Blame coaching if you want....

[Punxsutawney]

Yeah, I get that Punxsy, but I guess the overarching point I'm trying to make is...a strong running game shortens the game by eating the clock and reducing the actual number of possessions each team has a chance to score. With the Steelers' potent offense they should pass, pass, pass...essentially lengthening the game to give them more possessions and turning it into a shootout. Baltimore wouldn't be able to keep up, and Mallet would inevitably make mistakes. Instead, they decide to run the ball...even though successfully, but it limits the overall number of possessions, and those fewer possessions for both teams keeps the score lower. The more the Steelers O is on the field the better they get.

I pretty much agree with you.

Though the Steelers can pass the ball, they're now a pass-oriented team, and the Ravens prompted them to go out of character on offense.

Combining that with the defense allowing the Ravens to control the ball/clock in the first half, it became difficult for the offense to establish the timing it displayed in recent weeks.

 

[papillon]

Maybe it was me, but I'm pretty sure that in the first half anytime the Ravens had a 3rd and manageable they went no-huddle or hurry up for that play to keep the Steelers in their defense from the play prior. If they had a 3rd and long they huddled and called a play to try and make the yardage. Maybe I imagined that, but it sure seemed that way to me.

Papillon

 

[Punxsutawney]

They cant beat them because they are *******. They out physical us every time we try and play their style ball.

We let them pull us into the game they wanted. They dictated the way the game went because we were handled at the line of scrimmage on both sides.

They designed a game plan to kill our pathetic defense. Short passes with a good mix to keep them off balance and they executed because the QB was discipline and accurate.

Its this defenses kryptonite. They cant handle hurry up and off balance attack. They are pathetic, and so are we too think we could go anywhere with defense.

Defense wins championships is a saying because its true.

By the way to the guys saying " should have took the points " are the same ones who say " Ben should just call all his own plays"

Well he was the one who waved off Tomlin in a damn hurry on the field goal & Tomlin said OK Ben I trust you.

Who is running this team? Your biggest star & the longer he has Haleys ear the more this team looks like a Arians run offense. 3rd and 2 go DEEP.

His is not a smart decision maker. Baller yes..cerebral no.

This is Bens team and they go as he goes. Which is up and down.

Give him a defense and he can get it done, but they built this team around and for him. Its his offense that scored what 7 first half points? 10

Ben had a bad game, but, given the overall,production of the offense this season, I'm not going to totally **** on the guy following a game where the defense allowed a bad Ravens offense to control the ball 35 minutes and Brown and Tomlin potentially left 7 points on the field between a bobble in the end zone and 4th down call in FG range.

 

[wig]

Oh who ******* cares.

It's done. Love them when they play well. Love them when they lose. It hurts sure, but the fact is, if the ******* 32nd ranked team in the league (despite the fact that it's the Ravens and they're going to play the Steelers like the world is ending tomorrow) can beat them, then whoever gets them in the first round was going to beat them too.

Love em anyway. Ya, I'm upset. But I'll live.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Are you kidding me?. Are there seriously people giving Ben **** to protect Tomlin?. Yeah, Ben had a bad game but it happens sometimes. Ben has played far more great games than bad ones so I will give him a pass. Ben nearly won a third Super Bowl with a team that was not very good vs the Packers.

A bad game is a fluke for Ben. A bad game vs inferior opponents is now becoming the norm for Tomlin.

There are 2 main issues on this team.
1 lack of talent. The defense is ****. The OL is ****. They get by because Ben and Antonio are usually unstoppable.

2 the talent they do have is dumb. This even includes Ben to a certain degree. This team has no concept of situational football. That's why you see Ben looking deep on 3rd and short, and DBs playing 1st and goal like they are afraid to get beat deep.

Who is in charge of the draft?. We hear it's a committee approach but that's bullshit. Somebody pulls the trigger and that person is most to blame.

 

[hook]

Ben deserves plenty of criticism, for sure. He was terrible. But this team was flat the minute they walked out of the tunnel. It was the biggest game of the year and they assumed all they had to do was show up. It ALL starts with coaching. Maybe after a big win they should be banned from reading anything. Obviously their heads were swelled with overconfidence.

 

[hamster]

Yet AB bobbled a TD catch. We settled for 3. Bryant dropped a pass late in the game. Then Wheaton dropped one on the next play. In the end the players lost it.

True. Players made errors. But this team CONSISTENTLY underachieves when playing bottom feeders. Look at how many timeouts we burned. This team lacked the urgency required. This should have been a playoff mindset performance.it was anything but that. This, I put squarely on the coaching staff. I also thought they were out coached in terms of play calling.

Sure, players need to perform, and many certainly didn't, like our pro bowl QB. But this team was not prepared for this Baltimore team.

 

[Troglodyte]

But this team CONSISTENTLY underachieves when playing bottom feeders. Look at how many timeouts we burned.

We also had a delay of game penalty and several snaps as the play clock expired. Symptoms of a larger problem.

 

[DBS1970]

To me it seemed like the team mailed it in. It is if the players read their press clippings that they were a team on the verge of greatness and the Ratbirds would just roll over for them.That is a sign of the coaching not getting the players in the right frame of mind. Yes well coached teams make mistakes too but well coached teams don't make the same mistakes over and over and they recover from the mistakes they make.

 

[Spike]

Arrogance and chest thumping lost this game.

They came out running the ball non-stop and instead of taking the 3 pts (which they would need later) they beat their chests and got stuffed on a 4th and 1

The cockiness continued on defense. Ryan ******* Mallett *** raped the mighty Steelers D. Go read that in the press clippings.

 

[blitzburghv5]

Ben had a bad game, but, given the overall,production of the offense this season, I'm not going to totally **** on the guy following a game where the defense allowed a bad Ravens offense to control the ball 35 minutes and Brown and Tomlin potentially left 7 points on the field between a bobble in the end zone and 4th down call in FG range.

Not gonna totally **** on the guy ? **** that..........give him ****, pile it on because he played by far his worst game all season and when we could least afford this kind of performance. I saw a veteran playing like backup.....poor reads, just totally poor accuracy and no poise. THAT is not typical Ben and I don't know if theres some ****** mystique about the Ravens that seems to fluster Ben but hes played like **** the last few times hes went against them. Using those timeouts in the third hurt. Taking that sack on the drive leading up to the two minute warning, hurt. Hes gotta be smarter but smart and football IQ aren't attributes for Ben. So this is what we live with, but im gonna stomp his dick because he deserves it....0 TDs and 2 INTs......if you go back and review his td to int ratio in our last three loses its 2 TDs and 7 INTs....those are loses in the Bengals, Seahawks and this Ravens game. All of em winnable. Throwing three times as many picks as touchdowns wont get it done especially when you have a defense that is reeling at times. Yesterday that was Romo **** he pulled....at least Tony will give you 2 TDs to go with his 2 picks.

I expect him to be better, manage the game better and PROTECT THE GODDAMN FOOTBALL. Hes paid more than anyone on this team because hes proven his ability and hes the leader. He needed to show that leadership yesterday by playing smart and he failed. It wasn't the first time...wont be the last time.

Now, watch him redeem his play next week and throw 4 TDs..........he is going back to Ohio, ya know....where hes infallible

 

[blitzburghv5]

We also had a delay of game penalty and several snaps as the play clock expired. Symptoms of a larger problem.

Delay of game is usually on the QB son...........

 

[SteelerSask2]

Ben has played more than a hundred games. Indecision at the line of scrimmage only shows me that they were not prepared for the Ravens game plan and the fronts showed. Bad preparation and inability to adjust.

 

[antdrewjosh]

Delay of game is usually on the QB son...........

Yes the play been in. Ben is at the line trying to get a pre snap read or change the play. He is not looking towards the sidelines for a play. He has it. He is trying to get the defense to show their hand. When they do he either changes it or runs the play if likes the look.

 

[antdrewjosh]

Ben has played more than a hundred games. Indecision at the line of scrimmage only shows me that they were not prepared for the Ravens game plan and the fronts showed. Bad preparation and inability to adjust.

Ben does this every week and has been doing it for awhile now. How is that indicative of preparation?? What do you guys think these guys do all week? This is on Ben and Ben only.

 

[Hines57]

Don't disagree that Ben played poorly. The TD called back hurt. So did going for it on 4th and 1 and not converting. The team came out strong then **** the bed for the rest of the game. 100% unacceptable and embarrassing.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Ben does this every week and has been doing it for awhile now. How is that indicative of preparation?? What do you guys think these guys do all week? This is on Ben and Ben only.

I think they watch a lot of film and have a lot of meetings and what he saw did not match what they expected to see because they were not prepared.

 

[antdrewjosh]

I think they watch a lot of film and have a lot of meetings and what he saw did not match what they expected to see because they were not prepared.

So basically even though Ben does this every week and has done in games we have played well has nothing to do with it?? Has nothing to do with it. The Ravens didn't show their hand. Very rarely did I see anyone show the blitz or coverage. When they did move they faked the opposite of what they showed. Ben got caught period. Just run the play as called.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

Every post is the same.

"Ben had a terrible game, BUT..."

No. Ben lost the game Plain and simple.

How about these shocking figures:

Ben's QB Rating yesterday: 63%
Vicks QB Rating against Chargers: 73%

An elite QB doesnt get outplayed by Ryan Mallet. Nor does he need to be "Coached up".

 

[bmoritz]

I don't think anybody is denying Ben sucked yesterday. He did, and he's a MAJOR reason we lost. With that said, without him, this team would be eliminated from playoffs a month ago. The same can not be said for Tomlin. I don't understand how so many flat out refuse to hold the head coach accountable for anything.

 

[mdk2]

I don't think anybody is denying Ben sucked yesterday. He did, and he's a MAJOR reason we lost. With that said, without him, this team would be eliminated from playoffs a month ago. The same can not be said for Tomlin. I don't understand how so many flat out refuse to hold the head coach accountable for anything.

Do you read this message board? Lol.. he's held accountable for every bad play and loss.

This team goes as Ben goes.. he plays bad, we lose most of the time. He plays good, we win most of the time.

You think Belicheck would be the coach he is without Brady? I don't.

 

[Vader]

Do you read this message board? Lol.. he's held accountable for every bad play and loss.

This team goes as Ben goes.. he plays bad, we lose most of the time. He plays good, we win most of the time.

You think Belicheck would be the coach he is without Brady? I don't.

So you think all coaches are the same and there is no difference in them? Or are there bad coaches and good coaches? I guess the owners that pay coaches millions of dollars are all being punked. I guess Pete Carroll is no different than the 5 smucks before him in Seattle? Wait how many trophies did Stl. have before Vermeil? How many did the Steelers have before Noll? Since coaching doesn't matter I guess they would have won without those coaches right? Sorry it's just "cover Tomlin's *** at all cost" on this board.

 

[mdk2]

So you think all coaches are the same and there is no difference in them? Or are there bad coaches and good coaches? I guess the owners that pay coaches millions of dollars are all being punked. I guess Pete Carroll is no different than the 5 smucks before him in Seattle? Wait how many trophies did Stl. have before Vermeil? How many did the Steelers have before Noll? Since coaching doesn't matter I guess they would have won without those coaches right? Sorry it's just "cover Tomlin's *** at all cost" on this board.

Name me some head coaches who have won multiple superbowls with average at best QBs...

Coaching matters but give me a great QB over a great coach any day of the week.
Coaching only gets you so far, once the players hit the field, they need to perform to their abilities.

I think Tomlin deserves blame. Anytime the team loses, eyes go to the HC immediately, as it should be but everything isn't his fault, every loss isn't his fault entirely.

 

[hook]

Every post is the same.

"Ben had a terrible game, BUT..."

No. Ben lost the game Plain and simple.

How about these shocking figures:

Ben's QB Rating yesterday: 63%
Vicks QB Rating against Chargers: 73%

An elite QB doesnt get outplayed by Ryan Mallet. Nor does he need to be "Coached up".

Ben did not give up 274 passing yards to a hack QB that's only been on his team for 12 days. Ben did not give up 121 rushing yards to a couple of journeymen RB's. Ben did not give up 9 of 18 3rd down attempts. The defense is horrid. The secondary has been on serious decline for some time now and Tombert keeps on drafting undersized, under performing linebackers in the first round. Tomlin's strong suit was supposed to be his defensive mind. I just don't see. it.

 

[bermudasteel]

All the Tomlin supporters like to blame ben when he has a bad game. They also love to throw Tomlin's NFL SB victory in only his 2nd season in everyones faces. But I never hear any of them mention how Ben led what was probably the most clutch drive in SB history to save this HC and hof DC from one of the most embarrassing defeats (prevent defense) in SB history. I think all Big Ben supporters willingly admit when he has a subpar game like today. Never, ever heard a Tomlin supporter admit he made a mistake or even has shortcomings.

That's not true. Personally, I've admitted when I've seen bad decisions from the HC, OC, DC, players - whoever...that goes for the majority of the Tomlin-supporters you speak of.

The difference is, IMO, that most try not to divide the team in a win or loss---some, around here, do.

Those are just the facts...