Gameballs and Goats.

[Edman]

Shitty team. Road Game.

Loss. Cowherd was right.

No Game Balls.

Big Time Goats go to the Offense and Special Teams. The Defense is a goat too, but I don't even know if they are. They've been behind the 8-ball all game. Gift the Offense a turnover and you don't turn that into 7. Offense comes up totally short with the game on the line, then the Zebras take the screws to the D in Overtime.

The worst part about it is now everyone needs to be fired blah blah blah.

Don't care. Moving on.

[st33lersguy]

Game Goat goes to the entire god damn team. Why they continue to insist on dicking around with teams like this even after the results they get is beyond me. Also to the refs which were all horrible

[Neversatisfied]

No Game balls
Goats- take your pick
Offense- Ben isnt Ben not only on the road but this season. No Rushing, just not looking good. Penalties,Penalties and more penalties.

Defense- WHY THE HELL DOES THIS TEAM MISS SO MANY TACKLES??? Enough of the flahy highlight hits..Wrap UP.
Coaching- Absolutely terrible.

[BlackAndGold]

Nobody gets a damn game ball.

[FrancoLambert]

Game ball: AV

Goats: Tomlin, Ben, Haley, Butler, Smith.

Check out Ben's radio show this week.
Little doubt that he'll dish out most of the blame to everyone else and accept very little.

[43Hitman]

No game balls for the losing team as a matter of principle.

[86WARD]

Game Ball - Vance McDonald

Goats - Coaching, Ben, Bell, Tackling.

[AtlantaDan]

No gameballs

Defense crapped the bed after the first Steelers TD and for most of the 4th quarter & OT

Offense had one scoring drive that started outside of Bears 25

Special teams had a fumbled punt and a blocked FG

They deserved to lose and the 30 ppg+ offense is a joke

[stillers4me]

I got nuthin'.

[Shoes]

How about a foot in the A$$ for coaches and players!

[Steeldude]

Heroes: Villanueava, McDonald, Berry, Hargrave

Goats: Tomlin

[Butch]

No gameballs

Defense crapped the bed after the first Steelers TD and for most of the 4th quarter & OT

Offense had one scoring drive that started outside of Bears 25

Special teams had a fumbled punt and a blocked FG

They deserved to lose and the 30 ppg+ offense is a joke

yep the Defense played like crap at times but they did their job the 1st series only to have ST fumble the punt and they are right back out on the field. That's much worse than a 3 and out by the offense. IMHO the Offense has been horrible most of the year.

Someone please explain to me the officials giving the bears the FG at 1/2 time. I missed it completely.

[Craic]

Gameball: AB. He shows up to play no matter the situation. Shazier had a good game as well. HM: to Vance McDonald for hustling.

Goats: Where do I start?



Jordan Berry. Talk about a boneheaded play. You fall on the ball. You do not punch it out of the endzone. That boneheaded mistake alone cost the game if the second half plays out the same way it did.
Offensive Line. Turnstyles and pylons. I hope today made it blindingly obvious to people that our O line is not playing well.
Run Defense. How bad was it? For the first time since Bill Cowher took over the reigns from Chuck Knoll, I found myself more confident in the pass defense than the run defense.
Referees. Don't get me wrong, the Steelers lost the game. But seriously, every big run on Chicago's last drive was sprung by a holding that could be considered mugging in 31 states and 2 territories.


HM: special teams. I'll give them a pass for the most part because we're still doing good in limiting return yards. However, that blocked punt was ugly.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Game Ball: AB. Honorable mention to Vance McDonald for his hustle on the blocked FG

Goats: Too many to mention but since no one else has said it, OL. They've played poorly every game this season, including the preseason. Hubbard is not an NFL tackle and AV has regressed. I'll give AV a bit of a break since he's been sick but he needs to pick it up.

[tube517]

Berry actually could have let the ball go because the Bears could not recover the ball and advance the fumble. The half would have been over. No FG attempt.

912022208276344832

[SteelerFanInStl]

Gameball: AB. He shows up to play no matter the situation. Shazier had a good game as well. HM: to Vance McDonald for hustling.

Goats: Where do I start?



Jordan Berry. Talk about a boneheaded play. You fall on the ball. You do not punch it out of the endzone. That boneheaded mistake alone cost the game if the second half plays out the same way it did.
Offensive Line. Turnstyles and pylons. I hope today made it blindingly obvious to people that our O line is not playing well.
Run Defense. How bad was it? For the first time since Bill Cowher took over the reigns from Chuck Knoll, I found myself more confident in the pass defense than the run defense.
Referees. Don't get me wrong, the Steelers lost the game. But seriously, every big run on Chicago's last drive was sprung by a holding that could be considered mugging in 31 states and 2 territories.


HM: special teams. I'll give them a pass for the most part because we're still doing good in limiting return yards. However, that blocked punt was ugly.

Agree 100%. Almost every big run was sprung by one of our players getting mugged with no flag. What makes it worse is that I just watched the Titans have a TD called back because of a "holding" call where Decker just barely got his hand on the outside shoulder of Chanceller while blocking. Talk about inconsistency in calls.

[Texasteel]

No goats, no heros, just one of the worst all around games I have see in a long time. These games come and go, I'll worry if it happens again next week.


Have to admit, I wasn't thrilled with some of the play calling.

[Steeldude]

Gameball: AB. He shows up to play no matter the situation. Shazier had a good game as well. HM: to Vance McDonald for hustling.

Goats: Where do I start?



Jordan Berry. Talk about a boneheaded play. You fall on the ball. You do not punch it out of the endzone. That boneheaded mistake alone cost the game if the second half plays out the same way it did.
Offensive Line. Turnstyles and pylons. I hope today made it blindingly obvious to people that our O line is not playing well.
Run Defense. How bad was it? For the first time since Bill Cowher took over the reigns from Chuck Knoll, I found myself more confident in the pass defense than the run defense.
Referees. Don't get me wrong, the Steelers lost the game. But seriously, every big run on Chicago's last drive was sprung by a holding that could be considered mugging in 31 states and 2 territories.


HM: special teams. I'll give them a pass for the most part because we're still doing good in limiting return yards. However, that blocked punt was ugly.

I don't think he was in a good position to fall on the ball. It's why he punched it out so they wouldn't get a TD.

[tube517]

I don't think he was in a good position to fall on the ball. It's why he punched it out so they wouldn't get a TD.

Wouldn't have been a TD. Bears could not have advanced the fumble. The old Dave Casper/Holy Roller rule

[Craic]

Someone please explain to me the officials giving the bears the FG at 1/2 time. I missed it completely.

It was a blown call. The ball came out of the player's position and into the endzone. Had a Steelers player fallen on it, or the ball go out of the endzone, it's a touchback. However, what did happen was an "illegal batting" of the ball. According to Note 2 of article 1 "safety" "Impetus is always attributed to the offense, unless the defense creates a new force that sends the ball behind its own goal line by muffing a ball ... or by batting or kicking any loose ball." According to Section 5.1.b if the "impetus of by a team sends the ball behind their own goal line or out of bounds behind the goal line, it results in a safety."

Hence, it should have been a safety. The refs, however, seemed to have called it a fumble and then defensive penalty in the endzone, which put the ball back on the 1 yard line. And, since the half can't end with a defensive penalty, they got one more play.

[Craic]

Wouldn't have been a TD. Bears could not have advanced the fumble. The old Dave Casper/Holy Roller rule

Exactly. "The player who fumbled is the only player of his team who is permitted to recover and advance the ball." Section 7 Article 6

[steelreserve]

Nobody deserved a game ball, ST, offense and run defense were all atrocious.

We need to stop thinking that 5 nice plays a game is actually a legitimate substitute for an "offense."

Bell was ineffective again, but really it has nothing to do with blowing off months of training. Really, it doesn't.

Our run defense showed that we're probably missing Tuitt even more than I thought.

[teegre]

So many times, a Steelers defender would have a hand on the RB, making me think they would get a "tackle for a loss"... only to have that RB gain 5 yards (a difference of 10 yards).

The plays were there there to be had, but the tackling was not.

QUESTION:
How different would this game have been if Bryant reels in that first pass/first play for a long TD???

[43Hitman]

So many times, a Steelers defender would have a hand on the RB, making me think they would get a "tackle for a loss"... only to have that RB gain 5 yards (a difference of 10 yards).

The plays were there there to be had, but the tackling was not.

QUESTION:
How different would this game have been if Bryant reels in that first pass/first play for a long TD???
It could have been completely different if he hauls in that pass. Changes the whole attitude of the team, raises confidence and adrenaline. Blow-out ensues.

[Moose]

Game Ball - Chicago 'Cooper' for dropping a TD or the score would've looked worse.

Game GOAT - whole damn team. Again coaches didn't have team prepared. Offense didn't look on same page and had no momentum or enthusiasm. Tackling was none existent. And play calling was ridiculous and pathetic. Outplayed and out coached again.

[NCSteeler]

Gameball: AB. He shows up to play no matter the situation. Shazier had a good game as well. HM: to Vance McDonald for hustling.

Goats: Where do I start?



Jordan Berry. Talk about a boneheaded play. You fall on the ball. You do not punch it out of the endzone. That boneheaded mistake alone cost the game if the second half plays out the same way it did.
Offensive Line. Turnstyles and pylons. I hope today made it blindingly obvious to people that our O line is not playing well.
Run Defense. How bad was it? For the first time since Bill Cowher took over the reigns from Chuck Knoll, I found myself more confident in the pass defense than the run defense.
Referees. Don't get me wrong, the Steelers lost the game. But seriously, every big run on Chicago's last drive was sprung by a holding that could be considered mugging in 31 states and 2 territories.


HM: special teams. I'll give them a pass for the most part because we're still doing good in limiting return yards. However, that blocked punt was ugly.I'd cut berry some slack considering a punters mindset on a loose ball in the endszone . The rest is spot on run defense against a team with. O passing ability was aweful

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

[Mojouw]

I've been thinking about the deep ball stuff. The more I think about it, the more I believe it is all on Ben R. Most of the missed deep passes in the first 3 games have been on multi-receiver plays. They have not all been deep routes. That means that Ben has other options besides the deep ball. He is electing not to take it. Unless the team benches him, not much they can do.

I mean if Haley was calling 4 verticals on 3rd and 2, I would see it another way. But when the playcall sends potential pass catchers to all levels, and Ben gets all goo-goo eyed for the deep route, what can you do?

[Devilsdancefloor]

game balls mcdonald and berry for not giving up on blocked FG

[AtlantaDan]

So many times, a Steelers defender would have a hand on the RB, making me think they would get a "tackle for a loss"... only to have that RB gain 5 yards (a difference of 10 yards).

The plays were there there to be had, but the tackling was not.

QUESTION:
How different would this game have been if Bryant reels in that first pass/first play for a long TD???

Sammy Baugh after the Redskins lost 73-0 to the Bears

The Redskins, who had defeated the Bears, 7-3, on the same field three weeks earlier, botched a scoring opportunity early in the title game when the usually reliable receiver Charlie Malone dropped a Baugh pass on the goal line. At the time, the Bears had scored only seven points, and the outcome of the game was still in doubt.

Someone later asked Baugh if the result would have been different had Malone not dropped the pass.

"Sure," Baugh said. "The final score would have been 73-6." :chuckle:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/17/AR2008121703347_4.html?sid=ST2008121703927


- - - Updated - - -


I've been thinking about the deep ball stuff. The more I think about it, the more I believe it is all on Ben R. Most of the missed deep passes in the first 3 games have been on multi-receiver plays. They have not all been deep routes. That means that Ben has other options besides the deep ball. He is electing not to take it. Unless the team benches him, not much they can do.

I mean if Haley was calling 4 verticals on 3rd and 2, I would see it another way. But when the playcall sends potential pass catchers to all levels, and Ben gets all goo-goo eyed for the deep route, what can you do?

The empty backfield on third and goal from the one before the Steelers TD (saved by the defensive holding call) indicates Haley is part of the "we are so good we can take what we want" attitude

[teegre]

Sammy Baugh after the Redskins lost 73-0 to the Bears

The Redskins, who had defeated the Bears, 7-3, on the same field three weeks earlier, botched a scoring opportunity early in the title game when the usually reliable receiver Charlie Malone dropped a Baugh pass on the goal line. At the time, the Bears had scored only seven points, and the outcome of the game was still in doubt.

Someone later asked Baugh if the result would have been different had Malone not dropped the pass.

"Sure," Baugh said. "The final score would have been 73-6." :chuckle:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/17/AR2008121703347_4.html?sid=ST2008121703927



Holy crap!!! Great, great quote. :applaudit:



Of course, using Baugh's logic, the Steelers would have won in regulation: 24-17. :wink02:

[steelcityboyz]

Zero game balls

I can't understand all the moon balls from Ben that he can't complete. What's wrong with putting together a nice long drive and score 7. At this rate they have zero chance of even competing with the cheats. The coaches and the players need to take a good look in the mirror. I know it's 1 game but losing to a shit team like the bears really pisses me off.

[AtlantaDan]

Holy crap!!! Great, great quote. :applaudit:



Of course, using Baugh's logic, the Steelers would have won in regulation: 24-17. :wink02:

True that :thumbsup:

But I love that quote whenever anyone wonders about what would happen if a specific play turned out differently

FWIW Baugh is a forgotten great talent - maybe the best pure passer of the pre-60s NFL

Michael Wilbon on his passing

The inaugural class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 1963, included George Halas, Bronko Nagurski, Red Grange, Jim Thorpe, Ernie Nevers, Mel Hein, Curly Lambeau and Don Hutson among 17 charter members. And only Halas and Baugh were selected unanimously.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/21/sports/sp-dogwilbon21

[DesertSteel]

Embarrassing but not unexpected. Fits the pattern for a Tomlin team.

Gameball? The Bears. They wanted it more.
Goats: All 53 Plus every coach.

[AtlantaDan]

Embarrassing but not unexpected. Fits the pattern for a Tomlin team.

Gameball? The Bears. They wanted it more.
Goats: All 53 Plus every coach.

Yep - most everyone on the board had a sense of dread about this game

This is how Ben rolls

Bill Simmons (who lost his Steelers/Packers teaser bet today) this past Friday

Beware of any Steelers road game in which they’re undefeated and favored because Roethlisberger enjoys either getting hurt or completely shitting the bed at least once before the baseball playoffs start.”

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/9/22/16349532/week-3-nfl-picks-bill-simmons

[DesertSteel]

Cowherd was right.

Yep I know everyone on here hates him but it rang true at the time and it does after today. Bradshaw was right too in a lot of ways. Tomlin tries to win too much with bravado and swagger. There's a problem when the other team is more prepared.

[DesertSteel]

One interesting thing is that even if we'd won that game in OT, the tone of this thread would be about the same lol.

[Hawkman]

One interesting thing is that even if we'd won that game in OT, the tone of this thread would be about the same lol.

......even if we had won in regulation.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I keep waiting for the future HOF QB to put up some numbers in leading this offense. This is week 3 of the supposedly talented and high scoring offense looked pretty lame.

[Steeldude]

One interesting thing is that even if we'd won that game in OT, the tone of this thread would be about the same lol.

So then you are saying if the Steelers won there would be no problems to fix because a win is a win? Sorry, the Steelers haven't played well all season. Luckily they were playing bad teams. Some fans are content with poor play while some fans want better.

Playing down to horrible teams has become a trend for Tomlin. The Steelers seem to struggle if low percentage plays aren't working.

[Count Steeler]

I keep waiting for the future HOF QB to put up some numbers in leading this offense. This is week 3 of the supposedly talented and high scoring offense looked pretty lame.

What I loved about Noll was that whenever his team got cocky or didn't perform well, it was back to the fundamentals and the basics. And the results were there the following week. Looks to me that the WRs have spent a lot of time planning their TD celebrations and less time on holding on to passes and getting open. Not sure why the O Line is sub par so far. You don't win Lombardis on paper. It takes a LOT of hard work.

[Steeldude]

What I loved about Noll was that whenever his team got cocky or didn't perform well, it was back to the fundamentals and the basics. And the results were there the following week. Looks to me that the WRs have spent a lot of time planning their TD celebrations and less time on holding on to passes and getting open. Not sure why the O Line is sub par so far. You don't win Lombardis on paper. It takes a LOT of hard work.

I think the problem is most of the players do not have any fundamentals to fall back on. And yes, most of their mind is spent thinking of new dance steps and trying to figure out what they are protesting.

[ALLD]

The non-holding calls were big. The Steelers did not help their case by sleepwalking instead of playing a game. They were distracted. Anybody that took a knee during the anthem was in perfect position to suck the Bears' dicks.

[DesertSteel]

I keep waiting for the future HOF QB to put up some numbers in leading this offense. This is week 3 of the supposedly talented and high scoring offense looked pretty lame.
Seems like we've been having this same conversation for about a year.


So then you are saying if the Steelers won there would be no problems to fix because a win is a win? Sorry, the Steelers haven't played well all season. Luckily they were playing bad teams. Some fans are content with poor play while some fans want better.

Playing down to horrible teams has become a trend for Tomlin. The Steelers seem to struggle if low percentage plays aren't working.
I can't believe that you got that out of my post.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

What I loved about Noll was that whenever his team got cocky or didn't perform well, it was back to the fundamentals and the basics. And the results were there the following week. Looks to me that the WRs have spent a lot of time planning their TD celebrations and less time on holding on to passes and getting open. Not sure why the O Line is sub par so far. You don't win Lombardis on paper. It takes a LOT of hard work.

-O line is sub par because you saw BJ Finney and Chris Hubbard having to play due to injuries.
-AB had another solid game, but where was the production from his supporting cast?
-Steelers have to be better at converting 3rd downs and extending drives, and in most 3rd downs the ball is in the hands of #7. I would say that he needs to be better, like taking the check down to the open WR instead of looking for AB in double coverage.

The offense isn't producing, The offense runs thru #7. I still think he has the ability to lead the offense, but maybe the skills of Ben, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers are all on the decline and father time is catching up with them.

[SteelerFanInStl]

-O line is sub par because you saw BJ Finney and Chris Hubbard having to play due to injuries.


The OL has been sub par since preseason. It didn't just start this game.

[ALLD]

I never saw Connor ge the ball. Why not run it down their throats?

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

The OL has been sub par since preseason. It didn't just start this game.

I disagree. I would have to say the Steelers O line played very well against the Vikings talented front 7.

As for the preseason.....its preseason and the starters were not in there that much, and even when they were, they were dealing with other backups in key skill positions. The Browns were undefeated in the preseason, so that shows how much it counts. :doh:

[teegre]

The non-holding calls were big.

The two in overtime are obvious.

But, there was another blown call (PI) at the end of the first half with about 35 seconds left. It was a deep, deep pass. The CB clobbered Bryant... but, no flag. It was smart move by the CB, because Bryant might have scored (or, at worse, been in the red-zone).

If the Steelers had gotten that PI, they would have gotten the ball in the red-zone with two timeouts and 35 seconds.

Instead, they had to scramble around, wasting time and time out... and then, try a FG, which was blocked, and fumbled (et cetera).


Of course, we would not have had to rely on a PI (nor relied on a FG) if BB had connected with AB on the play previous to the aforementioned PI play. AB was wide, wide, wiiide open... but, an underthrown ball was broken up by the CB. No TD. :mad:

[43Hitman]

Ben needs to be throwing at tires after practice or something, his accuracy has been off. Balls sailing wide/short/tall he's missing his WR every way possible.

[SteelerFanInStl]

I disagree. I would have to say the Steelers O line played very well against the Vikings talented front 7.

As for the preseason.....its preseason and the starters were not in there that much, and even when they were, they were dealing with other backups in key skill positions. The Browns were undefeated in the preseason, so that shows how much it counts. :doh:

I disagree. While the Vikings are very talented, they were also pushing the Steelers OL around all day. The OL underperformed.

Preseason isn't just about wins and losses. Starters not playing is a big reason why the product on the field has been so underwhelming for the first 3 weeks across the league.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I disagree. While the Vikings are very talented, they were also pushing the Steelers OL around all day. The OL underperformed.

Preseason isn't just about wins and losses. Starters not playing is a big reason why the product on the field has been so underwhelming for the first 3 weeks across the league.

Gilbert, DeCastro and Foster all graded out better than 81.9 against the Vikings according to PFF. Gilbert, DeCastro and AV all graded out over 82 against the Browns and 4 of the 5 linemen didn't yield a pressure that day.... I bet at least 25 other NFL teams wish their O line "underperformed" that poorly.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Gilbert, DeCastro and Foster all graded out better than 81.9 against the Vikings according to PFF. Gilbert, DeCastro and AV all graded out over 82 against the Browns and 4 of the 5 linemen didn't yield a pressure that day.... I bet at least 25 other NFL teams wish their O line "underperformed" that poorly.

I watched the games so I really don't care what PFF says. The eye test tells me that they didn't do well in the run game since they were constantly getting pushed backward and couldn't open any holes. They did better in the passing game.

Go watch a replay of the Titans game against the Seahawks yesterday in which their OL dominated. Our OL is supposed to be on par with theirs but they're not playing anywhere close to the same level. Our OL is supposed to be one of the best in the NFL but no, they're not playing like it. That's called "underperforming".

As I've said in other posts, it's the whole offense, with AB being the only exception. Everyone else needs to pick up their game.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I watched the games so I really don't care what PFF says. The eye test tells me that they didn't do well in the run game since they were constantly getting pushed backward and couldn't open any holes. They did better in the passing game.

Go watch a replay of the Titans game against the Seahawks yesterday in which their OL dominated. Our OL is supposed to be on par with theirs but they're not playing anywhere close to the same level. Our OL is supposed to be one of the best in the NFL but no, they're not playing like it. That's called "underperforming".

As I've said in other posts, it's the whole offense, with AB being the only exception. Everyone else needs to pick up their game.

Oh, I have watched the games and the Viking game was a good performance, with the exception of a few lapses by Villenueva. There aren't many holes in the NFL to run thru, but rather creases and the RB wasn't hitting those creases IMO. How many O lines dominate the LOS on a weekly basis?? The guys on the other side of the ball were on scholarship too and are trying hard.

This fan notion that their team should be blowing the opposition away on offense, but give up minimal yardage on defense every week is unfortunately unrealistic. Nobody is scheduling Austin Peay for homecoming in the NFL.

[Born2Steel]

Was the Oline missing both Foster and Gilbert?

[AtlantaDan]

Was the Oline missing both Foster and Gilbert?

Yep - Foster injured left hand (apparently thumb) in first Q and did not return

If it is broken I guess they can put a cast on it

After the anthem/AV questions today maybe Tomlin will have time to give some injury updates

[SteelerFanInStl]

Oh, I have watched the games and the Viking game was a good performance, with the exception of a few lapses by Villenueva. There aren't many holes in the NFL to run thru, but rather creases and the RB wasn't hitting those creases IMO. How many O lines dominate the LOS on a weekly basis?? The guys on the other side of the ball were on scholarship too and are trying hard.

This fan notion that their team should be blowing the opposition away on offense, but give up minimal yardage on defense every week is unfortunately unrealistic. Nobody is scheduling Austin Peay for homecoming in the NFL.

LOL, college analogies. Yea, I get it. The other team was trying, gets paid, etc. I didn't say anything about "dominating on a weekly basis". There's an expectation based on past performance that's not being met.

We're just going to have to disagree on this one. No point in discussing it further.

[Iron Steeler]

1. Ben not connecting to Martivis on the first play. ( these two need to work on their rhythm
2. Eli Rogers botched punt return.
3. Ben Sack fumble
4. FG blocked at the end of the half giving points the other way.

Game Ball goes to: Jagaurs, Packers, and Colts for beating all AFC North teams.
GOAT: The steelers offense and special teams.

Honorary mention: The defense played well . But looked gassed and totally fatigued in overtime.

[DesertSteel]

Game ball: the American Flag. It's kept us all distracted from another miserable loss to another miserable team.