This loss will hurt for some time

by tdbragg66 on Jan 8, 2012 9:05 PM EST

This loss to the Broncos is one thats going to hurt for a while . The Steelers suffered a rediculous number of injuries leading up to the game with Roethlisberger , Pouncey and Mendenhall . Not to mention the fact they lost Brett Kiesel and Casey Hampton before halftime and neither returned . This team was no where near full strength against the Broncos and before anyone says , youre making excuses , I say no , Im simply stating the facts . The Broncos won and for that you have to give them credit . However , at the end of the day , one has to wonder if this Steeler team had not lost all these key players to injury , could the outcome have been different ? For that we have a whole off season to sit back and ponder that thought . On another note , Ike Taylor probably played the worst game of his career against the Broncos . At times he looked totally confused to the point he didnt know where he was on the field . Thats unacceptable for a veteran corner whos played in as many games as he has . This is more proof that this Steeler team needs to upgrade its secondary before next season . Ike isnt getting any younger and after him , you have barely average at best . At the end of the day , there needs to be some blame laid at the feet of Dick LeBeau . Dick should have a had a better game plan going into this game to slow down Tebow and while I dont blame him completely for the defenses collapse , he has to share in the blame . Now we can all sit back and wonder , what if ?

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Woodley

Even guys who played showed the effects of injuries. Woodley was clearly limited during the game, lacking the explosion we’re used to seeing.

Tough loss, but I think the club would have faced a tall order beating NE with all the injuries.

Looking forward to 2012

by SteelStealth on Jan 8, 2012 9:17 PM EST reply actions

Agree about Taylor and LeBeau

Ike should be embarrased about his performance today, he let his teammates down. I said this in other posts, but I’m tired hearing about how he is an All-Pro CB. He isn’t. He gets beat too often to be considered as such…even if he covers the other teams top WR in man coverage. That’s what an All-Pro is supposted to do. Except an All-Pro gets the job done.

As for LeBeau, it’s becoming obvious to me that he has a hard time adapting once the game begins. The D looked good on the first few series. Kiesel and Hamton going down hurt, but Heyward and McLendon played well in their place. The problem was LeBeau took too long to realize that they needed to pressure Tebow with the blitz and that Taylor couldn’t cover Thomas in man.

by Psycho Kuz on Jan 8, 2012 9:43 PM EST reply actions

Ike

In defense of Ike. He was on his own all day. Safeties were in the box and there was no support behind him. Did not like the game plan at all.

by twault on Jan 9, 2012 12:02 AM EST reply actions

yes..agree 100%

I can resist everything but temptation.....

by the duchess of steel on Jan 9, 2012 9:37 AM EST up reply actions

Injuries

Every team has to deal with them but clearly we had many more than any playoff team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9xQlcvNlxg

by Curtain Call on Jan 9, 2012 12:09 AM EST reply actions

Enough with the friggin video already.

You’re looking like a troll dude…. enough.

HERE WE GO STEELERS!
"Our Father, who art in Pittsburgh, Football be thy game. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, at Heinz Field as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, a stellar D and forgive us our bogus fines, as we (sorta) forgive Goodell who trespasses against us. And lead us not into defeat, but deliver us a Victory. For thine is The Steelers, the power and glory of climbing the STAIRWAY TO 7."

by 1BlkGldFan on Jan 9, 2012 12:24 AM EST up reply actions

I think he is more than looking

anyone trying to contact me via my yahoo account should be aware it has been hacked

by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Jan 9, 2012 12:37 AM EST up reply actions

Thats how you act when your team has only won its 2nd playoff game in 9 years!! 2011 Wildcard Champion Denver Broncos

The funny thing is, we have as many Super Bowl Wins, as they have Playoff Wins in the last 10 years!! Not to mention, our QB has as many Rings as their whole Franchise!!

by colorado steelhead on Jan 9, 2012 12:12 PM EST up reply actions

they let Tebow beat them of all people

hes a horrible qb and they made him look like a stud…just plain pathetic…number 1 defense?

by yoymon1 on Jan 9, 2012 12:31 AM EST reply actions

Tough Loss

Tim Tebow & Co. simply outplayed the Steelers yesterday. I must tell you I couldn’t believe what I was watching – Tim Tebow repeatedly throwing the ball downfield on the vaunted (over-rated?) Steeler defense ! …couldn’t believe it !

I thought Pittsburgh might pull out a victory especially after the blown call by the officials on the Roethlisberger lateral that was clearly recovered by the Broncos – instead of an obvious turnover, the Steelers kept possession and went on to score on the drive, Gifts like that are meaningful in a tightly contested playoff game. But, in the end The Steelers could not defend the Tebow attack.

I give a lot of credit to Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy – he made Dick LeBeau look confused… lost. LeBeau’s defensive calls were so bad I thought he had been paid to throw the damn game !

I think that if Pittsburgh had not been beat up so much comig into the game, the outcome probably would have been different. Can’t blame injuries though, all teams are nicked up at this time of year. Give credit to the Broncos and their coaches – they won a real big football game.

by profootballfan on Jan 9, 2012 2:44 PM EST reply actions

Not taking ANYTHING away from your victory...

…but you are a bit off base on some things:

LeBeau’s defensive calls were so bad I thought he had been paid to throw the damn game !

LeBeau was down to just 3 defensive linemen as of end of 1st qtr; one of them originally was our 3rd string nose tackle; so none of these guys got substituted for the entire game.

As a result, as the game wore on, Steelers had to bring secondary in to help with run defense; this gave Broncos much better matchups than we would have liked. Admittedly, Ike played a bad game. It happens.

after the blown call by the officials on the Roethlisberger lateral

Actually, Refs didn’t blow this one. One of them had blown the ball dead before it was recovered by Broncos; thus, play is dead. They couldn’t reverse that. Had the ball been recovered prior to whistle, and they gave it to Steelers, then yes, that would have been a blown call.

Give credit to the Broncos and their coaches – they won a real big football game.

Have to agree with you here, 100%. Well played, well deserved.

United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.

by PaVaSteeler on Jan 9, 2012 3:20 PM EST reply actions

PaVa

I hear ya about the depleted D backs but you cannot allow the arm of Tim Tebow to beat you with big pass plays – you must force Tebow to make a lot of short throws (many accurate passes) to beat you and here is where he struggles. Never, never give him (basically) free-range opportunities down the football field.

The refs (I guess it was the side-judge) screwed up the play by blowing the f’ing thing dead !!! – let the play happen, there was no reason to whistle that play dead and the official who did it knows damn well he cost the Broncos terrific field position. The Steelers made a bad play and were saved from the consequences by a ref’s way-to-quick whistle. A mistake that certainly changed the way the game played out.

BTW – I’m not a Bronco fan but, I enjoyed the game – it was the best of the four Wildcard contests.

by profootballfan on Jan 9, 2012 5:14 PM EST up reply actions

No, you're right - can't let the other team beat you with big pass plays...

…and the first/last play of OT was a blown coverage by a player on a bad play call by the coaches. In the playoffs, it often comes down to that ONE mistake. Had Steelers won, the world would be pointing to that lateral call and said “refs gave it to the Steelers, like the Super Bowl vs the Seahawks”. And it would have looked like it, but it was a human error by a Ref; thats why we play the game.

Farrior said in a post game interview, that Tebow did things in that game that they had not seen on any tape; that he made throws they had not seen him make in regular season. Good for him; when the opportunity arose, Tebow answered the call.

Doesn’t matter if you’re a Bronco fan or not; you make good points, and football talk is football talk.

United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.

by PaVaSteeler on Jan 10, 2012 8:12 AM EST up reply actions

Tebow is a big game player

and I personally didn’t want to play them in the playoffs after they went on their 6 game winning streak.

Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Lloyd, Andy Russell, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Back in my day we killed five hookers and thought nothing of it" Craig James

by WVPiratesfan on Jan 10, 2012 11:31 AM EST up reply actions

PaVa

You’re so right about the quick-whistle play: if the Steelers had pulled that game out, the entire football-world would have called for an investigation. And, you are also correct in stating that its an unavoidable part of the game.

Personally, I wanted to see a highlight-filled, last-man-standing, winner-take-all battle between the Steelers and the Patriots this Saturday – that would have been a hell of a football game (Steeler injuries notwithstanding) !! I take nothing away from the Broncos, they earned the right to go on but, it won’t be anywhere near the brawl that Pittsburgh vs New England would have been.

Bottom line – the Broncos had enough game to eek out a win against a superior team
that was unable to compete the way it should have due to key-player injuries.

by profootballfan on Jan 10, 2012 1:09 PM EST up reply actions