Still a lot to look forward to in 2008; AFCN showdown vs the Ravens (MNF)

**Troyisabeast_43** · 09-22-2008, 04:38 PM

This game was not the end of the world. We are still a great football team. I still will say here as I have heard many people say I agree with the fact that OVERALL, we probably do have the most talented football roster in the AFC from top to the bottom.

However, there is no denying that our O-line will prevent us from winning more games then we should. People said Bunkley and Patterson would cause us no problems on the inside. Well, they ate up Kemo, Hartwig & Simmons all day long. No need to get into how our OTs reacted to their DEs.

We do have some talent on the O-line. I've never been a big believer in Marvel since he made the switch to LT. I dont expect him to be re-signed. Like many, I do like Kemo. I just think he is better suited at RG. Let him be the mauler that he is. Hartwig has not shown me much to date. Mahan certainly outplayed him through his first 3 games last year. Simmons continues to underperform. As mentioned time and time again, and a philosophy I 100% agree with, a RG is the easiest position in football to replace. There probably was no reason to sign Simmons to the contract he got. As for Colon, I like him, but not at RT. Let's kick him inside to Guard already.

If we're paying Starks 6.9 million, we might as well play him. He cannot be as bad as the performance Colon gave last night and there's no denying Starks can get that push that was lacking in the run game.

Overall, I still have optimism for this season. The AFC has been balanced out. With Brady out, NE will falter. They just got blasted yesterday. Great game planning by the Dolphins. Indy, NE and San Diego's poor drafting has caught up to them and are no longer the powerhouses they use to be. Sure, Buffalo & Tennessee are off to 3-0 but neither is a tremendous threat IMO. Kerry Collins and Trent Edwards are not QB's that are going to take your team far enough to win the Super Bowl. Denver's offense looks terrific but their defense will hurt them down the stretch.

I do believe we are the most talented team in the AFC, but we need to fix up our O-line. While this cant be done overnight, in the short term I would like to see Starks inserted into the lineup at RT. Let Kemo, Simmons and Colon battle it for the 2 OG positions. In the '09 draft we better take 3 Oline positions in the first 4 rounds, including the 1st and 2nd. Tomlin better take a long hard look at Zierlein and how he is coaching the Oline, because we cannot afford another embarrassment like yesterday. We need to protect the franchise.

**Stairwayto7** · 09-22-2008, 04:51 PM

I agree with alot of this, but some teams are still trying to get healthy, we aren`t . I still think the AFCN won`t be a problem, which gets you in the playoffs, but advances far????????. Got to keep Ben healthy, that will be one hell of a battle

**yinzer** · 09-22-2008, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by Clevestinks

I agree with alot of this, but some teams are still trying to get healthy, we aren`t . I still think the AFCN won`t be a problem, which gets you in the playoffs, but advances far????????. Got to keep Ben healthy, that will be one hell of a battle

i can guarantee that if the o line doesn't shape up, ben WILL get seriously injured. still waiting for the verdict on his right hand...

**AZ_Steeler** · 09-22-2008, 05:46 PM

What's all this talk about the Steelers offensive line.... the last I checked they didn't have one!

**yinzer** · 09-22-2008, 06:11 PM

i think that we have something, POTENTIALLY, to look forward to. there are a lot of games left but ben might get his share of what we saw in the philly game for the rest of the season.

**Troyisabeast_43** · 09-22-2008, 07:27 PM

The bottom line is in this AFC North division as we sit here today I dont think the Browns and the Bengals who are both 0-3 right now are going to be a factor anymore. Both have very very tough schedules the next 3-4 games, and I just dont see them winning enough of those games to get back into this division race realistically. It's why I believe that the game with the Ravens next Monday night will for all practical purposes decide this division I believe and if the Steelers will be in control of it for the remainder of the season. The Ravens starting Monday night in Pittsburgh counting that game play 6 out of their next 8 games on the road.

So we will see how good the Ravens rookie head coach John Harbaugh and rookie Quarterback Joe Flacco and the Ravens as a football team in general truly are. They have upcoming games against Tennessee who is undefeated at 3-0 in Baltimore and at Indy the next 2 weeks after the Steelers game. They have yet to be tested on the road against good defenses and good overall teams. It's why I believe that should the Steelers win next Monday night at home and get that head to head to tiebraker edge over the Ravens early on in the year like I said the Ratbirds with their upcoming schedule will begin to slip a lot and lose some games.

With that being said, the Steelers should be able to win enough games the rest of the way especially with a lot of them still to be played at Heinz Field to secure a pretty good firm lead in the AFC North division. So the bottom line is beat the Ravens on Monday night at home and the Steelers will be in excellent shape to control this division for the remainder of the season.

**Hburg** · 09-22-2008, 07:40 PM

I have no complaints with controlling the division.

I just hope that the Steelers teams itself remains intact enough to remain dominant over the weak division.

BuFu

**yinzer** · 09-22-2008, 07:46 PM

i'm not exactly sure how we're gonna rebound from this pitiful loss. i guess only one of two things can happen. we can either come back pissed or ben will get sacked 23459657 times again. i would love to be optimistic but the reality is baltimore's defense is still good and our o line sucks!!

**Troyisabeast_43** · 09-22-2008, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by yinzer

i'm not exactly sure how we're gonna rebound from this pitiful loss. i guess only one of two things can happen. we can either come back pissed or ben will get sacked 23459657 times again. i would love to be optimistic but the reality is baltimore's defense is still good and our o line sucks!!

Why are so many people on this board and the steelers main site acting like the season is completely doomed after the Eagles game yesterday. I mean believe me I watched it and I can tell you right now it was probably one of the top 3 most pathetic performances by a Steelers offensive line and offense in general that I have ever watched since being a Steelers fan. But the good news about this loss is it's early in the year so mistakes and adjustments can be made and corrected, and this is a loss to an NFC team so it wont really affect tiebrakers down the road when the standings get tight later on in the season. The Steelers despite this loss are still in great shape in the AFC North and a win over the Ravens next Monday night puts them back in total control of the AFC North. Would you rather the Steelers be 0-3 like the Browns and the Bengals are right now and totally out of it already??

Yes the Ravens have a very good defense and are 2-0, but they have yet to be tested under their rookie QB Joe Flacco on the road so far against a good defense like the Steelers have. Plus, the Steelers are a much better team at home then they are on the road. The Steelers will bounce back and play better against the Ravens and take care of business at home. I just cant see the Ravens coming in here with a rookie QB playing his first ever NFL game on the road on a Monday night and beating the Steelers defense no matter how good the Ravens defense is. The Steelers will beat the Ravens next Monday night at home. People just need to calm down and relax and stop acting like the damn season is over after just 1 loss and a bad performance yesterday.

**BlitzburghRockCity** · 09-22-2008, 08:57 PM

Im not convinced the Ravens are going to be any real factor. Right now they are by default simply because the Bengals and Browns can't do anything. They've had a cake schedule till this week. The next 3 weeks will show more about them when they play us, the Titans,and Colts. the season isn't over by any means, nobody on this board should think that and I honestly don't think any of you do even though we're all still pissed from the loss. We do have glaring holes on the OL that need resolved and we need to have an offensive game plan that adjusts to the game. right now we don't have that. We have a stubborn coordinator that won't adjust things based on the game flow and if he does they obviously don't work.