Week 1: Steelers @ Browns Gameday Thread 09/10/18

Fire Arians wrote:

Anybody else expect the refs to screw us on AB's challenged catch? It seems like they were trying to bone us at every turn.

Also there was a play (forget which exactly) where a cleveland player false started a good whole second before the ball was snapped, it was on a crowell first down run as well (gained about 15). Didn't get called.

I especially was pissed on the personal foul called on Will Gay like 2 minutes after the fact. There should be a time limit on how long a ref can throw a flag on an infraction. Then there was a holding flag literally every time Bell got a decent run, except for the last play of the game, which I was shocked there wasn't a flag there.

Yeah, I was grinding my teeth for sure...thought the AB catch would be overturned. Sick and tired of how soft NFL is getting. Will Gay's hit was separating the receiver from the ball. The refs pushed the Browns up and down the field

Fire Arians wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

To the Browns and fans they now see them as being Super Bowl contenders because they played a contender close. Ugly win for sure but I'll take it. Every great season has 1-2 of these.

LMAO! Oh god make it stop

Don't laugh I live next to one and he was telling me how they'd 'be there in the end'

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Fire Arians wrote:

LambertWardSteel wrote:

To the Browns and fans they now see them as being Super Bowl contenders because they played a contender close. Ugly win for sure but I'll take it. Every great season has 1-2 of these.

LMAO! Oh god make it stop

Don't laugh  I live next to one and he was telling me how they'd 'be there in the end'

Haha, I do think their team is showing promise, and could be a contender in a couple years. But if they're basing being a contender off today's performance, it's purely delusional. If not for all the penalties this game wouldn't have been close, and let's be real, it's not the Steelers' best outing either by any stretch. Cleveland lucked out by getting a lot of bullshit penalties that stalled Steeler drives, and extended scoring drives of theirs that would have / should have ended.

IMO Bell isn't rusty or needs extra time to get up to speed. I saw two issues for the Steelers in their attempts to run the ball:

1] The O-line didn't block well against the Brown's front 7. I didn't see holes for the backs to run through.

2) It's hard to stay with the run game when facing 1st & 20 or 2nd & 25.

I thought the offense in general looked pathetic for most of the game, except a few big plays. They definitely were not dominate. And just think, the Brown's offense outscored the Steelers offense. This game wasn't a Bell problem ... it was bigger than that.

Having ranted, I will say they beat a divisional foe, on the road, instead of laying an egg against another loser team (as they've done in the past). They can clean this up and pound on their next victims next week.

kirklandrules wrote:

IMO Bell isn't rusty or needs extra time to get up to speed. I saw two issues for the Steelers in their attempts to run the ball:

1] The O-line didn't block well against the Brown's front 7. I didn't see holes for the backs to run through.

2) It's hard to stay with the run game when facing 1st & 20 or 2nd & 25.

I thought the offense in general looked pathetic for most of the game, except a few big plays. They definitely were not dominate. And just think, the Brown's offense outscored the Steelers offense. This game wasn't a Bell problem ... it was bigger than that.

Having ranted, I will say they beat a divisional foe, on the road, instead of laying an egg against another loser team (as they've done in the past).  They can clean this up and pound on their next victims next week.

^^^^

Conner also had only 11 yards for 4 carries. Browns just have one of the strongest front sevens in the NFL so you can't expect the O-line as dominant as usual.

Fire Arians wrote:

OX1947 wrote:

Fire Arians wrote:

TJ Watt blew up the stats but tbh I wasn't overly impressed. I liked his hustle but he didn't get any clear wins against his man, they were both dong sacks caused by good coverage

Yah, he sucked. Can't believe they drafted him. Colbert should be fired. Hail Silverback!

I never said he sucks, I just didn't see anything really special other than his hustle. I do think he can be a great player in time though.

I did see Watt rip under a blocker once, don't remember for sure, but pretty sure it was Joe Thomas. Dipped under him around the edge and clearly whooped him. Thomas basically tackled him but there was no flag for holding, it definitely would've been a sack.

I thought he played great for a rookie. Showed that he's got a great motor, doesn't give up on plays, was constantly around the football, and he's better at pass rushing than Jarvis Jones ever was.

Stella Nation wrote:

kirklandrules wrote:

IMO Bell isn't rusty or needs extra time to get up to speed. I saw two issues for the Steelers in their attempts to run the ball:

1] The O-line didn't block well against the Brown's front 7. I didn't see holes for the backs to run through.

2) It's hard to stay with the run game when facing 1st & 20 or 2nd & 25.

I thought the offense in general looked pathetic for most of the game, except a few big plays. They definitely were not dominate. And just think, the Brown's offense outscored the Steelers offense. This game wasn't a Bell problem ... it was bigger than that.

Having ranted, I will say they beat a divisional foe, on the road, instead of laying an egg against another loser team (as they've done in the past).  They can clean this up and pound on their next victims next week.

^^^^

Conner also had only 11 yards for 4 carries. Browns just have one of the strongest front sevens in the NFL so you can't expect the O-line as dominant as usual.

Yeah the Browns have actually had a good defense for a while. They're a decent offense away from being a good football team. With their new QB looking pretty good in his debut, they might not be far off.

Despite that though, this game wouldn't have been so close if it weren't for all those penalties which all seemed to come at the wrong time, or resulting in 3rd down conversions for the Browns. It was ridiculous. Some were legit penalties but majority of them were ticky tack

Lots of talk about being rusty. Seemed like the play calling was rusty aswell, kept the screens and short stuff going when it was obvious it wasn't working, was giving them confidence and we needed to stretch them.

Geordie wrote:

Lots of talk about being rusty. Seemed like the play calling was rusty aswell, kept the screens and short stuff going when it was obvious it wasn't working, was giving them confidence and we needed to stretch them.

Stretching them would've been difficult, the Browns had Peppers sitting back like an outfielder most of the game. They were definitely focused on stopping the run, and eliminating big plays. They executed their defensive gameplan quite well. The screens were the right call as the Browns were being aggressive and blitzing but they were identifying the screens well, and it didn't help that the receivers weren't exactly great catching the ball on the screen plays. One play that stood out to me was Bryant dancing around after he caught the WR Screen. He needed to get upfield, and instead he gave the defense time to close in on him and tackle him for a short loss. I think I remember Bell also dropped a HB slip screen that I think would've lead to some decent yardage.

It was just a lot of rust all together, but at the end of the day the players need to execute the plays and they weren't always holding up their end of the deal. Offensive line has to be better against the Vikings in the run game. We can't have a total lack of a running attack like we did against the Brownies, it makes us one dimensional and more predictable. Vikings are a better more experienced team than the Browns and will definitely use the Browns game as a blueprint on how to defend us.

lets see how the Steelers develop 4 wide with TE package, really like Ben but he's to greedy at times not always taking what defenses are giving and forcing the ball deep. seems in this set it was about AB there are 3 quality receivers behind AB.

anyway defenses are up on Bell in the flat, got the 5 receivers 5 OL-men nobody to pick up the blitz.