A reminder (via the NY Times)

[steelheadtrout]

How dare any of us doubt a team coached by Mike Tomlin?

There are only a few guarantees in today’s N.F.L.: Tom Brady will eat his avocado ice cream and win Super Bowls. Jerry Jones will do something absurd to extend Dallas’s championship drought. And Mike Tomlin will keep his Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl contention.

Always.

These Steelers hardly generated a decibel of buzz heading into Week 1. Heck, it was a shock they even wanted to bring back Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback at age 39.

The Buffalo Bills were the team primed to take the next step. Josh Allen was the future of the position itself. And all Tomlin’s Steelers did was travel 200 miles north, strut into Highmark Stadium and remind the entire N.F.L., with one punishing 23-16 punch to Buffalo’s jaw, that they’re not going anywhere.

Which is, of course, what Tomlin’s teams have done for 14 seasons.

Was it pretty? Heck no. But “not pretty” is when Tomlin’s teams are historically most dangerous. Above all, Tomlin’s teams smell blood.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/spor ... recap.html

[Kodiak]

NYT is definitely not the newspaper it used to be

[Smashmouth21]

Tomlin is at the pinnacle of the NFL coaching ranks even if many here stubbornly refuse to acknowledge it.

[Texas Black & Gold]

Tomlin is at the pinnacle of the NFL coaching ranks even if many here stubbornly refuse to acknowledge it.

At some point Tomlin should win the coach of the year award for keeping the Steelers so competitive over the years. 2019 I think was he his best effort doing more with less. Maybe this year might be the one. A new offensive line and the toughest schedule in the league will definitely be a challenge. Not to mention the other teams in the division are much improved.

Here We Go Steelers......

[zeke5123]

You all keep slobbering of puntlin.

[Smashmouth21]

Lakecrest nailed this topic generally in another thread. Good job by Tomlin making half time adjustments today and eating McDermott’s lunch. Outcoached the competition. In a big game.

[Kodiak]

Yeah, every once in a blue moon Tomlin doesn't knee cap his own team. But you just know he's going to turn in another forgettable, lazy & unimaginative playoff performance. Been his MO for years. I've finally accepted it. I have 0 expectations for this year. Just hoping to see some good football in what is likely Ben's last year.

[K_C_]

Tomlin is at the pinnacle of the NFL coaching ranks even if many here stubbornly refuse to acknowledge it.

Gonna be interesting to see which inferior team gives Cool Shades his regularly scheduled postseason ASS BEATING this season, should they somehow make the postseason.

[COR-TEN]

I endorse this post.

[Professor Half Wit]

Lakecrest nailed this topic generally in another thread. Good job by Tomlin making half time adjustments today and eating McDermott’s lunch. Outcoached the competition. In a big game.

I have a question about this.

Randy fucking sucked. He really did. There were never any half-time adjustments. There weren't even any half-season adjustments. Why did Tomlin not make adjustments last year? I suppose the answer could be that we were simply hamstrung by players, but I do not buy that.

Could it be....just maybe....that Matt Canada diagnosed some weaknesses and made some adjustments at half time and this could help explain the improved second half on offense?

[jeemie]

Maybe it’s not as big a deal to some, but I like it that Matt Canada is up in the booth.

I’ve always thought coordinators should be in the booth and get the “eye in the sky” view.

You see things up there I don’t think you see when you are on the sideline.

And I don’t know the rules about communicating with players from the booth but I figure if Matt needs to talk to Ben he can get in his ear if he needs to.

I personally think Keith Butler should be up there too but I suppose you can’t argue with results without him at the moment.

[blu]

Lakecrest nailed this topic generally in another thread. Good job by Tomlin making half time adjustments today and eating McDermott’s lunch. Outcoached the competition. In a big game.

I have a question about this.

Randy fucking sucked. He really did. There were never any half-time adjustments. There weren't even any half-season adjustments. Why did Tomlin not make adjustments last year? I suppose the answer could be that we were simply hamstrung by players, but I do not buy that.

Could it be....just maybe....that Matt Canada diagnosed some weaknesses and made some adjustments at half time and this could help explain the improved second half on offense?

I don't think Matt Canada's influence in the 2nd half turnaround is a maybe. Not only with on field adjustments but it seems that Canada will work with Ben instead of Ben telling Randy what to do. Meanwhile, imagine how the defence can be with Tuitt back & the o-line with Banner.

[Orangesteel]

Maybe it’s not as big a deal to some, but I like it that Matt Canada is up in the booth.

I’ve always thought coordinators should be in the booth and get the “eye in the sky” view.

You see things up there I don’t think you see when you are on the sideline.

And I don’t know the rules about communicating with players from the booth but I figure if Matt needs to talk to Ben he can get in his ear if he needs to.

I personally think Keith Butler should be up there too but I suppose you can’t argue with results without him at the moment.

I like it too. Strikes me as something a thinker would do, rather than whatever the hell Rustbelt used to do.

Canada did respond well yesterday. The game really reminded me of Ravens Part 1 last year where we couldn’t do anything on offense then really changed some stuff up in the second half to win a close one.

A ST touchdown never hurts. In fact I think the NFL statistics show a special teams TD sends your chances of winning into the stratosphere.

I still want to see us attack the middle of the field though. That is what reminded me the most yesterday of the Rustbelt nightmare from last year.

On to the Raiders.

[KCSteeler]

Tomlin is at the pinnacle of the NFL coaching ranks even if many here stubbornly refuse to acknowledge it.

Gonna be interesting to see which inferior team gives Cool Shades his regularly scheduled postseason ASS BEATING this season, should they somehow make the postseason.

Yup, I can't help but just sit around and count the endless number of playoff victories the past ten years. I loved the win yesterday, but I am certain of one thing, Tomlin is going to Tomlin. The joy of this victory will be followed soon with an ice pick in the ear. God help us when Ben retires, just amazes me how people don't realize that.

[Jobu]

I still want to see us attack the middle of the field though. That is what reminded me the most yesterday of the Rustbelt nightmare from last year.

That’s not a Fichtner thing…it’s a Steelers thing. They’ve been pretty much ignoring the middle of the field for as long as I can remember.

[DP39]

Lakecrest nailed this topic generally in another thread. Good job by Tomlin making half time adjustments today and eating McDermott’s lunch. Outcoached the competition. In a big game.

I have a question about this.

Randy fucking sucked. He really did. There were never any half-time adjustments. There weren't even any half-season adjustments. Why did Tomlin not make adjustments last year? I suppose the answer could be that we were simply hamstrung by players, but I do not buy that.

Could it be....just maybe....that Matt Canada diagnosed some weaknesses and made some adjustments at half time and this could help explain the improved second half on offense?

I don't think Matt Canada's influence in the 2nd half turnaround is a maybe. Not only with on field adjustments but it seems that Canada will work with Ben instead of Ben telling Randy what to do. Meanwhile, imagine how the defence can be with Tuitt back & the o-line with Banner.

^^^ Here's your winner. That second half O turn around was Canada helping Ben for sure. I will give Tomlin credit, he had the D fired up. Butler called a good D game, but they played hard for Tomlin, imo.

Getting Tuitt back will make this D so much more dangerous. He demands a lot of double teams/help when he's on (man, I hope he can get there). Banner would certainly help the run game and free up the TE's (Muuuth) to block less, too.

[LakecrestSteeler]

Maybe it’s not as big a deal to some, but I like it that Matt Canada is up in the booth.

I’ve always thought coordinators should be in the booth and get the “eye in the sky” view.

You see things up there I don’t think you see when you are on the sideline.

And I don’t know the rules about communicating with players from the booth but I figure if Matt needs to talk to Ben he can get in his ear if he needs to.

I personally think Keith Butler should be up there too but I suppose you can’t argue with results without him at the moment.

I like it too. Strikes me as something a thinker would do, rather than whatever the hell Rustbelt used to do.

Canada did respond well yesterday. The game really reminded me of Ravens Part 1 last year where we couldn’t do anything on offense then really changed some stuff up in the second half to win a close one.

A ST touchdown never hurts. In fact I think the NFL statistics show a special teams TD sends your chances of winning into the stratosphere.

I still want to see us attack the middle of the field though. That is what reminded me the most yesterday of the Rustbelt nightmare from last year.

On to the Raiders.

I wonder the same thing about network execs too. Every game has the eye in the sky camera essentially and they still refuse to use that as the primary camera. Folks would bitch and moan at first, but like a coach in the box, it is the best way to see the game and understand what is causing certain decisions by the QB.

Don’t know how an OC or DC can see the forest through the trees when on the sidelines. Boggles the mind.

[Mick]

I didn’t see much (any?) matt canada signature jet sweep action. Thing i did see was a lot of sidecar RB+playaction; not sure if that was a thing last year? But even with the awful run game, i feel like that allowed us to use playaction without Ben taking his eyes off the defense, which i liked.

Not sure if that’s Canadian influence or maybe i imagined it all.

[bradshaw2ben]

If you want to understand why last year's Steelers offense was so frustrating for you, me, and the QB... look no further than yesterday's Packers game. See what the great Aaron Rodgers––last year's LEAGUE MVP–looked like and acted like with zero run game and an OL that couldn't protect him for more than a second and a half.

We're going to see the offense progress slowly until the OL gels or gets upgraded... hopefully before the QB is done. Yesterday was the first slight improvement from last year.

[franco32]

If you want to understand why last year's Steelers offense was so frustrating for you, me, and the QB... look no further than yesterday's Packers game. See what the great Aaron Rodgers––last year's LEAGUE MVP–looked like and acted like with zero run game and an OL that couldn't protect him for more than a second and a half.

We're going to see the offense progress slowly until the OL gels or gets upgraded... hopefully before the QB is done. Yesterday was the first slight improvement from last year.

Yup. It's all about the Oline. When Ben has time, he's still deadly. When he is rushed, his footwork in breaking down. That leads to the inaccuracy we saw yesterday on 2 or 3 throws. At 39, Ben is not willing to take shots to the knee...and why should he? So, he's going to brace his feet and not always set them properly.

The antidote? Run the damn ball and protect him when it counts. He'll deliver in those situations.