Steelers at Rams Game Comments and Lamentations

[SteelPro]

Yea the end to last year we beat a ton of teams that were flat out bad

While that may be true we don't make the schedule. You can only play who is next. That means that the Bengals & Ravens beat a lot of bad teams as well. Since divisions play similar schedules.

But you don't play the same teams at the same time of year, injuries timing, etc.

I still think the Steelers are on track for 8-9 to 10-7. Playing to chalk the rest of the way gets them to 9-8. Steal a game from somebody better on paper (they've stolen 3 of those already)... 10 wins. Lose to somebody worse, 8-9.

Going by DVOA, remaining games (Steelers are 16th, .06% worse than the average NFL team):

5 more vs top 12 (currently 2-1) BAL, SEA, JAX, CLE, IND
2 more vs middle 10 (currently 1-1) CIN, CIN
4 more vs bottom 12 (currently 1-0) TEN, NE, GB, AZ

9-8

If I had to bet right now, I'd say they lose both to CIN, steal one from IND, and finish 9-8.

There is fucking tie on this schedule somewhere and we all know it. 8-8-1 or 9-7-1. Either way NHALS survives.

[stillthere]

But you don't play the same teams at the same time of year, injuries timing, etc.

This is true. It is not Madden. So all the teams we have played for the last 5 or 6 games have had the advantage of us not having multiple starters out there for stretches or entire games. I will not cry a river for another team that has injuries. Nobody every cried for us when Ben was hurt or Lev Bell or AB couldn't suit up on gameday or the playoffs.

Getting DJ back is a goodness, getting Cam Heyward back in a few weeks will be a goodness, getting Muuth back will be a goodness. Hopefully Anthony McFarland can come back in the next game or two and add the speed we need to run some of the edge runs that Najee is not the best at. Leal playing this week helped with the D as well. Herbig getting a sack while our starting OLBs were getting a breather on the sidelines is a goodness.

[jmacinwbp]

Yea the end to last year we beat a ton of teams that were flat out bad

While that may be true we don't make the schedule. You can only play who is next. That means that the Bengals & Ravens beat a lot of bad teams as well. Since divisions play similar schedules.

You're right that we don't get a say in who we play

But...this is why I always say "look at the process, not the result"
There was context to who we beat. And low and behold, the same stuff that we struggled with last year is prevelant this year and we'll end up the same situation: .500 and barely beat the dregs of the league and get smoked by the elite teams.

That's fine and dandy if you like mediocrity. I do not

"and barely beat the dregs of the league and get smoked by the elite teams."

I think the team has already proved they can beat non dregs of the league this year. Unless you consider Baltimore, who just crushed Detroit, and the stains, the team that just beat "the god" purdy and the niners as dregs of the NFL thus far this season.

Regardless of what your feelings are on the stains, and Baltimore, who knows how far up the food chain this team could beat if they find a way to keep Wallace and Adams off the field for extended periods of time, with better alternatives, and begin to posses the ball on par with what the offesnse was doing at the end of last year, or maybe average 24-28 pts/game ?

My wet dream is that Surtain Jr. makes it clear to Payton he has no interest in a rebuilding team, thus forcing a trade, then Tomlin gives the ok to give up next year's first, and a lower round pick to get him, which Peyton agrees to.

The two jr's. as your outside cbs for at least the next four years, would look pretty formidable, and has a bit of symmetry to it, no? Also would make our pass rush even more dominant. I wouldn't be surprised if that move alone (and sustained overall health), has our D in the top five in the league by playoff time, and strong enough to allow the team to withstand Canafraud's inevitable three and outs gameplans to survive a first half, without being down by 14 or more points against any of the AFC top tier teams. Then things could become very interesting.

I did say this was a wet dream, so yeah, I know, not very likely, but one can dream for some of that vodoo shit Tomlin's been casting on opposing teams could be used to hit Peyton and the donkeys.

Clearly I'm more optimistic than you & B2B.

[K_C_]

While that may be true we don't make the schedule. You can only play who is next. That means that the Bengals & Ravens beat a lot of bad teams as well. Since divisions play similar schedules.

You're right that we don't get a say in who we play

But...this is why I always say "look at the process, not the result"
There was context to who we beat. And low and behold, the same stuff that we struggled with last year is prevelant this year and we'll end up the same situation: .500 and barely beat the dregs of the league and get smoked by the elite teams.

That's fine and dandy if you like mediocrity. I do not

"and barely beat the dregs of the league and get smoked by the elite teams."

I think the team has already proved they can beat non dregs of the league this year. Unless you consider Baltimore, who just crushed Detroit, and the stains, the team that just beat "the god" purdy and the niners as dregs of the NFL thus far this season.

Regardless of what your feelings are on the stains, and Baltimore, who knows how far up the food chain this team could beat if they find a way to keep Wallace and Adams off the field for extended periods of time, with better alternatives, and begin to posses the ball on par with what the offesnse was doing at the end of last year, or maybe average 24-28 pts/game ?

My wet dream is that Surtain Jr. makes it clear to Payton he has no interest in a rebuilding team, thus forcing a trade, then Tomlin gives the ok to give up next year's first, and a lower round pick to get him, which Peyton agrees to.

The two jr's. as your outside cbs for at least the next four years, would look pretty formidable, and has a bit of symmetry to it, no? Also would make our pass rush even more dominant. I wouldn't be surprised if that move alone (and sustained overall health), has our D in the top five in the league by playoff time, and strong enough to allow the team to withstand Canafraud's inevitable three and outs gameplans to survive a first half, without being down by 14 or more points against any of the AFC top tier teams. Then things could become very interesting.

I did say this was a wet dream, so yeah, I know, not very likely, but one can dream for some of that vodoo shit Tomlin's been casting on opposing teams could be used to hit Peyton and the donkeys.

Clearly I'm more optimistic than you & B2B.

Absolutely phenomenal post.

The Steelers have beaten some very, very tough/good teams. The Rats and Browns are damn good.

The Dolphins can put up 70 on Denver, but they haven't beaten 1 single team with a winning or even a .500 record. They're a fucking joke.

The Surtain part...I swear to God I hope the Steelers can shock the world and pull this off. I would GLADLY give up our first and maybe a 5th for Surtain. All Pro talent.

[PennyBacker]

2 rushing TDs in the 4th quarter, one of those capped off a 12 play / 90yd drive.

Got the ball with 5:28 left on the clock. Converted a 3rd down with a timely throw, then a 4th down on a short yardage plunge. Fell on the ball to finish draining the clock.

Going into the season, that looked to be the gameplan.

There's a fair amount of players going through a growth and development phase so far this year. It's no small achievement to get wins on the road during that process.