It's put up or shut up time

[SteelerSask2]

This team has been owned by the Ravens in recent history. The game plans have been brutal, constantly playing into their hands of a low scoring plodding game where the Ravens make the key plays and the Steelers play catch up leading to big turnovers. The table has been turned from the early Flacco Era where the Steelers really had their number. Clearly in my mind it's on Haley and his offensive unit to come up with a different plan. You gotta get this thing done. It's a playoff game essentially and you are at home. Ball out or smell ya later Todd. 30 point predictions are useless.

 

[stillwright]

Yep. I can agree with that.

 

[Spike]

If only we had 5 WIDE!

Their secondary is a disaster, ATTACK THEIR WEAKNESS! Forget the chest-bumping smashmouth ****!

If you try and out muscle them you are playing their game. A sure recipe for disaster is a matching FG small ball game.

Spread them out, no huddle up tempo from the start - get a 3 TD lead and coast.

 

[GRBman]

Yeah, this is one of those games the Steelers need to show up and dominate...essentially what they have not been able to do consistently under Tomlin. Wins over the Giants, Browns and Bengals are great...good on ya...but they need to close this out at home with two good wins to ensure the home playoff games (and maybe a bye...still possible...unlikely...but possible). Pittsburgh needs to be playing in Pittsburgh in January....end...of...story.

 

[Hines57]

5 wide *******

 

[Steelerfan]

If only we had 5 WIDE!

Their secondary is a disaster, ATTACK THEIR WEAKNESS! Forget the chest-bumping smashmouth ****!

If you try and out muscle them you are playing their game. A sure recipe for disaster is a matching FG small ball game.

Spread them out, no huddle up tempo from the start - get a 3 TD lead and coast.

Major deduction for the improper format. Come on, man. Its "5-WIDE, *******!!!" or nothing

 

[Coryea]

I think Tomlin falls into the trap and tries to prove we are more physical than they are. The eagles minus sproles ran for 150 on them, NE ran for alot on them, but alot of that happened with Baltimore not in their base D because Philly and NE spread them out, which is what we have to do.

 

[AggieSteel]

Completely agree. I would argue that if we come out the same way we did last time against them, playing right into their hands of exactly the type of game they wanted, we will deserve to lose the game and the division. It would just be painfully stupid. I totally agree that this team will be beaten through the air on the arm of Ben, the hands of AB, and the feet of Bell after catches out of the backfield. None of this 1st and 2nd down plowing Bell into the line straight up the middle


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[SteelerSask2]

If only we had 5 WIDE!

Their secondary is a disaster, ATTACK THEIR WEAKNESS! Forget the chest-bumping smashmouth ****!

If you try and out muscle them you are playing their game. A sure recipe for disaster is a matching FG small ball game.

Spread them out, no huddle up tempo from the start - get a 3 TD lead and coast.

I agree 100%. If you want to make this a double chin strap game and slow the tempo, it really plays into their hands. Tempo, tempo, tempo. Muddle huddle, no huddle. Use personnel groupings to force the match ups. Even if we don't have the best receivers after AB, spread them so they can't put two and three guys on Bell. Run him out of gun behind that offensive line. Leak him out of the backfield for easy check down yardage. For God's sake The eagles nearly beat them in Baltimore last week. Look what they and the Pats did and replicate that. Don't keep doing the same **** you have been doing. It hasn't worked at all.

 

[FordFairLane]

Yeah, the Steelers seem to just get out coached. It's is like the Ravens know who the Steelers are and counter it and the Steelers are just confused as all hell. They need to go into this game with a different game plan and catch the Rats off guard. I want to get up on them early and make Fucko try to beat us. Get D.Will and Bell in the back field at the same time, spread Bell out into coverage see if you get bell on a LB or at least pull the safety out of the middle then you can run up the gut or if you like you match up on Bell throw it. Or perhaps it pulls the safety and leaves AB one on one. Or clearing the middle leaves James wide open for an east 10+ yards. That is just one formation we could use to throw the Rats off guard. I would also use Nix a lot as a lead blocker. I feel Bell was having problems getting lanes last game and having Nix clear the way should get Bell to that second level more often where he can use his shiftiness to make people miss.

 

[TDX27]

As I've said for years under Tomlin, we need to come out and play to our strengths and play to win. Do not play to what you think the Rats will do. If we try to run up the middle, I will be pissed. We should start the game in the no huddle with passes. This team can be beat by the passing game. They are very good at stuffing the run. Pass the ball. Bell should get 25 touches either running or through the air. I don't care if they through him 20 short passes but the ball needs to be in his hands with open space. And, someone else needs to step up to help free AB. Run, run, pass will not work against the Rats just like it didn't work in the first game against them.

Oh, and Ben is at home so there are no excuses for him to not put up big numbers. Throw it and throw it some more.

 

[SteelerSask2]

The problem is the running game has been built on multiple tight end sets the last several weeks and has produced obviously. However, I think that kind of pitched battle really doesn't work here. They have the defensive players that can really hunker down against that. I like the Dwill/ Bell combination. I think you put Nix at Hback/Search back no TE sets with three wide. That will keep you light and fast with a lot of maneuverability in the run. They will have to honor the three wide, yet you still have a powerhouse lead blocker in Nix.

 

[Spike]

Major deduction for the improper format. Come on, man. Its "5-WIDE, *******!!!" or nothing

We don't HAVE 5 ******* WR's, *****, so you din't see the subtlety - and I ******* invented it - so I'll ******* say it however the **** I want to, *****

 

[Steelerfan]

We don't HAVE 5 ******* WR's, *****, so you din't see the subtlety - and I ******* invented it - so I'll ******* say it however the **** I want to, *****

ROFLMAO. Nicely done.

 

[Coryea]

I don't like Dwill and Bell in the backfield together, you're not going to successfully run out of that formation, as neither of those are going to lead block, nor do you want them too. If you put them both back there and split Bell out, then they'll match a db up with him. Your best bet of getting Bell on a LB is have him run routes from the backfield, look for blitz pick up, then leak out as a pass catcher.

 

[BAS]

Honestly, for the 1st time in 2 years -- we'll have a healthy Ben, Brown and Bell available for the game.

Playoffs 2014 -- Bell injured against Bengals 1 week prior
Oct 2015 -- Ben injured against Rams 1 week prior so we started Vick, plus Suisham replacement at the time was Scobee, and we all know how that turned out.
Dec 2015 -- Bell injured 2 weeks prior against Bengals, but Williams was running well. Our D outright sucked to allow Ryan Mallet to win the game in Baltimore.
Nov 2016 -- Ben's 1st game back from knee surgery.

Of them all, only the Dec 2015 game could be considered somewhat favorable timing.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Shades usually manages to get out-coached by Harbage though.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

There is absolutely no mystery to this skid against the Ravens. If 'Bad Ben' doesnt show up then we should win this game easily.

Here are Ben's stats from the first outing:

Yards: 264
Completions: 51%
TD: 1
Int: 1 (Could have easily been 3)
Rating: 67%

That is not going to do the trick against a top 5 defense like BAL. Especially considering that many of our rookies were still getting the feet wet. However, we arent on the road, so I expect 'Bad Ben' to be in resting.

 

[wig]

Honestly, I like the idea of spreading them out and forcing the Ravens to cover the entire field and pick their poison with AB or Bell.

I don't see Tomlin and Haley doing it, however. They're too "old school" and will want to win the game the old fashioned way. And even if they did spread it out, would Ben be patient enough to dink and dunk down the field?

Cheater boy knows he's going to eventually get enough of the defensive plays that the odds are going to go in his favor and he can trust the dink and dunk, but with most teams, you're putting a great deal of faith in making more or less mistake free football. It's a tough decision to make, particularly against a defense as physical as the Ravens.

Regardless, spreading them out can only help the Steelers in my opinion. Anything you can do to see the coverage and reduce doubling on Brown while freeing up either Bell or James over the middle as outlets seems like a smart move to me and if ******* Coates would just pull his head out out of the basket case it's in and make some plays...

Here's hoping Eli Rodgers continues to make some plays.

 

[ark steel]

I think Tomlin falls into the trap and tries to prove we are more physical than they are. The eagles minus sproles ran for 150 on them, NE ran for alot on them, but alot of that happened with Baltimore not in their base D because Philly and NE spread them out, which is what we have to do.

In the first game last year, the Steelers lost by 3 points with Michael ******* Vick at QB. Bel had 22 carries for 129 yards (5.9 avg). Second game, lost by 3. Ben throws 2 INT's, Dwill runs for 100 on 17 carries 2.5 avg... Defense let Mallet throw for 274 yards and a 95 rating

in the last game, Bell had running issues. Ben has a sub-70 rating and they win because of a blocked punt.

just like many games, a play here or there wins it or loses it. If Ben plays better than a sub-70 rating, Bell can run the ball. If Ben stinks it up, we probably, lose.

 

[madinsomniac]

We Allllways have been too conservative against the ravens in the Tomlin era... the few times we played them aggressively we have destroyed them...

 

[SteelerSask2]

I don't like Dwill and Bell in the backfield together, you're not going to successfully run out of that formation, as neither of those are going to lead block, nor do you want them too. If you put them both back there and split Bell out, then they'll match a db up with him. Your best bet of getting Bell on a LB is have him run routes from the backfield, look for blitz pick up, then leak out as a pass catcher.

What I like about Dwill and Bell on the field at the same time is that you have two guys who can catch and run. I still think that creates a match up problem. If you flex Bell out, he is a very good short receiving threat, much like a talented tight end, but you can still run the ball with Williams. Plus I believe they would have to declare man or zone pretty strongly when you want to put a corner on Bell.

 

[MTC]

DWill at back and Bell as a receiver are about the best times on the field together. Other than that they are both strictly running backs. Except Bell offers more versatile options. All the x's and o's aside. Steelers, just ******* win on sunday

 

[SteelerSask2]

The Green injury is a major problem in the X and O department. Forcing them to defend the whole field requires serious threats to take the top off. Green gives you that. Likewise if Smith can't go for them they will have to commit major resources to control Brown. Which really makes Bell the key chess piece. I still like the concept of running from the spread, creating manageable third downs, moving the chains and forcing them to play long fields when you don't score is the key. I think you will know in the first third of the game who has the major advantage in this one.

 

[stillerfaninfl]

Gonna be tough if Green AND Tuitt can't go, Tuitt especially.