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View Full Version : Did the 2011 Steelers play inspired?



GBMelBlount
02-18-2012, 07:35 PM
I was at my daughters championship basketball game today. Both teams played surprisingly uninspired and my daughters team was losing 6-5 at the half.

In the 2nd half her team scored 26 unanswered points and won 33-9. It was amazing.

Tonight while I was driving my daughter to her friend's house to spend the night she shared with me the inspirational talk the coaches wife gave them during the half time of the championship that caused the run of 26 unanswered points....and it was TRULY inspiring.

This reminded me of how truly uninspired the Steelers played this season. Where was the fire? The intensity? The collective will to win? I know many may disagree but that's what I saw...

....and I think the Rooney's saw that too.

The things we learn from kids...

polamalubeast
02-18-2012, 07:40 PM
In the NFL, you can not be 12-4 without being inspired.

The first defeat against the Ravens and the defeat against the Texans have been embarrassing, but the 2nd defeat against the Ravens were a heartbreaking loss and the defeat against the 49ers was the fault of Roethlisberger.

Roethlisberger's injury has killed the team.This is the same for the injury of Woodley.

And we must not forget that the Super Bowl champions were 7-7 before the week 16!

st33lersguy
02-18-2012, 07:44 PM
Honestly the only time I saw this team play inspired were Tennessee, New England, and Cincinnati. A lot of wins were close suspenseful games against bad teams that the steelers should have beat easily, especially offensively

GBMelBlount
02-18-2012, 07:50 PM
In the NFL, you can not be 12-4 without being inspired.



I understand your injury "excuse" (and some boneheaded coaching decisions) but great teams rise to the occasion.

I guess I just expected a little higher level of play this year from arguably the most talented team in the nfl.

If I were the Rooney's I would have been pissed.

86WARD
02-18-2012, 07:52 PM
No. Plain and simple.

El-Gonzo Jackson
02-18-2012, 08:06 PM
Honestly the only time I saw this team play inspired were Tennessee, New England, and Cincinnati. A lot of wins were close suspenseful games against bad teams that the steelers should have beat easily, especially offensively
Like that 13-9 win against the Chiefs and Tyler Palko?

Inspired and inspiring.

polamalubeast
02-18-2012, 08:10 PM
Like that 13-9 win against the Chiefs and Tyler Palko?

Inspired and inspiring.

The chiefs were only given 14 points against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

The Chiefs had a very good defense.

Shoes
02-18-2012, 08:12 PM
No......but Antonio Brown did. May the others catch his zeal!

polamalubeast
02-18-2012, 08:13 PM
I understand your injury "excuse" (and some boneheaded coaching decisions) but great teams rise to the occasion.

I guess I just expected a little higher level of play this year from arguably the most talented team in the nfl.

If I were the Rooney's I would have been pissed.


12-4 is the same record as the Steelers have had in their participation in the last 2 super bowl(2008 and 2010).....and better than 2005....

The difference is that the Ravens have had the advantage in the tiebreaker because of the heartbreaking loss at week 9.

polamalubeast
02-18-2012, 08:18 PM
The biggest problem of the Steelers was the turnovers ratio

+17 in 2010....-13 in 2011

GBMelBlount
02-18-2012, 08:23 PM
No......but Antonio Brown did. May the others catch his zeal!

His enthusiasm, his intensity, his amazing attitude and uncompromising work ethic were truly inspiring.

Bottle it!

The Duke
02-18-2012, 08:42 PM
I would say no

we were 12-4 because this is a very talented and veteran team, but I saw no fire in them even in wins. Except for the new england game

El-Gonzo Jackson
02-18-2012, 09:24 PM
The chiefs were only given 14 points against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

The Chiefs had a very good defense.
Packers mailed that in and we all know it. They were without their starting RB, Greg Jennings and both OT's Bulaga and Sherrod were down with injuries. Still, Kyle Orton passed for 300 yards, 0 TD and 0 INT's.

We all saw Tyler Palko turnover the ball on a fumbled snap, throw 3 INT's, 167 yards and get booed by his own fans, yet the game wasnt at hant until Keenan Lewis made the pick at the end of the game.

A 3rd string scrub QB turns the ball over to you 4 times and you narrowly escape with a 13-9 W. Inspiring!!

SteelerFanInStl
02-19-2012, 08:49 AM
Honestly the only time I saw this team play inspired were Tennessee, New England, and Cincinnati. A lot of wins were close suspenseful games against bad teams that the steelers should have beat easily, especially offensively

I agree. I said throughout the year that I didn't see that fire from the players that we normally see. A lot of the time they appeared to be just 'going through the motions'.

Edman
02-19-2012, 09:14 AM
The Steelers got a 12-4 record in 2011, but they didn't play like a 12-4 team. The Offense lulled through games (as usual) and they were just terrible as a road team. The team had a sense that they could just show up and they would win. Isaac Redman and Antonio Brown seemed to be the only players who remotely gave a damn. They played with heart when they were called upon.

The most disappointing thing about 2011, was yet again. The Offense. Arians and Ben continued to write offensive checks they aren't able to cash and Mike Wallace disappeared near midseason.

Injuries hammered the nail in the coffin on the season, but the team's sails went out after the first Cincy game.

SteelerEmpire
02-19-2012, 09:39 AM
Sep 11 PIT 7 @ BAL 35

Oct 02 PIT 10 @ HOU 17

Nov 06 BAL 23 @ PIT 20

Dec 19 PIT 3 @ SF 20

We lost to every team that was worth anything this year; irrespective of injuries because the team got their helmets handed to them in game 1 vs the Ravens 35-7 (no one was injured in that game if I remember correctly). Yea we beat NE (at home), but they had the worse D in the league this year also. I'd say in 2011 we were the "worst of the best" teams in the league; hence we got eliminated in the 1st playoff game; a "wildcard" playoff game.

polamalubeast
02-19-2012, 09:50 AM
Nov 06 BAL 23 @ PIT 20

.

If the Steelers have not been this heartbreaking loss, the Steelers season would have been different.

And the two big problems of Steelers, it was the turnovers ratio and the injury of Woodley and Roethlisberger.

But it's true he did not excuse of the ugly win against the Chiefs,but the super bowl champions have lost 2 times against the redskins.

polamalubeast
02-19-2012, 09:54 AM
I would say no

we were 12-4 because this is a very talented and veteran team, but I saw no fire in them even in wins. Except for the new england game

with a injured woodley and Roethlisberger, the Steelers were far from being a super bowl contender.

If Eli and Tuck or Rodgers and Matthew would have had the same injury that Woodley and Ben, he would have been a different Super Bowl champion in 2010 and 2011.

the eagles are very talented, but they were 8-8.Same thing for the Steelers in 2006.

ALLD
02-19-2012, 10:10 AM
I understand your injury "excuse" (and some boneheaded coaching decisions) but great teams rise to the occasion.

I guess I just expected a little higher level of play this year from arguably the most talented team in the nfl.

If I were the Rooney's I would have been pissed.

They were pissed especially as it appears they steped up and paid the players evidenced by the salary cap issue. In addition, BA. Is one of the casualties for under performing. Expect OL help from the draft and hopefully an injury free season for BB.

ShutDown24
02-19-2012, 11:27 AM
I think when it comes to pro athletes being "inspired" there are a lot of variables to account for. A player like Antonio Brown? You can tell he wants to be great; just for the sake of being great. But that's the case with very few players in this league. A guy like Mike Wallace seems to be in it for his stats. That's not necessarily bad. A lot of people would probably consider that a negative, but if that is what makes him tick I'm not sure much can be done to change it. Then you look at a player like Albert Haynesworth. In his case, clearly money is the driving force behind his performance - when it is good and when it is bad. For those reasons, I think it is rare to have a team play inspired because often you have a roster of guys with different goals. That's why a Super Bowl run is so special. Something sparks most of the guys on a certain team to be great. Whether it's the SB43 winning Steelers team or this past season's Giants - there is something cohesive about the play of most championship teams.

Having said all of that, I would have to say that no the Steelers did not play inspired this year. But I think there may have only been a few teams that did. And I don't think you can just make it happen. It's not like James Harrison is sitting there in the locker room and saying, "Guys this year lets not play inspired." It's special when it happens. It has to be natural and come about in an organic fashion that can't be analyzed.

steelreserve
02-19-2012, 11:42 AM
I wouldn't call them either inspired or uninspired.

Uninspired was what happened in 2006 and 2009 - just flat-out sleepwalking and playing below their ability. Inspired was the years they made the Super Bowl - being fired up, playing to the best of their ability and overcoming problems like injuries and slumps.

2011 was just average. They played about even with their talent level, and things like injuries affected them the way you would expect them to. The end result was about what you would expect for a team of that skill level - a winning record but not steamrolling through the season, and maybe winning a game in the playoffs but maybe not. Kind of like, say, 2007. I really do hope they come back with more intensity next year, because you can tell what a difference it makes with this team.

Steeldude
02-19-2012, 11:54 AM
In the NFL, you can not be 12-4 without being inspired.

Sure you can. The Steelers had an easy schedule. They faced many QBs who were either rookies, backups or just plain bad(Tavaris Jackson, Kolb, Gabbert, McCoy, Painter, Clemens, Palko, Dalton). The Steelers didn't do so well against teams with good QBs(Flacco, Smith, Schaub). The only teams beaten with a good QB were the Patriots and Titans(Hasselbeck). Then came the playoffs where they had to play a team that had no QB. The Steelers looked very uninspired to me.

polamalubeast
02-19-2012, 12:16 PM
I wouldn't call them either inspired or uninspired.

Uninspired was what happened in 2006 and 2009 - just flat-out sleepwalking and playing below their ability. Inspired was the years they made the Super Bowl - being fired up, playing to the best of their ability and overcoming problems like injuries and slumps.

2011 was just average. They played about even with their talent level, and things like injuries affected them the way you would expect them to. The end result was about what you would expect for a team of that skill level - a winning record but not steamrolling through the season, and maybe winning a game in the playoffs but maybe not. Kind of like, say, 2007. I really do hope they come back with more intensity next year, because you can tell what a difference it makes with this team.


In 2009, Polamalu's injury killed the team.

With Polamalu, the Steelers have never lost five games after having had the lead in 4th quarter.

So many close loss in 2009.

GBMelBlount
02-19-2012, 12:20 PM
....I think it is rare to have a team play inspired because often you have a roster of guys with different goals.

That's why a Super Bowl run is so special. Something sparks most of the guys on a certain team to be great. Whether it's the SB43 winning Steelers team or this past season's Giants - there is something cohesive about the play of most championship teams.....

It has to be natural and come about in an organic fashion that can't be analyzed.

^^^^This.

While I can't put my finger on exactly what I felt what was missing....neither can I say exactly what causes it to be present in a team....

It is more just an innate sense of when it is there......and when it is not.

...and again, I just wonder if this is how the Rooneys viewed things as well...

The Duke
02-19-2012, 12:45 PM
with a injured woodley and Roethlisberger, the Steelers were far from being a super bowl contender.
.

I hear ya! No one can deny that. But even when they were healthy the team as a whole was not playing near its potential


the eagles are very talented, but they were 8-8.Same thing for the Steelers in 2006.

they have talented players, but they are far from a talented team, which is what the steelers are. Like Edman said, it was as if they thought they could simply win based on their talent and experience, but without any fire week in and out

BigNastyDefense
02-19-2012, 12:59 PM
The Ravens came out inspired week one and kicked our ass, because their goal this season was to beat the Steelers. Our second loss to them was a heartbreaker but we didn't get our ass beat. In the end, they had the tiebreaker and won the division.

And in the NFL, different things inspire different people, and most players are inspired by pride and their paychecks. By the time you're in the NFL, especially with the fact that it was at least one year vets on the team with no rookie starters...you're a professional and if you need outside inspiration to play well most of the time, then maybe you shouldn't be playing.

The team was inspired against New England because they've been the Steelers' "kryptonite" and everyone outside of Steeler Nation believes if we meet them in the playoffs, we should just forfeit and not play the game.

The team was inspired in the second Baltimore game because of the ass kicking they gave them in week one. Yeah, they lost the game, but they lost it on basically the final play of the game.

And towards the end, injuries really look a toll on the team, especially against the Broncos in the playoff game. Some people say injury is no excuse, but when you're without so many starters at points in a game...backups are backups for a reason. There will always be a few that can step in immediately and play doesn't drop off very much if at all. But for the most part, there will be a drop off when a backup goes in.

polamalubeast
02-19-2012, 01:12 PM
I hear ya! No one can deny that. But even when they were healthy the team as a whole was not playing near its potential




10-3(and 8-1 of the last 9 game before the injury of Ben)is not good?

last 6 game before the injury of Ben

Great win(32-20) vs ARZ
win vs patriots
heartbreaking defeat against the Ravens
great win against 6-2 bengals

ugly win vs chiefs
amazing win(35-7) vs bengals


the steelers were playing very well before the injury to Roethlisberger.

He only against KC that it was not a good game.

suitanim
02-20-2012, 05:38 AM
The defense did not look very "inspired" when they let Flacco punk them and beat them in the most important game of both teams years....

Iron Steeler
02-20-2012, 06:26 AM
Totallu uninspired. The lack of the will to win and injuries are the reason why we got tebowed in the first round
value .they never seemed to gel or they never came together. I agree with some of the posts here in that the rooneys saw the inconsistent play and made a change .

Ya we were 12-4 but it was a sloppy 12-4. I want to won everygame by the 3rd quarter next year

suitanim
02-20-2012, 08:07 AM
We were obviously a very poor road team....completely uninspired. On average, we won about 25-10 at home, and lost about 18-14 on the road. The Ravens drive that killed our season was the worst I've seen this defense play at home in a few years. They were clueless...otherwise they were plenty inspired..........when playing at Heinz Field.

Edman
02-20-2012, 09:13 AM
They played "better" in the second game against Baltimore, but that was only because it's near-impossible to play any worse than in Week 1. It's only "better" by comparison. The Team wasn't really that good in that game. Ben threw a really horrible INT and the Defense was subpar on Third Down.

The 2011 team was just a less lame version of the 2009 Squad. The team was championship material on paper, but they actually weren't championship material. Even in our so-called "Best" game against New England we still had to hold on against the utterly horrible New England Defense. Not to mention Ben throwing a terrible INT that gave NE 7 free points.

polamalubeast
02-20-2012, 09:44 AM
They played "better" in the second game against Baltimore, but that was only because it's near-impossible to play any worse than in Week 1. It's only "better" by comparison. The Team wasn't really that good in that game. Ben threw a really horrible INT and the Defense was subpar on Third Down.

.

The Steelers were 10 seconds from winning the game against the Ravens.

Heartbreaking defeats, its happens to all teams and unfortunately it happened to the Steelers against the Ravens.

polamalubeast
02-20-2012, 09:49 AM
I still think without defeat against the Ravens in week 9 and they would have had a healthy Ben and Woodley, the Steelers season would have been different.

Same in 2009 for Polamalu's injury.


When your one or two of your three most important players on the team are injured, it is difficult for any of the teams won.

GBMelBlount
02-20-2012, 10:01 AM
The Steelers were 10 seconds from winning the game against the Ravens.



Actually they had the Ravens pinned back on their own 8 yard line with little time left.

This complete breakdown on the most vital defensive stand of the season perfectly illustrates the point.

suitanim
02-20-2012, 10:52 AM
Actually they had the Ravens pinned back on their own 8 yard line with little time left.

This complete breakdown on the most vital defensive stand of the season perfectly illustrates the point.

If, at the beginning of the season, if you presented me with that scenario, I'd have not believed the Steelers capable of collapse. I mean, it'd literally be like:
-The Steelers win this game and they put themselves in a great position to have homefield throughout. They are at home. The Rats have only scored 16 points all game. They have the Rats pinned down on their own 8. There's a minute and a half left. The Rats have one timeout. The Steelers possess a 4 point lead, so the Rats HAVE to score a TD. Joe Flacco is the QB.

I'd have said that 99 out of 100 times we'd win that game.

zulater
02-20-2012, 11:10 AM
If, at the beginning of the season, if you presented me with that scenario, I'd have not believed the Steelers capable of collapse. I mean, it'd literally be like:
-The Steelers win this game and they put themselves in a great position to have homefield throughout. They are at home. The Rats have only scored 16 points all game. They have the Rats pinned down on their own 8. There's a minute and a half left. The Rats have one timeout. The Steelers possess a 4 point lead, so the Rats HAVE to score a TD. Joe Flacco is the QB.

I'd have said that 99 out of 100 times we'd win that game.

If Tomlin had a fg kicker he could trust it would have never come to that.

X-Terminator
02-20-2012, 11:26 AM
Ya we were 12-4 but it was a sloppy 12-4. I want to won everygame by the 3rd quarter next year

Yeah, because that's, like, so easy to do. :rolleyes:

You may want it, but you will not get it.

Not even the 2007 Patriots* won every game by the 3rd quarter. Why? Because there are 11 guys on the other side of the field who get paid too, and they aren't just going to roll over and die for any football team.

Iron Steeler
02-20-2012, 12:24 PM
Yeah, because that's, like, so easy to do. :rolleyes:

You may want it, but you will not get it.

Not even the 2007 Patriots* won every game by the 3rd quarter. Why? Because there are 11 guys on the other side of the field who get paid too, and they aren't just going to roll over and die for any football team.

Of course... im exaggerating... all im saying is we left a lot if points off the board. If we upped our redzone td percentage by a hair. I feel like well have most games won before entering the 4th q

SteelGhost
02-20-2012, 04:44 PM
They have to find something "inspirational" to play on the road and in BOTH games against the Rats !