See what happens?

When the offense doesn't hold the ball and protect the defense?

Class dismissed

We're just laying down right now.

Wow

A draw on third and one when u know they're bringing heat?

A win is a win, but damn wtf happened in the second half to our D? I had to track it online.

mrcrash wrote:

When the offense doesn't hold the ball and protect the defense?

Class dismissed

How can you blame only the defense for that close game? Until the final drive (which the defense set the offense up with great field position), the offense scored exactly 0 points in the second half. This game was a total team collapse in the second half. They had great intensity in the first half. In the second half with a 27-3 lead, they played like the game was already over. The intensity was gone. That's on Tomlin. He's the head coach. It's his job to keep the team focused and playing hard regardless of the score.

But hey, I'll listen patiently as you tell me how Ben once again bailed out the defense.

In the meantime, I'll look at this game logically. Both sides of the ball looked awesome in the first half. The second half collapse had more to do with mentality than anything else. The entire team came out flat like the game was already over. It should be a learning experience that NO game is over at halftime. The second half was a mentality problem, not an X's and O's problem. The team learned a lesson while still getting a W. That's better than the alternative.

Quote :

Until the final drive (which the defense set the offense up with great field position), the offense scored exactly 0 points in the second half.

They weren't trying to score.  The offense was trying to milk clock up 27-3.  Then Dick LeBeau just assumed the Browns would bow to his alleged greatness and quit.  

They didn't.  

And as usual, as you were told earlier in the week, the defense blew a 4th quarter lead.  

Then we scrap the TOP garbage, get out of the Hall of Famer's way, and win.

Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Arians fell on the sword for LeBeau after Tim Tebow and Joe Flacco humiliated him.  This wasn't supposed to continue when the evil BA was shown the door, and Ben put in his place by Art Rooney II.  

And yet it does, because LeBeau's BS scheme/prevent was HIS problem, his doing, and not that of Roethlisberger and Arians.  

Arians is gone.

LeBeau will have run out of scapegoats once Ben heads to Arizona.

This wasn't on Dick LeBeau. When your defense is depleted of energy because the other team is running the no-huddle to start the 2nd half, one would hope the offense would manage some drives to take some time off the clock.

The offense failed to live up to their 1st half performance, and put the defense in bad situations drive after drive. Let's not forget to mention the ST blunders that continued to give us poor field position.

As Wally mentioned, this is a complete team collapse.

Quote :

This wasn't on Dick LeBeau. When your defense is depleted of energy because the other team is running the no-huddle to start the 2nd half, one would hope the offense would manage some drives to take some time off the clock.

So you are claiming that despite being on the field for only 12 of 30 first half minutes, the offense is to blame for the defense giving up a TD to start the 2nd half when the offense wasn't on the field yet?

Just wow.

Is LeBeau EVER at fault in your opinion?

I'm not saying LeBeau isn't ever at fault and the defense should've found a way to make better plays but to say that the offense not playing at the level they played at in the first half, not sustaining drives, and putting the defense back on the field isn't part of the blame doesn't sound fair either.

So I guess I should restate my original comment, LeBeau shouldn't receive all the blame. Haley and the offense needs to check themselves too. Especially knowing that Cleveland was running a no-huddle and wearing down the defense, the offense wasn't helping by going 3 and out.

mrcrash wrote:

Quote :

This wasn't on Dick LeBeau. When your defense is depleted of energy because the other team is running the no-huddle to start the 2nd half, one would hope the offense would manage some drives to take some time off the clock.

So you are claiming that despite being on the field for only 12 of 30 first half minutes, the offense is to blame for the defense giving up a TD to start the 2nd half when the offense wasn't on the field yet?

Just wow.  

Is LeBeau EVER at fault in your opinion?

Of course LeBeau has faults. We've talked about them here. One thing that makes Steelers Xtreme great is that there are no sacred cows. You can criticize any player or coach as long as you're not trolling. You might get others who disagree (which is always fun), but unlike on other forums, you won't get attacked and eventually banned for stating your opinions and criticisms.

Total team collapse in the 2nd half on both sides of the ball and I'd say that was due to a lack of focus. It would have been great if the Steelers could have ran the clock out but the Browns played good defense. The last drive was all thanks to BR7 and his arm. I know it's easy to want to keep running the ball with a lead but yesterday shows that we need to still sprinkle in some passing as that's what gets us yards.

The problem is, in clock burning situations which ALL teams adhere to, you have to establish the run as that is the quintessential clock burning technique. This is no "Rooney or LeBeau Agenda", the entire NFL follows this practice. They aren't reining in Ben, they are trying to control the clock! Just because it isn't always effective doesn't mean the defense is to blame for not stopping the other team and Ben has to bail them out.