We need a new Head Coach.......FIRE TOMLIN NOW!!!

[bermudasteel]

Hard to put someone on the field when they are injured. They were considering putting him on the injured return list. Four weeks injured, two weeks getting caught up, there's your six weeks.

Hindsight is 20/20...

Is the glass half full or half empty???

Like FAB said, "facts are overrated"...

 

[topseed]

I said the same thing earlier.

You did indeed, I hadn't yet read your post. Facts are overrated, though.

 

[topseed]

Wow, that hurts coming from someone like yourself. Lol.

What ought to hurt more is being a sheep, and not bothering to do any research for yourself before your snide and incorrect comment blew up in your face.

Ouch.

 

[topseed]

Let me give you some help: Start with the assumption that Tomlin is a dumbass ruining the team. That can be your only premise. See how the rest works out?

No, start with the assumption that Tomlin is a God, and could not have possibly made a mistake. That can be your only premise. See how the rest works out. Make up **** about Bryant being injured for four weeks, when he was fully practicing in week 2. Whatever it takes! MT rules, yo!

I noticed that you nut-huggers had absolutely nothing to say about the second guy I mentioned, Cortez Allen. Guess you all couldn't come up with a good enough lie to cover that stink up, huh?

 

[topseed]

It could have been any number of reasonable, uh, reasons. In general, you would expect that the coaches who see him every day would have some sort of idea that is based upon information that people with an internet connection don't have. That would be dumb to think that, though.

Bryant indeed had an an illness prior to week 5, but was still listed as probable. Probable guys never, ever suit up in the NFL, right?

Don't let the facts get in your way, though. They're overrated.

 

[ark steel]

No, start with the assumption that Tomlin is a God, and could not have possibly made a mistake. That can be your only premise. See how the rest works out. Make up **** about Bryant being injured for four weeks, when he was fully practicing in week 2. Whatever it takes! MT rules, yo!

I noticed that you nut-huggers had absolutely nothing to say about the second guy I mentioned, Cortez Allen. Guess you all couldn't come up with a good enough lie to cover that stink up, huh?

My only assumption is that people with a keyboard and an internet connection are not as smart as they think they are and thump themselves on the chest because FAB or someone had the timing wrong on Bryant's injury while making wild conjecture with little information.

 

[Stryker]

Archer was active in Week One despite having no position whatsoever.

I think Left Out is a position...

 

[topseed]

My only assumption is that people with a keyboard and an internet connection are not as smart as they think they are and thump themselves on the chest because FAB or someone had the timing wrong on Bryant's injury while making wild conjecture with little information.

Had the timing wrong? LOL. Bryant was practicing in full two days after game #1, on September 9th. He wasn't put into a game until October 20th. He was absolutely NOT injured for four weeks.

I'm not thumping my chest, I pointed out an egregious error of misinformation that was created by insaniti, and further touted by FAB as a "fact."

 

[Stryker]

Also AJ touched on it. JB had a year on the team, so he knew the offense. He earned a roster spot over Moye. He had a good pre-season and Moore was hurt, so he earned a hat. He was doing well until the fumble, and he never seemed to fight after that. JB had to do poorly for Bryant to earn a hat. The way Bryant is playing now, makes it impossible for JB to get a hat back.

We are thick at receiver (as Haley said in the preseason). It's a good problem to have.

 

[keslerclan]

We'll know more of how far along our HC is when we start to play some more 'bad' teams. Jeff Fisher has the best division record in the NFC West which includes Arizona, Seattle and the 49ers. Other than that...his team hasn't played well. Perspective.

As it comes with some players, certainly we can ALL agree that some hit the field later than WE believe they should have while some remain on the field long after WE think they should have been replaced.

As for Bryant, he looks great in limited action. Better than expected by ALL here I am sure. Maybe he surprised the staff as well? I know for sure he surprised EVERY paid football 'draftnik' and coach OR he wouldn't have been available in the 4th round. While it took too long for him to get a 'hat' for most of us, WE don't know how well he was performing in practice up to his getting a hat. Truth is, most reports during camp stated that he did some good things BUT he wasn't taking the 'learning' of the playbook or putting full effort into his routes. SItting and watching an inferior WR like Brown take his spot because he put in the extra effort to learn, practice hard and get better might have been the motivation he needed.

Sure, he certainly could have helped us on some RZ stuff before now. What happens when he doesn't recognize a coverage and 'hot read' situation and his QB has to take a sack. (happened in the Ravens game) or worse, he runs the wrong route and we give up an interception? Certainly, NONE of us here can know for sure how well he knows his playbook. It seems SO obvious to all of US that he should have been on the field before this...but what do WE really know?

Other examples are offered like WHY Cam Thomas is even on this roster? There must be a solid reason why McCullers and Tuitt cannot unseat a career back-up? I don't know it.

Why do/did we continue to go with Cortez Allen instead of using McCain/Blake right away? We may yet find out...McCain has not had a history of being a #2 and Blake couldn't even be recognized as a CB on the field up to this point in his career. Doesn't mean Cortez is better but he certainly has more upside right? Who knows?

I'd love to know why Wallace isn't already our left guard as Foster has not been great in the run-game.

Why do we continue to have a punter with 'issues' as a 'holder' when most all holders will never muff a snap more than 1x/yr?

Why did we wait to sign Keisel and Harrison until it was too late for them to 'play themselves into shape' when they could have been showing these up and comers how it's done?

It doesn't much matter now but the questions will keep coming...as long as their are inexplicable losses to 'bad teams'.

Let's hope THIS trend can be reversed with some inspired football in the coming weeks!

 

[Steelr4evr]

Stop losing to teams you should destroy. It's pretty simple that losing to bad teams makes you a bad team. I'd play every team like they had just won the super bowl. Good or great teams do not consistently lose to bad teams. They ******* maul them like a wild dog.

 

[topseed]

We'll know more of how far along our HC is when we start to play some more 'bad' teams. Jeff Fisher has the best division record in the NFC West which includes Arizona, Seattle and the 49ers. Other than that...his team hasn't played well. Perspective.

As it comes with some players, certainly we can ALL agree that some hit the field later than WE believe they should have while some remain on the field long after WE think they should have been replaced.

As for Bryant, he looks great in limited action. Better than expected by ALL here I am sure. Maybe he surprised the staff as well? I know for sure he surprised EVERY paid football 'draftnik' and coach OR he wouldn't have been available in the 4th round. While it took too long for him to get a 'hat' for most of us, WE don't know how well he was performing in practice up to his getting a hat. Truth is, most reports during camp stated that he did some good things BUT he wasn't taking the 'learning' of the playbook or putting full effort into his routes. SItting and watching an inferior WR like Brown take his spot because he put in the extra effort to learn, practice hard and get better might have been the motivation he needed.

Sure, he certainly could have helped us on some RZ stuff before now. What happens when he doesn't recognize a coverage and 'hot read' situation and his QB has to take a sack. (happened in the Ravens game) or worse, he runs the wrong route and we give up an interception? Certainly, NONE of us here can know for sure how well he knows his playbook. It seems SO obvious to all of US that he should have been on the field before this...but what do WE really know?

Other examples are offered like WHY Cam Thomas is even on this roster? There must be a solid reason why McCullers and Tuitt cannot unseat a career back-up? I don't know it.

Why do/did we continue to go with Cortez Allen instead of using McCain/Blake right away? We may yet find out...McCain has not had a history of being a #2 and Blake couldn't even be recognized as a CB on the field up to this point in his career. Doesn't mean Cortez is better but he certainly has more upside right? Who knows?

I'd love to know why Wallace isn't already our left guard as Foster has not been great in the run-game.

Why do we continue to have a punter with 'issues' as a 'holder' when most all holders will never muff a snap more than 1x/yr?

Why did we wait to sign Keisel and Harrison until it was too late for them to 'play themselves into shape' when they could have been showing these up and comers how it's done?

It doesn't much matter now but the questions will keep coming...as long as their are inexplicable losses to 'bad teams'.

Let's hope THIS trend can be reversed with some inspired football in the coming weeks!

Well said.

I still believe, however, with performances of Justin Brown (1 catch for 5 yards) and Cortez Allen (torched for 99 yards on 6 receptions by Louis Murphy -- who was signed off the street 5 days before the game and has a total of 131 yards in 4 contests since), Bryant and McCain/Blake couldn't have performed much worse against the Bucs, and a very winnable game was pissed away. Again, it's my personal opinion.

I'm surely glad that the moves, for whatever reason, have finally been made. The Steelers are a much better team now than they were in week 4. I still have no clue why Cam Thomas is in there ahead of McCullers, based on what I've seen, but I'm just a guy "with a keyboard and an internet connection," so God knows I shouldn't have the right to question a coaching staff that has never made a single mistake, according to some people.

 

[Steel Not A Player]

A word on McCullers.

I do believe they are keeping him out to save his knees.

Everyone wants to cut Big Dan. Every lineman, every blocker. Until he gets good at escaping the down and dirty blows, they don't want to expose him too much. That is my assessment. His film is clearly more impressive than Cam Thomas', but he's at a huge injury risk until he learns the techniques to protect himself.

If anything, I think McCullers is being coddled and overvalued. They're eyeing him as the long term starter and want to risk a small rookie mistake turning into a serious career threatening injury.

 

[FAB802]

Bryant indeed had an an illness prior to week 5, but was still listed as probable. Probable guys never, ever suit up in the NFL, right?

Don't let the facts get in your way, though. They're overrated.

And coaches never list players falsely on injury reports either? So, who exactly was your source that let's you know for SURE that he was good to go before they got him on the field? Did you do some research not available to everyone else that guaranteed you he was completely healthy regardless of listing? You can call me whatever you want, you're nobody in the grand scheme of things and neither am I. What's overrated are the chest thumping, supposed inside info know it all whiners that are turning this board in to a big tampon factory. Rock on with your bad self.

 

[Idioteque]

Well said.

I still believe, however, with performances of Justin Brown (1 catch for 5 yards) and Cortez Allen (torched for 99 yards on 6 receptions by Louis Murphy -- who was signed off the street 5 days before the game and has a total of 131 yards in 4 contests since), Bryant and McCain/Blake couldn't have performed much worse against the Bucs, and a very winnable game was pissed away. Again, it's my personal opinion.

I'm surely glad that the moves, for whatever reason, have finally been made. The Steelers are a much better team now than they were in week 4. I still have no clue why Cam Thomas is in there ahead of McCullers, based on what I've seen, but I'm just a guy "with a keyboard and an internet connection," so God knows I shouldn't have the right to question a coaching staff that has never made a single mistake, according to some people.

It's all an illusion. Only a football oracle with a degree in Football Diagnostics can see that Cam Thomas and Ramon Foster and Justin Brown are terrible. Tomlin locks these guys up long-term because they bring mystical, almost invisible brilliance to the field. You see, prior to Week 7, Bryant was just running in circles, drooling and sucking on a Windex bottle; Justin Brown was the right play because experience.

 

[bermudasteel]

Stop losing to teams you should destroy. It's pretty simple that losing to bad teams makes you a bad team. I'd play every team like they had just won the super bowl. Good or great teams do not consistently lose to bad teams. They ******* maul them like a wild dog.

six wins three loses

 

[Punxsutawney]

A word on McCullers.

I do believe they are keeping him out to save his knees.

Everyone wants to cut Big Dan. Every lineman, every blocker. Until he gets good at escaping the down and dirty blows, they don't want to expose him too much. That is my assessment. His film is clearly more impressive than Cam Thomas', but he's at a huge injury risk until he learns the techniques to protect himself.

If anything, I think McCullers is being coddled and overvalued. They're eyeing him as the long term starter and want to risk a small rookie mistake turning into a serious career threatening injury.

There is only so much one can simulate and learn on the practice field. McCullers needs to be playing, much like Bryant should have been playing sooner with Justin Brown's struggles.

I still think they *****-footed working Bryant into the lineup and are doing the same with McCullers.

Let the talented kids play. I still think the idea you can ruin them mentally if they fail early is overrated. Yeah, there are instances of that(largely at the QB position around the league) but there are just as many instances of raw, talented young players gradually improving once getting thrown into the fire.

If a kid is so soft mentally that he can not endure a little adversity while adjusting to the NFL, odds are that he'll never amount to anything anyway.

 

[FAB802]

The Steelers are 11-5 in their last 16 games. They've won their last two against playoff caliber teams, so where are they trending exactly? They need to stop ******** the bed against teams like the Jests, and Buccaneers. This week will tell a lot about whether the offensive output the last couple games is legit since the Jets are allowing 231 pass yards a game and 319 yards of offense per game total. Their record is awful but their defense has been solid statistically. We'll see soon enough.

 

[Vader]

The Steelers are 11-5 in their last 16 games. They've won their last two against playoff caliber teams, so where are they trending exactly? They need to stop ******** the bed against teams like the Jests, and Buccaneers. This week will tell a lot about whether the offensive output the last couple games is legit since the Jets are allowing 231 pass yards a game and 319 yards of offense per game total. Their record is awful but their defense has been solid statistically. We'll see soon enough.

I don't understand the need to bifurcate the record into an arbitrary number. I understand 16 games is a season however it isn't the real season. In those 16 games they have played the clowns 4 times (3-1) and have played 9 home games. Also if you take the last 8 games of 2012 and the first 8 games of 2013 then they were 5-11. But that had no bearing on them going 6-2 over the last 8 games.

Right now I just want to see them play the Jets on the road and see how it goes. I think the offense has turned the corner but the defense is still giving up too many points. At least they are getting some turnovers now.

 

[Steel Not A Player]

I don't understand the need to bifurcate the record into an arbitrary number. I understand 16 games is a season however it isn't the real season. In those 16 games they have played the clowns 4 times (3-1) and have played 9 home games. Also if you take the last 8 games of 2012 and the first 8 games of 2013 then they were 5-11. But that had no bearing on them going 6-2 over the last 8 games.

Right now I just want to see them play the Jets on the road and see how it goes. I think the offense has turned the corner but the defense is still giving up too many points. At least they are getting some turnovers now.

Dude, the entire NFL is hemorrhaging yards and points. The new "emphasis" on helping QBs after Manning's Super Bowl debacle has made it all but impossible to have a dominant defense. Even the Texans and Seahawks are getting slapped around.

That's just the NFL in the Goodell era.

 

[Wingman]

bi·fur·cate
verb \ˈbī-(ˌ)fər-ˌkāt, bī-ˈfər-\

: to divide into two parts
bi·fur·cat·edbi·fur·cat·ing
Full Definition of BIFURCATE
transitive verb
: to cause to divide into two branches or parts
intransitive verb
: to divide into two branches or parts
— bi·fur·cate adjective
See bifurcate defined for English-language learners »
Examples of BIFURCATE

The stream bifurcated into two narrow winding channels.
bifurcate a beam of light

Origin of BIFURCATE
Medieval Latin bifurcatus, past participle of bifurcare, from Latin bifurcus two-pronged, from bi- + furca fork
First Known Use: 1615

I thought the new word might have brought things to a halt, let the pontification continue.

 

[Vader]

Dude, the entire NFL is hemorrhaging yards and points. The new "emphasis" on helping QBs after Manning's Super Bowl debacle has made it all but impossible to have a dominant defense. Even the Texans and Seahawks are getting slapped around.

That's just the NFL in the Goodell era.

Seattle just shut down Carolina. They gave up 9 points. Cam Newton didn't do ****. No hemorrhaging yards or points. Last year was the highest scoring NFL season ever. This year isn't as high. It isn't about having a shut down dominant defense. It's about having a defense that doesn't give up 26 PPG. Anybody that thinks the Steelers are going to keep scoring 40 PPG while the defense gives up 27 is delusional. They need for the defense to play better.... dude

 

[Idioteque]

The Steelers are 11-5 in their last 16 games. They've won their last two against playoff caliber teams, so where are they trending exactly? They need to stop ******** the bed against teams like the Jests, and Buccaneers. This week will tell a lot about whether the offensive output the last couple games is legit since the Jets are allowing 231 pass yards a game and 319 yards of offense per game total. Their record is awful but their defense has been solid statistically. We'll see soon enough.

It's just that we've seen this song and dance before, and it amounted to little or nothing. Remember our breakthrough in FINALLY beating the Pats? We hammered them with an awesome game plan and we all assumed BOOM we've arrived, we've figured it all out, we're unbeatable going forward? We immediately reverted to bad habits and bad game plans and lost the Tebow Bowl two months later. Remember 2012 when we gutted out that tough win over the Rats with Batch at QB? Put us in the driver seat for the playoffs? Yeah, we got destroyed at home by the godawful Chargers the next week, lost a few more times, then sat home for the playoffs. Remember last year's impressive second half, where we went 6-2? Yeah, we followed that stretch by opening this year looking like garbage. That's three years in a row of this goddamn rollercoaster.

For me, it takes more than two wins to convince me our many problems are a thing of the past. Especially when we won those two games by doing bizarrely amazing, record-breaking things on offense. That looks to me like an outlier. Not to be a smartass, but how many more six-TD games do you expect from Ben? Because even in victory, we've shown some vulnerabilities the last two weeks. The Colts of course moved the ball at will, and now we're missing key starters from THAT crappy defense. Flacco went 30/45 for 303. The line still struggled. Our only worthwhile edge rusher is Old Man River. Our best CB right now is Antwon Blake, whose started about as many games as Colclough ever did.

I know a few cheerleaders are going to pound on their keyboards and blubber about what a pessimist I am. I couldn't care less, but I'll point out that I feel like a pig in **** over the steps forward we've taken over the last two weeks. I think we have a vertical element to our game that's been lacking since the day Haley was hired. I hate our outside pass rush, but I think Harrison has a productive season left and he may be just the spark we need to harass another great QB or two down the road. I'm encouraged It's just that I've seen this routine too many times to just assume it's all worked out, everything's fine, we're cruising along without a care in the world. No NFL team, not even a great-looking one like the Pats or last year's Seahawks, can reach a point where they've 100% arrived. Especially a team that has big issues with coaching, line play, pass rush, special teams, etc. Not to mention week-to-week consistency; will anyone be truly surprised if we let Vick play a great game and lose 16-13 this week? We have work to do, and I'd like to see more than two up-and-down-but-mostly-up games to make me feel secure at all.

I know you're not looking for that blind assumption, FAB. But about 80% of this board demands it, or they'll troll like it's about to be outlawed.

 

[papillon]

Seattle just shut down Carolina. They gave up 9 points. Cam Newton didn't do ****. No hemorrhaging yards or points. Last year was the highest scoring NFL season ever. This year isn't as high. It isn't about having a shut down dominant defense. It's about having a defense that doesn't give up 26 PPG. Anybody that thinks the Steelers are going to keep scoring 40 PPG while the defense gives up 27 is delusional. They need for the defense to play better.... dude

Well, in fairness to the defense, 7 points was a STs gift and another 7 was given to them with a short field after a fumbled center exchange. Even excluding the short field because turnovers are part of the game, taking the STs score out has the Steelers giving up 20 points, a good offensive football team should be able to score more than 20 consistently.

Pappy

 

[keslerclan]

With all due respect Idioteque, we allowed Flacco 269 yards on 30-45. The main difference between our 2 meetings w these 'former clowns' was that the first time, they RAN for 157 yds and passed only as necessary for 166 yards. We also allowed 2 TDs and 4 FGs. The last game they only rushed for 63 yards and passed for 269. We allowed 2 TDs and 1 FG. That's an improvement against a common opponent. The problem IS it won't matter IF we lay an egg against a bad team afterwards.

I am just as frustrated as most of you with some of the decisions that have been made up to this point...and WE will continue to second guess them from the cheap seats AS LONG as we cannot play consistently ESPECIALLY against bad teams. We've obviously gotten better production in some areas but still look vulnerable in others. Not much can be done to improve our CB play and Will Gay IS our best CB as of now and has been all season...unfortunately we know what that means too. Blake and McCain present themselves as our best options...unless they bomb at some point and we are back at square one.

Personally, I would continue to go w the 'hot hand' at any position. We simply don't have the talent to do otherwise at some positions.

For the record I would replace Foster w Wallace as I see him as a better run blocker and equally suspect pass blocker. I would try really hard to keep Thomas off the field and make Keisel the starter with Tuitt and McCullers getting more reps and Thomas less.

I keep Williams in with Timmons at 'mack' and only bring Spence in for down and distance and 3rd down situations. Ivory is a bull-dozer and is averaging 4.6yds/carry.

I stay with Blake/McCain unless/until they break and we have to put Cortez back on the field.

I stay with our line-up on offense and keep help at the edges UNTIL we can get some points on the board which allows us to have the OPTIONS of running the ball as opposed to having to pass to keep the score up.

I would have Gradkowski 'holding' for FGs and Xtra Pts. for sure from now on out as 2 muffs is 2 more than usual and we're only half-way thru our season.

I would cut loose our 'fringe' LB in Garvin (he is only STs and hasn't done anything and is NOT likely to develop into a starter due to his size) and SIGN a kick-off ONLY kicker who can also be an emergency K for us. Losing Garvin and adding the dimension of kicking the ball so it cannot be returned would be a good trade. On the other side I would DIRECT that NO kick-offs be returned unless they fell short of the goal-line. We cannot start 80% of our returned kicks on the 14 yard line as field position is too important. I don't like our punter either because he IS too inconsistent and good for at least a 'shank' or 2 per game which WILL cost us at some point.

All I know for sure is we will all settle down and stop questioning decisions when we start beating the teams we should beat and stop playing to our competition!