AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

[Kramer5150]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

Now that the Steelers season is over I'm preparing myself for the Bears to name Arthur Smith their next Head Coach in the next day or two

Take Tomlin as well.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

Well, well, well, as I predicted a few weeks ago, the Steelers will lose out and be one and done in the playoffs.

What was the response I got after their Ravens loss a couple of weeks back and criticizing Tomlin and his keystone cops coaching staff? I was talking "nonsense".

Even though everything I said was 100% factual, I was talking "nonsense"..let's throw some more facts out there...and to clearly show Tomlin is and has been the issue for quite a few years..

1-Dating back to last year,the Steelers have gone without a first possession TD, that amounts to 20 straight games

2-In tonight's game alone the defense gave up 299 rushing yards, this is from a supposed "defensive" head coach, and Teryl Austin.

3-This is the 6th straight playoff loss, which is the longest in team history.

4-Haven't won a playoff game since 2016

At one point this team was 10-3, and looked to be primed to be #3 in the AFC behind KC and Buff, but what happened? lost 4 straight to slip tp 10-7 and the 6th seed, and spare me the "tough schedule" BS. KC has been very beatable this season, but Pittsburgh (as usual) looked lost on defense and couldn't do anything on offense.

As I've previously mentioned, I have been a fan of this team for damn near 50 years, and under previous coaching (Cowher, Noll) I can't remember a time when this team looked so flat and uninspired.

I could go on and on about the lackluster coaching of Tomlin, but what's the point? it's all in the hands of Rooney, but I know (or if he does, I will be surprised) change needs to be made and made quickly.

One of my favorite excuses are "but,but who are they gonna get to replace Tomlin"...guess what? I am willing to bet nobody heard of Bill Cowher when he got hired or Mike Tomlin.. the next Steelers coach is definitely out there.

As I have also previously mentioned, the TV personalities and Journalists always like to tout the "no losing seasons" crap, which is the most worthless stat line I have ever heard.

A team is a reflection of their coach, this team no longer has an identity, and that's thanks to Tomlin.

It's funny, in their 4 game losing streak, didn't that offense look eerily similar to a Matt Canada offense? Run,run,pass punt...the only difference? Is Canada ran about 15 sweep plays, while Smith ran the same damn toss play to Najee (the slower of the backs) 14 times...lmao

The fact is, Tomlin will not bring in any coach that he feels is a threat to his job, he only wants (and has hired yes guys).

But yet I talk "nonsense", the only ones who talk "nonsense" are the ones that parrot what TV personalities and journalists.

Again, "don't tell me my business again"

You were talking nonsense; you still are. I suspected that cute "don't tell me my business" has been directed at me and this solidifies it. You're weird bro, most fans after tough losses don't have the first instinct to run to OS to proclaim a victory in a fan spat.

I'm pretty sure I am not the only one that gets this vibe from you, it seems you genuinely want the Steelers to fail because your dislike of Tomlin is that extreme.

Maybe it is time to replace Tomlin, but this team had a over/under of 8.5 wins before this season started. By most unbiased measures they overachieved this season. Stop acting like Tomlin held back an elite roster when everyone who doesn't have a hateboner for Tomlin knows thats not the case

[Kramer5150]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

You were talking nonsense; you still are. I suspected that cute "don't tell me my business" has been directed at me and this solidifies it. You're weird bro, most fans after tough losses don't have the first instinct to run to OS to proclaim a victory in a fan spat.

I'm pretty sure I am not the only one that gets this vibe from you, it seems you genuinely want the Steelers to fail because your dislike of Tomlin is that extreme.

Maybe it is time to replace Tomlin, but this team had a over/under of 8.5 wins before this season started. By most unbiased measures they overachieved this season. Stop acting like Tomlin held back an elite roster when everyone who doesn't have a hateboner for Tomlin knows thats not the case

Thank you for proving my point "bro"..so I guess according to you stating facts is talking "nonsense"...I don't care what anybody here thinks about me, or what "vibes" I give off, I'm not here to impress anyone, in case you haven't noticed, this is a SPORTS FORUM! to you guessed it, talk about sports, which is what I am doing!

Where did I EVER say "Tomlin held back an elite roster" just keep making garbage up, while completely ignoring the facts, I expected nothing less from you.

There is not one word in my post that is "nonsense", but clinging to that belief, if it's such "nonsense" why can't you refute anything I said? I'll tell you why, because you can't, your best reply is I'm talking "nonsense"...

I want the Steelers to fail now??? LMFAO, could you be ANYmore clueless than you've already shown you are?

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

I still think Tomlin's a good coach overall, but it's clear he is no longer clear-eyed about the state of his roster. Anyone who's been watching how the Steelers and Ravens have been playing over the last month, especially in their H2H game a few weeks back, should have concluded that the Steelers were absolutely cooked if that became a three-score game. Taking the ball first is a bold decision but you cannot punt four times in the first half against the Ravens. If you're a double-digit road dog in the playoffs, you need to embrace a high-variance strategy: throw deep, blitz often, tell the punter to take the night off, and hope you win a couple plays early in the game to give you a situational edge. You'll probably lose big, but trying to play the field position game will lead to the same result only slower. And Tomlin is well past the "Happy to be here" moral victory playoff loss stage of his career.

[Blzer]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

They probably should've went for it on 4th & inches, hmm.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

Defense was incredible.

If the offense can play just, a clean brand of ball and 20 percent better, I'll be confident in any match up.

So many big, crazy plays in that game. Stingley, Lassiter, Murray and Will Anderson going all JJ Watt Impact-wise. Just incredible. Stroud and the offense woke up after that fumble and miracle throw down field. Then he ran for like 25 yards and offense adjusted to make short throws (why didn't we do this weeks ago?) and THEN we went back to the run game which, shocka, worked way better once the pass was established.

Herbert is gonna get a lot of criticism. Today wasn't his fault.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

They probably should've went for it on 4th & inches, hmm.

I mean it would have been an extremely aggressive decision at that point in the game, but I think that's what the situation called for.

[ggsimmonds]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

I still think Tomlin's a good coach overall, but it's clear he is no longer clear-eyed about the state of his roster. Anyone who's been watching how the Steelers and Ravens have been playing over the last month, especially in their H2H game a few weeks back, should have concluded that the Steelers were absolutely cooked if that became a three-score game. Taking the ball first is a bold decision but you cannot punt four times in the first half against the Ravens. If you're a double-digit road dog in the playoffs, you need to embrace a high-variance strategy: throw deep, blitz often, tell the punter to take the night off, and hope you win a couple plays early in the game to give you a situational edge. You'll probably lose big, but trying to play the field position game will lead to the same result only slower. And Tomlin is well past the "Happy to be here" moral victory playoff loss stage of his career.

The Steelers problem is a bad case of organizational pride.

They want to be able to say "we are not rebuilding we are just retooling" but nah, they need to rebuild.
Until they do, they'll continue to be a mediocre team that can overachieve by making the playoffs to be one-and-done.

[illwill10]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

I can understand if they wanted to move on from Tomlin. I do think that after a while, the voice gets old. As was said, it's almost worse being a regular season team that can consistently win 9-11 games every year, but always a first round exit. As last with being a bad team, you can sell hope with a high pick. When you're a regular season team like that, you're likely always drafting between 18-24, you're likely not going to have enough cap space to make enough of change, and if you don't have the QB set, you're reliant on stop gap QBs or over drafting a guy in the 20s like Pickett.



Next year, the plan would be to either run it back with Wilson or another stop gap QB. This isn't a "good QB" draft class. When you get past Ward and Sanders, the plan shouldn't be to overdraft someone like Ewers or Dart or another QB just because he "looks the part". If you're going the stop gap QB route, how can you sell to the fanbase or ownership that'll it be better besides hiring a very innovative offensive mind at OC that can get the most of his personnel.



It could be an Andy Reid situation where it's just time for both parties to move on. It'll allow Tomlin to take a step back and self evaluate like Reid and for the Steelers to go into a different direction. Tomlin could quickly get another job

[Blzer]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

I mean it would have been an extremely aggressive decision at that point in the game, but I think that's what the situation called for.

After my 4th & 1 Discussion thread, I am not at all inclined to agree with that in the general sense.

But I guess it just goes to show the different style of play teams will have, and what they're geared for. Obviously if it's the Ravens, Eagles, Bills, Lions, or something like that, they'll go for it. Even some team will at least try and hard count. The Steelers were ranked 29th in the league with successful 4th down conversions, so they clearly don't have the O-line, QB, backfield, or OC to have plays tailored to success there.

Of course, I'm neither the professional nor the guy with the clipboard in that situation. The Ravens are a ground attack team if they want to be though, and you don't give them a chance to chew more time any time that they have possession. The Steelers need points where they can get them. I'm putting the baseball mindset on: your best bet is to play cautiously when ahead, not behind.

For those who know me, that's not a post I'm making with hindsight in mind.

[illwill10]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

Good start by the Broncos. I was not high at all on Nix coming out of college, but he has looked good this year

[jeebs9]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

Good start by the Broncos. I was not high at all on Nix coming out of college, but he has looked good this year

Holy **** what a strike from nix

[slickdtc]

AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

We got a ****in ball game. This Denver team is the perfect concoction for playoff football. Runs the ball, plays defense (but can hardly name anyone outside of Surtain!), doesn’t turn the ball over with a rookie QB and has an offensive Super Bowl winning coach.

Bills vulnerable defensively. Pretty much turning it over to JA and hoping for the best. Please don’t let McDermott lose this game for us with dumb time management or soft *** defensive calls.

It’s Baltimore and then KC after if we make it thru here so it doesn’t get easier. Go get this if you want it

[J_Posse]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

Man, I'm happy Taron Johnson was able to get up after that (bad) hit. That hit he made could've easily compressed his spine/neck or worse. Hoping he's okay regardless if he returns to the game or not.

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[slickdtc]

Re: AFC/NFC Wild Card Weekend Games Discussion Thread

It’s a fake!