2015 Steelers: A New D in Defense

[NYCSox]

Kicking off this thread with news that Troy Polamalu has announced his retirement.
 
One of the best safeties of all time and perhaps the most versatile in terms of how he attacked on the field. Next stop - Canton.
 
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12658410/troy-polamalu-pittsburgh-steelers-retiring

 

[Old Fart Tree]

Is he HOFer? Honest question. For a lot of years he seemed more reputation than substance but I'm probably seeing that through Patriots colored glasses.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Ed Reed was the better player but both have a case for the hall.

There are very few safeties in the HoF though, so it's kind of hard to predict. Ronnie Lott is basically the only guy from the last fee decades. If either John Lynch or Brian Dawkins gets in over the next couple years, Polamalu should get in too.

 

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

Smarter posters than I can argue TP's place in the game's history but Brady abused this guy every time they met up. Polamalu is probably a Hall of Famer (maybe on just reputation?), but he couldn't hold Ed Reed's jock.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

I'm in Pittsburgh and have watched a lot of Steelers games, and I can say with confidence that he was much better than he ever showed against the Pats.

I dunno if Brady and the Pats offense are just the right thing to exploit his playing style or if it's just sample size, but he was a much better player most games than he ever looked like against the Pats.

Well, except for the past few years, in which he was absolutely a shell of his former self coasting on reputation and goodwill. And the occasional spectacular looking play. His style was so reactive and athleticism based that age and injury took an even bigger toll than normal.

 

[soxfan121]

Ed Reed was the better player but both have a case for the hall.

There are very few safeties in the HoF though, so it's kind of hard to predict. Ronnie Lott is basically the only guy from the last fee decades. If either John Lynch or Brian Dawkins gets in over the next couple years, Polamalu should get in too.

 
If any of those guys get in before Steve Atwater, I'm taking hostages. Before Rodney Harrison, there was Atwater (and before him Lott, Tatum, etc.) 
 
I'd put Polamalu last among the guys named above for his play on the field, but he's definitely more well known than any of them, plus he has awesome hair and I bet he talks to Peter King, so yeah, he's going to Canton before a lot of more deserving candidates. 
 
Present-day, this is huge for PIT which needed the cap relief and to avoid a messy divorce with a local legend. Shamarko Thomas, come on down, you couldn't be worse than Polamalu was on the field last year.

 

[Devizier]

Is he HOFer? Honest question. For a lot of years he seemed more reputation than substance but I'm probably seeing that through Patriots colored glasses.

 
Absolutely. Honest answer.
 
8x Probowler
4x First team All-Pro
 
Only real argument against him is injuries, of which he sustained a ton.
 
Ed Reed was better, but Reed has a case for GOAT at the position (Ronnie Lott being the other prime candidate).

 

[Devizier]

 
If any of those guys get in before Steve Atwater, I'm taking hostages. Before Rodney Harrison, there was Atwater (and before him Lott, Tatum, etc.) 

 
I understand the argument, but Polamalu and Reed were both better than Atwater.  I think Dawkins and Woodson (obviously) are going in before Atwater, too.

 

[DanoooME]

If it's the Hair HoF, Troy is a lock.
 
But for the Football HoF, I agree with posters above that Reed, Dawkins and Atwater were better and so was Kenny Easley.

 

[dcmissle]

Re the HOF, the laundry helps. To take it out of football, there are Yankees in Cooperstown who do not belong there, or at least don't belong there over other players who are not in.

I think being a Steeler will help him.

Troy was a terrific player who I very much wanted on the Pats (seems like he was drafted yesterday). I think he hung in there too long, but you never would have known it from the likes of Collinsworth (for example) and others who relentlessly ball washed him to the end, when it was pretty apparent that Troy was very limited and not the player he once was. I think the overall media love will help too.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Tier 1
Ed Reed
 
Tier 2a
Brian Dawkins
 
Tier 2b
Rodney Harrison
 
Tier 3
Steve Atwater
John Lynch
Troy Polamalu
 
Ed Reed is a no doubt HoF. The guy is 5th all-time in INT as a safety for crying out loud. Brian Dawkins and Rodney Harrison were the two most well-rounded safeties of their generation, although I think Dawkins was a notch above Harrison nearly across the board. Atwater and Lynch are borderline to me. Atwater was fucking ferocious, and Lynch was well rounded, although I think playing in that defense helped minimize his responsibility and boosted a good career into a great one. Polamalu is a bit of an enigma to me. Patriots games aside, a ton of his reputation came from freelancing and laying big open field hits. I never got the impression he was great against the run, and he clearly could be manipulated into letting up some big plays.
 
I think Reed is a no-brainer for the hall, Dawkins should be there as well, and potentially Rodney. The other guys just miss the cut in my book.

 

[ShaneTrot]

Never a big fan because it seemed he freelanced too much back there but he has the stats of a HOF: 12 Sacks, 32 INTs, and 14 forced fumbles.
 
Always seemed like the Pats took advantage of him being out of position a lot.

 

[soxfan121]

If it's the Hair HoF, Troy is a lock.
 
But for the Football HoF, I agree with posters above that Reed, Dawkins and Atwater were better and so was Kenny Easley.

 
You are correct, sir.

 

[Otis Foster]

He may be a classic example of the guy who sacrificed a full, high quality life in return for the years he played in the NFL. He apparently has had 10 or more NFL concussions, in addition to 3 at USC. He further admits he's lied about the number he's received so no-one can be sure. http://triblive.com/sports/robrossi/7952168-74/polamalu-concussion-concussions#axzz3Wuzd3Omi
 
I get that athletes have a different capacity for dealing with physical risk, but it would help if they could better assess the impact of future trade-offs for one more grab at the gold ring.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

I don't care about hall of fames. I think they run counter to what draws me to sports (Team), but I can tell you for certain he's getting in. I just don't see any scenario where the voters continually keep him out. Since I'm not a Patriots fan, I don't dwell on the games Tom Brady made him look stupid; but will instead tend to remember plays like these:
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcAhSJZFBB4[/media]
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnkhOYh87Ko[/media]
 
 
 
 
Analysis on the effect of Polamalu's retirement on their cap.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I can definitely see the argument that Dawkins was better.  Some of these other guys seem like stretches.
 
A lot of people are viewing Rodney through Patriots-tinted glasses.  He had a great run for a few years once he became a starter in San Diego and then a nice resurgence for a couple years with the Pats (he was great in 2003-2004, but never the same after the knee injury in 2005), but the guy made two Pro Bowls over the course of his career.  You can make the argument that he was underrated by the voters and I wouldn't necessarily disagree.  But the guy was in the league 15 years and maybe 6 of them were played at a truly high level.
 
Steve Atwater was a fantastic strong safety in a run-first era.  For all his bonecrushing hits, however, he forced a miniscule 6 fumbles over the course of his career and he was never a factor as a blitzer or a standout coverage player.  I can see the case for him as a dominant player at a particular time in the game but its hard for me to see him as clearly better than Polamalu.
 
Polamalu had his weaknesses but he was a monster player.  To me, the story that he was just a "freelancer" who could be exposed is a very simplistic (and very Patriots-centric) take on how he was used by Dick LeBeau in that defense and the impact he had on the rest of the team.  That was one of the best defenses of the modern era and he was the queen on the chessboard that could be moved all around the tackle box or the secondary to create overloads, mismatches, and other problems, which opened up things for the rest of the team.  I can't find them right now, but the statistics I've read in the past about how the Steelers defense performed with and without Polamalu are eye-popping .  Along with James Harrison he was the key player on one of the best defenses of the last 20 years.

 

[tims4wins]

 
 
A lot of people are viewing Rodney through Patriots-tinted glasses.  He had a great run for a few years once he became a starter in San Diego and then a nice resurgence for a couple years with the Pats (he was great in 2003-2004, but never the same after the knee injury in 2005), but the guy made two Pro Bowls over the course of his career.  You can make the argument that he was underrated by the voters and I wouldn't necessarily disagree.  But the guy was in the league 15 years and maybe 6 of them were played at a truly high level.

 
Playoffs too. Dude had 7 picks and 2 sacks in 9 playoff games for the Pats and nearly went a perfect 9-0 in playoff games. He missed the 2005 and 2006 playoffs.

 

[Ralphwiggum]

Edit:  Nm, I'm an idiot.

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

A lot of people are viewing Rodney through Patriots-tinted glasses.  He had a great run for a few years once he became a starter in San Diego and then a nice resurgence for a couple years with the Pats (he was great in 2003-2004, but never the same after the knee injury in 2005), but the guy made two Pro Bowls over the course of his career.  You can make the argument that he was underrated by the voters and I wouldn't necessarily disagree.  But the guy was in the league 15 years and maybe 6 of them were played at a truly high level.
 

 
Rodney Harrison missed a lot of Pro Bowls because he was universally considered a dirty player. The media hated him, opposing players thought he was dirty, hell, coaches thought he was the dirtiest player in the league.
 
A guy like that doesn't make Pro Bowls, but you hope that history gives fans a different perspective. Since they began getting tracked in 1991, only Brian Dawkins (36) and Rod Woodson (20) have more forced fumbles than Harrison (16). His 1,242 tackles - and 950 solo tackles - place him 2nd all-time among safeties post merger.
 
Harrison's 34 INT's is 59th all time post merger (among safeties), but that obviously doesn't tell the whole story. Harrison - like Polamalu - was a strong safety, so he obviously didn't get the chance to roam like many other safeties that top the INT list did. Instead, he was camouflaged by lining up all over the field, and was really unique as he was one of the few safeties that could excel at blitzing. His 30.5 sacks is the most all time by a safety, and I believe the next closest safety would be Carnell Lake with 25 sacks. Either way, if you think Polamalu is worthy of the HoF, I'm assuming Harrison's 34 INT are a perfectly acceptable number (2 more than Polamalu).
 

Polamalu had his weaknesses but he was a monster player.  To me, the story that he was just a "freelancer" who could be exposed is a very simplistic (and very Patriots-centric) take on how he was used by Dick LeBeau in that defense and the impact he had on the rest of the team.  That was one of the best defenses of the modern era and he was the queen on the chessboard that could be moved all around the tackle box or the secondary to create overloads, mismatches, and other problems, which opened up things for the rest of the team.  I can't find them right now, but the statistics I've read in the past about how the Steelers defense performed with and without Polamalu are eye-popping .  Along with James Harrison he was the key player on one of the best defenses of the last 20 years.

 
I just don't know how much I can relate to this. As a strong safety, you'd certainly expect him to register more tackles than he did (he only topped 70 tackles in one season), and it's not like his pass defense numbers are eye-popping either. If you're going to knock Harrison for only having 6 great years, I'd argue that Polamalu only had half that. Hell, the guy only played 3 full seasons in his final 9 years. I think that Polamalu's aggressive play worked fantastic with Dick Leabeau's defense, but I also think Polamalu was one of the biggest benefactors of a defense that could provide great pressure and could confuse QB's and WR's with their zone-blitzing. The defense forced QB's into quick decisions, and Polamalu's natural instincts was often able to make QB's pay if the decision was a poor one. 
 
To me, he's much like John Lynch. A very good player whose career was considered great largely due to the scheme - and surrounding talent - they were playing with.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Rodney Harrison missed a lot of Pro Bowls because he was universally considered a dirty player. The media hated him, opposing players thought he was dirty, hell, coaches thought he was the dirtiest player in the league.
 
A guy like that doesn't make Pro Bowls, but you hope that history gives fans a different perspective. Since they began getting tracked in 1991, only Brian Dawkins (36) and Rod Woodson (20) have more forced fumbles than Harrison (16). His 1,242 tackles - and 950 solo tackles - place him 2nd all-time among safeties post merger.
 
Harrison's 34 INT's is 59th all time post merger (among safeties), but that obviously doesn't tell the whole story. Harrison - like Polamalu - was a strong safety, so he obviously didn't get the chance to roam like many other safeties that top the INT list did. Instead, he was camouflaged by lining up all over the field, and was really unique as he was one of the few safeties that could excel at blitzing. His 30.5 sacks is the most all time by a safety, and I believe the next closest safety would be Carnell Lake with 25 sacks. Either way, if you think Polamalu is worthy of the HoF, I'm assuming Harrison's 34 INT are a perfectly acceptable number (2 more than Polamalu).

I believe Rodney is underrated by the public and I would love for him to get HoF consideration (although he probably won't). I just think the idea that he was clearly a tier above Troy Polamalu is a massive stretch and, frankly, something only a Patriots fan would say.
 

I just don't know how much I can relate to this. As a strong safety, you'd certainly expect him to register more tackles than he did (he only topped 70 tackles in one season), and it's not like his pass defense numbers are eye-popping either. If you're going to knock Harrison for only having 6 great years, I'd argue that Polamalu only had half that. Hell, the guy only played 3 full seasons in his final 9 years. I think that Polamalu's aggressive play worked fantastic with Dick Leabeau's defense, but I also think Polamalu was one of the biggest benefactors of a defense that could provide great pressure and could confuse QB's and WR's with their zone-blitzing. The defense forced QB's into quick decisions, and Polamalu's natural instincts was often able to make QB's pay if the decision was a poor one. 
 
To me, he's much like John Lynch. A very good player whose career was considered great largely due to the scheme - and surrounding talent - they were playing with.

Now you're just talking crazy.  Which one of his four first team All Pro seasons doesn't register as a great year?
 
Also, Polamalu was much more of a hybrid safety than a pure SS.  He played a lot in the box but he played a lot of Cover 2 and was used single high at times as well.  He was definitely a much more versatile coverage player (especially before injuries took their toll later in his career) than most of these other guys we're discussing.  And playing in the era he did, 60-70 tackles per year for a hybrid safety is not a low number by any means, especially given that he played behind a monster front seven that wasn't exactly letting tons of traffic through in the running game.
 
The surrounding talent issue is always a difficult one to figure out.  He certainly benefited from playing with other great players.  But I think he helped make some of those players great as well.  I can say that the couple Steelers fans that I know who are very knowledgeable football fans, and not just prone to knee-jerk laundry-related statements, believe that he was the most important player on those defenses from 2005-2011 (along with James Harrison once he became a factor).
 

 

[Devizier]

I can definitely see the argument that Dawkins was better.  Some of these other guys seem like stretches.
 
A lot of people are viewing Rodney through Patriots-tinted glasses.  He had a great run for a few years once he became a starter in San Diego and then a nice resurgence for a couple years with the Pats (he was great in 2003-2004, but never the same after the knee injury in 2005), but the guy made two Pro Bowls over the course of his career.  You can make the argument that he was underrated by the voters and I wouldn't necessarily disagree.  But the guy was in the league 15 years and maybe 6 of them were played at a truly high level.

Absolutely agreed on Rodney. I loved him as a Patriot, but not HOF caliber, unless he gets there as an announcer. Rodney's case as a player is probably close to Lawyer Milloy's. If the NFL HOF was as lax as basketball's they would be sure-fire bets.

 

[Dehere]

Longtime Steeler fan here and to me Polamalu is a certain Hall of Famer. There's no shame in being a cut below Reed, who has a strong GOAT argument, or being on the losing end of some memorable collisions with Tom Brady, who has his own strong GOAT case. Polamalu was the essential player on one of the elite units of his era.

This may not be a popular point of view in an analytic community like this one, but I tend to think that some players who have borderline HOF resumes should get a little bit of an upgrade if they were particularly memorable or charismatic or helped define their era in the popular imagination. I might put David Ortiz in this category in baseball. You simply can't tell the story of football or baseball in the 00s without prominently featuring Troy Polamalu or David Ortiz. Watchability and entertainment value counts for a little bit to me and I don't think there's ever been a more watchable d-back than Polamalu at his peak athleticism.

I admit that at times that charisma resulted in Troy being overrated nationally, that he was never a great tackler, and that when he fell off late in his career he fell off very sharply. The Pittsburgh defense was clearly better last year with Troy off the field. But I think time will be kind to Polamalu and by the time he comes up for Hall consideration what will be remembered is the incredible speed and athletic ability, the big plays, the championships and the fact that at his best he made every game he played in just plain more fun to watch.

 

[kolbitr]

I am surprised that James Harrison has been mentioned as an HOFer....I am traveling and can't do the analysis, but he struck me as having a very brief albeit memorable peak, but not Hall-worthy...am I completely misremembering his accomplishments?

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

I am surprised that James Harrison has been mentioned as an HOFer....I am traveling and can't do the analysis, but he struck me as having a very brief albeit memorable peak, but not Hall-worthy...am I completely misremembering his accomplishments?

 
I'm not sure why Harrison would jump out as the HoF in this era of Pittsburgh linebackers either, with the possible exception of that one incredible Super Bowl play sticking out in people's memories. I'm not even sure he's the best loathsome Pittsburgh sack machine outside linebacker who won't shut up of the past decade, there's a case for Joey Porter there as well.
 
If I had to pick one guy, I'd probably pick Farrior, he was a constant in the middle making a lot of different guys on the outside of him look good.
 
Then of course, there's Hampton, who gets underrated both in that Wilfork way because he has nose tackle stats and also because Pittsburgh is such a linebacker glory town.

 

[NYCSox]

So I don't think I've ever been happier about a knee sprain after seeing what looked like a certain ligament tear. With that said, they are probably looking at a tough four game stretch until the Bengals game on November 1 which is when it seems like Ben may be back.
 
Home (Baltimore and Arizona)
 
Away (San Diego and KC)
 
I would certainly preferred a Sunday game so as to give Vick a bit more time to prepare, but I also don't think 2-2 is out of the question with Bell back and an improving defense. While neither Kapernieck or Foles is Brady they were both pretty much contained.
 
It would also help if Shazier can stay healthy for more than two quarters at a time.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

The injury is made worse by their Colts during the Manning-era attitude towards the backup QB slot. Vick plays like a fossil. Landry Jones has been a big waste of time. He put up numbers in a pass happy college conference that never produces legitimate pro QBs.

 

[tims4wins]

So I don't think I've ever been happier about a knee sprain after seeing what looked like a certain ligament tear. With that said, they are probably looking at a tough four game stretch until the Bengals game on November 1 which is when it seems like Ben may be back.
 
Home (Baltimore and Arizona)
 
Away (San Diego and KC)
 
I would certainly preferred a Sunday game so as to give Vick a bit more time to prepare, but I also don't think 2-2 is out of the question with Bell back and an improving defense. While neither Kapernieck or Foles is Brady they were both pretty much contained.
 
It would also help if Shazier can stay healthy for more than two quarters at a time.

 
I think you could argue this both ways. Ravens are lacking confidence and will have less time to prepare for Vick.
 
As a Pats fan, there aren't too many games that I look forward to more than Ravens-Steelers. Is it Thursday yet?

 

[NYCSox]

 
I think you could argue this both ways. Ravens are lacking confidence and will have less time to prepare for Vick.
 
As a Pats fan, there aren't too many games that I look forward to more than Ravens-Steelers. Is it Thursday yet?

 
Sure it can also work that away after a tough loss to the Bengals. Either way they will be fighting for their lives so it won't be an easy game at all - even if Ben was playing.

 

[LondonSox]

What is Big Ben made of? Everything about that hit and his reaction screamed ACL and season over to me. 
Huge because it's nice having these offensive studs but with Vick at QB they aren't going to have the same opportunities. 

 

[tims4wins]

 

[McBride11]

What is Big Ben made of? Everything about that hit and his reaction screamed ACL and season over to me. 
Huge because it's nice having these offensive studs but with Vick at QB they aren't going to have the same opportunities. 

Bradley said it was because his heel was off the ground it allowed the knee to bend / flex enough to protect the ACL. Had the heel been down, season over.

And it has happened. Scobee is gone. They brought in some guy named Chris Boswell who kicked at Rice and spent time in Giants and Texans camps. He has never actually attempted an NFL FG. Good thing Heinz is a pretty easy place to kick...

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25326062/report-steelers-sign-kicker-chris-boswell-after-josh-scobee-struggles

 

[Tony C]

Tough for Scobee. Those were two tough FGs  that he missed. In his defense he hit 2 others, including one from 45 yards, and the two he missed seemed to be pretty well hit in tough conditions -- not like he shanked them. But, such is the life of a kicker....

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Scobee has missed four kicks this year but all four were 40+ in tough outdoor conditions and he's still 6/10 overall. He isn't a great kicker by any means (about 80% career) but is a guy like Boswell going to be any better? They spent a 6th to get Scobee and paid him 2.5M. Cutting him now smells like a panic move. Or a coach that wants to deflect blame from his own fuckups.

 

[Leather]

Tomlin puts on this tough guy, one of the boys, attitude, so cutting a kicker is probably something he looks forward to.

 

[Super Nomario]

And it has happened. Scobee is gone. They brought in some guy named Chris Boswell who kicked at Rice and spent time in Giants and Texans camps. He has never actually attempted an NFL FG. Good thing Heinz is a pretty easy place to kick...

http://mweb.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/25326062/report-steelers-sign-kicker-chris-boswell-after-josh-scobee-struggles

Boswell was a really good college kicker - he had something like 13 kicks of 50+ yards for Rice, including some in the clutch. He also hit one of the most ridiculous onside kicks I've ever seen:
 

 
I don't know why he hasn't gotten a shot before now - he was considered perhaps the best kicker draft prospect the year he came out, but Nate Freese, Cody Parkey, Cairo Santos, Zach Hocker, and Andrew Furney have all gotten more NFL opportunities - but Pittsburgh is a curious fit. Boswell is from Texas, played at Rice, and was in Houston's camp last year, so he's not a cold-weather kicker. He was in Giants camp this year, but you'd think they'd want someone with more cold weather experience.

 

[McBride11]

I think there is some element of deflecting blame. Some of those 3rd and 4th down calls were just stupid not giving Bell the ball. This is the same guy who blamed headset malfunction in week1.

There was however a very large voice in the city itself to be rid of Scobee. People legitimately wanted Jeff Reed to come back. The go who was also fired for similar miscues and has been out of football for years.

So I think it was a combo of public outcry plus an easy fall guy.

 

[Tony C]

Yeah, my takeaway from the first 3 weeks is that Mike Tomlin uses his Marine Sergeant exterior as a good way to deflect the fact that he's 1st class at running away from responsibility. The Steelers are incredibly disorganized on defense....blame the headsets. The Steelers lose a tight one after some terrible 4th down calls...blame the kicker. Never mind that they're a very talented 2-2 team. 

 

[NYCSox]

Sorry but there was no excuse for missing the 41 yard kick that would have effectively ended the game. He had to go.

 

[Shelterdog]

Sorry but there was no excuse for missing the 41 yard kick that would have effectively ended the game. He had to go.

 
There's a perfect excuse--kickers miss kicks (even 41 yard kicks) from time to time.  Now if you think you can get a better kicker, or you think this guy has the yips or something, than of course you should replace him but cutting a kicker just because the kicker blew a kick is stupid.

 

[NYCSox]

They are probably 3-3 now (if not 2-4) with Scobee instead of Boswell. That roster move may have saved the season.

 

[mauf]

Yeah, my takeaway from the first 3 weeks is that Mike Tomlin uses his Marine Sergeant exterior as a good way to deflect the fact that he's 1st class at running away from responsibility. The Steelers are incredibly disorganized on defense....blame the headsets. The Steelers lose a tight one after some terrible 4th down calls...blame the kicker. Never mind that they're a very talented 2-2 team. 

They've got three sublimely talented offensive skill players who have played a total of 9 out of possible 18 games. Aside from those three players (and Rapistberger, of course) they are bereft of talent. I was on the fence about Tomlin coming into this season, but it's very much to his credit that this motley crew is a consensus top-10 team.

 

[Mugsy's Walk-Off Bunt]

Is it, though? I guess he gets credit for motivation or something but Tomlin is a terrible in game coach, like...bottom ten in the NFL. I'm more inclined to give credit to the players and the GM who brought them here.

Edit: because I left almost everything out.

 

[Maurice09]

I agree. All my friends who aren't Steeler fans say they would take him in a minute. I'd go to war with him but as a decision making head coach he's just not that good.
I know if Scobee was descent they win the Ravens game but they still could have won it with better decisions. That and they were lucky to win against the Chargers.
Can't wait to see the big 4 on offense for the first time this year. And Shazier and Jones staying healthy would help. Have way too many first rounders that can't stay on the field.

 

[NYCSox]

Well, they got the 2-2 goal without Ben so that's certainly a positive (though the Ratbirds game is going to bother me all season). That said, operating without two starting OL the rest of the way is going to cause its own set of issues.
 
At this point, they will need to finish 8-1 and probably sweep the Bengals to have a realistic shot at the division. But the playoffs are probably on solid footing as long as Ben/Bell/Brown play the rest of the way.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Le'Veon Bell is expected to be out for the season.
 
I thought a healthy Steelers team with Ben back might be one of the best in the AFC.  But without Bell and with a couple OL also done for the year, I'm just not seeing it.

 

[Mugsy's Walk-Off Bunt]

Is he really? I had heard somewhere that Pitt officials were feeling optimistic. Where did you read this?

Edit: Never mind....

Source: Steelers' Bell tears MCL, likely out for '15

Steelers star RB Le'Veon Bell "badly tore" his right MCL after his knee was bent backward on a tackle. He is likely to miss the rest of the 2015 season, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

 

[tims4wins]

In the "Reminder that other teams screw up the draft too" department, the Steelers released 2014 3rd round pick Dri Archer.

 

[NYCSox]

Yeah. I was commenting to someone on Monday how useless he has been. And ironically, Steelers killer and reason why the Ratbirds somehow won the SB, Jacoby Jones was brought in to replace him as a returner.

 

[Bunt Single]

I don't follow the Steelers or William Gay that closely. But this is cool: http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/11/24/william-gay-purple-shoes-nfl-fine-domestic-violence-awareness
Respect. That's an eloquent statement.

 

[KiltedFool]

William Gay is a good man, one of the better ones active in the game today. His comments and his stance around the time of the Ray Rice debacle were hugely insightful, he provided much more leadership than friggin Goodell.

Funny thing is early in his Steelers tenure he was the designated whipping boy for Steelers fans, but he developed into a solid corner and a reliable veteran. But he's always had the gravitas and walked the walk on domestic violence awareness. He's taken teammates to shelters, he's done national spots and many interviews.

Lots of people hate the Steelers but William Gay is the man.