Originally Posted by Iron City South
"Commitment to the team - there is no such thing as in-between, you are either in or you're out."-Pat Riley
I don't necessarily agree with that.
It would have been one thing to have started slow out of the gates and to have gradually gotten better over the season but this team came out and played pretty well early on(even with a favorable schedule)and have slowly gone downhill ever since.
Every time this team got challenged and punched in the face by the other team....starting with Arizona, Denver and the Jets the Steelers response was to "Waffle" over and show no heart.
Even though it's only Tomlin's first year I don't think this late season fiasco bodes well for him and has to raise some eyebrows as to his leadership and motivational skills. In other words he shouldn't get a "Totally Free Pass" due to lack of experience.
Good/Great coaches make sure players play up to their ability and don't make reapeated mistakes and perform at a high level all the time. I just don't see Tomlin getting the very best out this team regardless of the talent level.
Fire Tomlin????......NO!! but he's definatley going have a larger group of doubters second guessing whether he was the right person for the job.
I know I'm having my doubts.
Last edited by Ambridge; 12-19-2007 at 04:53 PM.
Nice post....I agree with you on some of your points....I agree this team as a whole hasn't responded to Coach Tomlin...Some individuals have but as a whole team....no.....I just wonder how many players are still wishing Cowher was there and just don't buy into Tomlin's message?.....
As this team moves on in the future and this team becomes more and more Mike Tomlin's team then I'm sure we will see better results....Still 9-5 isn't horrible....I just don't like how this team has looked since the Jets loss....That is troublesome....
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07354/843165-66.stm
The rams are having all the same problems we are and maybe even more so this game is going to be about who can take advantage of the other teams mistakes, who can make the least mistakes, who can get to the QB to disrupt the rhythm of the other team...basically everything it takes to stop any team on any given week but this week it's all about 2 teams struggling and who wants to break out of their funk the most. We have more to play for of course and that should be all the motivation we need.Thursday, December 20, 2007
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Deshea Townsend won't long forget a very long day on a football field. The cornerback saw his once-proud defense shredded as the opposition moved through the Steelers at will.
Last Sunday against Jacksonville? The previous week in New England?
No, those require only a short memory by Townsend and the Steelers' somehow-still No. 1 defense. The spanking he has not forgotten is the one Marc Bulger and the St. Louis Rams put on his defense four years ago in Heinz Field.
Bulger, who grew up in Greenfield and played at Central Catholic High School and West Virginia, took the Steelers' defense to school that day in 2003. He completed 22 of 37 for 375 yards in a 33-21 St. Louis victory, and his pinpoint passing is what Townsend remembers most about it.
"He had a great game. Those guys put up some big numbers."
Torry Holt, who caught seven of Bulger's passes for 174 yards that day, still leads the Rams today with 83 receptions for 1,055 yards. His partner, Isaac Bruce, has Hall of Fame-type numbers -- 933 receptions, or more than 10 current receivers whose busts reside in Canton.
Bruce and Holt have combined for 10 touchdowns and, while the Rams are no longer the Greatest Show on Turf, along with brutish back Steven Jackson (6 feet 2, 231 pounds), they can give the Steelers' beleaguered defense every bit as much trouble tonight as did the Jaguars and Patriots the past two weeks. Only the Rams can do it either through the air or behind Jackson, their first-round pick in 2004.
Jackson has 862 yards rushing, even though he missed four games with a groin injury and three quarters of another with back spasms. He had his best game of the season Sunday, rushing for 143 yards and a 6.0 average against Green Bay.
The Steelers, as always, will try to stop the run first, something they could not do at all Sunday against Jacksonville. Yet, playing the run won't be good enough against a team that can throw Bulger, Holt and Bruce at you as well.
"Those guys are really on the same page when they're out there running their routes," Townsend said. "You can tell in the way they run them. A lot of times before they even come out of their cut, the ball is in the air."
Bulger, picked ahead of Tom Brady in the same sixth round of the 2000 draft by New Orleans, is not having the kind of season that made him into a Pro Bowl quarterback, winning that game's MVP in 2004. His passer rating was above 90 in four of his previous five years as the Rams' starter. Last season, he threw for 4,301 yards with 24 touchdowns and only eight interceptions.
His line devastated by injuries, Bulger has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns for the first time in his NFL career, 11-7. And his passer rating stands at 71.1. He missed two games with a concussion before he returned to play Sunday against Green Bay.
Two of the game's best offensive linemen, tackle Orlando Pace and Todd Steussie disappeared early. Pace was placed on injured reserve and Steussie was released after foot surgery. He re-signed last month and will make his fifth start at right guard tonight.
"It's been a rough year, just because we lost Orlando and Steussie," Bulger said. "We lost four and five guys that played a lot of time for us on the line. I think three of our guys that lined up last week on our line were in the Arizona Cardinals' training camp and didn't make it through. It's been tough."
The injuries in their line, the injury to Jackson, and banged up receivers helped ruin the season for St. Louis, which lost its first eight games.
"It has been tough to get continuity," said Bulger, who has been sacked 33 times. "When you don't have a running game, they are obviously going to focus on the pass and pass rush, so it's been not only tough on me but tough on the line too because they are put in a tough situation."
But the Rams have won three of the past six and are as healthy as they have been all season as they try to help ruin one for the Steelers tonight.
Even the Steelers' offensive game plan will take into account the Rams' high-scoring potential on offense.
"Oh, yeah, there's no doubt," Steelers coordinator Bruce Arians said. "When you play an explosive offensive football team, you play to score more points. You might take a few more chances here or there rather than [playing] a team you think your defense might really shut down."
The Steelers also expect to give rookie LaMarr Woodley more playing time at left outside linebacker in place of the banged-up Clark Haggans. Max Starks will start at left tackle in place of the injured Marvel Smith. Left cornerback Ike Taylor has a sprained knee and could be replaced by Bryant McFadden, who would switch sides with DeShea Townsends.
"Give me a 6 pack, half hour of rest and lets go play them again....We can beat them."
--Jack Lambert
"They say that when you're the champs, everybody will try to beat you. Well, I'm glad we're the champs, so bring 'em on, bring 'em all on. If we die, we ain't gonna die running. It's gonna be a fight."
--Joe Greene
The defense has taken a whoopin for the last four weeks. Its time to put some fresh bodies on the field and deliver some punishment. This defense doesnt have a bad attitude, a chip on its shoulder or the nasty disposition a Steeler defense needs. Instead we get a mouthy piece of toast. If they dont beat up on the Rams early and often, they will put up some points.
The coach can't give the team the attitude it needs to win. Thats up to the players. this team has lost its attitude and teams arent rolling over. When's the last time you seen a big hit on defense. THE STEELERS LACK ATTITUDE NOT APPITUDE.
I'd rather see Ben and the offense on the field more tonight then the defense. Long drives lots of running plays and short passes. Don't give the Rams time for their big plays.
You guys make it sound like Steelers had the worst season ever :P
Tomlin have, imo, done a fairly decent job this year. Its hes first season in the NFL, and Steelers isnt exactly the most easy place to start. We are used to great coaches, who will take us to SB sooner or later.
It Appears that it all comes down to: If the Steelers make the play-offs Tomlin had a good season, if we don't Tomlin failed. I believe, that what wwe will see next year is a really great coach. He have gotten a lot of experiance from this first season.. Both good and bad! We have played amazing sometimes, and we have played aweful sometimes.
The Jets game did indeed hurt the Steelers, especially the attitude, but those are the things that a brand new coach may have some troubles with the first few years... have faith guys!
However much you think you know about football, rest assured that Skip Bayless knows more!
i just read that there's a possibility that haggans might play. is this team that stupid to start a hurt player for the second week in a row??!!!!! we all saw what happened last week with the "injured" marvel smith. we don't need old ***, injured, non-productive clark haggans out there today! shiat will hit the fan in my house if they start haggans!
RIDICULOUSLY good looking...
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