Posted on 11/28/2005 5:49:37 PM PST by Teacher317
In the local media, the scuttlebutt is that Dungy and Peyton care far more about the ring than 16-0, and they will likely sit players if the games are irrelevant at the end of the year.
I hope not, I have Harrison in two of my fantasy leagues and I am playoff bound.
I would think Dallas or Philadelphia. He wants the money, but he also wants the bright lights/big city.
26-10 (or even 26-17) is definitely in the UNDER! *grins*
Hell, just having to take shorter flights for road games would be nice, if you're Alexander. The closest NFL team to Seattle is like 800 miles away (SF/OAK). I agree in that he probably wants to stay in the NFC.
Yet no one has yet to escape the Madden curse.
a 30 yard kick-off with 1:40 remaining? Huh?
Easy win!
It will look worse. The Steelers are not going to get better in the next month and may take some more lumps. They do not impress me at all.
They didn't play their game, and starting the 2nd half Cowher coached scared (stupid onside kick showed complete lack of confidence in the defense, who then went out on the field assuming failure and gave the Colts their second easiest points of the game). The formula for losing a game, any game against any opponent, is to not play your game and coach scared.
James was routinely making 6 or 7 yards after contact. And we're supposed to be good at stopping the run. Amazing.
SD
Like all good running backs he gets better as the game wears on. We were bringing him down pretty well in the first half, but late in the game when they were nursing their lead and running a lot defenses tend to get tired faster than the runner. That's why you get a good runner, to eat the 2nd half.
There was little chance that the Steelers would win this game barring Peyton getting hurt. I mentioned earlier that Cowher looked stunned and cowed from the first touchdown. This appears to be a mediocre team and, given its running backs, I don't see it getting better soon.
I am looking forward to watching the Bears play them in a couple of weeks. If they start a rookie at left tackle there will be hell to pay given the quality of the Bears defensive line.
There was plenty of chance of the Steelers winning the game IF they played the way the team was designed to play. That means bump coverage on the receivers (always a key to beating a timing offense like the Colts, look at every loss they've had since Peyton got there with 1 or 2 exceptions the opposing D relied on bump coverage), remaining dedicated to the run (Steelers football does NOT pass on 2nd and 8). Actually Cowher looked angry and inspired after that opening touchdown, they fairly effectively shut down the Colts offense after that opening play for the rest of the 1st half, they were actually playing bump coverage for most of the 2nd quarter and it showed the Colts lost thir rhythm and couldn't move the ball. Then came that idiotic on-side kick. Also I disagree with the order the running back were used in, start with your big guys that break tackles and tire the defense THEN put in your sneaky fast guy, Parker doesn't tire defenses like the Bus or Staley. It wasn't a mediocre team it was a mediocre game plan that required the team to play out of form.
The rookie at left tackle did very well against the Colts, he had some false start problems but they kept Feely shut down. Against the Bears the Steelers will play their game and win, the Bears ability to pass rush will force the Steelers to run on 2nd down like their offense is designed to, and a rookie NFC QB will be confused horribly by a 3-4 defense.
If Jeff Reed makes that kick, it's 10-10 and the Steelers have weathered the early storm from the Colts, quiet the crowd and have some confidence.
That was a huge turning point.
This appears to be a mediocre team and, given its running backs, I don't see it getting better soon.
The Colts are an exceptional team. That doesn't make the Steelers mediocre. And, as you pointed out, having a rookie play left tackle (or the veteran on one bum leg) does a lot to your running game. I wouldn't blame the backs for that.
SD
I should mention the false starts, which did more to hamper the running game than anything else.
What was the defensive coordinator thinking playing eight in the box on that first play? Against the Colts? After that decision I did not believe the Steelers had a chance. Then the on-side kick verified to me that Cowher thought the same thing.
Had everything gone right for the Steelers they still would have lost. They are not that good a team. There is the Colts then the second tier (Bengals, Seattle, Bears, Denver, Cowboys, Giants, Steelers, Atlanta, Carolina). In that group the Steelers appear to be going downhill primarily because their running backs are over the hill and not that good. If the running game is compromised they are dead in the water. I see little chance of them running against the best defense in the league and the Bears running game will give Orton time to throw. If Tampa's defense can't confuse and frustrate him that of the STeelers won't either. They are getting better with each game and could well wind up facing the Colts in the Super Bowl. Certainly the Steelers will give plenty of opposition and being at home will help as well. But I am amazed at what the Bears have accomplished so far this year. Only the Colts are clearly better.
My Steelers looked horrible! The tackles are horrible, the offensive line was getting pushed back by guys weighing a good 20-40lbs less and why Bettis is not making a minimum of 3yrds per carry is beyond me. That missed FG in the first half had a big psychological effect on me, so it must have been bad for the Players. I knew if we got down more than 6pts, we were toast.
3 of that 8 dropped into coverage, you can't trust the pre-snap look of a team like Pittsburgh their defense is based on lying to the QB and l0ooking like they're going to do something they aren't. That play happened entirely because Taylor looked in the back field and let the receiver get behind him, they had plenty of people in coverage but one of the people in coverage blew his assignment. After that play the defense stiffened very well against the Colts, lots of 3 and outs and no more TDs in the first half. The onside kick was stupid, only 9 points down (should have been only 3 points down except for the missed FG and that ticky-tack penalty call on the interception), there was no reason not to kick it deep and have the defense do what they did in the 2nd quarter (which resulted mostly in 3 and outs), instead Cowher showed a lack of confidence in his team then when the trick play didn't work the defense went out on the field disheartened and failed to perform.
No if the game plan had been right the Steelers would have won or at least had a shot at the game late, they are that good a team. But if you don't play your game you're asking for defeat. Most of the running in the game was by second year man Willie Parker, clearly not over the hill and given his stats this season obviously that good. True if their running game gets stopped they're in trouble, much like how if the Colts timing passes get stopped they're in trouble.
Tampa doesn't run a 3-4, the Niners and the Cowboys are the only teams in the NFC that run a 3-4 (and they both only started it this year), one of the additional strengths the 3-4 gets against NFC teams is that they never see it. Half the AFC runs a 3-4 so QBs get a chance to learn to deal with the non-blitzing blitz that the 3-4 is all about (rushing a linebacker so it's a blitz but still only rushing 4 guys so it's not really a blitz).
The Bears D is stong and their offense is doing a good job of being good enough for their defense, they have a lot of similarities to the SB winning version of the Ravens, they certainly could go the distance but never assume a rookie NFC QB can handle the 3-4 it's a wierd defense and he has no experience with it. And also don't over praise, both the Colts and the Bears are benefitting from a generally easy schedule, not many tough outs on either of their schedules. And the Steelers are in much better shape to take on the Bears than they were the Colts, between it being an outdoor game (the Steelers are just plain not built for a dome) and going up against a QB with only 1 game against a 3-4 and facing a non-explossive offense expect the Steelers to have a much more Steeler-esque game plan against the Bears. They'll be playing their game which immediately puts them in better shape against whatever opponent.
I saw a team without much hope last night. But even at its best it cannot compare to the Colts. There was going to be no quieting that crowd for long last night. When I say mediocre I mean the Steelers are in the second group of teams all of which are way below the Colts in strength.
They may make the playoffs but I can't see them going far particularly if they are going to have to play a rook at left tackle. The defense is the best part of the team and it is not good against the pass and has given up plenty of points.
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