Steelers Season Done?
Posted November 22nd, 2009 @ 09:45pm by Erik J. Barzeski
6-4 after a lousy, crappy loss to KC. The Steelers are likely done this year. Polamalu out 3-4 more weeks. Aaron Smith out for season. Kirschke out indefinately. Kemoeatu out with MCL sprain. Big Ben out with concussion. Baltimore on the schedule next week.
Steelers give up a kick return TD to start. You knew it was going to be a long day right then and there. Heath dropped an easy catch on the KC 38, then KC picks it off and gets a TD. Ben throws a lame-ass INT in the end zone, KC runs it back to their 8-yard line. Steelers run a retarded sweep on 3rd and 2 in OT, which loses yardage and knocks them out of field goal range, then Sepulveda punts into the end zone. Ike drops an INT in OT, and two plays later, the game was over.
The Steelers have given up a fumble, interception or kick return for a touchdown in eight consecutive games.
The only hope is that Cinci - bizarrely - lost to Oakland, so the Steelers remain one game back.
P.S. Fire Bruce Arians. NOW. If Tomlin won't fire him by this off-season, fire Tomlin. And I'm a big Tomlin supporter…
Donate Life
Posted 23 Nov 2009 at 7:09pm #
Charlie Batch is out for at least 6 weeks with a broken wrist. If Ben can't play Sunday it looks like Dennis Dixon will be starting. I don't think Baltimore is the type of defense you want to start your first NFL game against. It seems as though the season is starting to spiral out of control.
Posted 24 Nov 2009 at 11:54am #
I'm not giving up yet. The offense needs to quit trying to be Indy/NE though (this throwing the ball up to 40 times a game is ridiculous....especially with the lead) and some tackling drills are in order. The bengals are still the bengals. It's going to be tough if they look like garbage again this week. Go Pens!
Posted 24 Nov 2009 at 3:04pm #
Didn't Bruce Arians come from Cleveland? If so it explains why the Steelers are more effective with Big Ben calling the plays.
Posted 24 Nov 2009 at 7:22pm #
It looks like Roethlisberger is going to start on Sunday since it was just a "mild" concussion.
Posted 29 Nov 2009 at 2:00am #
Honestly, when Troy went out against Cincinnatti, I thought, "OK, we have four straight games that should be pretty easy wins. Keep him out to get healthy and let him come back to get back into the full swing of things in the last three games so he's ready for the playoffs. We ought to be 10-3 or 9-4 at that point." Then, they lay an egg against KC and I wanted to vomit. 9-4 is still a possibility, but Baltimore and Miami are definitely challenging opponents.
My biggest disappointment this year has been with Jeff Reed. His kicking has been mediocre and his kickoff coverage has been laughable. Sorry, Jeff, but you have to actually run into the return man at least to give the real football players a chance to tackle. After what I saw on Thursday from Mason Crosby, I'd like to see them ditch Reed and go get a kicker that is also a football player. Crosby's contract isn't up yet, but two who will be free agents this year though are Sebastian Janikowski and Neil Rackers. Either of those guys would be a good fit for the Steelers if they could get them.
I'm holding out hope for a wild card playoff spot, and hopefully by the time January rolls around, we'll have some of these injuries sorted out and maybe can make a run. But, you know, hope is a dangerous thing.
Posted 06 Dec 2009 at 11:09pm #
[quote comment="56215"]I'm holding out hope for a wild card playoff spot, and hopefully by the time January rolls around, we'll have some of these injuries sorted out and maybe can make a run. But, you know, hope is a dangerous thing.[/quote]
I don't like saying "I told you so" about these kinds of things, but, well… I guess you've given up on holding out hope by now, eh? 😛
Posted 07 Dec 2009 at 9:06am #
[quote comment="56359"]I don't like saying "I told you so" about these kinds of things, but, well… I guess you've given up on holding out hope by now, eh? :-P[/quote]
Yah, if the Steelers can't beat Oakland, it doesn't matter if they back their way into the playoffs; they'll get bounced in a hurry.
I've been frustrated with red zone performance, special teams, and lackluster-to-downright-incompetent defensive play from the secondary. The front seven do their job most of the time, but Clark, Gay, and Carter are just embarrassing themselves. Stupid penalties and blown coverages will kill you every time, and it certainly did in the last drive on Sunday against Oakland. It's amazing to see the amount of mistakes and bad decisions that Troy Polamalu covers up when he's on the field.
Well, at least I have hope for a miserable December for Dallas. The Cowboys missing the playoffs is a sad consolation prize for a bad Steelers season, but I'll take what I can get from Valley Ranch because Pittsburgh surely isn't showing me any love this year.