FOOTBALL! Pro/College/etc. Still undefeated!

[EvGeno]

Roethisberger out = Bengals win, count it.

I’m ok with that. They aren’t going undefeated and this gives them an excuse and takes away some of the pressure.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Eh, I would give Rudolph a game to see where he's at, or at best, half. Then if he looks horrible, throw Dobbs in for the 2nd half.

I don't care for the chitter chatter about either QB.

 

[OnMyOwn]

 

[Bingo71]

If the Steelers drop this game because Ben doesn’t play, you can just about be rest assured they lose the division.

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

I have a connect for tickets in Jacksonville, have a (refundable) hotel booked. It’s only three hours away.

I know COVID and all but the thought of driving three hours to watch Rudolph play is far more of a deterrent.

 

[Al Smith]

I have a connect for tickets in Jacksonville, have a (refundable) hotel booked. It’s only three hours away.

I know COVID and all but the thought of driving three hours to watch Rudolph play is far more of a deterrent.

it’s tough to walk the three steps to my couch to watch rudolph play let alone driving three hours.

 

[chizzler]

If there was ever an example of the do and don’t haves in the NFL, it this years Steeler team. This year, they are good. If Rudolph is at the helm, no way they even com close to their record. I would’ve traded the first for a run stopper to go for it this year. They didn’t do much and retained the pick. I would seriously consider trading up at the draft, to get a QB of the future, and let him sit a year. The guys we have aren’t going to cut it.

 

[T1K]

If the Steelers drop this game because Ben doesn’t play, you can just about be rest assured they lose the division.

Pretty dramatic. The Ravens are dealing with their own issues right now, and if you’re suggesting the Browns have a shot at winning the division you’re crazy.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Wait, did the Bengals desecrate the Terrible Towel again?

Do those morons never learn?

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

They posted a gif of TJ Houshma... whatever... wiping his feet with it and said “Steelers week.”

 

[Honour Over Glory]

They posted a gif of TJ Houshma... whatever... wiping his feet with it and said “Steelers week.”

Oh the 2005 thing, I thought another bloke had tempted fate again.

 

[Bingo71]

Pretty dramatic. The Ravens are dealing with their own issues right now, and if you’re suggesting the Browns have a shot at winning the division you’re crazy.

Ravens’ remaining schedule:

@Patriots (should be an easy win for them against Scam)

Titans (toughest remaining game for them and Vrabel owned them in the POs last year. Toss up)

@Steelers (don’t thing LJ will be so careless with the ball this time around and give the Steelers gifts. Toss up)

Cowboys (I doubt they struggle like the Steelers did with them...)

@Browns (should be another fairly easy win for them against a team that isn’t at their level)

Jaguars (shouldn’t even be a contest)

Giants (shouldn’t even be a contest)

@Bengals (should be another easy win but it all comes down to where they are as far as playoff rankings and such)

Steelers remaining schedule:


Bengals (all dependent on who plays and who doesn’t on Sunday)

@Jaguars (should be a win but they always struggle against Jax for whatever reason)

Ravens (again, I don’t think LJ plays so fast and loose with the ball this time around)

Washington (should be a cakewalk but...)

@bills (toughest game left on the schedule IMO. Allen will give them fits I believe)

@Bengals (Burrow playing extremely well for a rook...)

Colts (even though Rivers has looked like shit recently, this is another tough game)

@Browns (Browns could still be in contention for a wildcard and playing tough)

All in all, the Steelers have the more difficult schedule and they is why continuing to stacks wins against teams they should beat is a must. If the Ravens just hold serve for the rest of the year and the Steelers lose to them and the Bills, Baltimore wins the division. Pittsburgh just cannot afford to lose games like Jax or Cincy...

 

[Mario_is_BACK!!]

Game day is coming and I’m trying to figure out what to do this week. For the past three weeks I’ve been doing a cook along in Twitter threads for my game day meals.

First it was nachos -



Then wings -



And this past week smoked ribs -



Thinking chili since it’s Cincy.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Ever since Bush went down our run D has been awful. Is one player really that vital to stopping the run?

Yes, since it changed the advantage they had by using Vince in a role they normally couldnt. Focusing solely on stopping the run and rushing the passer, he was basically another DL/OLB instead of the traditional 3-4 ILB. But since Bush went down he has been back to being used as he was. Resulting in less pressure on the QB, more room for RBs to run, and him having to be in coverage.

So one injury took away that luxury we finally had. I was afraid of that when it happened. Spillane isnt fast enough to stop the quicker RBs once they get to the outside. That is what Bush prevented. Hopefully we will see Avery Williamson make up for 75 to 80% of the Bush loss. Id say Spillane made up for about 25%.

Some are saying Avery is like Spillane and Vince but hes better. Hes not as fast as Bush but a tackling machine. Will for sure help out in the run D. Pass coverage , Idk. He was good on the Titans in that area but not the Jets. Kind of hard to judge players on the Jets tho. Avery is a +100 tackle a year player who forces 3-4 turnovers while adding a few sacks. And hes experienced, but not to the point hes slowing down. Still only 28. He will have 8 games to get comfortable with this D. And since he has played in a 3-4 his whole career it shouldnt be a problem. Going from what he was playing with on the Jets tho, to having Watt - Heyward - Tuitt - Dupree in front of him and Fitz behind him? Should have us with higher expectations out of him than expected so far.

Eventually it should be Williamson in the role Bush was in with Vince able to do what he was exceling at before Bush went down. With Spillane coming in here and there to give each a breather. Now that Spillane has had a chance to start, he should be much better in that type of role instead of being in there most of the game. Keep him fresh where he can make a big play.

I wont be worried about the run D going forward.

 

[SouthGeorge]

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Ravens’ remaining schedule:

@Patriots (should be an easy win for them against Scam)

Titans (toughest remaining game for them and Vrabel owned them in the POs last year. Toss up)

@Steelers (don’t thing LJ will be so careless with the ball this time around and give the Steelers gifts. Toss up)

Cowboys (I doubt they struggle like the Steelers did with them...)

@Browns (should be another fairly easy win for them against a team that isn’t at their level)

Jaguars (shouldn’t even be a contest)

Giants (shouldn’t even be a contest)

@Bengals (should be another easy win but it all comes down to where they are as far as playoff rankings and such)

Steelers remaining schedule:


Bengals (all dependent on who plays and who doesn’t on Sunday)

@Jaguars (should be a win but they always struggle against Jax for whatever reason)

Ravens (again, I don’t think LJ plays so fast and loose with the ball this time around)

Washington (should be a cakewalk but...)

@bills (toughest game left on the schedule IMO. Allen will give them fits I believe)

@Bengals (Burrow playing extremely well for a rook...)

Colts (even though Rivers has looked like shit recently, this is another tough game)

@Browns (Browns could still be in contention for a wildcard and playing tough)

All in all, the Steelers have the more difficult schedule and they is why continuing to stacks wins against teams they should beat is a must. If the Ravens just hold serve for the rest of the year and the Steelers lose to them and the Bills, Baltimore wins the division. Pittsburgh just cannot afford to lose games like Jax or Cincy...

It would be nice but they dont necessarily need to win the division. Home field doesnt really matter for these playoffs without the crowd. Unless you think theyll get the bye week over KC(I doubt it). So playing the first week shouldnt be a big deal. They would be 5th seed if no division win, likely matching up against either the Colts or Titans as the 4th seed.

Lets say all the favs win(other than Pitt), then it would be Ravens vs Bills and Chiefs vs Steelers the next round. No matter what it would be a tough opponent. And if we are going to play the Chiefs Id rather it be after they had some time off anyway and their first opponent than the AFC championship game. Not only could we catch them off guard for the first quarter or half like back in the day against the Colts, but you dont want to play the Chiefs in the AFCC. Would be their 3rd time there in a row while we still have a ton of players with no playoff experience. Just way more pressure by then. But if its the week before, we could be the ones throwing in a whole new look on offense to get a two score lead by half. Then either our D steps up and prevents a come back or does just enough combined with the offense to win it. Chiefs would be coming off a bye and maybe even 2 weeks off if they clinch the #1 seed before week 17.

I wouldnt mind going that route.

We won our SBs being WC anyway. The times we did have a bye...didnt workout so well.

I wouldnt mind seeing us go 10-0, then lose 3 out of last 6. Ending the season just like the last few years but this time too much of a lead to not get in...then maybe they play with a chip on their shoulders instead of what we might see if they finished #1 seed. It would make 3 years in a row they lose towards the end of season, reminding them of the last two seasons where it cost them a playoff spot.


This is the one year home field doesnt have an impact...so if we can go into the playoffs with that extra motivation(all of the talk would be "here we go again with the Steelers not being able to close out the season", "dont expect much from them") Id take it.

And speaking of the timing of when it would benefit most playing an opponent. Bills in the AFCC would be the opposite of what I said about the Chiefs. Would be Josh Allen's first time compared to Ben's experience there. If we were to face them..id rather it be then than earlier on.

Colts , Chiefs , then Bills. Assuming we have to play Chiefs no matter what...then give me that scenario over any other one that involves it being in the pre SB game. Even over us getting #1 seed and a bye week...with them playing in Pitt. While its riskier to play an extra game, it would benefit this team. Getting that first one out of the way for a lot of players.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Mike Tomlin needs to go.

This is an outdated view on Tomlin. Hes much better now than he used to be. I wanted Washington to give us picks for him last year but since that didnt happen(only due to Rivera being available) Id keep Tomlin for now. Can see the improvement each season. May be slower than we like but still improving. So we get him for his first 10 years of developing then he goes elsewhere and wins? Not saying he will be BB(nobody is) but it took him awhile before becoming what he did.

This is the same view most Steelers fans had on Cowher too for so many years until he finally won it. Then we wanted him back. Who knows if the next coach will be better anyway? Last thing we need right now(these next few years with a lot of players to sign) is to get rid of a coach players love playing for. May lead to more turnover in the roster than expected...for Ben's final few years.

I think him and Butler are finally getting to where we wanted them to be. Maybe Im wrong but Id at least let it play out the next few years so we dont mess with the players we have in place. Who if they do stay, would have to learn under a new coach. How long would that take? With Ben having 2 or 3 years left along with Pouncey, DeCastro, Heyward, Haden, etc...id wait.

If there needs to be a change if we fail again this year its the OC. The D is in a good place. Keeping Tomlin and Butler may lead to some players deciding to stay here for cheaper than they could get if they left. Who knows. Especially if we go far these playoffs. Something that hasnt happened in awhile.

Anyway, we always won more due to the talent we had than coaching. And Tomlin has had years ruined with season ending injuries to irreplaceable players in the playoffs. Last few seasons we had injuries that cost us games towards end of season. I do blame Tomlin for missing the playoffs last year but can anyone name one playoff year where we were heavy favorites since going to the SB in 2010? The WC game against Broncos we were for that game but not serious contenders after that. Then the years were filled with losing Bell 3x where Josh Harris, Fitz Toussaint, etc were his replacements. Making it worse, 2 of those years we were missing our #2 WR. Then when our O finally stayed healthy and scored 42 pts in playoffs like we were waiting for, Shazier was injured weeks earlier ruining our defense.

Yes BB wins in spite of injuries, but thats one coach. Rams for example, on a roll til they lost WR Cooper Kupp and even worse...Todd Gurley. Jared Goff was a mess after that and that is the main reason the Pats won that SB. 13-3. Best offense in league before those injuries. Every team has them but some cant be replaced.

Id like to see Tomlin have one playoff year without key players out. Losing Bush was a big blow but I think Williamson will help with that. We cant lose any other significant player tho. He hasnt had one year of both Tuitt and Heyward in the playoffs. And the only time the offense was intact was when we lost Shazier. Havent made it since.

We dont have to be concerned with BB outcoaching him. And so many are acting like Andy Reid is an all time great now but before winning, he was known as the opposite. A coach who couldnt win when it mattered. Until Mahomes. Which brings me to my original point...talent. Reid is coaching no diff than when he had Alex Smith at QB. It just looks way better now because of Mahomes.

 

[DanielPlainview]

Tomlin apologists are a special bunch

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Martavis Bryant, lol...

What a wasted talent, couldn't keep away from the weed and now all he does is talk about his has-been career and speed.

I didn't mean to rhyme that.

 

[Gold Diamond]

Martavis Bryant pisses me off. He should be on the Steelers right now putting up massive yardage but he couldn't stay off the drugs and is now out of football. What a ****ing waste he was.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

He made one comment in 3 years. Unless I missed the daily blog about it. I dont blame him for being pissed at the league due to how they handled it especially compared to actual crimes. Suspended for a a full year for smoking the pot(who considers that a drug still?) at night to deal with his depression. He had no off the field issues. No arrests. Didnt go with Kraft and get a massage. Didnt Tyreek Hill his kids(did he get suspended?).

Hes stayed quiet a long time. Hard to blame him for saying something now considering what these others Goodell let off the hook during and after.... due to the team they were associated with(No way were they taking Hill away from the Chiefs, it would have ended any hopes at a SB, especially since they were already losing Kareem Hunt). Not only that...the testing for "weed" isnt nearly done as much as it was then. If they even test at all anymore.

Yes the rules were in place. That doesnt mean he cant still be upset about all of it tho. Especially Goodell suspending him "indefinitely" like he committed an actual crime. Kareem Hunt is back in the league. Along with plenty of other examples.

You could tell he had mental issues because of how much that suspension got to him. That year he returned from it, didnt look the same at all. Drops at a pace he never had before. It was in his head. Then the boos came. Was still out there trying his best , to get back on track.

But yeah the start of his career was very similar to what Claypool has been doing. Good news is Clay doesnt already have a "red flag" in Goodell's trapper keeper as soon as he was drafted. So he should be ok.

Tho the Pats do have over 60 mil in cap space next year during an off season where the cap is actually going down by a considerable amount. Allowing the Pats to completely rebuild by getting quality players on the cheap. If those guys gel together and they become a contender again....Kraft will get back to enforcing the quota of multiple random tests on the same person. Goodell will have to dust off the ole manual.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Yeah, the MB situation is pretty shitty. Out of the league for something legal in a lot of states and 90% of the league does. But on the other hand you have to be a complete screw up to fail it. It's one test everybody knows about months in advance. It's easy but if you fail once then you are constantly getting tested.

 

[JTG]

Tomlin apologists are a special bunch

I am not a Tomlin apologist, but after last year, I give him a lot more credit. That team didn't deserve to finish where they did.

Martavis Bryant pisses me off. He should be on the Steelers right now putting up massive yardage but he couldn't stay off the drugs and is now out of football. What a ****ing waste he was.

He and Brown would have never worked.

 

[OnMyOwn]

I’m not an apologist either, I’ve called for the guys head for several years. But, honestly, if the guys love playing for him and knowing the fact he is still younger than some of these all time greats were when they were becoming great, I can just live with it.

We’re f***ed when Ben is done unless we can snag Rodgers or something for a couple years, anyway.

 

[Andy99]

Ben should be good to go at least for Sunday, and Williams too...all four players on the Covid reserve list were taken off the list today...