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View Full Version : Monday's new perspective.



Edman
09-08-2014, 06:22 AM
It's Monday, how do you feel?

The Steelers are 1-0 and didn't look pretty doing it.

While I am noticeably ticked at the meltdown, I cannot ignore how well the team played in the first half either.

What gets me is why does the Defense "suck" because of their bad half, but the Offense is still okay after their equally bad second half, where they made Paul Kruger an all-star and the Browns Defense into the second Legion of Boom? The Steelers on the whole made the Browns look better than they are. This is why I believe the meltdown was merely a result of Tomlin and the staff going conservative way too soon. Pittsburgh wanted to just sit on the ball, Cleveland just got desperate.

But when push came to shove. Mr. Hoyer couldn't do jack (because he still sucks). The Defense stepped up, and the Browns couldn't stop Pittsburgh when it mattered. This team loses this game if this were the last two years, or 2009.

GBMelBlount
09-08-2014, 06:30 AM
One observation is that A LOT of our games with Ben at the helm are decided in the 4th quarter.

When we were superbowl contenders we always seemed to find a way to win those games at the end.

The last few years we have lost the majority of them.

So, with our 4th quarter clutch being one of the most important ingredients in our strong seasons I am OK with yesterday's ugly win.

stillers4me
09-08-2014, 06:34 AM
If we could have one just one game last year like this, we would not have been cheering for multiple teams to lose so we could get a wildcard spot.

Count Steeler
09-08-2014, 06:35 AM
I think if you look around the league in general, you see teams getting out to an early lead, only to struggle to win in the end, or indeed lose.

Even the mighty Broncos were up 17-0 early and ended up in a struggle. NE was up and ended up getting smoked by Miami. JAX (yeah, I know) was up 17-0 only to lose 34-17. Kudos to Minnesota for stepping on their opponents throat and dominating to the end.

Panic mode? No. Opportunity to build character? Yes.

tube517
09-08-2014, 06:42 AM
I think if you look around the league in general, you see teams getting out to an early lead, only to struggle to win in the end, or indeed lose.

Even the mighty Broncos were up 17-0 early and ended up in a struggle. NE was up and ended up getting smoked by Miami. JAX (yeah, I know) was up 17-0 only to lose 34-17. Kudos to Minnesota for stepping on their opponents throat and dominating to the end.

Panic mode? No. Opportunity to build character? Yes.


Was going to say the same thing. The 2nd half sucked but this is becoming the trend in the NFL. You cannot get a lead and just sit on it. You have to step on their throats. However, they were reported to get cocky on the sidelines as that CBS reporter was saying. That is a problem, if true.

polamalubeast
09-08-2014, 06:57 AM
I think the steelers will learn from this, but I'm worried about the pass rush and run defense.

Butch
09-08-2014, 07:25 AM
I did not see the game, but I agree that Offense was not doing anything special either. Way to many 3 and outs. Hell even Special teams was horrible committing penalties and keeping us from ever getting out of the shadows of our own goal posts.

polamalubeast
09-08-2014, 07:35 AM
The offense needs to be more consistent too ....They were Great in the first half,but bad in the second half

tube517
09-08-2014, 07:52 AM
I think the steelers will learn from this, but I'm worried about the pass rush and run defense.

Lack of turnovers, too.

X-Terminator
09-08-2014, 07:55 AM
The offense needs to be more consistent too ....They were Great in the first half,but bad in the second half

I think it was pretty clear to anyone paying attention that the shackles were put on the offense by the coaching staff. They need to get out of the way and let them play, regardless of the score.

dislocatedday
09-08-2014, 08:44 AM
Upon further reflection, I (..and perhaps some others ..) are not giving the Browns and their offense enough credit. It is just kind of assumed that they are the Browns and they will stink on offense. Their offensive line is very good, probably one of the better ones the Steelers will face all year. It starts right there, and other guys on that squad including Hoyer, Terrence West, and the unknown receivers stepped up and showed some grit. The Steelers probably did let off the gas so to speak, but the Browns took advantage of that. The Browns also have defensive talent across the board from front to back, and those guys came out and worked hard in the second half and the Steelers just did not match their intensity.

I think there are legitimate defensive concerns in some areas. The NT position remains a problem. I don't think McLendon is a fit for the position, and if my memory is correct from yesterday, the team rotated Cam Thomas in that spot quite a bit and he looked just as bad if not worse. Mike Mitchell looked undisciplined to me and was a total non-factor in having a positive impact on this game. One game does not mean he is a bad player, but I hope he starts having a good impact soon. There were a lot of missed tackles, and some guys did not stay in their gaps/lanes resulting in bigger yardage for the Browns in that 2nd half. Ike Taylor is also a liability at this point (...yep, I am a master of the obvious..). He was a very impressive CB for this team for a long time, and I don't like ripping on the guy's play, but father time caught up with him last year and appears to have an even firmer hold on him this year.

I think this game can be a good lesson for the entire team, and that includes the coaching staff as well. If they had continued blowing the Browns out in the 2nd half with a final score of around 44-10, then perhaps they would have been less focused this week getting ready for Baltimore. It's hard to say what would have been the mindset of this team had that happened though, but the 2nd half performance should have this team motivated to improve for this week's upcoming game, as they have a chance to put the Ravens in a hole and better their own standing in the process.

ALLD
09-08-2014, 08:52 AM
Should have came out in the 2nd half like the score was 0-0. However, it is a 16 game season. They let up and lost their rhythm. Very little separates the teams anymore. A hot streak at the end of a season is as good as a dynasty now.

zulater
09-08-2014, 11:36 AM
Very few teams put together 4 good quarters this week. I think the new CBA with the contact limitations they impose on coaches combined with the joke the preseason has become has left a lot of these players short on condition. Can't sustain a full game's worth of intensity. The offensive line looked like it was shot the longer the game went on. So why didn't Cleveland wear down similarly you ask? Because they didn't maintain possession in the first half. Barely were on the field.

Defensively I resigned myself to the possibility that this year will b e a work in progress. In other words they'll often stink. :lol: But they should improve as players figure out their roles better. A lot of new blood being incorporated.

But offensively if the offensive line does their job , which for the most part I think they will, this team will be able to "ball" with anyone. The offense will drive this team this year. And I'm confident it will b e to the playoffs.

Craic
09-08-2014, 12:25 PM
I think it was pretty clear to anyone paying attention that the shackles were put on the offense by the coaching staff. They need to get out of the way and let them play, regardless of the score.

I don't really think that's fair, XT. Let's not forget that we had a pretty decent return called back and started our first offensive drive in the second half close to our goal line. Our second offensive drive wasn't position much better than that, either, IIRC, to be honest.