One comment on Pittsburgh

[Russ Smith]

Depends obviously on how much longer without Ben and if the OL and secondary get healthy fast enough. But people are saying denver and NE and the Bengals are the best teams in the AFC, I think the steelers are right there with them if they get healthy.

Yesterday was the first game for Bryant, you can see with him and Brown and a QB not named Vick, they're pretty dangerous. Bell is a terrific RB. Give them Ben back and a decent OL and that's a top 5 offense.

The defense is good, not great because of the secondary issues but if they get somewhat healthy that's a team that could get in with 9-10 wins and wind up in the AFC title game and even the Super Bowl.

If they get healthy, they are going to be a handful.

 

[Rivercard]

Depends obviously on how much longer without Ben and if the OL and secondary get healthy fast enough. But people are saying denver and NE and the Bengals are the best teams in the AFC, I think the steelers are right there with them if they get healthy.

Yesterday was the first game for Bryant, you can see with him and Brown and a QB not named Vick, they're pretty dangerous. Bell is a terrific RB. Give them Ben back and a decent OL and that's a top 5 offense.

The defense is good, not great because of the secondary issues but if they get somewhat healthy that's a team that could get in with 9-10 wins and wind up in the AFC title game and even the Super Bowl.

If they get healthy, they are going to be a handful.

With that kind of officiating they can beat anybody.

 

[kerouac9]

I think they're a lot like us. They've gotten beaten by New England and a feisty division opponent. If you think that we belong in the same class as Denver, NE and Cincy as some of the NFL's best teams, you likely think the Steelers belong there as well.

I think they're a playoff team who will be a 5- or 6-seed — like they were last year. I think their bad secondary is going to hold them back — William Gay is the only dependable defensive back they have.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I think they're a lot like us. They've gotten beaten by New England and a feisty division opponent. If you think that we belong in the same class as Denver, NE and Cincy as some of the NFL's best teams, you likely think the Steelers belong there as well.

I think they're a playoff team who will be a 5- or 6-seed — like they were last year. I think their bad secondary is going to hold them back — William Gay is the only dependable defensive back they have.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Quality depth. Lots of weapons and speed on offense at the skill positions.

One major weakness on Defense (secondary) that can be exploited.

 

[CardLogic]

With that kind of officiating they can beat anybody.

The officials allowed Steelers to get away with mugging the Cardinals WR's all damn game. I can hardly recall a pass where they weren't making contact early! It was flat out ridiculous.

And, I am not the first one to think that James Harrison should be thrown out of the league for his blatant illegal hits! It's not any single foul that prompt this comment, but his "body of work."



God, I hate putting up posts like this, but I need to vent!

 

[Russ Smith]

I think they're a lot like us. They've gotten beaten by New England and a feisty division opponent. If you think that we belong in the same class as Denver, NE and Cincy as some of the NFL's best teams, you likely think the Steelers belong there as well.

I think they're a playoff team who will be a 5- or 6-seed — like they were last year. I think their bad secondary is going to hold them back — William Gay is the only dependable defensive back they have.

Sure my point is they have not been near 100% all year. they didn't have Bryant, now they have him back but don't have Ben. They started the year without Bryant and Bell. They lost to the Pats 28-21, it was in New England, and the Steelers didn't have Bell or Bryant and still had 500 yards of offense.

NE has an amazing offense, their defense is not good at all. Denver has a great defense, the offense is struggling and not clear it's going to get that much better unless Manning is hurt and gets better and it's not just wear and tear on him. The Bengals are good but the 2 best teams they've beaten are a struggling Seattle, and Buffalo without Taylor and with Watkins getting hurt in the game. they're winning that's all that matters but they're not a great team.

Cincy is the most balanced of the 4. I think NE has the best offense and probably the worst defense.

Not saying the Steelers are going to win it all just that if they get healthy, they will be a very tough out.

 

[nashman]

I agree I think a healthy steelers team is probably the scariest AFC team out there. I would say they have the ability to beat anyone if healthy even without officiating help.

 

[Russ Smith]

I agree I think a healthy steelers team is probably the scariest AFC team out there. I would say they have the ability to beat anyone if healthy even without officiating help.

I don't know if they're the scariest but they're about the only team with a "good record" in the AFC right now that has that obvious of an excuse. Their 3 best players on offense are Ben, Brown and Bell(not in any order). Ben has missed 3.5 of their 6 games, and Bell has missed 2 of their 6 games. And that doesn't count Bryant who missed 5 of the 6.

I would argue no team in the NFL has been harder hit on offense than they have and they're still 4-2.

Their pass defense is NOT good but they have a really good run defense and a great offense when remotely healthy.

I think on all cylinders NE is the team to beat that offense is just that good, but a team like Pittsburgh could score with them.

 

[SeattleCard]

They are a good team and with big Ben they will be a force.

 

[nashman]

The patriots defense isn't close to the steelers, if completely healthy steelers look like the scarier team. The pats have to score bunches cause they will give up bunches, the steelers play disciplined and will give up less points.

 

[Russ Smith]

The patriots defense isn't close to the steelers, if completely healthy steelers look like the scarier team. The pats have to score bunches cause they will give up bunches, the steelers play disciplined and will give up less points.

The Steelers are a much better run defense which in the playoffs is often important when games get "tougher." The Pats have the better pass defense. the Pats yards allowed is a bit slanted, they're so far ahead in most games teams are throwing not running. So they have allowed more pass yards in part because of that. But they've allowed more run yards than Pittsburgh has even with all those big leads. Pittsburgh's run defense is much better than NE's, NE's got a better pass defense but I don't think by nearly as much.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The patriots defense isn't close to the steelers, if completely healthy steelers look like the scarier team. The pats have to score bunches cause they will give up bunches, the steelers play disciplined and will give up less points.

That all must be why The Steelers handled the Pats easily in week 1.

Oh... Wait. The exact opposite happened then.

 

[SO91]

That all must be why The Steelers handled the Pats easily in week 1.

Oh... Wait. The exact opposite happened then.

Because teams in week 1 are the exact same in week 6, or week 17.

 

[Jetstream Green]

Because teams in week 1 are the exact same in week 6, or week 17.

 

[82CardsGrad]

That all must be why The Steelers handled the Pats easily in week 1.

Oh... Wait. The exact opposite happened then.

Cheese, did the Pats "handle" the Steelers in that game? The Steelers put up nearly 500 yards of offense with no Bryant and no Bell! They led in ToP. The game was played in New England and only lost by a TD.

 

[82CardsGrad]

I don't know if they're the scariest but they're about the only team with a "good record" in the AFC right now that has that obvious of an excuse. Their 3 best players on offense are Ben, Brown and Bell(not in any order). Ben has missed 3.5 of their 6 games, and Bell has missed 2 of their 6 games. And that doesn't count Bryant who missed 5 of the 6.

I would argue no team in the NFL has been harder hit on offense than they have and they're still 4-2.

Their pass defense is NOT good but they have a really good run defense and a great offense when remotely healthy.

I think on all cylinders NE is the team to beat that offense is just that good, but a team like Pittsburgh could score with them.

Couldn't agree more... This is been a weird start to the 2015 season in so many ways, making it really difficult to gauge the strength of teams.
That said, your comments are spot on. It will be very interesting to see Pitt operate when they finally get Ben, Bell and Bryant on the field at the same time.
Their run defense, as it always is, is stout. While their secondary is sub-par and their pass rush is average to slightly better than average.
But with the 3 B's on offense and on the field at the same time, they just might able to score enough to compensate for whatever holes an opposing team might find on the Pitt defense.

 

[Big D]

One comment I'll make about Pittsburgh is that they seemed to have found themselves a hell of a kicker. That kid has a serious leg!

 

[MadCardDisease]

One comment I'll make about Pittsburgh is that they seemed to have found themselves a hell of a kicker. That kid has a serious leg!

Seriously.

Their kickers have missed endless field goals up until this game and then this kid comes in and hits 3 of more than 45 yards and a 4th that was 30 yards.

Our kicker naturally misses his first attempt.

 

[Russ Smith]

That all must be why The Steelers handled the Pats easily in week 1.

Oh... Wait. The exact opposite happened then.

Again, the final was 28-21 and Pittsburgh played without Leveon Bell and Martavis Bryant, at NE. NE didn't have Blount but they rotate RB's anyways.

In fairness the last Steeler TD was with 2 seconds left in the game but i think we can reasonably assume that not having their best RB and their 2nd best WR might have reduced the Steelers chances of winning that game.

I don't know if they're better than the Pats or not, i do think they have a better defense than the Pats do.

 

[Russ Smith]

Seriously.

Their kickers have missed endless field goals up until this game and then this kid comes in and hits 3 of more than 45 yards and a 4th that was 30 yards.

Our kicker naturally misses his first attempt.

Said this to someone earlier today. NFL kickers are mystifying. How does Pitt go through OTA's, training camp and the preseason, pick a K, and then cut him and go through 3 more before the 4th guy turns out to be the guy they have now that looks great? how do they get that long of a look at other kickers and conclude they're good when they then stink in real games?

Catanzaro was one of our key players the first half of last year, after that first FG he missed, he became a different guy. Far less reliable, and even his KO's seem less impressive. And literally that one kick lost Arians, he hasn't trusted him the same since.

It's incredible how fragile kickers are, the really good ones can play forever because they're so rare.

 

[Stout]

Said this to someone earlier today. NFL kickers are mystifying. How does Pitt go through OTA's, training camp and the preseason, pick a K, and then cut him and go through 3 more before the 4th guy turns out to be the guy they have now that looks great? how do they get that long of a look at other kickers and conclude they're good when they then stink in real games?

Catanzaro was one of our key players the first half of last year, after that first FG he missed, he became a different guy. Far less reliable, and even his KO's seem less impressive. And literally that one kick lost Arians, he hasn't trusted him the same since.

It's incredible how fragile kickers are, the really good ones can play forever because they're so rare.

The Steelers did not cut their kicker; he had a season-ending knee injury. The next kicker they signed got hurt, then they traded for Scobee. He sucked so bad they cut him and signed this new guy.

 

[187]

I think their bad secondary is going to hold them back — William Gay is the only dependable defensive back they have.

That's scary.

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

Because teams in week 1 are the exact same in week 6, or week 17.

Is your point that the Pats will be less prepared in week 6 or 17.