OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: 5 and 2 Justin who? Hand the Fields to Wilson

[MrBrightside]

Porter's been targeted 26 times with a 65.4% completion rate and 9.5 yards per target. That's not high targeting or awful numbers, but it's not never targeted and lockdown numbers either. He's also missing 20% of his tackles. I get why PFF isn't giving him great numbers this year. Hell, I doubt any members of the defence outside the DL are getting great numbers this year, they get gashed open repeatedly because there's been a lot of turnover and the communication isn't there (I hope).

Still, yeah, hindsight is Porter and Branch, but I have no regrets about trying Jones. I'm not entirely counting out the game catching up with him in time either.

The team that is second in the NFL in scoring defense is getting "gashed open repeatedly."

Considering that Porter generally follows the other team's top WR, being targeted less than 4x a game is actually quite good.

There's no way many of these posters that shit all over the Steelers in every post are actually fans. That's fine, but good lord.

 

[ImporterExporter]

I'm giving Russ some leeway with accuracy in a vacuum. Been a long time since he saw game action but it was the lack of arm strength that really stood out. He had no zip on anything. Rainbow lobs that would make Rudolph blush.

I still think his lack of mobility is going to kill drives against better teams. We'll see. I hope he keeps proving me wrong because I do want to see this team win a game that actually matters.

 

[xlm34]

HUGE BREAKING NEWS

One dollar from each sale will be donated to children’s hospital as long as Russ is QB1. So if Tomlin ever benches Russ then he hates sick children.

 

[MrBrightside]

 

[Peat]

The D has not played as well as it can for sure, and yet they are 8th in ypg, 2nd in ppg, and 2nd in turnovers. And they almost never actually blitz.

All true. Their performance hasn't filled me with confidence but the results are hard to argue with.

 

[WickedWrister]

Team Tiers

5th in defensive EPA per play, 13th in offensive EPA per play

 

[Peat]

I'm torn between wondering whether this'll hold up when they play good teams, and saying there aren't really any good teams this season anyway.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm torn between wondering whether this'll hold up when they play good teams, and saying there aren't really any good teams this season anyway.

Feel free to say it's premature but I think this team may legitimately be good this year.

They went 10-7 last year while the defense is somehow even better, the QB play is significantly improved and the playcalling is improved.

 

[MrBrightside]

 

[SomeDude]

The Raiders are gonna make a lot of mediocre players rich.

 

[Peat]

Feel free to say it's premature but I think this team may legitimately be good this year.

They went 10-7 last year while the defense is somehow even better, the QB play is significantly improved and the playcalling is improved.

Define good, I guess (gods I'm such an arsehole sometimes)

This team feels like best of the rest which is probably good, yeah. But then hell, they were that last year too (or close) providing they didn't play Trubisky.

I don't know they're among the best. I don't know they can stop a top offence from treating the defence like so much wet tissue paper, or that their offence can make a game of it if comes to that. Also I don't know where their fitness will be when it comes to time to test that.

But then I don't know any of the top offences are as scary as they could be.

I do think this team could be legitimately good, among the best this year with a bit of injury luck and a best case Wilson and probably another receiver though. The defence should get better as they get used to each other. The offence has growing room too. I've got my doubts about it playing out but the thought is in my head too.

 

[TooManyHumans]

All true. Their performance hasn't filled me with confidence but the results are hard to argue with.

I sometimes think maybe we as Steelers fans expect too much. It always looks worse to me than it is.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Define good, I guess (gods I'm such an arsehole sometimes)

This team feels like best of the rest which is probably good, yeah. But then hell, they were that last year too (or close) providing they didn't play Trubisky.

I don't know they're among the best. I don't know they can stop a top offence from treating the defence like so much wet tissue paper, or that their offence can make a game of it if comes to that. Also I don't know where their fitness will be when it comes to time to test that.

But then I don't know any of the top offences are as scary as they could be.

I do think this team could be legitimately good, among the best this year with a bit of injury luck and a best case Wilson and probably another receiver though. The defence should get better as they get used to each other. The offence has growing room too. I've got my doubts about it playing out but the thought is in my head too.

12-5 but not a real superbowl contender. So good not great.

 

[TooManyHumans]

One good thing about the division race is that I think the Ravens defense is pretty bad and have a history of allowing teams to come back on them. Their offense looks pretty scary right now though.

 

[Peat]

I sometimes think maybe we as Steelers fans expect too much. It always looks worse to me than it is.

Yup. Hell, I can hear myself doing it with the Jets game. Yeah they got a good final result but they looked so soft early, looked really bad until that momentum shifting interception...

... okay, yeah, but they did get that interception.

And you are going to have bad drives against Rodgers with Adam/Wilson/Hall. Jets are in a mess but even so, that's hardcore talent, even with Rodgers a bit in decline.

Maybe it'll get worse but right now it's about as good as we have a right to expect. Even the best defences get housed sometimes.

12-5 but not a real superbowl contender. So good not great.

Seems fair.

Feels like this is the year where a good team can be a SB contender though. I mean just in the AFC -

Bills are a good team but thin and inconsistent
Chiefs clearly aren't what they were (although Mahomes will probably come roaring back to life in the playoffs again)

Bengals don't have the defence, if we can handle the Ravens' rush like we normally do we have a chance... who else is there? Oh yeah, Texans, shouldn't have forgot about them.

It doesn't feel as scary as it did or was meant to.

 

[TooManyHumans]

Yup. Hell, I can hear myself doing it with the Jets game. Yeah they got a good final result but they looked so soft early, looked really bad until that momentum shifting interception...

... okay, yeah, but they did get that interception.

And you are going to have bad drives against Rodgers with Adam/Wilson/Hall. Jets are in a mess but even so, that's hardcore talent, even with Rodgers a bit in decline.

Maybe it'll get worse but right now it's about as good as we have a right to expect. Even the best defences get housed sometimes.

Everything the Jets got in that game was due to poor tackling. Once the Steelers started tackling they shut the Jets down. All the Jets have is short stuff. They didn't even try a deep shot all game. I am starting to think Rodgers is shot.

 

[WickedWrister]

 

[xlm34]

A healthy Cooper Kupp would be awesome. A healthy Cooper Kupp is a bit of an oxymoron lately though.

 

[WickedWrister]

A healthy Cooper Kupp would be awesome. A healthy Cooper Kupp is a bit of an oxymoron lately though.

Definitely a concerning injury history but I think he's practicing in full now and should be good to go this week. I'd be very intrigued, he's exactly the type of WR this group has been missing.

 

[WickedWrister]

Elite run blocker too (or at least he was in the past).

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Push the button Khan

 

[JTG]

I was clamoring for him over Porter, but it's a coin flip to me. Both have been excellent players.

As was I. I didn't really care. He was the more dynamic player, but we had a need and Porter fills that need.

Branch appears to be the much better player so far (PFF and other metrics). CB was a higher need for the Steelers though, and JPJ *could* potentially end up being the better player as their careers develop.

I think Branch is just around more work. I would agree he has been a better player though. Porter isn't a great tackler. Branch is. I also think Branch is a more cerebral player. I definitely think he's the guy the opposing QB accounts for most in that Detroit defense.

PFF has some really bizarre logic for grading CBs so I don’t think Porter will ever grade out well by them. In PFF grade land, it’s better to be targeted a lot and break up the pass than prevent a ball from being thrown in the first place.

In hindsight, they probably should have just ignored Jones and come out of the draft with both Porter and Branch.

I don't disagree. Porter has had some tough games tackling, so that has obviously hurt him.

HUGE BREAKING NEWS

I can see him winking and gunning in the mirror

"We're back, baby!"

It seems like every other game Tomlin is getting a call and an apology from the league office.

Team Tiers
View attachment 919781

5th in defensive EPA per play, 13th in offensive EPA per play

That is about where I'd think they are right about now. One WR may blow the lid off the offense.

 

[Peat]

I'll leave it to Khan to decide whether Kupp's injury history fits the price, but the more WRs on the market the better.

Everything the Jets got in that game was due to poor tackling. Once the Steelers started tackling they shut the Jets down. All the Jets have is short stuff. They didn't even try a deep shot all game. I am starting to think Rodgers is shot.

I would refocus that a bit as it being about giving guys too much room. Most guys in the league are going to look like bad tacklers once you let Hall make cuts. But yeah, that.


Tbh, just riffing, I kind of wonder where the game is going as it feels like the NCAA are producing a ton of RB/WR/TEs who can really make a guy miss, and not a lot of DBs/LBs who are great open space tacklers.

The part where they're producing very inferior OL and great pass rushers by the score is a potentially game changing thing too.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Team Tiers
View attachment 919781

5th in defensive EPA per play, 13th in offensive EPA per play

I would say this generally matches the eye test. Have to consider QOC here too though.

What bodes well for the Steelers? Divisional play doesn't seem as daunting as we thought.

Browns and Bengals are cooked.

We seem to have the Rats' number and would not surprise me if we split with them. But we know that Tomlin coached teams tend to max out at 10 wins.

 

[MrBrightside]

Everything the Jets got in that game was due to poor tackling. Once the Steelers started tackling they shut the Jets down. All the Jets have is short stuff. They didn't even try a deep shot all game. I am starting to think Rodgers is shot.

Queen has been the biggest issue - he has reverted back to the pre-Roquan Smith guy we saw in Baltimore and I fear his 2022-2023 were a mirage. Elliott has been a massive upgrade at safety, however.