Screw optimism - what's your WORST case scenario for 2019?

[steelreserve]

In the spirit of the last few weeks, I thought it would be good to have a place to make predictions on what will happen if everything continues to be as FUCKED UP as possible! There aren't really rules, other than try to avoid the ultra-obvious "Ben tears his ACL - out for the season!!!" and shit like that. Trying to keep it to about three things each for before, during, and after the season ...

Offseason/preseason

Offensive line back to pre-Munchak form. Suddenly no one can block and we're back to leading the league in sacks. Foster is not re-signed, so we pay $6M for his replacement and he signs elsewhere for $3M.

R1 draft pick: "Incredible raw talent, needs coaching." Bonus if it's another DB or a pass rusher.

Some DB gets hurt or suspended, fifth-year option on Burns is picked up. "But we don't have any other options!" "No joke guys, this is FINALLY gonna be his year!!!"


Regular season
All right, now we get into the really fun stuff.

No #2 receiver emerges. Washington sucks shit and continues on to become the next Sammie Coates, and McDonald is beat up all year. Ben does nothing but force it to Juju all year and has 40 interceptions.

It turns out Conner is just a guy. With no Munchak, the offensive line is merely average, and Conner is average along with it. Samuels is swapped in midseason out of desperation, but it's like switching Najeh Davenport out for Mewelde Moore. We finish 29th in the league in rushing and add RB to the list of needs.

Season record: 8-8. Hey guys! Another season without a losing record, what an amazing run! Since the AFC North sucked, we only lose the division by one game to the Bengals. Tomlin is safe! Colbert is safe! Butler is safe! We extend Tomlin 5 years but fire the janitor to send a message! And with the 19th pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select ...


Offseason:

It turns out Ben was playing half the season with a partially torn labrum or something that needs surgery. He either retires or is going to miss a big part of the next season and probably not be the same. Pouncey retires along with him, and in our big move of the offseason, we trade up to draft a center.

Haden retires or moves on, or is clearly done. Davis still doesn't get it but the Panthers or someone are willing to pay him $10 million on potential and he's gone. Back to square one for the defensive backfield.

Bell and Brown go to the Patriots. They both end up on the Raiders in 2019, and do a lot of bitching and moaning. In the great tradition of Al Davis, they get fleeced out of both for a seventh-round draft pick. "They were malcontents! At least we got something out of it!" They would go on to be great teammates, but the next 5 NFL seasons are all canceled because the entire country is covered 6 feet deep in my barf.

See, it could always be worse. Why do people think I'm being negative.

[DesertSteel]

8-8 is your WCS?? I'm thinking 6-10 as a WCS and 9-7 as a BCS.

[steelreserve]

8-8 is your WCS?? I'm thinking 6-10 as a WCS and 9-7 as a BCS.

Well, most losses would be like 5-11, but the most-losses scenario isn't the same as as worst case. At 8-8 you still miss the playoffs which is what matters ... plus get a worse draft pick, keep the same people, and convince yourself you don't have that much of a problem.

I would expect it to be a pretty bad 8-8 too, with minimum 4 wins because the division is bad and the Ravens are going into the dumper.

[Craic]

9-7 as a BCS.

9-7 won't get us to the BCS unless our Power Ratings skyrocket in December.

[vasteeler]

I hate this thread

[steelreserve]

I hate this thread

Yeah? Then go get buttfucked to death in a dumpster. This thread ain't got no room for that kind of negativity.

[vasteeler]

Yeah? Then go get buttfucked to death in a dumpster. This thread ain't got no room for that kind of negativity.

buttfucked to death in a dumpster!?!

[st33lersguy]

It's Crystal clear this team is going nowhere. AB is as good as gone now, the oline will regress without munch as will the entire offense with it. At this point worst case scenario is 8-8 or 9-7 and no playoffs but good enough in arts eyes to keep everyone around and extend tomlin, or maybe Keith butler contract runs out but they hire 5 years of teryl Austin's inability to field a semi competent defense without suh because art is too lazy to consider any outside candidates. Oh and dud Dupree resigns on a 2 year deal in 2020 because "this is the year he finally breaks out...wait why are you guys laughing at us".

At this point it is clear they aren't winning super bowl no.7 until after a major coaching overhaul is undergone

- - - Updated - - -

Well, most losses would be like 5-11, but the most-losses scenario isn't the same as as worst case. At 8-8 you still miss the playoffs which is what matters ... plus get a worse draft pick, keep the same people, and convince yourself you don't have that much of a problem.

Sadly I think this team is at the point now where 5-11 followed by art waking up and realize changes need to be made is actually the best case scenario. We have gotten to that point

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

Honestly it's to early to tell. What they get for AB in a trade if traded, What they do in free agency, What they do in the draft and etc. I'm optimistic and think by June we will have a better grasp on it.

[DesertSteel]

9-7 won't get us to the BCS unless our Power Ratings skyrocket in December.

Alabama would still get in at 9-7.

[teegre]

Worst case for 2019... being Robert Kraft’s son.

[Shoes]

I think the best the Steelers will do is #2 but very likely #3 in the division. The Browns could take the division, Lewis is no longer the HC of the Bengals, which could very well turn that team around. The Ravens still have a good defense and I expect their offense to be better this year. I really don't think AJRII, Colbert or Tomlin think there are really any problems so I don't expect any change for the better. They proved that by firing Porter and Saxon. I think Washington will improve this year but expect McDonald to revisit injury row, which will leave JJ and maybe Hodges McGee/Grimble and maybe the R7 TE they draft. They will pass on another good TE class in 2019. It will be interesting to see how long Munches mojo will last when new players start replacing the old. Ben promised he going to sling it. I don't think it's going to work. I just don't see the arrow pointing up anywhere, that's ok though I have plenty of hobbies.

[Fire Goodell]

Worst case scenario, go 16-0 and lose in the divisional round to Indy and the MVP of that game is Le'Veon Bell. Ben Roethlisberger gets a career ending injury and no coaching staff changes are made since "They went 16-0 so they were just unlucky". Patriots win their 7th championship. TJ Watt all of a sudden gets a big head and demands 50 million for the next 2 years or he'll sit out. Aljeandro Villanueva gets recalled into military service because World War 3 just happened after China and Russia declare war on the USA. Hey we're talking worst case scenario right?

Best case scenario, go 16-0 and win the super bowl. We beat the Patriots 77-3 in the AFC Championship and Tom Brady retires. Those jagoff Dolphins fans who keep bragging about the only perfect season can finally shut the hell up, and it wasn't the Patriots who shut them up.

[Mojouw]

Ben tears up his shoulder. Retires. Tomlin and Colbert fired. Fresh off a mediocre showing in the AAF Rick Nehuisel and Mike Singletary are brought in to turn things around. Mike Lombardi steps into the GM role.

[hawaiiansteeler]

we finish dead last in the AFC North

[tube517]

Worst case scenario - Juju bleaches his moustache and throws his bike over the balcony

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

[86WARD]

Injuries. I’m not going to name names, but there’s players in the past, significant ones, that haven’t had significant injuries and could be due...

[Dwinsgames]

we finish dead last in the AFC North

distinct possibility ..............

but we could also be 1st with the right moves in FA and good trade value for AB and used on players who produce as rookies ....

ILB / CB /WR

[AtlantaDan]

I will exclude season ending injures to Ben, JuJu or Watt as certainly worst case but random events

Worst case is 2-4 in the division while losing division road games along with home & away games to either Browns or Ravens

Worst case for outside the division games

Colts - lose
Seahawks - win
Rams - lose
Dolphins - win
Bills- win

Worst case for road games

@Patriots - lose
@Chargers - lose
@49ers - lose
@Cardinals - win
@Jets - lose (the annual inexplicable road loss)

6-10

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

we finish dead last in the AFC North

Winner right there. 5-11 and last in the AFC North.

Joe Haden retires to run his shoe store empire and Steelers sign Antowan Blake back to pair with Burns on the corners and opposing QB's light up the defense for 30 points a game. The good thing about the porous defense is that

Fichtner lets Ben call his own plays for a 90% pass to 10% run ratio and he throws for 5,000+ yards (mostly in the 4th quarter against opposing teams backups) and #7 fans rejoice, claiming Ben is the greatest ever due to his great stat line. JuJu is unfortunately injured and misses 10 games, but its OK, because despite having 2 different 1000 yard receivers, they still get called out on the weekly radio show for not scoring enough TD's.

Keith Butler is let go midseason and Karl Dunbar is given the DC job, where he employs a revolutionary 6 man defensive lineman front, with 5 DB's and 0 linebackers and TJ Watt develops a blood clot in his leg from sitting around doing nothing, while Bud Dupree binges on Primanti's with his $9mllion 5th year option money and balloons to 295lbs. Terrell Edmunds and Mike Hilton are involved in a freak accident, where Hilton was smoking a joint and it ignites the Afro-sheen that Edmunds was using in a throwback Afro as homage to his father's playing days and both suffer burns that have them miss significant playing time.

[Born2Steel]

Worst case???? Team plane crash. Other than that, rookies have major sophomore slump. Ben misses significant time and Rudolph is forced to play most of the season. DL injuries lets every fan know just how bad this defense CAN be.

[teegre]

Worst case:
Winning the Super Bowl, but losing a regular-season road-game to the lowly Jets... resulting in six months of hearing about how Tomlin always loses to subpar teams.

[DesertSteel]

Worst case???? Team plane crash. Other than that, rookies have major sophomore slump. Ben misses significant time and Rudolph is forced to play most of the season. DL injuries lets every fan know just how bad this defense CAN be.

Right on! I grew up with that experience when I was a kid........

[teegre]

Right on! I grew up with that experience when I was a kid........

#truth

[Neversatisfied]

Mike Tomlin is given a contract extension at the end of the season

[GoSlash27]

WCS: Jimmy Haslam sells the Browns and buys controlling share in the Steelers. He immediately fires everyone the idiot fans want fired and Pittsburgh becomes a revolving door for GMs, coaches, and quarterbacks. Heinz Field becomes the new "factory of sadness" and we don't see a winning season for the next 20 years.

[Steeler-in-west]

The team can be bought by a Chinese steel magnate,

At this rate it would be the perfect topper

let’s throw in a complete change of the logo and uniform as well for good measure

[AtlantaDan]

The team can be bought by a Chinese steel magnate,

At this rate it would be the perfect topper

let’s throw in a complete change of the logo and uniform as well for good measure

To reflect the 21st century Pittsburgh economy it will be the Pittsburgh UPMCs

Team colors will be that blue green color of medical scrubs

After you buy your ticket and concessions the team will randomly bill additional amounts to your credit card several months later because the initial charge did not include unexplained adjustments to the bill

[DesertSteel]

I’ll enjoy the season no matter what the W/L record is. At this stage, I’m past getting worked up about which way the ball bounces. Worst case is a continuation of the douchebaggery out of the locker room.

[pczach]

I’ll enjoy the season no matter what the W/L record is. At this stage, I’m past getting worked up about which way the ball bounces. Worst case is a continuation of the douchebaggery out of the locker room.

I think everyone wants the team to do whatever makes the team better. We don't all agree on how to do that, but clearly something needs to change.

The ownership isn't going anywhere.

They stress stability and patience, so there may not be immediate extensive changes to the coaching staff.

The GM just had a fantastic draft 2 years ago, so thinking that he would be fired seems a little farfetched.

Changing the roster appears to be the most likely way that they will attack the problem.

I'm with you about just going with whatever they decide to do. I was jumping up and down telling everyone Bell was the steal of the draft and might be the best RB in the NFL, but I'm not going to get so attached to a player that I let it cloud my judgement or prevent me from keeping my mind open about losing players. AB is the same way. He is supremely talented, but at this point the team needs to get past this nonsense. Get fair value for him, and move on.

The way I look at it, Mike Tomlin and ownership is partially responsible for how things went with AB. I'm not going to blame Tomlin for the Bell fiasco, because that appears to be almost entirely a contract issue which is out of his control. If they release these players, it is up to the GM, the scouting department, and the coaching staff to replace these pieces and have a winning product on the field that will make the playoffs and contend for championships. If they can't achieve that either next year or the year after, I think a coaching change and a full evaluation of how talent is obtained and evaluated is in order. They can even escalate things if next season goes badly, and things appear to be going in the wrong direction.

To me, that is a plan I can live with....even if it is without Bell and AB.

I love Big Ben as a player, but if Rudolph were to show everyone that he can get things done and show that he can be a franchise QB....I would even be ok with moving on from Ben. The team's continued success is more important that any one player, coach, or executive.

I think nearly everything needs to be on the table, but unlike many here, I still think that the organization and Tomlin can turn this around.

If they can't....something needs to change. IMO, they have this season and next season, so within two years there should be a clear direction of where the team is going.