Game Ball and Goats: WC Playoff: Steelers vs. ravens

List 'em

Game ball: Suisham

Goats: EVERYONE ELSE

^^^Agree 100%^^^

If it weren't for Sushi, we'd be at Zero


However, AB certainly tried his best, so did Bryant.
Josh Harris, I believe, will be a force as he develops next season

That's all. I'm too depressed to say anything else at this point.

For anyone who questioned whether Bell was the team MVP, I think this game should have answered that question. Our offense has been built around Bell. Without him, you get what we saw tonight. Steeler Nation loves Ben. And we all love A. Brown. But tonight we saw how valuable Bell is to the team.

Game Balls

No one.

Goats

The entire coaching staff. I'm way too drunk and depressed to get into it now, but I blame the coaches for this loss.

can't blame the coaches on this one.

This is all on the players. It's the playoffs! It's the ravens! You know how to play this game! You know the effort it's going to take for a victory!

The players came out flat, stayed flat, and left flat. You can't coach desire. You can't coach determination. The players didn't want this game, the players showed in their execution!

The coaching staff shouldn't have to get anyone up for this game.

stlrtruck wrote:

can't blame the coaches on this one.

I have to disagree Truck. I'm way too unchecked to get into right now, so I'll start with this ... Why the hell was Tate, who just joined the team this week, the featured back? We got VERY lucky on his fumble. But aside from that, there's no way he was ready to be used the way we use Bell. Harris can run every bit as good as Tate, and he should know the playbook a lot better, so why was Tate the featured back?

Our secondary has looked much better the past few weeks, so why did they put Troy back in? I love Troy just as much as anyone, but nostalgia doesn't win championships. They should have stuck with what has been working.

These are just two examples of how the coaches blew this game even before the opening kickoff.

My thoughts I have to get off my chest:


BR7 was off -- possibly still feeling sick from earlier in the week.  The one day stomach virus that is going around hit them all (but me so far), although the virus lasts only one day, everyone said they felt extremely exhausted and nauseated for an entire week.

The coaching was bad, but so were the players, (BR7 with 2 interceptions!?)

Our secondary is bad.  IMO, Mitchell needs to go unless he improves big time next year.

Penalties killed us.

Bell didn't get that many yards vs the Raven's the prior regular season game.  They (the Ravens) have the D to stop the run.  

As truck stated somewhere tonight -- this has been the Steeler's story all season.  Inconsistency.

This was the first time I thought maybe would should have drafted Mosley over Shazier.  I still think Shazier is going to develop into a great though.

Having said all of that, they still went further than I thought they would.  I still say the Raven's are not that good of a football team and will be eaten by the Cheats.

Wallace108 wrote:

Our secondary has looked much better the past few weeks, so why did they put Troy back in? I love Troy just as much as anyone, but nostalgia doesn't win championships. They should have stuck with what has been working.

Yep. Right on with this one Wally.

Gingerchip wrote:

IMO, Mitchell needs to go unless he improves big time next year.

Agreed. I don't know his contract situation off the top of my head, but purely from a football perspective, I don't even want him back next year. What I find even more disappointing than Mitchell's poor play is the fact that Shamarko wasn't out there gaining experience.

Whelp, time to gut the defense. Ike gone, Troy gone, Mitchell gone, find a LB that wants to hit people besides Timmons, Spence and Williams didn't show it. Shazier showed his greeness. This loss wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't against the freaking RAVENS. They are going to get destroyed by the Pats* and show just how mediocre of a team we were and how bad they are.

Ridiculous playoff game. The crowd wasn't even in it because they knew the players weren't. It's like the team gave up before they started because Bell wasn't in the game. And TATE??!! Off the couch you are featuring this guy? A fumble wasn't enough, you needed to have him drop a deflection into the arms of a defender completely finishing the game for us.

Piss poor effort on EVERYONE's part. Players first, then coaches. Build next year off of Bell, AB, Bryant, and hopefully BR7 if he wants to come back.

Oh and you can't give a game ball to someone who can't kick touchbacks in modern day NFL.

Wallace108 wrote:

Gingerchip wrote:

IMO, Mitchell needs to go unless he improves big time next year.

Agreed. I don't know his contract situation off the top of my head, but purely from a football perspective, I don't even want him back next year. What I find even more disappointing than Mitchell's poor play is the fact that Shamarko wasn't out there gaining experience.

Yep and the blame goes to the coaches for this one

Drizztbob wrote:

Whelp, time to gut the defense.

Other than the line, the defense definitely needs a major overhaul. We need to upgrade at least one corner position, both safety positions, and both OLB positions. And that's just starters. We also need to acquire some depth. The good news is that we're pretty solid on the offensive side of the ball. I like all of our starters, and I can't think of a major draft need on offense. We can use some lower picks and free agency to add some depth, but our focus in the draft should be on defense, especially the secondary.

Game ball:
The Steelers season. While I can't give any out for the playoff game, I will give one to the team for making it back to the playoffs for the first time in 3 years. Not to mention, we were AFC North Champs. No one thought that was possible earlier in the season.

This team just lost it's fire last night. I don't know if that's just from age or from having 2 previous important games. BR7 had a career year and showed what he can do when he has protection.

Here's to next year!

Oh, and Mitchell BETTER be gone next year.

SteelersYak wrote:

Oh, and Mitchell BETTER be gone next year.

My computer kept freezing every time I tried to open the link, anyway, Mitchell is stating that from now on he is going to go directly for the knees since he is frustrated by all the penalties he is getting.

And you are right, we have a lot to be proud of.  Looking back at the Bucs game, and Jets game, I didn't think we'd end up this far.

Last night's game still stings, I can't lie (although a little less as the day goes on).  I still blame the coaches for a too conservative game plan, jmo.  Not for the season, mind you, just last night.  They did turn this team around as far as I'm concerned.

We did move back to turtle ball and that was a shame to see. We had to take more chances as we'd get Bell back after that game but if we lost, we went home. Just having a playoff game at home doesn't mean you are going to win the Ravens came in and took the game.

The loss stings a little less today since the Bengals lost. Misery loves company.

Everyone is my game goat.

steelerdude15 wrote:

Everyone is my game goat.

SteelersYak wrote:

We did move back to turtle ball and that was a shame to see.  We had to take more chances as we'd get Bell back after that game but if we lost, we went home.  Just having a playoff game at home doesn't mean you are going to win the Ravens came in and took the game.

The loss stings a little less today since the Bengals lost.  Misery loves company.

Not to be greedy, but had the Cowboys lost, I would have felt even better

Gameballs:
None


Goats:
The Personal Foul Gang (Mitchell, Worilds, Thomas, Brown)
O-line
Ben (didn't find the open receivers and failed to score TDs)


I really didn't have a problem with the calls the coaches made in this game. Offensively, Ben really didn't find those deep receivers because it appeared the Ratbirds took a page out of the Jets playbook and played their safeties deep. There were replays that showed open receivers waving for the ball ... Ben just didn't use his progressions to find them (pretty sad seeing A. Brown all by himself and not getting the ball).

The decision to start Tate over Harris wasn't so bad. My guess is they wanted the bigger, more experienced back on the first series to ram it up the gut and see what type of yardage they would get. Yep, he fumbled and we quickly saw Harris. But I get what they were trying to do initially.

I also don't have an issue with starting Troy based on the fact he's been a Ravens killer and seems to always know what Flacco is trying to do. I do believe that Allen is the better safety at this point, but LeBeau went with the formula that proved a winner in the past. And really, the deep passes were well covered by the Steelers secondary, but they didn't always play the ball well enough.

As bad as it is that the defense gave up 30 points, I really think the fact that they kicked three first half fieldgoals instead of scoring TDs was the deciding factor in this game. It would have been a totally different ballgame if the defense had a lead and could make Flacco one dimensional. Instead, they were playing from behind and due to the lack of talent, were forced to gamble.

Yes, they missed Bell and I do believe he could have made a difference in this game ... the fact is they went to the locker room trailing 10-9 ... very much playing poorly and yet still in the game. They just didn't play any better in the second half to give themselves a chance to win. Where Bell would have made the biggest difference would have been in the red zone. He seemed to take those short dump off passes and score. Ben just hasn't had great success in the redzone for, well, his career ... until Bell came along.

kirklandrules wrote:

I really didn't have a problem with the calls the coaches made in this game. Offensively, Ben really didn't find those deep receivers because it appeared the Ratbirds took a page out of the Jets playbook and played their safeties deep. There were replays that showed open receivers waving for the ball ... Ben just didn't use his progressions to find them (pretty sad seeing A. Brown all by himself and not getting the ball).

Agreed. There were several calls that were spot on and failed, like AB out of bounds in the endzone, or Bryant getting "incidental" contact.

kirklandrules wrote:

The decision to start Tate over Harris wasn't so bad.

Harris had 9 carries in December and maybe 15 yards to show for it. Not that impressive. Clearly, if he was ready, he would've started.

I liked how they kept them honest, running and passing to Tate early. Should've stuck with it.

kirklandrules wrote:

I also don't have an issue with starting Troy

Me neither. He's experienced. I winced a bit, because he's slow. He nearly gave up one in help, to Torrey Smith (who stepped out.) Kind of sad...

And is it just me, or is Mitchell getting a lot of blame... when Troy's the one next to him? Guy forced turnovers and wasn't burned like that with Allen next to him... at least that's the way I'm seeing it?

kirklandrules wrote:

As bad as it is that the defense gave up 30 points, I really think the fact that they kicked three first half fieldgoals instead of scoring TDs was the deciding factor in this game.

Absolutely. Harbaugh said FG's wouldn't beat them too. He was right. I was hoping our D would hold them to 3 instead too, but didn't happen. Gift wrapped the last TD.

kirklandrules wrote:

They just didn't play any better in the second half to give themselves a chance to win.

Up until the Suggs pick, they were in it. But it felt like they were losing on both sides of the ball and facing the zebras... two steps forward, one step back. Sigh.

SteelCityUnderground wrote:

And is it just me, or is Mitchell getting a lot of blame... when Troy's the one next to him? Guy forced turnovers and wasn't burned like that with Allen next to him... at least that's the way I'm seeing it?

I've been critical of Mitchell in the past. It seemed the deep middle of the field was easy pickins for teams earlier in the season. But he played much better late in the season. My greatest frustration with the guy has been the consistent personal fouls nearly every game. I love the feistiness he brings, but he has to control it within the limits of the rules. I was just hoping we'd get the same player I saw in Carolina last year. Hope he brings it next year.

kirklandrules wrote:

I've been critical of Mitchell in the past. It seemed the deep middle of the field was easy pickins for teams earlier in the season. But he played much better late in the season. My greatest frustration with the guy has been the consistent personal fouls nearly every game. I love the feistiness he brings, but he has to control it within the limits of the rules. I was just hoping we'd get the same player I saw in Carolina last year. Hope he brings it next year.

2 forced fumbles, quite a few big play saving tackles. Agree he got caught over the middle, but almost every time, you can see Troy giving that "I missed it" look too.

Jury's still out. I don't think they'll find a better FA replacement this season, and they'll have to resign Will Allen or groom oft-injured Shamarko Thomas to replace Troy, plus find suitable depth behind those 3.

That also leads into their CB decisions. I can't see them paying the large roster bonus to Cortez Allen. He was mysteriously placed on IR, and if I had to guess, he's going to be cut, and potentially resigned for much less, IF they bring him back. If they stick with Gay, McCain and Blake, that could make Allen expendable too, if their plans are to draft a CB. Gay is solid, McCain/Blake are effective. Allen would be a 4th option at best. I doubt Richardson, last year's 5th rounder, ever sees the field. Ike could be back for a veteran minimum, but will he take a bench role in nickel and dime packages?

Given that mix, it's hard for me to picture how much of an emphasis they place on drafting a CB high in the draft. Make no mistake, with Ben's big contract looming, they'll have to draft one, or settle for everyone's scraps as they have been. If they have 3-4 of those names still on the roster by the draft, I don't see them going high on a pick, despite what fans think.

If you look at the guys drafted this season in the first round, Justin Gilbert, widely considered the top CB in the draft, was largely a bust who couldn't beat out Buster Skrines for playing time. Kyle Fuller was a penalty machine in Chicago (worse than Mitchell.) Darqueze Dennard is 4th on the depth chart in Cincy. None of them made a big impact, and unless the FO sees something special, IMO that pick is going for another LB...

EDIT: I should note that while these players could become good corners with time, they will not, IMO, make the immediate impact that fans are looking for, in a turn-around of the secondary.

Though my gut says they'll take a "sure thing" DT/NT or TE with the 1st pick too. They're flirting with danger considering how long Miller and Spaeth have left, and how valuable to the offense both guys are.

Pretty much agree with everything you said SteelCity.

SteelCityUnderground wrote:

Jury's still out. I don't think they'll find a better FA replacement this season, and they'll have to resign Will Allen or groom oft-injured Shamarko Thomas to replace Troy, plus find suitable depth behind those 3.

Right on. I don't think they should get rid of Mitchell and there's really not a snowball's chance in hell they will. When fans of other teams see a safety or CB look bad, they criticize that player. A true Steelers fan asks why the opposing QB is still on his feet.

But all kidding aside, the Steelers secondary looked worse than it should have because of the lack of pressure on the QB. I criticized Ben for his lack of going through his progressions in the Raven's game. At least he was pressured to make those progressions quicker than he would have liked. Well, too many times the opposing QBs weren't rushed through their progressions. That's why Tampa can score at the end of the game using a below average QB ... not hard for any QB in the NFL to play "find the open guy" when there's no pressure.

I also think Cortez Allen will be back. For some reason I was thinking his contract wouldn't really work by letting him go at this point. The fact is he had a bad year. He's a great athlete and I think the FO and coaches will want to keep him for another year. Hell, remember Ike was benched by Cowher one year because he couldn't cover my grandmother. The next year he was shutting down the top receivers in the league. Allen needs to take the offseason to really forget about this past season. Go out and play like he knows how to play.

Part of Ben's problem in the Ravens game was not having Bell to lean on. It really did make the game one-dimensional, no matter what we want to believe. They couldn't get the run going and the Ravens could just send the house, which helped their mediocre secondary overachieve... they still got torched several times though by AB and Bryant (which I'll still contend was PI, because that DB was well beat, which is becoming a Bryant trademark.)

Tez will be back. I feel he will. He is a good athlete and if you watch, he was in position to make plays, but for some reason, just couldn't get a hand on the ball or make the tackle when needed.

Everyone complains we let Keenan Lewis go, but he had the same issues in New Olreans this season, after a solid season last year.

That pass rush needs to improve. That's why I think they'll continue focus on defensive linemen and linebackers. Steelers defense has never been about having a Richard Sherman or Derelle Revis pressing man coverage.

Great pressure can make an average secondary look great. A lot of guys can cover for 3 to 5 seconds but they can't do it for 7+. We need to get back to being Blitzburgh if we want to have one of the tops defenses. Without looking at stats, I feel we did an "okay" job at stopping the run but a really crappy job of getting any sort of pressure.

SteelersYak wrote:

Great pressure can make an average secondary look great.  A lot of guys can cover for 3 to 5 seconds but they can't do it for 7+.  We need to get back to being Blitzburgh if we want to have one of the tops defenses.  Without looking at stats, I feel we did an "okay" job at stopping the run but a really crappy job of getting any sort of pressure.

Yes, I agree, we need to solidify the front 7 in order to benefit the back 4.