Hopefully this shortcoming will get through to the team.

[Edman]

You wanna get into the postseason? You don't want your dreams to come down to Ryan Succop?

Don't wait until October/November to start playing football.

It's shameful that 2013 had to come down to this. The team was valiant to try to salvage an 8-8 record. Too bad it pushed us back into the postseason chase.

[ALLD]

Lose to the Dolphins in a blizzard and you go home early.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Lose to the Dolphins in a blizzard and you go home early.

the same team that gut shutout by the bills.

Seriously.

[GoSlash27]

We sucked early in the season and had injury problems. We had many opportunities to control our own destiny and didn't get it done. This is what happens.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. We are a very good football team now. Hopefully that will carry over into next year. I'm just glad it wasn't a losing season.

[plenewken]

Lose to the Dolphins in a blizzard and you go home early.

They took the cake with that one, and it wasn't too long ago.

[Moose]

Not in play offs and won just enough games to change draft picks.....ugh ! :mad:

[X-Terminator]

We sucked early in the season and had injury problems. We had many opportunities to control our own destiny and didn't get it done. This is what happens.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. We are a very good football team now. Hopefully that will carry over into next year. I'm just glad it wasn't a losing season.

I wouldn't say they are a "very" good football team, but they are at least a playoff team at this point even if they didn't make it. And given how sorry the AFC will likely be next season, a couple of tweaks on defense, continued progress on offense and avoiding the injury bug, and they could challenge for the Super Bowl.

[Craic]

Seriously, talk about unreal expectations. Going into this year, the Steelers lost or cut:

Will Allen
Willie Colon
Rashard Mendenhall
Mike Wallace
Keenan Lewis
James Harrison
Max Starks
Chris Rainey

And had these players injured heading into season
Heath Miller
David Johnson
Le'veon Bell

Stop and look at that list. Every player lost or cut (except Rainey) started in 2012, most for quite a few games. The three injured players were all starters last year or this year. Sure, Mendenhall was a headcase, but that DOESN'T negate the fact that we had to bring in a rookie who had to learn the system . . . and he was injured as well. Some may complain about Wallace. Fine, but Sanders was no better this year, and between the two, Wallace was the bigger threat in the minds of the other teams defenses (though I doubt that'll be true going forward). To expect this team to come out and be dominant from the start is silly. It takes time to get to know on another. Time for the O line to gel. Time for LBs to mature.

Unreal expectations may have been an understatement.

[GBMelBlount]

Seriously, talk about unreal expectations. Going into this year, the Steelers lost or cut:

Will Allen
Willie Colon
Rashard Mendenhall
Mike Wallace
Keenan Lewis
James Harrison
Max Starks
Chris Rainey

And had these players injured heading into season
Heath Miller
David Johnson
Le'veon Bell

Stop and look at that list. Every player lost or cut (except Rainey) started in 2012, most for quite a few games. The three injured players were all starters last year or this year. Sure, Mendenhall was a headcase, but that DOESN'T negate the fact that we had to bring in a rookie who had to learn the system . . . and he was injured as well. Some may complain about Wallace. Fine, but Sanders was no better this year, and between the two, Wallace was the bigger threat in the minds of the other teams defenses (though I doubt that'll be true going forward). To expect this team to come out and be dominant from the start is silly. It takes time to get to know on another. Time for the O line to gel. Time for LBs to mature.

Unreal expectations may have been an understatement.

Great post.

Lot of development and gelling took place in the span of 16 games.

Just hoping we don't have to do this all over again next year.

[Steelman]

Also factor in the bad finish to last season and the horrendous start to this season, I'd say Tomlin and Co. have done a pretty admirable job righting the ship more or less. I could be jaded, but I don't think anybody minus the Pats would have wanted to play us if we'd squeaked into the postseason.

Every team has shortcomings. I don't expect any day 1 starters in the draft, but I hope we can add some bright young guys that will give us options moving forward. The defense needs an overhaul, but maybe not as drastically as people make it sound. Just a light botox. :chuckle:

[ALLD]

Biggest improvement would be for Ben to throw more quick slants to get the ball out of his hands in less than 2 seconds. That takes pressure off the OL and opens up the running game. Also, don't be so obvious on play calls. Add more no huddle. That should be worth 4 points per game and possible 2 games next year.

[Moose]

I personally think the Defense needs the most work on during draft season. Fix the 'D' and we'll survive for another year.

[HollywoodSteel]

Seriously, talk about unreal expectations. Going into this year, the Steelers lost or cut:

Will Allen
Willie Colon
Rashard Mendenhall
Mike Wallace
Keenan Lewis
James Harrison
Max Starks
Chris Rainey

And had these players injured heading into season
Heath Miller
David Johnson
Le'veon Bell

Stop and look at that list. Every player lost or cut (except Rainey) started in 2012, most for quite a few games. The three injured players were all starters last year or this year. Sure, Mendenhall was a headcase, but that DOESN'T negate the fact that we had to bring in a rookie who had to learn the system . . . and he was injured as well. Some may complain about Wallace. Fine, but Sanders was no better this year, and between the two, Wallace was the bigger threat in the minds of the other teams defenses (though I doubt that'll be true going forward). To expect this team to come out and be dominant from the start is silly. It takes time to get to know on another. Time for the O line to gel. Time for LBs to mature.

Unreal expectations may have been an understatement.

All of that is true, but the fans expectations were not the problem. Is it a ridiculous expectation for your head coach to evaluate the talent of a LT before the season starts? Do it once shame on Tomlin (remember J. Scott anyone?) do it twice... shame on Tomlin X2. With all that significant player losses we were still better than the Titans, we were still better than the Raiders, by thie time this team started to click we were better than the Ravens and we were better than the Dolphins. That's 4 very probable wins. Lets say we only won 2 of them... one of them - we'd be in the playoffs. Hell, we should have won that division. I'm sure there's a lot of blame to go around, but the expectations of the fans is not one of them.

[Devilsdancefloor]

What everyone doesnt think about the steelers D was being called by a rookie 6th round LBer. Sure the D on the back end was old, but there was also some young layers making young player mistakes, then add on to the top of that guys like ike and ryan losing a step or 2. i really think Ike moves back to takes Ryans slot and Vince williams will be better next year Jarvis Jones will be better. NT needs to be drafted i love Al Woods, but we need anoter NT Mclendon should move to DE. I am very excited for next year already time for me to go look at some draft

[st33lersguy]

Hopefully they will feel like they got robbed of a playoff berth by the refs and get motivated by that to go into F-U mode on the league, which would include blowing out inferior teams instead of playing down to their level

[Steeldude]

You wanna get into the postseason? You don't want your dreams to come down to Ryan Succop?

Don't wait until October/November to start playing football.

It's shameful that 2013 had to come down to this. The team was valiant to try to salvage an 8-8 record. Too bad it pushed us back into the postseason chase.

Also, I wonder when some fans on this MB and others will realize every game is important. No more of the "It's just one game". It's not baseball where they play over a thousand games a season.


Hopefully this shortcoming will get through to the team

I doubt it. They will become fat cats again.

[GBMelBlount]

Steeldude

Also, I wonder when some fans on this MB and others will realize every game is important. No more of the "It's just one game".

It's not baseball where they play over a thousand games a season.


....I doubt it (change). They will become fat cats again.

LOL on the baseball.

The large percentage of the fan base who predicted a struggle the first half of the year hit the nail on the head.

With regard to "Fat Cats," with the exception of Woodsloth the problems I saw were due to old age and youthful inexperience.

The last half of the season I saw a collective hunger and will to win I haven't seen in years...including Ben & Tomlin.

Call me a homer but if we can sign the important FA's and the team picks up where they left off last year 2014 could be a great season.

[X-Terminator]

Also, I wonder when some fans on this MB and others will realize every game is important. No more of the "It's just one game". It's not baseball where they play over a thousand games a season.

I think we all realize every game is important. It's the over-the-top, "fire everyone" panic mode many of those fans go into whenever they lose a game that gets really, really annoying after a while.


I doubt it. They will become fat cats again.

And you're 100% sure of this?

[tube517]

We need some "under the radar" free agents like we used to get like Mewelde Moore, Keyaron Fox (recently) for backups and to get starters like Ray Seals (Bucs), James Farrior (Jets)...Ryan Clark (Washington)...etc...I know it's easy to say but I know they can find some decent free agents out there.

And if we do get some free agents, PLEASE don't get any that are already or about to go on IR. What a joke.