What's up with the Steelers?

Quote: MakingBook

The Steelers are well known for productive drafts. But the 2008 draft may be their worst:

RB Rashard Mendenhall
WR Limas Sweed
LB Bruce Davis
OT Tony Hills
QB Dennis Dixon
LB Mike Humpal
S Ryan Mundy

Mendenhall is surely gone after this year, leaving Mundy (backup) as only remaining player.
QB Dennis Dixon is still a backup somewhere, I believe. The rest of the players are probably
working at a car wash, or something similar.

By the way, great thread Nareed! Thanks!

I wouldn't throw Mendenhall out with the rest of them. He did have two 1000 yard seasons and a third of 982.

Sweed was an AWESOME practice player; I go to the training camps, he looked truly phenomenal there, pulling in everything.



He didn't have the head for the pro game.

Davis, who would have known? Big kid, fast, good pedigree, lots of awards, went to UCLA. Cut by Steelers, Patriots, Broncos, 49ers, Raiders, currently playing in Canada.

Hills, 6'5"/305 out of Texas, cut by the Steelers after 3 seasons. Then by the Broncos. Currently with the Colts, played one play this year where he lined up at tight end.

Dixon could have been good, in a Michael Vick style offense. Kid was a Heisman possibility at Oregon until a torn ACL in his senior year. Drafted by the wrong team.

Humpal was waived injured.

Mundy, 2nd pick 6th round... lifetime nickel back/special teams guy. You need a guy like him, he was worth a late #6. Too many personal fouls, though.

Quote: MakingBook

It's always fun beating the Cowboy's, but a win over the Bengals next week
is more important. The winner likely to grab the final Wildcard spot; the loser
probably out of the playoffs.

The win over the Cowboys could prove extremely important, as well. The only way that the Steelers can lose to the Bengals and still make the playoffs is by beating the Cowboys on Sunday. Both teams would enter next week with a shared record, and if the Steelers were to lose, they would have CLE in Week 17 with the Bengals playing BAL in Week 17. You're going to have them going 1-1 against each other and then if PIT wins and CIN loses, both teams would share a Conf. record of 6-6, but PIT would have the better Div. record at 3-3 compared to 2-4.

However, if PIT loses this week, then a couple of things happen. The first thing is they MUST beat CIN, otherwise CIN finishes with the better overall record regardless. After beating Cincinnati, they would have the head-to-head at 2-0, and a shared record at that point at 8-7. In this event, CIN could beat BAL and PIT could lose to CLE and CIN would make the playoffs by virtue of having the better overall record.

If PIT beats DAL, on the other hand, and then beats CIN, that's it. PIT would be 9-6 to an 8-7 CIN team, but they would have the head-to-head tie-breaker at 2-0 in games v. CIN.

I actually have a dog in this race. Prior to Week 9, I bet a friend $100 to win $150 that the AFC Playoffs would end with the exact same teams, in any order, as they would have had the season ended that day, namely, NE, HOU, BAL, DEN, IND and PIT.

I thought it was IND that would have me nail-biting this at the end of the season! I thought PIT was a remote possibility, at worst, to miss the Playoffs and I knew the other four were a lock!

Quote: Mission146

However, if PIT loses this week, then a couple of things happen. The first thing is they MUST beat CIN, otherwise CIN finishes with the better overall record regardless. After beating Cincinnati, they would have the head-to-head at 2-0, and a shared record at that point at 8-7. In this event, CIN could beat BAL and PIT could lose to CLE and CIN would make the playoffs by virtue of having the better overall record.

I don't see them in the playoffs. I just do not see the drive to make it. My take remains the same, the team peaked 2 or so years ago and people here in town are watching that team, not the one on the field now. Tomlin simply has to go, seriously. He has no instinct that when you have the other team knocked on the ground you put your boot on their head until the final gun.

I think this is where we start freaking out...

Oh, and Kovacevic is saying that there's a real Roethlisberger/Haley squabble now. I wouldn't doubt it; losing magnifies differences, and winning solves everything.

You're right that these guys peaked 2 years ago, AZD, but I don't really think it's Tomlin. I think it's age. And injuries. The boot to the head thing, Cowher didn't do that, either, and neither did Noll. The Steelers have always just taken the lead, then sat on the ball until time ran out. It's a conservative approach, for sure, but it's been effective.

I'll add talent evaluation. In addition to the draft of '08, where is...

Ziggy Hood
Cam Heyward
Marcus Gilbert (IR, but he wasn't setting the world on fire)

Aside from the starters, there's really no one who can step in and fill a spot. Kelvin Beachum? John Malecki (WHO?)? Adrian Robertson? Al Woods, Demarcus VanDyke, Robert Golden, Josh Victorian? Who are these guys? It's just not like the Steelers to not have guys this completely unprepared. And I think that "Oh, Dick LeBeau's defense is so complicated" is a cop out. EVERYBODY'S defense is complicated. So are the offenses. Ever try to play Madden 2012? Even players from the 70s and 80s say that the game then was much simpler, scheme-wise.

This team's record is right about what it should be.

I can't believe I had to root for the COWBOYS yesterday!! It gives my husband (probably false) hope the Jets can still make the playoffs. We shall see tonight.

Quote: Mosca

I think this is where we start freaking out...

Oh, and Kovacevic is saying that there's a real Roethlisberger/Haley squabble now. I wouldn't doubt it; losing magnifies differences, and winning solves everything.

You're right that these guys peaked 2 years ago, AZD, but I don't really think it's Tomlin. I think it's age. And injuries. The boot to the head thing, Cowher didn't do that, either, and neither did Noll. The Steelers have always just taken the lead, then sat on the ball until time ran out. It's a conservative approach, for sure, but it's been effective.

I'll add talent evaluation. In addition to the draft of '08, where is...

Ziggy Hood
Cam Heyward
Marcus Gilbert (IR, but he wasn't setting the world on fire)

Aside from the starters, there's really no one who can step in and fill a spot. Kelvin Beachum? John Malecki (WHO?)? Adrian Robertson? Al Woods, Demarcus VanDyke, Robert Golden, Josh Victorian? Who are these guys? It's just not like the Steelers to not have guys this completely unprepared. And I think that "Oh, Dick LeBeau's defense is so complicated" is a cop out. EVERYBODY'S defense is complicated. So are the offenses. Ever try to play Madden 2012? Even players from the 70s and 80s say that the game then was much simpler, scheme-wise.

This team's record is right about what it should be.

Cowher absolutely knew about the boot to their heads thing. In over 100 leads of 10 of more he list once tied once and ate the clock to the win in the other 100+.

Quote: AZDuffman

I don't see them in the playoffs. I just do not see the drive to make it. My take remains the same, the team peaked 2 or so years ago and people here in town are watching that team, not the one on the field now. Tomlin simply has to go, seriously. He has no instinct that when you have the other team knocked on the ground you put your boot on their head until the final gun.

I would say that they are slightly under 50% to make the playoffs right now based on:

1.) They must beat Cincinnati.

AND

2.) The Jets must NOT win out if Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati, but loses to Cleveland. (They have the tie-breaker against the Jets, which is head-to-head)

3.) They must not lose to Cleveland if Cincinnati beats Baltimore because Cincinnati would then have the better overall record.

HOWEVER:

4.) There is also a scenario in which PIT/CIN both go to the Playoffs, which involves Pittsburgh beating Cincinnati, then beating the Browns while Cincinnati beats the Ravens and the Colts losing BOTH of their remaining games.

***Basically, if Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati, then they will be a heavy favorite to make the Playoffs because all they would need to do is beat Cleveland...which they will also be a heavy favorite to do. They could also make the Playoffs without beating Cleveland, provided the Jets do not win out AND CIN loses to BAL.

Quote: AZDuffman

Cowher absolutely knew about the boot to their heads thing. In over 100 leads of 10 of more he list once tied once and ate the clock to the win in the other 100+.

I thought you meant that they should keep scoring, like the Pats do.

The good thing is I called it early and got used to the idea of a crappy season.

The other good thing is the Cowboys lost today. Now, if only the Giants remembered what they did in 2011, they'd have eliminated Dallas from the playoffs... Oh, well. there's always next week.

What's left now is to root for Peyton Manning (I was going to say Manning the Elder, but that would be Archie, not Peyton) to win a Superbowl for a second team. I don't think it will happen, but who knows. Fortunately for him, the Broncos do have something to play for next week: home field advantage. So it's unlikely Manning will fall victim to the dreaded "resting the starters" curse.

Quote: Nareed

The good thing is I called it early and got used to the idea of a crappy season.

The other good thing is the Cowboys lost today. Now, if only the Giants remembered what they did in 2011, they'd have eliminated Dallas from the playoffs... Oh, well. there's always next week.

What's left now is to root for Peyton Manning (I was going to say Manning the Elder, but that would be Archie, not Peyton) to win a Superbowl for a second team. I don't think it will happen, but who knows. Fortunately for him, the Broncos do have something to play for next week: home field advantage. So it's unlikely Manning will fall victim to the dreaded "resting the starters" curse.

I'm pretty stoked for the Broncos' post-season chances. They peaking at the right time. Now playing the Browns isn't exactly a test, but they looked great today and last week against the Ravens, who are a more respectable opponent. The defense is playing lights out, etc etc. I'm really hoping for a Niners-Broncos SB, as that is what I predicted over at the WoV contest, and also I have a good friend who is a Niners fan, so it would be a really great rivalry game for us.