Week 17 - Dec. 28 vs. Cleveland

[aj_law]

:coffee:  

[Finnegans Wake]

35-10 Steelers.

[Finnegans Wake]

I still say 35-10, Steelers.

And that's assuming all our starters are sitting by halftime.

[DCSteelers]

Are we facing Ken Dorsey or Ken Dorsey's backup?  :snicker:

Maybe have BR lead the opening TD drive then turn it over to Leftwich.

[jonzr]

Was looking at the boxscore of the Cle/Cin game last week.  Amazing.  Fitzpatrick attempted only 9 passes, completing 5 for 55 yards, 1 TD and no INTs.  Cincy ran the ball 46 times.  For Cle, Dorsey went 10 for 17, 68 yards, 0 TD and 3 INTs.  Then Gradkowski went 2 for 5, 8 yards and a pick.  They ran it 29 times.

Wow.

Yeah, get the starters out early and let those backups have at it.  We don't need that fat ass Rodgers belly-flopping on Big Ben or any of those other losers taking cheap shots at important players.

[pensodyssey]

There is a below average to average possibility I might be attending this game.  My brother and I are actually considering making the trip just for the tailgate.  Will advise as more information becomes available.

[Finnegans Wake]

There is a below average to average possibility I might be attending this game.  My brother and I are actually considering making the trip just for the tailgate.  Will advise as more information becomes available.

I HATE YOU AND YOUR BROTHER!

[aj_law]

There is a below average to average possibility I might be attending this game.  My brother and I are actually considering making the trip just for the tailgate.  Will advise as more information becomes available.

I HATE YOU AND YOUR BROTHER!

I think what he meant to say was...

FUCK YOU PENZDOODLEEB!!!!!!!!111111111111

[LambertsFrontTeeth]

Is there any chance that we could call up Wannstedt and have the Pitt Panthers show up at Heinz for Cleveland this week, to spell the professional 'burgh squad this week? Or would the league be afraid that Wanny might actually be able to win?

[The Emperor]

Practice squad 117 stains 0. Lefty 600 yds and 7 Tds, Russell 369 Yds and 4 Tds. D 17 Sacks and 10 Ints.  4 4 TDs 111

[aj_law]

Pittsburgh giving 10.5 in this one.

I'm thinkin' that's too much.  OTOH, it is Ken Dorsey.

[jonzr]

If the Bungles can intercept him 3 times on 17 attempts or whatever it was .. Troy could really pad those stats.

[aj_law]

If the Bungles can intercept him 3 times on 17 attempts or whatever it was .. Troy could really pad those stats.

Yeah, but how long will Troy be in?  A series?  A quarter?  A half?

Will this game be treated like preseason game #1 or #4?

[jonzr]

Surely they won't go more than a quarter.  Tomlin did say they'd play to win.  But you can do that with the backups, right?

[DCSteelers]

My biggest fear is someone cheap-shots Ben.  What do they have to lose?

[jonzr]

My biggest fear is someone cheap-shots Ben.  What do they have to lose?

Exactly.  You know Rogers would love to belly-flop on Ben.  They can play to win with Lefty IMO.

[pensodyssey]

As has been noted by others, I'd definitely approach this similarly to the final preseason game.  Starters for a quarter plus, then hand it over to the second teamers with the instructions to show what they got.

I especially think Timmons will be a monster this sunday.

[ben2hines4six]

Things looking pretty bad so far....was hoping the Steelers would be up about 10-0 by now...Gradkowski actually looks pretty decent thus far.

[ben2hines4six]

Congrats Hines on 1,000 yards!!!

[ben2hines4six]

God awful throw by Ben...wow.

[Merman1983]

So if you can't run on Cleveland who can you run on?

[ben2hines4six]

This team needs to just come out passing, and say to hell with the run for this season anyways...it's just not going to happen for them on the ground.

The only yards they will be able to get will likely be out of passing situations when the other team is not expecting it.

[ben2hines4six]

Nice improv play by Ben there.....too bad it does not stand thanks to the great O-line.

Watching Parker run the ball is as painful these days as watching Kordell drop back to pass....you just know nothing good is going to come of it, and you cringe everytime it happens.

[ben2hines4six]

I am officially off the optimism train...they look absolutely pathetic offensively....I was willing to overlook last weeks performance, but this is inexcusable...I figured they would handle the Browns pretty easily even with the obvious shortcomings on offense.

[DCSteelers]

Looks like they are stinking up the joint w/ penalties and inconsistencies todays.

[steelerfaninCO]

Colon is such a POS. Move him to tackle or get rid of him. Whiffed on a retiring 35 year LB, then called for holding on a nice TD play. Funny thing is, the hold Colon got called(arm bar) for happens to Silverback on almost every play. WTF?

Not surprised the Clowns are playing tough. It is Cle v Pit after all.

The D needs to shut down Lewis. Period. Make Bruce beat them. Which he can't.

Ben needs to start making some strong throws. The INT was awful. Then he missed SH with a bad throw on the 1st and 20 play. We have started to see some FB sets, but there is still no running room. The offense is terrible. Game after game after game after game. Arians really needs to go. And the offensive line needs major rebuilding. We can only hope that #86, #21, #10, #85, and #7 come up big in the playoffs.

[steelerfaninCO]

Ooops. Meant move Colon to GUARD. He obviously already play RT.

[ben2hines4six]

I loathe Colon more then anybody else on the line...dude really does not do anything well at all.

PARKER DID SOMETHING!!! Maybe that will finally get him going again...nice!

[ben2hines4six]

WOW, a Paker run outside the tackles...who woulda thunk it?!?

[The Emperor]

That TD is critical to our post season success.  Parker looks fast today!

[ben2hines4six]

Great play by Troy and Ant Smith...another TD stolen from the Steelers.... ridiculous.

[steelerfaninCO]

Great run from Wille. Nice to see him outrun some people down the sideline.

AS got screwed out of a TD there. Why are refs so quick to blow the whislte on close plays? Let what happens , happen, then go to replay to set it straight.

[ben2hines4six]

There goes Ben....and that is why you do not play him in a game that means nothing...momentum or otherwise.

[The Emperor]

There goes Ben....and that is why you do not play him in a game that means nothing...momentum or otherwise.

That's just great he he break his neck or what?  FUCK!

[steelerfaninCO]

Thats probably it for Ben for the playoffs. It looks like a head or neck injury.

Lets hope Lefty can win.

Defense, its up to you.

[ben2hines4six]

This is inexcusable....playof f chances went from slim to none if Ben does not come back for the playoffs (bank on that). The only hope on O was for them to Ben to become superman again like in the 05 playoffs.

[steelerfaninCO]

This is inexcusable....playof f chances went from slim to none if Ben does not come back for the playoffs (bank on that). The only hope on O was for them to Ben to become superman again like in the 05 playoffs.

Its definitely tough to win without Ben, but I'm not discounting Lefty yet. He is probably a better pure passer then Ben,and thats how they are going to have to win. It was on the OL and the D before the injury and not much has changed since. This sort of thing might motivate the D to totally dominate.

[steelerfaninCO]

OK..They are saying its a concussion. Thats not too bad. He may miss one game or so, if any, I would think.

[Merman1983]

Preliminary word is concussion. He'd be ready to play in 2 weeks, I think?

[ben2hines4six]

So this is at least his third...bike accident and the falcons game (i believe) that same season....anybody know of any others?!?

Not good when those start adding up, just ask Troy Aikman.

Oh well, just got to hope for the best.

[DCSteelers]

So frustrating w/ the Ben injury vs. a meaningless game.

Good if only a concussion- I'd think he'd be ready on Jan 11.

I have confidence in Leftwich--- he reads his progressions very well and in that respect, the ball comes out quicker.

w/ our D, I think we can win the divisional round if Ben is not ready.

[steelerfaninCO]

Limas Sweed has more penalties then catches this year.

[The Emperor]

We have to get a better OL or Ben will not last long.  Great win 31-0 and nice game from Carter. 

[jcharding]

I don't have a problem with playing Ben, or any of the other starters, despite the lack of import to this game.  Its not a momentum thing, but rather so many teams have shown over the years that when you rest your starters in week 17 you then come out flat after the bye and either play a terrible first half or lose the game entirely.

There are no right or wrong answers about playing guys, both ways have merit, but given the recent history of #1 and #2 seeds in the playoffs I think that playing guys was the right call for the Steelers.

[give'emthaboot]

Ben will be fine, all the stretcher b.s. was just a precaution.  Ben seemed to be pretty responsive throughout, sure he never got up, but he never looked groggy.  I thought initially he just had the wind knocked out of him.  Obviously, this team can go as far as Ben takes it. 

You do have to wonder why the offense seems so much more fluid with Lefty in there, though.  :huh:

[ben2hines4six]

I wonder about that as well.

Could be that Lefty just makes quicker reads/decisions, could be that the o-line blocks a little harder to compensate (knowing he is a statue), could be that the opposition doesn't prepare or game-plane much (if at all) for the backup qb, or perhaps Byron does not have the green light to audible or input plays into the offense, and just executes them.

More then likely, it is a combination of all those factors.

I kind of wish when things aren't going so well they would throw a wrinkle or two, like having leftwich out there for a series or two to throw the other team off a bit....he seems to do well in spot duty when called on to play in a pinch.

My $0.02.

[aj_law]

Lovely weekend.