OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Oh no! They are 3 and 1. Panic!

[Buddy Bizarre]

Fields did change plays last night. RW his first practice here was changing plays in practice

We've got clips just a few days ago saying Fields isn't able to audible.
You have evidence to the contrary what happened last night?

 

[WickedWrister]

 

[MrBrightside]

Yet some will point at Fields and say the receivers are fine. It's truly gaslighting. Fields is hardly an elite QB but he's so down the list of the issues of this team.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

^^^^The video above

Looks like the Bengals or Browns all those years they sucked.

 

[WickedWrister]

The drop he had on 3rd down after the blocked kick was also not what you wanna see from your WR1.

This kind of shit is littered across Pickens film. So many plays he's not busting his ass on.

Yet some will point at Fields and say the receivers are fine. It's truly gaslighting. Fields is hardly an elite QB but he's so down the list of the issues of this team.

Fields didn't play particularly well but the body of work is still enough for me where I'd stick with him another week.

 

[MrBrightside]

We've got clips just a few days ago saying Fields isn't able to audible.
You have evidence to the contrary what happened last night?

It's right beside the evidence of the two TD's that Fields missed last night.

 

[Shaftception]

Not going to direct my anger at Minkah bc there is some context to this.
There is a reason he's 2nd on the team in tackles: it's because Queen f***ing sucks.

Minkah had a ton of tackles the past few seasons bc he's playing this quasi-rover role where he's playing safety, but he saves their bacon in the run game so often. Their LB's over the past few years have been below the line with injury and such and it's no different this year. If we had an actual ILB who could tackle runners, Minkah would be free to wreck havoc.

Queen was supposed to solve their problems. He's barely any better than Spillane or Roberts.

No I know that's the reason I agree fully with you, which is exactly my point, safety is not a position you invest money in, even the few elite ones, not anymore.

If this comes off combative I don't intend it to be, but if Minkah's ability to threaten turnovers is so heavily diminished because he's forced to make up for bad linebackers in front of him, then it's not smart in today's game to pay that position significant money, because it's too reliant on other positions to consistently make a difference. Money that could've been better spent on more important positions, like a better corner, or on the offensive side of the ball, specifically any aspect of the passing game. It's the same issue that tanked the runningback market, except for those elite backs that are also threats in the passing game. Talent at the position doesn't matter as much as talent at the positions it relies on to matter.

As others have said Ravens fans and media all off-season were chirping the Queen signing, that he only played at a perceived elite level once Roquan got there, which is proving pretty demonstrably true. A poor choice of cap allocation by this front office, even if his is relatively easy to move on from next year. Kahn and co. immediately signed a middle linebacker at the opening of free agency, because of how much their weakness there was preventing their star safety from doing his job. Both positions ironically enough which are devalued in the modern game. Not a very smart use of cap space.

That said, I love the new front office's drafting priorities so far, but Queen and their botching of the receiver room this offseason are pretty glaring mistakes they should've had better foresight to avoid if they want to earn a better reputation.

Fitzpatrick is one of the most overrated players in the NFL. We're told just how great he is yet every week he's nearly invisible. NO INT's since the 8th grade picnic.

The position is overrated more so than his individual talents, but that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for him either.

 

[MissADD]

3 of those 4 highlights should have been caught. That 2nd drop of Connor was just good defense. That was a bang-bang play and the defender got a good punch in during the transfer. Would I like to see him hold onto it? Absolutely, but give the defender credit on that one.

 

[Shockmaster]

Can't expect to win 17-13 consistently every week. This organization is hopelessly stuck in the 70's.

 

[xlm34]

This kind of shit is littered across Pickens film. So many plays he's not busting his ass on.


Fields didn't play particularly well but the body of work is still enough for me where I'd stick with him another week.

I think Wilson’s calf will be miraculously healed this week and they’ll go with him. I don’t agree with that call at all, but they’ll point to his experience and having better control over the offense or something.

And maybe they’ll be right, but I just don’t think he’s a QB that can overcome the deficiencies that this offense has anymore.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

No I know that's the reason I agree fully with you, which is exactly my point, safety is not a position you invest money in, even the few elite ones, not anymore.

If this comes off combative I don't intend it to be, but if Minkah's ability to threaten turnovers is so heavily diminished because he's forced to make up for bad linebackers in front of him, then it's not smart in today's game to pay that position significant money, because it's too reliant on other positions to consistently make a difference. Money that could've been better spent on more important positions, like a better corner, or on the offensive side of the ball, specifically any aspect of the passing game. It's the same issue that tanked the runningback market, except for those elite backs that are also threats in the passing game. Talent at the position doesn't matter as much as talent at the positions it relies on to matter.

As others have said Ravens fans and media all off-season were chirping the Queen signing, that he only played at a perceived elite level once Roquan got there, which is proving pretty demonstrably true. A poor choice of cap allocation by this front office, even if his is relatively easy to move on from next year. Kahn and co. immediately signed a middle linebacker at the opening of free agency, because of how much their weakness there was preventing their star safety from doing his job. Both positions ironically enough which are devalued in the modern game. Not a very smart use of cap space.

That said, I love the new front office's drafting priorities so far, but Queen and their botching of the receiver room this offseason are pretty glaring mistakes they should've had better foresight to avoid if they want to earn a better reputation.

Yup we agree here. People want to complain about Minkah not making any plays bc he's a high dollar guy but don't understand context. He cleans up so much garbage in front of him and he's forced to play babysitter for what is a black hole in the middle of the field. We have good boundary CBs and Elliot is a good player. The LBers are so atrocious though.

Remember the genesis of how Minkah got here: it was due to Ben's injury and Tomlin ensuring he kept his "NHALS" thing alive. Otherwise Minkah would not have been on this roster.

This team has a philosophy of "tackle the RB on your way to rushing the QB" that I'm not sure is sustainable.

I think Wilson’s calf will be miraculously healed this week and they’ll go with him. I don’t agree with that call at all, but they’ll point to his experience and having better control over the offense or something.

And maybe they’ll be right, but I just don’t think he’s a QB that can overcome the deficiencies that this offense has anymore.

I would not take that bet. I think there are 2 factors:

1) Russ is hurt more than they are letting on
2) JF has to really screw the pooch to get benched at this point. I'm talking 2-3 turnovers bad or KP like levels of underperformance

 

[Coastal Kev]

Can't expect to win 17-13 consistently every week. This organization is hopelessly stuck in the 70's.

This is a BS Narrative. Steelers Football was founded on jumping on teams early and then pounding them, when leading, with the run and Defense.

This isn't 70's offense, this is a coach who thinks that 1st halfs don't mean crap... he said this last season in a PC.

 

[Snooki Stackhouse]

Ca3 has been targeted 12 times and leads the wr in tds and is 2nd in yards after GP. Jefferson has 13 targets they aren’t the same.

Ca3 had a nice game against the chargers and in the other 4 games has been completely MIA. I just don't agree that he's enough as the #3. Blind squirrel found a nut, that's just my opinion.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Ca3 had a nice game against the chargers and in the other 4 games has been completely MIA. I just don't agree that he's enough as the #3. Blind squirrel found a nut, that's just my opinion.

The proof is in the pudding: CA and Jefferson are plugs

Sure would be nice to see what Roman Wilson could do. I don't think he's gonna be the savior, but at least friggin TRY

 

[Peat]

I think Wilson’s calf will be miraculously healed this week and they’ll go with him. I don’t agree with that call at all, but they’ll point to his experience and having better control over the offense or something.

And maybe they’ll be right, but I just don’t think he’s a QB that can overcome the deficiencies that this offense has anymore.

I would not take that bet. I think there are 2 factors:

1) Russ is hurt more than they are letting on
2) JF has to really screw the pooch to get benched at this point. I'm talking 2-3 turnovers bad or KP like levels of underperformance

See I think Wilson might be less hurt than they're letting on. I'm fairly sure the commentators said in game that if Fields had been performing poorly they'd have made the switch before this Cowboys game. I think that they've just been really cautious about everything since they could.

I also suspect that by Tomlin standards where Ws and Ls are everything, Fields is currently doing about what Pickett did (3-2 vs 7-4, or 7-2 if you discount games he got injured in) and that most crucially, Tomlin still wants to go to Wilson at some point. He brought him in because he believed in him and that won't have changed. That game was a perfect excuse. They lost, Fields underperformed. I might be wrong on that but that just feels like where he's at.

Right call? No clue. But it's what I expect.

The proof is in the pudding: CA and Jefferson are plugs

Sure would be nice to see what Roman Wilson could do. I don't think he's gonna be the savior, but at least friggin TRY

After that video of Wilson route running, I don't think he's physically ready.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

See I think Wilson might be less hurt than they're letting on. I'm fairly sure the commentators said in game that if Fields had been performing poorly they'd have made the switch before this Cowboys game. I think that they've just been really cautious about everything since they could.

I also suspect that by Tomlin standards where Ws and Ls are everything, Fields is currently doing about what Pickett did (3-2 vs 7-4, or 7-2 if you discount games he got injured in) and that most crucially, Tomlin still wants to go to Wilson at some point. He brought him in because he believed in him and that won't have changed. That game was a perfect excuse. They lost, Fields underperformed. I might be wrong on that but that just feels like where he's at.

Right call? No clue. But it's what I expect.

I didn't have the sound on. Was that heard from Tomlin or is that their own conjecture?

Either way Idk if it matters all that much. RW is "limited", just in a different way than Fields.

RW can process better/quickly, but doubt he can escape pressure. The reverse is true of Fields.
So pick your poison?

 

[Colonel Mustard]

i feel like if you take fields out for wilson now you pretty much destroy any confidence he may have left. Best to prep for a new set of qbs next year

 

[bigdaddyk88]

i feel like if you take fields out for wilson now you pretty much destroy any confidence he may have left. Best to prep for a new set of qbs next year

So the team owes nothing to him. He was the backup before the injury

I didn't have the sound on. Was that heard from Tomlin or is that their own conjecture?

Either way Idk if it matters all that much. RW is "limited", just in a different way than Fields.

RW can process better/quickly, but doubt he can escape pressure. The reverse is true of Fields.
So pick your poison?

If he just comes in and does what Allen did hit muth for 19. Throws a better ball to Washington doesn’t miss Najee on the hot route thats a start

 

[mynameisnick4]

Call me reactionary but if this season's trends with this team continue, they should burn the whole thing down in the off season. Making this defense the highest paid defense in the league isn't working out. Put the key pieces up as trade bait and see what you get in return. This franchise has been stuck in the mud since last few years of Ben's career.

This hobbling along and finishing around .500 is only going to keep you there. Assuming something drastic doesn't change/occur and they don't win a playoff game this year, that will be 8 years since their last playoff win. Continuing their longest streak IN THE SUPER BOWL ERA of not having a playoff win. Why is this acceptable and no drastic changes are made?

 

[MrBrightside]

Ca3 had a nice game against the chargers and in the other 4 games has been completely MIA. I just don't agree that he's enough as the #3. Blind squirrel found a nut, that's just my opinion.

Of course he's not enough. Tomlinfan can cite to all the targets he's had as some kind of evidence that Austin can play but it's far more a commentary on how awful their WR room is that he's 2nd on the team in anything. Other than the Chargers game he has 4 catches for 36 yards TOTAL in 4 games. What are we doing here.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Call me reactionary but if this season's trends with this team continue, they should burn the whole thing down in the off season. Making this defense the highest paid defense in the league isn't working out. Put the key pieces up as trade bait and see what you get in return. This franchise has been stuck in the mud since last few years of Ben's career.

This hobbling along and finishing around .500 is only going to keep you there. Assuming something drastic doesn't change/occur and they don't win a playoff game this year, that will be 8 years since their last playoff win. Continuing their longest streak IN THE SUPER BOWL ERA of not having a playoff win. Why is this acceptable and no drastic changes are made?

If they were smart and admitted their situation, they would be huge sellers. But they won't do that. Rooney said he wanted a playoff win (not a championship), that's their goal. Ugly it up, sneak into the playoffs, get lucky with the matchup, ugly a win...........CLAIM SUCCESS>

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

If he just comes in and does what Allen did hit muth for 19. Throws a better ball to Washington doesn’t miss Najee on the hot route thats a start

Do you ever think the reason for the success on the 1 play that Allen came in was BECAUSE they went against tendency?

If I'm a DC and the other starting QB goes out, I'm selling out to stop the run bc every team does that.

Kudos to Smith for catching them with their pants down, but that play was an anomaly in every sense of the word.

Note- I'm no JF fan, but your repeated digs to tear him down kind of make me sound like I'm defending him.

 

[MrBrightside]

Getting shredded by whichever of these jobbers starts Sunday will be fun.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

This hobbling along and finishing around .500 is only going to keep you there. Assuming something drastic doesn't change/occur and they don't win a playoff game this year, that will be 8 years since their last playoff win. Continuing their longest streak IN THE SUPER BOWL ERA of not having a playoff win. Why is this acceptable and no drastic changes are made?

You must new to the Steelers?

Tomlin's goal was to keep things close to the vest and let his defense win it in the 4th quarter. He even employed this philosophy when is defense was trash.
He LOVES it when his defense closes things out.

Tomlin would fit right in with every head coach until about 2003 when the game really started to change to allow offenses to score more easily. This is how you get a .500 record consistently...

 

[Peat]

I didn't have the sound on. Was that heard from Tomlin or is that their own conjecture?

Either way Idk if it matters all that much. RW is "limited", just in a different way than Fields.

RW can process better/quickly, but doubt he can escape pressure. The reverse is true of Fields.
So pick your poison?

So pinch of salt as my memory is not sure on this point but -

If they said it, and I'm not 100% sure they did (I thought they did but not utterly sure), then they didn't say where it came from. It sounded like 80% fact 20% conjecture unlike them saying Wilson should be ready to go next week, which they said as 100% fact based on talking to Wilson. In fact, here's the video of that bit

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843124616702886323

So... my guess is he was at 80% the last few weeks, the sort of 80% where you can play if necessary but it won't be pretty? But it sounds like he's now a lot closer. Even if I was wrong about where his health was - and I can't stress enough I might be - he's now probably there.


And I doubt it matters all that much either. Way too many problems for it to matter unless Wilson is magically 10 years younger. But I don't think it matters all that much the other way. I've no idea what I'd do in Tomlin's shoes tbh.

edit:

Dulac says he was medically cleared two weeks ago