So many positives!!

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

Is it even possible as we sit at 2-4? Hell F-in yeah it is!

My opinion is that the team all around got better when Ben went down. From (clearing throat) coaching, with scheming, Front office being aggressive getting good players to fill weak areas to the players stepping up and balling for one another as a TEAM.

When Ben went down it forced coaching to step up and actually do their jobs and not rely on their franchise qb to bail them out. Fitchner is calling his plays and the qb's Rudy and Duck are running them. Though the offense might not look pretty, its effective in sustaining longer time of possession drives and keeping our defense off the field. Looking forward this offense can only improve. IMO

Defensively, the team finally has the missing piece when Minkah was added. You all have to agree that the defense looks more organised just adding this one key player to it. 

Man did Burns step up when called upon? How about Sutton? What a stud he has become.

How about Bush? First couple of games he looked like he was thinking more than reacting....boy has that changed. He is flying around making plays like a 5 year veteran.

Rudy, before his injury, looks like he is getting comfortable and Duck aside from one bad throw did everything to not lose the game.

How about Snell stepping up after Conner got injured. Watched a lot of him in college and he is the type of back that gets stronger with more carries as the game goes on.

Moncrief?? Maybe it was to soon to have him play with his finger injury and now it's finally healed. He stepped up when needed.

Only two games back and still early. Bye week at the perfect time and I hope the wounded can recover in time for the second half of the season.

[dbsfgyd1]

With a thread title like this, you actually expect any reply’s? On this board???

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

With a thread title like this, you actually expect any reply’s? On this board???

You make a good point. I guess I can trick everyone into looking by having a doom and gloom title. 

[sandfan]

Positives were, at least for me, the W, Duck, Sutton, turnovers and Bush except for the missed tackles. Duck's ability to handle the bright lights, although it was sort of a home game, was impressive. Almost as much so was his ability to handle the bad snaps and save what could have been semi disasters.

If Sutton continues to play like last night the team looks to have found another DB asset.

Winning the turnover battle typically, let's try to forget the Niners, leads to a W. That's a great trend if it can continue.

My last positive is the timing for the off week. The Tuit injury is concerning. Hopefully the rest will fully mend with the added rest.

[Chucktownsteeler]

Positives were, at least for me, the W, Duck, Sutton, turnovers and Bush except for the missed tackles.  Duck's ability to handle the bright lights, although it was sort of a home game, was impressive.  Almost as much so was his ability to handle the bad snaps and save what could have been semi disasters.

If Sutton continues to play like last night the team looks to have found another DB asset.

Winning the turnover battle typically, let's try to forget the Niners, leads to a W.  That's a great trend if it can continue.

My last positive is the timing for the off week.  The Tuit injury is concerning.  Hopefully the rest will fully mend with the added rest.

Agree with all of the above. I would say good coaching for 3 quarters but the deep pass that was intercepted was as much on the coaches as it was on the WR. The CB wanted it more than him.

I like what I saw from Connor and Snell. No wildcat (yea). We could possibly win 3 of 4, if not 4 of 4 of the upcoming games. The bye week couldn't have come at a better time.

[dbsfgyd1]

Positives were, at least for me, the W, Duck, Sutton, turnovers and Bush except for the missed tackles.  Duck's ability to handle the bright lights, although it was sort of a home game, was impressive.  Almost as much so was his ability to handle the bad snaps and save what could have been semi disasters.

If Sutton continues to play like last night the team looks to have found another DB asset.

Winning the turnover battle typically, let's try to forget the Niners, leads to a W.  That's a great trend if it can continue.

My last positive is the timing for the off week.  The Tuit injury is concerning.  Hopefully the rest will fully mend with the added rest.

Agree with all of the above. I would say good coaching for 3 quarters but the deep pass that was intercepted was as much on the coaches as it was on the WR. The CB wanted it more than him.

I like what I saw from Connor and Snell. No wildcat (yea). We could possibly win 3 of 4, if not 4 of 4 of the upcoming games. The bye week couldn't have come at a better time.

By the time the 4th quarter came around, we were playing without Watt, Haden, and already short a starting CB. 

So, there we were minus 2 starting corners, your best defensive lineman and starting outside linebacker, and one asks why the defense went flat? 

Absolutely it’s Tomlin’s fault....

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

Agree with all of the above. I would say good coaching for 3 quarters but the deep pass that was intercepted was as much on the coaches as it was on the WR. The CB wanted it more than him.

I like what I saw from Connor and Snell. No wildcat (yea). We could possibly win 3 of 4, if not 4 of 4 of the upcoming games. The bye week couldn't have come at a better time.

Just how the heck are you going to blame the coaching on Duck throwing an ill advised pass into TRIPLE coverage???? LMAO!!!

This is not a video game where Tomlin or Fitchner  press the square, x or circle button on their game controller. My God that was all on the qb and nobody else.
I got a flat tire last week and I blame it on the nail on the road and Tomlin who probably put it there.

https://www.nfl.com/share/32052020-2020-...3637383035 Interception is at the 3:50 mark.

[dbsfgyd1]

Is it even possible as we sit at 2-4? Hell F-in yeah it is!

My opinion is that the team all around got better when Ben went down. From (clearing throat) coaching, with scheming, Front office being aggressive getting good players to fill weak areas to the players stepping up and balling for one another as a TEAM.

When Ben went down it forced coaching to step up and actually do their jobs and not rely on their franchise qb to bail them out. Fitchner is calling his plays and the qb's Rudy and Duck are running them. Though the offense might not look pretty, its effective in sustaining longer time of possession drives and keeping our defense off the field. Looking forward this offense can only improve. IMO

Defensively, the team finally has the missing piece when Minkah was added. You all have to agree that the defense looks more organised just adding this one key player to it. 

Man did Burns step up when called upon? How about Sutton? What a stud he has become.

How about Bush? First couple of games he looked like he was thinking more than reacting....boy has that changed. He is flying around making plays like a 5 year veteran.

Rudy, before his injury, looks like he is getting comfortable and Duck aside from one bad throw did everything to not lose the game.

How about Snell stepping up after Conner got injured. Watched a lot of him in college and he is the type of back that gets stronger with more carries as the game goes on.

Moncrief?? Maybe it was to soon to have him play with his finger injury and now it's finally healed. He stepped up when needed.

Only two games back and still early. Bye week at the perfect time and I hope the wounded can recover in time for the second half of the season.

I am going to disagree with one thing, while I agree that having an immobile monument to 16 years of great quarterbacking anchored in the backfield with an inability to throw more than 7 yards is not helping the cause, having a QB limited to a very restricted pitch count, and no more than 7 yard passes, amounts to the same thing minus the status and veteran savvy. Therefore no, the team isn’t better, for this year.

Even if Ben comes back with a deficit, my money says he’s going to be better than any other QB we have on the roster with the 2020 team improving greatly.

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

Is it even possible as we sit at 2-4? Hell F-in yeah it is!

My opinion is that the team all around got better when Ben went down. From (clearing throat) coaching, with scheming, Front office being aggressive getting good players to fill weak areas to the players stepping up and balling for one another as a TEAM.

When Ben went down it forced coaching to step up and actually do their jobs and not rely on their franchise qb to bail them out. Fitchner is calling his plays and the qb's Rudy and Duck are running them. Though the offense might not look pretty, its effective in sustaining longer time of possession drives and keeping our defense off the field. Looking forward this offense can only improve. IMO

Defensively, the team finally has the missing piece when Minkah was added. You all have to agree that the defense looks more organised just adding this one key player to it. 

Man did Burns step up when called upon? How about Sutton? What a stud he has become.

How about Bush? First couple of games he looked like he was thinking more than reacting....boy has that changed. He is flying around making plays like a 5 year veteran.

Rudy, before his injury, looks like he is getting comfortable and Duck aside from one bad throw did everything to not lose the game.

How about Snell stepping up after Conner got injured. Watched a lot of him in college and he is the type of back that gets stronger with more carries as the game goes on.

Moncrief?? Maybe it was to soon to have him play with his finger injury and now it's finally healed. He stepped up when needed.

Only two games back and still early. Bye week at the perfect time and I hope the wounded can recover in time for the second half of the season.

I am going to disagree with one thing, while I agree that having an immobile monument to 16 years of great quarterbacking anchored in the backfield with an inability to throw more than 7 yards is not helping the cause, having a QB limited to a very restricted pitch count, and no more than 7 yard passes, amounts to the same thing minus the status and veteran savvy. Therefore no, the team isn’t better, for this year.

Even if Ben comes back with a deficit, my money says he’s going to be better than any other QB we have on the roster with the 2020 team improving greatly.

Fair enough. Like I added at the end of my comment ( IMO )
We were in a great situation last night that the defense gave us an early lead so passes over seven yards were not needed. Short stuff kept working until Conner sat out with injury in the 4th.
They gave the Chargers the air version of smashmouth football and helped our defense rest. 

[mcmillenandwife]

My opinion is that the team all around got better when Ben went down. From (clearing throat) coaching, with scheming, Front office being aggressive getting good players to fill weak areas to the players stepping up and balling for one another as a TEAM.

When Ben went down it forced coaching to step up and actually do their jobs and not rely on their franchise qb to bail them out. Fitchner is calling his plays and the qb's Rudy and Duck are running them. Though the offense might not look pretty, its effective in sustaining longer time of possession drives and keeping our defense off the field. Looking forward this offense can only improve.

This team is NOT, I repeate NOT, better without Ben Roethlisberger. We'd be a legit contender with him under center, simply because he is who he is. 

But I do agree, Ben going down has forced the coaching staff to actually start applying themselves. I think a good deal of the "front office" complacency got wiped out when they lost their Hall of Fame crutch. Coaches were coaching and players were balling last night. 

But they played a clearly awful team with gigantic O-line issues and a QB who is a career under-achiever. Blows my mind when people talk about Phillip Rivers in a Hall of Fame context. Dude likes to talk shit, but he hasn't won shit, and that's what QB's are supposed to do: WIN. 

Happy to get the win last night. The coaching was world class for 3 quarters. And then...   ...17 points in the 4th quarter, initiated by an absolutely STUPID decision to allow am undrafted rookie free agent 3rd string QB necessarily throw deep into double coverage, despite the fact that we had a 24-point lead. 

What... the... FUCK??? 

Defensively, the team finally has the missing piece when Minkah was added. You all have to agree that the defense looks more organised just adding this one key player to it. 

Man did Burns step up when called upon? How about Sutton? What a stud he has become.

How about Bush? First couple of games he looked like he was thinking more than reacting....boy has that changed. He is flying around making plays like a 5 year veteran.

Minkah seems to have been worth every bit of that first round pick. Combined with Haden, he is elevating the performance of the entire secondary. Our young LB's are gaining confidence, with a particularly fantastic first quarter by Bush last night.  Bush still misses too many tackles IMO, but this was also a problem for Shazier. I think it's perhaps just a byproduct of playing the position at such a high speed. 

The Chargers have shit for an O-line, so I don't want to get too cocky with how well the front 4/front 7 payed last night. But they play who they play, so I'm not gonna ding them for it. They did their job and beat the snot out of Rivers and didn't allow squat on the ground. 

If we could just find a way to cover the routes over the middle, especially the TE's. Hopefully as Bush learns and grows, he'll master this. I know one of the main reasons he was brought in was to take away these routes with his speed. Hopefully, his coverage skills will continue to improve. He certainly has the physical gifts to become great. Fun to see him dominate a full quarter of football last night!

Rudy, before his injury, looks like he is getting comfortable and Duck aside from one bad throw did everything to not lose the game.

How about Snell stepping up after Conner got injured. Watched a lot of him in college and he is the type of back that gets stronger with more carries as the game goes on.

Moncrief?? Maybe it was to soon to have him play with his finger injury and now it's finally healed. He stepped up when needed.

I don't blame Duck for the bad throw. He never should've been allowed to throw that pass. Like the Wildcat throw in the shadow of our own goal post vs. Baltimore, Duck's deep pass in the 4th quarter when leading 24-0 was terrible situational football. Trying to get too cute. Why? I have no idea.

Moncrief? 2 targets, 1 catch for 11 yards. Not sure I'd say he "stepped up"... but at least he caught a pass (and a pretty nice diving grab to convert a 3rd down at that). 

Conner was balling. Man, I love his effort! The dude is 100% heart and his extra effort resulted in at least 4 first downs (by my count) that we wouldn't have gotten without HIS relentless attitude. Very pleased with Snell as well. His uncle (???), Matt Snell, should've been MVP of SB III IMO. 

Only two games back and still early. Bye week at the perfect time and I hope the wounded can recover in time for the second half of the season.

It's a shame we didn't pull out a win vs. Baltimore. We truly would be in the thick of it if we had. Long road ahead of us, but Baltimore could certainly falter and I don't for one minute believe in the Cleveland Browns. Mayfield is a basket case. He's Kordell Stewart in 1999... only cocky and with a lot of undeserved endorsement deals. 

My hopes are not high. I'm realistic about our chances with the inexperience at QB. But anything is still possible. With the win last night, we live to fight another day.

[dbsfgyd1]

Tim,

By the time the 4 quarter came, our best Defensive line man was done for the night, both of our starting corners were on the shelf, as was our best rushing OLB, no to mention a starting ILB (not that he’s impressed me much) didn’t make the trip. With all that you expect the second coming of the ‘76 Steeler D?

Also keep in mind our starting running back was done for the night, and back # 2 didn’t make the trip. My gosh, you should be thrilled we got a win.

[mcmillenandwife]

Tim,

By the time the 4 quarter  came, our best Defensive line man was done for the night, both of our starting corners were on the shelf, as was our best rushing OLB, no to mention a starting  ILB (not that he’s impressed me much) didn’t make the trip. With all that you expect the second coming of the ‘76 Steeler D?

Also keep in mind  our starting running back was done for the night, and back # 2 didn’t make the trip. My gosh, you should be thrilled we got  a win.

I am glad we got a win, brutha Dave. 

I was stunned at the can of whup-ass the Steelers opened on the Chargers. Almost in disbelief. To see POWER FOOTBALL on display for the first time in, oh, I dunno... 10 years? It warmed my heart. 

I'm okay with the defense, start to finish. They played GREAT. 

Once again, the stupid play-calling that allowed Duck to throw deep resulting in an INT that nearly turned the game is the thing that drives me crazy. We HAD THEM and we let them back in the game with a stupid, terribly timed, unnecessary and poorly executed play in the hands of an undrafted rookie who probably couldn't secure a roster spot on 30 other teams. Utter stupidity. An unforced error by the coaching staff. 

We ultimately won, so they get a bit of a pass, especially since the first 50 minutes of the game were coached brilliantly. But it is a 60 MINUTE GAME. We seem to have forgotten that all too often over the last several years.

[Noll and Cowher teams no more]

My opinion is that the team all around got better when Ben went down. From (clearing throat) coaching, with scheming, Front office being aggressive getting good players to fill weak areas to the players stepping up and balling for one another as a TEAM.

When Ben went down it forced coaching to step up and actually do their jobs and not rely on their franchise qb to bail them out. Fitchner is calling his plays and the qb's Rudy and Duck are running them. Though the offense might not look pretty, its effective in sustaining longer time of possession drives and keeping our defense off the field. Looking forward this offense can only improve.

This team is NOT, I repeate NOT, better without Ben Roethlisberger. We'd be a legit contender with him under center, simply because he is who he is. 

Once again, the stupid play-calling that allowed Duck to throw deep resulting in an INT that nearly turned the game is the thing that drives me crazy. We HAD THEM and we let them back in the game with a stupid, terribly timed, unnecessary and poorly executed play in the hands of an undrafted rookie who probably couldn't secure a roster spot on 30 other teams. Utter stupidity. An unforced error by the coaching staff. 

We ultimately won, so they get a bit of a pass, especially since the first 50 minutes of the game were coached brilliantly. But it is a 60 MINUTE GAME. We seem to have forgotten that all too often over the last several years.

Ok Tim, I am quoting from two separate posts to reply back to you.

Once again I am not a Tomlin lover nor a Ben hater. Actually I hope Ben comes back and finishes his career out strong and with a Superbowl win with us. So to start off, in my comment I said and meant that this team is better since Ben went down because it forced the coaches to finally coach and the players to step it up and not relying on Ben to bail them out.
You make it sound like I said Ben sucks LOL

As for blaming the coaches for Ducks interception he threw, that's just downright crazy. Do you actually think the receiver he threw to (Holton I believe) was his only option??? I am pretty sure other eligible receivers were on the field and running their routes........And I am almost positive that when Duck got the play from the sidelines that the coaches did not tell him to ONLY throw to Holton.

In the past when Ben threw boneheaded INTs. did you blame them on the coaches too??????

Like I said, I am not a fan of Tomlin or the rest of the coaching staff but man, most of you watch the games with "Tomlin's fault tunnel vision glasses" and blame every little thing that goes wrong on that guy.

[Rollers]

Here's a visualization of our current season.

[mcmillenandwife]

Once again I am not a Tomlin lover nor a Ben hater. Actually I hope Ben comes back and finishes his career out strong and with a Superbowl win with us. So to start off, in my comment I said and meant that this team is better since Ben went down because it forced the coaches to finally coach and the players to step it up and not relying on Ben to bail them out.
You make it sound like I said Ben sucks LOL

I know you don't think Ben sucks. Sorry if it came off that way. If you re-read my post, I think you'll see that I was actually agreeing with what I thought your main point was. 

Because you said you believed the team "all around got better when Ben went down," I felt compelled to start by stating my strongly-held belief that the team isn't better without Ben. Because they're not. With Ben, they're a contender. Without him, they're not. 

However, I understood and agreed with your main point: That the rest of the team is having to step up. I was acknowledging what you said when I responded, "Ben going down has forced the coaching staff to actually start applying themselves. I think a good deal of the 'front office' complacency got wiped out when they lost their Hall of Fame crutch. Coaches were coaching and players were balling last night." 

I think you and I are pretty much on the same page here. 

As for blaming the coaches for Ducks interception he threw, that's just downright crazy. Do you actually think the receiver he threw to (Holton I believe) was his only option??? I am pretty sure other eligible receivers were on the field and running their routes........And I am almost positive that when Duck got the play from the sidelines that the coaches did not tell him to ONLY throw to Holton.

In the past when Ben threw boneheaded INTs. did you blame them on the coaches too??????

Here, we disagree. Duck should've never been allowed to even THINK about throwing a deep pass in that scenario. At 10-7, go for it. At 24-0, that was idiocy. The coaches should have had him CLAMPED DOWN. Period. The ONLY way LA was going to get back into that game was via a turnover. And we hand-delivered it to them.

If you leave a gate wide open and your toddler walks through it, it's not the toddler's fault. 

Ben throwing a bonehead INT is on Ben, because he has complete understanding and command of the entire offense. Duck was in his first-ever start, and there was NO FUCKING REASON to throw a deep pass at the point in the game. The coaches had a responsibility to make sure it wasn't even an option. I'll say it again: Terrible situational football by the coaches. Duck was just being a toddler in his first game.

Like I said, I am not a fan of Tomlin or the rest of the coaching staff but man, most of you watch the games with "Tomlin's fault tunnel vision glasses" and blame every little thing that goes wrong on that guy.

My brutha, how long have you "known" me here? 15-20 years? Seems like you'd know I'm not wired that way. I ultimately want Tomlin to succeed.

I've said it repeatedly, and I said it during the game thread: I LOVE the job the coaching staff did for 3+ quarters vs. LA. It was shockingly good, especially considering all the adversity they faced. It was near-perfection. But winning in the NFL comes down to little things. Details matter. And Tomlin has proven to not be very good at the details at key moments in recent years. 

So unless Duck (an undrafted rookie QB in his first-ever start) completely disregarded his coaches' instructions and went rogue with a deep throw into double coverage, that moment -- that detail -- is on the coaching staff. Just my opinion.

[bbbooger]

You go, Tim! Well said, very well said on all points!!