View topic - WHEN DID WE BECOME THE 2000 RAVENS?

[isfry Profile]

Is it just me or are we starting to look like a team with a great defense and a "game managing" offense? It's like Arians just waits around til the D hands the O something on a silver platter...

[El Nino Profile]

i been thinking that the whole season. our offense has been total crap, but our defense has stopped everything that was thrown at it. so far this season it seems like as long as our offense doesn't make critical mistakes we win. and the games where we win by a big margin wasn't the result of an overpowering offensive effort, but more so defense setting up a bunch of opportunities.

although frustrating to watch the offense this year, i won't complain if it wins us a sb. however imagine how dominant this team would be if our offense was even just average

[darthsteel Profile]

I think a part of it is due to tomlin taking the ball out of the offense's hand and forcing more running then they should with the thought of letting the defense win the game.

ya the steelers are avg 30 passes a game now, but its mainly do to them either trailing are being in close games all the way through. in the past they would throw 15 times in the first half an build a big lead , then run 75% in the second half.

the defense is to good to do this now, but I think the offense would put up alot more points if they just dropped back in the shotgun and let it fly. Ofcourse its to risky since you have a dominant defense, so we will just have to live with what we have seen all yr.

[shawnlucas Profile]

The pisser about it is that even when he's handed something on a silver platter (i.e., the Ike pick, the Harrison strip sacks), he turns the silver opportunity into shit.

This is definitely a defense driven team, though.

Frustrating to watch the offense, but fun as hell to watch that defense work.

[WoodsonOfSteel Profile]

One of the biggest reasons for me becoming a Steelers fan as a kiddo was the defense.

Personally, I could give a flip how poorly Ben plays... Or our OLine decides to spend a Sunday pretending to be matadors... Or Bruce Arians running the same 4 vanilla plays over and over and over.

Pittsburgh has a history of defense. Some years have been more stout than others. At the end of the day, this is a team that's KNOWN for defense and by golly... If they keep WINNING despite poor offensive play... Who cares?

A win is a win is a win, people.

NO ONE here expected this team to be 10-3 at this point in the season... I don't care WHO you are. If you say you called it, you're LYING.

Sure... I TOO want to see Ben complete 80-100% of his passes. I want to see Willie Parker and Me'Mo get 100 yards each a game. Sure... I want to see our offense putting up 35-50 points game-in, game-out... But you drink enough Kool-Aid... It'll run dry... Then realilty sets back in.

Compare them to the 2000 Ravens ALL you want. That team won a Super Bowl regardless of how pathetic their offense was...

Hopefully, this defense will help the 2008 Steelers do the same. I've been a Steelers fan since '90. I was born 6 weeks shy of their 4th Super Bowl victory. It took 16 years of being a fan to finally see them win the 'big one'. That said... This defense is THE BEST DEFENSE I have EVER seen regarding Steelers defenses. They certainly have their flaws, but all-in-all... They are FAST and PHYSICAL.

With this defense, Pittsburgh has a chance to win any game they play. Same as the 2000 Ravens.

Complain, whine, and cry all you want about the offense, offensive coordinator... Whatever makes you feel good about yourself.

HERE WE GO, DEFENSE! HERE WE GO! IIIIIIIIII gotta feeeeeeeeeelin'....

/rant

[Steel_Buckeye Profile]

Not to be a Debbie downer or anything, but the 2001 Ratbirds had 2 things we don't. The 4th best punter in terms of yardage and punts inside the 20yrd line, and Jermain Lewis returning kicks.
These two things were huge in the battle for field position, heck, they won 2 games without scoring an offensive TD! And Lewis returning punts and kickoffs for TD's directly won them two games! We will have to be double as dominating as them to overcome our average to below average special teams to accomplish what they did!

Just saying!!!!

[WoodsonOfSteel Profile]

Not to be a Debbie downer or anything, but the 2001 Ratbirds had 2 things we don't. The 4th best punter in terms of yardage and punts inside the 20yrd line, and Jermain Lewis returning kicks.
These two things were huge in the battle for field position, heck, they won 2 games without scoring an offensive TD! And Lewis returning punts and kickoffs for TD's directly won them two games! We will have to be double as dominating as them to overcome our average to below average special teams to accomplish what they did!

Just saying!!!!

Well played, sir. Plus two.

Our special teams... Especially the punt game... Is certainly lacking in comparison.

The inside the 20 statistic is very telling considering a healthy Berger has trouble with that... Much less a gimpy one.

Not forgetting the return side of the ball...

This year's return to fair-catch ratio is probably down compared to recent years. Hell... I catch myself thinking about Randle El dancing around, trying to make a play... Going 30 yards for 4. I HATED him for that, but damnit... If he didn't try his damndest to make something happen.

Ah well.

Here's to football!

[El Nino Profile]

Not to be a Debbie downer or anything, but the 2001 Ratbirds had 2 things we don't. The 4th best punter in terms of yardage and punts inside the 20yrd line, and Jermain Lewis returning kicks.
These two things were huge in the battle for field position, heck, they won 2 games without scoring an offensive TD! And Lewis returning punts and kickoffs for TD's directly won them two games! We will have to be double as dominating as them to overcome our average to below average special teams to accomplish what they did!

Just saying!!!!

Well played, sir. Plus two.

Our special teams... Especially the punt game... Is certainly lacking in comparison.

The inside the 20 statistic is very telling considering a healthy Berger has trouble with that... Much less a gimpy one.

Not forgetting the return side of the ball...

This year's return to fair-catch ratio is probably down compared to recent years. Hell... I catch myself thinking about Randle El dancing around, trying to make a play... Going 30 yards for 4. I HATED him for that, but damnit... If he didn't try his damndest to make something happen.

Ah well.

Here's to football!

true but hell, our offense while inconsistent is very capable of the big plays. they had trent dilweed, ill take ben and this offense over theirs anyday hehe

[Witchblade Profile]

I think a part of it is due to tomlin taking the ball out of the offense's hand and forcing more running then they should with the thought of letting the defense win the game.

ya the steelers are avg 30 passes a game now, but its mainly do to them either trailing are being in close games all the way through. in the past they would throw 15 times in the first half an build a big lead , then run 75% in the second half.

the defense is to good to do this now, but I think the offense would put up alot more points if they just dropped back in the shotgun and let it fly. Ofcourse its to risky since you have a dominant defense, so we will just have to live with what we have seen all yr.

WTF are you talking about? "the defense is to good to do this now"

[isfry Profile]

I would take Ben over Trent Dilfer, too. And I'm certainly not upset with 10-3. I've been a Steelers fan since the 70's, and this team HAS always been based on defense. However, we also used to be based on a solid "three yards and a cloud of dust" running game, which we have gotten away from, arguably because we don't have the personnel. Don't get me wrong, I will be EXSTATIC if the Steelers win the Super Bowl 7-0 on a Polamalu pick six. I don't care how we win, as long as we win. All I'm saying is that the offense we showed in the Cowboys game might not even be mediocre enough to win next week in Baltimore, let alone go deep in the playoffs.