I was thinkin that we needed to get a Steelers thread started for this season and since we are having our first pre-season game this weekend, we should start one up.
What does everyone think about our chances this season? I am unsure right now. It all depends on how Big Ben plays and if he actually can step up this year. I have always been a fan of him, but he played horrible last year and even in his superbowl season, I didn’t feel he played up to his full potential. I am also curious to see how Tomlin does. I have no idea what his coaching style will be like so I am interested to see what type of impact he has. I also have my doubts about our defense. I don’t feel like we have had a solid secondary for a long time and we tend to give up too many big pass plays so I think or secondary will be weak as usual, but now we are also missing Joey Porter, so or linebackers might be hurting too this year. Hopefully some of the new/young guys can step up and we can finish better than the 8-8 season we had last year. I don’t expect a superbowl, but I would atleast like to see a return to the playoffs again.
I predicted 8-8 last year and everyone lambasted me because they were coming off the Super Bowl.
I think Tomlin is in for a rude awakening and I think Hines Ward is going to cause problems. I don’t think he is buying into the new system and is going to bitch and moan and be a distraction even more than Faneca.
I am hoping we will finish higher than that, maybe a wild card spot again if we are lucky. I agree about Cleveland though. I think we open agains them on Sept. 8 or 9th and it may not be a walk in the park like it normally is. They had a pretty decent draft and they are going to be a lot stronger than we are used to seeing. Hopefully we will still come out on top. I am just glad that I got to see a superbowl win a few years ago. I was always jealous that my dad got to see 4 superbowl wins and I had not seen any, I guess I can die happy now I am definitely not holding out for a buccos world series though :doh:
i’m thinkin 9-10 wins. we have it somewhat soft the first 3-4 games on the schedule, so im hopin we can get on a roll cause after those first few its gonna be tough. plus, the division has been gettin better every year, so it’ll be even harder to win those games…maybe not cleveland just yet, i dunno. i think Tomlin and the players need to get on the same page, but the players cant be bitches about it either, its a compromise. we just came off a pretty embarrassing season, as far as im concerned, so who are they to give him shit for changing anything.
pic of me and coach last weekend…super nice guy, by the way.
Has anyone seen any of the practices at training camp this year? Any hints about changes in the plays/schemes? I read on ESPN.com that they are giving Ben a little more power (calling plays at the line, changing formations based on defensive coverages, etc…). Also don’t we have new coordinators for defense or offense this year?
Im still unsure about Tomlin I dont think he was the right choice…He started out behind the 8 ball here with the players and so far hasnt made any headway it seems. Hell learn fast around here if they are bad the fans more than the Rooneys wont take it. Cowher had crappy seasons but then came back solid the next year…Im hoping Tomlin doesnt start out bad or hell get run out of town
I’m skeptical about tomlin as well. I think we should have kept Porter as well we’re going to miss him greatly on defense. Hines need to be a big mouth he is a big veteran on the team and knows his stuff, they need to rethink about shooting him down.
with the new given power to ben if we have a bad season we’ll know where it came from if it’s offensive side. if it’s defensive side then the secondary is the one they need to work on. so at least this year ben can’t point fingers with the blame if the offense goes down hill.
I would say another 8-8 if not better. Last years performance was pretty pathetic especially with the OT losses. I was at the ATL game since I live in GA until my Army contract is up. ATL fans talk too much shit for not showing anything on their fingers. especially when they won by a coin toss.
I like Tomlin and think he will be a decent coach, but this season I looking for a wildcard playoff birth if any. It’s a building year and I think the team and the coach will show us alot of things we here in Pittsburgh are not used too, but some success will come from it. Also I believe this is a super important year for Ben as if he plays like last season he can’t expect a huge deal like troy upcoming, the steelers will dump him off or just not offer him the big bucks. If he can come back and show numbers like his first two season’s you can expect a huge deal! And as for Porter leaving, you know that was coming and for the money he is going to produce but not for the money, the steeler organization is know for cutting people loose after their peak!
ya, Porter’s presense will be lost more in the locker room thn on the field. i’m gonna miss him but i dont think it was a bad decision to let him go. i would never want to pay him what Miami paid him. also, the Rooney’s rewarded us but extending the contract on our best defensive player anyways, so we can be happy about that.
Tomlin: With any first year head coach you never know what you are gonna get. From what I hear his plans on offense…I think I may like him.
Ben: I was never 100% sure about him…1st 2 years I think he played well but nothing amazing… his record was amazing but his play was just smart and average. Then he sucks for a year…injuries. So I think this year can truly prove himself with the new offense.
Parker: Yeah his total yards and yards per carry are pretty good but is he really that good? He is pretty good with breaking a good run fairly often…but what about the carries in between? Take out his big runs then look at his avg I bet it is under 3 yards per carry. I will not be sold on this guy until he can truly avg 3-4 yards per carry…not 1-2 and set us up for a 3rd and long.
Ward: He is awesome…comes through when you need a big play and is very consistent (when not injured at least). The only thing that worries me at times it I think he can be a crybaby…but that isnt even that bad.
Troy: As long as he can be healthy all season he should be fine/awesome…the only thing I can say he has for a flaw is at times I think his coverage is a bit weak.
O-Line: As with any team that has some good linemen, if they can stay healthy then we will do well.
Linebackers: I don’t think anyone really has an idea how well we will do…but I think a lot of people thought Porter was better than he really was LAST YEAR. I think we have a solid set of guys and Woodly seems to be progressing really well. And we are the Steelers so there is no need to worry about this part of the D
Pass coverage: Hummm…Lets see this has been somewhat of a weakness for us for the past few years. I guess we have to hope that Ike and Deshea can have better seasons that last year.
I can go on and on but in the end it doesnt mean a damn…over all I think we will do pretty good this season…I would see a 8-10 win season if we don’t fall into a slump.
BTW…I think the Browns will be better…they are building a decent offense but what about the D? If you have a team that can run then you pretty much hammer on the Browns.
i’m glad joey is not on our team anymore. his mouth made him seem better than he really was. i like players that keep their mouth shut and do their job, not worrying more about fighting before the game or getting up to do a dance. i will give joey credit, he could get a team pumped up but i think he could also drag them down.
shit like this http://www.steelcitymafia.com/ is why its hard to wanna be a steelers fan… this has to be the lamest thing i’ve ever seen in my life.
Yeah, I am taking the patriots into consideration for my fantasy team. I think brady is going to have an awesome season now that he has moss on the receiving end.
OMG I got so pissed last year everytime that dumbass dropped a punt or fumbled it after a decent return. They need to put some glue on his hands or something. And then he tried returning punts that were going to land within the 10 yard line and bounce into the endzone for a touchback and he would either fumble or get like 2 yards. I hate that guy.
I am definitely not holding out for a buccos world series though :doh:
7-9 sounds about right to me