One Horrible Game, One Horrible Drive, One Horrible Plan and One Horrible Play

I love Troy, but I don’t think he had a good season by his standards. He was just short on many plays that he used to make (lost a step?), and he was caught guessing in coverage way too often (too much film on him?).

If we stick with our 3-4 scheme, I’d like to see Troy take the position of linebacker that can cover guys out of the backfield, and put a different coverage guy behind him. I’m not a football gur, but what about Troy and Timmons as ILB and Woodley and Harrision as OLB.

Our loss in Denver had more to do with an very ineffective offense to put up more than enough points to put Tebow in a panic… that’s why we lost primarily. Secondarily, had we put up enough point the run game for Denver would of not been an issue and then we could of feasted on the Passing Game. We just had too many injuries to overcome playing on the road and a decent defense that could get to the QB. Our issues aren’t bad except depth and conditioning… Had we had a fully healthy line and QB we are playing in NE and maybe Balt… Tack on our coaching choices to adapt our offense to work within our injuries. We should of gone heavy (multiple TE) and lessen the number WR and bring in a FB to help protect. We didnt and thats why we lost…

Prior to Ben’s injury we looked like the most well rounded team in the AFC. But his injury, along with all the other injuries, was just too much to overcome.

Personally, I’m glad Denver put us out of our misery. Not only would NE have crushed us, but I don’t think i could have watched Ben limp around anymore, almost defenseless…he could have done some permanent damage.

Nope. Wasn’t meant to be. I’ve already moved on to the draft.

The D had a big hand in losing but with the injuries to corners, our D-line and Clark, I think LeBeau did the best he could with what he had to work with, he assumed they would need to shut Denver down completely to win. NE’s offense won the game for them, not their defense, it’s much easier to play D against Denver when you score TD’s, not FG’s. If we go up 14-0 instead of 6-0, it is a totally different game. Our D has to hold every team to fewer pts because we can never outscore anyone, can never put anyone away and just don’t score enough pts. The D was a problem against Denver but it was because of our offensive ineptitude this and years past that made LeBeau think they needed the D to win the game by shutting them down. Any offense with competent players should be able to score with the rules and we don’t score enough and we don’t control the ball enough, and for the most part just underperform all around on offense and it will be the same next year so I hope the D is up to the task again or it will be a long season.

When Ray Lewis took out Hines ward with a helmet to helmet hit on 3rd down in the second meeting. The only time I have ever seen an official frantically wave for the trainers. How could he have seen the horrible collision and not have seen the helmet to helmet? So instead of a first down inside the 10, we had to settle for a short field goal.

I hate to be “that guy” who complains about the officiating, but just like Maryrose said, it’s not how many calls go against your team, it’s the placement and effect of those calls. 10,000,000 views groan at an obvious personal file but the 8 part time officials who could do something about it do nothing.

So not penalty but a $15,000 fine for Ray Lewis and a victory for the Ravens. I bet they liked that deal. Who knows what they would have done if it was James Harrison.

Two factors that I think have not been emphasized enough.

1. With one experienced running back playing in high altitude, a very effective running game could not be utilized to the max..

2. Clark. Not only what he brings by himself, but what his presence allows Troy in terms of latitude and flexibility.

Polamalu never looked better is incorrect. I thought he looked injured or confused 50% of the time.

Playoff defeats bring out the binge-drinker in me. Sadly, playoff victories do the same.

thank you. i still don’t get the strategy. as you say, the old defense almost always beats bad qbs.

I am less upset than a lot of folks around these parts. 12-4 was a good record. Unlike some, I don’t view the Denver game as a humiliation. A team with a good defense and a good running attack beat us. Yes, it’s remarkable that they beat us by passing, but there you go.

And they beat us when our ranks were decimated by injury. (OK, that’s the wrong word because far more than 10% of our team was out, but you get the point.) How many starters were Out or Walking Wounded by the end of that game? Our QB, our best RB, multiple backup RBs, both of our best tackles, our probowl center, all 3 of our starting D linemen, our safety, and both of our OLBs. Jokes were going round that we might not be able to field a full team.

So no shame there, in my book. And plenty to feel good about this year in terms of development of young players, including what may prove to be a stellar draft.

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That said – that I feel this was a good year in my books – I do not feel that there was anything too random or unlikely about our exit this year.

We beat the teams that we should beat; but the Ravens, 49ers, and Texans were better than us this year, demonstrating that on the field. The Offensive Line continues to be bad, just as predicted at the beginning of the year – and we had our worst games against teams with good defensive linemen. We give up more sacks that take us out of field goal range than any team I’ve seen.

Still – even with holes on the line – the Steelers boasted tons of “playmakers” on office. More, frankly, than any team since 1979. The one scandal of this year is that all that talent combined to field the 22nd ranked offense in the game. A probowl QB, a RB said to be in the top 10 in the league, a TE considered the most complete in the game, 2 pro bowl wideouts, a third destined for the hall of fame, and two other wideouts that passed him on the depth chart. That’s a lot of firepower. Yet only ten teams in the league were worse.

And that performance wasn’t surprising. We followed a rigid offensive philosophy that underperforms by not playing to the team’s strengths. Was anyone really surprised to see the bubble screens against Denver? No? Might Denver have expected them too? What about the heavy reliance on the long bomb heaves to Wallace? Not surprised? Me neither. Neither was Denver.

The good play-calling this year (against New England, for example) was distinctive in how it departed from our normal practice; yet we rarely returned to it.

So, in the end, a brave, hard-hitting team with a great defense but heavy injuries played a weaker team with good defensive linemen, and our OC called another somnambulant game that failed to put points on the board. And we lost. Nothing too unexpected there.

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On to next year. Make six moves and win another superbowl. (1) Draft a great lineman. (2) Sign another in free agency. (3) Draft a NT. (4) Sign an ILB. (5) Sign a kicker. (6) Get a new offensive coordinator. Simple, huh?

Why does he always insist on lining up 10 yards off the LoS on 3rd and short. There is at least one drive in each of the 17 games this season where Gay single handedly kept the defense on the field.

When the offense only needs 3 yards, and you start 10 yards away in a back pedal there is a problem.

Certainly the CB play needs to be improved and this year saw strides in that direction (thanks likely to Carnell Lake). But the biggest need in terms of the draft remains the O-Line. So what to do about the defense, particularly the corners? LeBeau made a much-needed adjustment in his approach to New England and I would have liked to have seen if that was a one-time remedy or we had finally overcome the Brady-hurdle. Bot that was not to be because the defense made Tebow look like a real QB and the Broncos out-gameplanned our defense. What drove me crazy was not Tebow’s first scoring drive, but that with each drive after that, LeBeau and the defense didn’t evolve. The defensive plan on the last play was unsuccessful on Denver’s earlier scoring drives, so why stick to the same plan in OT?

I know this sounds like basphemy to many. LeBeau is a HoF’er if the HoF means anything. He renewed and reinvigorated the great Steeler defense tradition and will always be beloved by Steeler Nation. But with all the new rules, the game has changed. If weak QBs like Flacco and Tebow can pass their way to game-winning drives against our defense, the defensive game plan needs to evolve to remain successful.

Much of what you say about the defense is good, the the Steelers problem is not with the defense! Maybe you intend to address this later. Taking a long view, rather than trying to isolate the season outcome on a single game or even a single play ask what was the most persisistent and consistent attribute of their season overall. The Steeler’s consistently underachieved on offense against inferior opponents. Personnel? I don’t think so. Schemes? Maybe. Coaching? Intimately connected with schemes, right? With the obvious wealth of talent they have there is hardly any conceivable excuse for their pathetic offensive performances except for coaching.