There aren’t many QBs at all who can throw accurately while backpedaling like he did on several occasions. Carson Palmer definitely can’t.

I agree, Timmons athletic ability needs to be unleashed on Sunday. Especially against a weak Cincy O-line.

I think that Timmons can add enough to the defense to keep it doing well until Troy gets back.

Here is a wild idea for you. As athletic as Timmons is, maybe he should play strong safety until Polomolu gets back?

Harrison and Woodley have to get stronger. They are the key to the Steelers having good pass coverage. If thos two give the QB time to throw, it will be a long day.

Two things to remember: The Steelers defense did well enough to win the game is Jeff Reed hits his field goals. And on the irrational side of things, the Steelers have only ever won once in Chicago, so they wer fighting a jinx. LOL

There is nothing predictable about the NFL. The moment you start thinking your are already a step behind. This gets lost in translation by us casual fans all the time. Some times you have to use the element of surprise. While I don’t question your logic, I do trust the devensive schemes that we run. James Farrior may not be as an explosive as rusher as Timmons, but at the same time Farrior may not be as good a cover guy as the freakish athlete of Lawrence Timmons.

Maybe the only reason Farrior gets to the quaterback on those plays is because the offense was anticipating a blitz from 94, and by sending Farrior we caught their block scheme off guard.

The only “thinking” that should be done is thinking that Dick LeBeau knows exactly what he is doing on every single defensive play!

As I wrote in my analysis of the game (linked to in a FanShot), I think it’s the offense that needs to step up. They should have been more able to impose their will on a somewhat overrated defense this past weekend, but they could not. Perhaps the weather had something to do with that, but as has been stated elsewhere on this site, the running game may not have been utilized enough in the second half.

As far as Gay not playing well, I thought he was fine in game 1. The big pass plays that allowed the Titans to score at the end of the first half were on Ike and Clark. If you’re saying that because Gay allowed a few 8-12 yard passes in the first couple of games, I’d say that I saw our defense do that several time last year, with Ike, Deshea or McFadden in there as well. It seems to occur when the DBs are playing with a cushion. I can’t say that I remember McFadden ever being spectacular last year. Sure he was solid, even very good. But, I think that his agent is overrating him if he thinks that he’s an $8-12M/yr CB (IIRC, that’s the range he gave). I guess I’m just saying that I don’t see where Gay is the considerable dropoff from McFadden that he’s been called the last couple of games. True, the pass defense has been below last year’s average. But, so have the sacks. I haven’t looked at the pressures, but they may be down some as well. And, the games haven’t shown the defense to have dropped off that much.

Roethlisberger and Cutler did not shake hands after the game, they snubbed eachother.

Where is the Inside Scoop on that?

Get TMZNFL on this story, I want some juicy NFL Gossip. I want some more NFL Drama.

A little late, but the bears are who we thought they were!!

and I can see some reason to be upset at the defense, but I can also see just as much reason to be upset at the offense. They had 1st and 10 at the 14 in the drive where Reed missed his first FG and couldn’t score a TD. And, as lifer said, Ben giving up a sack in that situation is inexcusable (better than a pick, but still). And, I still don’t see the obvious dropoff in play from McFadden to Gay. Most of the big gains the defense gave up were draws and screens, just like against the Pats, Cowboys, and other teams last year.

That game vs. the Seahawks in ‘07, they did have Hasselbeck. He ended up going 13-27 for a little over 100 yards that day. He threw the pick to Ike Taylor to end the first half (Seattle’s only scoring opportunity, that game, also). They were without Deion Branch, who got injured in the first quarter and fullback Mack Strong, who we literally knocked out.

I agree with you about our pass rush, though. I would love to see Lawrence shooting in sometimes, especially on that Inside Linebacker criss-cross blitz that we run a lot. There were a few times in both games this year where i’ve seen Silverback and Woods both get close on different occasions but both keep getting held something fierce. On that pass where T.C. clocked Greg Olson (that he got fined for), Woods was getting mugged by the right tackle. He was getting held so bad, he was basically forced into a bull rush because the RT was all over him so bad, it could damn near qualify as date-rape….