You do realize the man plays for the Detroit Lions do you not? The guy has a 95 passer rating the last two years. Nothing to do with him being better than a Brady or Rodgers but just a function of when his contract was due.
Exactly, QB is of such outsized importance in the NFL these days, you get this kind of demand. Within 2-3 years, Big Ben will retire and the Steelers will become INSTANT GARBAGE instead of contenders. JUST BEN BY HIMSELF is the reason they are Super Bowl contenders, take him out and they are maybe 7-9 instead of 11-5, even with the rest of the star studded skill players and defenders. There is no "next man up" at the QB position, there are really only 8-10 truly capable QBs at the pro level in the whole world. When you lose one you nose dive instantly. Bill Belechik won't be a genius anymore when Brady goes.
I agree mostly (we definitely see how the Steelers miss BR when he is out). But Belichick actually HAS proven he can win with just about any QB, at least in NE anyway. He wins with garbage like Matt Cassel and Janeane Garopolo or whoever. BB is loathe-worthy personally but man, he is good.
BB is loathe-worthy personally .. do you know the man? I kind of like him. Kind of a warm cuddly fellow of few words. Other that maybe bending a rule or two a tiny bit I do not know of anything bad about the dude to "loathe". I reserve such words for the Ray Rice's and Lewis's of the world.
Matt Cassel was proven to be feces once he left the Pats. Any other coach barely wins 4 with him, especially if he had to come in a relative emergency. 10-6 was marvelous. I actually like Tomlin but the Steelers wouldn't go 10-6 with Matt Cassel. Nor would most any other coach. Perhaps Noll in 1976, with 1976 rules.
) but one has to give him his due. Belicheck wins with the most amazing cast of dweebs, wieners and rejects one can imagine. Forget QB if you can. Do you think NE's D would suck like the Steelers still does, with all those #1 draft picks?
Matt Cassel was proven to be feces once he left the Pats. Any other coach barely wins 4 with him, especially if he had to come in a relative emergency. 10-6 was marvelous. I actually like Tomlin but the Steelers wouldn't go 10-6 with Matt Cassel. Nor would most any other coach. Perhaps Noll in 1976, with 1976 rules.
Only verifiable psychopaths like Belicheck (see upj's post above
Yeah, I'd try to trade him and try my chances in the draft. You probably aren't even a possible conference championship team with Stafford, so what are you really playing for? Hope that you get into the playoffs most of the time and go nowhere. I'd rather see my team tank and actually try to win a championship.
Matt Cassel was proven to be feces once he left the Pats. Any other coach barely wins 4 with him, especially if he had to come in a relative emergency. 10-6 was marvelous. I actually like Tomlin but the Steelers wouldn't go 10-6 with Matt Cassel. Nor would most any other coach. Perhaps Noll in 1976, with 1976 rules.
Only verifiable psychopaths like Belicheck (see upj's post above
Could be, but hopefully not.
They can only tag Bell next year and then they will not be able to tag him again. I wish this year they would have mortgaged the future to be the best possible team this year and next. Suffer in cap hell for 2019 & 2020. Tank in 2019 to get top 2020 and 2021 picks and hope you hit on it and can contend again in 2022. If it doesn't work, keep trying.
Top 5? Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Ben, Matt Ryan, Rivers, and Luck would all certainly be ahead of Stafford, for me. Then I'd still rather have, at least, David Carr and Cam Newton.
I've seen him listed at 10 on several sites....top 1/3 qbs are rare treasured entities that will be paid top dollar. ranks right around David Carr (the former highest paid qb)
Not sure he will be a God send, but at least they have gone out and added McDonald and Haden now to shore up two weak spots.
Yes, it's well known that MAC-level coaches (by level of payroll) and the 1.5-on-average-star players they are able to obtain, would coach and play like 5 stars if only greedy, shallow fans would pay top shelf prices, donate their 401Ks, and come out in droves to see games like YSU, Rice and Duke (football) regardless of the fact that the season (for meaningful purposes, aka championship) has ended by Oct 1 almost every year since 1982.
It's kind of an unfortunate cycle. As college football has been diluted over the years (frankly, too many teams and the willingness of big programs to play rinky-dinks), wily coaches of teams on the fringe figured out that they could annoy the sh*t out the big opponents and on occasion even beat them with spread offenses and gimmicky crap.
I agree with all of that. But personally, I don't think the Steelers could even dream of 7 wins without ben. Without a franchise qb right now any NFL game is an absolute struggle to be competitive in.
This. Cassel literally won 10 games with the Chiefs two years later and had a better season.
Whatever the record, they need to win whatever number gives em HFA over New England should they meet in the playoffs. HFA is not a guarantee they'd win, but it's pretty much a guarantee they don't if they fail to do it.
Not sure if that will happen or not but I can agree that could easily win the division. It's gonna be a very weak one this year IMO also.
It's hard to beat out NE for home field, due to their division. It's basically a cakewalk every year. There is nothing close to what the Steelers have had to deal with year in, and year out with the Ravens, and sometimes Cincy. Cleveland is awful, but even they've made the playoffs since the Bills have.
I don't necessarily disagree, or agree really. I don't know what to think as I think the steelers are more equipped this year to make a title run than they've been since 08. Like you said though not many gimmes. So would I be that surprised at 9-7? A little but it depends where the losses come. Whatever the record is though I just agree that I really see no competition from their AFC North foes.
There are essentially no "gimmie games" in the NFL, but the Steelers have a pretty set up schedule. 9-7 would be a disappointment.
They were just talking last night about how important the early season games are before they head to December. They have to make a serious push for home field advantage. As much as I think they are legitimate super bowl contenders, I am still not convinced they can win at New England in the playoffs. 7-1 would be a great start, and it may even be neccesary.
