2011 NFL Thread: ENDGAME

[steintym]

Yeah, it's only been a year or two that the game has been played before the Super Bowl. I think the results have been mixed (and even more players are out because they're participating in the Super Bowl). It will be interesting to see how long they keep that format.

 

[Yurka]

Bill Cowher has said that he would have done it differently.

Link? I don't doubt you I'm just curious what his other thought's were. Or was it during some pregame/halftime show?

But seriously, it isn't looking at it in retrospect. People have been saying rest Roethlisberger since BEFORE the San Fran game. They may have had a shot, but they've never controlled their own fate. It was a mistake to play him based on "what if.

I don't know. It's somewhat lose-lose either way, either play Ben and hope for the higher seed while not letting him rest, or rest him and hope you don't lose too many for another team to overtake you. (I can't remember the record of the next closest team was at the time he got injured). I'm sure Tomlin and the rest of the staff came to that decision together.

I don't think anyone is saying he is on the hot seat. Just that he no longer has a scape goat in the form of Bruce Arians. Dick LeBeau will be no man's scape goat. Buck stops with Tomlin now.

Should be an interesting season.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Cowher stated it in the post game on CBS and also on the local KDKA sports radio show he said that he would have benched Ben during the San Fran game and the Rams game...then worked him out a little bit in the Browns game to make sure he was ready to go in the playoffs.

If that would have been done the Steelers/Broncos game would have probably been a different story but there were a lot of other factors that screwed the Steelers in that game.

 

[Yurka]

The post game for which game? The Cleveland game he got injured or the Broncos game?

If the Steelers would have beat San Fran they would have held on to the #1 seed after both the Pats and Ravens lost on that Sunday. I can't blame them for trying to put their best people in at the time and trying to get a bye week given that situation. Of course knowing now how the season would play out it would be smart to rest him, it was a risky call they were hoping would work out. If they would have won the San Fran game and had a first round bye who knows what would have happened or how the decision would be perceived.

 

[SpideyInATree]

I believe it was the post game in the Browns game. I remember he had that semi disappointed Cowher face going.

 

[Yurka]

Heh. Well thats certainly an interesting call.

Given that Big Ben's one of the toughest players in the game, (let alone QB's), everything that was on the line, and having a bye week to rest up, I still can't say it was a terrible call.

I sure wish they would have approached it differently now though.

 

[SpideyInATree]

Yeah...hindsight is always 20/20. I said from the beginning that Ben should have never played in that San Fran game. The Steelers have a solid back up in Charlie Batch for a reason.

Last season during Ben's suspension he proved that he can pick up the wins when he's called on.

Would he have beaten the Niners? Maybe...maybe not. But I think that Steelers would have gotten more than 3 points in that game.

Steelers still have a championship team under them. Just regroup...get your guys healthy and come back next season with passion for that Super Bowl title.

 

[Warhammer]

Ugh, don't remind me about Big Ben's injury. Most heartbreaking season ever.

And I'll agree. Charlie Batch should have played as a great backup QB IF THEY WOULD HAVE FREAKING PUT HIM IN.

 

[Yurka]

Yeah...hindsight is always 20/20. I said from the beginning that Ben should have never played in that San Fran game. The Steelers have a solid back up in Charlie Batch for a reason.

Last season during Ben's suspension he proved that he can pick up the wins when he's called on.

Would he have beaten the Niners? Maybe...maybe not. But I think that Steelers would have gotten more than 3 points in that game.

Steelers still have a championship team under them. Just regroup...get your guys healthy and come back next season with passion for that Super Bowl title.

This is huge I think. You look around the league and see guys who give their all on every down just to get a chance to get to the playoffs, recently I haven't seen that passion from the Steelers. The Defense needs to get their balls back, the offense needs to play like they give a damn, and really, the special teams needs to keep doing what they're doing (aside from Suisham, he needs to practice his ass off). Antonio Brown is a fantastic player who you can tell really wants to get to the Super Bowl and I hope his play inspires some of the other guys. They need to play with some heart.

 

[Genesis 1.0]

The way I saw it is he was standing then he moved to the right out of a collapsing pocket, at which point a Pat defender sprinted right at him...the guy who got him to the ground as he tried to get that pass off that was knocked down. So it's not like Flacco had the yard just sitting there waiting for him with no one in sight.

Pretty much. Flacco played a fantastic game under pressure, we just came up short as a whole.

It was as close to a 'good loss' as it gets, I'm still irritated but I've got no doubt that this team is capable of having more success than they did this year. Unlike Matty, I like where this team is right now & that window closing for Ray & Ed is fuel. I love it.

 

[kane9321]

I have my doubts. The Ravens are going to need to rebuild some key positions very soon (especially on the defensive side of the ball) and if they stumble while doing that, their entire team will fall apart (due to their dependence on the defense).

Meanwhile, San Fran feels a whole lot like the Jets of the West to me. Harbaugh needs to reign in players, tweak his philosophy a bit, and upgrade at wide receiver before they have a bright future.

much better

 

[Erzengel]

Can't post it on the PG Hype. But if anyone wants to watch a Raven fan freak out, go to youtube and search for "raven fan freak out".

 

[Matt]

much better

Or both.

 

[kane9321]

Or both.

next time ur in the bay area..i'm buying you a drink

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Can't post it on the PG Hype. But if anyone wants to watch a Raven fan freak out, go to youtube and search for "raven fan freak out".

Saw that. The guy looks like Gimli in an Ed Reed jersey. t:

Never saw the point in becoming THAT invested in the team that you become an annoyance/threat to those around you?

I have friend's that literally go into a depressive state when their respective teams lose in the playoffs. And not just for the rest of the night, but for like a week afterwards. Most of them are in their 30's too.

 

[TheOnlyOmega]

Saw that. The guy looks like Gimli in an Ed Reed jersey. t:

Never saw the point in becoming THAT invested in the team that you become an annoyance/threat to those around you?

I have friend's that literally go into a depressive state when their respective teams lose in the playoffs. And not just for the rest of the night, but for like a week afterwards. Most of them are in their 30's too.

They only become an annoyance/threat is alcohol is involved.
If they stay sober they'll just be sad for a couple days then cheer up. Never let a man who's squad got eliminated in the playoffs drink up.

 

[KalMart]

Reports and testimony are surfacing today that the officials misinformed the Ravens sidelines about what down it was at the end of the game on Sunday...which led to the Chinese fire-drill mad rush to make the kick. Cundiff still expresses that he shoulders the responsibility to make the kick...but we could tell at the time that there was chaos just getting to the kick. Still, apparently Harbaugh felt he'd be doing more harm than good by calling the time out. We'll never know.

 

[Raiden]

Reports and testimony are surfacing today that the officials misinformed the Ravens sidelines about what down it was at the end of the game on Sunday...which led to the Chinese fire-drill mad rush to make the kick. Cundiff still expresses that he shoulders the responsibility to make the kick...but we could tell at the time that there was chaos just getting to the kick. Still, apparently Harbauh felt he'd be doing more harm than good by calling the time out. We'll never know.

I think NFL should investigate those officials for screwing it up and not attempted to do a better job at informing both teams about the mistake. But I also feel that, as a head coach, John Harbaugh should've called a time-out instead of rushing his kicker out like that. It's not like he was icing his owner kicker or anything like that, and he should shoulder part of the blame for the failed FG.

 

[KalMart]

I think NFL should investigate those officials for screwing it up and not attempted to do a better job at informing both teams about the mistake. But I also feel that, as a head coach, John Harbaugh should've called a time-out instead of rushing his kicker out like that. It's not like he was icing his owner kicker or anything like that, and he should shoulder part of the blame for the failed FG.

I think Harbaugh was a bit flustered by it and in a split-moment decided not to call it. I still think that kid of situation should be in the back of any coach's ind, though. Maybe he still felt it was a given.

 

[Warhammer]

Saw that. The guy looks like Gimli in an Ed Reed jersey. t:

Never saw the point in becoming THAT invested in the team that you become an annoyance/threat to those around you?

I have friend's that literally go into a depressive state when their respective teams lose in the playoffs. And not just for the rest of the night, but for like a week afterwards. Most of them are in their 30's too.

That's how I felt 2 weeks ago. I was late to a going away party because of the game and when I got there, I was depressed as hell. Then to make matters even worse, I started talking to my buddy who was a Falcons fan (they lost earlier that day) at the party and we both got super depressed. Such a bad night.

 

[KalMart]

That's the thing about pro sports...with all the money, glory, excitement...everyone except for one team ends the season in disappointment. And the better the team is, the harder the disappointment when it happens.

 

[Rowsdower!]

What enraged me so much about the Steelers loss was that it was f***ing Tebow. I could have literally handled Pittsburgh losing to ANY OTHER TEAM in the playoffs this year but the Broncos (yes, even the Ravens again) because when you let a QB who is that technically bad defeat you, you should be ashamed of yourself. And then - to not only let him win but to have the best game of his career when your touting yourself as the #1 defense - is just pathetic. Mike Tomlin's ass should be on the hotseat after that game.

I mean hell... the Falcons' offense couldn't score a POINT in their game earlier that day, and they still came away looking better than the Steelers, IMO.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I'm just going to avoid saying anything in regard to Ben, myself.

As for the Super Bowl...I wonder if the high ankle sprain will limit Gronk.

 

[Matt]

What enraged me so much about the Steelers loss was that it was f***ing Tebow. I could have literally handled Pittsburgh losing to ANY OTHER TEAM in the playoffs this year but the Broncos (yes, even the Ravens again) because when you let a QB who is that technically bad defeat you, you should be ashamed of yourself. And then - to not only let him win but to have the best game of his career when your touting yourself as the #1 defense - is just pathetic. Mike Tomlin's ass should be on the hotseat after that game.

I mean hell... the Falcons' offense couldn't score a POINT in their game earlier that day, and they still came away looking better than the Steelers, IMO.

Did you read the articles that I posted?

 

[Erzengel]

Former Broncos DC Dennis Allen is the new head coach of the Raiders.