I mean goddamn this conference seems wrapped up doesn’t it? Not trying to jinx us but it really seems like injuries are our biggest opponent at this point.
The Ravens are fucking frauds. They’re a warm up for us. We literally made these guys look like the JV squad the last 2 meetings.
And sure the Bills and Titans may make us work for the win, but in all honesty we have to play pretty goddamn shitty to lose to those guys.
In order to have any shot at beating us you need 3 things:
1. Elite pass rush
2. Top 10 QB capable of making critical plays
3. Overall talented roster
Steelers are the only team in the AFC that has those 3 things, and even them it’s not like they’re some serious threat like the Patriots a couple years back, but they seem like the best of the rest.
I think at this point it would be disappointing for this team to not get to the SB 3 straight times.
We’re just that good, and we keep drafting well and get better and better. [Reply]
Originally Posted by mililo4cpa:
I don't think WFT will win....but I sure do think they will hang around for a little bit and make it interesting for exactly this reason....Alex will check check check check down (then check some more), and keep putting the Steelers in long field situations.
On that note: I'm wondering if somewhere along the way, we see a similar game like we had with the Panthers.....a team that just throws the whole book at them....fake punts, 4th down conversions, trick plays galore, onside kicks...etc. The Bengals would be a prime candidate for that, but maybe a WFT would as well, although every team remaining besides the Bengals has too much risk / reward to play that style....
Was kind of wondering the same thing. For almost every one of those remaining teams, that game will be as close as they get to a Super Bowl. Maybe for years. Why not trot out every trick play, go for it on 4th down, develop the craziest uber-aggressive gameplan they can? Just throw the kitchen sink and the garage fridge at them and try to knock them off.
Maybe not BUF and IND, because they're still playing for the postseason, but WSH, CLE, and CIN should do it. It's not like they could do worse. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
8 teams, no byes. Fine with me. At least it's a more level playing field.
The whole one bye is ****ing bullshit.
How many times have you thought a real contender was kept out of the playoffs?
Last year pittsburgh would have made it.
I dont like the expansion period. I especially dont like the 14 team current format. I think any playoff that let's 50% of the teams in is a damn joke so further expansion annoys me as well.
I'm an old man yelling at clouds on this one. It was better as it was. Too much rabble is going to muck it up. [Reply]
I really feel like the Steelers vs. WFT is a trap for them. Steelers will not go undefeated. WFT, @ Bills, Colts and Browns is a hell of a gauntlet. This so reminds me of the Dolphins vs. Pats last season. They need to lose one then last stop is a divisional loss to the Browns to seal the deal. [Reply]
Originally Posted by WhiteWhale:
How many times have you thought a real contender was kept out of the playoffs?
Last year pittsburgh would have made it.
I dont like the expansion period. I especially dont like the 14 team current format. I think any playoff that let's 50% of the teams in is a damn joke so further expansion annoys me as well.
I'm an old man yelling at clouds on this one. It was better as it was. Too much rabble is going to muck it up.
Exactly.
There was nothing wrong with the previous format other than there just weren't enough games to cram the TV with and generate revenue.
But who cares about competition and integrity, it's all about the money. [Reply]
Yep, putting half the league in the playoffs is a joke. And letting a team with a losing record in is a bigger joke. Although if some miracle happened where we face Washington in the SB would be cool as hell. [Reply]
Originally Posted by WhiteWhale:
How many times have you thought a real contender was kept out of the playoffs?
Last year pittsburgh would have made it.
I dont like the expansion period. I especially dont like the 14 team current format. I think any playoff that let's 50% of the teams in is a damn joke so further expansion annoys me as well.
I'm an old man yelling at clouds on this one. It was better as it was. Too much rabble is going to muck it up.
The Steelers would’ve been the 7th seed the last two years
No wonder the NFL decided to let 7th seeds in. Can’t miss out on that Steeler tv revenue. Funny now the Steelers can go 15-1 this year and not even get a bye [Reply]
Lemme tell ya how close the l-o-w-l-y Broncos got to beatin' them:
Week 4 in Pittsburgh
4th qtr, 2:00 warning
Steelers lead by 5
Lock injured, out of game
Broncos' ball on Steelers 15 yard line ... 3rd and 2
What plays do you call?
Well ... the galactically overrated OC Pat Schurmer calls TWO PASSES.
One is IN-COM-PLETE! and the other is the Steelers' 7th sack of the game.
That was OUR GAME FOR THE TAKING! Stupid play calling!
Two running plays would get two yards, and run some clock off to keep away from Ben after we score.
I'm serious that Schurmer is GALACTICALLY overrated!
Just 2 of 12 offenses in Top 10 in yardage .... 8 of 12 were in bottom half of League in yards.
Looking at what the Steelers have left on the schedule...
The Steelers' defense has not been excellent against the run since Bush went down for the year, and that makes most of the matchups left on their schedule interesting.
Washington. Yes, this is not a good team. But with the game coming the week before Pittsburgh travels to Buffalo, it does have some "trap" potential. Antonio Gibson is a breakaway threat at RB, and Terry McLaurin is the same at WR. I don't have much hope Alex Smith will be even adequate against Pittsburgh (they always dealt with his captain checkdown style well when he was in KC), but if McLaurin and Gibson pop some big plays, it can get interesting. I still think it's a Pittsburgh W.
Buffalo. I'd love to call this one a W, but Josh Allen is the type of QB the Pittsburgh attacking defense has been eating alive for... well, my entire life. I don't see Buffalo's D matching up well against Pittsburgh's quick passing attack, either. I think this one is actually a comfortable W and the one that really kicks up the "Undefeated" talk...
Bengals. With Joe Burrow, it might be interesting. Without Joe Burrow, it's an ugly blowout and the undefeated talk hits a fever pitch.
Indy. But I see that talk coming to a screeching halt HERE. Indy has a creative defense that can scheme creative things to stymie a short passing attack, and Buckner gives them enough push in the middle to get quick pressure on Roethlisberger. I see Rivers avoiding costly TOs in a game the Colts manage from the beginning. Pittsburgh picks up its first loss.
That leaves the Chiefs vs. Steelers top seed matchup hinging on Week 17. DRAMA!
Browns. Can Cleveland get off the schneid against Pittsburgh, at last? The Browns have this at home, they have a high-powered running game, and they have a creative offensive mind in Kevin Stefanski. They'll be coming off a practical bye week against the Jets. I think the Steelers' long schedule, the long streak against a hated division rival, and the lack of Bush and Dupree catch up to them here.
So I see Pittsburgh at 14-2, with two losses to AFC opponents and one to a division foe.
KC running the table is obviously the best scenario, but wouldn't it be kind of perfect to see them claim homefield advantage again when the team in front of them loses... while KC is putting away a W against the Chargers?
Either way, it's going to be fun. I'm not scared of the Steelers, or anyway. I'd like to see KC claim the bye for the rest and to avoid injury and the unexpected upset. [Reply]
COVID and the new format have rendered ANY playoff seeding other than #1 meaningless. Home field advantage means nothing. So how about this, for those complaining about the new playoff format and us losing the bye week as a #2 seed? Since we will be in the playoffs with a win over Denver this week, the Chiefs can take off as much of the rest of the season as they want. It doesn’t matter whether they are seeded#2 or #7. So play the scrubs only for the last two or three games, then they will be well rested when we start the playoffs and will have leveled the field with the Steelers who have had their legitimate bye week as the #1 seed. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
Was kind of wondering the same thing. For almost every one of those remaining teams, that game will be as close as they get to a Super Bowl. Maybe for years. Why not trot out every trick play, go for it on 4th down, develop the craziest uber-aggressive gameplan they can? Just throw the kitchen sink and the garage fridge at them and try to knock them off.
Maybe not BUF and IND, because they're still playing for the postseason, but WSH, CLE, and CIN should do it. It's not like they could do worse.
the more I think about it....Cleveland might be that team as well if they have playoff positioning locked up by Week 17....may be no reason to do anything but throw the book at them.... [Reply]
I just can't believe this Steeler team is undefeated. Yeah, they have a really good defense.
Their offense isn't really very good and they've played a pretty meh schedule. It's a weird year, but they seem more like a typical 11/12 win team, not a 15 win team. [Reply]
