Steelers have the appearance of an emotionally spent team. They played, their SB and lost.

Even Tomlin looked like he was on suicide watch during his presser.

AB will be out and there is very little chemistry between Ben and the other WR's.

They will attempt to ride Bell's 35 touches per game.

The Steelers will lose one out of the next 2.

Jags, the "benign" team will win out.

Steelers will lose WC game to the Rats without AB, because they sort of needed that bye week.

The Jags have the right kind of D to beat pats too.

I thought our D did pretty well yesterday. No one mentioned Sutton but he had a nice first start. Let’s put it this Sutton and Hilton they can match up at the line with the pats wr. Burns had another bad night but figure he has a better game next time AND we get Haden back. We’ll never replace shaz but overall it’s m not as negative on the D.

And our O was winning all night too. AB goes out and not to make excuses but that’s a huge hit. We don’t have a clear #2 wide out. Was a bit like the playoffs in that regard. Difference was Ben and bell.

I like our chances next time too. But hey pats are very beatable. A team like Jax could very well do it. Ball control ground game with the #1 pass D behind it is trouble for pats

Regardless of what transpires moving forward, I'm going to enjoy watching Blake Bortles exit the playoffs. Can't stand that guy!!!

I think the Pats realize we have the skill players to beat them, but that as long as Mike Tomlin and crew are on the other sideline coaching against Bill Belichick, if his team keeps it close, he likes his chances. In fact, Belichick can probably count on the Steelers to employ a game plan that will make it EASY to keep the game close.

A Mike Tomlin-coached team will not beat New England unless it has a two-score lead late.

Last time the Steelers beat the Pats- 2011- the Steelers were up 23-10 until there was 2:35 left in the game.

If there are 4:00 to go and the game is within a score, the Steelers will lose.

There were critical moments where the D failed miserably. Third and short, and they leave Gronk one on one. Multiple times. Butler decided to leave Gronk alone, let him get his catches, and focus on. . . ? Him and Brady were the two that killed the steelers.

This defense is weak. Shaz and haden going down fucked up their mojo, but they give up too many big plays to be taken seriously as a solid defense, imo.

And I still contend the PI call on burns covering gronk was a bogus call intended to give the pats the win, but BR, JuJu, and James forced their hand.

You're the one that is emotionally spent. I'm enjoying your posts and how you're projecting your own feelings onto the team.

Burns’ DPI came on the Pats’ FG drive that cut the score to 24-19.

And I don’t think it was a hugely bogus call. I could go either way on it.

However, the officials gave the impression that it was because the flag did not come out until the result of the play (incomplete pass) was known.

Yeah I rest Bell most of the last two games.

Being without AB has the upside of forcing juju and Martavis into those 1/2 roles.

So AB comes back and we have those two each with double the looks they would have had.

Exactly.

The team was pissed...not emotionally spent.

Tomlin was smoldering in his press conference, not spent.

This team is destroying Houston and Cleveland.

Tomlin played it close to the vest, he was fuming mad. Kept it professional but he held back

Rest Bell?

Um...we need to win these two games to earn a bye, and Conner has an MCL injury.

We ain’t winning with Frenchy as the running back.

Haha hmm..you really think that's what I'm doing?

No I still rest bell most of the way. Haley tends to run 50% if the O through bell anyway. My concern is without AB he and tomlin tighten up even more and ride bell even harder. And he takes a workload like no other back does or really ever has.

If Conner is out for extended time then they need another RB and yes even with frenchy I make the rotation 33-33-33

I certainly believe that the Steelers can go into Foxborough and win ...no doubt in my mind.
That said, the Pats aren’t shaking in their boots at the prospect of an AFCCG rematch..:probably welcome it. Hell they’re probably giddy at the thought.
Belichick didn’t even have to coach yesterday...just sat back and waited for Tomlin and the Steelers to puke all over their selves.

But make no mistake.....the Steelers will need to beat the Pats to go to the Super Bowl. This current version of the Rats have no chance. Especially if they don’t get in the tourney.
Jax? Blake Bortles vs Tom Brady in the playoffs...who you got?

Jacksonville is just killing teams

Their D is scarier now than when we played them

They will shut down gronk and beat up Brady

Their new wrs are green but very little tape to exploit
If they can get Fournette to stay 70% healthy

But the usual events will turn in ne favor with a little pressing on the scale

ABSOLUTELY

You realize the problem, of course, is that unless New England loses one more game, WE have to play Jacksonville before they do.

I'm waiting for him to mention that the Steelers will have to play in the WC round in all the new threads we've had today.

Yep.

He already admitted to me he's projecting.

http://steelerfury.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=9771&p=355256&hilit=lol#p355256

I think Jax could lose one even though it appears they will not. I haven’t done the simulator recently to see if we both win out....we still have a better WL record

We'll see what kind of payback comes to Gronk for his assault on the Buffalo DB (can't remember his name). That could be a tough game for the Pats, at least a brutal physical game.

It doesn't matter that we showed our hand, it has to do with execution. Toe to toe, we both execute, I think either team can win. It comes down to mistakes or bad calls; we had both.

Can we go into Foxboro, maybe, but we're now putting the cart WAY before the horse. Everyone is making bold assumptions about how this all plays out.

Don't look past Houston and the Browns...the Browns superbowl is about to happen and they would love to spoil the seeding.

Yes if we both won out, Steelers are 13-3 and Jax is 12-4.

That puts Steelers at #2 (barring a miracle Pats’ loss), and Jax at #3.

Since WC Weekend is #3 v #6 and #4 v #5, if Jacksonville wins, they would be playing the #2 seed...that’s us.

Jax could fall as low as #5 if they lose both their remaining games and the Titans win out, but if Jacksonville wins the division, they are locked into either the second or third seed, with a small outside chance of homefield overall. But they can fall no lower than #3 if they win the division...they own the tiebreaker over Kansas City.

Likewise, we can fall no lower than the #3 seed.

Since Tennessee plays the Rams next, and the Titans are fading while the Rams are remaining strong, them winning out is unlikely.

Therefore, the only other way to avoid a divisional playoff matchup against Jacksonville is for New England to lose one of its last two while we win out and grab the #1 seed.

Otherwise, we’re either 2 or 3, and Jacksonville is also either 2 or 3...meaning a divisional matchup against Jacksonville is the most likely scenario awaiting us.

Stranger things have happened before, but the loss to the Pats has put us on a path into a rematch against a scary Jacksonville team.

Oh...and we better not lose another game...because on WC Weekend, we’d likely play Baltimore.

Imagine a playoff gauntlet of Baltimore, Jacksonville, and THEN New England at Foxboro.

If we won all those, no one could say we got to the Super Bowl on the cheap (Still Lit would orgasm at such quality), but wow I wouldn’t want that road.

I just want everyone back and healthy. We’ll have to live without shaz but I put our guys up against bat any of the 31 teams in the league and like our chances.

Difference down the stretch is going to #7, joe Haden and a few playmakers like McDonald and martavis. Boz is clutch.

Yeah I like our chances and I ain’t just spouting smack

We win out we are locked into a bye, no wild card. Matter of #1 or #2 if NE loses one of last 2

Jax wins out, they are still #3 If Ne loses one of last 2 Jax is getting bye

overall record still elevates overt the tie breakers

If we lose one of last 2 we fall to WC