The official Patriots vs Steelers POST game thread

lillloyd said:

Congrats on the win. We were thoroughly outplayed and outcoached. It reminded me a bit of the game in '02 when the Pats spread out the Steelers' D and pretty much exposed their pass D...thank God there aren't many teams with the personnel or mindset to do this.

I said before the game the way to beat Pitt is to be patient with quick throws underneath with a very decisive and accurate thrower, and run as a change of pace to the pass. That's pretty much what the Pats did (and frankly they originated the blueprint). I was a bit surprised at the lack of a pass rush by Pitt, but then again the gameplan was perfect with mostly 3- and 5- step drops (I think the only downfield throws were off play action, which for some reason we kept biting on despite the seeming 3:1 pass:run ratio!) But I was most surprised by your defense's ability to stop the run early, which really helped set the stage for the blowout.

I think we were somewhat flat and obviously not very sharp, but you have to credit the Pats for helping to create that. The opening drives in each half were tone-setters and helped the Pats really dictate the style of the game (although I do think we did the Pats a bit of a favor by abandoning the run and Mendy in particular--I don't know that the outcome would have been much different, but I think even at 17-3 early in the 2nd half you have to stay balanced). I also think the Pats' ability to stop the run (who'd a thunk it, after the Browns/Hillis game?!) dictated long down-and-distance situations all night.

Brady was tremendous obviously, but that's pretty much what we expect out of him when he plays us. His style and the Patriots' approach on O is pretty much our kryptonite. I was disappointed that, when it became obvious that we would have to outscore you rather than be able to stop you, our offense came up very small (throw out the garbage yards/TDs in the 4th--when it mattered we just weren't effective, particularly in the red zone). Obvious issues in pass protection helped with that, but I think your coverage downfield was very good as well.

So again, congratulations...in a year where no truly dominant team seems ready to emerge, why not the Patriots? Of all years, this seems like one where a great QB and coach can separate you from the pack.

On our end, I think we just need to lick our wounds, get healthy, and hopefully come out refocused after this game the way you guys did after the Brownies game. I won't give up on the season after one (admittedly lousy) game though, particularly when it's the Pats, a team we just don't match up very well against and has had our number over the years...

lillloyd

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PatsWickedPissah said:

Think about this people
The Pick 6 was the game breaker
It forced the Squealers into the squib kicks which gave the Pats O field position and points which caused the Squealers into a squib kick giving us field position...

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PatsWickedPissah said:

What was beyond awesome was in the game thread just prior to the play I posted that a Pick 6 was coming. Is that Wicked Pissah or what?

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PatsWickedPissah said:

What was beyond awesome was in the game thread just prior to the play I posted that a Pick 6 was coming. Is that Wicked Pissah or what?

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lillloyd said:

Congrats on the win. We were thoroughly outplayed and outcoached. It reminded me a bit of the game in '02 when the Pats spread out the Steelers' D and pretty much exposed their pass D...thank God there aren't many teams with the personnel or mindset to do this.

I said before the game the way to beat Pitt is to be patient with quick throws underneath with a very decisive and accurate thrower, and run as a change of pace to the pass. That's pretty much what the Pats did (and frankly they originated the blueprint). I was a bit surprised at the lack of a pass rush by Pitt, but then again the gameplan was perfect with mostly 3- and 5- step drops (I think the only downfield throws were off play action, which for some reason we kept biting on despite the seeming 3:1 pass:run ratio!) But I was most surprised by your defense's ability to stop the run early, which really helped set the stage for the blowout.

I think we were somewhat flat and obviously not very sharp, but you have to credit the Pats for helping to create that. The opening drives in each half were tone-setters and helped the Pats really dictate the style of the game (although I do think we did the Pats a bit of a favor by abandoning the run and Mendy in particular--I don't know that the outcome would have been much different, but I think even at 17-3 early in the 2nd half you have to stay balanced). I also think the Pats' ability to stop the run (who'd a thunk it, after the Browns/Hillis game?!) dictated long down-and-distance situations all night.

Brady was tremendous obviously, but that's pretty much what we expect out of him when he plays us. His style and the Patriots' approach on O is pretty much our kryptonite. I was disappointed that, when it became obvious that we would have to outscore you rather than be able to stop you, our offense came up very small (throw out the garbage yards/TDs in the 4th--when it mattered we just weren't effective, particularly in the red zone). Obvious issues in pass protection helped with that, but I think your coverage downfield was very good as well.

So again, congratulations...in a year where no truly dominant team seems ready to emerge, why not the Patriots? Of all years, this seems like one where a great QB and coach can separate you from the pack.

On our end, I think we just need to lick our wounds, get healthy, and hopefully come out refocused after this game the way you guys did after the Brownies game. I won't give up on the season after one (admittedly lousy) game though, particularly when it's the Pats, a team we just don't match up very well against and has had our number over the years...

lillloyd

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SVN said:

i was surprised the steelers didnt switch to more nickel D and play coverage . The jets did that in the 2nd half vs the pats with great success and that gives pats some problems without a truly dominant running game. The steelers kept playing the same style and our line held up which hurt them.
Now please beat the jets .

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MustaphaM0nd said:

Agreed. **** LeBeau is great at what he does, but its mildly amusing to watch him throw the same fire zone stuff at the Patriots time and time again, even though Brady picks it apart. Come to think about it, there's a reason Baltimore went on a wide receiver shopping spree this off-season.

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lillloyd said:

Like I said earlier, the Patriots style is absolute kryptonite to our D.
Must be nice to have the Brady/BB combo, you'll always be in the mix as long as they're together. (FWIW the last time I saw Brady that animated was the '07 "Anthony Smith guarantee" game blowout...I think he thoroughly enjoys torturing us

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AndyJohnson said:

1)
OL deserves a standing ovation.

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Officiating was poor. At the end of the first when the reciever was CHUNGED, that was NOT a first down. Terrible spot. The OPI on Gronk was terrible. DPI on Meriwhether shaky. Also how can the ref choose not to call a penalty when you hit a pr after a fair catch?

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I saw an AWFUL lot of 3-4 with nickle type personell. Crable as a 34 DE, Wright at NT and Guyton at LB, along with a lot of nickel. It seemed like BB was much more concerned with their passing game than their running game, based on groupings, alignments and subs...

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lillloyd said:

Like I said earlier, the Patriots style is absolute kryptonite to our D. Our front 7 is designed to attack; the whole defense is predicated on the zone blitz. Laying back in a nickel/coverage scheme, we're literally not designed to do that. Part of the zone blitz scheme--something that rarely gets talked about--is that the DBs are taught to keep everything in front of them and give large cushions, which again plays right into the hands of a short, accurate passing game.

You guys are a riddle that Lebeau, as great as he's been, has never really been able to solve. (The '08 Cassel game doesn't count). I think the basic challenge for us has been that we almost have to change our fundamental defensive identity for a single game, which we're not able to do.

Must be nice to have the Brady/BB combo, you'll always be in the mix as long as they're together. (FWIW the last time I saw Brady that animated was the '07 "Anthony Smith guarantee" game blowout...I think he thoroughly enjoys torturing us

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are contemplating cutting Jeff Reed, who missed his seventh field goal of the season in Pittsburgh's 39-26 loss to New England on Sunday night, and will bring in kickers for workouts on Tuesday, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

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Jeff Reed, who in the past has refused to publicly knock Heinz Field as a poor place to kick, ended his diplomacy after he missed a 26-yard field goal Sunday night, his seventh of the season, in a 39-26 Steelers loss to the New England Patriots.

And he tossed in a few critical remarks about Steelers fans as well.

"I'm not one to make excuses," Reed began. "I'll take the credit for the miss. It was a great snap, a great hold, great protection. It's kind of hard when you plant your foot and the hole -- a piece of ground moves where the ball's under the holder. I almost missed the ball completely.

"I'm not going to make excuses. If you've played any kind of sports in your life, you realize that what we play on is not very good turf. It happens."

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Reed's short miss came late in the third quarter with the Steelers behind 17-3. When he next kicked, an extra point following a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, fans in Heinz Field let out a loud, seemingly mock cheer.

Did he notice that reaction from the fans?

"I don't really know what you're talking about, but it doesn't surprise me. If you're not perfect in this city, man, then you're going to hear about it. It's been like that for nine years, and why would they stop now?

"Like I said there's 95 percent of those fans that got my back totally and then 5 percent you always hear. They're right by the kicking net, they were bashing me, but that's life, man, you got to move on. The worst thing for me to do would be to fight back at them.

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jmt57 said:

Looks like for the second time this season an opponent may lose their job after a game against the Pats.

Sources: Pittsburgh Steelers considering cutting kicker Jeff Reed - ESPN

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Steelers are cutting jeff reed and signing shaun suisham. Reed has already been told

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Patspsycho said:

That was befuddling me last night. I kept wondering why you guys just wouldn't shift out of that cover 2 deep shell because you know Brady has a history of excelling against it, with last night being no exception.

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Its really upto these so called analysts to explain how to beat a certain system.

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