OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: NFL Playoff Time! How will Tomlin "Tomlin" this up?

[Andy99]

I don't care for the argument (I bring this up during NHL playoffs all the time): "No way can they beat us twice in our house!"

They don't have to. They have to win once. The other game is done and over with and has no influence to this game. How the Jags can win? Ummm.. great running game, great secondary, and if they get the lead, they have a great idea of what to do with the Steelers. They don't even double AB. That's impressive. Will Tomlin have an x's and o's game prepped? Will Bortles be as bad as he was last week? Who knows.

How can they lose? We are well rested and don't have 5 INT Ben (hopefully). We are at home in the cold. We are decently healthy. Hopefully we don't do as poorly in the red zone as we did.

There's an interesting stat that was quoted in the game picks article on NFL.com. Of the teams that lost to a team by 20 points or more during the regular season and played that team again in the playoffs, the losing team did not win the second time either....wow

 

[Brandinho]

I don't care for the argument (I bring this up during NHL playoffs all the time): "No way can they beat us twice in our house!"

They don't have to. They have to win once. The other game is done and over with and has no influence to this game. How the Jags can win? Ummm.. great running game, great secondary, and if they get the lead, they have a great idea of what to do with the Steelers. They don't even double AB. That's impressive. Will Tomlin have an x's and o's game prepped? Will Bortles be as bad as he was last week? Who knows.

How can they lose? We are well rested and don't have 5 INT Ben (hopefully). We are at home in the cold. We are decently healthy. Hopefully we don't do as poorly in the red zone as we did.

Agreed, that isn't a valid argument.

A much better argument is that the Jags aren't very good - they barely won the worst division in football whilst being outscored 52-26 by a team we beat 40-17, their QB makes Trent Dilfer look like a superstar, their "star" RB, who put up nearly a 5th of his total yardage this year in one game against us (reminiscent of Jay Ajayi last year - killed us during the regular season and then ran like an amputee in the playoffs) turned into a pumpkin as soon as it got cold, etc.

The team shouldn't be looking ahead to New England or anything, but this isn't a game we should lose. They have a great secondary and a couple of elite pass rushers. That's about it, really. Biggest key to shutting down their offense is keeping Bortles in the pocket. He can be very dangerous when he has room to move around, but he can't do anything if you make him stand up and beat you. Then you just have to avoid giving Lazy Leonard huge gaps to sprint through. Finally, don't throw 5 interceptions. Simple, fresh, fragrant 3 step guide to sending the Jags back into the dumpster where they belong.

 

[EvGeno]

They just said on the NBC pregame that Brown’s calf is still bothering him and he’s questionable, a gametime decision

 

[KIRK]

I'd like to note that both Sid and Geno sometimes have these runs where they rack up 15 points over 5 games. If both of them are in the middle of such a run, then both of them may be top 10 in scoring when it's over.

 

[bingobangobongo]

Multitab.

 

[Rossi Rat]

I don't care for the argument (I bring this up during NHL playoffs all the time): "No way can they beat us twice in our house!"

They don't have to. They have to win once. The other game is done and over with and has no influence to this game. How the Jags can win? Ummm.. great running game, great secondary, and if they get the lead, they have a great idea of what to do with the Steelers. They don't even double AB. That's impressive. Will Tomlin have an x's and o's game prepped? Will Bortles be as bad as he was last week? Who knows.

How can they lose? We are well rested and don't have 5 INT Ben (hopefully). We are at home in the cold. We are decently healthy. Hopefully we don't do as poorly in the red zone as we did.

Yeah, I’ve gone from thinking they’d end up meeting the Jags in the playoffs weeks ago (was right about that) and that they’d have no problems in this rematch... to thinking they could very easily lose.

There’s not a whole lot giving me comfort. Oh the 49ers put up over 40 on them a few weeks ago? Bortles isn’t a very good QB?

I don’t care. None of that matters.

 

[Dick Sledge]

All I heard all week is his calf is good to go but questionable with an illness.

 

[Brandinho]

Yeah, I’ve gone from thinking they’d end up meeting the Jags in the playoffs weeks ago (was right about that) and that they’d have no problems in this rematch... to thinking they could very easily lose.

There’s not a whole lot giving me comfort. Oh the 49ers put up over 40 on them a few weeks ago? Bortles isn’t a very good QB?

I don’t care. None of that matters.

All of it matters. Your insecurity is what doesn't matter because that won't affect a single thing that happens on the field.

The Jags have a few outstanding qualities and a lot of areas that desperately need improvement. Even without Brown, we have a comfortable advantage at the skill positions. Any team can lose any game, but the Jags are a bog-standard division round opponent. We should win, I'm tempted to say comfortably, and I definitely don't understand any fear of the Jags.

 

[The Old Master]

All of it matters. Your insecurity is what doesn't matter because that won't affect a single thing that happens on the field.

The Jags have a few outstanding qualities and a lot of areas that desperately need improvement. Even without Brown, we have a comfortable advantage at the skill positions. Any team can lose any game, but the Jags are a bog-standard division round opponent. We should win, I'm tempted to say comfortably, but I definitely don't understand any fear of the Jags.

it's not the jag's that we fear........it's us.

 

[Brandinho]

it's not the jag's that we fear........it's us.

I get that, but against the Jags? Belichick isn't coaching them. Doug Marrone is the Dunning-Kruger effect anthropomorphized into an overweight, middle aged flesh sack.

 

[Rossi Rat]

All of it matters. Your insecurity is what doesn't matter because that won't affect a single thing that happens on the field.

The Jags have a few outstanding qualities and a lot of areas that desperately need improvement. Even without Brown, we have a comfortable advantage at the skill positions. Any team can lose any game, but the Jags are a bog-standard division round opponent. We should win, I'm tempted to say comfortably, and I definitely don't understand any fear of the Jags.

I do still feel the Steelers will win. But comfortably, I have my doubts. This team has done more than its fair share of letting teams they should beat hang around all season.

I get though if they do lose it’ll be easy to just say the Steelers “beat themselves”.

 

[Brandinho]

I do still feel the Steelers will win. But comfortably, I have my doubts. This team has done more than its fair share of letting teams they should beat hang around all season.

I get though if they do lose it’ll be easy to just say the Steelers “beat themselves”.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying, and I'm sure a lot of the unease comes from having Tomlin at the helm, but Marrone is a complete spastic and we're considerably more talented. Losing at home to Jacksonville would be a strong contender for lowest point in Tomlin's career.

 

[ColePens]

Yeah, I’ve gone from thinking they’d end up meeting the Jags in the playoffs weeks ago (was right about that) and that they’d have no problems in this rematch... to thinking they could very easily lose.

There’s not a whole lot giving me comfort. Oh the 49ers put up over 40 on them a few weeks ago? Bortles isn’t a very good QB?

I don’t care. None of that matters.

Tim Tebow was a shit qb and smoked the steelers. You just never know.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I'm not sure why, but common sense tells me the Steelers win by at least 14 tomorrow, but my Steelers/Tomlin part of my brain forsees a frustrating loss.

We'll know by probably 5 minutes into the game. I'll message by the 10 minute mark of the 1st quarter and let you know who will win.

 

[Rossi Rat]

Tim Tebow was a **** qb and smoked the steelers. You just never know.

Exactly. And Mike Glennon is 2-0 against the Steelers as well.

 

[Rossi Rat]

Eagles to the NFC championship. Surely nothing will go wrong.

 

[ColePens]

The ONLY way NE doesn't win a SB is if the Steelers find a way to beat them. Jax could probably do it, too, but I doubt it.

 

[Gold Diamond]

Failcons.

 

[PensPlz]

If Philly without a QB can beat Atlanta.... I have no doubt that Jacksonville without a QB can beat us.

Oh boy.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I like Bortles a lot. I would trace a lot of his issues in the NFL to poor coaching. Simply take a look at Goff and the difference good coaching makes.

 

[Brandinho]

If Philly without a QB can beat Atlanta.... I have no doubt that Jacksonville without a QB can beat us.

Oh boy.

That's an interesting take considering how well Nick Foles played tonight.

 

[PensPlz]

That's an interesting take considering how well Nick Foles played tonight.

Well that was the narrative all week.

As is the narrative with Jacksonville.

 

[Rossi Rat]

Something to keep an eye on in this should-be-dismantling: how disciplined this New England team is. Very rarely penalized.

 

[PensPlz]

Something to keep an eye on in this should-be-dismantling: how disciplined this New England team is. Very rarely penalized.

Might be other reasons why they are so rarely penalized.

Joking not joking....

 

[Rossi Rat]

Might be other reasons why they are so rarely penalized.

Joking not joking....

Hah. I still feel like people really underrate Matt Patricia as a coordinator. The big issue for Tennessee to me, beyond obviously dealing with Brady/Foxborough, is this inexperienced offense.