Can Landry Jones lead this team to a win at Baltimore?

[zulater]

That's the only thing that matters right now. I think if the team that showed up against the Patriots shows up in Baltimore in two weeks we've got a real good chance. If the team that flew down to Miami + Landry shows up we're dead meat, and the season likely will spiral down the drain from there.

Anyway Landry didn't suck. He actually made some plays and kept the sticks moving. But there were also some times where it was painfully obvious why Landry will never be more than a middle of the road back up (if that)

Harbaugh tends to give the Steelers fits in Baltimore no matter who the qb is, so this game is probably going to be the defining moment in Landry's career. Hope he's up to it.

[ALLD]

If he stops throwing the ball more than 20 yards we have a chance.

[Craic]

I think you're right. Landry had a decent day for a typical backup. Honestly, he did more than I thought he would. The two missed fieldgoals hurt us, as we would have been within 7, as well as things possibly playing out different.

So yeah, the Ravens are not the Pats* and the dropoff between the two QBs is tremendous; if this game were against the Ravens, we'd be celebrating a victory tonight.

On the other hand, I expect to see Ben playing against the Ravens, as he said he would've played today if it were a playoff game. So, give him two weeks to heal, and I think we might see him on the field. I don't know how I feel about that, as Ben coming back from injury is usually not himself (pushes too hard, I think).

[Mojouw]

I think he can. I do not think he will.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Yes, I think that Landry can. Baltimore isn't very good. Landry shouldn't be throwing the ball 47 times though like he did today. He played pretty well in the first half but not very well in the second half. Same with the defense.

Hopefully we'll have a number of other guys back after the break.

[BlackAndGold]

I believe Ben will be back.

Him jogging on the field before the game was great news.

[Born2Steel]

I think he can. I do not think he will.

Well that attitude just plain sucks.

[86WARD]

Baltimore is terrible. They are really a bad team. So no, the Steelers will lose in Baltimore. With the exception of the Redskins game, this team is showing they have nothing going on the road...

[Shoes]

Yes!

[st33lersguy]

It's in Baltimore so you can bank on Todd Haley being grossly outclassed, the offense scoring next to nothing, and the Steelers losing again

[LloydWoodson]

It's in Baltimore so you can bank on Todd Haley being grossly outclassed, the offense scoring next to nothing, and the Steelers losing again

Yeah. I hated Arians play calls. I hated that his only run plays were right side A and B gaps with the LG pulling (mostly giant Kemoeautu who lacks the agility to be a pulling guard). And I hated the screens to Wallace even though they worked on bad teams. The good defenses read those screens so easily.

So I like Haley's much more varied play design. I hate the overall philosophy though.

I see the Steelers offense as "we are a finesse offense that focuses on scheme over individual match ups." The standard is the standard and if Ben goes down then Landry Jones is expected to execute a game plan made for Ben.

[Born2Steel]

Can he? Absolutely. The Ravens are always a tough game, with or without whomever. This game should be no exception. Probably come down to the wire with one team pulling away a bit at the end. Hopefully that will be us. I just don't want to see 3 losses in a row. I don't believe I will either.

[EzraTank]

Coming off a BYE against a major divisional opponent ... if he can't we're in trouble.

[Buckinnuts]

ben will be back...because landry cost us this game,...along with tomlin

[steel striker]

Sure Landry can lead the steelers past the ravens but, man the steelers need to get healthy soon. Plus Suggs & Dirtyville are not healthy and, Steve Smith is banged up as well.

[DesertSteel]

For sure he can. Other parts have to be clicking though.

[GBMelBlount]

Landry Jones is a decent backup.

Yes, we can beat them.

Having some of our injured players back could make a difference too.

[tube517]

I think the questions are:

Will Ben be back?

Will any of our receivers be 100%?

Will Cam Heyward be back?

Will Shazam take more snaps?

Can we even stop the run anymore (with or without Cam)?

Does the defense know what tackling is?

[cubanstogie]

Landry did better than I thought, D did much worse. I've watched three to four Ravens games this year and they are not good. I do think Steelers can win with Landry as long as Bell can get as many touches as yesterday. IF Landry gets rid of the ball quick he actually looks effective, when he has plenty of time he is actually awful and tends to force the ball. Except for one time I remember he had all the time in the world and actually took what defense gave him. I think it was a nine yard pickup to Jesse James. Maybe That will improve with game time experience.

[Moose]

No

[Steeldude]

Lead? I suppose, but I would think it's more in the line of helping the team to win.

The problem is the defense and coaching.

Defense: Doesn't exist.

Coaching: Dumb plays calls.

[salamander]

Yeah, I'm more worried about the defense at this point. Plus, like 86WARD said, they've been terrible on the road for the most part this year. Thank god it's the bye week.

[j-d-s]

Landry has never won a game as Starter. Though his statistics show 1-2, that one win was against the Browns where he left in the 1st quarter and Ben played almost the entire game.

[zulater]

Landry has never won a game as Starter. Though his statistics show 1-2, that one win was against the Browns where he left in the 1st quarter and Ben played almost the entire game.

By the same token Vick gets credit for the win against the Cardinals last year because he started the game. But anyone with a brain knows Landry was the qb who deserved credit for the win.

[zulater]

Yeah, I'm more worried about the defense at this point. Plus, like 86WARD said, they've been terrible on the road for the most part this week. Thank god it's the bye week.

Cam Heyward looks as if he'll be back, so that will help. Plus the Ravens offense isn't the Patriots offense or even the Eagles or Dolphins offense. I honestly didn't think the Steelers defense was as terrible as has been portrayed against the Pats. That offense just executes at a higher level. For instance on the 3 plays Brady scrambled for first downs you could say the defense pretty much to a man did their job correctly. But they didn't account for Brady. And without Cam there they just had guys who could help collapse the pocket but not seal the deal and bring Brady down.

Anyway Flacco can be good, but he's also in the midst of a bad season. They have virtually no running game. So for example when the Steelers were beginning to bottle in Brady for a stretch from the middle of the 2nd quarter to the middle of the 3rd quarter, Brady was able ( and willing, hint to Big Ben and Haley) to change it up and run Blount down the Steelers throat. The combination of having Cam and a healthier Shazier will make it so the Steelers can make the Ravens one dimensional. If Keith Butler gets his head out of his ass and starts dialing up well timed blitzes Flacco can be forced into bad throws and maybe even force some turnovers.

Bottom line is I think the defense will pull their weight in Baltimore. It's up to our offense to score 22 or more points imo to get the win, no matter who the qb.

[Edman]

Landry is Landry. An Average to Sub-average Backup Quarterback. He didn't play awful Sunday besides the Red zone INT, but it wasn't an inspiring performance either. He'll give you what he can, but don't expect much.

The Defense has to step up big.

[tube517]

If Sammie C isn't healthy, we don't have a legit deep threat.

This offense isn't the same without a deep threat.

I'm not sure Cobi Bryant is that fast (he did run track in college) and he is still inexperienced.

Hopefully, AB can recover during the bye.

[Rotorhead]

I think he can, he had a better game than most expected. And the Def played as good as they have most of the season against the Pats. Add in Cam and make the 2 missed FG's and we probably win that game. But I honestly think Ben will be back after the bye, as well as a healthy Shazier and Cam. We will see L Green, our WR's will be healthy and our OL will be back together and 100%. We needed this week off, I think we will start off the final stretch with a healthy team and go on a good win streak.

[zulater]

It's looks as though there's a decent chance that Ben could start against the Ravens. I certainly hope so. But I think it's way too early to speculate to that end just because he went through a non contact practice today. Imo it's probably a 50/50 proposition at best.

As far as Landry goes, looking through that Patriot game a little more objectively outside that interception into the end zone I think his play was fairly solid. Now keep in mind that he played the 2nd half with as depleted a receiver core as we've fielded for a game in years. AB got injured late in the second quarter and after having a strong first half was on and off the field the entire second half and was clearly hampered by the injury he incurred. Coates was barely used and when he was it was more or less as a decoy to draw off coverage. For some reason Eli Rogers never saw the field. And of course Wheaton never even suited up. So think about it, his primary available target for the majority of plays (outside LeVeon) was DHB. Yeah that's right the guy who's primary role on the team last season was playing special teams. That was his number 1 WR in the second half, and Cobi Hamilton was his number 2 guy. And yet many of you guys are crucifying him.

The truth is once the Patriots saw that AB was out they started really loading up the box ( Bell's yards per carry on his last half dozen carries was way down) so he had no running game and his options in the passing game were limited. I'm not sure Ben would have done a whole lot better? And no I'm not comparing Landry favorably with Ben. I'm just pointing out that the Steelers were really strapped for manpower this past game and it's unfair to put too much blame on Jones.

[86WARD]

The Patriots were loading up the box before AB was out of the game. They chose to stop Bell early on...wasn't until middle of the second quarter where he started to get some nice chunks of yardage. Jones was beating them with the pass and it looks like they backed off stopping Bell. I agree with everything else you said though.