Things I think about things

Vagitron

@nickers said:
I wouldn't go printing playoff or Super Bowl tickets yet. James Harrison is old and so is Polly. The Colts while a nice team.. are not there yet.. The Ravens are doing pretty well for a team in transition. I'm sure if the Steelers played Seattle and Denver back to back.. the results would be different.

I'm not punching anything but if you watched the last two games there is reason for optimism in Pittsburgh. The defense is getting a lot of pressure and Ben is doing what he wants. You can downplay the colts and the ravens all you want. The colts were on a 5 game streak and the ravens were 5-3 as well. The steelers still have the Bengals twice. Denver just got schlacked by the patriots and Seattle isn't the same.

calfoxwc

Posted Today, 11:45 AM

You'll love it

http://www.nfl.com/g...22107&tab=recap

********************************************************************

Sounds to me like Suggs hit him in the hip, and slid down, before the whistle.

Ah, the refs in pittiful burg. What a crock. And that helmet to helmet shot on Hawkins with NO CALL gripes

me even more. What the heck?

Tour2ma

@calfoxwc said:

that's Farmer bringing in guys who have character, and a LOVE for the game.

That's Pettine and the rest of the coaching staff doing a great, freaking job.

^This...

I was thinking along the same lines last nite... The "love of the game" shines almost blindingly from Gabe and a few other youngins, but you can also see it in vets like Haden and Winn.

@vagitron said:
Martavis Bryant was inactive and James Harrison is still getting back in to game shape. Just the added wrinkle of Bryant has made a big difference with the offense so no its not the same team. The steelers are also playing at a much higher level.

I will grant you that the front 7 seems to be playing with attitude. Also that Bryant has added a missing element to the passing game, but you have lost your run identity... and that will create issues soon.

Tour2ma

@gftchris said:
So I'll see him miss some throws and think "jesus, he's really not that great" and then he'll throw a couple of 30-yarders that put us in the end zone...

Overall I thought he threw much better yesterday than he had in weeks. But under pressure, if he throws off his back foot, the odds of a poor pass are much greater. Same is true of any QB (RE: Flacco last nite), but when arm strength is not your forte the decline is greater.

My own personal suspicion for the fall off against JAX and OAK (besides the poor run game) is that he was playing hurt. Not sure what or when, but I suspect lower body with knee being the obvious candidate sometime during Week 6, week of the PTG rematch... possibly late in the Week 5 win over TN. The reason I think it was an issue was he stopped striding as straight into his throws as he had been in games 1-4.

Instead of stepping forward towards 12 0'clock (or more typically 11:30), started stepping towards 11 at best and often to 10:30 or even 10. The QB equivalent of a pitcher striding a little towards 1st instead of straight home... takes a little off the fastball. And the greater the pressure, the less he strode towards 12... and the weaker the throw.

Anyway... yesterday the stride was back as was the percentage of quality throws. We even saw a little "running". When was the last time we saw that?

Now we just need the run game from those meant to run...

Axe

Goldson will be fined, and probably suspended again..

TypicalBrowns

Fuck Terrell Suggs. I didn't love that at all. Even if it was a stooler he hit, hes a fucking dumb slow thug without Ray Lewis

Vagitron

@calfoxwc said:

Well, they were struggling, and they had to bring back their qb cheapshot artist.

Now they are winning. Go figure....

Harrison admittedly was not and still isn't in game shape but he's been gradually getting back to game shape as evidenced by his last two games. I will preface all this with I know most of you don't give a damn but I'm going to provide my take anyway since it's being discussed. I think the rest of the defense is inspired by the play of both Keisel and Harrison. It's getting the rest of the defense up, they are really pressuring the quarterback and as a result forcing turnovers. They weren't doing that early in the season.

Add in Martavis Bryant from the inactives and his presence has done two things. It has first and foremost created a redzone threat Ben hasn't had since Plax or just a vertical field threat period. Heath Miller is a big guy but he's not skying for balls. Bryant is 6'4 with very good deep speed. Bryant also takes pressure of Wheaton and one of the things he himself has admitted is that once he messes up a couple times he lets it get in his head. He's now not tasked with being the number two alone and his play has elevated as a direct result. Lance Moore is also back healthy. The offensive line is fortified and our running backs have been running well all season. I've seen it posted here a few times now where the wins over both the colts and now the ravens are being downplayed, implying that clearly those teams had to have been playing down for the Steelers to win.

The colts were on a 5 game rip and ben threw for over 500 and 6 td's. The Ravens may have been reeling a little bit but early in the game it seemed like it was going to be a war. Ben got sacked at one point 3 consecutive times but the Steelers battled back, started pressuring flacco and the rest is history. The fact of the matter is the defense of the Steelers has stepped way up and the offense is on fire. They draw the Jets next week which is just going to add additional fuel to the fire. The Jets are a hated opponent and then they draw the titans which is another "rivalry" type game. I see the Steelers staying up the rest of the way and that emotional wave plus exemplary play could lead to big things for the Steelers. Bottom line when your quarterback throws 12 td's and almost 900 yards in two games that's no fluke. I'd be glad as a Browns fan those games with the Steelers are out of the way already.

Vagitron

@tour2ma said:

^This...

I was thinking along the same lines last nite... The "love of the game" shines almost blindingly from Gabe and a few other youngins, but you can also see it in vets like Haden and Winn.

I will grant you that the front 7 seems to be playing with attitude. Also that Bryant has added a missing element to the passing game, but you have lost your run identity... and that will create issues soon.

You don't lose your run identity in two games. The Steelers had to go shootout mode with the Colts because Luck is that good and the Raven's front seven is a bear against the run. Bell is a damn monster in the pass game so if they can't run they are going to pass. I expect to see Bell gashing both the Jets and the Titans before heading to New Orleans. You don't just lose your ability to run, teams are required to adapt and that's what the Steelers have done. Bell had 92 yards rushing and 6 catches for 56 yards against the colts. Last night on the other hand was tough sledding, but as I said Bell can also hurt teams through the air. He had 5 catches for 38 yards and a td last night and he's not running relatively sloppy rb routes. He runs receiver quality routes.

DieHardBrownsFan

Here goes Vag hijacking a thread about the Squealers again.

Vagitron · Posted Today, 11:45 AM

@calfoxwc said:

Posted Today, 11:45 AM

You'll love it

http://www.nfl.com/g...22107&tab=recap

********************************************************************

Sounds to me like Suggs hit him in the hip, and slid down, before the whistle.

Ah, the refs in pittiful burg. What a crock. And that helmet to helmet shot on Hawkins with NO CALL gripes

me even more. What the heck?

Suggs hit Blount really late and came in low and was chipping back and forth all game up until that point. He deserved the flag.

bbedward

@calfoxwc said:

When the Browns lost Mack for the year...that really hit

the Browns offense hard. Losing Mack would mess with Manziel far worse

that Hoyer.

Here's some interesting numbers:

In the last five games, the bungles are 2-2-1, Browns are 4-1, the ratbirds

are 2-3, and the squealers are 4-1.

This AFC n race is going to be fun.

Hopefully game 16 is a game for us to knock the steelers out of contention, and get in ourselves.

Would be nice to deliver the final blown to their hopes.

Vagitron

@bbedward said:

Hopefully game 16 is a game for us to knock the steelers out of contention, and get in ourselves.

Would be nice to deliver the final blown to their hopes.

I think the Steelers would need to really fall off the wagon for that to happen. I don't know what to expect right now but we have two games remaining against the Bengals which puts the teams destiny firmly in their own hands. We play the Jets, TItans, Saints, Bengals, Falcons, Chiefs, Bengals. It's not the easiest road but as long as they keep the pedal down I see them rolling in to the cincy game at 9-3. Any given sunday but the Steelers are playing inspired.

bbedward

@vagitron said:

I think the Steelers would need to really fall off the wagon for that to happen. I don't know what to expect right now but we have two games remaining against the Bengals which puts the teams destiny firmly in their own hands. We play the Jets, TItans, Saints, Bengals, Falcons, Chiefs, Bengals. It's not the easiest road but as long as they keep the pedal down I see them rolling in to the cincy game at 9-3. Any given sunday but the Steelers are playing inspired.

Looks like 7 losses to me

Michael Vick will find his groove next week, mettenburger rookie of the week in 2 weeks.

calfoxwc

Keisel ? Everybody knows he isn't even human, he's a sasquatch.

The offense is saying "what the hell is that giant, hairy thing?" and cheapshot harrison

just sissy skips past them and goes for the qb.

Yes, I hate the steelers. but that hit on Blount was well before the whistle,

according to what I saw and heard on the video. Note - he did not hit him in the knees

to take his knees out. He was hitting him in the hip, to make him go down, before the refs gave

Blount plenty of time to eventually break away backwards and take off....

But, enough about the 3 rivers scum. I was hoping the ratbirds and them would beat each other

up to a tie....

tml1138

@bbedward said:

Looks like 7 losses to me

Michael Vick will find his groove next week, mettenburger rookie of the week in 2 weeks.

I'd say their next three are wins...but then again they lost to the 1-7 Buccaneers.

They also had some injuries again last night. Shazier out again?

@bbedward said:

Hopefully game 16 is a game for us to knock the steelers out of contention, and get in ourselves.

Would be nice to deliver the final blown to their hopes.

^+1

miktoxic

i knew the steeler trolls would be on here today after their convincing win last night.

notice how there wasn't a peep from them while they were struggling and we blasted them out of the water.

now just like the JF fags when this team seems to be in trouble, come right back and start running their mouths.

man the steeler boards must really suck.

Vagitron

@miktoxic said:

i knew the steeler trolls would be on here today after their convincing win last night.

notice how there wasn't a peep from them while they were struggling and we blasted them out of the water.

now just like the JF fags when this team seems to be in trouble, come right back and start running their mouths.

man the steeler boards must really suck.

Mik was I in here tooting my horn about the beat down we gave the colts? I saw no reason to be here running my mouth when the board had reason to be excited about things. I'm really not interested in raining on parades. I'm not interested in shitting up this board and there weren't steelers threads or mentions of the steelers until now.

The Cysko Kid

We're done with the steelers we crushed them beneath our heel and I don't give a fuck what they do until next year

Vagitron

@the-cysko-kid said:
We're done with the steelers we crushed them beneath our heel and I don't give a fuck what they do until next year

You split and be glad those two games are already out of the way based on how things have been clicking for the steelers lately. You should also give a fvck seeing as they stand in the way along with the other division teams of the browns making the post season.

Manzier

@vagitron said:
You split and be glad those two games are already out of the way based on how things have been clicking for the steelers lately. You should also give a fvck seeing as they stand in the way along with the other division teams of the browns making the post season.

I agree. Interesting isnt it?. Things sure change fast in the nfl. just over a month ago it was Ravens and Bengals that were hot and looking unbeatable. The Steelers looked terrible & like they wouldnt win another game. And the Browns looked ok, but still unknown at 1-2.

Fast fwd and suddenly the Browns and Speelers both go 4-1, while the Ratbirds and Bungs start losing games.

Who would a thunk it?

So, now, it realistically could be the Stools and BROWNS fighting for the DIV title. Its now a race. We control our own destiny. And who better than the Stools to battle with.

Just like the good old days. So we have to beat the Bengals, so we can utimately beat the Spools

I know we're done PLAYING the stools, but we DEFINITELY are still in a race.