Why are the Steelers 6-5?

that’s the mathematical term for “some years you get the bounces, and some years the bounces get you…”

Holy crap look at the saints right now destroying the pats. Even if we make it to the SB somehow, there’s no way we take this team down.

So we dont have our closers in the game and the swings go in the opposite direction.

At this point, I have no expectations for the season. I just want to see the team close out the year strong and with some level of pride. Things feel like they are falling apart on the Steelers right now, or the media is just overhyping stuff. Either way, unless we become Road Warriors again and win the SB or make it to the AFCC (still possible, I’ve just given up hope for the most part) this has been a terrible season. Hopefully one we build off of.

Therefore, its the Madden curse. Why wasn’t that a choice in the poll? I don’t believe in curses though. But damn, if some of those tipped interceptions don’t happen, holding penalties on those returns for TD get called, etc..

How can people vote for the injury option since we only lost Big Ben for one game?? It is retarded to think we lost 4 other games just because of Polo anyway. Every team face injuries, we are no different. Polo is amazing, Aaron is amazing, but I dont accept that as the major reason for a mediocre year because I have seen top teams losing their big stars for a few games and still roll it many times. Im actually more amazed with only 12 people voting for the SB hangover. I think thats an easy call because this team was not ready neither hungry (with a few exceptions) from day one. I see guys being arrogant and selfish since the preseason, not to mention Bruce Durrrians and the ST dude.
How do u explain the ST return/blocking and coverage abysmal downgrade, by the loss of Polo and Ben?? Lol
IS it Polo’s absence the reason our O makes dumb moves in clutch time game after game too?? Is his absence the reason why we didnt finnish KC n Baltmore in Overtime after winning the toss both times?? Duuuuuhhh!!

If that would have been listed in the poll, I would have voted for it and only it. To me, that’s been the ONE glaring thing I’ve noticed this year. This team either has read too many of it’s own press clippings or fanmail, or truly believes it can “turn it on” at a moment’s notice in order to beat anyone else in the league (I believe the latter to be correct).

Why do I say this? Think about almost all of the games they have lost in this season (I’d say all of them). AT TIMES, this club has looked clearly and obviously the best team in both leagues. Examples? First half against Chicago, the first Bengal game, the defense raising Cain with Flacco at times on Sunday, etc. But what these players seem to forget, is that no NFL team is intimidated by the Great Steelers; in order for us to win, we have to play at our best for the entire 60. The offense needs to show more consistency, and the D needs to “clamp down” when we need it late in the game. In the losses, I don’t believe either item mentioned in my previous sentence showed up.

Simply put, we can’t expect teams to roll over just because we are the Great Sixburgh Steelers. It’s 2009, not 2008, 2005, 1979, 1978, 1975 or 1974.

Now fellas, get over yourselves and go kick tail.

He signed for what we could have paid him in AZ. We could have really used him this year.

1. Special teams – 2 missed field goals against Chicago and the kick returns for touchdowns against Cincinnati at home and at Kansas City were killers in those three losses.
2. Pass defense – several things have happened to contribute to the decline in the pass defense. Here’s just a few: Troy’s knee, Timmon’s ankle problems, McFadden in AZ, Ratliff didn’t work out as a free agent acquisition, Ike has had a couple of awful games, Ryan Clark has dropped interceptions, Deshea Townsend’s play has fallen off a cliff, James Farrior is getting torched in coverage, etc. Ideally, Burnett and Lewis would be ready to contribute as Ladarius Webb has for the Ravens. But after 11 games, it looks like they’re riding pine unless somebody gets hurt.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Santa is going to be delivering a couple of Pro Bowl defensive backs down the South Side chimney. So, hopefully, the Steelers can snag a Wild Card despite their deficiencies.

The Bengals still have to play Minnesota,San Diego & @Ny Jets!!

I think it is a little of all those put together is the reason we are 6-5. Some of them we as a team can control as far as what we do on the field and our hunger and focus on what is most important and that is defending the pride of the Steeler Nation and doing as much as we can to keep the title in Steel City. The other things such as the hunger of the other teams now that we are the Champs and the ups and downs of Pro football and injuries, we can’t do very much about that. Injuries can be minimized with proper conditioning, but the nature of the game makes injuries unavoidable at times.

However, I do think if we take care of the thngs we can control, we can overcome the things we can’t and be successsful and bring home #7. The time is now Steeler Nation!

Those are the units that have given new life to beaten opponents (see: pick-6 in first Bengals game, 94 yard INT return against KC, and 4 KRs for TDs).

I really don’t buy into the loss of McFadden being the key to our drop in defensive productivity. He was hurt for several games last year, with no significant difference. One thing that may be making a difference (in addition to losing Aaron Smith and Troy to injury) is the different role of Timmons. With Foote gone, Timmons isn’t the 3rd down linebacker running down those passes out to the flat like last year.

But, from what I’ve seen, we’d be 8-3 without bad KR coverage or horrible turnovers by the offense in the first Cincy and KC games.

i believe we hv multiple issues, combinating in a nearly perfect storm. the team that wins the SB plays the 2nd longest season in the NFL (the team that loses plays the longest). that, plus our “mature” defensive squad has us playing like a tired team, particularly in the 4thQ. we hv been in every game this season, but hv now lost nearly half of them, primarily n the 4thQ.

i still believe we r 1 of the most talented teams in this league, but we r performing like a middle of the pack team. i also believe, as bill parcels said, ‘u r what ur record says u r’. we don’t need to make the playoffs this season. instead, i believe, we need to take serious stock of our players, particularly on special teams, & yes, on defense as well, to evaluate & prioritize what changes need to b made to enable us to b competitively elite next season.

lets b honest, even playing the best we’ve played this season, would we really b competitive w the saints or indy? i can no longer honestly say i am confident we could b, & i don t think it serves any purpose to go into the post season, just to extend the season or b/c “anything can happen”. of course i hope 4 he best, & i hv been a steeler fan 4 over 48 yrs, so i am a steeler fan 4 life, so, skip the haterade please.

overall, i think the coaching staff is doing a fine job (xcept for ST), but we don t seem 2b able 2 stop teams from converting 3rd & sometimes even 4th & long. the offense has looked slugish & predictable too often; ST talent looks like an afterthought; virtually no one seems 2b able 2 step their game up @ crucial times in big games.

every year cannot b our year, but overall, i still think this team has a couple of SB victories in them w a little fine tuning – but this season is a bust.

As many have already written, there are multiple factors. I think execution is the #1 culprit with the ball bouncing against us being #2.

This season we’ve witnessed every sort of mistake possible. Tone runs a bad route, leading to a pick 6. Mendy fumbles in the red zone. Wallace drops a TD pass. Gay gets burned in the flat. Roethelisberger sacks himself out of field goal range. The coaches forget about on-side kicks. Reed misses field goals. These are fundamentals we’re goofing up. We are inconsistent. One game we look like a powerhouse passing team: the next our WRs can’t keep the ball off the turf. That’s just poor execution. These guys need practice.

Bad luck is another problem, though I’d like to think good teams can overcome it. Normally, an INT results in the loss of a drive. For us, it seems like every INT is either a pick 6 or a run-back that ends within FG range. We can’t just tip a pass, we have to tip it into the hands of our opponent. Our opponents have been able to punish us severely for every misdemeanor. Sure, the ball bounces both ways. For example, we got lucky with the Fox INT against the Vikings. But it seems to be bouncing against us far more often.

I had a feeling injuries was going to be the #1 vote getter.

They won 6 and lost 5 that’s why they are 6-5

but im just as easily convinced bad breaks could be part of it. NFL is a good league because its a tricky league……..one team can go from the bottom in one year to the top the next (unless you’re the Lions or Browns).

However, I think the injuries are the key to the 6-5 record. Remember, most of our losses have been close games, real close. If you don’t think that Troy can make a that one impact play that we need to win the game then you are insane. How many times have we said ’TWHHT" during a live game thread? A lot, and about half of those are serious…..but still thats a lot of key plays we are missing with him out.

We haven’t really missed Smith that much because of superb back up play and Ben only missed one game but the impact of Troy cannot be underestimated. People claim that our defense is a one man show but don’t forget that our losses have been close games. The defense doesn’t revolve around Troy but he is that player that pushes them over the top…..

all teams need a little luck to win
and the opponents are also trying to win (even if they don’t always look like it)

as much as we all feel like we know this team, we know everything about what happens and absorb tremendous amounts of information, we don’t know and see all. As fans, we can never have the full picture.
Add to that the season is just breaking the halfway point (including playoffs) and there is so, so much football left. If the Steelers win out, everyone will have forgotten about 6-5- as they should.

It’s hard to know who is to blame for a play or who to praise because there is so much information hidden from viewers. We see the throw and catch, we see the move. But we don’t know the exact playcall, or the responsibilities, or every moment of all the little battles that make up a play. We see a missed tackle and think a guy has performed poorly, but it could be a blown assignment, or he could have excellent reaction time and a lesser player might not have even been in a position to make a tackle. Maybe there was a sub with a player below replacement value, and good player might be shifting over to protect the weak link.

I chose “The NFL is such a fine line”. Teams really walk the razor’s edge between winning and losing. 2008 – Deshea’s pick against the cowboys? Tone’s TD @ ravens? I won’t even mention XLIII. This year we have people making 4-5s against us, people returning picks and kickoffs and punts, our D and receivers dropping easy catches.

I definitely believe this and I’ll say we are lucky. For most teams the good and bad luck averages out in each season. The Steelers were lucky to get a bunch of good luck in one season and capitalize on it. Don’t forget: