OT:Steelers Epic Fail?

[Fk_Pitt]

just over three weeks ago, anyone who watched the tv broadcast of the steelers vs Broncos may remember Romo and Nance gushing over the Steelers. It was early in the 3rd quarter, they were talking about them being the class of the AFC, and it was profound to me because the game was still in doubt.

The Steelers proceeded to inexplicably lose that game, lose the chargers game and lose to the raiders. If they had won all three games, as they should have, they would have woken up today with the #1 overall seed.

Come Monday, they may find themselves out of the playoffs.

Unbelievable. Very well could be hell in December Part 2.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

4th quarter defensive collapses and botched special teams with Boswell misses are the common thread

 

[maxxwell]

Feels a lot like '09, which also featured an inexplicable loss to Oakland and culminated with a playoff miss. We'll find out the next few weeks if history repeats.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Its a flawed team.

Nice run midseason when the offense was cranking and things broke their way.

But, the problems have been there all season.

They got a reprieve when the Ravens choked out late in KS last weekend, but still would favor them inching the Steelers out over htese next three games given the Steelers have to play the Pats this week, and have a TOUGH trip to play the Saints at home.

But, all winning the division does is set up a painful exit early in January.

 

[HailtoPitt]

I recall lots of teams with highly productive offenses flaming out later in the season or in the playoffs. That formula usually doesn't work. Balance and defense is better.

 

[Blue Goose]

i almost hope they loss the next 3 games in order to move up in the draft..........BUT, will probably blow that pick - AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pitt79]

Feels a lot like '09, which also featured an inexplicable loss to Oakland and culminated with a playoff miss. We'll find out the next few weeks if history repeats.

To me, it feels like 1998, They where coming off an AFCCG appearance in '97, 11-5 where Kordell had become the hottest thing going, he had 21 pass and 11 rush TDs and was supposed to be the next big thing, '98 they started 7-4, then lost Thanksgiving on the infamous Bettis coin toss and finished 7-9.

 

[Pitt79]

Really, they should have won the last 3 games, IMO the opponents didn't really beat them as much as they made sure they made all the most boneheaded plays and choices and failures right at the perfect times to negate success, each game, you could name 5-6-7 plays that subtracted points that should have been scored.

 

[Pitt79]

But, all winning the division does is set up a painful exit early in January.

I'd rather lose in the playoffs than not make it at all.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

4th quarter defensive collapses and botched special teams with Boswell misses are the common thread

You nailed it with the 4th quarter collapses. I’ll agree. That’s a bingo. But I can’t blame a kicker. It shouldn’t come down to his misses. Just like we can’t say he’s the reason the Steelers had the season they did last year.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

i almost hope they loss the next 3 games in order to move up in the draft..........BUT, will probably blow that pick - AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Draft misses happen. I’m not sure how they stack up against the rest of the league but I haven’t been a fan of the Colbert personel decisions through the years. But the Steelers always say these are team decisions so I’ll blame the powers that be for the mistake of tendering Bell, and for being arrogant enough to think that they were good enough on defense without Ryan Shazier, and with Artie Burns at corner. They could have made a play for Patrick Peterson but thought they were good enough. I bet they didn’t think their season would come down to two games vs Tom Brady and Drew brees.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

I recall lots of teams with highly productive offenses flaming out later in the season or in the playoffs. That formula usually doesn't work. Balance and defense is better.

Texans and Rams in the super bowl?

 

[maxxwell]

Draft misses happen. I’m not sure how they stack up against the rest of the league but I haven’t been a fan of the Colbert personel decisions through the years. But the Steelers always say these are team decisions so I’ll blame the powers that be for the mistake of tendering Bell, and for being arrogant enough to think that they were good enough on defense without Ryan Shazier, and with Artie Burns at corner. They could have made a play for Patrick Peterson but thought they were good enough. I bet they didn’t think their season would come down to two games vs Tom Brady and Drew brees.

If Peterson was truly available, then it was a huge failure on the Steelers' part not to pursue him. If I'm not mistaken, by that time, Bell's holdout had provided the necessary cap room to bring Peterson aboard.

 

[wbrpanther]

just over three weeks ago, anyone who watched the tv broadcast of the steelers vs Broncos may remember Romo and Nance gushing over the Steelers. It was early in the 3rd quarter, they were talking about them being the class of the AFC, and it was profound to me because the game was still in doubt.

The Steelers proceeded to inexplicably lose that game, lose the chargers game and lose to the raiders. If they had won all three games, as they should have, they would have woken up today with the #1 overall seed.

Come Monday, they may find themselves out of the playoffs.

Unbelievable. Very well could be hell in December Part 2.

Well they can't be out of the playoffs Monday with 2 games left. But I get your point. I predict the Steelers beat NE on Sunday and revert to playing good football these last 3 games. They can still make the playoffs while playing poorly but what would be the point.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Wouldn't be surprised if they beat leaky NE this time. Isn't that why they hired Tom Bradley?

 

[Pitt79]

They can still make the playoffs while playing poorly but what would be the point.

Just to have an extra TV game to care about.

 

[jtownknowitall]

Remember the 2011 New York Football Giants?

 

[FireballZ]

I'm not a Steelers fan, but I know I wouldn't want to be playing in NE, while struggling, in December, with the Pats coming off that type of loss. Good luck.

 

[Pitt79]

They haven't beaten NE since 2011, so eventually the law of averages needs to catch up for them.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Draft misses happen. I’m not sure how they stack up against the rest of the league but I haven’t been a fan of the Colbert personel decisions through the years. But the Steelers always say these are team decisions so I’ll blame the powers that be for the mistake of tendering Bell, and for being arrogant enough to think that they were good enough on defense without Ryan Shazier, and with Artie Burns at corner. They could have made a play for Patrick Peterson but thought they were good enough. I bet they didn’t think their season would come down to two games vs Tom Brady and Drew brees.

Peterson is still playing for Arizona
So he wasn’t available.
So it’s a moot point
M

 

[BuffetParrothead]

The key issue is a coaching staff that is totally disorganized and one that is incapable of making "on the fly" and half time adjustments.
QB Rivers said our staff made adjs at halftime and the Steelers didn't.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

The key issue is a coaching staff that is totally disorganized and one that is incapable of making "on the fly" and half time adjustments.
QB Rivers said our staff made adjs at halftime and the Steelers didn't.

The defense stinks

 

[Fk_Pitt]

The key issue is a coaching staff that is totally disorganized and one that is incapable of making "on the fly" and half time adjustments.
QB Rivers said our staff made adjs at halftime and the Steelers didn't.

The defense stinks

The defense is vanilla and elementary. Former player and coaching talking heads have said it. Louis Riddick just said so this week, and it’s obvious because of what opposing offenses are doing to the Steelers in the 2nd half of games. Just seems odd, given how highly they regarded Keith butler for all of those years, and given tomlin is supposedly a defensive coach.

 

[Pitt79]

The defense is vanilla and elementary. Former player and coaching talking heads have said it. Louis Riddick just said so this week, and it’s obvious because of what opposing offenses are doing to the Steelers in the 2nd half of games. Just seems odd, given how highly they regarded Keith butler for all of those years, and given tomlin is supposedly a defensive coach.

The Steelers at some point in history decided that nothing can change EVER. Like we have to be a 3-4 D FOREVER, even though oddly we where 4-3 until like 1982? So we hire and promote in an inbred manner and a lot of what goes on is years if not decades behind the cutting edge, on offense and defense.

 

[str61166]

They haven't beaten NE since 2011, so eventually the law of averages needs to catch up for them.

I just can’t buy the “law of averages” argument. Pitt against UNC, the Steelers at Oakland, Penguins against the Blackhawks lately. With New England, feels like if they couldn’t have beaten Brady/Belichick last year, they never again will. But who knows. Certainly feels like Ben is going to have to do it, AB/Juju will have to get the better of their secondary and the run game actually clicking for once would help to keep Brady and his weapons off the field against the Steelers’ struggling/allergic to forcing a takeaway defense.

I guess eventually things go the way of the other team, but sometimes it really takes some time. I found it bizarre that the Chargers lost 9 straight to KC until Thursday night.

 

[pittbb80]

While the defense and FG kicker bare most of the blame Bens awful turnovers and goofy coaching decisions have also contributed.

I just can’t see this team beating the Pats especially when Artie burns playing

Ben is going to have to have a huge game without turning the ball over

 

[BigBird80]

Just get into the playoffs and let Ben do what he did in 2006. Attack, attack, attack the opposing defenses and not let your foot off the gas.

Burns and Sutton are starting tomorrow because they are man to man cb’s instead of Sensabugh who plays zone. Will be interesting to see who they put on Gronk since Davis changed positions....it better not be Edmunds.

 

[Pitt79]

I just can’t buy the “law of averages” argument. Pitt against UNC, the Steelers at Oakland, Penguins against the Blackhawks lately. With New England, feels like if they couldn’t have beaten Brady/Belichick last year, they never again will. But who knows. Certainly feels like Ben is going to have to do it, AB/Juju will have to get the better of their secondary and the run game actually clicking for once would help to keep Brady and his weapons off the field against the Steelers’ struggling/allergic to forcing a takeaway defense.

I guess eventually things go the way of the other team, but sometimes it really takes some time. I found it bizarre that the Chargers lost 9 straight to KC until Thursday night.

Capitals against Penguins in the playoffs
Penguins vs. Flyers for like 15 years

 

[Pittx9]

Feels a lot like '09, which also featured an inexplicable loss to Oakland and culminated with a playoff miss. We'll find out the next few weeks if history repeats.

Very, very, very similar. Bad start, decent winning streak, then a sizable losing streak. The New England game tomorrow will determine if the season goes like that one or the Steelers hang onto their playoff lives.

Of course if Baltimore loses I guess Pittsburgh loss still keeps them in 1st place but at that point you’re really backing into the playoffs if they can even last through the final 2 weeks.

 

[str61166]

Capitals against Penguins in the playoffs
Penguins vs. Flyers for like 15 years

The tide did turn on those... but it took a while.