Starkey: Steelers' arrogance has gotten them nowhere

[hawaiiansteeler]

Starkey: Steelers' arrogance has gotten them nowhere

By Joe Starkey

The 2015 Steelers seem to have an awfully high opinion of themselves.

I'm still trying to figure out why.

Besides beating the Arizona Cardinals, this team's marquee wins were against AJ McCarron and Brock Osweiler. And man, did the Steelers squawk after the McCarron win. Never mind that the alternative — losing to a lightly regarded novice in his first significant action — would have been embarrassing.

Nobody's squawking this week, not after falling to Ryan Mallett and the Baltimore Ravens' JV team. The Steelers apparently thought they could railroad the Ravens like the Chiefs and Seahawks had in the previous two weeks (combined score: 69-20). They should have known better. The Ravens have now beaten them eight times in their past 11 tries.

Since the win at Cincinnati, the Steelers have played one good half. They acted that day as if they had won a playoff game — something they haven't actually done since John Russell managed the Pirates.

Until that day, I had never seen someone celebrate a downed punt (hello, Darrius Heyward-Bey) or an incompletion 10 yards out of bounds after a blown coverage (hi, Mike Mitchell). Players mocked the Bengals afterward.

Marcus Gilbert, who like most of his teammates has participated in precisely zero playoff wins, tweeted: “All I want for Christmas is the Bengals. Would love to see them in the playoffs where they choke. The talking is done between the lines (and, apparently, on Twitter, where Gilbert's teammate, Vince Williams, had threatened Cincinnati's Vontaze Burfict).”

Mike Tomlin laughed off the shenanigans surrounding that game.

“It's always us and somebody,” Tomlin said. “We seem to attract that type of atmosphere. Maybe it's us.”

Maybe. But it's definitely Cincinnati who won the AFC North. The Steelers will miss the playoffs unless they beat Cleveland and get some help from Rex Ryan, whose Bills must beat the Jets.

Isn't that rich? This mouthy team now is dependent on the NFL's King of Empty Talk (and I believe there's still a good chance the Steelers back in).

The Steelers' arrogance hasn't been the good kind that all great teams possess but the bad kind that delusional teams suffer from. The fan base suffers from it, too, constantly pointing to Tomlin's record against “bad teams” without noting that in several of those matchups the Steelers were one of the “bad teams” involved.

Exhibit A: The Steelers were 0-3 when they lost to 0-3 Minnesota in 2013. Wouldn't they have called the opposite result a bad loss in Minnesota?

to read rest of article:

http://triblive.com/sports/joestarkey/9709345-74/steelers-bad-tomlin#axzz3vu8TE8f8

[TD's & Beer]

bad link

this is the correct one:

http://triblive.com/sports/joestarkey/9709345-74/steelers-bad-tomlin#axzz3vu8TE8f8



and WE don't need no stinking gameplans, we got chest thumping. That's how we win, men.

[fansince'76]

Yep, wasn't like the Bengals (particularly Burfict) were acting like a bunch of fucking punks that day themselves or anything...

[Mojouw]

Does this guy watch any other NFL teams and games? Or just grainy tapes of the 70s era Steelers on loop?


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[zulater]

Starkey is a douche. You could see he was just waiting for the first opportunity to slam the Steelers. If he's so fucking smart why didn't he make these points last week? I hate the term hater. But this guy is just that. No better word to describe him. :upyours:

[TD's & Beer]

I have MORE respect for the Trib. The last thing I want to hear right now is any rah-rah cheerleading from the homers in the press.

Maybe a little heat from the local rags will light a fire under this handpicked bunch of underachievers.

[TD's & Beer]

Chuck? Maybe Pagano is mob and he can come in and scare these stiffs straight

[Edman]

Starkey is telling the truth.

No doubt the Steelers are talented, but they always put the cart before the horse. They think they're good, but have done absolutely nothing to prove it besides get their asses kicked by Tim Tebow in 2011 and the Ravens last year.

No championship caliber team loses a game like they did Sunday with the postseason on the line. No top tier QB puts up that kind of performance with the season on the line.

No good team loses to the amount of bad teams and bad quarterbacks like the Steelers do.

[86WARD]

Starkey is definitely a hater and a douche...but there is an arrogance around this team that seems to be biting them in the ass at the moment...

[Drazo85]

Starkeys arrogance has gotten him nowhere!

[Mojouw]

Is this a championship caliber team? With this defense? Playoff caliber-sure. Championship? Not hardly.


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[hawaiiansteeler]

Alex Kozora@Alex_Kozora

Still can't believe people are floating around the idea Tomlin and players were arrogant and overconfident in Sunday's loss.

Tell me it's a scheme issue. Tell me it's execution. But don't bring arrogance into it. Lazy cliche for people not willing to examine.

One last note on the Steelers' "arrogance." Today is New Years. Their best player, Antonio Brown, was in the weight room. Sets the tone.

If their best player is working harder than anyone else, you know there isn't arrogance or complacency. #Steelers

https://mobile.twitter.com/Alex_Kozora

[TD's & Beer]

Who the hell is Alex Korzora?


The Rooneys probably pay him to make up alibis after every loss

ha ha

[stillers4me]

Who the hell is Alex Korzora?


The Rooneys probably pay him to make up alibis after every loss

ha ha

You know him as Chidi29 here at SU.

[TD's & Beer]

So I was right. Paid off!

hahaha

[Mojouw]

Alex Kozora@Alex_Kozora

Still can't believe people are floating around the idea Tomlin and players were arrogant and overconfident in Sunday's loss.

Tell me it's a scheme issue. Tell me it's execution. But don't bring arrogance into it. Lazy cliche for people not willing to examine.

One last note on the Steelers' "arrogance." Today is New Years. Their best player, Antonio Brown, was in the weight room. Sets the tone.

If their best player is working harder than anyone else, you know there isn't arrogance or complacency. #Steelers

https://mobile.twitter.com/Alex_Kozora

But without simple narratives and easy cliched explanations we all might have to admit that this team is not really very good on defense. We might have to admit that it is reasonable that Ryan Mallet and a cast of nobodies can pick apart the secondary. We might have to admit that the pass rush has slowed to non-existent. We might have to admit that the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers are only a threatening team when they play with a lead.

Who wants to do all that?

[hawaiiansteeler]

Alex Kozora@Alex_Kozora

Still can't believe people are floating around the idea Tomlin and players were arrogant and overconfident in Sunday's loss.

https://mobile.twitter.com/Alex_Kozora

http://giant.gfycat.com/OffensiveMadeupGazelle.gif

[Psycho Ward 86]

assuming you're going to the playoffs with 3 weeks to play as Gilbert did isnt arrogant? losing to a team with 18 players on IR, many of them being their best players, isnt arrogant? not playing your best corner most of the season and instead playing the most targeted CB in the league who is also leading the league in missed tackles isnt arrogant? Going for it from midfield to start a game against the seahawks with your 4th string QB throwing to a lineman isnt arrogant?



yeah, we've had our fair share of arrogance this season as a team. arguing against that is arrogant in itself. arguing that other teams have made arrogant decisions as well to deflect blame is irresponsible, and in all likelihood, will epitomize our season

[zoneblitzerII]

Starkey is telling the truth.

No doubt the Steelers are talented, but they always put the cart before the horse. They think they're good, but have done absolutely nothing to prove it besides get their asses kicked by Tim Tebow in 2011 and the Ravens last year.

No championship caliber team loses a game like they did Sunday with the postseason on the line. No top tier QB puts up that kind of performance with the season on the line.

No good team loses to the amount of bad teams and bad quarterbacks like the Steelers do.

THIS. Bang on post.:applaudit:

[hawaiiansteeler]

assuming you're going to the playoffs with 3 weeks to play as Gilbert did isnt arrogant? losing to a team with 18 players on IR, many of them being their best players, isnt arrogant? not playing your best corner most of the season and instead playing the most targeted CB in the league who is also leading the league in missed tackles isnt arrogant? Going for it from midfield to start a game against the seahawks with your 4th string QB throwing to a lineman isnt arrogant?

yeah, we've had our fair share of arrogance this season as a team. arguing against that is arrogant in itself. arguing that other teams have made arrogant decisions as well to deflect blame is irresponsible, and in all likelihood, will epitomize our season

https://usatsteelerswire.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/will-gay-joey-porter.gif?w=1000

[NCSteeler]

This team is very arrogant for no reason. Who on this team has won anything, the list has got to be getting short


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[SteelMayhem72]

This team is very arrogant for no reason. Who on this team has won anything, the list has got to be getting short


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Yes our team is very arrogant and it also makes me sick to see the excessive celebrating just like the joey porter and william gay vid that was posted. Total needless stupidity and no way no how should a coach do what porter did...he should be fired imho...that goes baxk to the head coach and no accountability

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[Count Steeler]

Are they losing because they are arrogant or are they just not as good as we hoped they would be. Let's face it, the secondary is woeful and can only hope about making a stop in the red zone, because of the shorter field. Anywhere else on the field, and ANY QB can just have a field day. Also, the pass rush sucks. Whatever Butler did in the beginning of the year, is not working anymore, as happens in the NFL. Teams adjust. Butler just does not have the tools to do much more.

The offense has talent, but lacks discipline. You don't continue to throw deep into 2 deep coverage. Run and take the short stuff until the defense adjusts, if it does. Then you start going vertical.

[ALLD]

The problem with the offense is that they practice with our defense. The defense is so bad it makes the offense think they can get away with lack of preparation.

[43Hitman]

The defense has improved, sacks and turnovers are up from last year. Also, we allow less points than we did last year. Is it where we ultimately where we want to be? No, but it has improved. We need to get better up front with our front 3/4 and we need some more talent on the back end, but with what we do have, which is essentially the same as last year, Butler has improved this defense.


#SNUproud

[86WARD]

There was a lot of arrogance out there today...a lot!!!