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3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 10:38 am
by Jizz Mop
Offense is ranked 29th

Defense is ranked 28th

But we are +7 in takeaways

Absent Boz TD from 60 we are 0-1

Kaleb Foster debacle….we actually coulda beat Seattle

Should have lost to NE, they went up and down the field on our historic defense but committed some horrible redzone turnovers

And Minnesota? Coach really pulled out all the stops late and did his damndest to try and snatch a loss from the jaws of victory.

We haven’t really played anyone. So before we start sucking each others dicks that we are 3-1 and face Dillon Gabriel and Jake Browning after the bye….lets wait and see how this team performs against legit NFL teams in the Packers, Ravens, Bills, Lions and even the Colts. Lotta football left. To beat those teams they’ll have to play much better than they have.

And it’s been discussed a lot here….but without a legit #2, we are a DK injury away from being the worst offense in the league.

Now a little optimism…..we get some guys back from injury, the Oline has the potential to “gel”, Harmon has flashed, and the D completely healthy (will it ever happen?) looks damn good, even historic on paper.

This franchise is great at winning 9-10 games….

But winning a playoff game? Or even not getting embarrassed in a playoff game? Another story.

Maybe just maybe this is the year we actually win a playoff game but a lot of improvement has to happen.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 10:54 am
by langer
Image

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 1:25 pm
by TimmayLake
We've seen this type of start before. Insanely lucky and unsustainable TO rate masks a fundamentally shitty team.

In time it will all even out and we will finish 9-8 for NHALS.

Have faith, brother.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 2:14 pm
by .Kodiak
TimmayLake wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 1:25 pm
We've seen this type of start before. Insanely lucky and unsustainable TO rate masks a fundamentally shitty team.

In time it will all even out and we will finish 9-8 for NHALS.

Have faith, brother.
It's also been a pretty regular occurrence when they get a little margin on NHALS they ease up until they drop a few games and are back in a dogfight for that 6/7 seed.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 2:25 pm
by rooneytunes
This is the year we beat the Texans 10-9 in the early Saturday Wild Card game slot.

Book it. I can already see the sights from the parade. Going to be awesome!!!

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:28 pm
by .Kodiak
rooneytunes wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 2:25 pm
This is the year we beat the Texans 10-9 in the early Saturday Wild Card game slot.

Book it. I can already see the sights from the parade. Going to be awesome!!!
A lot of teams have a SB trophy. But only one team will be able to claim 22 straight non-losing seasons! That's a participation trophy for an elite group of one!!!!!

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:45 pm
by 955876
rooneytunes wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 2:25 pm
This is the year we beat the Texans 10-9 in the early Saturday Wild Card game slot.

Book it. I can already see the sights from the parade. Going to be awesome!!!
I guarantee and will bet any amount y of money that when we finally win a playoff game this team will celebrate so hard and feel they finally accomplished something that they’ll come out flatter than a pancake the following week and get smoked.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:56 pm
by TimmayLake
955876 wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:45 pm
rooneytunes wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 2:25 pm
This is the year we beat the Texans 10-9 in the early Saturday Wild Card game slot.

Book it. I can already see the sights from the parade. Going to be awesome!!!
I guarantee and will bet any amount y of money that when we finally win a playoff game this team will celebrate so hard and feel they finally accomplished something that they’ll come out flatter than a pancake the following week and get smoked.
Let's win that first playoff game first...

How many years since the Steelers last playoff victory now?

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 5:07 pm
by Steeldrama
The 49ers are smoke and mirrors

Holy MASH unit

Shanny a helluva coach

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 5:47 pm
by Ice
The Jacksonville Jaguars fall into this category, as well. 3-1, and living and dying off an even more outlier than the Steelers' turnover margin at +9.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 8:36 pm
by 955876
Steeldrama wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 5:07 pm
The 49ers are smoke and mirrors

Holy MASH unit

Shanny a helluva coach
Jibbs loses a single defensive player and can’t win a game.

Shabby loses multiple key cogs from his offense and doesn’t miss a beat.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2025 8:38 pm
by 955876
TimmayLake wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:56 pm
955876 wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:45 pm
rooneytunes wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 2:25 pm
This is the year we beat the Texans 10-9 in the early Saturday Wild Card game slot.

Book it. I can already see the sights from the parade. Going to be awesome!!!
I guarantee and will bet any amount y of money that when we finally win a playoff game this team will celebrate so hard and feel they finally accomplished something that they’ll come out flatter than a pancake the following week and get smoked.
Let's win that first playoff game first...

How many years since the Steelers last playoff victory now?
Oh we will eventually. And if Jibbs is here it’s going to get celebrated as one of the single greatest achievements in sports history.

And the team will lay the biggest turd humanly possible the following week in the divisional round.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 1:57 am
by langer
11 years ago. The only thing the teams share is the colors of the uniform.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy0_QXWP6fU

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 2:10 pm
by W&M_Steeler
The Ringer has a nice little synopsis of this team and its fraudulent nature:

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1, Super Bowl Odds: +7000)
Ugh, do we really have to do this again? Look, can we all agree that even if the Steelers hit 5-1 by getting wins over Jake Browning and Dillon Gabriel in their next two games, we won’t entertain the idea of this team being a contender? We went through this charade last season before the inevitable late-season collapse that everybody saw coming. And while Aaron Rodgers has weasled his way to a nice-looking traditional stat line this season, his advanced metrics show that it’s all an illusion. He ranks 20th in yards per dropback, 21st in EPA, and 23rd in success rate, and PFF has him graded as the 28th-best passer this season. He’s been fine, and even that’s being generous. A tough schedule down the stretch will expose this team and its quarterback for what they really are.

https://www.theringer.com/2025/10/02/nf ... ers-ravens

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 2:46 pm
by .Kodiak
W&M_Steeler wrote:
Sat Oct 04, 2025 2:10 pm
The Ringer has a nice little synopsis of this team and its fraudulent nature:
I think that's generally spot on, but groan on the PFF grades. It's not really a QB grade, it's much more a scheme grade. I think Rodgers has generally operated the offense at a high level. Not the 28th best QB in the league, but a good QB running the worst scheme in the league.

But as the season goes on, it's looking more and more like Ben's last years. Get the ball out quick. Mostly safe passes. It's all about NHALS and playing conservative and hoping half your opponents beat themselves.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 3:11 pm
by W&M_Steeler
.Kodiak wrote:
Sat Oct 04, 2025 2:46 pm
But as the season goes on, it's looking more and more like Ben's last years. Get the ball out quick. Mostly safe passes. It's all about NHALS and playing conservative and hoping half your opponents beat themselves.
I think the Tomlinball NHALS philosophy is part of it, but I think the bigger factor is simply Rodgers' age. He's playing geriatric ball, and he looks like Old Ben, Old Brady, and Old Manning. They don't like to get hit anymore, they're not as mobile, so they throw the ball quickly. I don't think Rodgers would look much different even if he were playing for some innovative, risk taking offense. In the right situation, Rodgers might be a contributor to a late career Super Bowl like Brady and Manning, but I don't think he's capable of transforming a team into a Super Bowl contender anymore.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 3:21 pm
by bradshaw2ben
If you want the Steelers to be better than NHALS, root for injuries for the tough teams that lie ahead. If Tomlin can continue with his incredibly lucky streak of opposing starting QBs getting injured just before they face the Steelers, NHALS is a lock and the division is in play.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 3:38 pm
by .Kodiak
bradshaw2ben wrote:
Sat Oct 04, 2025 3:21 pm
If you want the Steelers to be better than NHALS, root for injuries for the tough teams that lie ahead.
I want to be 8-9, still make the playoffs, and get boat raced as usual. THAT would be perfection.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 4:05 pm
by Works At A Bank
955876 wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 4:45 pm
rooneytunes wrote:
Fri Oct 03, 2025 2:25 pm
This is the year we beat the Texans 10-9 in the early Saturday Wild Card game slot.

Book it. I can already see the sights from the parade. Going to be awesome!!!
I guarantee and will bet any amount y of money that when we finally win a playoff game this team will celebrate so hard and feel they finally accomplished something that they’ll come out flatter than a pancake the following week and get smoked.
So true. Tomlin will be pounding his chest and Deuce will extend him 6 more years immediately following the win. After week of more unpreparedness and they get absolutely smoked in the next round and Tomlin will just blame execution and then fire an assistant coach or two as the scapegoat. Lather rinse repeat

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 6:59 pm
by Jams
How about we let this team gel. They have allot of turnover this year. We added a good amount of talent. I truly believe we would be 4 if CAIII doesn't defect that pass.and KJ doesn't walk away from a live ball.

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 8:48 pm
by Stillchest
.Kodiak wrote:
Sat Oct 04, 2025 3:38 pm
bradshaw2ben wrote:
Sat Oct 04, 2025 3:21 pm
If you want the Steelers to be better than NHALS, root for injuries for the tough teams that lie ahead.
I want to be 8-9, still make the playoffs, and get boat raced as usual. THAT would be perfection.
Don't you think finishing 6-11 or 7-10 with a relatively healthy team would be better?

Re: 3-1 via smoke and mirrors

Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2025 9:19 pm
by Steeldrama
James Franklin could use some smoke and mirrors right about now

Yikes