Last place in the AFC North?

[jonzr]

Could it happen?  My rant.

http://maximumgrilledsteelers.com/mgsblog/2011/09/the-steelers-are-a-mediocre-team/

[Finnegans Wake]

Doubt we go last in the AFCN, but it is telling to look at PF/PA of those teams:

Rats (2-1) - 85/40.
Browneyes (2-1) - 61/62.
Stillers (2-1) - 54/55.
Bungholes (1-2) - 57/54.

We're basically as leaky as the Browns and Bengals.  THoroughly disgusting.

[Manimal]

I think the telltale game is going to be when Tennessee visits us. A loss to Houston -- unless we're totally blown out -- would not necessarily tell us much. They seem to be a good team, they'd be at home, they'd be pumped to beat the Steelers. The Steelers might be seriously banged up, to boot.

Tennessee, at home, is a game we should win. The Titans aren't a pushover, as I'd expected, and they seem to be solidly built along both lines, have a competent vet at QB, and some playmakers (though their top receiver may be done for the year, and certainly will be out against Pittsburgh).

It's hard to judge us against the Seahawks or Colts because those teams put two of the worst QBs in the NFL on the field.

Win a blowout against the Titans and I'll think the team might be able to solve its problems moving forward. Win a close one and we look like an 8-8 or 9-7 team. Lose and we can start the mock drafts early.

If this were one of the great Steeler teams of the past decade, and we played this Tennessee team at home 10 times, I think we'd win 9 out of 10, and 6 of those by 13 or more points. This is a solid Tennessee team, but not one that should give a great team at home a whole lot of trouble.

[Joetorious]

They're not very good, that's for sure.

My order of why they suck as of now:

1) Terrible OL (for which I blame the FO, and even Tomlin/Arians for not mandating that it be addressed sufficiently in the last three or more drafts)
2) Arians
3) Tomlin (for keeping Arians)
4) Candy RB in Mendenhall. I want this to be higher on the list. Dude is terrible and needs to sit (or better yet, be traded) yesterday. I know there are no holes, but Redman and Moore have shown they can pick up yards despite that ugly fact. Perhaps trade Mendenhall for a decent OLman.
3) No pressure from D. Shitty O and pedestrian D makes for a long season.

[steelerfaninCO]

While I would certainly agree that the Steelers haven't looked that good this year, I'm not going start thinking they will finish under the Browneyes, and Bungals. There is a lot of talent on this team. A lot. The OL continues to be their bane, and probably will contribute to some losses and closer than they should be games(ie last night), but I still think they make the playoffs, and once in the tournament could do some damage. The D may be old, but the O is young. Ben is the 2nd oldest starter. The D has been good since Balty, and really when the O turns it over 7 times on the road, there is no hope for the D. Without the 3 TO's last night, the Dolts score 10 points.. maybe.

Hopefully, they find a way to get a servicable OL put together, a la '08. But you know what you have when you have hope in one hand, and shit in the other......

The Houston game should tell us a little more about where this team is.

[jonzr]

I'll happily eat a giant pot of crow down the road but that mess yesterday was disheartening at best.

[jonzr]

Details

[aj_law]

While I would certainly agree that the Steelers haven't looked that good this year, I'm not going start thinking they will finish under the Browneyes, and Bungals. There is a lot of talent on this team. A lot. The OL continues to be their bane, and probably will contribute to some losses and closer than they should be games(ie last night), but I still think they make the playoffs, and once in the tournament could do some damage. The D may be old, but the O is young. Ben is the 2nd oldest starter. The D has been good since Balty, and really when the O turns it over 7 times on the road, there is no hope for the D. Without the 3 TO's last night, the Dolts score 10 points.. maybe.

+1.

They've played like dogshit, no doubt, but finishing behind McCoy and Dalton?  Fuck THAT.  If that happens, I'll...nevermind...

Cleveland is on the rise (slightly), but IDGAF how the Bengals have looked recently.  Give opponents a couple more weeks of film on Dalton and all that optimism will fly right out the fuckin' window.

Tomlin is really going to have to work hard to turn shit into lemonade this season.

BTW, Jonz, great pic.

[msdmnr2002]

While I would certainly agree that the Steelers haven't looked that good this year, I'm not going start thinking they will finish under the Browneyes, and Bungals.

Agreed.  O line is beyond bad; first quarter we looked great, then the Indy pass rush started working over our guys.  Ben got shelled, couple (3) turnovers.  Took him a couple quarters to adjust, but in the fourth I thought he figured out what he needed to do to win.  Either A - get rid of ball immediately, or B - drop back, look at pass rush, see where hole is, scramble, then look downfield for 15 yard completion.  He realized the "drop back, watch the receivers, ignore the rush" classic technique would be ineffective and get him killed.  Ben's still one of the best in the league at finding a receiver on the run, and he took advantage.  I actually felt overall considering what he had to deal with, it was one of his better games.

With our crappy schedule, Ben and the defense will win us 10 games even without a line, putting us in wildcard position.

And this time last year, didn't think we were Super Bowl caliber, and look what happened.

[pensodyssey]

While I would certainly agree that the Steelers haven't looked that good this year, I'm not going start thinking they will finish under the Browneyes, and Bungals.

Agreed.  O line is beyond bad; first quarter we looked great, then the Indy pass rush started working over our guys.  Ben got shelled, couple (3) turnovers.  Took him a couple quarters to adjust, but in the fourth I thought he figured out what he needed to do to win.  Either A - get rid of ball immediately, or B - drop back, look at pass rush, see where hole is, scramble, then look downfield for 15 yard completion.  He realized the "drop back, watch the receivers, ignore the rush" classic technique would be ineffective and get him killed.  Ben's still one of the best in the league at finding a receiver on the run, and he took advantage.  I actually felt overall considering what he had to deal with, it was one of his better games.

With our crappy schedule, Ben and the defense will win us 10 games even without a line, putting us in wildcard position.

And this time last year, didn't think we were Super Bowl caliber, and look what happened.

+1.

Furthering the point re: Ben and the offense, they did in fact have a game-winning drive.  Of course the game could have been locked up, yes the o-line sucks, yes Mendenhall looks predestined to fumble on every carry, but they did win.  In a sense, they bailed the defense out at the end.  Or at least finally did their job, however you want to look at it. 

But I do and did think we were better last year.  Remember, Ben had yet to play.