Goats.

[dislocatedday]

Goats: Haley for turtle ball in 4th quarter; Sean Davis for not making a single play when most needed on that final Patriots drive.

[fansince'76]

I am totally aghast at his lack of testicular fortitude on those two possessions with 3:45 to go.

If I'm Ben, I'm going to AJR II with an ultimatum: Get me an OC with a pair or I'm retiring.

[Craic]

Except on the Cheats' last drive.

Why bother doubling Gronk? We all know he's no good anyway and has never had any success against us...

How do you double Gronk without playing zone coverage, which Brady eats up? Or, without rushing only three, which Brady eats up? Can't have everything. There's only 11 men on the field.

[Shoes]

He wasn't uncovered. It's the same issue as opposing DBs trying to cover Brown when Ben is throwing. Some of those catches were Gronk outpowering or outreaching the DB, and some were beautiful passes by Brady. The best players step in at the last moments to make plays. It's what Ben and Brown do. It's what Ben and seemingly Ju Ju looks like they're starting to do.

No, in the end, The Steelers had the ball in the redzone with enough time for three plays, and only needed a FG to tie. And, that was in a game that was not a shootout like everyone thought it'd be. The goat is Ben for throwing that ball. However, putting the entire blame on him is like putting the blame on the little kid who put the final straw on the camel's back, so while he is the goat, it's a very weak goat.

As I said in another thread, I actually feel very good about this team after this game. We were missing our top WR and DB, and we still were one mistake away from winning the game. I can't wait to see this team in Foxboro, because I doubt very much it's the Steelers who will be looking over their shoulder that game. The Pats* know they're lucky to win this game. And that's going to stick in their craw. In the latter half of the fourth quarter of the AFCG, it's going to start rattling around, and we're going to walk out with a win.

Well said Preach and I agree.

[43Hitman]

If I'm Ben, I'm going to AJR II with an ultimatum: Get me an OC with a pair or I'm retiring.

I completely agree. There is absolutely no excuse for that when you have HOF QB under center. Never ever is there an excuse for that.

[DesertSteel]

He wasn't uncovered.

I'm gonna disagree with you. Did you see the sky cam replay? Do you mean having a safety waiting on him 20 yards down the field was coverage???

[SteelMayhem72]

Im still gonna say everything up to that point dont matter...you got inside the 10 with the chance to win it and jesse james stretches across on a football move AFTER catching the ball and broke the plane...I dont care about the catch rule that should have no way been over turned!!!! He was making a football move to stretch across the goal line...sorry that rule sucks if thats the case. GOAT=refs

[Hawkman]

I dont know about that...dont tears take longer than 2 weeks

Partially torn....via Steeler Depot

[Steelermania]

People act like we were winginig it all over the field before the 4th quarter. We weren't. It was Bell, and short passes. We were moving the ball, and eating up the clock, which we needed to do after Brown went out. The penalty on 78 was a killer, as it came on a first down play that gained 8 yards. Also, on the 3rd down play before the last punt, Ben threw it to JuJu in a spot well short of the sticks, when he had a guy wide open to left of JuJu for an easy first down.

[j-d-s]

How do you double Gronk without playing zone coverage, which Brady eats up? Or, without rushing only three, which Brady eats up? Can't have everything. There's only 11 men on the field.

Hm, I'm no football tactics expert, but if I count they have at least 6 players who cannot receive, which means we can rush four, put two on Gronk, and then we have 5 people covering the remaining 4 receivers (anyone who is eligible to receive).

[Craic]

I'm gonna disagree with you. Did you see the sky cam replay? Do you mean having a safety waiting on him 20 yards down the field was coverage???

I thought you were speaking of the entire series. Sure, there may have been a breakdown in coverage once on that drive (or, more likely, Gronk ran along a seam of a zone defense we had to shift into for some reason). However, on that drive, Brady and Gronk were virtually perfect. Ike Taylor playing man wouldn't have stopped it. When the ball is perfectly thrown to a player that is bigger, taller, and has a better reach than 95 percent of the NFL CBs, that is the result you get regardless of who covers him. The only way to stop it is to have a rusher pop him as he comes off the line, then a DB pick him up from there to screw up time patterns.

[DesertSteel]

I thought you were speaking of the entire series. Sure, there may have been a breakdown in coverage once on that drive (or, more likely, Gronk ran along a seam of a zone defense we had to shift into for some reason). However, on that drive, Brady and Gronk were virtually perfect. Ike Taylor playing man wouldn't have stopped it. When the ball is perfectly thrown to a player that is bigger, taller, and has a better reach than 95 percent of the NFL CBs, that is the result you get regardless of who covers him. The only way to stop it is to have a rusher pop him as he comes off the line, then a DB pick him up from there to screw up time patterns.

Yeah the one big play that broke the drive open. Not a single Steeler was near him. Honestly up till the last drive they were covering him well. Just great passes and a 6'7" freak catching the ball. No excuse for that last melt down though.

[Mojouw]

Y’all realize that the two best teams in football played an amazing game that went down to the wire. It is possible to lose without choking, being out coached, and or the fix being in. Steelers got a disasterous decision from their HOF Qb when it mattered most.

Also, while the OLB play was okay at worst, and VW played average at worst, Spence was below the line. To borrow from Tomlin his play was JV.

[Craic]

Hm, I'm no football tactics expert, but if I count they have at least 6 players who cannot receive, which means we can rush four, put two on Gronk, and then we have 5 people covering the remaining 4 receivers (anyone who is eligible to receive).

So, you cover 4 people man to man, double Gronk, and only rush four. That leaves you with one extra man in coverage to play safety in case man coverage breaks down against any of the other four receivers AND to keep an eye on the QB in case he steps up in the pocket. Yeah, that's not going to work. Especially not against Brady. Amendola would have eaten us alive with that particular scheme. At least, on the positive side, the Pats* would probably have scored quicker which would have given the Steelers more time with the ball so Ben wouldn't have had to rush the final play.

[fansince'76]

Also, while the OLB play was okay at worst, and VW played average at worst, Spence was below the line. To borrow from Tomlin his play was JV.

Well, there's a reason he was sitting on his couch watching when Shazier went down.

[Craic]

Yeah the one big play that broke the drive open. Not a single Steeler was near him. Honestly up till the last drive they were covering him well. Just great passes and a 6'7" freak catching the ball. No excuse for that last melt down though.

I'd have to see that play you are referring to again (honestly don't remember it). but, if it is like you said, then we're in agreement.

[Mojouw]

Well, there's a reason he was sitting on his couch watching when Shazier went down.

Fair enough. But I think that a detailed breakdown of the game will reveal that Spence (or to be totally fair the lack of Shazier) was a massive factor in the loss. Spence did nothing and was horrible as the underneath guy

[Steeldude]

Didn't the Steelers use zone on the last drive?

[Mojouw]

Didn't the Steelers use zone on the last drive?

I think they did on at least two plays to bring Hilton off the edge

[86WARD]

So, you cover 4 people man to man, double Gronk, and only rush four. That leaves you with one extra man in coverage to play safety in case man coverage breaks down against any of the other four receivers AND to keep an eye on the QB in case he steps up in the pocket. Yeah, that's not going to work. Especially not against Brady. Amendola would have eaten us alive with that particular scheme. At least, on the positive side, the Pats* would probably have scored quicker which would have given the Steelers more time with the ball so Ben wouldn't have had to rush the final play.

A lot of the plays on defense had Mitchell back there alone playing center field.

[pczach]

Yeah the one big play that broke the drive open. Not a single Steeler was near him. Honestly up till the last drive they were covering him well. Just great passes and a 6'7" freak catching the ball. No excuse for that last melt down though.

On the play I think you're referring to, the Steelers played zone and blitzed from the side Gronk was lined up on. He got a free release and ran open right through the middle of the field when Brady hit him for 26 yards.

[DesertSteel]

Didn't the Steelers use zone on the last drive?

Go with what's proven and always works against [oops... I mean for] the Pats.

[Neversatisfied]

The differences between the Pats and the Steelers are on display in every game these two teams play. The Patriots plays to win and the Steelers play not to lose. When the Patriots are on top in a football game the game plan is vicious, flat out domination. The Steelers are the polar opposite, conservative and even scared. It's pathetic and it's one of the reasons the Steelers, coached the way they are will always play second fiddle to New England

[fansince'76]

On the play I think you're referring to, the Steelers played zone and blitzed from the side Gronk was lined up on. He got a free release and ran open right through the middle of the field when Brady hit him for 26 yards.

Yep. The few times they went back to the patented LeBeau BS, it generally wound up as a big play for the Patriots.

[fansince'76]

The differences between the Pats and the Steelers are on display in every game these two teams play. The Patriots plays to win and the Steelers play not to lose. When the Patriots are on top in a football game the game plan is vicious, flat out domination. The Steelers are the polar opposite, conservative and even scared. It's pathetic and it's one of the reasons the Steelers, coached the way they are will always play second fiddle to New England

Go pull for the Pats then.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Well, there's a reason he was sitting on his couch watching when Shazier went down.

This is what I have been thinking since last week. You sign a guy that was out of football and decide to start him on defense?

Anyways, it was a group effort:
-Davis missed several plays
-Mitchell was nowhere on some of the passes to Gronk and on the deep corner route to Cooks on the first drive
-the D line often gave the Pats RB 5 yards before contact on runs between the tackles
-Ben should have thrown that last pass away and lived to play OT
-AV had one of the worst games in a couple seasons at LT

Still, I love the Haley haters for their comments after the offense put up 413 yards and dominated the time of possession. He definitely should shoulder the blame for being ineffective.

- - - Updated - - -

Go with what's proven and always works against [oops... I mean for] the Pats.

Still, on the blitz by Hilton, they bracketed Gronk, but Davis played too far to the sideline and Mitchell was too deep in order to challenge the pass. That is just terrible safety play IMO. You double their best receiving threat in crunch time, but aren't close enough to him to make a play on the ball. WTF?

[fansince'76]

Still, I love the Haley haters for their comments after the offense put up 413 yards and dominated the time of possession. He definitely should shoulder the blame for being ineffective.

So, you approved of him effectively taking the ball out of Ben's hands twice in the waning minutes of the 4th? Especially considering the defense is banged up and has had its (ahem) fair share of issues against the Patriots in the past?

[steelreserve]

Game ball: Jesse James for scoring the game-winning TD.

Goats: Everyone who had a chance to put a knee on Gronkowski's elbow brace and pull his arm in the wrong direction, but didn't.

[Craic]

This is what I have been thinking since last week. You sign a guy that was out of football and decide to start him on defense?

Anyways, it was a group effort:
-Davis missed several plays
-Mitchell was nowhere on some of the passes to Gronk and on the deep corner route to Cooks on the first drive
-the D line often gave the Pats RB 5 yards before contact on runs between the tackles
-Ben should have thrown that last pass away and lived to play OT
-AV had one of the worst games in a couple seasons at LT

Still, I love the Haley haters for their comments after the offense put up 413 yards and dominated the time of possession. He definitely should shoulder the blame for being ineffective.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Still, on the blitz by Hilton, they bracketed Gronk, but Davis played too far to the sideline and Mitchell was too deep in order to challenge the pass. That is just terrible safety play IMO. You double their best receiving threat in crunch time, but aren't close enough to him to make a play on the ball. WTF?

Okay, now that makes sense. Good catch on what was going on in that play.

[DesertSteel]

Game ball: Jesse James for scoring the game-winning TD.

Goats: Everyone who had a chance to put a knee on Gronkowski's elbow brace and pull his arm in the wrong direction, but didn't.

Sir, they don't play for the Bengals.