STOP BLAMING TOMLIN AND HALEY

[TRASHMAN]

FACTS:

This game falls on one man shoulders and one man only. That is Scobee...

The game should have been put away 2 times but Scobee missed both chances. We would have been saying what a great game Vick had and how our defense stepped up and they did. For some reason we need to hate Vick and Tomlin because Tomlin isn't Cohwer and Vick isn't Ben..

I think the 4th and 1 was a good play call because the Ravens clogged up the middle for a Bell run making Brown very open and Vick very protected. Vick simply missed a terribly easy pass...

The worst part is how much the Ravens think they deserved to win the game and how much "heart" they had. It makes me sick how they got lucky we signed a great kicker who decides to suck when he got to Pittsburgh...

[teegre]

Pretty much.

[zoneblitzerII]

Ok. I blame Aditi Kinkhabwala.

[TD's & Beer]

The coaching was 'below the line', "the standard was not the standard' , 'the arrow is pointing down with them' - Coach Cool Shades Cliche

[j-d-s]

I do agree that Tomlin went for it on fourth down in OT twice, that was the right decision. Haley just should have called other plays where you don't have to rely on your backup QB to win the game.

But controversial play calls are nothing new... i remember a playcall at a superbowl where they didn't hand it off to a borderline unstoppable RB one yard from the goalline but instead passed it and then got picked off...

[stillers4me]

Scobee and what ever jagoff was not putting the game in the hands of the best player on the field last night....Bell. And what happened to Deangelo Willialms? did I miss the tweet where he got cut????

[stillers4me]

This says it all.

[Count Steeler]

Sorry, but if you call the second half a well coached game, I have to disagree.

[Drazo85]

Coaches have put the team in best situation to win the game in regulation. Kicker missed two field goals that would put game away. It happens. Get over it.
Only thing i dont agree with Tomlin is going for it on 4th down in OT. I dont know what Tomlin had been thinking. Shorter distance for Scobee? His kicks were long enough, accuracy was problem. Going for TD? I dont know, but with limited reps and limited playbook i dont think that Vick was capable for TD. I am not Tomlin apologist by any means, i just tend to look at these situation with less emotions. Its not end of the world, Steelers can bounce back. Its tough loss for sure, i was angry at all of them, but when i calm myself down and have seen what went wrong. Steelers fans are spoiled, there isnt many head coaches in NFL who win constantly. Tomlin proved he can win constantly. There are not many QBs better than Ben (if any), and most of the starting QBs are just a little better than Vick. There is a reason teams get desperate and draft scrubs in the first round. Just look at past ten drafts and see how many QBs arent starting in NFL. Heck, see how many of them are not in the league any more. You hit and miss, thats the nature of bussines.

[86WARD]

The coaching was 'below the line', "the standard was not the standard' , 'the arrow is pointing down with them' - Coach Cool Shades Cliche

[tube517]

Alot of Vick bashing going on but that needs to be put in perspective. He was brought in off the streets and is a backup not a starter. His days are over. I was against getting Vick because he is washed up and is a turnover machine. He didn't turn the ball over and did what Haley and Tomlin wanted. But, I thought they would take some deep shots sometime during the game. I'm not going to blame Vick on this one.

Second half and OT playcalling was horrible. Sorry, I will blame the coaches on not continuing what was working in the 2nd quarter. They coached scared.

Scooby should clean out his locker.

[dduc996]

We lost in the final 2:00min. when we had the game in the bag. This conservative milk the clock play calling has gotten old over the past few years with Haley. We get a lead with a few minutes left in the game and all of a sudden we loosen our grip instead of poring the heat on and put them AWAY.!!!!

HAAAAAAAA!!!!!!😠

[86WARD]

Same shot used to happen with Arians...which leads to what?

[The Bark]

A) Scobee choked on a few kicks already this season. B) All those kicks in this game, if I remember correctly, were at the notorious end of the stadium. C) I'm not even sure Suisham gets to kick some of those, the second Scobee miss being from 49 yards.

You accompany these with terrible situational awareness and bad clock management from Tomlin and I you have me with 1 minute left in regulation saying the Steelers deserve to lose this game.

[fansince'76]

You accompany these with terrible situational awareness and bad clock management from Tomlin and I you have me with 1 minute left in regulation saying the Steelers deserve to lose this game.

Clock management didn't really have much to do with it, IMO. We needed one more first down to ice it and simply couldn't get it, as usual. The players have to make a play once in a while.

2-for-13 on 3rd down and 0-for-2 on 4th down. Was anyone else having Kordell Stewart flashbacks last night?

[lipps83]

Yeah, a bit too conservative in the 2nd half but I liked the call on the 2nd 4th down play. Vick just didn't make that throw.

No matter what though, masterful game called by Butler. Butler has nearly won me over with his aggressiveness, I am becoming a fan. Clearly a Lebeau disciple against the Pats, but maybe that was because it was the Pats. Since then though, hats almost off. Need more clogging the middle against the run, but I suspect that might have to do more with McLendon maybe.

The loss sucks, but Butler went down swinging. I can accept that any day.

[fansince'76]

Yeah, a bit too conservative in the 2nd half but I liked the call on the 2nd 4th down play. Vick just didn't make that throw.

No matter what though, masterful game called by Butler. Butler has nearly won me over with his aggressiveness, I am becoming a fan. Clearly a Lebeau disciple against the Pats, but maybe that was because it was the Pats. Since then though, hats almost off. Need more clogging the middle against the run, but I suspect that might have to do more with McLendon maybe.

The loss sucks, but Butler went down swinging. I can accept that any day.

Agreed. I was beyond tired of the passivity we were getting with LeBeau over the last 6 years or so.

Sit back and tackle the catch doesn't work too well when the opponent moves the sticks all night against it anyway.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Stop playing for FGs when your kicker sucks. The offense was working in the 2nd quarter when they took the reigns off. The whole second half was way too conservative. They didn't play to win and they lost.

[SteeleReign]

Got to disagree. Yes, Scobee clearly is the chief goat in this game, but Tomlin/Haley deserve a spoonful of blame as well. With the win in sight, the two plays called were beyond boneheaded. On top of that, the decision not take a few deep shots throughout the game made it that much more difficult to gain the 1-2 yards needed late.

Yes, Scobee was horrible, and in my mind, so was Vick. However, Tomlin & Haley didn't respond well with situational game calling.

[SteeleReign]

Clock management didn't really have much to do with it, IMO. We needed one more first down to ice it and simply couldn't get it, as usual. The players have to make a play once in a while.

2-for-13 on 3rd down and 0-for-2 on 4th down. Was anyone else having Kordell Stewart flashbacks last night?

I thought Vick was worse than Slash. I don't believe Vick has the intelligence to read defenses beyond his first read. In the past, he relied on his athletic ability when his first read wasn't available. I will give him credit for not flinging the ball around when under duress. Obviously, he was coached up to eat the ball and take the sack, so there's that.

[SteeleReign]

Alot of Vick bashing going on but that needs to be put in perspective. He was brought in off the streets and is a backup not a starter. His days are over. I was against getting Vick because he is washed up and is a turnover machine. He didn't turn the ball over and did what Haley and Tomlin wanted. But, I thought they would take some deep shots sometime during the game. I'm not going to blame Vick on this one.

Second half and OT playcalling was horrible. Sorry, I will blame the coaches on not continuing what was working in the 2nd quarter. They coached scared.

Scooby should clean out his locker.

Completely agree. Vick is not a good quarterback, this much we know. However, they needed to at least ATTEMPT a couple balls down the field to stretch out the defense. It was clear to the Ravens in the 2nd half that they didn't need to worry about anything over the top, which made it that much more difficult on Vick late in the game.

[Steeldude]

How successful are long FGs against the wind? Anyone know of a stat on it?

I blame Tomlin for the loss more than anyone else. He wanted a QB who cannot throw and last night was the result.

[Dissolv]

Butler = has a new fan. I loved the play calling.

I do blame Tomlin and/or Haley. There were at least three play calls in the final minutes that nearly had me tossing my beer at the screen. However they also deserve props for getting Vick to be as effective as he was with basically no prep time at all, and Scooby-don't definitely left them with some tough decisions. End of the day though, the game was very winnable, even at the end. And the Head Coach has to live with his decisions, including who he brings in, what situations they are in, and the calls on the field that are made.

That is a win that got away from us, and it may come back to haunt, in a big way.

Dissolv

[Mojouw]

No prep time besides a walkthrough before the game. back-up QB. It is amazing they were even in a position to win the game.

Loss is squarely on Vick and Scoobee. That overtime 4th down throw was basic HS varsity stuff.

I feel the coaches put Vick and Scoobee in positions to succeed - manageable field goals and manageable throws/reads. On multiple occassions both those players failed catastrophically. Figure Vick can improve from here with reps and practice time. At this point, you have to think about cutting Scoobee and bringing in someone else.

Why does no one ever blame the players? This isn't a video game. Coaches coach and players play. And Vick and Scoobee screwed the pooch.

[Steelervinny]

No prep time besides a walkthrough before the game. back-up QB. It is amazing they were even in a position to win the game.

Loss is squarely on Vick and Scoobee. That overtime 4th down throw was basic HS varsity stuff.

I feel the coaches put Vick and Scoobee in positions to succeed - manageable field goals and manageable throws/reads. On multiple occassions both those players failed catastrophically. Figure Vick can improve from here with reps and practice time. At this point, you have to think about cutting Scoobee and bringing in someone else.

Why does no one ever blame the players? This isn't a video game. Coaches coach and players play. And Vick and Scoobee screwed the pooch.

Completely Agree with this

[Hawkman]

While everyone is throwing BLAME around. How about the ball (that was very well thrown) to AB in the end zone. Left handed spin or no left handed spin, he should have caught that. DHB found a way. AB makes that catch 10 out of 10........well now 9 out of 10 now.

[86WARD]

No prep time besides a walkthrough before the game. back-up QB. It is amazing they were even in a position to win the game.

Loss is squarely on Vick and Scoobee. That overtime 4th down throw was basic HS varsity stuff.

I feel the coaches put Vick and Scoobee in positions to succeed - manageable field goals and manageable throws/reads. On multiple occassions both those players failed catastrophically. Figure Vick can improve from here with reps and practice time. At this point, you have to think about cutting Scoobee and bringing in someone else.

Why does no one ever blame the players? This isn't a video game. Coaches coach and players play. And Vick and Scoobee screwed the pooch.

Vick didn't lose the game. Hell if you want to blame players, you could blame anyone...take Heath Miller for getting to his block late on the first 4th down attempt causing the shot show that occurred. Le'Veon Bell is blocking two guys on that play? He should have never come off the first block. It was a cluster guck because of Miller. But he should've never been in that position...

[SteeleReign]

No prep time besides a walkthrough before the game. back-up QB. It is amazing they were even in a position to win the game.

Loss is squarely on Vick and Scoobee. That overtime 4th down throw was basic HS varsity stuff.

I feel the coaches put Vick and Scoobee in positions to succeed - manageable field goals and manageable throws/reads. On multiple occassions both those players failed catastrophically. Figure Vick can improve from here with reps and practice time. At this point, you have to think about cutting Scoobee and bringing in someone else.

Why does no one ever blame the players? This isn't a video game. Coaches coach and players play. And Vick and Scoobee screwed the pooch.

This is exactly why the coaches shoulder some of the blame. Vick was awful, but the coaches need to recognize who Vick is as a QB. As was said by a writer (don't recall who), the throw to AB should have been to the left side of the field. Although it's an easy HS varsity type of throw, Vick had shown no semblance of accuracy in the game so far. Why put the game on Vick's arm in that situation?! Bad play call. Bad coaching.

[86WARD]

This is exactly why the coaches shoulder some of the blame. Vick was awful, but the coaches need to recognize who Vick is as a QB. As was said by a writer (don't recall who), the throw to AB should have been to the left side of the field. Although it's an easy HS varsity type of throw, Vick had shown no semblance of accuracy in the game so far. Why put the game on Vick's arm in that situation?! Bad play call. Bad coaching.

Yep.

[TRASHMAN]

Vick wasn't even that awful... yea he totally messed up that throw but he put us in many positions to win that game. The coaches put us in many positions to win that game... It is crazy how negative these forums can get about our coaches when they called the right 4th and 1 play because Brown was open! They called the clock right because the field goal that was 41 yards would have won us the game... and the 49 yarder! How does Scobee's missed kicks make Tomlin and Haley suck? O yea cause we lost... Don't mind beating the underrated Ravens in every aspect of the game with a backup QB off the streets thrown into a starting position first 3 weeks into a brand new offensive unit... For what we have the coaching staff did a great job. The players (Scobee) and partially (Vick) didn't step to the plate when we needed them. Putting our team in 3 significantly easy chances to put the game away is good coaching in my opinion.

And the BS about putting the game in your backup QB's hands... Well, I'm pretty sure a QB that's played at an NFL level for 11 years could make a 4 yard pass with good protection to somebody who was open... And you would imagine a veteran NFL kicker could make a 41 yard field goal...