With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM and WDVE during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at @dlolleyor
Gotta say that roughing the passer call on Harrison was ridiculous. Not a BR fan, but he got hit much harder after throwing a pass at least 3 times and no call was made. If you are going to have rules, at least enforce them consistently and not because the qb can take a lot of abuse.
This is by far the worst game Ike played all season.
But thinking more clearly, they dealt with a lot of adversity this season with the injuries and having to work in many young players. Although I wish the season would have ended more successfully, the playing time the younger guys got will pay off as early as next year. Not many teams can keep winning through a time of transition. The Steelers deserve major credit for that despite their poor play today.
I love Ben but way to waste away the final minute. And someone tell these WR's to stop showboating and WATCH the clock!!! Tomlin has got to a hold of these guys.
Yep! You piss around and piss around with and let all those precious seconds melt off the clock and see what happens. Tomlin you have an undiscliplined team.
Awful game management at the end of regulation and I also hope that Ike Taylor is somewhat humbled by this game. He was taken behind the woodshed over and over today when asked to man up.
So tebow's offense from florida was too much for the steeler's. How pitiful. Have fun watching that game tape ike, should be some good offseason motivation.
Worst defensive performance in a really long time, with special "kudos" for Ike Taylor. LeBeau got TORCHED just as bad.
The offense was it usual self -- terrible most of the time, Ben makes a few plays scrambling to tie it up, but is also completely unaware of game situation, clock, play clock, etc. Heck, though, 23 points, you feel they should all get a gold star.
Nice of Antonio Brown to preen & do his stupid first down move in a borderline desperate situation.
Mike Wallace is soft.
12 men in the huddle, two delays of game...
Leaderless, undisciplined offense all year...
Abysmal defense tonight. "No. 1" only because they faced Blaine Gabbert, Tyler Palko, etc. most weeks.
Really, a 9-7 type team if they had faced any other division than the NFC West.
They won their Super Bowl vs. New England in October and didn't have a Super Bowl hangover from last season, technically.
Bottom line is defense got torched this game. Secondary reverted back to it's old ugly self of a few years ago. O-Line was also abysmal. Would love to see us find Farriors replacement in the upcoming draft.
Nothing wrong with expressing frustration over the game. All I'm saying is we can start to sound foolish when we start going overboard and saying things like we knew exactly what was going on on the field or the sideline.
I don't think there is any question this is a team in transition. They have a lot of talent but there are a few critical holes too. We have all season to pick them apart but the reality is that this wasn't a superbowl caliber team.
So now we have to look forward to the draft. Interior DL and OL are the priorities and an ILB would be nice too. It will be interesting to see how this team is made up after the next training camp. A lot of veterans will be former Steelers. Thanks to all of them for their contributions but its time to change.
To me, the biggest question to answer in the offseason is for BR. Does he want to be good or does he want to be great? Right now he's good. If wants to be great, he'll have to abandon the playground style, understand the running game compliments and enhances the passing game, become a more accurate passer and become a true student of the game. I have no doubt he wants to be great, but big doubts that he wants to do what it takes to get there.
BR will be 30 next year and because of the way he plays, he takes a lot of punishment. I think when he starts downhill, it will be a very fast decline. I don't see him playing into his mid-late 30s (unless he changes the way he plays). Maybe the Steelers don't need to think about a QB this draft, but they certainly do in the years after.
I expect them to take a qb in the later rounds, though, simply because Dixon won't re-sign with them and the coaches clearly prefer Leftwich as the back up qb. I see Batch being cut, but his number on speed dial in case of dire emergency.
marc, the defense seemed to think those long passes were a fluke and never adjusted. That's on the DC and HC.
However, keep in mind the Steelers were down to 3 DL pretty early in the game. That's not ideal in the altitude at Denver. I'd speculate that perhaps the safties were cheating up more often because the DL was getting worn down. And that left the CBs on an island. It's kind of like Jenga - remove too many pieces and the whole structure falls.
Maybe in 20/20 hindsight they should have just rushed the usual 4, dropped the DBs into zone and gambled the LBs could contain Tebow's running.
But that's water over the damn. This game is on tape now and Denver won't have the same element of surprise vs NE.
36 comments:
Hampton and Woodley also exit in the first quarter. This team is banged up.
They should be embarassed.
The quote of the day from Cowher at halftime: the offense is built on BR extending the play.
Isn't that a heck of a way to design an offense? If your qb can't run around and make sandlot plays, it doesn't function.
Think about that.
I guess the good news is the Steelers won't have to be embarrassed by a really good team next week.
Maybe we will finally get a real OC.
Hey look, another WR screen. Arian's hasn't noticed that Denver has defended those well tonight.
Ike is having a terrible game.
Gotta say that roughing the passer call on Harrison was ridiculous. Not a BR fan, but he got hit much harder after throwing a pass at least 3 times and no call was made. If you are going to have rules, at least enforce them consistently and not because the qb can take a lot of abuse.
How is this Arians fault? Dropped passes and a defense that can't stop Tim Tebow?
Arians may not be the best OC, but the grief that he takes verse the grief that Lebeau should take is ridiculous.
Stop blaming the OC for everything.
They also are not calling the holding by the denver WR's on running plays. It is quite obvious.
Farrior is awful
The team was outplayed. No surprise as we just were not a good road team.
Not blaming Arians for everything. Just pointing out he sucks.
Just like ike, farrior, and lebeau suck tonight as well.
Like I said earlier, they should be embarassed.
This is by far the worst game Ike played all season.
But thinking more clearly, they dealt with a lot of adversity this season with the injuries and having to work in many young players. Although I wish the season would have ended more successfully, the playing time the younger guys got will pay off as early as next year. Not many teams can keep winning through a time of transition. The Steelers deserve major credit for that despite their poor play today.
I love Ben but way to waste away the final minute. And someone tell these WR's to stop showboating and WATCH the clock!!! Tomlin has got to a hold of these guys.
Jimbo
Yep! You piss around and piss around with and let all those precious seconds melt off the clock and see what happens. Tomlin you have an undiscliplined team.
Jimbo
Just as well. The team was simply a few bricks shy of a load with all the injuries to succeed in the playoffs.
Credit to Fox and company for devising an outstanding game plan to allow an inept qb to throw the only passes he can complete.
Awful game management at the end of regulation and I also hope that Ike Taylor is somewhat humbled by this game. He was taken behind the woodshed over and over today when asked to man up.
Let me know when we can start calling a Tomlin a bad coach, eventually it has to happen
So tebow's offense from florida was too much for the steeler's. How pitiful. Have fun watching that game tape ike, should be some good offseason motivation.
Worst defensive performance in a really long time, with special "kudos" for Ike Taylor. LeBeau got TORCHED just as bad.
The offense was it usual self -- terrible most of the time, Ben makes a few plays scrambling to tie it up, but is also completely unaware of game situation, clock, play clock, etc. Heck, though, 23 points, you feel they should all get a gold star.
Nice of Antonio Brown to preen & do his stupid first down move in a borderline desperate situation.
Mike Wallace is soft.
12 men in the huddle, two delays of game...
Leaderless, undisciplined offense all year...
Abysmal defense tonight. "No. 1" only because they faced Blaine Gabbert, Tyler Palko, etc. most weeks.
Really, a 9-7 type team if they had faced any other division than the NFC West.
They won their Super Bowl vs. New England in October and didn't have a Super Bowl hangover from last season, technically.
Bottom line is defense got torched this game. Secondary reverted back to it's old ugly self of a few years ago. O-Line was also abysmal. Would love to see us find Farriors replacement in the upcoming draft.
that should be an embarassed team tonight, all around.
Get ready for all the couch offensive, defensive and personnel experts talking about how this person and that person sucked all season.
One thing I hate about fans is that we live in hindsight so much that we don't even have time to appreciate our team.
I tip my hat to Denver. They played better. Hopefully the Steelers can stay healthy next season.
Thank you to the couch perspective-giver. Now we can all move on. I feel great!
Nothing wrong with expressing frustration over the game. All I'm saying is we can start to sound foolish when we start going overboard and saying things like we knew exactly what was going on on the field or the sideline.
On the CW post-game, Jory Rand said the locker next to Ike's had been busted up some. I think Ike took the loss pretty hard and personally.
I don't think there is any question this is a team in transition. They have a lot of talent but there are a few critical holes too. We have all season to pick them apart but the reality is that this wasn't a superbowl caliber team.
So now we have to look forward to the draft. Interior DL and OL are the priorities and an ILB would be nice too. It will be interesting to see how this team is made up after the next training camp. A lot of veterans will be former Steelers. Thanks to all of them for their contributions but its time to change.
Hopefully they transition from Tomlin to someone else(that won't happen I know), but at least take the offense away from Ben and/ or fire Arians
To me, the biggest question to answer in the offseason is for BR. Does he want to be good or does he want to be great? Right now he's good. If wants to be great, he'll have to abandon the playground style, understand the running game compliments and enhances the passing game, become a more accurate passer and become a true student of the game. I have no doubt he wants to be great, but big doubts that he wants to do what it takes to get there.
Too early to draft another QB? Ever since Big Ben got married his play has deteriorated. Jus' saying.
Are people forgetting Ben's been playing with a bad ankle, which won't be fully healed in months?
geez, before that cleveland game he was having a pretty good year, all things considered
BR will be 30 next year and because of the way he plays, he takes a lot of punishment. I think when he starts downhill, it will be a very fast decline. I don't see him playing into his mid-late 30s (unless he changes the way he plays). Maybe the Steelers don't need to think about a QB this draft, but they certainly do in the years after.
I expect them to take a qb in the later rounds, though, simply because Dixon won't re-sign with them and the coaches clearly prefer Leftwich as the back up qb. I see Batch being cut, but his number on speed dial in case of dire emergency.
marc, the defense seemed to think those long passes were a fluke and never adjusted. That's on the DC and HC.
However, keep in mind the Steelers were down to 3 DL pretty early in the game. That's not ideal in the altitude at Denver. I'd speculate that perhaps the safties were cheating up more often because the DL was getting worn down.
And that left the CBs on an island. It's kind of like Jenga - remove too many pieces and the whole structure falls.
Maybe in 20/20 hindsight they should have just rushed the usual 4, dropped the DBs into zone and gambled the LBs could contain Tebow's running.
But that's water over the damn. This game is on tape now and Denver won't have the same element of surprise vs NE.
i was also wondering why we didn't play more of a zone/prevent type defense.
does defending the option force you to play man on the outside?
also, who blew the coverage on that last play? Ike, Mundy, or LeBeau?
Defending the option is pretty simple, 1 guy takes the pitch man and another guy takes the qb.
Mundy apparently said after the game he should have done more to help Taylor on the OT TD.
Pathetic effort on D. Wow, embarrased. Pls fire arians.
Post a Comment