Steelers fans check in...

[Mikey202]

I like our chances this year. The whole team looks solid on both sides of the ball. STEELER NATION!!!!!!

[Commander Quan]

That was bad

[Mikey202]

Originally Posted by Mikey202

I like our chances this year. The whole team looks solid on both sides of the ball. STEELER NATION!!!!!!

WTF??? Humbling for sure.

[Commander Quan]

Now that was more like it.

[ucla695]

Phew! Barely made it.

[Commander Quan]

I feel bad for Ben, the offensive line really needs to get a handle on things.

[shilala]

Mikey, I just saw the "good on both sides of the ball" thing you said. They haven't had an o-line since the first day of practice, and it's been all the talk since day one. We don't have a left tackle. Haven't had one since day one. We've got a bunch of guards that really shouldn't be playing in the NFL.
For whatever reason, the Steelers have decided to become a pass-first, downfield offense when they have a quarterback who's mobile and relies on his checkdown receivers constantly, but don't have a line that that can let downfield plays develop.
The whole situation has left me shaking my head all year, and it started last year.
There's been talk of getting Flozell Adams and Max Starks off of bar stools to help out a bit, but it hasn't happened. I guess Starks isn't in any shape to play ball, and for all I know, Flozell may have been picked up somewhere else.
I don't think the Steelers plan to bolster their offensive line, and I'm not sure why. It just doesn't make sense. I think they believe that they drafted well enough and the injuries will iron out and it's a long season. Things will get better.
I'm not real sure that'll work out.
I'm not too worried, but I'd like to see some movement in the right direction real soon.
With the whole division playing at about the same level as the Steelers, all we can really do is hope the Jets kick Baltimore's ass tonight. The trouble with that is that if there's no threat that "we're in trouble", there's not much chance the o-line will get any help. We went to the Super Bowl last year with crap, why throw money at an issue they can ignore, ya know?
It just drives me nuts that we're a left tackle and a guard away from being a juggernaut. It drove me nuts all last year, too.
The lack of quarterback protection cost us the game today. Despite the shortcoming, we gave a damned good team a real tough run, and had a chance to win it if Ben would have been able to get the ball downfield.

I'm not sure what's happened to Mendenhall, either. Redman and Moore can find holes, but Rashard can't. I'll just let that one go before I start bleeding from my eyes.

[SteelCityBoy]

After the results today in Houston all I can say is THANK GOD we have an favorable schedule the back half of the year. Although it won't matter with the way the O-Line is playin. Oh well still early in the year and I can still rest at night knowing we have 6 RINGS BABY! KEEP FAITH STEELER NATION....KEEP FAITH!

[Mikey202]

the Oline has sucked for the last 3 years. How many times has Ben been pummeled in that time? I don't see us playin better than 8-8 this year. If Manning was playing last week we would have lost to the Colts also. Still, I love my team. No fair weather fan here. Black and Gold till the end.

[SteelCityBoy]

Originally Posted by Mikey202

the Oline has sucked for the last 3 years. How many times has Ben been pummeled in that time? I don't see us playin better than 8-8 this year. If Manning was playing last week we would have lost to the Colts also. Still, I love my team. No fair weather fan here. Black and Gold till the end.

The O-Line has been terrible the last 3 years and they have found a way to still hold it together and make great runs. We will see what happens today against the Titans. If we lose at home and go 2-3 then I think your prediction of 8-8 could be realistic. Like you though my brotha...no fair weather fan here either. I am there through thick and thin no matter what.

[sofaman]

I think the Dfence will tighten up today and the Oline will be a little more stable and we will get the win!!!

[shilala]

The Steelers picked up Max Starks this week. I sure hope he's in good enough shape to play. I didn't take time to see if any other guards got healthy yet.
I feel good about the defense matchup against the Titans even if the rest of the world doesn't. They're taking a lot of negative press, and they'll be missing James Harrison and Aaron Smith, but I think they "fit" against Tenessee's offense.
I'd hate to see them go to 2-3 this week, but I don't think it'll be the end of the world. I'd rather see a low-scoring loss with the o-line coming together and the defense doing well than for Tenessee to come to Burgh and lay down and add false optimism and the Steelers decide not to pick up a little more help.
I'd like to see a low-scoring win with the D rallying and the oline coming together. That'd make me ecstatic.

Realistically I see Ben getting that foot hurt from lack of protection and Charlie seeing the field today. I want to see Mewelde and Redman pounding the ball down Tenessee's throat. (Mendenhall is out today.)
Let's hope for some pissed off Steelers to hit the field today and make Tenessee know they came to the house of pain!!

[shilala]

Originally Posted by sofaman

I think the Dfence will tighten up today and the Oline will be a little more stable and we will get the win!!!

We don't get to root for Baltimore to lose this week, buddy!!!

[SteelCityBoy]

I love your attitude Scott!

Being away from the burgh it's hard to stay caught up on the goings on. I didn't know they picked up Starks or that Aaron Smith was out too.

You know, my only gripe over the last years is how much the same guys keep seeming to be hurt. I know it's part of the game and I love Aaron and Kiesel "Diesel" and all but COME ON!

I am tired of the injuries already!!!!

[Mikey202]

Let's hope that the leaders step up and are the difference for the team today. This is the time when legendary players pull together and inspire the team to greatness.

Isaac Redman is going to start. Mendenhall is going to be limited.

Reports are that practice this week was the best this year....so, hopefully Coach Tomlin has righted the ship.

I have this feeling that Redman is going to have a huge game and that the defense is a Steel Curtian again. I just see Polamalu being so pissed, that he becomes a difference maker today.

HERE WE GO STEELERS!!! HERE WE GO!!!!!

[shilala]

Mikey, I just got a text updates at 104 and 114 from rotowire. First Mendenhall was a scratch and would be inactive. Now he's expecting to see how he feels in warmups, then he may suit up to be an "emergency" rb if needed.
That's not as important as the fact that those updates are from Josina Anderson at ESPN. She's a stone-cold fox.

[Mikey202]

Originally Posted by shilala

Mikey, I just got a text updates at 104 and 114 from rotowire. First Mendenhall was a scratch and would be inactive. Now he's expecting to see how he feels in warmups, then he may suit up to be an "emergency" rb if needed.
That's not as important as the fact that those updates are from Josina Anderson at ESPN. She's a stone-cold fox.

She is a fox!!!

for those who want to know....Big Ben has been hit 288 times in his NFL career.

[SteelCityBoy]

Huge win today! That was the Steelers team that I am used to watching! Dominating "D" good run game and Ben on his game! Bring on the Jags and lets keep rolling!

[SteelCityBoy]

Anyone see the game yesterday? First one I missed in 13 years, but for good reason....attended my first herf in Maryland. I saw Mendenhall ran for near 150 yards with a TD and Ben tossed another TD, but I was surprised to see the score that close. The stats looked like we dominated Jacksonville (they only had 209 total offensive yards) so I was just wondering what the game looked like. Did we look good or was it an average performance? J-ville is obviously not that good so I would have expected a more dominating performance at home.

[CigarSquid]

As a jaguar fan, I was shocked myself to see it so close. After the 0-17 score the jags were able to show Pitt down and force them to punt a few times and come back with 13 unanswered points.

Jags on the other hand, could not get anything going. Punted like 8 times. I thought Pittsburgh was going to blow us away.