OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Sneaking up onto training camp

[Peat]

I'm just laughing at the idea of a 3-0 Steelers team where Boswell is like 22/22 on field goals

Man's coming for Tucker's hype.

 

[TooManyHumans]

When did Wilson earn the job?

Ask Tomlin.

 

[T1K]

Ask Tomlin.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1834645521769615463

 

[bigdaddyk88]

lol ok move the goal posts more

Not moving the goal post the schedule was set up to ride the defense and running game to be no worse than 6-2 at the bye
The colts and cowboys are the only decent teams they play before the bye

 

[DanielPlainview]

He's better than Pickett ever. He's better than Russell Wilson today

So what slightly less smelly shit?

 

[JTG]

When Fields is playing QB, I get the same feeling as I did with Kordell. This could be incredible, or this could be a pick six. You never really know.

 

[T1K]

Not moving the goal post the schedule was set up to ride the defense and running game to be no worse than 6-2 at the bye
The colts and cowboys are the only decent teams they play before the bye

This is literally the definition of moving the goal posts. Whatever though, you wouldn’t take my bet so obviously you don’t have much confidence in your takes despite passing them off as facts.

 

[Ulf5]

People. Fields is not a good QB. Stop trying to put lipstick on a pig.

It's not a good sign when your own OC takes away most of the Field from you. If Smith didn't want Fields throwing over the middle, it speaks volumes of what he thinks of Justin.

 

[DanielPlainview]

It's not a good sign when your own OC takes away most of the Field from you. If Smith didn't want Fields throwing over the middle, it speaks volumes of what he thinks of Justin.

I really don’t know what people are seeing when they watch him play. He’s slow to react, can’t read the defense, doesn’t protect the ball, and isn’t all that accurate a passer. But hey he’s fast and has decent arm strength so he’s actually good. Yeesh.

 

[OnMyOwn]

I mean we could just hope that our starting QB plays well.

 

[TooManyHumans]

Sure, I think we all hope he is better than what he showed in his 38 starts with Chicago, but I think it is silly to expect it simply because he is now on the Steelers. It is not like we are known for getting the most out of offensive players recently.

 

[Rave7215]

It's not a good sign when your own OC takes away most of the Field from you. If Smith didn't want Fields throwing over the middle, it speaks volumes of what he thinks of Justin.

Or it speaks volumes of the talent of the defense and secondary. Limit the strength of the defense and plan around exploiting their weakness with what your QB does well. Wild concept having a strategy, I know.

 

[Peat]

Or it speaks volumes of the talent of the defense and secondary. Limit the strength of the defense and plan around exploiting their weakness with what your QB does well. Wild concept having a strategy, I know.

Run defence isn't an Atlanta weakness either though.

Which suggests the strategy wasn't solely about avoiding Atlanta's strengths and was also driven by the Steelers' preferred methods of winning a game, and their own strengths and weaknesses as they saw them. Which brings us back to whether they'll target the middle of the field this week, or whether there'll be another reason because they're avoiding one of their own weaknesses.

Sure, I think we all hope he is better than what he showed in his 38 starts with Chicago, but I think it is silly to expect it simply because he is now on the Steelers. It is not like we are known for getting the most out of offensive players recently.

I suspect you'll see a bump from him in some areas simply because the Steelers' defence will rarely let the opposition run away, which will allow him to play risk free football in a way Chicago never did. Watch those interceptions come down.

The flipside of that coin though is less risks equal less points and less yards and the rest of it. Maybe he can win the team over to running a normal offence, but we'll see...

 

[Ulf5]

Or it speaks volumes of the talent of the defense and secondary. Limit the strength of the defense and plan around exploiting their weakness with what your QB does well. Wild concept having a strategy, I know.

7 teams allowed fewer passing yards per game than Atlanta last season. 7 allowed less than 20 more passing yards per game than Atlanta last season.
So they're going to handicap the offense against half the league because Smith is afraid of letting Fields challenge all those talented defenses and secondaries?
Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

 

[Rave7215]

7 teams allowed fewer passing yards per game than Atlanta last season. 7 allowed less than 20 more passing yards per game than Atlanta last season.
So they're going to handicap the offense against half the league because Smith is afraid of letting Fields challenge all those talented defenses and secondaries?
Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

And yet, they won. It's only week 1. It's a small sample size and Smith has been upfront about his reasons. Now, if it's the same against Denver and Los Angeles, yea, time to panic.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Man some of you are absolutely miserable

The Steelers had a very logical gameplan of not passing towards Bates and Simmons, who are two of the best safeties in the sport. It ended up working extremely well. Only people with an anti-Fields agenda are going to push the idea that the strategy was based on Fields. Breaking news: teams can make offensive strategies and gameplans to limit the other team's best players. Crazy thought.

This doesn't even say anything about how good Fields is, I think he's a low end starter/high end backup. But some of you really need to go touch grass when it comes to him. And I think we all know exactly who I'm referring to with that.

Run defence isn't an Atlanta weakness either though.

Which suggests the strategy wasn't solely about avoiding Atlanta's strengths and was also driven by the Steelers' preferred methods of winning a game, and their own strengths and weaknesses as they saw them. Which brings us back to whether they'll target the middle of the field this week, or whether there'll be another reason because they're avoiding one of their own weaknesses.

Based on the past few years, it's super obvious that the Steelers have a major focus of not turning the ball over with their QBs. Avoiding Simmons and Bates in the middle of the field seems to be much more about that than thinking Fields is trash or something like that. I figure they'd treat Wilson the same exact way if he was starting that game.

 

[Peat]

Based on the past few years, it's super obvious that the Steelers have a major focus of not turning the ball over with their QBs. Avoiding Simmons and Bates in the middle of the field seems to be much more about that than thinking Fields is trash or something like that. I figure they'd treat Wilson the same exact way if he was starting that game.

But is that because they really think that's the best way to win in the NFL, or is it because they have had reservations about all the QBs they've had? I'm gonna wait and see as to how things look with Smith and the new guys but it seems a pretty reasonable hypothesis that for the last few years, the Steelers have looked at their QB and gone "okay, what's the least possible I can ask from the guy and still win" and look at Fields the same. Or, to pick the emotionally loaded hyperbolic version of that, think they're all trash.

 

[MrBrightside]

Man some of you are absolutely miserable

I'm literally someone who would very much prefer that the Steelers move on from Tomlin and who hates much of his coaching style and a segment of this board makes me feel like BigDaddy. People would rather have their opinions confirmed than have the Steelers succeed, which is whatever, but it's pretty exhausting.

 

[Ryder71]

Not sure how the Steelers are only a 2.5 point favorite against that monstrosity in Denver. Of course it didn't make much sense that we were underdogs to ATL either.

OUR defense will batter Nix!

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

But is that because they really think that's the best way to win in the NFL, or is it because they have had reservations about all the QBs they've had?

What if in your comment here we replace the words “or is it because” with “when”?

Or what if the answer to this question is “yes” or “both”?

 

[Empoleon8771]

But is that because they really think that's the best way to win in the NFL, or is it because they have had reservations about all the QBs they've had? I'm gonna wait and see as to how things look with Smith and the new guys but it seems a pretty reasonable hypothesis that for the last few years, the Steelers have looked at their QB and gone "okay, what's the least possible I can ask from the guy and still win" and look at Fields the same. Or, to pick the emotionally loaded hyperbolic version of that, think they're all trash.

Why can't it be both? Sure, if they had Justin Herbert they'd be willing to play more aggressively and attack the center of the field more. That being said, that gameplan of "avoid throwing to areas where the team's best DBs are" is something every team does.

This team knows it has a dynamic defense and won't be giving up a ton of points in most games. Playing a conservative offense, while boring, is an easy way at limiting mistakes and not putting your defense in a bad spot. That's not unique to Fields, Wilson, Pickett, Trubisky or anyone else. They're just more conservative with them than they would be with a true top QB for the obvious reason: the top QBs are way better.

 

[Night Shift]

Or it speaks volumes of the talent of the defense and secondary. Limit the strength of the defense and plan around exploiting their weakness with what your QB does well. Wild concept having a strategy, I know.

TJ Watt IS the entire team. Not the defense. Not Tomlin. Not Rooney. Not Fields. Not Arthur Smith. Not Pickens. Not the rest of the garbage

TJ Watt and deserves to go to a contending organization

 

[Night Shift]

Which reminds me. Hey @bigdaddyk88.. how many times was Tomlin in the shitter today?

You're an important man and twitter/X need to know these things.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Not Steelers related, but Holstein is 100% going to be a 1st or 2nd rounder in a few years. The dude is this good already as a redshirt freshman, he's not even 20 yet.

 

[JTG]

Not Steelers related, but Holstein is 100% going to be a 1st or 2nd rounder in a few years. The dude is this good already as a redshirt freshman, he's not even 20 yet.

Just coming here to post this. Realllllly like how he plays the game. Dude looks to have "it." He's looking dudes off, pump faking...he's really good.