Is a good backup really that hard to find?

[ExUSAF]

Scott Tolzien looked great against our secondary except for the two interceptions. Several catchable balls dropped by his receivers. Why is it that other teams can pull someone who hasn't started a game in three years and put him into a prime time game and have him 22 for 36 for 205 yards and a TD? Do you think we'd have won if we had started Landry Jones instead of Ben?

 

[steelermania]

A third of the teams don't even have a decent starter. Any backup who is any good, soon finds his way to Cleveland, or some other trainwreck of a team where he can compete for a starting job. The best backups tend to be veterans who are no longer considered starting material. Charlie Batch was a perfect example of this. So was Bruce Gradkowski, but he just couldn't stay healthy.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Allthough by no means is he the best, Laundry isn't the worse back up out there either. I just think with as many years as he has had clip boarding, sooner than later he'd want to or would show game ability of a higher level. The experiemnt is over so let's find a better back up. MOST knowledgeable coaches would have moved on or plan to at season end.




Salute the nation

 

[Fiji Mariner]

If Landry played our secondary I don't think 205 yards 1 TD and 2 picks would be that hard to beat. Landry = a top 50 QB, so yes a good backup is hard to find.

 

[Steeler Pride]

A) Tolzien sucks, look at his career stats, beyond awful
B) Our defense still sucks ***. Just because the Colts were awful in the redzone does not mean that our defense did not let them move up and down the field.
C) I don't think Haley is smart enough to modify a game plan the way the Colts did to help Tolzien have some success.
D) There is a reason we are 26th in the NFL in passing Defense.
E) Tolzien still sucks.

 

[xjx]

Tolzien sucks be he looked better than Landry Jones.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Would have to see Landry up against our D before I would agree with Tolzein looking better.

 

[mdk2]

I'd take Landry over Tolzien any day. Landry threw for 281 yards with 1 TD against Patriots defense. He could have easily had 2 TDs with the one that was called back on a questionable holding call. I remember seeing quite a few drop passes that day, as well. He moved the ball in between the 20s pretty well through out the game, just didn't finish off drives in the red zone.

I'm not saying he's a great backup but he's better than Tolzien. 205 yards passing at your home field against our defense is not a big accomplishment no matter what string QB you are. Our CBs were giving him huge cushions too.

 

[bigtwnvin]

Would have to see Landry up against our D before I would agree with Tolzein looking better.

Tolzein is working behind the worst O Line in the League and two of those starters went out last night. Andrew Luck is on the ground and has his passes hurried more than most QB's. No wonder he can't remember where he is sometimes.
But hey, who am I to judge?

 

[mdk2]

Tolzein is working behind the worst O Line in the League and two of those starters went out last night. Andrew Luck is on the ground and has his passes hurried more than most QB's. No wonder he can't remember where he is sometimes.
But hey, who am I to judge?

I buy the bad OL play to a certain extent but when I've seen Ben play behind some of the worst OLs I've ever seen and still win games, I can't blame them not winning games entirely on the fact he doesn't have a good OL.
Luck is a good QB, he is also a little over hyped IMO.

 

[POP]

Allthough by no means is he the best, Laundry isn't the worse back up out there either. I just think with as many years as he has had clip boarding, sooner than later he'd want to or would show game ability of a higher level. The experiemnt is over so let's find a better back up. MOST knowledgeable coaches would have moved on or plan to at season end.




Salute the nation

First of all, it's not THAT hard to find a decent backup but you have to look for one. The Steelers have demonstrated, over and over and over, they'd rather sit on their hands than try everything possible to improve. Guess what dumping Jones and trying another young QB would do? The Rooney would haze to fork out another signing bonus of some sort. If they stay with Landry, no such signing bonus is needed. So instead of adding a QB with some upside, they just stick with a known bum and hope Ben doesn't get hurt. Is that the most wise decision? Probably not, but they can put another million in their pocket instead of spending it.

 

[POP]

Tolzein is working behind the worst O Line in the League and two of those starters went out last night. Andrew Luck is on the ground and has his passes hurried more than most QB's. No wonder he can't remember where he is sometimes.
But hey, who am I to judge?

The OL is so bad it made our pass rush look potent. 'Nuff said. We went from looking pathetic to formidable.

 

[MTC]

First of all, it's not THAT hard to find a decent backup but you have to look for one. The Steelers have demonstrated, over and over and over, they'd rather sit on their hands than try everything possible to improve. Guess what dumping Jones and trying another young QB would do? The Rooney would haze to fork out another signing bonus of some sort. If they stay with Landry, no such signing bonus is needed. So instead of adding a QB with some upside, they just stick with a known bum and hope Ben doesn't get hurt. Is that the most wise decision? Probably not, but they can put another million in their pocket instead of spending it.

^^^
Just to chime in on a similar note. The Steelers stay consistent with their starters(which can be a bad thing cause then younger guys don't develop). Tomlin rode on Cowhers vets until they aged beyond playing time. The Steelers are currently transitioning to it's younger group of players who are starting to develop into their own. I guess on a positive flip, the Steelers are growing

 

[Coryea]

They had Batch, then Leftwich who was a solid starter but got hurt so much, then I think Gradkowski would've been a good back up but the injury bug got him as well so it's not like they haven't tried

 

[steelermania]

They had Batch, then Leftwich who was a solid starter but got hurt so much, then I think Gradkowski would've been a good back up but the injury bug got him as well so it's not like they haven't tried

Thank you. Bruce was supposed to be the guy. I'm sure they hoped that Landry would push him though.

 

[Coach]

Is a good backup really that hard to find?

In the draft yes partly because you don't know how good he is until the starter goes down, and by that time he has limited reps with the 1st string offense.

In free agency all it takes is $$$.

I prefer a veteran backup, not some 4th round pick on the team after a few years who is shaky. And I'm usually for drafting one quarterback for the 3rd spot to develop. Just don't settle for below average on the primary back up.

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Please list the great crop of free agent QBs that were out there, or better yet the pending free agent QBs and who your fix it all guy is.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Please list the great crop of free agent QBs that were out there, or better yet the pending free agent QBs and who your fix it all guy is.

Potentially Jay Cutler (back up roll), RG3 (back up roll), just a couple but way to expensive and frankly neither are that much better than Laundry as opposed to the baggage they bring.




Salute the nation

 

[slashsteel]

If Tony **** is cut and can't find another starting gig. I would be his huckleberry

 

[diver]

Maybe we should worry about our starting QB playing more consistently than who is a backup, for **** sake.

If they want to really make a playoff push here, our starter cannot allow this offense to have the lulls that it does. First 3 drives on Thursday, great. Then they lull until the middle of the fourth, with our starter throwing long on 3rd and short to a WR who hasn't caught anything since about week five and has his fingers broke.

Worry about the starter.

 

[Spike]

Maybe we should worry about our starting QB playing more consistently than who is a backup, for **** sake.


Worry about the starter.

What a dumbass. Ben Bell and Brown ARE the offense.

Maybe you should go root for that pathetic defense to not require our QB to score 30 points every ******* game to win.

what the **** you want now? 60 points a game?

 

[slashsteel]

What a dumbass. Ben Bell and Brown ARE the offense.

Maybe you should go root for that pathetic defense to not require our QB to score 30 points every ******* game to win.

what the **** you want now? 60 points a game?

well dere it iz


ah

 

[diver]

What a dumbass. Ben Bell and Brown ARE the offense.

Maybe you should go root for that pathetic defense to not require our QB to score 30 points every ******* game to win.

what the **** you want now? 60 points a game?

That's right, they are. What the **** does that mean, exactly? What it means is that if Ben is off, or allows the offense to go into lulls, they don't win. They won't win, not with this defense. What, because Ben is the offense that is supposed to be excused? He is above reproach? It isn't any ****** secret that as Ben goes this team goes. So don't be throwing long down the sideline on 3rd and short to a guy who has his fingers broke and can't catch a cold in a situation that really calls for you to just get the 1st.

Look in the mirror for dumbass, bud. If this team goes as Ben goes, and he wants that responsibility, which he certainly seems to, he cannot have lulls. He just can't. Would I prefer that not be the case? I would certainly prefer that if he would be off the defense could carry the load or they could just run the ball up someone's ***. But hey, **** in one hand and wish in the other right now.

 

[diver]

well dere it iz


ah

So are you saying with the way this team is constituted, Ben can have lulls and they can consistently win? Don't tell me how it should be, tell me how it is.

 

[slashsteel]

So are you saying with the way this team is constituted, Ben can have lulls and they can consistently win? Don't tell me how it should be, tell me how it is.

How it is... k


The O far too often has to bail out the D. Ben can have his hickups here and there, and with a average D or better they will still be in a position to do damage to seeding in regards to the playoffs.


Plus I also know that the number two WR and injuries haven't done Ben any favors.


So now can they constantly win. With better coaching, and better decision making in the off-season. (free agency) Not only do I think they can constantly win at a high percentage, but they can overcome the occasional lapse.