216 replies to this topic

[TwentyThirtyFive]

There is a chance we could win the division or get a WC at 9-8 but Im assuming we need to be 10-7. Gives us 2 losses to play with. Thin margin of error but the schedule lightens up. If I knew Lamar was gonna be at, or  very close to, 100% the rest of the year I wouldnt bet against it. 

[jamesdean]

I do think they'll win some games after the bye with Lamar and some others back, but this defense sucked before the injuries. We're going to win 6-7 more games and miss the playoffs. Lost season.

Tend to agree with you at this point.  Lamar is only one person, as great as he is.  When an offense as inept as Houston was coming into that game and drop 44 points on you, that says volumes.  This is still a bad defense and the Rams did everything in their power to keep the Ravens in that game, when it shouldn't have been that close.  If I knew for a fact that a Lamar led offense was going to average 35 points a game the rest of the way, then yeah, I'd say the playoffs were possible.  But there's no way that's going to happen, so they'll still lose a few games with him on the field.  I think 9-8 would be the best-case scenario and that's not going to be good enough. 

[makoman]

They should be favored most games. Maybe not at Min, at GB, at Pitt depending on how things are going. Not sure if NE is real but it’s home. The other 7 need to be wins and should be wins. Win at Pitt is most important for tie breaker, then you can find 8 more and you have a good shot.

[85Knight]

I think they have a shot at 10-7 if they can win the next four games. Then it'll come down to having to beat the Steelers twice with the last game of the season in their house possibly for the division title.

[Mackus]

I think 9-8, if it includes sweeping Pittsburgh, is about a coinflip to be good enough.  Pittsburgh is 4-1, but have Packers, Colts (which no longer looks like an easy win), @Chargers, @Bears, Bills, and @Lions.  1-5 in those 6 games isn't terribly unlikely, and they'd still need to sweep the rest of the division and Miami.

 

Not optimistic, obviously, but I think its still plausible enough to not give up.  Also there really isn't any benefit to giving up.  Not like you can trade guys away and recoup much of use.  Selling in football can't set you up for the future the way it could in baseball or basketball, so really no opportunity cost to go for it.  Maybe could get a Day 2 pick for Linderbaum or Andrews?  Don't see anyone else who is a ending FA that would net anything other than a small pickswap increase.

[makoman]

We always seem to lose a game that we shouldn't too. Hopefully we got that out of the way with Houston. At Cleveland and at Cinci should mostly be gimmies but division games never truly are. 

[Mackus]

We always seem to lose a game that we shouldn't too. Hopefully we got that out of the way with Houston. At Cleveland and at Cinci should mostly be gimmies but division games never truly are.

Yeah, not really any more room for error. 2 or 3 more losses at most, so part of the big ask is bringing it every week and not letting one of the easier-looking games get away. I think especially the divisional games will be a challenge to that effort.

[Biggsy]

Whats wrong with the play calling inside the 10? At some point players have to execute. Fa'alele can't fall down on every goal line play we attempt.

Monken gets too cute. Especially on the goal line. When the other team has 5 down lineman, and 7 at the LOS, in the box, you can't really call a run play where the whole interior line (both guards and the center) pulls to the left.

Why? Because exactly what happened. The DT's plugged all cutbacks lanes through the open gaps on the non-play side. And the weak side guard and center got caught up in the traffic and couldn't get out to create a run lane. Henry had no chance from the snap. And it doesn't help that he isn't a guy who can make people miss, or power through people when flat footed.

If you decided to do a run, it should have been a straight duo power with Henry getting a 6-8 yard head started into a handoff, behind a line just exploding forward off the snap.

Last season it seemed like Monken kept it simple, and they were scoring TD's. This season its like hes trying to get cute and add wrinkles he doesnt need to add.

[BSLJamieSieck]

Monken gets too cute. Especially on the goal line. When the other team has 5 down lineman, and 7 at the LOS, in the box, you can't really call a run play where the whole interior line (both guards and the center) pulls to the left.

Why? Because exactly what happened. The DT's plugged all cutbacks lanes through the open gaps on the non-play side. And the weak side guard and center got caught up in the traffic and couldn't get out to create a run lane. Henry had no chance from the snap. And it doesn't help that he isn't a guy who can make people miss, or power through people when flat footed.

If you decided to do a run, it should have been a straight duo power with Henry getting a 6-8 yard head started into a handoff, behind a line just exploding forward off the snap.

Last season it seemed like Monken kept it simple, and they were scoring TD's. This season its like hes trying to get cute and add wrinkles he doesnt need to add.

 

I'm amazed that we haven't utilized more play action in goal to go situations. Particularly inside the 5. You know teams are going to sell out to stop the run, why not take advantage of the opposition's aggressiveness and personnel grouping by running a hard play fake and releasing a TE to the back of the end zone? That's a tried and true strategy that has worked inside the 5 for decades. Especially when you have 3 very capable receiving TEs. Instead, we're trying back to back TE sneaks with a TE that has friggin butterfingers.

[Slidemaster]

I don't think Pittsburgh is folding. Their defense is good, and their offense is good enough. With a 4-1 start already, I think winning 11 or even 12 games is totally within their reach. No chance the Ravens get there.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

I don't think Pittsburgh is folding. Their defense is good, and their offense is good enough. With a 4-1 start already, I think winning 11 or even 12 games is totally within their reach. No chance the Ravens get there.

Pedro told me to say that there is no chance you grow a pair

[mdrunning]

Pittsburgh still has a tough road ahead. The two games with the Ravens notwithstanding, the Steelers still have to play the Packers, the Lions, the Bills, the resurgent Colts, the Chargers and the Jaguars. I don't think they get through that gauntlet unscathed.

[Mackus]

Pittsburgh still has a tough road ahead. The two games with the Ravens notwithstanding, the Steelers still have to play the Packers, the Lions, the Bills, the resurgent Colts, the Chargers and the Jaguars. I don't think they get through that gauntlet unscathed.

They don't need to go unscratched, they'd just need to win like 2 of those games and they probably can't be caught.

But I do think losing all of them is possible. Or dropping one of their other games that look like easy wins.

Ravens probably aren't catching them but the Steelers almost always fade late so I don't see the advantage in giving up. Though I know some do love to do it as if there were a prize for being first to give up, so I guess have at it.

[bmore_ken]

I think it's the homer in me that doesn't think the season is over. But I admit my  problem. In my defense. The tough part of the schedule is over. Monken kind of used Henry as he should. The defense played solid against the last probably dominating QB left on the schedule. Might not run the table or catch the Steelers, but the playoffs are in reach.  

[NewMarketSean]

Pittsburgh is going to get to 10 wins. They have some tough games ahead but they'll win a game they shouldn't and maybe lose  game they shouldn't along the way.

 

We need to basically be perfect from here on out and lose just 1 maybe 2 games, and neither of them can be against Pittsburgh or in the division, actually.

 

I personally don't see it but this team has been resilient when the chips are against them in the regular season before. I wouldn't count them out but their chances of making the playoffs are less than 10 percent IMO, and their chances of making the SB are less than 1 percent.

[cprenegade]

It's mathematically still possible to make the playoffs because they have stacked their 5 losses all at the beginning of the season.   I do think that unless Aaron Rogers goes down the Steelers will get to at least 10 wins.  Mainly because they are at 4 already with 12 games to go.  6-6 seems like a definite with 7-5 a real possibility.

 

But the real reason I would not bet on them making the playoffs is that this just doesn't feel like a team that can go on that kind of a run.  Even with Lamar back it feels like this defense is not fixable short of a total makeover and they don't even seem willing to replace their DC.  

 

They've also played 4 home games in their first 6 games.  That means they go on the road for 6 of the last 11.  I think it's a much easier schedule the rest of the way but it's hard for me to see them stacking wins the way they probably need to in order to make the playoffs.  

[bmore_ken]

It's mathematically still possible to make the playoffs because they have stacked their 5 losses all at the beginning of the season.   I do think that unless Aaron Rogers goes down the Steelers will get to at least 10 wins.  Mainly because they are at 4 already with 12 games to go.  6-6 seems like a definite with 7-5 a real possibility.

 

But the real reason I would not bet on them making the playoffs is that this just doesn't feel like a team that can go on that kind of a run.  Even with Lamar back it feels like this defense is not fixable short of a total makeover and they don't even seem willing to replace their DC.  

 

They've also played 4 home games in their first 6 games.  That means they go on the road for 6 of the last 11.  I think it's a much easier schedule the rest of the way but it's hard for me to see them stacking wins the way they probably need to in order to make the playoffs.  

Against the best teams on their schedules. Minus the Browns of course. With the schedule remaining(even with road games) I think it's favorable. The problem is going to be Monken forgetting he has a run game. Use Lamar and the King. Throw quick passes and the occasional long bomb and they can beat most of the teams left  on their schedule in my opinion.