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View Full Version : Most disappointing Steeler in 2011.



zulater
02-16-2012, 11:47 AM
Notice I'm not asking for the worst Steeler, it's the most disappointing for the 2011 season I'm commenting on. Or at least from my perspective, using my criteria for disappointing. So we'll start there. In order to be disappointed by anything, you first had to have expectations. Therefore guys like Shaun Suisham and Jonathan Scott don't make my list. And players who's seasons were disrupted by injury I don't include on my list this year, but you're welcome to include them on yours. So with that all in mind here's my candidates.

Lawrence Timmons. Please don't take this wrong. Timmons had a good season. But I expected more from him. Through the first half of the 2010 season you could have made an argument that he was the Steelers MVP. Since then he's been good, a very steady player. But not a breakout performer, a guy you could see being a DPOY candidate.

Ziggy Hood. Towards the end of the 2010 season Ziggy looked like a guy who was going to make a big splash early in his career. Including playoffs, he had 5 sacks in his final 6 games the season before. And it wasn't just sacks, he was eating up blocks and making life easy for the linebackers behind him. This year he was solid, but never spectacular. Just another guy in the lineup, not the emerging star I thought we had in the making.

Rashard Mendenhall. I thought Rashard climb up among the elite backs in the leagues, or close to it. You know, the next rung down the ladder from guys like Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice etc... Last year he wasn't even average among the backs in the league. He regressed in every statistical category last year. And while we know the line in front of him is below average, that was just as true in 09-10, and Mendenhall was a better back both of those years.

Feel free to add on your own or comment on mine.

Chidi29
02-16-2012, 12:19 PM
I have to disagree with you on Hood. With all the injuries along the defensive line, Hood constantly stepped up and logged 50+ snaps per game. Take a look at the Broncos game. No Hampton, no Keisel for basically three quarters leaving us with three DL left. Hood played nearly every snap after that and helped to keep the Broncos' running game in check. He saved one TD and helped on the backside on the McGahee fumble forced by Mundy. Hood had a great year, even if the sacks went down (when was the last time a Steelers' fan judged a DE by his sacks?)

I'm struggling to find a guy I thought was disappointing. I feel like a major homer right now. There are players who obviously didn't do well and players I think that are overrated but having a hard time finding one that fits the bill as "disappointing". I didn't envision Hines Ward having such the poor season he had and basically being out there to catch/block for a screen pass. Brown did step up huge on 3rd downs but it was always nice in previous seasons knowing Ward was that blanket.

I wasn't happy with the job Sean Kugler did this year. I know the line was a mess but it was last year and he received praise for doing a good job with a MASH Unit (and rightfully so). So he should be able to given blame for not producing again this season. The lack of communication along the offensive line, especially on the road, was mind-numbingly frustrating. We couldn't pick up a TE stunt to save our lives.

zulater
02-16-2012, 12:52 PM
Again I didn't say Ziggy was bad. He certainly had some shining moments. And I agree, he was one of the better players in the playoff loss. But he wasn't quite as good as I expected. Keisel was our best DE this season. By quite a bit in fact. I guess I wanted the gap between Keisel and Ziggy to be a little less pronounced. Maybe next season? And hopefully not because Keisel's play declines.

suitanim
02-16-2012, 12:59 PM
Far and away Hines Ward. Diminishing skills is usually something that happens more gradually.

SteelGhost
02-16-2012, 01:06 PM
It's hard to write this because he's one of my favorite players, but IMHO Ward shown a huge decline. :behindsofa:

BlastFurnace
02-16-2012, 01:09 PM
Lawrence Timmons

zulater
02-16-2012, 01:25 PM
Far and away Hines Ward. Diminishing skills is usually something that happens more gradually.

I think circumstances hurt Ward this season, maybe more than age. He was playing ok until Ray Ray clocked him. Once Ward was forced out of the lineup Antonio Brown stepped up in a big way, and to some extent Hines got "Wally Pipp'ed out of a starters role. After Antonio took his starters job Hines wasn't the same guy. I don't know if he got down on himself or just down on his luck, but imo he didn't respond well to the situation. I'm not suggesting he quit. But I do think he let it get him down some.

suitanim
02-16-2012, 01:47 PM
I'm re-thinking my position on Ward after reading Colbert's last interview. MAYBE if he comes into camp in top-notch shape, takes a steep pay-cut and is willing to play special teams (and does nayone doubt he couldn't still lay a pretty big hurtin' on special teams?), I think it's worth him sticking around maybe one more year.

Craic
02-16-2012, 02:05 PM
For MOST disappointing, believe it or not, I have to go with Sep.

I know, a punter?

Yes, a punter. While the punter we had didn't do bad, we exchanged a kid that could boom punts and change field position for some that was just serviceable. Worse yet, we were told that they thought they had figured out why he had so many problem. Then he goes and blows up his knee again.

I don't blame him at all. It wasn't like he was out dancing on a table drunk. But it was still very disappointing and IMO, his time with the Steelers should be over.

JackLambert58
02-16-2012, 03:19 PM
Going with Mike Wallace. Thought he was going to be a world-beater starting off the season. He turned into the disappearing man the 2nd half. And I'm truly getting sick of his not fighting for balls thrown in his direction. I truly question the man's toughness. I would love nothing better for him to prove me wrong.

SMR
02-16-2012, 04:04 PM
Going with Mike Wallace. Thought he was going to be a world-beater starting off the season. He turned into the disappearing man the 2nd half. And I'm truly getting sick of his not fighting for balls thrown in his direction. I truly question the man's toughness. I would love nothing better for him to prove me wrong.

Perhaps Tomlin is STILL being justified with having called Wallace a "one trick pony".

fansince'76
02-16-2012, 04:38 PM
Lawrence Timmons

Agreed. I expected much more.

Count Steeler
02-16-2012, 05:14 PM
Timmons and Wallace for me. I expected more for Timmons all season. Wallace started great but he just fell off the table in the 2nd half. Not a good way to end a contract year.

Devilsdancefloor
02-16-2012, 05:26 PM
Mendy for not finding creases and it seemed as though 90% of the time he never lower his shoulder for that 1 or 2 extra yards

st33lersguy
02-16-2012, 05:27 PM
Timmons, he regressed this year

Edman
02-16-2012, 06:02 PM
Lawrence Timmons. Playing out of position most of the season, but he's been invisible all year. Not a good season for the guy.

Rashard Mendenhall. After watching Redman and even Dwyer run with authority, Mendy has been a total letdown most of 2011, and it looks like he won't be getting much better with that ACL.

Mike Wallace I have to incur. His rapid drop-off in production since the Arizona game has raised a ton of questions. It also seems that Wallace is really vulnerable to head games and doesn't fare too well against Physical Defenses. Lacks the well-rounded ability of Antonio Brown, who can virtually do everything...right. Tomlin was correct calling him a one-trick pony.

SteelerFanInStl
02-16-2012, 06:02 PM
I have to agree with Timmons. He's been a disappointment the last 1.5 years after looking like he had broken through. In his defense, he did get moved around a lot this year and he's had to drop back in coverage more.

El-Gonzo Jackson
02-16-2012, 06:14 PM
http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/001/819/409/120972000_display_image.jpg?1327020716

zulater
02-16-2012, 06:17 PM
Lawrence Timmons. Playing out of position most of the season, but he's been invisible all year. Not a good season for the guy.

Rashard Mendenhall. After watching Redman and even Dwyer run with authority, Mendy has been a total letdown most of 2011, and it looks like he won't be getting much better with that ACL.

Mike Wallace I have to incur. His rapid drop-off in production since the Arizona game has raised a ton of questions. It also seems that Wallace is really vulnerable to head games and doesn't fare too well against Physical Defenses. Lacks the well-rounded ability of Antonio Brown, who can virtually do everything...right. Tomlin was correct calling him a one-trick pony.

I noticed that there were several games when defensive backs got to jawing with Wallace early where he disappeared afterwards.

ALLD
02-16-2012, 06:40 PM
I would say Kemo, but he was never very good as Coach Noll would say.

steeldevil
02-16-2012, 07:58 PM
Definitely Wallace and Timmons.

steelerdude15
02-16-2012, 08:04 PM
Jonathan Scott, I hope he's cut very soon.

Steeltreal
02-16-2012, 08:25 PM
Cant really single any 1 player out so im going with coach Tomlin for his clock management at the end of halves . He had no clue when to use time outs.

tihmtahm
02-17-2012, 05:50 PM
Sweed!!! even though he was cut before the season started... he was technically a Steeler in 2011.