Steelers vs Packers 4:25

I don't even know what to think about this team anymore at this point. It's frustrating to say the least. I think the biggest issue is the offensive line (or lack thereof). These guys are pitiful. They can't do anything right right now. Guys like Dotson, Green, and Turner were supposed to help get this team better in the run-blocking department and they've yet to show me anything positive in this regard. Dan Moore is being asked to start as a rookie, and Banner can't stay healthy to save his life so we've been stuck with Chuks and Haeg neither of whom have been impressive. When you can't run block, and you can't pass protect... it's really hard for the rest of the offense to have any semblance of success.

As for Ben, his play is getting worse. He isn't hitting the open throws that he would've even last season. He's overthrowing guys that are wide open, and going to his check-downs in situations where that's really not an option. I will place some of the blame on the offensive line, they are allowing pressures far too often, allowing Ben to get hit far too often, and their inability to effectively run block is stifling our run game, and putting even more pressure on a 39 year old QB who's obviously having some of his own issues on top of the aforementioned poor play by the offensive line. I don't think Ben deserves all the grief he's getting though (at least not all of it), I do think he has a little bit left in the tank, but it's hard to see how much fuel is left when the gauge is broken. Ben needed help last season, when we couldn't run the ball and they were asking him to throw it 40+ times a game the offense really started to stink. We needed to be balanced then, and we weren't getting the job done. They bring in new lineman hoping it'd fix the issue and I feel like it's actually worse than it was last season. We have the same exact issues as last season, which is why I won't put all of the blame squarely on Ben's shoulders. I think putting Rudolph back there, or even Haskins would not be pretty. Rudolph is every bit a statue right now that Ben is at 39yrs old. He's a pure pocket passer, and has worse pocket awareness than Ben does. Haskins is a guy that is more athletic but we've seen him crumple under pressure through his young career. There's a reason Washington didn't keep him, and we got him so cheaply. Go back and watch the highlights of the Panther's preseason game that Haskins started, he played a better quality defense and being given one of his biggest chances since leaving Washington, he wasn't in the least bit impressive. I think trying to play these backups would be like trying to stop an arterial bleed with a band-aid.

The defense hasn't impressed me either. I am obviously just Joe Schmoe regarding my level of football acumen, but I feel like we have some serious coaching issues here. Why is it that the Ravens can plug in their depth guys and the drop-off in production isn't nearly as catastrophic as it is with the Steelers? The injuries this year have lead to our depth guys having to step in, but they haven't stepped up. Joe Haden gets hurt and the secondary goes to shit. Tyson Alualu gets hurt and the defensive line falls apart. Our rush defense is terrible, and guys like Wormley and Buggs are not the answer behind Alualu. TJ Watt our best defensive player gets hurt, and I understand why there's a drop-off there, he should've arguably been the DPOY last season, and when you lose that level of talent it's going to hurt, but with guys like Ingram and Highsmith that drop-off shouldn't of been nearly as noticeable as it was. Derek Carr shredded our defense and we did nothing to shake him up. He sat back there in the pocket doing whatever he wanted. Burrow embarrassed us. Rodgers picked us apart as well, in spite of Watt's return, but Watt is not 100% right now either. We're supposed to have this vaunted group of pass rushers and yet they haven't been all that impressive to me outside of the Bills game. I will give them a bit of a break though since Tuitt still has yet to play this season, and he might be just as good or even better than Heyward when he's healthy. I think we'd be better if we had everyone healthy, but this is football. You have to have some kind of depth so that you're successful when you face adversity.

But to get back to the Coaching, I think Tomlin and Butler have issues developing these younger talents. They've drafted how many guys who've come and gone defensively on both the defensive line and in the linebacking corps. It seems we can't get good consistent production from our depth guys at all. I am literally sitting on pins and needles every game hoping a starter doesn't get hurt because I feel like the guys who are supposed to be the next man in, can't get it done. I think some of the blame on that has to be with Tomlin and Butler from a coaching standpoint, but also with the front office and player personnel standpoint because it seems like over the past few years our depth behind the starters just hasn't been very good. I think it's a combination of poor drafting, and an inability to coach these kids up. I still see mental mistakes from the defense that make me scratch my head. The Jamarr Chase touchdown going into half-time in the Bengals game really pissed me off. You can't give up anything over the top in that situation, you've already let them drive most of the field, so you leave Pierre on an island one-on-one with a lightning-fast receiver? Where was the safety help on that play? Why wouldn't the safeties be back to ensure they don't allow a big play in that situation? I think that's poor coaching, and poor situational awareness. Something that's been kind of a theme with Tomlin/Butler.

Don't even get me started on Matt Canada. Maybe it's just me, but this offense looks a lot like the offense Fichtner was running that everyone complained about. Canada's comment to the media "we're just going to keep doing what we're doing" doesn't sit well with me when your offense is playing this poorly. You can't just keep putting square pegs in round holes, he needs to find a way to manufacture success. I don't know if he needs to simplify the offense down to the few things they're doing well, or what, but right now this offense is broken, beleaguered, and can't get out of their own way. Canada has to shoulder some blame in this as well. It's his job to make adjustments which makes his "we're just going to keep doing what we're doing" comment seem all the more ridiculous.

Anywho (holy long-winded post Batman), this really just sucks, and while I will always support my beloved Steelers they are definitely not doing anything to help my blood pressure this season.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

I don't even know what to think about this team anymore at this point. It's frustrating to say the least. I think the biggest issue is the offensive line (or lack thereof). These guys are pitiful. They can't do anything right right now. Guys like Dotson, Green, and Turner were supposed to help get this team better in the run-blocking department and they've yet to show me anything positive in this regard. Dan Moore is being asked to start as a rookie, and Banner can't stay healthy to save his life so we've been stuck with Chuks and Haeg neither of whom have been impressive. When you can't run block, and you can't pass protect... it's really hard for the rest of the offense to have any semblance of success.

As for Ben, his play is getting worse. He isn't hitting the open throws that he would've even last season. He's overthrowing guys that are wide open, and going to his check-downs in situations where that's really not an option. I will place some of the blame on the offensive line, they are allowing pressures far too often, allowing Ben to get hit far too often, and their inability to effectively run block is stifling our run game, and putting even more pressure on a 39 year old QB who's obviously having some of his own issues on top of the aforementioned poor play by the offensive line. I don't think Ben deserves all the grief he's getting though (at least not all of it), I do think he has a little bit left in the tank, but it's hard to see how much fuel is left when the gauge is broken. Ben needed help last season, when we couldn't run the ball and they were asking him to throw it 40+ times a game the offense really started to stink. We needed to be balanced then, and we weren't getting the job done. They bring in new lineman hoping it'd fix the issue and I feel like it's actually worse than it was last season. We have the same exact issues as last season, which is why I won't put all of the blame squarely on Ben's shoulders. I think putting Rudolph back there, or even Haskins would not be pretty. Rudolph is every bit a statue right now that Ben is at 39yrs old. He's a pure pocket passer, and has worse pocket awareness than Ben does. Haskins is a guy that is more athletic but we've seen him crumple under pressure through his young career. There's a reason Washington didn't keep him, and we got him so cheaply. Go back and watch the highlights of the Panther's preseason game that Haskins started, he played a better quality defense and being given one of his biggest chances since leaving Washington, he wasn't in the least bit impressive. I think trying to play these backups would be like trying to stop an arterial bleed with a band-aid.

The defense hasn't impressed me either. I am obviously just Joe Schmoe regarding my level of football acumen, but I feel like we have some serious coaching issues here. Why is it that the Ravens can plug in their depth guys and the drop-off in production isn't nearly as catastrophic as it is with the Steelers? The injuries this year have lead to our depth guys having to step in, but they haven't stepped up. Joe Haden gets hurt and the secondary goes to shit. Tyson Alualu gets hurt and the defensive line falls apart. Our rush defense is terrible, and guys like Wormley and Buggs are not the answer behind Alualu. TJ Watt our best defensive player gets hurt, and I understand why there's a drop-off there, he should've arguably been the DPOY last season, and when you lose that level of talent it's going to hurt, but with guys like Ingram and Highsmith that drop-off shouldn't of been nearly as noticeable as it was. Derek Carr shredded our defense and we did nothing to shake him up. He sat back there in the pocket doing whatever he wanted. Burrow embarrassed us. Rodgers picked us apart as well, in spite of Watt's return, but Watt is not 100% right now either. We're supposed to have this vaunted group of pass rushers and yet they haven't been all that impressive to me outside of the Bills game. I will give them a bit of a break though since Tuitt still has yet to play this season, and he might be just as good or even better than Heyward when he's healthy. I think we'd be better if we had everyone healthy, but this is football. You have to have some kind of depth so that you're successful when you face adversity.

But to get back to the Coaching, I think Tomlin and Butler have issues developing these younger talents. They've drafted how many guys who've come and gone defensively on both the defensive line and in the linebacking corps. It seems we can't get good consistent production from our depth guys at all. I am literally sitting on pins and needles every game hoping a starter doesn't get hurt because I feel like the guys who are supposed to be the next man in, can't get it done. I think some of the blame on that has to be with Tomlin and Butler from a coaching standpoint, but also with the front office and player personnel standpoint because it seems like over the past few years our depth behind the starters just hasn't been very good. I think it's a combination of poor drafting, and an inability to coach these kids up. I still see mental mistakes from the defense that make me scratch my head. The Jamarr Chase touchdown going into half-time in the Bengals game really pissed me off. You can't give up anything over the top in that situation, you've already let them drive most of the field, so you leave Pierre on an island one-on-one with a lightning-fast receiver? Where was the safety help on that play? Why wouldn't the safeties be back to ensure they don't allow a big play in that situation? I think that's poor coaching, and poor situational awareness. Something that's been kind of a theme with Tomlin/Butler.

Don't even get me started on Matt Canada. Maybe it's just me, but this offense looks a lot like the offense Fichtner was running that everyone complained about. Canada's comment to the media "we're just going to keep doing what we're doing" doesn't sit well with me when your offense is playing this poorly. You can't just keep putting square pegs in round holes, he needs to find a way to manufacture success. I don't know if he needs to simplify the offense down to the few things they're doing well, or what, but right now this offense is broken, beleaguered, and can't get out of their own way. Canada has to shoulder some blame in this as well. It's his job to make adjustments which makes his "we're just going to keep doing what we're doing" comment seem all the more ridiculous.

Anywho (holy long-winded post Batman), this really just sucks, and while I will always support my beloved Steelers they are definitely not doing anything to help my blood pressure this season.

I agree Iowa and I will say this. It would take me (2 finger type) half the season to write what you have here. Our issues are all over the place O and D. I have been a diehard Steeler fan for going on 50 years and they are blowing up my blood pressure this year.

solardave wrote:

I agree Iowa and I will say this. It would take me (2 finger type) half the season to write what you have here. Our issues are all over the place O and D. I have been a diehard Steeler fan for going on 50 years and they are blowing up my blood pressure this year.

Haha my Dad types the same way, given he kind of has an excuse since he's missing a pinky on one of his hands so it'd probably be more difficult to learn proper typing with that kind of handicap.

This team is just maddening to watch. I knew this offensive line was going to be a huge question mark coming into this season, but I never imagined they would play this poorly. I get that a couple of rookies are being asked to do a lot, but there are veterans that have played or are playing (Chuks, Turner, Dotson, Haeg) and they haven't looked any better than the rookies to be quite honest. QBs get all the attention, and a lot of the blame, but that old adage that everything begins in the trenches in football is just as true today as it's ever been.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

solardave wrote:

I agree Iowa and I will say this. It would take me (2 finger type) half the season to write what you have here. Our issues are all over the place O and D. I have been a diehard Steeler fan for going on 50 years and they are blowing up my blood pressure this year.

Haha my Dad types the same way, given he kind of has an excuse since he's missing a pinky on one of his hands so it'd probably be more difficult to learn proper typing with that kind of handicap.

This team is just maddening to watch. I knew this offensive line was going to be a huge question mark coming into this season, but I never imagined they would play this poorly. I get that a couple of rookies are being asked to do a lot, but there are veterans that have played or are playing (Chuks, Turner, Dotson, Haeg) and they haven't looked any better than the rookies to be quite honest. QBs get all the attention, and a lot of the blame, but that old adage that everything begins in the trenches in football is just as true today as it's ever been.

The fact that Tomlin mentioned a hip issue leads me to believe we will see Rudolph,Haskins,Dobbs and possibly Moe Larry and Curly before it's all over.

solardave wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

solardave wrote:

I agree Iowa and I will say this. It would take me (2 finger type) half the season to write what you have here. Our issues are all over the place O and D. I have been a diehard Steeler fan for going on 50 years and they are blowing up my blood pressure this year.

Haha my Dad types the same way, given he kind of has an excuse since he's missing a pinky on one of his hands so it'd probably be more difficult to learn proper typing with that kind of handicap.

This team is just maddening to watch. I knew this offensive line was going to be a huge question mark coming into this season, but I never imagined they would play this poorly. I get that a couple of rookies are being asked to do a lot, but there are veterans that have played or are playing (Chuks, Turner, Dotson, Haeg) and they haven't looked any better than the rookies to be quite honest. QBs get all the attention, and a lot of the blame, but that old adage that everything begins in the trenches in football is just as true today as it's ever been.

The fact that Tomlin mentioned a hip issue leads me to believe we will see Rudolph,Haskins,Dobbs and possibly Moe Larry and Curly before it's all over.

those guys are pure genius

solardave wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

solardave wrote:

I agree Iowa and I will say this. It would take me (2 finger type) half the season to write what you have here. Our issues are all over the place O and D. I have been a diehard Steeler fan for going on 50 years and they are blowing up my blood pressure this year.

Haha my Dad types the same way, given he kind of has an excuse since he's missing a pinky on one of his hands so it'd probably be more difficult to learn proper typing with that kind of handicap.

This team is just maddening to watch. I knew this offensive line was going to be a huge question mark coming into this season, but I never imagined they would play this poorly. I get that a couple of rookies are being asked to do a lot, but there are veterans that have played or are playing (Chuks, Turner, Dotson, Haeg) and they haven't looked any better than the rookies to be quite honest. QBs get all the attention, and a lot of the blame, but that old adage that everything begins in the trenches in football is just as true today as it's ever been.

The fact that Tomlin mentioned a hip issue leads me to believe we will see Rudolph,Haskins,Dobbs and possibly Moe Larry and Curly before it's all over.

Or possibly...



Or maybe...

Ben saying the hip injury causing him problems throwing the ball....

Ben Roethlisberger says hip injury is affecting his throws

Quote :

Ben Roethlisberger said the hip injury he sustained in the loss in Green Bay looks ugly and could affect his throwing mechanics in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

He did not say when he was injured against the Packers, but he did say he intends to play against the Broncos.

"It’s pretty sore,” Roethlisberger said. “If I showed you the picture, it might bother your stomach.”

Roethlisberger said the injury could be to blame for some of the missed throws against the Packers because his lower body restricts his ability to step into a throw.

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2021/10/06/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-matt-canada-mike-tomlin-juju-smith-schuster-najee-harris/stories/202110060122

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Ben saying the hip injury causing him problems throwing the ball....

Ben Roethlisberger says hip injury is affecting his throws

Quote :

Ben Roethlisberger said the hip injury he sustained in the loss in Green Bay looks ugly and could affect his throwing mechanics in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

He did not say when he was injured against the Packers, but he did say he intends to play against the Broncos.

"It’s pretty sore,” Roethlisberger said. “If I showed you the picture, it might bother your stomach.”

Roethlisberger said the injury could be to blame for some of the missed throws against the Packers because his lower body restricts his ability to step into a throw.

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2021/10/06/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-matt-canada-mike-tomlin-juju-smith-schuster-najee-harris/stories/202110060122

Ok Ben if it's impacting you that bad then sit the fuck down for a game and get healed. Don't use it as an excuse for your shitty performance... oh and BTW Ben you are 2-8 the last 10 games what's the excuse for that?

Let Mason, Haskins, and Dobbs play we need to see what we have with them. Ben is done... this complaining about his "hip" injury on Tuesday is a load of bullshit... get the wadders out folks it's gonna get thick with it the next few weeks...

Ben has issues and those were showing up prior to this year. Those issues were present prior to their decline last season. For some reason, he's struggled with teams that have stacked the LOS, then drops their safeties deep. It's like he can't quite hit that middle ground route. When he was young, he could evade or shrug off a sure sack, scramble around until his receivers totally broken down the defense, and hit that one guy deep. He doesn't have that ability anymore, so he's got to play QB. I'll say this, I'm not worried about Ben's mobility. He needs to be able to throw the ball. Brady beat Mahomes in the SB and Brady has always been the biggest statue in the league.

I'm certainly a Steelers fan. I always think my team will pull it together. And they will do that against the Broncos!

MOP asked about the run game against the Packers and mentioned the stats looked a little better. I think their run game was so much more improved than the prior games that I'm encouraged by what they can do going forward. Unfortunately, getting behind in games doesn't help them stick with the run and therefore, we didn't see larger total yards by game's end. Against the Packers, they rushed for over 4 yards on 1st downs (when the defense knows they will try to run). I saw really good push up front on the rushes on 3rd and short. Green played his best game and I was pleasantly surprised by how Haeg played ... didn't know he could get to the 2nd level so well.

With that said, they have to be able to throw the ball in the mid-to-deep zones effectively in order to keep the defense from totally stacking the box.

TJ played poorly in this game and the loss of Alualu has been a killer. This team has a huge drop off from Heyward, Tuitt and Alualu and the rest of the D-linemen that they essentially now have Heyward and a couple bodies. They need Tuitt back in the worst way. This is the reason I don't think replacing Ben would have won the game against the Packers. The defense just couldn't make enough plays to stop the Packers offense. Bush did well on a single blitz, but often was out of position on run plays. Combine that with a poor game by Watt and 2nd rate D-linemen and I didn't see them winning.

Get the defense healthy, get Tuitt back to help stop the run and open rushing lanes to the QB, find a way to fix their passing game, and allow the O-line to gel under game experience and  this team can do well. Can they do that quick enough to stack enough wins to make the playoffs?

kirklandrules wrote:

Ben has issues and those were showing up prior to this year. Those issues were present prior to their decline last season. For some reason, he's struggled with teams that have stacked the LOS, then drops their safeties deep. It's like he can't quite hit that middle ground route. When he was young, he could evade or shrug off a sure sack, scramble around until his receivers totally broken down the defense, and hit that one guy deep. He doesn't have that ability anymore, so he's got to play QB. I'll say this, I'm not worried about Ben's mobility. He needs to be able to throw the ball. Brady beat Mahomes in the SB and Brady has always been the biggest statue in the league.

I'm certainly a Steelers fan. I always think my team will pull it together. And they will do that against the Broncos!

MOP asked about the run game against the Packers and mentioned the stats looked a little better. I think their run game was so much more improved than the prior games that I'm encouraged by what they can do going forward. Unfortunately, getting behind in games doesn't help them stick with the run and therefore, we didn't see larger total yards by game's end. Against the Packers, they rushed for over 4 yards on 1st downs (when the defense knows they will try to run). I saw really good push up front on the rushes on 3rd and short. Green played his best game and I was pleasantly surprised by how Haeg played ... didn't know he could get to the 2nd level so well.

With that said, they have to be able to throw the ball in the mid-to-deep zones effectively in order to keep the defense from totally stacking the box.

TJ played poorly in this game and the loss of Alualu has been a killer. This team has a huge drop off from Heyward, Tuitt and Alualu and the rest of the D-linemen that they essentially now have Heyward and a couple bodies. They need Tuitt back in the worst way. This is the reason I don't think replacing Ben would have won the game against the Packers. The defense just couldn't make enough plays to stop the Packers offense. Bush did well on a single blitz, but often was out of position on run plays. Combine that with a poor game by Watt and 2nd rate D-linemen and I didn't see them winning.

Get the defense healthy, get Tuitt back to help stop the run and open rushing lanes to the QB, find a way to fix their passing game, and allow the O-line to gel under game experience and  this team can do well. Can they do that quick enough to stack enough wins to make the playoffs?

Good breakdown and analysis why the run game showed improvement.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/platform/amp/2021/10/6/22711664/steelers-vertex-why-the-pittsburgh-steelers-run-game-was-more-successful-in-week-4-najee-harris

arthur moats says this was the olines best game.

Why the Steelers run game was more successful in Week 4
The Steelers rushing attack is not good yet, but it is getting better.https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2021/10/6/22711664/steelers-vertex-why-the-pittsburgh-steelers-run-game-was-more-successful-in-week-4-najee-harris


running game did show some signs of life but still has a long way to go.

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

arthur moats says this was the olines best game.

I wouldn't argue against that statement. That's why it's becoming more obvious why the offense can't get it's shit together.

We all knew it was gonna take the first 8 games for the Oline to get some cohesion. Noone was expecting miracles. Many weren't expecting Ben's ability level to drop off as bad as it has... a few of us knew it wasn't there last year and he would be a liability.

The FO made its bed and now the entire organization has to lie down in it. Stuck with Ben and his ego until Ben sits his ass down and quits coming up with excuses for poor play.

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

arthur moats says this was the olines best game.

Not surprising really, the Packers' defense really lacks an elite pass rush. They're probably the weakest front 7 we've faced this season.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

arthur moats says this was the olines best game.

Not surprising really, the Packers' defense really lacks an elite pass rush. They're probably the weakest front 7 we've faced this season.

way to burst our bubble...you just couldnt let us think they were getting better ...

LambertWardSteel wrote:

Ben saying the hip injury causing him problems throwing the ball....

Ben Roethlisberger says hip injury is affecting his throws

Quote :

Ben Roethlisberger said the hip injury he sustained in the loss in Green Bay looks ugly and could affect his throwing mechanics in Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

He did not say when he was injured against the Packers, but he did say he intends to play against the Broncos.

"It’s pretty sore,” Roethlisberger said. “If I showed you the picture of my throwing motion, it might bother your stomach.”

Roethlisberger said the injury could be to blame for some of the missed throws against the Packers because his lower body restricts his ability to step into a throw.

https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2021/10/06/pittsburgh-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-matt-canada-mike-tomlin-juju-smith-schuster-najee-harris/stories/202110060122

Fixed it for you.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

arthur moats says this was the olines best game.

Not surprising really, the Packers' defense really lacks an elite pass rush. They're probably the weakest front 7 we've faced this season.

Packers are in the top half against the run. The Raiders were the team that is ranked near the bottom against the run and not running well against them was telling of how poor our O-line was performing. So to see the Steelers run the ball with some affect against the Packers, it was a welcome site.

We'll see how well the Steelers run offense performs against the Broncos who are only giving up 3.5 yards/carry thus far and are ranked #6. Rankings this early in the season can be misleading because of the low number of games played, so take all this for what it's worth.

I just don't think we have hardly any chance to win if Ben plays. If he can't throw the ball well because of his hip, well....he wasn't throwing well before he hurt his hip. How much worse is it gonna be now?

This could be a train wreck.

I think Tomlin is letting Ben dig his own grave. He has to. If he benches Ben part of the fan base will lose their minds. If he let's Ben lose more games until the bye week then he can make a move and the fan base will welcome the change and Ben can complain and make excuses all he wants.

Ben knew he had the FO and coaches bent over a barrel. They should have bit the bullet last year and let him go but once they committed to him he knew he was in the driver seat. He just didn't plan on being a total failure this year.

Tomlin will wait and let Ben's terrible play speak for itself. 1-7 or 2-6 going into the bye week and Steeler Nation will be hungry to find out if Rudolph, Haskins, or Dobbs can turn things around. Tomlin will look like the good guy, he will have given Ben plenty of opportunities to win and Ben's lack of ability will be on full display to quiet down the Homers still hanging on to Ben's jock strap for dear life...

Time to rip the bandaid off.

If my junior high football players couldn't practice, they wouldn't play in the game. Ben is barely practicing. May explain why he and the receivers are not on the same page.

Play someone who practices every day.

Great Randino wrote:

Time to rip the bandaid off.

If my junior high football players couldn't practice, they wouldn't play in the game.  Ben is barely practicing.  May explain why he and the receivers are not on the same page.

Play someone who practices every day.

yep...and as i said before , when you think you need to give uninjured players time off practice because they are getting long in the tooth, then thats when you need to seriously consider getting their future replacement on the roster. stop keeping scrubs on the roster for so long. keep bringing in new guys until you find THE guy. no more dan McCullers taking up a roster spot for 5 years and having like 40 tackles. if you dont show strong potential to be a starter in the league by the last preseason game of your 2nd year ...
 NEXT !!!

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

Great Randino wrote:

Time to rip the bandaid off.

If my junior high football players couldn't practice, they wouldn't play in the game.  Ben is barely practicing.  May explain why he and the receivers are not on the same page.

Play someone who practices every day.

yep...and as i said before , when you think you need to give uninjured players time off practice because they are getting long in the tooth, then thats when you need to seriously consider getting their future replacement on the roster. stop keeping scrubs on the roster for so long. keep bringing in new guys until you find THE guy. no more dan McCullers taking up a roster spot for 5 years and having like 40 tackles. if you dont strong potential to be a starter in the league by the last preseason game of your 2nd year ...
 NEXT !!!

I couldn't agree more.

Tomlin like to use to say "we dont have backups, we have starters in waiting"  
i know its not possible to have starter quality backups at every position. doesnt mean you cant try. you dont have to settle with a guy just because he has been around for a few years and knows the system.
i just find it hard to believe out of 5 years of  college guys that didnt make  an active roster  , that not one of them could have developed to be better than McCullers. i dont just mean the guys that spent a few weeks on the steelers.
i have been ranting about this backup/roster shit for years and have in the past done a deeper dive to support my rants. the percentage of players who spent years on a steeler roster and eventually cut, and NEVER made another teams roster was very high.
when nobody is willing to give your castoff that spent YEARS taking up one of your roster spots,a shot , you should stop and evaluate how you select who to keep and who to cut.
before someone says...well james harrison...blah blah blah...for every james harrison there is probably 1000 casius marshes.
i realize some players are late bloomers. i thought brett kiesel was a waste of space for years, until he wasnt.
guys like buggs and davis have been getting a lot of reps. so far they cant fill tysons shoes ? so how long should they get to prove they can ?
i would give them until the end of next preseason to shit or get off the pot.

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

Tomlin like to use to say "we dont have backups, we have starters in waiting"  
i know its not possible to have starter quality backups at every position. doesnt mean you cant try. you dont have to settle with a guy just because he has been around for a few years and knows the system.
i just find it hard to believe out of 5 years of  college guys that didnt make  an active roster  , that not one of them could have developed to be better than McCullers. i dont just mean the guys that spent a few weeks on the steelers.
i have been ranting about this backup/roster shit for years and have in the past done a deeper dive to support my rants. the percentage of players who spent years on a steeler roster and eventually cut, and NEVER made another teams roster was very high.
when nobody is willing to give your castoff that spent YEARS taking up one of your roster spots,a shot , you should stop and evaluate how you select who to keep and who to cut.
before someone says...well james harrison...blah blah blah...for every james harrison there is probably 1000 casius marshes.
i realize some players are late bloomers. i thought brett kiesel was a waste of space for years, until he wasnt.
guys like buggs and davis have been getting a lot of reps. so far they cant fill tysons shoes ? so how long should they get to prove they can ?
i would give them until the end of next preseason to shit or get off the pot.  

I have never been a McCullers fan. I've been in agreement with you on him. Just because your big doesn't mean you can play. Talk about an expensive place mark. 6 years. Like you said not only did he hurt us financially but he took up that spot that their had to be a better option for. I thought Buggs might be the guy but he hasn't shown anything much in his second year and with Tuitt out and Alualu out we can't stop the leaks up front. I mention Tuitt even though he's a DE his absence shows just how much we need a Casey Hampton type run stuffer next to him.

solardave wrote:

Master_Of_Puppets wrote:

Tomlin like to use to say "we dont have backups, we have starters in waiting"  
i know its not possible to have starter quality backups at every position. doesnt mean you cant try. you dont have to settle with a guy just because he has been around for a few years and knows the system.
i just find it hard to believe out of 5 years of  college guys that didnt make  an active roster  , that not one of them could have developed to be better than McCullers. i dont just mean the guys that spent a few weeks on the steelers.
i have been ranting about this backup/roster shit for years and have in the past done a deeper dive to support my rants. the percentage of players who spent years on a steeler roster and eventually cut, and NEVER made another teams roster was very high.
when nobody is willing to give your castoff that spent YEARS taking up one of your roster spots,a shot , you should stop and evaluate how you select who to keep and who to cut.
before someone says...well james harrison...blah blah blah...for every james harrison there is probably 1000 casius marshes.
i realize some players are late bloomers. i thought brett kiesel was a waste of space for years, until he wasnt.
guys like buggs and davis have been getting a lot of reps. so far they cant fill tysons shoes ? so how long should they get to prove they can ?
i would give them until the end of next preseason to shit or get off the pot.  

I have never been a McCullers fan. I've been in agreement with you on him. Just because your big doesn't mean you can play. Talk about an expensive place mark. 6 years. Like you said not only did he hurt us financially but he took up that spot that their had to be a better option for. I thought Buggs might be the guy but he hasn't shown anything much in his second year and with Tuitt out and Alualu out we can't stop the leaks up front. I mention Tuitt even though he's a DE his absence shows just how much we need a Casey Hampton  type run stuffer next to him.  

he made about 6 million in the time he was with the steelers. those were some expensive tackles. all 34 of them. chicago plucked him off the steelers practice squad out of desperation for 2020. gave him a few reps then
now he is at home eatin chicken wings watching the game on sundays. where he should have been 4 or 5 years ago. they could have auditioned a few more fat asses instead of sticking with his fat ass for so long. maybe we might of had a more legit backup right now instead of buggs. i will give a disclaimer. buggs or davis still may yet improve. i just wouldnt give them multiple more years to do it.