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Are your hopes higher this year?

Djfan

Djfan

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Based on a many things - above average offense, improving offense, Defensive upgrades, tough schedule, etc. - this year's Steelers team seems to be moving up. Agree or not?

So, how high are your hopes for this team this year? Why?
 
The schedule is brutal this year. Last year they had it made and still lost games they should have won. They only left the ETZ once last year and that was to play TN. This year they have a west coast swing along with tougher teams. I'll wait until I see some of the young guys in pre-season before I give a record. Last year I had them at 10-6.
 
Sadly I am thinking 8 and 8. Largely because of Tomlin and his lack of game day prowess more than anything else.
 
I am thinking 10 and 7 provided the team remains relatively healthy.
 
If the team stays reasonably healthy, they will be much better. Everyone complains about the schedule but it is what it is. We have been beating good teams and losing to teams we should beat so that doesn't bother me. Plus, the league changes every year. Will our toughest schedule now still show to be the toughest schedule at the end of the year? Usually it doesn't. Some teams get a lot worse and some get a lot better. You just never know from year to year in the NFL. I am very optimistic about this year.
 
TDX27 said:
If the team stays reasonably healthy, they will be much better. Everyone complains about the schedule but it is what it is. We have been beating good teams and losing to teams we should beat so that doesn't bother me. Plus, the league changes every year. Will our toughest schedule now still show to be the toughest schedule at the end of the year? Usually it doesn't. Some teams get a lot worse and some get a lot better. You just never know from year to year in the NFL. I am very optimistic about this year.
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Where are you getting that? If you look at the playoffs the past 10 years or so you'll see almost the same teams. A few teams go in and out but for the most part you have teams like the pats*, Rats, Denver, Indy and lately the bungles. SD and the Steelers have been in and out. You don't see many 3-13 teams go to the playoffs the next year unless they get a franchise QB in the draft the year before. Last year's schedule was bad before the season and it was bad after the season.
 
xjx said:
Sadly I am thinking 8 and 8. Largely because of Tomlin and his lack of game day prowess more than anything else.
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Yep, that coupled with a hard schedule makes it 5 years in a row with no playoff wins, yet we extended the dolt and made him a top 5 coach in salary.
 
If we survive the schedule I can see a deep run in the playoffs
 
Litos said:
If we survive the schedule I can see a deep run in the playoffs
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I agree

because

A.

then they will be battle tested

and confidence mixed with talent can go a long ways

and

B.


the killer Bees that is will need to be healthy going into the playoffs

Ben
Bell
Brown
Bryant


and

Boykin
 
The team is building and replacing some "parts" that were just wearing out getting old. Many of the new guys look like they could be something or are something but a lot of the team is still in need of improvement over last years performance. Add in the tougher schedule and the rebuilding the team could be a year or two away from making a big step. I think we will see flashes of great things to come this year but we will end up on the short end of things a lot. This year shows lots of hope but our first losing season in a while as we drop a lot of very close games.
 
Vader said:
The schedule is brutal this year. Last year they had it made and still lost games they should have won. They only left the ETZ once last year and that was to play TN. This year they have a west coast swing along with tougher teams. I'll wait until I see some of the young guys in pre-season before I give a record. Last year I had them at 10-6.
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IF the pass rush is up to par, AND the coverage units hold up, I have high hopes.

The team could be much better in December, and a bit shaky in September which is why it makes sense to play the younger players with upside over the bland veterans.
 
I try to always have a positive attitude at the start of every season. A few years back when we had the hardest schedule we had a great year. We have always played down to our opponents. With this schedule looking to be very tough this year we should do well. We always play the good teams tough. I just hope we win enough to make the playoffs, after that anybody can win it all.
 
I really don't know how good this team will be. The offense is potentially elite, but the defensive backfield? The pass rush? Who the @#$% knows?

If the team can get plus pass rush from Harrison, Jones, Moats, Heyward, Tuitt, and somebody else - Chickillo? - and if the defensive backs can stay healthy, and if the defensive backs improve as the season progresses, then this can become a pretty good team.

That's a lot of "ifs," however.
 
I start every season with high hopes. Even the ones in the 80's. This year will be no different.
 
I think positive as well. Why not? What fun is it to think negative? Every time I go trout fishing I think I am going to get a big one. It is a hell of a lot more fun that way.

Also, I am not afraid of, and I can handle, disappointment. If I could put on my amateur psychiatrist hat, I think people who are negative all the time fear disappointment, and therefore try to create a situation when they can say, if it does go bad, 'I knew they would suck."
 
There's too many question marks to be hopeful. I think we need a lot of unknowns to go right in order to have a super bowl season so at this point I will take playoffs.
 
We're playing all of the NFL's best teams this year so if we find our way into the playoffs somehow anything is possible. I definitely look forward to this season myself! Im actually liking what im seeing/hearing about our defense so far also.
 
I honestly think the Steelers have the potential to have a tremendous season, maybe even making a playoff run. They have the best offensive skill players in football...end of story and that alone should make this team very good. To me it all boils down to a couple things....injuries, and turnovers. If any of the big 3 B's (Ben, Bell, Brown) go down, a deep playoff run is simply not happening. As for the turnovers, the schedule is going to be so tough that the games are likely goint to be tight. The Steelers are going to have to get a pass rush, cause some qb fumbles, strip the ball from ball carriers, and make some interceptions to win the tight games. If they can't improve on their ability to get turnovers, they will finish as an 8-8 team. All things considered, I will go with 10-6 and a trip to the playoffs...from there anything can happen.
 
Coach said:
IF the pass rush is up to par, AND the coverage units hold up, I have high hopes.

The team could be much better in December, and a bit shaky in September which is why it makes sense to play the younger players with upside over the bland veterans.
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The problem is that the teams they play this year always do well against the Steelers. Even teams like the Raiders play the Steelers hard. I don't know Tomlin's west coast record right off hand but I don't remember too many good trips out west.
 
The offense is fine and virtually everyone is back. It all hinges on whether Butler's defense is better.
 
I was excited for the offense last preseason, and I'm even more excited this season. Also interested to see how the young defense works out when they start jelling. So yes, I'm excited!

PS, you don't need an elite defense to make the playoffs anymore.
 
I love the idea of not knowing. Not being sure how good they will be. That is what was neat about '08. You really didn't see it coming. They were 15-1 in '04, so until it started to roll in '05, the season was a disappointment.

I was a bit too young to really appreciate the first SB in '74, but imagine what that must have felt like. Having never won anything, even though they were improving, the expectations couldn't have been too high.
 
As with the start of every season, UNDEFEATED and SB winners. Been right S-I-X times now...........




Salute the nation
 
Djfan said:
Based on a many things - above average offense, improving offense, Defensive upgrades, tough schedule, etc. - this year's Steelers team seems to be moving up. Agree or not?

So, how high are your hopes for this team this year? Why?
Click to expand...

We have the ability to make the playoffs.. and therefore have the ability to win it all. Our questionables are being addressed.. (secondary) I believe we haven't seen our last transaction before the season starts in our secondary.
 
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