View topic - New Article: Super Bowl Post-Mortem and State of the Stillers

[StillMill Profile]

Super Bowl Post-Mortem and State of the Stillers has been posted by Still Mill at Stillers.com.

[stiller4ever Profile]

Excellent article PS! I think you hit everything right on the head. What I have to wonder is if we as fans can see, and even accurately predict, what other teams con do to beat the Steelers, why are the coaches not prepared? It is true players execution is the ultimate key to success but I thought you did a great job in relating how putting the players in position for success was sadly missing.

Nothing is worse than losing in the Super Bowl. We are spoiled in the Burgh for seeing our team play in the big one often. Most fans hardly even or never get to see their team in it. You have to wonder when the Steelers will get a chance to make up for this weak showing.

Great commentary all around on Stillers.com!

[mikeyg Profile]

excellent write up, analysis.

I just take issue with one main point that I keep hearing from 'homers' again and again and again - that being that Green Bay was not a worthy opponent, in one way or another - that they shouldn't have been there.

Look - we 'shouldn't' have been there in 2005, and we were fortunate to avoid Brady, and the Colts in the 2008 playoff run - Peyton and Brady both battered that season.

as for this SB, why no mention of the 5+ dropped passes by the GB receivers - am I the only know that faces reality that we would have given up 400+ yards and if GB would have lost, they would have used that as an excuse as much as we use the turnover line. In essence, GB's dropped passed WERE their turnovers and the ONLY thing that kept the game close.

I felt a 35-10 outcome at one point in the 2nd quarter. We were fortunate to keep it close, we had a memorable year on many fronts, and Tomlin got this squad to overachieve - a fun ride all year long.

[StillDodger Profile]

The biggest disappointment for me occurred not during the Super Bowl, but after.......... The news that Bruce Arians was going to be retained as offensive coordinator..........

I mean, what I remember most from that game was the lack of rollouts for Ben, where he's most effective. (The only time I recall one was the two-point conversion.) Someone commented during the Super Bowl game that the Stillers offense became one dimensional- A run over right guard (which was abandoned after the Pack stopped it), a quick screen (which Pack defenders repeatedly snuffed out like a wet candle), or Ben dropping straight back and locking onto Mike Wallace (usually draped by a defender), becoming a sitting duck for the Pack pass rush...... (One of those plays resulting in the pick six.) Good play calling keeps the defense on its heels, and that almost never occurs with the Stillers' offense. (The biggest X-factor for the Stillers offense has been Ben's legs on third down. It wouldn't matter if Graucho Marx was the OC.) Arians' play calling is all too predictable. And the Packers had a good enough defense to exploit it. And expose it.

And after the game, I've heard constant talk of opposing teams next season using film from this Super Bowl to scheme their defenses against the Stillers. It's no wonder the best coached teams (not necessarily the most-talented teams) have generally done best against our team. (I've rarely seen the Steelers beat a team that played a well-disciplined game. This team has been a fortunate beneficiary of opposing teams beating themselves.)

So what has been the number one problem sadly remains.

[ballhair Profile]

The defense stinking didn't surprise me. Big Ben's bad play surprised me. We're lucky it wasn't a blowout.

[Ed Burns Profile]

Excellent points, and excellent article. I think it's time the team gives Butler, and Lewis a chance to line up, and perform. I believe if Butler has another good camp, Willie Gay will be an afterthought. I don't think Butler will supplant McFadden early in the Season for the #2 CB spot, but he's the first choice at Nickel Corner. Lewis also needs to show something to get playing time, or they need to cut him. Anthony Madison is a fast guy, but too small to take on WRs over 6' tall. He's better at Special Teams. What about Mundy at FS??? What's holding him back??? He performed well against the Jets in the Regular Season match up. I don't want to go off of one performance though... He's still faster than Clark too. But another question on him, is he too prone to having Toast Smith fits where he gets charred on the field???

Key Fox's getting buried by the media around the country for his late Personal Foul, but they don't say a word about his Facemask getting grabbed that led to him retaliating, and getting penalized.

I think when the Draft rolls up, if Mike Pouncey's there at #31, take him, and then load up the Secondary. CB, and FS are both major weaknesses in the Defense. Retool those 2 positions, and add better quality to them, and the RG position, this team has the ability to return to the Super Bowl next Season.

[rifraff Profile]

You da man Sucks
The only priority is getting a big cover corner, another Ike. Having Troy stay deep to help the out the weak corner is a real waste! Faster other saftey would be a plus.
Looking forward to next year, if there is one, and hoping a lot less injuries.

[stillcello Profile]

Great points made in this article. For all the debating about LeBeau, I'd *LOVE* to hear why there was not more jamming at the line by our DBs... and to be honest... I didn't think we had a chance in hell to drive the ball down the field on that last drive.... just didn't feel it. The only thing we did well all day was run the ball and we didn't have time to do that. Ben just was not playing well all playoffs and looks so skiddish that I would have been shocked for him to 'pull it together' for that last drive... I give Ben and the steelers o for coming back however, but it just goes to show you how the steelers players and coaches did not put together one full set of 4 solid quarters in the playoff and we still almost won anyway!!!....

Oh, well, you live and die with some players and Ben is one of them.

Again, great points about the offensive playcalling and Ben...

[Still Peon Profile]

Amen brother.....it's nice to see that there are real fans of both the Stillers, and football in general, that can honestly evaluate this game, and not wash GB's balls like swine.

Despite all the “next dynasty” talk we’ll now hear about Green Bay, the fact is, the Packers were lucky to be in the playoffs in the first place. Their major gift came on December 19, 2010, when the New York Giants blew a 31-10 LATE FOURTH QUARTER lead vs. Philadelphia. Without this historic collapse, the Packers are golfing in January – likewise, without a shoestring and a stumble, Green Bay has its own collapse against Philly in playoffs game one.

I get a lot of shit for saying virtually the same thing, only I usually also add:

"I attributed their success (this year) to the Vikings falling flat, and an overall lack of competition in the NFC this year, and they STILL barely made it into the playoffs, having to win their last 2, despite having lost Rodgers for only 1 game.

Then they almost lost the Wild Card game to the Eagles, which would've been the second in a row, due to David Akers missing 2 field goals that would've won the game. Akers, incidentally, looked and played like death warmed over 'cause he'd had to spend most of the week in the hospital with his 6-yr old daughter who'd been diagnosed with ovarian cancer......you can thank God for that one. The only good game that I can point to for them, especially for Rodgers, was the Atlanta game. The Jets beat a top-seeded team too......whoopdeedoo. I'm also not going to get into their stats for the year either because I prefer to watch teams play to gauge their skill level. Having watched a lot of football since the new Pack has been around, I'd say either the '09 Vikings or the '09 Saints would eat the '10 Pack's lunch."

All in all, I'm not making any excuses for the Steelers, and neither are you......they don't deserve any. Keep up the great analysis.

[Steel Holiday Profile]

Again, "The standard is the standard". Pittsburgh has 6 Lombardis. Were the Steelers going win a 7th here before anyone else moved past 5 would have required something exceptionally special. It was almost the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Pittsburgh had to much self inflicted damage. Only one team gets to take home a Super Bowl trophy for the season. Green Bay made its plays. The Steelers defense was never allowed into the game..... The Packers now have 4 championships. Their franchise was able to win a very entertaining contest.

The NFL is moving towards an offensive spectacle. The Stillers are in a good position youth and talent wise at the skill positions... Sean Kugler looks like he was a great hire. The offensive line took a leap in the right direction last April with the addition of Maurkice Pouncey. Still, I think that remains an area that could use some improvement. Pittsburgh can win a shoot out, but it is much better to possess the ball and grind the clock.

Defensively the Steelers have plenty of veterans, including the defensive coordinator. How much longer Smith, Hampton, Farrior and particularly Lebeau are part of the picture is something to bring into focus. This team is built to win now. It's challenging to call what that might look like a year into the future.... Or if we will have even come back and participated in a football season.

[Steelers76 Profile]

I liked your suggestion of getting Troy P. into the offensive mix. I actually wouldn't mind seeing this for a couple plays here and there next season, provided Troy is healthy enough. Even if he wouldn't be getting a pass, I think his presence alone would cause enough confusion that opposing defenses wouldn't know what he is going do, thus opening up some more passing options....