. Watt has done a TON of significant things while wearing the black and gold, in specific games and in entire seasons. He absolutely sets a tone out there. Our issues aren't the "culture", our issues are 100% scheme driven. Both on offense and defense, it really is that simple. This conservative approach, playing it safe, trying to keep the score close until the 4th quarter nonsense. It isn't sustainable in the NFL. We aren't aggressive on either side of the ball, and it'll get you 10 wins, but not much else.
One sack in 4 playoff games. No playoff wins. I can easily separate great players and regular season success with those who haven't won a postseason game in nearly a decade. The standard of the Pittsburgh Steelers is playoff success and championships, not non-losing seasons. I want a team full of players who find a way to win when it matters most.
 
I think Ward is one of the most under rated Steelers of all time. He played his prime years with Tomczak, Graham, Kordell, Maddox before the league went pass happy, still put up the numbers, didn't get a franchise QB until he was 29, then add in the post season performer and all the intangibles, blocking, tone setting, he should be in the HOF.
He also didn't play in three games over a two-year span that would've resulted in an additional two 1,000-yard seasons.
 
One sack in 4 playoff games. No playoff wins. I can easily separate great players and regular season success with those who haven't won a postseason game in nearly a decade. The standard of the Pittsburgh Steelers is playoff success and championships, not non-losing seasons. I want a team full of players who find a way to win when it matters most.
To put that all on Watt is absolutely RIDICULOUS! Teams know they can't let Watt wreck the game, and when you get into the playoffs, teams (other than Pittsburgh) are giving you new things, focusing more on others. Watt gets ALL the attention.

The playoff game against the Chiefs Ben's last year, Watt was Watt. Had a deflection that turned into an INT by Bush, had a fumble recovery for a TD (first score of the game for either team), Watt was getting penetration most of the game...the issue was the back-ups playing in the secondary all over and the fact that we can never cover a TE. The Chiefs started to hit quick passes, then Kelce over the middle, and then on 3rd and 20 just before the half Kelce gets WIDE open and scores a TD from the 48.

Last year, they forced Watt to crash down on Henry on ALL plays no matter what. There's two playoff games with two different results for Watt, but the same result for the team.

2017, was Watt's rookie year, and was the famous Jags game, you'll see a trend develop here..

In the Browns game for the 20 season, we spotted them 7 points, Ben throws an INT on the second drive and on 3rd and 4, Jones goes 40 yards for a TD. But if you go read the full play by play, and watch the "highlights", all their successful plays went AWAY from Watt. It was 28-0 in the first quarter... But hey, lets criticize Watt for his "poor" playoff performances lol

You want a TEAM full of players that do whatever it takes, but we have a coach that doesn't do whatever it takes, and want to diminish what the ONE GREAT player we have has done because of four games like it's all his fault...yup, makes perfect sense.
 
Yup, Bell had 30 carries for 170 yards, Brown 6 catches 105 yards, and it was 6 FG's... Classic Tomlin game

Tells you all you need to know. He will never get better than that combo.

I don't know how many carbon copy mediocre crash&burn seasons fans need before they raise hell.

If they go long enough everyone will be dead who knew what "The standard" used to be.

They just know now. Which is Groundhog Day.
 
One sack in 4 playoff games. No playoff wins. I can easily separate great players and regular season success with those who haven't won a postseason game in nearly a decade. The standard of the Pittsburgh Steelers is playoff success and championships, not non-losing seasons. I want a team full of players who find a way to win when it matters most.
I will say that I think the vanilla defense scheme and lack of any adjustments really holdS this team back and the players in the playoffs vs the top tier teams/coaches.
If Watt was playing for LeBeau or a legit DC I think his playoff numbers/success would be a little different. Not giving him a total pass, but man watching that 08 defense, Woodley was rarely if ever chipped, then doubled because OC's had to worry about a blitz from anywhere else on the field. Teams have no worry of a blitz what so ever, so it's so easy to dedicate 2/3 guys to Watt every single play.
 
I think Ward is one of the most under rated Steelers of all time. He played his prime years with Tomczak, Graham, Kordell, Maddox before the league went pass happy, still put up the numbers, didn't get a franchise QB until he was 29, then add in the post season performer and all the intangibles, blocking, tone setting, he should be in the HOF.


Yep, Warren Sapp is in the HOF yet no Hines………………….. go figure




Salute the nation
 
Yep, Warren Sapp is in the HOF yet no Hines………………….. go figure




Salute the nation
Andre Reed is in the HOF, Ward has more catches, 1,000 less yards, and 2 less TD's, but also played in 30 less games, but Ward has two rings and a Super Bowl MVP, Reed played with Jim Kelly, Art Monk, Ward has more catches and TD's, and 600 less yards.
 
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