Steelers vs Bungels goats and game balls

Game balls to the FOUR killer B's

Ben, Bell, Brown....and Bryant (that was an freaking gorgeous pass/catch)

Hell, I just have to say....

As usual, I'll have more to say later. But for now, I'll beat Driz to the punch and say this ...

It's time to replace Ike. You all know that I've been a huge Ike fan. Coming into the season, I argued that he was still the best corner on the team even though age has caught up with him and his play has declined. But the end is here. He's done. Thanks for the memories Ike.

I agree Wally. Ike needs to retire at the end of the season. He can't stay healthy now, he isn't as fast as he once was, and he also can't cover as well as he used to be able to do. For a little while, he as able to shut down the best of the best, but that is no longer possible. Hopefully the Steelers actually address the corner position the in the first round of next years draft.

My game ball goes to Bell. He had another great game rushing while also being a dual threat in the passing game. Kudos go to Ben, Antonio, and the offensive line.

steelerdude15 wrote:

I agree Wally. Ike needs to retire at the end of the season. He can't stay healthy now, he isn't as fast as he once was, and he also can't cover as well as he used to be able to do. For a little while, he as able to shut down the best of the best, but that is no longer possible. Hopefully the Steelers actually address the corner position the in the first round of next years draft.

My game ball goes to Bell. He had another great game rushing while also being a dual threat in the passing game. Kudos go to Ben, Antonio, and the offensive line.

Completely agree. Ike has given his all to the organization which is why it is difficult for me to call him out. But you're right, he needs to retire at the end of the season (and I think he will).

Bell is just incredible. In-freaking-credible. With all the talk about his work load though, I'm starting to become slightly concerned.

Ohh, and Bell was named offensive player of the week by Kelly's Blue Book.

steelerdude15 wrote:

I agree Wally. Ike needs to retire at the end of the season. He can't stay healthy now, he isn't as fast as he once was, and he also can't cover as well as he used to be able to do. For a little while, he as able to shut down the best of the best, but that is no longer possible. Hopefully the Steelers actually address the corner position the in the first round of next years draft.

Yeah, I've spent a lot of time arguing about what Ike was. Now it's time to focus on what Ike is. Or, more to the point, what he's not. And that's a solid cornerback. And I'll also include Troy in this discussion. Ike and Troy still have the heart, but they no longer have the physical ability. It's time to move on.

Gingerchip wrote:

Bell is just incredible. In-freaking-credible.

Yep!

GAME BALLS

A. Brown ... There's a thread somewhere on this board asking if Brown is the best receiver in the NFL. At the time, I said that he's really good, but I don't think he's one of the top 3 or 4 best. I don't think I can say that anymore. I'm not sure if I can make an argument that he's the best receiver in the NFL, but I'm also not sure if I can make an argument that he's not.

Bell ... Much like Brown, I'm not sure I can make an argument that Bell isn't the best all-around running back in the league. During the game, I looked at my wife and said, "Right now, Bell is already the third best running back in Steelers history. And he's been in the league only two years." That should make for a good discussion.

O-line ... Yeah, I said it. Although they weren't great, they opened up holes for Bell and didn't allow a sack. That's all we can ask.

Blake ... In limited action, he played well. If nothing else, he showed how old and slow Ike has become.

Tuitt ... Other than the hit that knocked Dalton out of the game, there was nothing spectacular. But I thought he played relatively well in his first start.

GOATS

Ike and Troy ... I know it, you know it, we all know it. The time has come.

NFL rules ... So the Bengals got a 15-yard personal foul after we scored, and we got to kick off from the 50. How did that benefit us or penalize the Bengals when most kicks aren't returned anyway? So instead of kicking into the end zone or out of the end zone, the kicker can kick it into the stands. The rule needs to be changed so that the penalty is assessed after the kickoff.

To defend Ike, could it possibly be the cast is slowing him down?

In regards to Goats and Gameballs...well since I didn't see the game it's hard for me to say so I'll say this...

GOATS:
No one

GAMEBALLS:
Everyone

Gameballs: The entire offense with special mention to Bell,Ben,Bryant, and Brown. The 4 B's. I didn't like Haley's play calling in the 1st quarter but i applaud the way he kept the hammer down.
Antwan Blake had a good game.

Goats: While I agree Troy deserves a goat I think Mitchell was even worse. This guy can't cover or tackle and he dropped a gift wrapped Int.

I agree it's time for Ike to ride off and sadly Troy too. Troy is not just one of my favorite players he's one of my favorite people. Time marches on.

Wally,I absolutely agree that the penalty where we kicked off from the 50 should be changed. Why even kick the ball off? Just give it to the guilty team at their 20. I say kick the ball from the 35 and wherever the offending team winds up march it back 15 yards. Even if they take it to the house it would be spotted at the 15.

After watching replays of the highlights, I want to special mention DeCastro.  He worked his butt off to get holes open so that Bell could  work his magic.

 

Goats:
Mitchell
Ike

Game balls:
Ben
Brown
Bell
Bryant
Moats

We need to let Blake get in more reps. In the limited capacity I've seen him play, he's done a really nice job. Just my opinion.

Game Balls:
Ben, Bell, Brown, Bryant, O line, and Bell. Yes he is worth mentioning twice. Blake had a good game I think for the time he played. And Andy Dalton, if he didn't play like garbage in the 2nd half, we'd have more goats than:

Goats:
IKE FREAKING TAYLOR He should not play a down the rest of the season, seriously. He was really not performing before the broken arm, did they think that would make him better? Gay didn't do to hot either. Mitchell needs to wrap his tackles, and we had little pressure from the defensive front.

Over all...it's a win. A high scoring win. Defense needs to step it up. Jones needs to get some pressure to the QB and we need Shazier's speed back. Onto Atlanta...

Oh and,

BENCH IKE "I'M STILL CRISPY FROM SUNDAY" TAYLOR Can a player retire week 15??

Gameballs:

DeCastro - Loved this kid coming out of college and it appears he's played his best game in the pros so far. Any time you call the same play 3 or 4 times in a row and the defense still can't stop it, it's a great day for the o-line.

Ben - He was on. Big difference when Ben plays well and when he doesn't.

Bell - I watched a ton of his college tapes and knew he'd be good in the NFL. But great in year 2? No, I didn't see that.

Goats:

Safeties - There's not a team in the NFL that is afraid to throw deep over the middle on the Steelers. Troy was never great at playing a true safety role, so I can only complain so much about his lack of awareness on the deep ball. But Mike Mitchell? Someone send out an APB because we have a missing player. He played very well for Carolina, it's just amazing how little productivity he's had with the Steelers.

Ike - It's sad that the lack of decent safety play is shedding light on the decline in Ike's play at this point in his career. If there were justice in the world, Ike would have at least average safety help behind him. BTW, that deep post by AJ Green is just one example where I'm sitting there thinking that at least one safety should have been there.

I'm still not in agreement over the hate with Mitchell. Mitchell and Polamalu have had their hands full making up for Cortez Allen and Ike Taylor over parts of the season... I thought the problems were solely on an old Ryan Clark last season, but when they carry over to different players (Mitchell, and Will Allen in relief of Troy) it tends to either be a systematic problem, or something else.

David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey are both BEASTS. I'm picking both to make the Pro Bowl. Gilbert's return will help, and imagine if we had an elite LT! (Beachum is undersized, but has more than held down the fort this season... no hate there.)

SteelCityUnderground wrote:

I'm still not in agreement over the hate with Mitchell. Mitchell and Polamalu have had their hands full making up for Cortez Allen and Ike Taylor over parts of the season... I thought the problems were solely on an old Ryan Clark last season, but when they carry over to different players (Mitchell, and Will Allen in relief of Troy) it tends to either be a systematic problem, or something else.

While I don't disagree with them having their hands full I have to ask this question. What does that have to do with poor tackling? Mitchell misses tackle after tackle and even though he didn't have a stupid penalty this game he's had 4 or 5 so far this season. I don't like him, he doesn't fit.

I agree with you @solardave. Mike Mitchell seems to just be whiffing on everything: hits and coverage. Like @kirklandrules said, I'm sending out an APB for the guy. I was big on him after what I heard he did in Carolina but he has been a huge bust IMO.

So @SteelCityUnderground, if Gay and Blake show they are an upgrade and Mitchell still stinks, will you then say it's on Mitchell?
I do agree with you that Pouncey and DeCastro should be in the Pro Bowl.

Mitchell is a guy who's a hound for the ball. He has a few forced fumbles, and he's always trying to make that big play. I think that's also part of his downfall. At this point, I'd still rather have Mitchell of this year versus Clark of last year.

Well sadly, as I had higher hopes for Mitchell, Clark is outperforming Mitchell in every category over with the Redskins. Clark has 74 tackles, compared to Mike's 61. He even has an INT and 1/2 a sack to Mike's zeros...They each have 2 FF's. Hound for the ball?? I'm not seeing it, and neither is anyone else with the Steelers.

The guy isn't living up to the billing.

Mitchell has 2 forced fumbles, I have to dig into the recess of my brain, but one of those was a huge strip on a long pass play at midfield, which turned that game around completely. (I think maybe the Texans game?)

I don't recall him being in a position for a pick, which we could say "he's out of position" or he's not really used in coverage that way. I haven't seen him blitz much, if at all either.

I don't put a lot of stock in tackles. Could mean the Redskins allow runners to make it to the second level. Doesn't mean Clark is outperforming or Mitchell is underperforming, rather, their team mates could be doing one or the other.

Granted, MM looked like a fish out of water early in the season, and that's attributed to him transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4, and he didn't get much preseason time in either, especially so with Troy at his side.

He hits hard, but misses sometimes too. So does Troy. So does everyone for that matter, including Timmons. IDK what to say about that. I won't write the guy off yet, as I think this is a product of the NFL and their soft CBA and contact practice limits.

My only real knock on him is his attitude. You can tell he's intense, but he also commits some preventable penalties. Usually at the worst times.

Attitude and character mean a ton, and even more so with the Steelers brass. Taunting and unsportsmanlike behavior seem to abound with this guy and I hate that shit. Do your job, do it to the best of your ability like a professional and don't act like an asshat on or off the field...I could care less about his Twitter post, as the NFL needs to stay out of social media in its entirety.

I wouldn't say I would be giving up on him, more so disappointed in his turn out thus far. The way he acts on the field, it would seem so is he.

I agree with that but I don't like Mitchell has lived up to his hype at all.

SteelCityUnderground wrote:

Mitchell is a guy who's a hound for the ball. He has a few forced fumbles, and he's always trying to make that big play. I think that's also part of his downfall. At this point, I'd still rather have Mitchell of this year versus Clark of last year.

I agree there but what about Shemarko Thomas? I don't believe he's hurt and feel like he could be a upgrade right now. Of course I'm not a coach. Just sittin' here in my armchair.

I'm not sure Shamarko has played at FS, only relief for Troy at SS and special teams. Shamarko was hurt and/or didn't play when Troy was down either: Will Allen saw time. So I'm not sure what's going on there. Maybe Shamarko has a nagging injury keeping him down? I'm high on the kid, but he hasn't been on the field enough over the last two seasons to pass judgment on him yet.

SteelCityUnderground wrote:

I think that's also part of his downfall. At this point, I'd still rather have Mitchell of this year versus Clark of last year.

I'm getting a little short sighted in my old age ... not sure I see the difference between Mitchell and Clark. In fact, the Steelers might have given up more 40+ yard pass plays this year (but I'll have to go back and verify the stats). Don't get me wrong, I root for the guy and think he has the talent. But again, when I see passes go deep over the middle of the field and the safeties aren't even in the picture - I have a hard time blaming the CBs.

Mitchell's attitude sucks as well. He seems like a hype guy at this point... the kind of guy that should play on the Browns, Bengals, or Ravens.

I hope he can finish strong and start to prove me wrong.

SteelersYak wrote:

Mitchell's attitude sucks as well.  He seems like a hype guy at this point... the kind of guy that should play on the Browns, Bengals, or Ravens.

I hope he can finish strong and start to prove me wrong.

The Hype Guy isn't all that bad as long as both of the follow occur:

• The player is awesome and can back up his big mouth (so far not he case for Mitchell)
  
• Your team is winning
  

The problem with the Browns, Bengals and Ravens is they have a bunch of big mouths that shoot off when either they suck or their teams are losing.