5 Burning Question in the Wake of the Steelers Loss to San Francisco

1. If you’re going to throw it 44 times, Batch starts to protect Ben.
2. “Arians is fired!”
3. There is no choice. It’s do or die time.
4. See 2.
5. Don’t activate him.

Why are the Steelers 11th in total yardage per game, but 22nd in points per game? Point in case, Steelers had almost 400 yards of offense monday night and only managed 3 points? Seems like the steelers have had this issue for some time now. They can move the ball well, but cant score.
Steelers score least amount of points per game of any team bound for the playoffs, yet rack up plenty of yardage, and have more offensive weapons than most teams in the league.

1. Batch should have started, but I will add this for a “devil’s advocate”. By all rights, he shouldn’t have played in the Super Bowl either, injury speaking. I simply look at it as an example of Ben’s commitment to his team. He understood the gravity of that game, and gave everything he had. I just feel that taking a 5 seed was our most possible outcome, and I would rather face that with a healthy, rested team.
2. I say nothing. We couldn’t run with Essex at LG. We have been improved with Legursky at LG, not at C. If we have a running game, we take pressure of Ben. Take pressure of Ben, Ben doesn’t feel the need to force throws he is in no position to force. Had Harrison been playing, perhaps they are slightly less successful. Its not like we got dominated. So many factors came into play to produce that outcome. If Ben wins the game 52-3, we’re not questioning his participation in the game.
3. We need our guys healthy. PERIOD. We’re already locked in the tourney. We should play these games like preseason. Get these guys some rest, and they’ll remind us all, just how good of a road team we are. If no one rests, then no road wins.
4. Arians isn’t calling ALL of the plays. Keep that in mind. #2 SF is number one against the run. their Achilles heel is their pass defense. Reminds me of someone…
5. Arnaz Battle-hes been inactive most of the year. Need D.Cromartie Smith on active if we have to play in Denver, meaning Ryan Clark can’t participatie.

1. Should Ben Roethlisberger have started, should Batch have relieved him, and if so when?

With a shot at the number 1 seed you have to play your guy if he’s at all able. Ben was not even 60%, but even at that level he was good enough to win. It’s not like he was wild and making bad decisions. He made a few bad decisions and a few bad throws and it seemed like every single one of them were taken advantage of. Take away a few blown calls (the 49er punt fumble, the bad jumping penalty) and add a couple of catches that should’ve been made and the Steelers win that game.

2. “Tough loss. Stay bold.”

3. If they had turned the ball over 7 times instead of 14 times in their 4 defeats, three of those losses would be wins.

4. The game was winnable even with the mistakes.

Anyone still arguing that the lockout didn’t impede the traditional training regimen? Anyone think the lockout has nothing at all to do with all of the injuries throughout the league? Ask guys like Chris Cooley. Man hardly ever missed a game, done early. He was even quoted, saying he was “a victim of the lockout”. I blame the lockout for our offensive struggles. Our offense against Cincinatti had a few familiar names, but the plan was not the same. We started the year talking about Mike Wallace’s speed at starting receiver…Now we’re talking about Antonio Brown and Jericho Cotchery. If we knew then what we know now, perhaps we spend our limited preseason preparing more relative to our strengths, instead of making it up on the fly. I see no method to the madness anymore, its just alot of repeating what worked the last time against a different opponent. I don’t blame the coaches for the preparation, as long as they are learning as they make mistakes. Like making Rashard wait till the third quarter for his FIFTH carry. This pass first mentality allows the D’s to drop in coverage, this is why most of our run attempts go for 2-3 yrds. They just run forward, catching the back coming through the line. When we run first, LB’s and S’s start crowding the line, to push your YPC to 1-2. This is where Play action involving Wallace and Brown becomes far more effective. When you pass first and second down. No one is going to bite on a play fake on 3rd and long. I believe even if we don’t make the Super Bowl this year, we will be a stronger team for it. Guys like Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward are seeing that it’s not always gonna go your way just because you think it should. That will pay big dividends in postseason play, if young guys start leading and playing like vets, because they’ve had to play without the vets; and without the benefit of a full preseason.

Anyways:

1. If the Ravens had beaten the Chargers, I would’ve shut Ben down and started Batch. But since the Chargers win briefly opened a window to a possible 1-seed for us, I have to say that I agree with giving Ben the start and a shot at pulling out what would’ve been a huge road win.

But with the way the Niners game got so ugly in the second half, I would’ve definitely pulled Ben and put in Batch. I would’ve made the move somewhere around the 50th time that Aldon Smith broke through and sacked/knocked Ben down.

2. I tell Tomlin that sometimes it’s just one of those nights. And while I know he doesn’t need me to tell him, I’ll also say to just put it in the rearview mirror and focus on getting through these final two weeks in whatever way he sees fit to prepare us for the playoffs.

3. It would be nice to have home field advantage, but if we really are a better and more deserving team than our opponent, we should be able to beat them in their house in the playoffs.

4. I would’ve liked to have seen more running plays to keep them honest. But things that feed off of the running game like play-action passes and pass plays out of a “heavy” set are much tougher to pull off when your QB’s mobility is hampered. So I don’t know – it was a tough night against a first-rate defensive front.

5. We already have our answer with Curtis Brown being put on IR. If I had to hazard a guess yesterday, I would’ve said Al Woods or Damon Cromartie-Smith.

1) Ben’s game to win or lose. Batch should come in only if it’s a blowout either way late. With two dog games following the SF game, and with Ben finishing the last game, gotta let him play.

2) after a game like what? A game on the west coast? With a gimpy but gutsy QB doing everything he can to will his team to a win? With an offensive coordinator that generally puts the “offensive” in offensive coordinator? And who is Art Rroney to say anything? He’s the US Ambassador to Ireland. Dan has the say now. And what should they say? Nothing. Let Jerry Jones and Daniel Snyder intrude and be spotlight whores. Not our owner, kthanksverymuch.

3. So .500 ball on the road isn’t “good?” it may not be excellent, but it’s damn for sure “good.” Evidence they can improve on good: experience in the postseason, already “good” on the road, and Ben.
4. I was at the game, and the flow seemed to favor at least 10 more carries for Mendenhall. The Niners D was tough, and stood Mendy up a bunch, but the best throws came off Mendy running it a few times. I still think Arians is a necessary evil, seeing as how close Ben is to him and that Arians has a couple rings. Ugh.
5. I say we put Curtis Briwn on IR to make room. Oh….what? We did? How clairvoyant of me!

1. Hindsight is 20/20 but it was pretty obvious that Ben was in no condition to play against the 49ers. Not only did Ben’s participation not give the Steelers a better chance to win in this case, but it was humiliating to watch him continue to get pounded after the outcome had already been decided in the 4th quarter.

2. If I’m the Steelers GM, I respectfully ask my head coach what he thought was the upside in playing our hobbled $100 million QB who we desperately need to be ready for the playoffs.

3. The Steelers have a pretty good record so far but they’ve only played up to their potential in a few games. This inconsistency is quite likely to rear its ugly head again in playoff games on the road. But that’s why we MUST have a mobile Ben and a healthy OL come playoff time. That’s our only chance.

4. Arians failed to modify his typical game plan to fit the circumstances of this game. BA should have been calling nothing but quick passes and quick-hitting runs. The few drives we had, stalled or led to TOs because we kept trying to throw it deep.

5. This decision already has been made.