View topic - Steelers one of BEST in NFL w stats in OFFENSE and DEFENSE!

[Hi5Steeler Profile]

Impressive statistics, offensively and defensively, belie a sub-par Steelers record
Thursday, December 10, 2009
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Peter Diana/Post-GazetteIt's possible after tonight's game that the Steelers could have an elite offense with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throwing for more than 3,000 yards.It is possible before tonight ends in Cleveland that the Steelers will have a 1,000-yard rusher, a 3,000-yard quarterback, and a 1,000-yard receiver, with another waiting in the wings.

It is possible that they will have all that, plus a top-five defense, and not make the playoffs.

How to explain it?

"There have been some unusual things happening," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger mentioned.

Indeed. Roethlisberger has 3,145 yards passing. Rashard Mendenhall needs 113 yards rushing to hit 1,000. Santonio Holmes needs 13 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the first time. Hines Ward, who likely will not play tonight, needs 78 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the sixth time.

Only once in history have the Steelers had a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard rusher. That occurred in 2001 when they went 13-3. Never have they had a 4,000-yard passer, which is well within Roethlisberger's range. Even their time of possession is up, at 32:28 nearly a minute more than last season's 31:29.

Yet, their record stands at 6-6 and they are on the brink of not making the playoffs a year after they won the Super Bowl.

It does not make sense.

"Last year, the ball bounced our way and things happened good for us and we went on to win the Super Bowl," Roethlisberger said. "This year, the ball is not bouncing our way and we are not getting those lucky breaks that are sometimes involved in a football game."

Is that it? Just bad luck and the bounce of the football here and there?

"You look at situational red zone and third-down efficiency, we're just not doing what we need to do," Ward said. "Statistically, yeah, we're putting up numbers, but when we get down in the red zone we're not putting up touchdowns. On third down, we're below average."

Inside the 20, the offense ranks 18th in the NFL in touchdown percentage at 51.2. It ranks seventh in total yards. On third downs, the Steelers rank 16th by converting 39.7 percent of them into first downs. Perhaps, as Ward noted, those two mediocre performances in two vital areas have helped hold an otherwise productive offense down.

There seems to be no one explanation for the Steelers' failure in those two areas.

"I think it's just maybe one guy not being on the same page," said Ward, repeating a reason that is age-old in football. "You look at it: We miss a 'hot' here, a block here. It accumulates. If one guy has a perfect game but messes up in situational football, it becomes huge.

"That's just been the case this year. It's more us beating ourselves than anything. The stats aren't comparable to what we're actually putting up in wins and losses by being an efficient team in red zone and third downs."

Similar missteps seem to afflict the NFL's fifth-ranked defense. The skimpy yards the Steelers have allowed in games (297.3 on average) cannot explain their many fourth-quarter collapses. Opponents have scored 45.5 percent (105) of their total points against the Steelers in the fourth quarter and overtime.

"I guess it's just those last drives that have been getting to us," said safety Troy Polamalu, who will miss his fourth consecutive game and eighth this season with a knee injury.

"We're not finishing," nose tackle Casey Hampton said. "We're not finding a way at the end to finish games. Bottom line. The main thing is, we're giving up too many big plays. We have to stop that."

The defenders are at a loss to explain why that occurs in the fourth quarter but not in the first three. Last season, opponents produced two pass plays longer than 40 yards; that number stands at seven this season with five games left. Five of those big passes have come during this four-game losing streak.

"It's not the same thing every week, which may be disappointing because it would probably be an easy Band-Aid to cover that mistake," Polamalu said.

The defense also has not fared well in allowing third-down conversions -- ranking 20th, at 40 percent. It also ranks last in the league in fourth-down conversions by allowing seven of nine. However, its performance inside the 20 remains good -- tied for seventh.

That defense has lost four starters from its Super Bowl team, including two -- Polamalu and defensive end Aaron Smith -- to injuries this season. But as Hampton noted, it does not explain the defense's high rankings in many categories, including points allowed (eighth).

"I don't know," Polamalu said. "I think we're all kind of searching for answers."

Palko released; WR signed
The Steelers released quarterback Tyler Palko and signed rookie receiver Tyler Grisham from their practice squad.

There are two reasons for the move: Charlie Batch's broken left wrist has healed well enough to allow him to serve as the No. 3 quarterback, and Ward's hamstring injury -- the least severe, with minor tearing of the muscle -- has not healed well enough for him to play.

Ward and cornerback William Gay were officially listed as "questionable" by the Steelers, who listed Batch and Rashard Mendenhall as "probable." Troy Polamalu was declared out for tonight's game.


For more on the Steelers, read the new blog, Ed Bouchette on the Steelers at www.post-gazette.com/plus. Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
Ed Bouchette's blog on the Steelers and Gerry Dulac's Steelers chats are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.
First published on December 10, 2009 at 12:00 am


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09344/10 ... z0ZJiJtpUC

[Hi5Steeler Profile]

There it is in black and white. STEELERS are a great team! superbowl worthy....except for some reason not this year. the stats speak for themselves....for those calling for the firing of tomlin and dick lebeau the stats prove that you dont have a clue. most teams in NFL would kill to be as good on offense OR defense and almost all would kill to have our entire team.

hell 5 of 6 losses were 3 pts. and the other loss was in O.T.

In fact three of the losses I believe were tied going in to O.T.

[SoCal Stiller Profile]

There it is in black and white. STEELERS are a great team! superbowl worthy....except for some reason not this year. the stats speak for themselves....for those calling for the firing of tomlin and dick lebeau the stats prove that you dont have a clue. most teams in NFL would kill to be as good on offense OR defense and almost all would kill to have our entire team.

hell 5 of 6 losses were 3 pts. and the other loss was in O.T.

In fact three of the losses I believe were tied going in to O.T.

Just so we're clear; I have never called for firing of Tomlin or Lebeau - that would be freakin assinine. It's always been Arians I have had a problem with!

[Hi5Steeler Profile]

its a mob ...on every site.... i wasnt singling anyone out..... little guilty ?

[SoCal Stiller Profile]

its a mob ...on every site.... i wasnt singling anyone out..... little guilty ?

Not at all. It was your timing. You posted this just after our discussion on the other thread!
Nowhere above do you mention Arians - so does that mean you agree with me now?

BTW - your Avatar is perfect! Cracks me up!!!

[Hi5Steeler Profile]

i dont like arians.

however i dont think firing him is the answer. big ben likes him and he led us to a superbowl win and quite frankly the only reason we want to burn him at the stake is due to tons of dropped balls by our WRs and TEs.

ive seen more in the last four weeks than the last four years.

if we need to fire anyone its the qb coach wr coach and te coach for all the players failing to execute on plays that WOULD have gotten first downs and touchdowns.

player game mechanics...hand position....body position.....THATs whats killing us this year....dropping the pigskin in crazy percentages.

[SoCal Stiller Profile]

OK. I feel you dude. Enjoy the game tonight. I will be in a Stiller bar out here in Socal with 150 screamin crazy Burghers.

[Hi5Steeler Profile]

btw yea ....this avatar was given to me by a mod on another board...havent seen him in a year or more.... I think his name was I.C.P. ...I think... cool dude. used to post here.

guess he thought i reminded him of this cat.....


funny thing was I think it is a british blue which is actually a kitten i would like to one day own. only cat that acts like a dog....really large.... and easy going. not jumpy. doesnt scare...follows you around like a dog.... cool cats

[Hi5Steeler Profile]

yea we have a HUGE steeler bar up here in san jose called high five pizza....but i wont be able to make that....gonna watch it at home and spit at the screen every time we drop a ball

better that than punching the wall ive found.


windex is cheaper

[SoCal Stiller Profile]

yea we have a HUGE steeler bar up here in san jose called high five pizza....but i wont be able to make that....gonna watch it at home and spit at the screen every time we drop a ball

better that than punching the wall ive found.


windex is cheaper

Nice! Take it easy!!!

[Jeemie Profile]

8 returns against for TDs (INT/Kicks/Fumbles)

All those yards surrendered need to be subtracted from offensive yards gained, and that leads to only an average scoring offense (#15 in the league)

The lowest (or maybe second-lowest) takeaway/giveaway ratio in the NFL.

After starting out like gangbusters (10/10 in TDs in the red zone), red zone efficiency has fallen off a cliff (has recovered a little recently, but not much).

The absolute WORST points differential in the 4th Quarter.

It's not hard to understand the 6-6 record, given the above stats.

[thesteelhammer Profile]

The only Stats that matter:
Wins and Losses
and
Championships