Why not credit the Steelers defense?

[primetime]

Really? Three forced turnovers in the 2nd half and completely stopping the Pats from moving the ball?
I guess Vrabel gets not credit for his int as well.

Seriously, you guys are ridiculous. Yeah, the Patriots offense shot itself in the foot more than a couple of times, but give credit where credit is due.

The Patriots scored 10 points today after going through the Dolphins and Jets like so much swiss cheese in the two games prior.

 

[ClosingTime]

Pats O in 3rd quarter = 2 yards.

 

[Kontradiction]

Steelers defense is damn good but the fumbles are what actually killed us today. We actually could have lived with the two INTs. The fumbles were drive killers that turned into game killers eventually. You just can't fumble the ball three times against the league's premier defense... rainy conditions or not.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Thats my only explanation for the game. You can say about picks and cassel fumbles but their defense is legit and they had a hand in it. People should just calm down. Sometimes the other team just plays better. it happens. We got pasted by the steelers defense once with brady too.
Sure we couldve played better but cassel isnt playing the jets or the fins this time on defense.They have had a very difficult and with all the injuries have still persevered.
somehow iam not that dissappointed in our performance because this was a possibility with their defense .
just my 2 cents.

To be frank, I'm not looking forward to playing them next week. Even with our arsenal, their pass rush alone could very well give Romo and our OL alot of fits. They're not exactly the Niners and Hawks D's. They're tough, well-coached, and very physical.

They've given lots of teams fits, and will continue to do so 'till who knows when.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Really? Three forced turnovers in the 2nd half and completely stopping the Pats from moving the ball?
I guess Vrabel gets not credit for his int as well.

Really neighbor. The second half was all about NE making an unforced mistake after our defense held your offense out of the end zone to force a FG and then had to try and stop you again.

Harrisons first Forced Fumble came at 4:59 in the 3rd Qtr with Pit leading 20-10 after scoring off the unforced fumble on the KR. Every defense worth their salt, including yours, gets more aggressive when they have a decent lead to work behind. NE Special Team's mistake, plus Pit Offensive TD, puts your D in the drivers seat - they didn't take control of the game until they had a two score lead. So no, I'm not going to credit the Pit defense with winning the game, it took a team effort from your Special Teams and Offense to set things up to where your D could take over and dictate because they had a lead to work with, they did their job, but they weren't dominating the Pats Offense until unforced mistakes dug them a hole.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

A strip sack is way different from a drop - all the credit in the world for the plays they actually had a hand in (and there were plenty of them.)

 

[Pats726]

Really neighbor. The second half was all about NE making an unforced mistake after our defense held your offense out of the end zone to force a FG and then had to try and stop you again.

Harrisons first Forced Fumble came at 4:59 in the 3rd Qtr with Pit leading 20-10 after scoring off the unforced fumble on the KR. Every defense worth their salt, including yours, gets more aggressive when they have a decent lead to work behind. NE Special Team's mistake, plus Pit Offensive TD, puts your D in the drivers seat - they didn't take control of the game until they had a two score lead. So no, I'm not going to credit the Pit defense with winning the game, it took a team effort from your Special Teams and Offense to set things up to where your D could take over and dictate because they had a lead to work with, they did their job, but they weren't dominating the Pats Offense until unforced mistakes dug them a hole.

A great point...and I was thinking about that since the game..I was not all that impressed with their D..Where was this spectacular D in the first half when it really counted?? How great would that D have been if Moss had caught one of two of those balls?? Yes, the Pitts D is tough..but from what I saw in the first half..not all that impressive and scary. And as was said, it was long after fumbles and a lead that the d took over more. Most Ds can do that when ahead.

 

[JR4]

Steeler's D was very good but PATs O should have had much more success
than it did.

When BB was asked about Harrision's forced fumbles he said
we have to block better
Throw, Catch and Get the Ball out on Time.

This is where I thought Cassel had the most problem. Working at a faster
pace. Steelers gave him less time than the JETs and Fins. He was not
ready for that and it got him out of sync all game. His timing was off
all game.

That and the dropped passes and Slater's botched kick off limited the
offense to 3 points ( I don't count the 7 points that the D set up for them)

as for PATs D: No pass rush and B class Corners did them in.

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Maybee its just a case we are not that good this yr.. I know its tough to take, but this game despite the to we could have one.. But the Matt Cassel going to the hof needs to stop.. This is a game that missed Brady ,but it missed AD , Ty Warren and others.. Matt Slater did not help matters either.. The Steelers are not the better team, we made them the better team.. The only great team.. The Giants right now.

I don't know about that SPP...Brady prolly woulda fumbled balls Harrison knocked out of Cassel's hand, and Brady could not have caught those balls Gaff or Moss or Watson should have had, and Brady would have been no help on that punt fumble.

Again, I am sticking by Cassel, he played well considering the conditions and I do give a lot or credit to the steelers defense, and tha fact that we can never seem to get off the field on third down. Man third down is absolutely killing us. We stopped them a couple times deep in the red zone yesterday, but overall the performance was not good.

I stand by my earlier comments that this team can be competitive and would not be out of place one bit in the AFCCG. This continues to be my realistic goal for this team. However FIX THAT GOD-AWEFUL SECONDARY....PLEASE.., SOMEONE!!

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

It's a combination of them playing well and us playing really bad. We shot ourselves in the foot way too many times, might work against a weak team but it's not going to fly against that defense. Once you are down by 2 scores they're going to come at you with everything. We should have been up 17-13 midway through the 3rd with a chance for a clock killing drive, instead we're down 20-10 and one dimensional. We made it easy for them.

 

[The Dog]

The Steeler D played well in the first half as well. The only TD the pats had was on a 15 yard drive. You can play the "if" game all you want. The Steelers could have had more int's. They dropped at least 2. They also dropped a sure TD. They had several other drops on offense as well. The Pats "O" had 2 yards in the 3rd quarter. That is good "D". There were no drops there. To not credit the "D" is nothing but sour grapes.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Steeler's D was very good but PATs O should have had much more success
than it did.

When BB was asked about Harrision's forced fumbles he said
we have to block better
Throw, Catch and Get the Ball out on Time.

This is where I thought Cassel had the most problem. Working at a faster
pace. Steelers gave him less time than the JETs and Fins. He was not
ready for that and it got him out of sync all game. His timing was off
all game.

That and the dropped passes and Slater's botched kick off limited the
offense to 3 points ( I don't count the 7 points that the D set up for them)

as for PATs D: No pass rush and B class Corners did them in.

Cassel took too long to get rid of the ball, but in his defense, his WRs were covered. Pitt has the best D in the league and they played up to their press clippings. Since Rthlsbrgr didn't give us the game, even without the drops and the KR debacle, Cassel needed to bring his better game for us to win. He didn't.

Agree about our lack of pass rush and sub-par corner play, e.g. O'Neal.

 

[JR4]

Cassel took too long to get rid of the ball, but in his defense, his WRs were covered. Pitt has the best D in the league and they played up to their press clippings. Since Rthlsbrgr didn't give us the game, even without the drops and the KR debacle, Cassel needed to bring his better game for us to win. He didn't.

Agree about our lack of pass rush and sub-par corner play, e.g. O'Neal.

when BB said "Get the Ball out on Time." he was probably thinking of
plays he noted during the game. Knowing the routes and what was
expected is knowledge needed to make that all revealing statement
'Get the Ball out on time'.
You said the receivers were covered and they would be if the QB did
not get the ball out on time. It's all timing. Receivers running proper
routes will be open even if for only a split second. No D is good enough
to stop a well timed route. IMO
That is why Tommy was so good last year. His timing was exceptional.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Congratulations to the Steelers.

They played very well. Since the Patriots have played virtually all the AFC contenders this year except the Ravens, the Steelers appear to be the class of the AFC.

This may be their year, for a fundamentally very sound team. I think the problems with their running game may have actually helped them by forcing them to be a more balanced team, and able to pass when necessary. That is something that they frequently could NOT do when they ran into adversity in the Playoffs.

At the same time they are not without flaws. That will mean their reign is short lived. Both of their lines are getting creaky. You can't win for very many seasons with that situation. :agree:

Meanwhile the Pats are in pretty good shape fundamentally. Their lines are solid or more than solid. The foundations have been laid to rebuild the Defense, but we all know more necessary but only ancillary talent additions are needed. A few more secondary and LB pieces, and the job wil be done for another half decade. The Offense needs only a few reserve additions to excel for several more years, too.

 

[Pats726]

The Steeler D played well in the first half as well. The only TD the pats had was on a 15 yard drive. You can play the "if" game all you want. The Steelers could have had more int's. They dropped at least 2. They also dropped a sure TD. They had several other drops on offense as well. The Pats "O" had 2 yards in the 3rd quarter. That is good "D". There were no drops there. To not credit the "D" is nothing but sour grapes.

They played OK in the first half.. 186 yards allowed?? 80 running 106 passing..is that just OK?? To me that is OK..but not great. If you wish to believe that your D is super go ahead...keep believing it. It's certainly one of the best..but HARDLY the real shutdown D that so many say it is...I was very unimpressed.

 

[Deus Irae]

Steelers won going away. No matter how it happened, it happened. They deserve the kudos.

 

[Pats726]

Congratulations to the Steelers.

They played very well. Since the Patriots have played virtually all the AFC contenders this year except the Ravens, the Steelers appear to be the class of the AFC.

This may be their year, for a fundamentally very sound team. I think the problems with their running game may have actually helped them by forcing them to be a more balanced team, and able to pass when necessary. That is something that they frequently could NOT do when they ran into adversity in the Playoffs.

At the same time they are not without flaws. That will mean their reign is short lived. Both of their lines are getting creaky. You can't win for very many seasons with that situation. :agree:

Meanwhile the Pats are in pretty good shape fundamentally. Their lines are solid or more than solid. The foundations have been laid to rebuild the Defense, but we all know more necessary but only ancillary talent additions are needed. A few more secondary and LB pieces, and the job wil be done for another half decade. The Offense needs only a few reserve additions to excel for several more years, too.

I say Congrats as well!! I agree they and the Titans seem to be the best of the AFC..absolutely.. (I agree about teh Pats as well...sound fundamenatally)

 

[denverpatsfan]

Because they are a bunch of whiny b$tches, that's why. I have never seen a team jaw so much and whine about every call that doesn't go there way. Unbelievable. Just shut up and play the game.

And that goes for the Steelers fans too. The absolute worst. They were cheering the cheap shot/injury to Wes Welker. Grow up people.

 

[The Dog]

You ask people around the league and they will tell you the Pats whine more than other team. The pats also have some of the dirtiest people in the league. That isn't to excuse the dirty hit. It was dirty. To call Steeler fans the worst is to show ignorance.

 

[SVN]

They played OK in the first half.. 186 yards allowed?? 80 running 106 passing..is that just OK?? To me that is OK..but not great. If you wish to believe that your D is super go ahead...keep believing it. It's certainly one of the best..but HARDLY the real shutdown D that so many say it is...I was very unimpressed.

well...bruschi and other players in our D always keep saying its the points allowed which matters . So whatever yardage they gave up in the 1st half it was still 10 pts .