Steelers '25...an Epitaph

[swissvale72]

Anticipating the question from the assembled asshats herin, yes, I'm glad the Steelers made the playoffs. Yes, i'm glad to have had the anticipation of a playoff week. And further, I'm glad I have enjoyed three very compelling Steeler wins during the final month of the season, twice against the ravens, and at Detroit, a game that nobody expected them to win. In my book, it's your beats playing meaningless games as the regular season wind down.

As far as last night, some are saying, it was the worst ever some are saying it was the same old playoff performance, but this one was different. To me, the biggest disappointment of the night was the Steeler defense, allowing Houston to run the ball down their throats to take an early lead and then to do it again late when the game was out of reach. The performance of the Steeler offense against the Houston defense while disappointing was not a total surprise.

As far as it being a repeat of past playoff debacles, it was a one point game entering the fourth quarter, until surrendering of 46 yard pass on third and 15, at which point I think we are all hopeful of getting decent field position down by only one point. I know that on the previous possession, there was plenty of bitching in the game day thread about not giving a flag on a deep ball to Calvin Austin, the biggest players of the game would be that one, and the DK drop early.

Anyway, go ahead ass hats, tear it apart, but no, I don't regret having made the playoffs, and certainly don't regret. The three December wins previously referenced.

Going forward, I guess let's see what happens. I have no doubt that Tomlin is back. I would like to see Aaron Rodgers back. I would like to see Arthur Smith go away.

Rest of the playoffs, I'll be rooting for Houston to dismantle the Patriots offense on Sunday. I would like to see Buffalo win in Denver. Then we would have an AFC championship game in Houston, Texans versus bills. And we've seen that movie before as recently as November We've seen the Texans kick Josh Allen's ass to the tune of eight sacks...could happen again

Oh....and I still fuckin hated the George Pickens trade!!

[DumlinBumlinStumlin]

You need to step away from this esteemed website and reevaluate your Senior years. Especially, your blind homerism

Also. too long didn’t read

Senseless drivel

[swissvale72]

You need to step away from this esteemed website and reevaluate your Senior years. Especially, your blind homerism

Also. too long didn’t read

Senseless drivel

Sorry that the piece went beyond your limited capacity to read and comprehend. Quite the assessment by you, Dumfuck, er Dumlin..."senseless drivel (but) didnt read."

[MJG75]

Good write up, Swiss. I loved the way this season unfolded down the stretch like I haven't seen in a while from them, and that, combined with Rodgers, gave me hope it might be different.

But nah. Even though the score was close in the 4th Q, they were never in it. Felt the same as if they were down 44-6. Even their turnover gifts couldn't be converted to TD scores. They looked mostly lost and ineffective. I felt their one shot to possibly change the momentum of the game was the pass to the 30 million dollar man that was dropped. It wasnt an easy catch, but it is one elite WRs should make. The Steelers don't take a lot of shots, that was a huge miss along with a few others.

I will never root for losses and I always will root for playoff victories, but damn this humiliation has to stop. It is the return of SOS.

Also agree with who I want to win moving forward. I could get behind a Bills team sneaking in. But mostly I am waiting for spring training.

[TimmayLake]

The game was over at 7-6, and anyone who disagrees isn't being honest with themselves. This team is allergic to touchdowns.

[6Trophies]

Tomlin's teams are consistent.

They play down to their opponents level. And they lose to teams they should beat.

Their personnel are questionable and they pay too much for too many of their players. When I heard of the $$$ they were going to throw at TJ Watt or, they might trade him I said, please trade him! Now we're stuck with an overpaid, underperforming player who wants to retire a Steeler. And Metcalf - how much is he paid?!

Aaron Rogers is a legend. But he's beyond his time. If the Steelers bring him back it won't help him or the team.

Art Rooney is a meme for nepotism and what comes from it. He's got that job from being born a Rooney and we've got a complete lack of leadership.

We have Art and Art has Tomlin. Neither has been capable of more than .500 football which in most cities is unacceptable and cause for change.

This team needs two new leaders. And we likely won't even get one.

I can't wait for next year --> baseball season is almost here. You guys take care...

[Stillerz Bar]

The game was over at 7-6, and anyone who disagrees isn't being honest with themselves. This team is allergic to touchdowns.

It was, but not initially when the Texans scored their TD. It was over when the Steelers squandered their 3rd takeaway.

When you are +3 in turnovers, down 7-6 and the only points you got from them are because one of those was within Boswell's FG range, there is really no reason for hope.

[swissvale72]

The game was over at 7-6, and anyone who disagrees isn't being honest with themselves. This team is allergic to touchdowns.

The perpetual optimist in me, when Texans were 3rd & 15 at their own 18, was that maybe the Steelers could win without scoring a touchdown...like in there are most recent playoff victory in 2016. At that point, I'm thinking get the ball back at your own 40 hit just one play, and possibly win 9-7.

[TimmayLake]

The game was over at 7-6, and anyone who disagrees isn't being honest with themselves. This team is allergic to touchdowns.

The perpetual optimist in me, when Texans were 3rd & 15 at their own 18, was that maybe the Steelers could win without scoring a touchdown...like in there are most recent playoff victory in 2016. At that point, I'm thinking get the ball back at your own 40 hit just one play, and possibly win 9-7.

The Steelers (and many of their fans) are stuck in the stone age thinking you can win playoff games without scoring offensive TDs. The rest of the NFL has realized scoring points and lots of them is the way to win.

Not sure why our collective of geniuses can't accept that truth.

[daikyu]

Agreed. That 3rd and 15 play was a dagger. It was the beginning of the D buckling under the pressure of being constantly on the field.

I think that was the play where Peyton Wilson turns his back and doubles the receiver going deep, leaving a huge open area on the field where the pass went.

Outside of the 1st quarter the Steelers O did not do anything. People criticize the playcalling but the Texans D was blowing up the LOS after some adjustments. Maybe some short range middle of the field stuff would have worked but Rodgers was under siege for the most part.

The game was over at 7-6, and anyone who disagrees isn't being honest with themselves. This team is allergic to touchdowns.

The perpetual optimist in me, when Texans were 3rd & 15 at their own 18, was that maybe the Steelers could win without scoring a touchdown...like in there are most recent playoff victory in 2016. At that point, I'm thinking get the ball back at your own 40 hit just one play, and possibly win 9-7.

[K_C_]

Oh....and I still fuckin hated the George Pickens trade!!

Pickens, talent wise, could have moved the needle on this team.

Unfortunately, Pickens is also a fucking idiot and his frustration would have boiled over numerous times into what would have likely become suspensions and who knows what else.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs despite Pickens playing great in a bunch of games. The same thing likely would have happened had George remained a Steeler.

[swissvale72]

A lot of discussion on the ESPN shows about whether Rogers is coming back next year.

I would just caution about premising any prediction on last night's game. He was up against the killer fucking defense that also similarly kick Josh Allen's ass to the tune of eight sacks when they played him. Let's not discount Aaron Rodgers performance in both Baltimore games and against Detroit. The general consensus was that if Tomlin is back then Rodgers may well be back. And… Tomlin will be back. Book it.

Oh… ESPN panel compared Rodgers going up against this Texan to a woman in childbirth, lol

[langer]

[zeke5123]

There is a misnomer that the D wore down because the offense sucked.

The reality is the D sucked for most of the game but was bailed out by Stroud sucking even more. Dude was a joke. Missed so many wide open guys. Fumbled multiple snaps. Threw a horrendous pick.

But-for Stroud shitting the bed, this game was probably over by half time.

[langer]

TV Tommy Brady would have torn this team up.

Hell Aaron Rodgers would have carved this team of jagoffs to shreds.

[TimmayLake]

Oh....and I still fuckin hated the George Pickens trade!!

Pickens, talent wise, could have moved the needle on this team.

Unfortunately, Pickens is also a fucking idiot and his frustration would have boiled over numerous times into what would have likely become suspensions and who knows what else.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs despite Pickens playing great in a bunch of games. The same thing likely would have happened had George remained a Steeler.

Pickens would have been the best player on the Steelers, by far.

[Stlcrtn1974]

Anticipating the question from the assembled asshats herin, yes, I'm glad the Steelers made the playoffs. Yes, i'm glad to have had the anticipation of a playoff week. And further, I'm glad I have enjoyed three very compelling Steeler wins during the final month of the season, twice against the ravens, and at Detroit, a game that nobody expected them to win. In my book, it's your beats playing meaningless games as the regular season wind down.

As far as last night, some are saying, it was the worst ever some are saying it was the same old playoff performance, but this one was different. To me, the biggest disappointment of the night was the Steeler defense, allowing Houston to run the ball down their throats to take an early lead and then to do it again late when the game was out of reach. The performance of the Steeler offense against the Houston defense while disappointing was not a total surprise.

As far as it being a repeat of past playoff debacles, it was a one point game entering the fourth quarter, until surrendering of 46 yard pass on third and 15, at which point I think we are all hopeful of getting decent field position down by only one point. I know that on the previous possession, there was plenty of bitching in the game day thread about not giving a flag on a deep ball to Calvin Austin, the biggest players of the game would be that one, and the DK drop early.

Anyway, go ahead ass hats, tear it apart, but no, I don't regret having made the playoffs, and certainly don't regret. The three December wins previously referenced.

Going forward, I guess let's see what happens. I have no doubt that Tomlin is back. I would like to see Aaron Rodgers back. I would like to see Arthur Smith go away.

Rest of the playoffs, I'll be rooting for Houston to dismantle the Patriots offense on Sunday. I would like to see Buffalo win in Denver. Then we would have an AFC championship game in Houston, Texans versus bills. And we've seen that movie before as recently as November We've seen the Texans kick Josh Allen's ass to the tune of eight sacks...could happen again

Oh....and I still fuckin hated the George Pickens trade!!

Nice write up Swiss. I am not shocked by the defense, especially after Cincinnati 1st game and Buffalo running the same play over 20 times and not being able to stop it. Sucks the season is over, hopefully there is major change but I'm not holding my breath.

[14Thumb]

It wasnt an easy catch, but it is one elite WRs should make.

You're giving Metcalf too much credit here. That is a catch that any NFL receiver should make.

To me, this game was a bit different because they finally kept a playoff game close thru 3 quarters albeit from Stroud being terrible more than any player stepping up. Watching this game go from 7-6 to 30-6 in the 4th quarter is a Tomlin defining moment.

[daikyu]

They had Stroud completely rattled. There was a reason he was so poor. The D had Stroud seeing ghosts for a good portion of the game.


quote=zeke5123 post_id=867156 time=1768313369 user_id=230]
There is a misnomer that the D wore down because the offense sucked.

The reality is the D sucked for most of the game but was bailed out by Stroud sucking even more. Dude was a joke. Missed so many wide open guys. Fumbled multiple snaps. Threw a horrendous pick.

But-for Stroud shitting the bed, this game was probably over by half time.
[/quote]

[Ice]

Epitaph?

Same Shit, Different Year

[swissvale72]

There is a misnomer that the D wore down because the offense sucked.

The reality is the D sucked for most of the game but was bailed out by Stroud sucking even more. Dude was a joke. Missed so many wide open guys. Fumbled multiple snaps. Threw a horrendous pick.

But-for Stroud shitting the bed, this game was probably over by half time.

Agreed.... I had predicted that the Steelers defense would be the story of the game, in a positive way. It was the opposite, texans, reputed to be not good running team to run the ball down their fucking throats for 92 yards.

[TimmayLake]

There once was a fan from Swissvale,
Whose Steelers takes always derail.
At 2–7 he’ll boast,
“Next week? We’ll win by most!”
He’s the king of that black‑and‑gold fairy tale.

[jeemie]

The Steelers' D played well enough to win a defensive battle, even with the rush yards they gave up, if only the offense had done anything....one big play that could have given us a lead.

And those big plays were there...the pass DK dropped...if Austin keeps running instead of slowing down...if Rodgers has a half second more to throw on his first fumble (DK was wide open downfield)...if Rodgers throws to DK instead of Thielen.

We didn't convert a single one of those big plays...so that's on the players.

Where's it on the coaches?

We did nothing to take advantage of Houston's aggression.
We kept sub-optimizing by putting plays in the hands of lesser players (i.e Jonnu instead of Muth- not that Muth is a stud, but he's better than Jonnu).
Giving up on the run too early.

And then again we had the typical Tomlin give up.

9+ minutes left, 4th down at the 50, trailing by 11- I do NOT give a crap it was 4th and long- the way the game was going, you could NOT punt there.

Punting was giving up. And in each and every playoff loss, Tomlin has made a decision like that that just kills all hope.
The main reason I want him to go- he never...EVER...learns a damn thing.

[Gonzo]

the D did not "well"
saying they did is ludacrist

Stroud saved them from themselves - he was obviously very nervous
but he also made big plays -- the same types/routes of big passing plays this D gives up consistently .... kirk-flowers
and they were bulldozed by the run ... non-existent in the middle of the DL

it was terrible all around
coaching is the main culprit -- it really is insane how they keep doing the same shit and refuse to adjust to the circumstances
players as a unit and some as individuals ... Jonnu Smith shouldnt have been allowed on the bus home.

[SteelPro]

I’m not sure how anyone that watched that game could pin it on the defense. They might not have been perfect but the performance was strong enough that it could/should have won that game. The offense was putrid. It was a JV squad getting rag dolled by Varsity. The players stunk and the coaching staff had no answers. They were also pussies. I don’t care what the down and distance is. Punting with 9:30 minutes left is a pussy move only done to try to hold score down and make the end result look slightly better. Thankfully it didn’t work and Texas added two more scores to make the game look even more lopsided.

[Dan Smith--BYU]

They did what I thought they would do after the Rodgers signing. He was worth watching but you knew ultimately the result was going to be the same.

It was entertainment with no serious chance at winning.

[K_C_]

Oh....and I still fuckin hated the George Pickens trade!!

Pickens, talent wise, could have moved the needle on this team.

Unfortunately, Pickens is also a fucking idiot and his frustration would have boiled over numerous times into what would have likely become suspensions and who knows what else.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs despite Pickens playing great in a bunch of games. The same thing likely would have happened had George remained a Steeler.

Pickens would have been the best player on the Steelers, by far.

When he felt like it.....and that wouldn't have been very often.

...and that's the problem.

Pickens playing for a new deal (that he NEVER was going to get in Pittsburgh) and looking across the field at DK Metcalf who the Steelers just gave $150 million?

Sure. Right. Uh huh. I'm sure George would have loved that.

[jeemie]

the D did not "well"
saying they did is ludacrist

Stroud saved them from themselves - he was obviously very nervous
but he also made big plays -- the same types/routes of big passing plays this D gives up consistently .... kirk-flowers
and they were bulldozed by the run ... non-existent in the middle of the DL

it was terrible all around
coaching is the main culprit -- it really is insane how they keep doing the same shit and refuse to adjust to the circumstances
players as a unit and some as individuals ... Jonnu Smith shouldnt have been allowed on the bus home.

Read what I wrote- I said they played well enough to win a defensive battle, had the offense done anything.

Stroud was nervous because the defense was getting to him. Of the three turnovers, the defense forced two of them with pressure. Yes two other fumbles had as their culprit bad snaps by Houston's center, but Stroud was nervous because the D was making him uncomoftbale.

Difference is he had a run game to help settle him a little bit, while we gave up on ours, and when the time came to make big plays with his arm (i.e. on 3rd and 15), Stroud made the plays and Rodgers and the Steelers didn't.

I blame the coaches for failure of imagination to come up with a scheme to attack the Texans' aggression.
I blame them for not maximizing the best players we had an instead kept going with inferior players like Jonnu over Muth.
I blame Tomlin for giving up down 11 with 9+ minutes left.
I blame Tomlin/Khan/Weidl for not doing better with finding talent

For these reasons I want him gone because the Steelers won't become relevant in the post-season again until he leaves.

But this was not us being overmatched by the coaching so much as it was being overmatched on talent.

The better team won four of the six games this weekend. The only exceptions I'll make are the Buffalo/Jacksonville game and the 49ers/Eagles game. In the former, Josh Allen put the Bills on his back and willed them to victory, and Trevor Lawrence made the one mistake he'd been flirting with all game long. In the latter Kyle Shanahan made Nick Sirianni look silly.

Houston was better than us, period.

But if you want to tell me there was some magic scheme that would have helped the Steelers beat that defense for sure, I'd be happy to hear it.

[6Trophies]

[955876]

Yes, i'm glad to have had the anticipation of a playoff week.

That is because you watch with hope where the majority here have scrutinized this team enough and are willing to be critical enough to realize with 99.99% certainty that Jibba wasn’t capable of winning that game.

And thus, zero “anticipation of a playoff week”.

When you know you know. And most here knew there was no way our lame offense was going to move the ball and score on that D u less we stepped outside our own self-created box.

Something Jibbs isn’t capable off.