The Steelers probably can't afford another loss (1 Viewer)

[fred_1_15301]

If both the Ravens and Steelers end up 10-6 and split H2H, who wins the tie-breaker?

It's hard to say right now based on the tiebrekers. I give the slight edge to Baltimore because I think they'll probably end up with a better record against common opponents (I'm assuming they beat Chicago). I think Baltimore easily wins 4 out of their next 5 and locks up at least one wildcard. I think right now the key for the Steelers to make the playoffs is win 4 out of the next 5 games and hope that Denver loses at least 2. Both of these scenarios are very possible considering the respective schedules. Jax still has to play Miami, Houston, Indy and NE so forget about it. They're not winning 4 out of the next 5. The 5-6 teams are just too far in the hole in my opinion.

 

[gianmarco]

oops.

 

[BobbyLayne]

oops.

 

[caglassc]

Granted, after this loss it will be tough to win the division. But Pittsburgh will be a wildcard team, and it will be a team no one wants to play in the playoffs, mark my words. Congrats to the Chiefs for not giving up today. Right now, things look bad in Steelerland and I'm sure all of the haters and naysayers will commence the trashing. Go ahead and have your fun. We will be be back. And not just this year, either. This is going to be a VERY good team for years to come.

Looking less and less like the Steelers year. I would bet that if you asked which team would not make the playoffs from last years Superbowl game the Steelers would not have been the pick.

 

[timschochet]

Looking bad. An embarrassing loss, though all credit to the Raiders and especially Gradkowski. (Why oh why couldn't we have faced JaMarcus???)

Take each game at a time, try to win them all, and hope it's enough. If it isn't, this nucleus will be back next year, and hopefully we can rebound.

 

[George Jefferson Airplane]

Double ouch losing to the Raiders, and doing it at home.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

 

[Jed]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

 

[beavers]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

Oof. Nobody quoted the OP. Lesson learned.

 

[Steelfan7]

Looking bad. An embarrassing loss, though all credit to the Raiders and especially Gradkowski. (Why oh why couldn't we have faced JaMarcus???)

Take each game at a time, try to win them all, and hope it's enough. If it isn't, this nucleus will be back next year, and hopefully we can rebound.

He was throwing ducks the entire game. Steelers dropped int that hit them between the numbers and as usaul display no ability to make a play on the ball even the wounded quails that floundered in the air. All credit must go to the overrated Steelers defense.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Double ouch losing to the Raiders, and doing it at home.

I know it stinks for you. But we Bengal fans went through this two weeks ago (although at least it was on the road).

 

[King Biggie Cube]

yo dawg

da raidahs? dat jus aint right yo. pak up yo lockahs, its ovah for da black n gold.

click clak

 

[timschochet]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

I'm not ashamed of what I wrote to begin with. I'm proud of it. I believed the Steelers were a great team and I had every reason to think so. I was completely wrong. But so what?

 

[timschochet]

yo dawgda raidahs? dat jus aint right yo. pak up yo lockahs, its ovah for da black n gold.click clak

It's not over. The Steelers will win the next four games and that will put them in the playoffs. Then we'll see where we are.

 

[LadyBeBop]

It's not over. The Steelers will win the next four games and that will put them in the playoffs. Then we'll see where we are.

Yeah, I know. 10-6 will probably get you in as a 6th seed. If the Bengals lose to SD in two weeks, then the Bengals and Steelers will probably meet again in the first round of the playoffs.And I remember what happened four years ago when the Bengals (seeded 3rd) met the Steelers (seeded 6th) in the first round of the playoffs.And the ultimate end result.

 

[AhrnCityPahnder]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

I'm not ashamed of what I wrote to begin with. I'm proud of it. I believed the Steelers were a great team and I had every reason to think so. I was completely wrong. But so what?

So why'd you delete it, then?

 

[timschochet]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

I'm not ashamed of what I wrote to begin with. I'm proud of it. I believed the Steelers were a great team and I had every reason to think so. I was completely wrong. But so what?

So why'd you delete it, then?

I changed the title because it was no longer applicable. But the OP is intact.

 

[fred_1_15301]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

I'm not ashamed of what I wrote to begin with. I'm proud of it. I believed the Steelers were a great team and I had every reason to think so. I was completely wrong. But so what?

So why'd you delete it, then?

I changed the title because it was no longer applicable. But the OP is intact.

At some point, you edited the original post as well so i wouldn't call it "intact". Also, do you really think this team will still make the wildcard? They're now the 10th seed in the AFC with 4 games to play. They've shown us no heart during the past month and no ability to close out games. They still play Baltimore, Green Bay and Miami. Not a chance they can win all 3 of those games. At this point, it absolutely would not shock me if they lost to Cleveland next week. If that happens, I only hope that they tank the rest of the season and get a better draft pick.

 

[beavers]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

I'm not ashamed of what I wrote to begin with. I'm proud of it. I believed the Steelers were a great team and I had every reason to think so. I was completely wrong. But so what?

So why'd you delete it, then?

I changed the title because it was no longer applicable. But the OP is intact.

The OP was Nov 22. Your latest OP edit was Nov 29 2009. The OP was some craziness of how the Steelers were still one of the best teams in the NFL.

 

[Routilla]

yo dawg

da raidahs? dat jus aint right yo. pak up yo lockahs, its ovah for da black n gold.

click clak

It's not over. The Steelers will win the next four games and that will put them in the playoffs. Then we'll see where we are.

I see a win @CLE but nothing guaranteed vs GB, BAL and @MIA.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Rather than pickin' on the Steelers here, I'll give a break-down of where they stand right now in tie-breakers against various potential teams.

2-way ties:

Baltimore has the tiebreaker over the Steelers no matter what. Even if the Steelers win (and split the season series 1-1) and tie them in division record (at 3-3), the Ravens, as noted above, win the next tiebreaker, which is common games. Steelers fans should be grabbing their Cheese-related headgear tomorrow night.

The Steelers cannot tie the Dolphins at 10-6 as they play each other the last week. Obviously if they are both 9-7, the winner of that game has the tiebreaker.

If they are both 10-6, the Jets would have the tiebreaker over the Steelers. Both teams would have a 7-5 conference record. The Jets would have an edge in common games (Mia, Cinc, Oak, Tenn) with a 3-2 record vs a 2-3 record for the Steelers. If they are both 9-7, it will depend on what that one loss is for each team.

They cannot get into a tie with New England at 10-6. For that to happen, New England would have to be both 10-6 and finish 2nd in the division. The only way that is possible is if Miami is also 10-6 (which as noted above cannot occur without them beating Pittsburgh). If they are tied with New England at 9-7 it will depend on what the mix of wins and losses is for each team.

They do hold the head-to-head tie-breaker with Denver and San Diego.

Now the thing is, things will get hairy if they are in a 3-way tie at 10-6 with a pair of teams outside the division. Given the number games left and the fact that teams have both in conference and out of conference games remaining it is unclear how it'll exactly shake down for them.

It's a very very rough path for the Steelers at this point for sure.

-QG

 

[CrossEyed]

I think it's highly unlikely that the Steelers can run the table at this point. The dbs can't cover (or catch when they do), the oline is below average, their special teams are...not special, and Arians just isn't very good.

 

[Steelers4Life]

All this Steelers in the playoffs talk is ridiculous right now. Ridiculous.

They just lost a home game to the Raiders by giving up multiple TD drives in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Polamalu would obviously make a huge difference in all areas of the defense, but a team that has any aspirations of competing for a Super Bowl should be more than 1 player - no matter who the player is - better than the Raiders on their home turf in a must-win type of game.

The offensive line isn't performing well, the special teams haven't gotten the job done, and Arians has given up on the run way too many times this year. But the thing that's missing the most from this team is a defense that's capable of making the big play to get off the field. I think this was the 5th game the Steelers have lost when they've had a 4th quarter lead... that's terrible.

I'd love to see them run the table and squeak into the playoffs, and I'd love to see them head to Cincinnatti in the first round of the playoffs. But my god, the Steelers haven't been playing like a playoff team for quite some time now.

 

[basher]

whoever that rookie was who dropped that int at the end just murdered the steelers season.

 

[Steelers4Life]

whoever that rookie was who dropped that int at the end just murdered the steelers season.

Whether it was Burnett's missed INT, Mundy's stupid personal foul, Ike mis-timing his jump on a jump ball, or a zillion missed tackles, there's plenty of blame to go around.You don't lose to the Raiders at home because of one dropped interception. They had chances to get off the field earlier in that drive, later in that drive, or on the TD drive they gave up about 5 minutes earlier.

 

[Das Boot]

There's no shame in starting threads like these if you can just keep editing the title and content, right Timmy?

I'm not ashamed of what I wrote to begin with. I'm proud of it. I believed the Steelers were a great team and I had every reason to think so. I was completely wrong. But so what?

So why'd you delete it, then?

I changed the title because it was no longer applicable. But the OP is intact.

It always looks weak to go back and edit titles and OPs when you are wrong.HTH

 

[Islander]

Granted, after this loss it will be tough to win the division. But Pittsburgh will be a wildcard team, and it will be a team no one wants to play in the playoffs, mark my words. Congrats to the Chiefs for not giving up today. Right now, things look bad in Steelerland and I'm sure all of the haters and naysayers will commence the trashing. Go ahead and have your fun. We will be be back. And not just this year, either. This is going to be a VERY good team for years to come.

 

[Franknbeans]

All this Steelers in the playoffs talk is ridiculous right now. Ridiculous.They just lost a home game to the Raiders by giving up multiple TD drives in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Polamalu would obviously make a huge difference in all areas of the defense, but a team that has any aspirations of competing for a Super Bowl should be more than 1 player - no matter who the player is - better than the Raiders on their home turf in a must-win type of game.The offensive line isn't performing well, the special teams haven't gotten the job done, and Arians has given up on the run way too many times this year. But the thing that's missing the most from this team is a defense that's capable of making the big play to get off the field. I think this was the 5th game the Steelers have lost when they've had a 4th quarter lead... that's terrible.I'd love to see them run the table and squeak into the playoffs, and I'd love to see them head to Cincinnatti in the first round of the playoffs. But my god, the Steelers haven't been playing like a playoff team for quite some time now.

At this point, I hope they lose to the Browns so the delusion of playoff talk ends abruptly. They are not a playoff caliber team this year and that falls squarely on the coaching staff.

 

[Godsbrother]

I think it's highly unlikely that the Steelers can run the table at this point. The dbs can't cover (or catch when they do), the oline is below average, their special teams are...not special, and Arians just isn't very good.

Funny how no matter how bad the Steelers defense plays LeBeau gets a free pass. This defense is a disgrace -- obviously losing Smith and Polamalu to injury hurts but I don't think I've ever seen a Steelers defense fold in the 4th quarter like this. There is so much miscommunication resulting in blown coverages which leads me to the conclusion that they haven't been coached very well this season.

 

[Godsbrother]

At this point, I hope they lose to the Browns so the delusion of playoff talk ends abruptly. They are not a playoff caliber team this year and that falls squarely on the coaching staff.

While I agree that any talk of the playoffs is laughable there is no way I would ever hope for a loss against the Browns. Go wash your keyboard out with soap and then stand in the corner and think about you said, young man. And just wait until your father comes home...

 

[Godsbrother]

yo dawg

da raidahs? dat jus aint right yo. pak up yo lockahs, its ovah for da black n gold.

click clak

It's not over. The Steelers will win the next four games and that will put them in the playoffs. Then we'll see where we are.

I see a win @CLE but nothing guaranteed vs GB, BAL and @MIA.

Agreed. I think it is more likely they finish 0-4 than 4-0 though they should beat Cleveland.

 

[beavers]

All this Steelers in the playoffs talk is ridiculous right now. Ridiculous.

They just lost a home game to the Raiders by giving up multiple TD drives in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Polamalu would obviously make a huge difference in all areas of the defense, but a team that has any aspirations of competing for a Super Bowl should be more than 1 player - no matter who the player is - better than the Raiders on their home turf in a must-win type of game.

The offensive line isn't performing well, the special teams haven't gotten the job done, and Arians has given up on the run way too many times this year. But the thing that's missing the most from this team is a defense that's capable of making the big play to get off the field. I think this was the 5th game the Steelers have lost when they've had a 4th quarter lead... that's terrible.

I'd love to see them run the table and squeak into the playoffs, and I'd love to see them head to Cincinnatti in the first round of the playoffs. But my god, the Steelers haven't been playing like a playoff team for quite some time now.

At this point, I hope they lose to the Browns so the delusion of playoff talk ends abruptly. They are not a playoff caliber team this year and that falls squarely on the coaching staff.

XThe coaches surely have something to do with this but to blame the last 4 losses squarely on just the coaches is

 

[Godsbrother]

All this Steelers in the playoffs talk is ridiculous right now. Ridiculous.

They just lost a home game to the Raiders by giving up multiple TD drives in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Polamalu would obviously make a huge difference in all areas of the defense, but a team that has any aspirations of competing for a Super Bowl should be more than 1 player - no matter who the player is - better than the Raiders on their home turf in a must-win type of game.

The offensive line isn't performing well, the special teams haven't gotten the job done, and Arians has given up on the run way too many times this year. But the thing that's missing the most from this team is a defense that's capable of making the big play to get off the field. I think this was the 5th game the Steelers have lost when they've had a 4th quarter lead... that's terrible.

I'd love to see them run the table and squeak into the playoffs, and I'd love to see them head to Cincinnatti in the first round of the playoffs. But my god, the Steelers haven't been playing like a playoff team for quite some time now.

At this point, I hope they lose to the Browns so the delusion of playoff talk ends abruptly. They are not a playoff caliber team this year and that falls squarely on the coaching staff.

XThe coaches surely have something to do with this but to blame the last 4 losses squarely on just the coaches is

I am with Beans on this one. Cowher caught holy hell when the Steelers went 8-8 in 2006 and I don't see why Tomlin should get a free pass -- his team is underachieving big time.At this point there is a very good chance the Steelers could go 1-7 or 0-8 in the second half of the season. If that happens Tomlin is going to have to make major changes in his coaching staff.

 

[beavers]

All this Steelers in the playoffs talk is ridiculous right now. Ridiculous.

They just lost a home game to the Raiders by giving up multiple TD drives in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Polamalu would obviously make a huge difference in all areas of the defense, but a team that has any aspirations of competing for a Super Bowl should be more than 1 player - no matter who the player is - better than the Raiders on their home turf in a must-win type of game.

The offensive line isn't performing well, the special teams haven't gotten the job done, and Arians has given up on the run way too many times this year. But the thing that's missing the most from this team is a defense that's capable of making the big play to get off the field. I think this was the 5th game the Steelers have lost when they've had a 4th quarter lead... that's terrible.

I'd love to see them run the table and squeak into the playoffs, and I'd love to see them head to Cincinnatti in the first round of the playoffs. But my god, the Steelers haven't been playing like a playoff team for quite some time now.

At this point, I hope they lose to the Browns so the delusion of playoff talk ends abruptly. They are not a playoff caliber team this year and that falls squarely on the coaching staff.

XThe coaches surely have something to do with this but to blame the last 4 losses squarely on just the coaches is

I am with Beans on this one. Cowher caught holy hell when the Steelers went 8-8 in 2006 and I don't see why Tomlin should get a free pass -- his team is underachieving big time.At this point there is a very good chance the Steelers could go 1-7 or 0-8 in the second half of the season. If that happens Tomlin is going to have to make major changes in his coaching staff.

A job of the coach is to lead and prepare. I don't care how much preparation you do, there's no way you can blame it solely on the coaches for the lack of a defense in the 4th quarter. Our DBs can't stop anybody. Surely, our offense could score more in the redzone but the O has consistently put this team in a position to win. The Steelers defense let Brad Gradkowski tear them up for 3 TDs in 15 minutes. Brad Gradkowski and Louis Murphey. OUCH. How exactly is that the coaches fault? Were they in the wrong coverage? Not likely. There's no pressure at the line nor did our DBs cover a rookie WR. The job of a player is execution. Does Tomlin, Arians, LeBeau share part of the blame? Sure. I think they slacked this year in preparation and it's finally came to bite them. But to blame it solely on them as beans mentioned is giving the players a free pass and voids them of personal accountability.

As for the comparison of Cowher / Tomlin ... It took Cowher 14 yrs to win a SB. We lost several close championship games under him which IMO, built the frustration among the media / fans. Plus, we all know Cowher wasn't the poster child with the media.

Tomlin on the other hand, won a SB in his second year. I'm not saying that it's right that he gets less heat, that's just my opinion.

 

[Godsbrother]

A job of the coach is to lead and prepare. I don't care how much preparation you do, there's no way you can blame it solely on the coaches for the lack of a defense in the 4th quarter. Our DBs can't stop anybody. Surely, our offense could score more in the redzone but the O has consistently put this team in a position to win. The Steelers defense let Brad Gradkowski tear them up for 3 TDs in 15 minutes. Brad Gradkowski and Louis Murphey. OUCH. How exactly is that the coaches fault? Were they in the wrong coverage? Not likely. There's no pressure at the line nor did our DBs cover a rookie WR. The job of a player is execution.

Does Tomlin, Arians, LeBeau share part of the blame? Sure. I think they slacked this year in preparation and it's finally came to bite them. But to blame it solely on them as beans mentioned is giving the players a free pass and voids them of personal accountability.

As for the comparison of Cowher / Tomlin ... It took Cowher 14 yrs to win a SB. We lost several close championship games under him which IMO, built the frustration among the media / fans. Plus, we all know Cowher wasn't the poster child with the media.

Tomlin on the other hand, won a SB in his second year. I'm not saying that it's right that he gets less heat, that's just my opinion.

No one is saying the players don't share the blame -- ultimately they have to make the plays on the field. However the 4th quarter collapses have been due to blown coverages caused by miscommunication and it has been happening all season. If your players don't know what they're doing or aren't communicating that is a problem with coaching.Tomlin needs to drop the movie quotes and right the ship or else he is going to lose this team. As I said earlier the way they are playing right now they could very well go 1-7 or 0-8 in the second half which absolutely ridiculous for a team with this much talent. How quickly Tomlin won the SB vs Cowher has nothing to do with it. When a Super Bowl champion falls this far this fast the coaching staff did a lousy job.

It was true in 2006 and it will be true again this season assuming the talspin continues.

 

[beavers]

A job of the coach is to lead and prepare. I don't care how much preparation you do, there's no way you can blame it solely on the coaches for the lack of a defense in the 4th quarter. Our DBs can't stop anybody. Surely, our offense could score more in the redzone but the O has consistently put this team in a position to win. The Steelers defense let Brad Gradkowski tear them up for 3 TDs in 15 minutes. Brad Gradkowski and Louis Murphey. OUCH. How exactly is that the coaches fault? Were they in the wrong coverage? Not likely. There's no pressure at the line nor did our DBs cover a rookie WR. The job of a player is execution.

Does Tomlin, Arians, LeBeau share part of the blame? Sure. I think they slacked this year in preparation and it's finally came to bite them. But to blame it solely on them as beans mentioned is giving the players a free pass and voids them of personal accountability.

As for the comparison of Cowher / Tomlin ... It took Cowher 14 yrs to win a SB. We lost several close championship games under him which IMO, built the frustration among the media / fans. Plus, we all know Cowher wasn't the poster child with the media.

Tomlin on the other hand, won a SB in his second year. I'm not saying that it's right that he gets less heat, that's just my opinion.

No one is saying the players don't share the blame -- ultimately they have to make the plays on the field. However the 4th quarter collapses have been due to blown coverages caused by miscommunication and it has been happening all season. If your players don't know what they're doing or aren't communicating that is a problem with coaching.Tomlin needs to drop the movie quotes and right the ship or else he is going to lose this team. As I said earlier the way they are playing right now they could very well go 1-7 or 0-8 in the second half which absolutely ridiculous for a team with this much talent. How quickly Tomlin won the SB vs Cowher has nothing to do with it. When a Super Bowl champion falls this far this fast the coaching staff did a lousy job.

It was true in 2006 and it will be true again this season assuming the talspin continues.

It was true in 2006 and it will be true if it happens again this season.

How do we know that miscommunication is the problem? Is it miscommunication or lack of execution?

 

[Godsbrother]

How do we know that miscommunication is the problem? Is it miscommunication or lack of execution?

It is both.

 

[beavers]

How do we know that miscommunication is the problem? Is it miscommunication or lack of execution?

It is both.

Exactly. Which is why it's not just the coaches fault. It starts with the top but the players are just as at fault as the coaches.

 

[CrossEyed]

I think it's highly unlikely that the Steelers can run the table at this point. The dbs can't cover (or catch when they do), the oline is below average, their special teams are...not special, and Arians just isn't very good.

Funny how no matter how bad the Steelers defense plays LeBeau gets a free pass. This defense is a disgrace -- obviously losing Smith and Polamalu to injury hurts but I don't think I've ever seen a Steelers defense fold in the 4th quarter like this. There is so much miscommunication resulting in blown coverages which leads me to the conclusion that they haven't been coached very well this season.

LeBeau has earned a little grace, imo. Arians, not so much. But I do agree with your assessment of the D.

And I agree that it looks like miscommunication. No way does Ike defend a receiver like that if he isn't expecting some safety help.

 

[Godsbrother]

I think it's highly unlikely that the Steelers can run the table at this point. The dbs can't cover (or catch when they do), the oline is below average, their special teams are...not special, and Arians just isn't very good.

Funny how no matter how bad the Steelers defense plays LeBeau gets a free pass. This defense is a disgrace -- obviously losing Smith and Polamalu to injury hurts but I don't think I've ever seen a Steelers defense fold in the 4th quarter like this. There is so much miscommunication resulting in blown coverages which leads me to the conclusion that they haven't been coached very well this season.

LeBeau has earned a little grace, imo. Arians, not so much. But I do agree with your assessment of the D.

And I agree that it looks like miscommunication. No way does Ike defend a receiver like that if he isn't expecting some safety help.

Certainly I am not suggesting LeBeau or Tomlin get the axe I am just saying they haven't done a very good job getting the team prepared to play this year. The Steelers defense has been prety good in the quarters 1 to 3. It is the 4th quarter collapses that kill me and I think it is because they aren't sure what they're doing in the dime and nickel packages.

 

[Steelers4Life]

Personally, I think a lot of this gets pinned on the coaches all the way back from training camp.

Every day on ESPN radio during training camp they'd talk about how easy the camp was. How other people who visited the camp said the same thing. Fewer and easier practices. I have to believe that'll be changed next year.

Perhaps it's just a small lack of focus or a bit less preparation. The players have to execute, but there's something missing this year, much moreso on the defense than the offense.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

Personally, I think a lot of this gets pinned on the coaches all the way back from training camp.Every day on ESPN radio during training camp they'd talk about how easy the camp was. How other people who visited the camp said the same thing. Fewer and easier practices. I have to believe that'll be changed next year.Perhaps it's just a small lack of focus or a bit less preparation. The players have to execute, but there's something missing this year, much moreso on the defense than the offense.

It's more than a small lack of focus. It's a TOTAL lack of focus and a complete lack of a nutsack. And it's not only the defense. The offense got inside the 20 on four occasions in the first half and got a grand total of 3 points. Couldn't convert a 4th and 1 inside the 5, silly 53 yard FG attempt, ,ore stupid penalties, etc etc ad nasuem. Same ol' song and dance from all year(even in games they've won.) They could have scored 35 points, or more, easily.More mental breakdowns on defense this game as well(as well as physical ones). Mundy should be on the next bus to Morgantown after his little performance, that's for sure. Burnett dropping that INT is killer, but there were so many other opportunities on O and D for it to not matter it's tough to be any angrier at him than the rest of the team. Letting Gradkowski convert on a 4th down pass early and how many third and longs? And all that aside....the defense needed to make ONE stop at some point in the 4th quarter to win the game. It couldn't. Pathetic.This team has played completely and utterly sloppy, undisciplined football for nearly the entire year. That, in my mind, lays 100% at the feet of the coaches and veteran leadership on the team(of which they allegedly "have a ton of.") There's plenty of blame to go around. The coaches/vet leaders get their share for the lack of focus, preparation and playcalling. All the players get it for not making plays on the field. Injuries have played a part in their travails, but those happen. Good teams find a way to overcome. Doesn't matter if Pittsburgh wins out now or not(very unlikely), in my mind, because a team that loses that many games in the 4th quarter, to the dregs of the league, doesn't deserve to make the playoffs anyway.

 

[Godsbrother]

Personally, I think a lot of this gets pinned on the coaches all the way back from training camp.Every day on ESPN radio during training camp they'd talk about how easy the camp was. How other people who visited the camp said the same thing. Fewer and easier practices. I have to believe that'll be changed next year.Perhaps it's just a small lack of focus or a bit less preparation. The players have to execute, but there's something missing this year, much moreso on the defense than the offense.

It's more than a small lack of focus. It's a TOTAL lack of focus and a complete lack of a nutsack. And it's not only the defense. The offense got inside the 20 on four occasions in the first half and got a grand total of 3 points. Couldn't convert a 4th and 1 inside the 5, silly 53 yard FG attempt, ,ore stupid penalties, etc etc ad nasuem. Same ol' song and dance from all year(even in games they've won.) They could have scored 35 points, or more, easily.More mental breakdowns on defense this game as well(as well as physical ones). Mundy should be on the next bus to Morgantown after his little performance, that's for sure. Burnett dropping that INT is killer, but there were so many other opportunities on O and D for it to not matter it's tough to be any angrier at him than the rest of the team. Letting Gradkowski convert on a 4th down pass early and how many third and longs? And all that aside....the defense needed to make ONE stop at some point in the 4th quarter to win the game. It couldn't. Pathetic.This team has played completely and utterly sloppy, undisciplined football for nearly the entire year. That, in my mind, lays 100% at the feet of the coaches and veteran leadership on the team(of which they allegedly "have a ton of.") There's plenty of blame to go around. The coaches/vet leaders get their share for the lack of focus, preparation and playcalling. All the players get it for not making plays on the field. Injuries have played a part in their travails, but those happen. Good teams find a way to overcome. Doesn't matter if Pittsburgh wins out now or not(very unlikely), in my mind, because a team that loses that many games in the 4th quarter, to the dregs of the league, doesn't deserve to make the playoffs anyway.

I can't argue with any of this. What makes it particularly disheartening is the team knew it needed this win and still played flat. I thought for sure they would come out on fire and lay a beating down on the Raiders. Where is the heart on this team?I didn't watch the Cleveland/San Diego game but it looks like the Browns gave the Chargers a game or at the very least haven't given up. A win against the Steelers on national TV would be huge for the Browns and it wouldn't surprise me to see them do it. The Steelers better be ready to go Thursday cause the Browns sure are.

 

[5-ish Finkle]

I didn't watch the Cleveland/San Diego game but it looks like the Browns gave the Chargers a game or at the very least haven't given up. A win against the Steelers on national TV would be huge for the Browns and it wouldn't surprise me to see them do it. The Steelers better be ready to go Thursday cause the Browns sure are.

I pretty much agree. And I actually think they will be ready....and it'll likely be the last win they get this year. (MAYBE they beat Baltimore at home, just because it seems like Baltimore just can't win in Pittsburgh no matter what, but I'm not expecting it.)This team looks like it's given up, no matter what kind of spin any of the staff, players or FO try to put on it. THAT is what bothers me the most.

 

[timschochet]

I can't believe there are Steeler fans in here hoping they lose more games to get a better draft pick. I hate that kind of thinking. You try to win every week.

There is nothing wrong with this team that can't be fixed. They just need to play better. There is not a single team they play in the next four games that I am scared of (of course, none of them are probably scared of the Steelers either at this point, but that's another issues-LOL). We CAN win all these games, and if we do, the Steelers will be in the playoffs. And if they are, they will be a scary team to play, having won 4 games in a row. And all of this will be forgotten.

Positive mental attitude, people! Ya gotta believe.

As far as the OP goes, I changed the title, that's it. I didn't change the opening post itself. I wrote in the previous title that the Steelers are still one of the best teams in the NFL. Obviously I was wrong about that. I still believe they can be one of the best teams, not just this year, but for the next several years.

We just need to start winning. Playing the Browns should help.

 

[CrossEyed]

Little did we know that when Tomlin said they would "unleash hell" in December he meant that it would be unleashed on the fans.

 

[timschochet]

This team looks like it's given up, no matter what kind of spin any of the staff, players or FO try to put on it. THAT is what bothers me the most.

I don't buy it. I saw the frustration on the faces yesterday of Big Ben, Harrison, Burnett (when he dropped the pass) Woodley, Ward, etc. I simply don't believe these guys have given up. They're just making stupid mistakes, and letting games slip through their fingers. Of the 6 games they lost this year, I think they were clearly better than at least 4 of those teams and outplayed them all. Just dumb errors. They can be corrected.

 

[Godsbrother]

This team looks like it's given up, no matter what kind of spin any of the staff, players or FO try to put on it. THAT is what bothers me the most.

I don't buy it. I saw the frustration on the faces yesterday of Big Ben, Harrison, Burnett (when he dropped the pass) Woodley, Ward, etc. I simply don't believe these guys have given up. They're just making stupid mistakes, and letting games slip through their fingers. Of the 6 games they lost this year, I think they were clearly better than at least 4 of those teams and outplayed them all. Just dumb errors. They can be corrected.

The Steelers are 6-6 and playing terrible football right now. It is a good thing they aren't playing TEN, SD, DEN or MIN this week because I think they would lose to all of them.As for yesterday I disagree with you 100% -- the Raiders were the better team.

 

[Normie32r]

This team looks like it's given up, no matter what kind of spin any of the staff, players or FO try to put on it. THAT is what bothers me the most.

I don't buy it. I saw the frustration on the faces yesterday of Big Ben, Harrison, Burnett (when he dropped the pass) Woodley, Ward, etc. I simply don't believe these guys have given up. They're just making stupid mistakes, and letting games slip through their fingers. Of the 6 games they lost this year, I think they were clearly better than at least 4 of those teams and outplayed them all. Just dumb errors. They can be corrected.

Typical Steeler fan response here......nobody is better than the Steelers they simply beat themselves.....

 

[Godsbrother]

This team looks like it's given up, no matter what kind of spin any of the staff, players or FO try to put on it. THAT is what bothers me the most.

I don't buy it. I saw the frustration on the faces yesterday of Big Ben, Harrison, Burnett (when he dropped the pass) Woodley, Ward, etc. I simply don't believe these guys have given up. They're just making stupid mistakes, and letting games slip through their fingers. Of the 6 games they lost this year, I think they were clearly better than at least 4 of those teams and outplayed them all. Just dumb errors. They can be corrected.

Typical Steeler fan response here......nobody is better than the Steelers they simply beat themselves.....

Tim is the only one saying it -- the rest of us are conceding the Steelers stink right now and the Raiders were the better team.