Steelers' arrogance has gotten them nowhere

Starkey: Steelers' arrogance has gotten them nowhere

By Joe Starkey

The 2015 Steelers seem to have an awfully high opinion of themselves.

I'm still trying to figure out why.

Besides beating the Arizona Cardinals, this team's marquee wins were against AJ McCarron and Brock Osweiler. And man, did the Steelers squawk after the McCarron win. Never mind that the alternative — losing to a lightly regarded novice in his first significant action — would have been embarrassing.

Nobody's squawking this week, not after falling to Ryan Mallett and the Baltimore Ravens' JV team. The Steelers apparently thought they could railroad the Ravens like the Chiefs and Seahawks had in the previous two weeks (combined score: 69-20). They should have known better. The Ravens have now beaten them eight times in their past 11 tries.

Since the win at Cincinnati, the Steelers have played one good half. They acted that day as if they had won a playoff game — something they haven't actually done since John Russell managed the Pirates.

Until that day, I had never seen someone celebrate a downed punt (hello, Darrius Heyward-Bey) or an incompletion 10 yards out of bounds after a blown coverage (hi, Mike Mitchell). Players mocked the Bengals afterward.

Marcus Gilbert, who like most of his teammates has participated in precisely zero playoff wins, tweeted: “All I want for Christmas is the Bengals. Would love to see them in the playoffs where they choke. The talking is done between the lines (and, apparently, on Twitter, where Gilbert's teammate, Vince Williams, had threatened Cincinnati's Vontaze Burfict).”

Mike Tomlin laughed off the shenanigans surrounding that game.

“It's always us and somebody,” Tomlin said. “We seem to attract that type of atmosphere. Maybe it's us.”

Maybe. But it's definitely Cincinnati who won the AFC North. The Steelers will miss the playoffs unless they beat Cleveland and get some help from Rex Ryan, whose Bills must beat the Jets.

Isn't that rich? This mouthy team now is dependent on the NFL's King of Empty Talk (and I believe there's still a good chance the Steelers back in).

The Steelers' arrogance hasn't been the good kind that all great teams possess but the bad kind that delusional teams suffer from. The fan base suffers from it, too, constantly pointing to Tomlin's record against “bad teams” without noting that in several of those matchups the Steelers were one of the “bad teams” involved.

Exhibit A: The Steelers were 0-3 when they lost to 0-3 Minnesota in 2013. Wouldn't they have called the opposite result a bad loss in Minnesota?

to read rest of article:

http://triblive.com/sports/joestarkey/9709345-74/steelers-bad-tomlin#axzz3vu8TE8f8

Pride cometh before the fall

Maybe if these guys spent more time trying to beat 2nd and 3rd string qbs who suck, than going on that monstrosity of a forum of idiots, Twitter, maybe they wouldnt have to talk about how teams choke in the playoffs. Especially considering the Steelers have been choking like chickens eating a walnut since Super Bowl 45.

Good I hope the press turns up the heat on these guys.....this team has gotten all too comfortable putting up  a couple of "pretty" performances and then trying to coast instead of figuring out how they can get even better....And I don't like questioning a players drive either, they've worked their asses off to get where they are as professionals, but how else do you explain it.....

Sorry but I'm Not letting this go...but that pathetic decision to Attempt that fake FG in Seattle is a perfect example of some of the delusion going on with them. It showed a complete lack of understanding of where the team stood in the playoff race.....and to top it off it was executed like shit....They Fooled Nobody...Seattle was laughing their ass off as they clearly watched the different personell line up coming out of the break.

It's one thing to try that bs when it looks like you got a 1st round bye locked up....but in that situation,you got to be freaking kidding me. We were how many games out of the division lead, and Tied with the Jets who had a cakewalk schedule. I have no clue what Tomlin,Haley, and the coaching staff where on when they made that decision.

It's clearly on the veterans in the locker room like Debo and Ben to help the rest of the team keep things in perspective. The coaching staff needs to recognize the teams attitude going into each game and adjust it accordingly, no team in the NFL should go overlooked, EVER! Yup, even a depleted ratbird team...

I haven't found the team to be arrogant at all, and I think the Author of this particular article sounds more arrogant than anyone else talking down at the team as if he'd do a better job himself. This is a team that's literally a few pieces away from being a powerhouse. If the defense matched the offense's production we'd be flat out dominant. That nastiness with the Bungles the author keeps bitching about stems from dirty play by Vontaze Scumbag and rightfully so.

JonM229 wrote:

Pride cometh before the fall

Like the Ravens when they went from 10-6 to 5-11?

Starkey is a "freelance" (aka not full time) columnist who writes for a dying publication and also has a sports talk show where he is trying to generate listeners - the column was click bait intended to generate page hits and a chat topic for his radio gig

Kaboly and Adamski are the Trib-Review writers who cover the Steelers and provide good information - Starkey was trolling

Pride and a little arrogance is not a bad thing, but too much can get in the way of intelligent thinking and cloud judgment, like what was on display in Baltimore, that maybe was where the Steelers were at.


Its times like this that make me miss those Chuck Noll teams

Every time their heads swell to the max they fall down.

Its getting old real fast.

The reaction to the Bengals was completely justified. They were outright being dirty and acting like children, and while many didn't William Gay's celebration - I thought it was great 'Fuck you' to Burfict and Co.

The team stayed quiet all week and let the game do the talking. It's idiots like Burfict that walk to the opposition's sideline and start shit that makes everybody look bad. We're talking about a team that's gonna be 1 and done anyway.

Baltimore however, I feel they looked over and are just in denial about it.

There better be a shit-stain massacre in Cleveland Sunday. Forget playoffs, just sweep a fellow rival to show this team can come back next year and win the division back.

This could just as easily been written by Mark Madden except I'm pretty sure he doesn't know how to write. I don't mind arrogance but I could do with a little less celebration on the simple things like a tackle.
I wish these guys would go back and watch film on Lambert,Ham,Blount and Mean Joe. All those guys were arrogant but you didn't see them celebrating a tackle.
It's not just us if you watch any game it's everywhere in today's NFL. Man,just get back in the huddle and play the game like it's supposed to be played.

I don't have a problem with arrogance.

SoCalFan wrote:

It's clearly on the veterans in the locker room like Debo and Ben to help the rest of the team keep things in perspective. The coaching staff needs to recognize the teams attitude going into each game and adjust it accordingly, no team in the NFL should go overlooked, EVER! Yup, even a depleted ratbird team...

Ben is doing his part of keeping things in perspective by throwing bad interceptions in big games.

When a steady hand could have helped rally things Ben has been about as bi polar as you can get lately

Whatever, assuming we beat the browns we will have gone 10-6 with out Ben for 4 games and with out the best running back in the league for what 13 games? Going 10-6 with out 2 of your 3 superstars isnt bad. It's just a crying shame when a 10-6 team watches while potentially an 8-8 team could be in the playoffs.

We did dig our own grave but to go 10-6 is 9 times out of 10 going to get you in the playoffs, just not when you are the steelers.

This whole season has pissed me off more than any other. Bens injuries, Bells inury, the bengals being a bunch of fuck sticks just pissed me off.

After being so high and being considered the "most dangerous" team in the playoffs then shitting the bed against one of the worst teams in the league for the second time this season, and at the same time seeing the Patriots* hand the Jets a play off clinching win on a platter by electing to fucking kick after winning the coin toss in over time then letting Ryan Fitzpatrick bomb a touchdown on their sorry asses. The only time I ever wanted to Pats* to win... and the LOSE, wow I hate them.

FUCK THIS SEASON.


I think the Jets Bills game will be competitive, watch us lose to the browns.

Alex Kozora@Alex_Kozora

Still can't believe people are floating around the idea Tomlin and players were arrogant and overconfident in Sunday's loss.

Tell me it's a scheme issue. Tell me it's execution. But don't bring arrogance into it. Lazy cliche for people not willing to examine.

One last note on the Steelers' "arrogance." Today is New Years. Their best player, Antonio Brown, was in the weight room. Sets the tone.

If their best player is working harder than anyone else, you know there isn't arrogance or complacency. #Steelers

https://mobile.twitter.com/Alex_Kozora

Arrogance has nothing to do with our issues on this team. It's execution, plain and simple. Some mismanagement by the coaches doesn't help either, but the coaches have actually done a pretty exemplary job this season considering the injuries we were plagued with early on, and Le'Veon Bell going out for the season yet again. They deserve credit for that, other teams like the Ravens wilted under their injuries, though one can hardly blame them with the sheer amount they suffered.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Arrogance has nothing to do with our issues on this team. It's execution, plain and simple.

This stat is about execution but to some extent it is also about arrogance. Some of Ben's INTs in which he either forces the ball into coverage or chucks a deep throw down the sideline with no real clue if the receiver might be open reflect at best an unjustifiably high degree of confidence that a pass will be completed.

His touchdown to interception ratio is among the worst in the league.

Scan the list of the league’s best quarterbacks in this important category and some familiar names are at the top. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are Nos. 1 and 2. League MVP candidates Carson Palmer and Cam Newton are in the top 10.

Where is Roethlisberger? All the way down at No. 36 behind rookies Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Behind Jay Cutler, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Bradford, Tyrod Taylor and a host of other no-name quarterbacks.

One season after posting one of his best touchdown to interception ratios of his career (32 to 9), Roethlisberger is about to finish the season with one of his worst. He has thrown 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 11 games.

Roethlisberger is throwing an interception on average once in every 31 attempts. That’s on pace for his second-highest interception rate of his career.

For comparison’s sake, he threw an interception once in every 67 attempts last season.

Link to rest of article below

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/01/02/Interceptions-have-been/stories/201601020029

Ben's got to trust his receivers, I'm not sure if one can argue it's arrogance or trust that his players will make a play on the ball.

Atlanta Dan wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Arrogance has nothing to do with our issues on this team. It's execution, plain and simple.

This stat is about execution but to some extent it is also about arrogance.  Some of Ben's INTs in which he either forces the ball into coverage or chucks a deep throw down the sideline with no real clue if the receiver might be open reflect at best an unjustifiably high degree of confidence that a pass will be completed.

His touchdown to interception ratio is among the worst in the league.

Scan the list of the league’s best quarterbacks in this important category and some familiar names are at the top. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are Nos. 1 and 2. League MVP candidates Carson Palmer and Cam Newton are in the top 10.

Where is Roethlisberger? All the way down at No. 36 behind rookies Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Behind Jay Cutler, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Bradford, Tyrod Taylor and a host of other no-name quarterbacks.

One season after posting one of his best touchdown to interception ratios of his career (32 to 9), Roethlisberger is about to finish the season with one of his worst. He has thrown 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 11 games.

Roethlisberger is throwing an interception on average once in every 31 attempts. That’s on pace for his second-highest interception rate of his career.

For comparison’s sake, he threw an interception once in every 67 attempts last season.

Link to rest of article below

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2016/01/02/Interceptions-have-been/stories/201601020029

That's one guy though, making boneheaded mistakes. I don't think that's arrogance, that's just making dumb mistakes. He's had a lot more pressure on him to score points in droves this season than I think he had last season, not to mention he's been injured, and who knows if injuries are nagging at him. Some of those interceptions were just balls that got away from him as well. He does need to clean things up though, he was the single biggest reason we lost against the Ravens.

Tomlin's got a bit of arrogance in him.  But so do many other head coaches.

It shows up in game time decisions and at times in his pressers.

And it definitely rubs off on his team.  

Arrogance about your own abilities leads to bad decisions.....like Ben trying to force a ball and throwing a pick.

does he suffer from arrogance?  let's define the term arrogance:

ar·ro·gance
ˈerəɡəns/
noun
noun: arrogance

   the quality of being arrogant.
   "the arrogance of this man is astounding"


doesn't really help  

Steelers just didn't have it this season. Even when they were hot. I doubt any fans here even in the best games this season have been 100% confident in them.

But this does seem to be the the crucial molding point on this Steelers team. We can only keep this sort of high caliber, on the cusp of possible legend, offense under BB for a few years maybe. We are gonna have serious woes when Big Ben retires, and having to try and find another franchise QB. That's where the frustrations lie. I have faith in Big Ben being able to win another SB or even two no matter what you surround him with on offense. Gotta gotta gotta gotta gotta focus on secondary. And stop bullshittin

harrison'samonster wrote:

does he suffer from arrogance?  let's define the term arrogance:

ar·ro·gance
ˈerəɡəns/
noun
noun: arrogance

   the quality of being arrogant.
   "the arrogance of this man is astounding"

doesn't really help  

this helps, a picture can be worth a thousand words: