Browns at Steelers - Nearly Meaningless In Game Thread

here's the scary part of that game.  steelers didn't convert a 3rd down until the 4th quarter with 5;21 to go in the game. was 3/14 overall. 4 SACKS (34 YARDS LOST), 1 INT, 2 INCOMPLETES, 4 COMPLETIONS (FOR 35 YARDS)

landry on 3rd down.
1st quarter
3-10-PIT 25 (12:43) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones sacked at PIT 15 for -10 yards (56-D.Davis).

3-9-PIT 35 (6:21) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones sacked at PIT 27 for -8 yards (58-C.Kirksey

2nd quarter
3-9-PIT 28 (7:30) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones pass incomplete short left to 88-D.Heyward-Bey (20-B.Boddy-Calhoun)

3-10-PIT 1 (2:18) 3-L.Jones pass deep left to 15-D.Ayers to PIT 21 for 20 yards (22-T.Williams Sr.). Cleveland challenged the pass completion ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 3-L.Jones pass incomplete deep left to 15-D.Ayers.

3-6-CLE 33 (1:50) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones pass short middle to 17-E.Rogers to CLE 28 for 5 yards (51-J.Collins).

3rd quarter
3-7-PIT 47 (12:49) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones sacked at PIT 41 for -6 yards (94-C.Nassib)

3-11-PIT 46 (3:40) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones pass deep left intended for 15-D.Ayers INTERCEPTED by 20-B.Boddy-Calhoun at CLE 32. 20-B.Boddy-Calhoun for 68 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Replay Official reviewed the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was REVERSED. (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones pass deep left intended for 15-D.Ayers INTERCEPTED by 20-B.Boddy-Calhoun at CLE 32. 20-B.Boddy-Calhoun to PIT 1 for 67 yards (88-D.Heyward-Bey). FUMBLES (88-D.Heyward-Bey), RECOVERED by PIT-3-L.Jones at PIT 0. Touchback.

4th quarter
3-10-CLE 11 (5:21) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones pass short right to 15-D.Ayers for 11 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

3-6-PIT 15 (2:04) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones sacked at PIT 5 for -10 yards (39-E.Reynolds).

OT
3-5-PIT 30 (5:54) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones pass short middle to 83-C.Hamilton to PIT 41 for 11 yards (58-C.Kirksey).

3-10-CLE 40 (4:24) (Shotgun) 3-L.Jones pass short middle to 17-E.Rogers to CLE 32 for 8 yards (23-J.Haden).

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

OX1947 wrote:

the Dolphins suck. I cant figure out how they are in the playoffs.

Look at their roster.  That Offensive line when healthy was just as good as the Steelers and their WR group of Devante Parker, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills is better overall than the Steelers right now.  Then look at a front 7 that includes Suh, Mario Williams, Cam Wake, Donald Butler and Kiko Alonso.  Defensively, the Dolphins are better than the Steelers.   This game is by no means a gimme on Sunday.

They might have some playmakers, but overall their defense is lacking. Mario Williams has 1.5 sacks this season and is getting cut come the end of the season, Cameron Wake is probably their best pass rusher with 11.5 sacks. Their best tackler is Alonso. Their defense is not better than ours. They have a sack total of 33, ours is 38. Miami is 29th in total defense, we're 12th. They are not better than us defensively. We might not have one individual putting up great stats but we play better team defense overall.

Jarvis Landry is a good reciever, but Brown is better. I'll give you Stills and Parker though. They are playing at full strength, we're still trying to find that WR2 ever since Coates broke his fingers. Eli Rogers is getting better and better though, and my X Factor for this game is Demarcus Ayers whose shown some flashes that he can play. So on paper they're better and more consistent at the WR position, but they'll also be going up against our secondary which is playing pretty well, better than they were earlier this season when the Dolphins beat us.

The key to shutting Miami down though is going to be stopping Ajayi. I think we can definitely do that. Our defense is still salty about giving up 200yds to that kid before, I guarantee that's their main focus this weekend.

Who is better Suh, or Tuitt(if he can play).  Mario Williams or Ricardo Matthews(if he can play)? Cam Wake or James Harrison??  I would say Wake is better at this point of his career.  I think Timmons and Shazier are playing better than Alonso and Butler, but they are good too.  The dolphin safeties I think are better than Steelers, but corners are similar.

I agree, the key will be stopping the run and Ajayi and if Tuitt and Hargrave are healthy they have a good chance.  I see Ayers as a poor mans Eli Rogers, but the X factor is that Ben can find any of those guys if he is kept clean by the O line.  The threat of #89 and #85 (again if healthy) is bigger than Ayers IMO.

My point is that the Dolphins don't suck, they have talent and Matt Moore is a backup, but it wouldn't be the first time the Steelers let a backup QB get the better of them.  Lets just hope it doesn't happen this week.

Oh I concur, the Dolphins are not to be taken lightly. I think our guys know that after the last time we played them. I'd take Tuitt over Suh any day of the week though. Better player, better person.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

OX1947 wrote:

the Dolphins suck. I cant figure out how they are in the playoffs.

Look at their roster.  That Offensive line when healthy was just as good as the Steelers and their WR group of Devante Parker, Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills is better overall than the Steelers right now.  Then look at a front 7 that includes Suh, Mario Williams, Cam Wake, Donald Butler and Kiko Alonso.  Defensively, the Dolphins are better than the Steelers.   This game is by no means a gimme on Sunday.

They might have some playmakers, but overall their defense is lacking. Mario Williams has 1.5 sacks this season and is getting cut come the end of the season, Cameron Wake is probably their best pass rusher with 11.5 sacks. Their best tackler is Alonso. Their defense is not better than ours. They have a sack total of 33, ours is 38. Miami is 29th in total defense, we're 12th. They are not better than us defensively. We might not have one individual putting up great stats but we play better team defense overall.

Jarvis Landry is a good reciever, but Brown is better. I'll give you Stills and Parker though. They are playing at full strength, we're still trying to find that WR2 ever since Coates broke his fingers. Eli Rogers is getting better and better though, and my X Factor for this game is Demarcus Ayers whose shown some flashes that he can play. So on paper they're better and more consistent at the WR position, but they'll also be going up against our secondary which is playing pretty well, better than they were earlier this season when the Dolphins beat us.

The key to shutting Miami down though is going to be stopping Ajayi. I think we can definitely do that. Our defense is still salty about giving up 200yds to that kid before, I guarantee that's their main focus this weekend.

Who is better Suh, or Tuitt(if he can play).  Mario Williams or Ricardo Matthews(if he can play)? Cam Wake or James Harrison??  I would say Wake is better at this point of his career.  I think Timmons and Shazier are playing better than Alonso and Butler, but they are good too.  The dolphin safeties I think are better than Steelers, but corners are similar.

I agree, the key will be stopping the run and Ajayi and if Tuitt and Hargrave are healthy they have a good chance.  I see Ayers as a poor mans Eli Rogers, but the X factor is that Ben can find any of those guys if he is kept clean by the O line.  The threat of #89 and #85 (again if healthy) is bigger than Ayers IMO.

My point is that the Dolphins don't suck, they have talent and Matt Moore is a backup, but it wouldn't be the first time the Steelers let a backup QB get the better of them.  Lets just hope it doesn't happen this week.

Oh I concur, the Dolphins are not to be taken lightly. I think our guys know that after the last time we played them. I'd take Tuitt over Suh any day of the week though. Better player, better person.

I aqree, Iowa, that the Dolphins defense is not better than the Steelers defense. Their d-line might be better per man, but the overall defensive group, no. I'll take the Steelers defense any time. The Steelers allow fewer yards, point, and rushing yards per game than the Dolphins. The Dolphins have allowed fewer passing yards per game than the Steelers, by .4 per game. The Dolphins also have 2 more takeaways than the Steelers, but the Steelers have 5 more sacks. At the end of the day, the Dolphins rank from the middle to the bottom of the league in several defensive stats. I know the players on their defensive line are good and their linebackers don't suck, but they are 30th in the league in rushing yards per game (140), while the horrible Steelers run defense is 13th (100). So I agree that when you stack individual players, it looks like the Dolphins have the better talent. But the body of their work certainly is not better than what the Steelers have put together.

Having said all that, the Steelers will lose this game if the defense doesn't tackle. Very tactically, the defensive line needs to hold their gaps and Timmons and Shazier need to be able to fight off or avoid the blocks and make the tackles. If our ILBs have a big day, the Steelers win. Those two guys need to hit Ajayi in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage.

I actually like the idea that the Steelers played Cleveland last week. Their backs are strong guys who break tackles. They got a healthy dose of the run game against backs who run through, bounce off and throw the stiff arm at tacklers. It was good practice for what the Steelers will see this weekend.