OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Dont panic, they are 2-0!

[Buddy Bizarre]

The Steelers really seem to have a unique situation where injuries get clustered - last year it was the LB's and S's. This year it's the OL.

Was literally thinking this same thing yesterday. The LB's were decimated last year. Then they overcorrected and paid Queen a ton of money and he's middling at best.

Roberts is outplaying him, which is concerning.

 

[WickedWrister]

f*** man, that sucks for Daniels. As of last week, he was the highest graded interior offensive lineman in the entire NFL per PFF. I don’t think that injury is the career death knell it used to be, especially for OL, so I hope he can recover and return to play at some point in 2025 or 2026.

More frustrated about the loss than anything. Offense starts slow again, D can’t get off the field on 3rd down.

Only positive I can salvage from the disaster that was yesterday is that Fields is playing like a fringe top 10 qb right now.

 

[Pengwins]

so glad Khan is running the show now. he took heat for not extending Najee which now he looks like a genius. couldnt they tell how slow Najee was? no way he should have been drafted in round 1

we have to trade for a WR tho idgaf what it costs

 

[cookthebooks]

i think najee is too smart to be a good running back

 

[Coastal Kev]

If they get any additional hits to the OL, nothing else will really matter. Sometimes you just get killed with injuries, I'm hoping that trend stops soon.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I figure Seumalo gets back soon enough but yeah that Daniels injury hurts. It is good for McCormick to develop faster, and I'll admit I've been pretty happy with what I've seen from McCormick, but yeah it's still bad.

Anderson is the obvious weak link in the IOL, as long as he's not playing I think it should be fine. Doesn't mean the OTs will be okay but the IOL will be fine with Seumalo-Frazier-McCormick I think.

 

[WickedWrister]

 

[Coastal Kev]

Refs have been one sided against the Steelers in 3 games this season.

 

[Peat]

Looks like someone has Tomlin's number

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840500809642958883

 

[Goalie_Bob]

Man, the injuries are just getting ridiculous. Especially to one group.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

The offense just lacks playmakers right now I think. Fields can make a big play happen. Pickens can make a big play happen. Austin can but like @JTG mentioned, he’s not a guy whose best spot is as a number 2. Harris isn’t that guy in this offense. Maybe a healthy Warren can be?

They need someone else that’s capable of being a big play threat consistently.

There is literally a rookie WR who can bring some juice/intensity on the sideline, yet they don't bring him in. No one has asked this question: what does Van Jefferson do well?

I'm not saying Roman is any panacea but this offense needs ANYTHING it can get

 

[Coastal Kev]

Looks like someone has Tomlin's number

https://x.com/i/web/status/1840500809642958883

Cowher was a defensive genius; and even when he had ALL PRO OLB's, he knew you couldn't rely on them getting there to provide the QB with discomfort consistently (see refs an good OL). Hence, he invented Blitzburgh. Tomlin, he's passive. He wants to drop 7, play soft zone and limit big chunks. This is why Minkah gets almost no splash plays. The one time they blitzed Queen yesterday it nearly caused a sack/FF.

 

[JTG]

Yeah I thought he’d been excellent this season.

I watched game at a bar so really wasn’t best performance for me to analyze but thought in the 4th Q until the bad snap the offense moved the ball better than it ever had since like the Killer Bs lol. Obv 1st half was a different story.

I’ve been harsh on Fields but IMO there was some really encouraging things to take from the end of that game; even though it was winnable.

Fields just needs to see things a second quicker, and I think having better targets would help him tremendously. He was also playing yesterday with no running game.

i think najee is too smart to be a good running back

Insane amount of truth to this. I have said this before. When dudes are thinkers, they aren't good RBs. Football is a means to an end for Najee. Dude needs to lean out his frame and get faster or he will be out of the NFL in a couple of years.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

There is literally a rookie WR who can bring some juice/intensity on the sideline, yet they don't bring him in. No one has asked this question: what does Van Jefferson do well?

I'm not saying Roman is any panacea but this offense needs ANYTHING it can get

That rookie was schemed open often in college he doesn’t beat press or zone often in college you have to use cheat motion like Michigan did with him and what the rams did Puka

 

[Ryder71]

Cowher was a defensive genius; and even when he had ALL PRO OLB's, he knew you couldn't rely on them getting there to provide the QB with discomfort consistently (see refs an good OL). Hence, he invented Blitzburgh. Tomlin, he's passive. He wants to drop 7, play soft zone and limit big chunks. This is why Minkah gets almost no splash plays. The one time they blitzed Queen yesterday it nearly caused a sack/FF.

One thing I'd give Cowher over many, he had common sense. Tomlin would rather try and be right than necessarily be effective. But we pretty much knew that.

 

[JTG]

There is literally a rookie WR who can bring some juice/intensity on the sideline, yet they don't bring him in. No one has asked this question: what does Van Jefferson do well?

I'm not saying Roman is any panacea but this offense needs ANYTHING it can get

I don't know if he is healthy yet, is he? I think he at least represents the same type of option DJ did. He's a lot like DJ.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

That rookie was schemed open often in college he doesn’t beat press or zone often in college you have to use cheat motion like Michigan did with him and what the rams did Puka

Well VJ has the same damn problem then bc he sure as hell can't get open. So why keep doing what isn't working (VJ) and try something new?
That's probably too nuanced for Tomlin though

 

[Ryder71]

There is literally a rookie WR who can bring some juice/intensity on the sideline, yet they don't bring him in. No one has asked this question: what does Van Jefferson do well?

I'm not saying Roman is any panacea but this offense needs ANYTHING it can get

Yep, Roman Wilson needs to get a jersey sunday night.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

We got the entire Fields Chicago experience yesterday and we saw what happens when he is asked to do more and try to win the game. If your going to go with him they need to change tendencies. Let him throw on 1st down let him use roll outs and design qb runs. He isn’t going to throw into zone windows without seeing the guy open

 

[JTG]

One thing I'd give Cowher over many, he had common sense. Tomlin would rather try and be right than necessarily be effective. But we pretty much knew that.

Cowher was the antithesis of Tomlin's mantra, because dude did live in his fears. For years, the prevent defense after they got a lead prevented absolutely nothing.

That rookie was schemed open often in college he doesn’t beat press or zone often in college you have to use cheat motion like Michigan did with him and what the rams did Puka

"Can't" and "didn't" are two different things.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Cowher was a defensive genius; and even when he had ALL PRO OLB's, he knew you couldn't rely on them getting there to provide the QB with discomfort consistently (see refs an good OL). Hence, he invented Blitzburgh. Tomlin, he's passive. He wants to drop 7, play soft zone and limit big chunks. This is why Minkah gets almost no splash plays. The one time they blitzed Queen yesterday it nearly caused a sack/FF.

Eh I don't think Cowher was some defensive genius. He understands defensive football about as equal to Tomlin.

The difference is Cowher knew he didn't know it all and hired coordinators better than him. That's what makes him a better leader/coach/etc than Tomlin will ever be

Because Tomlin would rather be wrong his way vs be right if it's someone else's idea...

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Well VJ has the same damn problem then bc he sure as hell can't get open. So why keep doing what isn't working (VJ) and try something new?
That's probably too nuanced for Tomlin though

I am all for sitting Jefferson it doesn’t matter I don’t think there’s enough targets to go around. Fields attempted 32 passes yesterday and Najee Muth and GP had 24 of them
Washington had 2 Jefferson 3 Patterson 2 and Ca3

 

[Ryder71]

Cowher was the antithesis of Tomlin's mantra, because dude did live in his fears. For years, the prevent defense after they got a lead prevented absolutely nothing.


"Can't" and "didn't" are two different things.

Cowher was risk averse no doubt, but he didn't lose too many games he should have won in comparison.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I am all for sitting Jefferson it doesn’t matter I don’t think there’s enough targets to go around. Fields attempted 32 passes yesterday and Najee Muth and GP had 24 of them

You're right- not enough targets to go around
But there are enough SNAPS to be distributed. It's criminal VJ has way more snaps than Pickens. It's bordering on insanity.

 

[Ryder71]

Eh I don't think Cowher was some defensive genius. He understands defensive football about as equal to Tomlin.

The difference is Cowher knew he didn't know it all and hired coordinators better than him. That's what makes him a better leader/coach/etc than Tomlin will ever be

Because Tomlin would rather be wrong his way vs be right if it's someone else's idea...

This is a very good point, he was ok giving the reigns to coaches who were very competent and wasn't seemingly threatened as a result.