Comments on: How Can you Complain After a Game Like This?! http://www.steelersgab.com/2009/10/05/how-can-you-complain-after-a-game-like-this/ The Definitive Pittsburgh Steelers Blog! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:48:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mark http://www.steelersgab.com/2009/10/05/how-can-you-complain-after-a-game-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-11759 mark Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:27:01 +0000 http://www.steelersgab.com/?p=2079#comment-11759 Yes, I agree with that assessment. A win is a win, and to quote Tomlin, style points don't matter. The ugly truth is this defense is not stopping the underneath passing, not quick enough to the ball and at least in my eyes, to stubborn to do things a bit differently. Once the Chargers became 1-dimensional, the Steelers should have worked on the 1 thing that is torturing them. Maybe to an untrained eye, like mine, they did. But I have to say, I certainly did not see good results. Look, Rivers to Gates has caused havoc to many defenses, but once the Chargers only had that weapon the Steelers should have been all over it. Instead, Rivers to Gates looked easy. Prevent defense or not, Timmons,Carter Townsend and Ratliff could NOT stop this. At least not with the current defensive strategy that was being employed. I understand they did not want to get burned by the BIG play, but giving up 1 big play or 3 small plays in a row still turned into quick TD's that got a beaten team back into the game!I expect the Special Teams to improve but I am getting the impression that this defense will improve little by little and the offense is going to have to score 24 or more. Sort of like the Ravens and Patriots. Those two teams have embraced offense because their defenses seem to be lacking. Don't get me wrong, all 3 of these teams have top defenses but in a copycat league teams better be able to score points to mask defenses that are getting older or softer. Yes, I agree with that assessment. A win is a win, and to quote Tomlin, style points don’t matter. The ugly truth is this defense is not stopping the underneath passing, not quick enough to the ball and at least in my eyes, to stubborn to do things a bit differently. Once the Chargers became 1-dimensional, the Steelers should have worked on the 1 thing that is torturing them. Maybe to an untrained eye, like mine, they did. But I have to say, I certainly did not see good results. Look, Rivers to Gates has caused havoc to many defenses, but once the Chargers only had that weapon the Steelers should have been all over it. Instead, Rivers to Gates looked easy. Prevent defense or not, Timmons,Carter Townsend and Ratliff could NOT stop this. At least not with the current defensive strategy that was being employed. I understand they did not want to get burned by the BIG play, but giving up 1 big play or 3 small plays in a row still turned into quick TD’s that got a beaten team back into the game!I expect the Special Teams to improve but I am getting the impression that this defense will improve little by little and the offense is going to have to score 24 or more. Sort of like the Ravens and Patriots. Those two teams have embraced offense because their defenses seem to be lacking. Don’t get me wrong, all 3 of these teams have top defenses but in a copycat league teams better be able to score points to mask defenses that are getting older or softer.

]]> By: DrGeorge http://www.steelersgab.com/2009/10/05/how-can-you-complain-after-a-game-like-this/comment-page-1/#comment-11758 DrGeorge Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:45:36 +0000 http://www.steelersgab.com/?p=2079#comment-11758 Matt, if your point is that the Steelers won the game by 10 points, dominated the Chargers statistically, played much improved offense, and that a win is better than a loss, you are right. It is a superficial and obvious point, but no one will quarrel with it. But it’s akin to a chess player who anticipates only the next move. Like good chess players, the fans of Steelers Nation have a broader view than just one game. They are agonizing over (a) the two special teams gaffes and the ineffective coverage of kickoff and punt returns and (b) the continued problems of the defense with underneath coverage, which allowed two easy TDs in 90 seconds in the 4th quarter. They are right to do so. For many seasons, the defense has been the core of the Steelers success; in fact, it has been the core of most Super Bowl winners. Teams that rely on offense to win rarely go deep into the playoffs. Steelers fans who express concern about these two, obvious deficiencies are neither ungrateful nor ‘complaining.’ Fans have made a realistic assessment of areas in which improvement is needed, sooner rather than later, for future success. For fans with this long-term view, the facile conclusion that the level of play exhibited against the Chargers is good enough to assure the Steelers another playoff run seems more than a little mistaken. The unpleasant truth is, for the reasons noted, the Steelers blew a 28 point lead and nearly gave the Chargers game away. That isn’t the standard of performance that makes champions or that gives insightful fans much confidence in the future. Offensively, the Chargers game was an unqualified success; otherwise, as a team, the Steelers still have lots of work to do. Matt, if your point is that the Steelers won the game by 10 points, dominated the Chargers statistically, played much improved offense, and that a win is better than a loss, you are right. It is a superficial and obvious point, but no one will quarrel with it. But it’s akin to a chess player who anticipates only the next move.

Like good chess players, the fans of Steelers Nation have a broader view than just one game. They are agonizing over (a) the two special teams gaffes and the ineffective coverage of kickoff and punt returns and (b) the continued problems of the defense with underneath coverage, which allowed two easy TDs in 90 seconds in the 4th quarter. They are right to do so. For many seasons, the defense has been the core of the Steelers success; in fact, it has been the core of most Super Bowl winners. Teams that rely on offense to win rarely go deep into the playoffs. Steelers fans who express concern about these two, obvious deficiencies are neither ungrateful nor ‘complaining.’ Fans have made a realistic assessment of areas in which improvement is needed, sooner rather than later, for future success.

For fans with this long-term view, the facile conclusion that the level of play exhibited against the Chargers is good enough to assure the Steelers another playoff run seems more than a little mistaken. The unpleasant truth is, for the reasons noted, the Steelers blew a 28 point lead and nearly gave the Chargers game away. That isn’t the standard of performance that makes champions or that gives insightful fans much confidence in the future. Offensively, the Chargers game was an unqualified success; otherwise, as a team, the Steelers still have lots of work to do.

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