Pride is the only thing on the line now

[BlitzburghRockCity]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06332/741795-66.stm


Tuesday, November 28, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



The Steelers will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, and the two teams will be all dressed up with nowhere to go. If management at Fox isn't scratching its head over why it opted to move this game from 1 p.m. to a national stage at 4:15 p.m. its viewers may very well be.

The Steelers are 4-7 and the Buccaneers 3-8, neither on a track to become bowl eligible. It is a game pitting recent Super Bowl winners, not contenders. The Buccaneers won their first Super Bowl after the 2002 season and the Steelers are defending champs.

"You have to lick your wounds and keep coming to work," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel explained after a 27-0 loss Sunday in Baltimore. "We still have five games left. We can't just lay down. We have to pick ourselves up and get going."

The word "pride" was on the lips of many Steelers when they thought about what they have to play for the rest of the way.

"Every time we play we want to win," linebacker Larry Foote said. "The record doesn't really matter, we just have to win every game. ... It definitely becomes pride."

Guard Kendall Simmons warned against teammates letting down the rest of the season.

"These next five games are all about pride now. If you go into the tank now, then you don't need to be playing. That's just how it is.

"It's still a team effort but it's more or less on the individual now. You have to hold yourself accountable. It will show big-time over the next five games who tanks it and who doesn't."


Hold the applause


The Steelers were impressed with the Ravens but not yet ready to declare them favorites to succeed them as Super Bowl champs.

"I don't know about Super Bowl team," Willie Parker said, "but they're a pretty good defense."

"They're a good team," Alan Faneca said. "Good defense, good schemes. They bring that every year. I'm not going to give anybody a great team, but they're definitely a good team."

The Steelers get a chance to evaluate the 9-2 Ravens again at Heinz Field on Christmas Eve.

"They showed why they were one of the best teams in this league," linebacker Clark Haggans said. "But we have to see them again, so hopefully guys remember this and come out and play hard.''

That's right boys, stand up for yourselves and show that Steeler Pride. We may not be going to the big dance this year but we still have more pride than anyone else !

[Steelersfan]

This will tell us a lot about this team and certain players.


Guard Kendall Simmons warned against teammates letting down the rest of the season.

"These next five games are all about pride now. If you go into the tank now, then you don't need to be playing. That's just how it is.

"It's still a team effort but it's more or less on the individual now. You have to hold yourself accountable. It will show big-time over the next five games who tanks it and who doesn't."

[BlitzburghRockCity]

If anybody on this team actually tanks it the rest of the way out then they need to be released after the season is over. There is no room for quitters on this team.

Sure you can feel down, depressed at how the season as gone, but looking back this year at what could have been should be enough to piss off every body on that 53 man roster and make them realize the Steeler Pride needs to shine through.

Having said that I wonder what BC is thinking these days.

[AZ_Steeler]

If they could finish at 500 I will be happy!! Even though they aren't going to the playoffs they gotta set a goal for themselves now and 500 would be a reasonable goal :bigthumb:

[SteelersfaninPhilly]

He probably would not give you a straight answer TG.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

He probably would not give you a straight answer TG.

You're right, BC has become a master of double talk without saying anything. You can see that in his press conferences every week.

[SteelerFan87]

You're right, BC has become a master of double talk without saying anything. You can see that in his press conferences every week.

Hasn't he always been that way? :dunno:

[Troyisabeast_43]

Like I been saying though TG this team cannot quit or throw in the towel or think that there is just pride left to play for this season until they are officially eliminated from playoff contention and right now mathematically as Ive been saying there not out of it. The Steelers will and Ill go on record for saying this the Steelers will beat Tampa Bay and Cleveland here at home these next 2 weeks and get to 6-7 and Im telling you enough things will happen within the next 2 weeks based on the teams we need to catch for that last wildcard spot that it will keep us alive for at least another 2-3 weeks going into that Carolina game December 17th. Cincy,KC,Jags,and the Jets all have tough schedules within the next 2 weeks that if the Steelers can get to 6-7 they will pick up a game or 2 here on all these teams and it will keep them alive like I been saying till at least the Carolina game in the middle of December because like I said they will win these next 2 here against Tampa and the Browns. There is just too much parody in the NFL now and goofier things have happened where a team that has been 4-7 has won their last 5 and got in. So I dont care what anybody says Im not going to say any of these games are meaningless or dont mean anything until the Steelers are officially mathematically out of the playoff race. And at this point and time there not and this game against Tampa Bay is a meaningful game and if somethings fall the Steelers way it could be the start of possibly getting back into the wildcard race within the next 2 weeks. Dont give up yet like Ive been saying Im telling you until they are officially out because at this point they are not out of it yet.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Whether it's pride or playoff contention...either way these players better suck it up and show us and the rest of the NFL what they are made of. If for no other reason than pride but also character. We don't have a bunch of quitters on this team. We never have and I don't ever seeing us get any. Mathematically yes we are still alive and this team should play as though we need to win every game and let the chips fall where they may. Yes there is a ton of things that can happen for us to squeak into the playoffs but the possibility of that happening is pretty remote, yet still there.

My whole thing I just want to see this team finish strong. At worst right now if we finish 9-7 we'd get a mid round pick in the 1st round in 2007...but I'd hate to think this team just completely falls apart and doesnt win another game. It would be the absolute worst collapse of a super bowl team ever.

[Troyisabeast_43]

I agree with you though this season while it has been very very bad is not a complete disaster just yet. That will all change however if the Steelers lose one of these next 2 games or god forbid both of them to Tampa Bay and Cleveland here at home. The Steelers just cannot afford to lose these next 2 games and lay an egg in either one of them they just cant. If that indeed does happen and I dont think it is going too then yes then this season will be officially spiraling out of control. There will just be no excuse for the Steelers to lose to two pathetic teams here at Heinz Field the next weeks in Tampa Bay and Cleveland. I think these 5 games left have a lot of meaning as well. The last 3 games will be against teams who will be fighting for either a playoff spot or playoff positioning, and the last 2 games against Baltimore and Cincy are payback games for earlier this year and games in the division. If the Steelers cant get up for both of those games and want some huge revenge for both of them then they need to quit playing football. I really do think that the Steelers will beat the Ravens here on Christmas Eve because I think the Ratbirds have it coming too them big time after that ass whooping they gave the Steelers on Sunday. The Ratbirds might have won the first battle and embarrassed the Steelers Sunday but there will be another day here in about 3 weeks where the Ravens are going to have to answer to the Steelers and it isnt going to be pretty.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

The Steelers and Ratbirds usually split the series so yes I look for the team to definately be up for this game and do into Christmas with atleast the satisfaction of getting some revenge and screwing the ratbirds playoff picture.

Same with the bengals, that loss still stings because we should have won that game so getting revenge against them is going to be sweet. Every game on our schedule this season was winnable, but especially here at the end of the season, all of them definately are but this team has got to have their A game on and then some if they want to win. It's going to be a battle of wills and we need to show them what we're made of. Finishing 9-7 is not exactly what anyone wants but its atleast respectable considering how this season has gone.