Pittsburgh Steelers' reactions to Super Bowl LIII

[Rotorhead]

As far as the SB goes, the legit team from the NFC would have trounced the Pats IMO (experience mattered here).

As for the Steelers, this year was the best opportunity for them to get another title (given the shit show of the SB), however lack of preparedness doomed the season before the playoffs. The Pats secret is simple to me, they have their players do their jobs, they make very few mistakes. They know how to scheme on offense to methodically move the ball and on defense to take away your top player and best plays. We were able to beat them this year because our second best player was great (Juju) and we had a good running game and passing game (we had no issues moving the ball on the ground or through the air, and when running we could run wide, cutback or run straight through them). They couldn’t simply take away AB and stop the cutback run (like they did against the Rams) to stop us. Conversely, we had a plan to stop the run and slow the receivers, but let’s be honest, their Off was terrible most of this season, and if the Rams weren’t so new to the SB (experience matters) they would have won that game.

As for my thought on the reason we failed this season . . . Coaching. Tomlin has taken this talented team and done nothing. Penalties are up every year, discipline is worse every year. Talent is getting worse with every draft miss. The confusion on the defense I’ve side of the ball is ridiculous, how do the players still not know where they are supposed to be after 2 years (and the Pats can install an entire new def in 2 weeks). When we lost Shazier late, our defense suffered and we never recovered, but to not have a plan to replace him after the world saw the drop off is inexcusable. To once again not improve the worst unit on our team (def backfield) is inexcusable. This is all on Tomlin. Our kicker lost us more than one game, if there isn’t a plan to replace Boz, it is on Tomlin. If we don’t have a replacement for Shazier and Burns this off season, it is on Tomlin.

[Mojouw]

Penalties have essentially been between 5 and 6 a game since the dawn of time or at least 2003 -- https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/sta...ate=2004-02-02
A few years they spike to around 7 and a few years they dip to around 4 in both the Cowher and Tomlin eras, but they hover between 5 and 6 per game.

Also, having a crappy plan or a plan that did not work out (Bostic + Draft Pick + Burnett = 3 safety scheme/Dimebacker replacement for Shazier) is not the same as having no plan. The two are very different. Additionally, few were predicting that NONE of the 1st tier ILBs would be available at the Steelers pick. I realize that in hindsight, Darius Leonard looks like the obvious answer, but if Edmunds was viewed as a 'reach' in the 1st, I shudder to think about the response would've had the Steelers taken Leonard in the first. Considering that the Colts taking him in the 2nd was considered a reach and more than a few places howled in derision at the pick. And yes, I am aware that many were a massive fan of Leonard and accurately predicted that he would be an impact NFL player. But it was a reasonable gamble that Leonard would be there at the Steelers 2nd pick.

Going in to 2019 some observers thought DB would be a strength of the team, including more than a few on this board. Sutton, Allen, and Burns were all viewed as players that could take big steps forward. Many thought Sensabaugh wouldn't make the roster. The rookies were talked about in exciting terms, even Marcus Allen. Additionally, Burnett was viewed as a massive upgrade and several reputable outlets thought he was one of the best FA signings across the league. After all, Burnett had just finished two seasons (where when healthy--the key issue) he was a jack of all trades playmaker in the secondary for the Packers. So there was a dedicated effort through FA, the draft, and internal development to create competition and improved play in the secondary. Let's not forget that the Steelers made sure Joe Haden never took another visit last year.

Again, I don't agree with every move the team made and there is plenty of room for criticism. But the constant 20/20 hindsight nature of the postings are more than a bit frustrating. If the seemingly random changes to the defensive coaching staff do not lead to significant changes in approach in 2019, I'm out on this entire staff. I fail to understand how the same staff that came up with Patriots and Falcons game plans also rolled out the Chargers and Chiefs game plans. If whoever came up with and implemented the good game plan is now in charge of doing the same moving forward, maybe we stop seeing so many inexplicable defensive alignments. The frustrating thing is that, as fans, we simply don't have enough facts to understand why the defensive approach is seemingly so Jekyll and Hyde.

But to just keep leveling hyperbolic charge after charge that flies in the face of facts and are almost entirely based on looking back with perfect knowledge is not interesting.

[NCSteeler]

Penalties have essentially been between 5 and 6 a game since the dawn of time or at least 2003 -- https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/sta...ate=2004-02-02
A few years they spike to around 7 and a few years they dip to around 4 in both the Cowher and Tomlin eras, but they hover between 5 and 6 per game.

Also, having a crappy plan or a plan that did not work out (Bostic + Draft Pick + Burnett = 3 safety scheme/Dimebacker replacement for Shazier) is not the same as having no plan. The two are very different. Additionally, few were predicting that NONE of the 1st tier ILBs would be available at the Steelers pick. I realize that in hindsight, Darius Leonard looks like the obvious answer, but if Edmunds was viewed as a 'reach' in the 1st, I shudder to think about the response would've had the Steelers taken Leonard in the first. Considering that the Colts taking him in the 2nd was considered a reach and more than a few places howled in derision at the pick. And yes, I am aware that many were a massive fan of Leonard and accurately predicted that he would be an impact NFL player. But it was a reasonable gamble that Leonard would be there at the Steelers 2nd pick.

Going in to 2019 some observers thought DB would be a strength of the team, including more than a few on this board. Sutton, Allen, and Burns were all viewed as players that could take big steps forward. Many thought Sensabaugh wouldn't make the roster. The rookies were talked about in exciting terms, even Marcus Allen. Additionally, Burnett was viewed as a massive upgrade and several reputable outlets thought he was one of the best FA signings across the league. After all, Burnett had just finished two seasons (where when healthy--the key issue) he was a jack of all trades playmaker in the secondary for the Packers. So there was a dedicated effort through FA, the draft, and internal development to create competition and improved play in the secondary. Let's not forget that the Steelers made sure Joe Haden never took another visit last year.

Again, I don't agree with every move the team made and there is plenty of room for criticism. But the constant 20/20 hindsight nature of the postings are more than a bit frustrating. If the seemingly random changes to the defensive coaching staff do not lead to significant changes in approach in 2019, I'm out on this entire staff. I fail to understand how the same staff that came up with Patriots and Falcons game plans also rolled out the Chargers and Chiefs game plans. If whoever came up with and implemented the good game plan is now in charge of doing the same moving forward, maybe we stop seeing so many inexplicable defensive alignments. The frustrating thing is that, as fans, we simply don't have enough facts to understand why the defensive approach is seemingly so Jekyll and Hyde.

But to just keep leveling hyperbolic charge after charge that flies in the face of facts and are almost entirely based on looking back with perfect knowledge is not interesting.

I think the reason is that there's a plan, it's just not game specific, so some days it looks awesome and some days it looks like shit. It seems very hard to explain you beat the Patriots soundly and get whooped by raiders

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[86WARD]

I think the reason is that there's a plan, it's just not game specific, so some days it looks awesome and some days it looks like shit. It seems very hard to explain you beat the Patriots soundly and get whooped by raiders

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This has been my theory for a couple seasons now and have been vocal about it in several threads.

I’m not convinced these guys watch game film of their opponents on a weekly basis. I think they develop a game plan based on what they want to do and like you state, some times it works and others it looks like shit.

You can really see it on offense as the game plan is pretty much shit until Ben starts improvising and then they start moving...same on defense.

I can’t think of an example but there have definitely been times when teams have had a weakness and the Steelers just don’t attack it.

[Mojouw]

I think the reason is that there's a plan, it's just not game specific, so some days it looks awesome and some days it looks like shit. It seems very hard to explain you beat the Patriots soundly and get whooped by raiders

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This has been my theory for a couple seasons now and have been vocal about it in several threads.

I’m not convinced these guys watch game film of their opponents on a weekly basis. I think they develop a game plan based on what they want to do and like you state, some times it works and others it looks like shit.

You can really see it on offense as the game plan is pretty much shit until Ben starts improvising and then they start moving...same on defense.

I can’t think of an example but there have definitely been times when teams have had a weakness and the Steelers just don’t attack it.

I can see where you both are coming from. I just find it hard to believe that the Steelers would no be instituting a practice that most decent high school teams have been doing for like all of living memory.

Again, I have no real reason to believe this but I find it simply totally unbelievable that an NFL team would watch no film on a weekly basis and not have a tailored game plan for each week. Every team in the league has been doing that since the dawn of the league. I feel like if the Steelers weren't we would've heard about it by now.

[NCSteeler]

I can see where you both are coming from. I just find it hard to believe that the Steelers would no be instituting a practice that most decent high school teams have been doing for like all of living memory.

Again, I have no real reason to believe this but I find it simply totally unbelievable that an NFL team would watch no film on a weekly basis and not have a tailored game plan for each week. Every team in the league has been doing that since the dawn of the league. I feel like if the Steelers weren't we would've heard about it by now.

I agree they have to be doing something. But it's just hard to see in the games

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[steelreserve]

I can see where you both are coming from. I just find it hard to believe that the Steelers would no be instituting a practice that most decent high school teams have been doing for like all of living memory.

Again, I have no real reason to believe this but I find it simply totally unbelievable that an NFL team would watch no film on a weekly basis and not have a tailored game plan for each week. Every team in the league has been doing that since the dawn of the league. I feel like if the Steelers weren't we would've heard about it by now.

It's almost impossible that they wouldn't be doing it ... on the other hand, is their plan any good? At least better than the opponent's plan against THEM? Do they have a backup plan if it's not working, and can they identify the necessary triggers to change it in-game and make adjustments on the fly - or only at halftime? Are the players well-trained and comfortable enough with the plan to make those same adjustments work?

All things that go into "gameplanning," and honestly from the look of things, we may spend plenty of time planning and looking at film, but still be whiffing on one or more elements that are important in order for your plan to work.

[Mojouw]

It's almost impossible that they wouldn't be doing it ... on the other hand, is their plan any good? At least better than the opponent's plan against THEM? Do they have a backup plan if it's not working, and can they identify the necessary triggers to change it in-game and make adjustments on the fly - or only at halftime? Are the players well-trained and comfortable enough with the plan to make those same adjustments work?

All things that go into "gameplanning," and honestly from the look of things, we may spend plenty of time planning and looking at film, but still be whiffing on one or more elements that are important in order for your plan to work.

Certainly. It is possible to engage in the proper process and get crap results. When I watch this team play, the biggest problems seem to be along the lines of some guys are thinking so much they can't actually play football and other guys know exactly what to do but are not able to do it. Either way, you come up short. Combine that with the semi-regular clunker of an idea from the coaching staff and it is gonna look bad on occassion.

[86WARD]

I can see where you both are coming from. I just find it hard to believe that the Steelers would no be instituting a practice that most decent high school teams have been doing for like all of living memory.

Again, I have no real reason to believe this but I find it simply totally unbelievable that an NFL team would watch no film on a weekly basis and not have a tailored game plan for each week. Every team in the league has been doing that since the dawn of the league. I feel like if the Steelers weren't we would've heard about it by now.

I’d like to believe they do the proper film review and think it’s virtually impossible that they don’t but the results and visuals just aren’t there...

[AtlantaDan]

I think the reason is that there's a plan, it's just not game specific, so some days it looks awesome and some days it looks like shit. It seems very hard to explain you beat the Patriots soundly and get whooped by raiders

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Apparently they had a game specific plan for the Patriots and someone watched film of the Titans-Pats game in coming up with it.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/12/nfl...y-gameplan/amp

[Mojouw]

Apparently they had a game specific plan for the Patriots and someone watched film of the Titans-Pats game in coming up with it.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/12/nfl...y-gameplan/amp

Those 3 games (Titans, Steelers, and Rams) have revealed a new fatal flaw for the current Pats offense. They can't move the ball if you force them outside. Whether it is due to lack of the right kind of reciecers or Brady losing something off his fastball, if you can shit them down in the middle of the field and force the to work along the sidelines, the pats misfire badly.

[86WARD]

So it’s surprising no one has mentioned what the Patriots did on offense (for most of the seconds and half of season) they’re pretty much running the Cowboys from the 90s Offense with a Power I run game in which They are dominating the smaller speed rushers and mixing a short passing game in with it. Belichick has pretty much changed his philosophies to go against the grain as teams and their defenses are building to defend the pass, he’s concentrating on a run game with a FB lead.

The Steelers touched on this a bit but didn’t continue to use. Steelers have one of the few FBs in the league and a pretty good one at that yet they refuse to use on a regular basis? Pretty confident that the Steelers should follow the Patriots lead and at the same time maybe try to get some larger/faster personnel. One measure or the other isn’t good enough anymore...