The Steelers EARNED their playoff berth

Given the brutal schedule and the litany of injuries to star players, the fact that the Steelers even made the playoffs is a miracle, and a testament to the team's resilience. So let's stop bitching about minutiae for a bit and appreciate the bigger goddamn picture for a change. THE STEELERS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS! This alone is cause for celebration!

I'm glad we're in. I know if the D holds up their end and Ben gets his head out of his ass with the INT problem we can beat anyone.

Its going to be a long road if we want a championship... The AFC Doesn't really have a team that scares me much, we know Denver is good, and new england always comes ready to play in January, but I'd say the AFC is fairly soft in comparison to the past few years. The NFC has some dangerous teams. Cards, panthers, seahawks, packers, vikings, I think whoever comes out of that group will be favorites to win.

ImperialFan wrote:

Its going to be a long road if we want a championship... The AFC Doesn't really have a team that scares me much, we know Denver is good, and new england always comes ready to play in January, but I'd say the AFC is fairly soft in comparison to the past few years. The NFC has some dangerous teams. Cards, panthers, seahawks, packers, vikings, I think whoever comes out of that group will be favorites to win.

really the packers are 'dangerous'
you didn't see many of their games this year did you?

they've pretty much sucked since week 4.

Mind you the first 3 teams are the most dangerous in the NFC for sure.

solardave wrote:

I'm glad we're in. I know if the D holds up their end and Ben gets his head out of his ass with the INT problem we can beat anyone.

Ben needs a running game. Hell, this TEAM needs a running game. Without that, I don't see us going far. I don't trust Ben to make good decisions at crucial times anymore. And our defense has been suspect for a few years now. With out some sort of running game, IMO, we're screwed.

EbonySteel86 wrote:

solardave wrote:

I'm glad we're in. I know if the D holds up their end and Ben gets his head out of his ass with the INT problem we can beat anyone.

Ben needs a running game. Hell, this TEAM needs a running game. Without that, I don't see us going far. I don't trust Ben to make good decisions at crucial times anymore. And our defense has been suspect for a few years now. With out some sort of running game, IMO, we're screwed.

Agreed.
The sad thing is the INTs lately have come at the worst times when they start to move the ball really well he'll throw one OR when they try to go for a quick strike which has happened lately too.

His 2 worst ones were the ones in the Broncos game and the Ravens game where he was to throw to the sideline and sidearmed it inside each time. Pretty brutal really.

Fingers crossed that he treats this as a new season and plays like he did the first 2.75 games before his knee injury.

I have to agree. I think the team did a good job overcoming a tough schedule, injuries, and adjusting to a new D. Now it does feel like we underachieved some but at the same time, I think this team could contend.

Packers are still a dangerous team in the playoffs.

The Packers haven't done anything much like the Steelers since Super Bowl XLV in the playoffs.
They've been 1 and done twice for sure and last season got lucky on a TD that was wrongly overturned against Dallas which would have been 3 times.

So that's not exactly dangerous.

But its a new season; so yes anything can happen.

Hopefully Kirk 'YOU LIKE THAT' Cousins plays the way he's been playing and the 'Skins'll win.

Have to agree with SN that the Packers have been underachievers in the playoffs since they beat us in the SB some years back. I wouldn't be shocked if the Redskins beat the Packers. Rodgers is missing Nelson badly.

I agree. I've heard so many announcers make excuses for teams like the Patriots*****, packers, bengals, etc, and all the injuries they've sustained. Not once since the playoff picture started forming have I heard anyone mention the losses the Steelers have overcome.

Time to show what the #6 seed can do - circa 2005!

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

Have to agree with SN that the Packers have been underachievers in the playoffs since they beat us in the SB some years back. I wouldn't be shocked if the Redskins beat the Packers. Rodgers is missing Nelson badly.

Rodgers missing Nelson isn't an excuse. They've had what 20, 21 weeks since his injury to figure it out. Then again I thought based on what you read and hear most times Rodgers is a one man band. Of course that's only when he plays well otherwise is what excuse can we dream up so not make him look bad.

This season in my view proved that Ben is better than Rodgers regardless of stats; why:
Rodgers is nothing without Nelson by all accounts. But if Rodgers is as good as he's promoted shouldn't he make the guys around him 'better'?

AB is nothing if he doesn't have Ben throw him the ball. Ben makes AB, AB.

If Ben plays those 4 games by all accounts AB more than likely destroys all the single season receiving records and by my guess even cracks 160 receptions.

Although none of those stats will matter if they don't win Saturday because winning trumps all stats in the 'new' era of the NFL.

Peter King is really drooling over the Steelers as "the team no one wants to play".

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/01/04/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-nfl-playoffs

I would pump the brakes a bit on this.

SteelersNorth wrote:

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

Have to agree with SN that the Packers have been underachievers in the playoffs since they beat us in the SB some years back. I wouldn't be shocked if the Redskins beat the Packers. Rodgers is missing Nelson badly.

Rodgers missing Nelson isn't an excuse. They've had what 20, 21 weeks since his injury to figure it out. Then again I thought based on what you read and hear most times Rodgers is a one man band. Of course that's only when he plays well otherwise is what excuse can we dream up so not make him look bad.

This season in my view proved that Ben is better than Rodgers regardless of stats; why:
Rodgers is nothing without Nelson by all accounts. But if Rodgers is as good as he's promoted shouldn't he make the guys around him 'better'?

AB is nothing if he doesn't have Ben throw him the ball. Ben makes AB, AB.

If Ben plays those 4 games by all accounts AB more than likely destroys all the single season receiving records and by my guess even cracks 160 receptions.

Although none of those stats will matter if they don't win Saturday because winning trumps all stats in the 'new' era of the NFL.
We're on the same page. Agreed with 100% of what you've said here about Ben, AR, and the receivers.

Oh we agree. Wasn't trying to use it as an excuse at all. Rodgers has to adapt because you know Ben would adapt if AB got hurt. I think Ben's a lot better than many QBs I see listed ahead of him due to his mental and physical toughness. Plus outside the 2010 post season, I don't really get a clutch vibe from Rodgers. But yeah in the end of the day especially in this age, wins matter for a lot in perception. I can't believe people were actually talking about Eli Manning as having being better than Ben at one point.

jak341 wrote:

Peter King is really drooling over the Steelers as "the team no one wants to play".

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/01/04/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-nfl-playoffs

I would pump the brakes a bit on this.

its funny cause leading up to the Ravens game 2 weeks ago NFL network and ESPN we're all over the Steelers after the big win against Denver.

They wen't and shit the bed.

Its strange when they get the praise and moderate hype they flop.
Anytime they're an underdog they go out and do what they're supposed to do and play they way they should play which is amazing on offense and decent on d.

Now I don't know what to expect lol

jak341 wrote:

Peter King is really drooling over the Steelers as "the team no one wants to play".

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/01/04/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-nfl-playoffs

I would pump the brakes a bit on this.

He must have been tired from all of that Kraft/Belichick/Brady ball washing

ImperialFan wrote:

Packers are still a dangerous team in the playoffs.

The Packers won't get past the Redskins.

The_Joker wrote:

ImperialFan wrote:

Packers are still a dangerous team in the playoffs.

The Packers won't get past the Redskins.

The team from Washington still sucks, but honestly ....neither of those teams wins 2 games in the playoffs.

As for earning a spot....who cares, they are in. They were swept by a team with the #6 overall draft spot...I'd say they underperformed many times this season.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

The_Joker wrote:

ImperialFan wrote:

Packers are still a dangerous team in the playoffs.

The Packers won't get past the Redskins.

The team from Washington still sucks, but honestly ....neither of those teams wins 2 games in the playoffs.  

As for earning a spot....who cares, they are in.  They were swept by a team with the #6 overall draft spot...I'd say they underperformed many times this season.

Hey, he's talking about my team!

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

The_Joker wrote:

ImperialFan wrote:

Packers are still a dangerous team in the playoffs.

The Packers won't get past the Redskins.

The team from Washington still sucks

Hey! Don't talk about my Caps that way!

The_Joker wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

The_Joker wrote:

ImperialFan wrote:

Packers are still a dangerous team in the playoffs.

The Packers won't get past the Redskins.

The team from Washington still sucks

Hey! Don't talk about my Caps that way!

I was thinking about the Bullets.

Since I live by a bunch of Saints fans, I made one of my co-workers upset today. I jokingly asked him who the Saints play this weekend. He walked off grumbling to another co-worker, who is a Redskins fan. The Redskins fan later told me that the Saints fan got mad and said that the Steelers barely made it and that I shouldn't be cracking jokes.. ;oP We may have "barely" made, but we are in and now we are all 0-0.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

The_Joker wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

The_Joker wrote:

ImperialFan wrote:

Packers are still a dangerous team in the playoffs.

The Packers won't get past the Redskins.

The team from Washington still sucks

Hey! Don't talk about my Caps that way!

I was thinking about the Bullets.

Or the Wizards??

Packers v redskins? I'll take Green Bay to win that game.