Postgame Thoughts
by Fahey on Nov 4, 2008 3:05 PM EST
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PrintThere's something psychological that occurs when a starter goes down; everyone looks around and realizes that he's gonna have to step it up a notch, and it seems to increase the importance of individual accountability. Everyone stepped up when Byron stepped in, and they all played the way we all knew they could play.
I don't think Arians changed the offensive game plan all that much, especially when looking at the 50-yarder to Nate to open the half. I think they went ahead with the normal adjustments, and who knows if Ben would've had the same success or not had he not been injured. I think the game plan stayed the same, but I've got to admit, Big Byron is healthier than I thought. His legs looked a bit wobbly by the end, but he played like he'd never been injured. His delivery is still strippable/fumbleable, but the line gave him as many seconds as he needed ... which isn't always the case (goes back to the team stepping up when their leader went down).
Tomlin was the man. Great challenge. LOVED the anger at the end with the helmet-to-helmet call on Farrior. I know Kornhole & Jaws reiterated, and I'll agree, that the call was perfect, right outta the rule book ... but it wasn't a bad hit and it gave their O another chance. Not a chance to win, but why take your foot off the gas at that point in the game. Put on a national demonstration that just because you play in the NFC East doesn't mean you can't get taken behind the woodshed & stomped all night. And I love a coach who has the same anger, expression & passion as his D.
The onside kick to open things up, no biggie ... I think a number of teams try it at least once a season - sometimes it works / sometimes it doesn't - and after those 3 and the 3 from the lucky INT, the Skins disappeared. I personally feel that the onside kick is much more likely to have success if attempted when it's not expected ... give it a shot if you've got the D to mop up if necessary.
Arians, Arians, Arians. I really don't think he's terrible; I just think he doesn't understand full offensive management. He could probably go back to working as a receivers coach or a tight ends coach with great success. Again, I'll give him credit as well as Leftwich for the second half, but maybe the continuous shit Ben gets into will be enough to snap him out of his "put Ben back there & have him toss a 12-step-drop touchdown bomb every snap" mentality. When you've got $100-million watching from the sidelines, the people paying that money are gonna give you a real long & hard performance evaluation.
The future. If the D brings this same intensity next week, let Ben rest up and let Byron run the same playbook. We've all already seen the best that the Colts have to offer, and that was 2 or 3 years ago ... they're on the decline, Peyton "9 for 10 in first half commercial spots" Manning is shaky, and their D is only built to help sustain a lead (i.e. can't stop the run). Plus I want Tomlin to beat up on Dungy. Edge him toward retirement, grasshopper.
The future again. I don't know what's in store for Byron beyond this season ... if the Steelers bring Batch back, or where Dixon's progress will be. But if Leftwich is no longer with the Black & Gold in 09, I hope last night's performance was enough to earn him a starting job for a good team. As long as it's not a rival team.
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Tomlin
I think there’s something to be said for Tomlin starting to feel like the steelers are being ‘picked on’. Not that it’s justified, it’s probably just a result of their violent style of play. But when you’re in the middle of it, it’s easy to feel that the calls just aren’t going your way.
One big call that I thought was blown was the holding call on Starks on Willie’s good run, where Tomlin was shouting ‘Who???’ Max absolutely killed his guy but it was all straight up. Otherwise I thought the refs did a good job yesterday. I’d prefer they didn’t call that on Potsie, but it was a close call, and close calls are going to the QBs.
Myehh....Tomlin spent too much time watching the Mike Singletary clips,
..or old Bill Cowher footage. The whole episode seemed totally contrived for the benefit of the cameras to me. Tomlin had one eye on the red lights of the sideline cameras and was sneaking quick peeks of himself on the overhead screen when they weren’t on him.
If it wasn’t contrived and phony, it was certainly misplaced. The call was textbook, the team was well ahead, and his defense was on fire. Save the theatrics for the right time.
hypothetically speaking
if we went 8-0 for the rest of the season and won a super bowl, would you fidn anything positive to say about tomlin? (note that that is not at all a prediction from me, 6-2 would be my completely unscientific prediction)
Hard to buy you as the impartial observer, here, RE, considering that you’ve given a clear impression of hating Tomlin.
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Nov 4, 2008 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
Singletary
I live in the Bay Area, and Singletary’s pants-drop gets no press out here. There are naked dudes all over the place, and as far as the Dennis-Green-style postgame press conference, well you can say whatever you want in these parts and nobody really cares. We’ve got the 49ers, Raiders, A’s, Giants, Warriors, and the Golden Bears out here, though … so success is never guaranteed or expected … just appreciated when it actually happens.
Robert, I sometimes enjoy your Debbie Downer attitude about all things Tomlin. It’s sometimes interesting reading, despite my disagreement. I did not get the impression that he was posturing for the cameras in any way, but I suppose that’s a matter of inference.
The Steelers have been criticized for winning on “splash plays” and for not winning the entire ballgame (for doing ‘just enough’), and I think Tomlin was amped because they were set, after a somewhat aenemic first half, to control every facet of the game until the final whistle. He didn’t want to compromise the momentum, he wanted to stick up for his players, and maybe he wanted Goodell and Rooney to see that he won’t just roll over and accept judgments on his team without his point of view entering the fray.
Despite what your views may be, Robert, I do agree with Wolfpack that you’ve spent the majority of your posts criticizing Tomlin, and therefore have hampered credibility. Most of us are unable to enter into the suspension of disbelief necessary to objectively consider your opinions. Perhaps you could set up a new screen name and start fresh. Just make sure that, as with Beerman’s attempt at this, that you vary your writing style enough to mask your identity.
Regardless if you think it was genuine, or not..
..it was totally out of place. Singletary went off after his team got whacked in order to inspire them in the future, presumably. Cowher usually went off with a good reason, in my recollection, and picked his spots to do so.
Tomlin (without much reason) went off (and off, and off, and off) when his team was comfortably ahead and his players were performing at top level. It was just bizarre and dumb.
I’m sure the fact that it was MNF and there were 15 cameras pointed at him had something to do with it. Time was running out in the game. If he didn’t make an impression on that rather meaningless play, the chances are he wouldn’t get a chance to afterwards.
You guys rag me for ragging Tomlin, but it is precisely incidents like this that make me contemptuous of the guy.
Meaningless play?
Are you kidding me? It would have been a turnover on downs and instead they got a first down. The hit was also in no way dirty, and I personally feel it was an inappropriate call. Perhaps his anger fired up our D to keep them out of the end zone.
If Tomlin is angry with the refs then perhaps it is only because they call unnecessary roughness on our guys. Where was the roughing the passer call when Shaun Rogers lowered his helmet directly into Big Ben’s injured right shoulder against Cleveland? But if any of our guys breathe on the other team’s QB after the throw we get a penalty. Fucking bullshit!
by houksyndrome on Nov 4, 2008 10:25 PM EST up reply actions
echoing my thoughts
I felt like the whole offence stepped their mentaal game up a both with BL in and them not knowing exactly what to expect. Who knows if it’s true…
rest of the team stepping up
especially the wideouts they were dropping passes left and right when Ben was in there but really tightened up in the second half
I agree here
Our entire offensive unit stepped up in the second half. Everyone made plays. Nobody made plays in the first half. If we see more of that the rest of the year, we are gonna be tough to stop.
Hey, Robert Ethan,
are there any African- American coaches you like?
Just curious
Well contrary to what you guys seem to beleive..
..I don’t think much about race when judging these guys. But since you ask, I have a lot of respect for Tony Dungy. Although I suppose he is probably of mixed race by the look of it. Like Barack Obama.
You would be hard pressed to find any American citizen who doesn’t have some sort of racial blending in their background if you look back far enough. How do you categorize Hines Ward? Or Chris Kemoeatu? Or James Farrior? Troy Polamalu?
If I jump on Hines Ward is it because he is African American or Asian American? Or both? If I criticize Farrior am I criticizing the African percentage of his ancestry, or the (presumably) Caucasian percentage?
It’s such a bogus issue.
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