LOL…

I think that the points you made are accurate, especially #1 and #2 respectfully. But your last point might be higher up on that list…not that you listed them in an order of importance in the first place.

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origin,

You make good points as well…..especially the one in regards to the pre-bike injury.

I also think Ben will be ok….and i’d take him over Eli 10 outta 10 times.

Ben throws even better on the run then in the pocket.

I still stand by that Ben is turnover prone (like Eli….shoot like Farve….check that he is turnover prone no matter what) when the running game is not a focal point of the offense.

Ouch. You know I don’t like Brett Favre like that so I’ll just pass on that one.

He11 I’m still not sure if he even figured out what a Dime or Nickle Defense is.

LOL!!!

Its like he has gotten worse over the years with this.

He has alot of Eli in him. If you don’t establish the run then he is prone to have turnovers in bunches.

Also IMO he has always held the ball long. But before the bike injury he would move around and just seemed quicker on his feet and decision making on the move. Now he doesn’t seem that way.

Another thing it seemed once he got banged up badly….in the game that leftwich took over. It seemed he got worse over the season. Heck for awhile I was saying why doesn’t Tomlin start Leftwich for a few games until Ben got healthy. You could clearly see that when leftwich played the ball came out of his hand so much quicker. Plus the steelers are so freaking good they can win as long as their QB doesn’t turn the ball over.

I watched the game yesterday………I was hoping Collins got knocked out so vince would play….HAHA.

But the keys were that Ben turned into Rex Grossman with the turnovers and the steelers could get no pass rush on the titans. Remember if you are able to make Collins move off his spot once taking his drop………he turns into an erractic passer. I don’t even watch the NFL really, and have only seen one titans game this year. But the scouting report on Collins been the same for over 10 years.

1) Willie Parker has not had his regular season. Last year, he led the league in rushing entering the last game. This year, teams are really able to focus on the passing game. There is less room for error.

2) He has an injured shoulder. Ben usually has the highest yards per attempt in the league. Santonio has the highest ypc of any receiver in the league (entering this season). Ben loves the deep ball. He’s been underthrowing guys all year. He has some flow with Nate Washington this year that may need to be rekindled.

3) The Steelers don’t have great receivers. Ward is excellent, but slowing down. Holmes likes to get high and cost his team wins against elite competition. Washington is blazing, but unpolished. He takes time to get separation, but he does get it. Sweed sucks (for now).

4) Confidence. This could be #3A. I don’t think he’s willing to throw unless receivers are actually open vs. throwing when they’re in man coverage. I always thought that man coverage = open. He has to make throws off of quick initial reads more regularly and then trust guys to make plays.

It could be that — or it could be that he’s an overrated dude that was carried by a great team after some moderate success running a spread/gun offense at a mediocre middle-American college. Ooooh!

Yeah, I like the guy. He has my vote for COY. You can tell that he was frustrated with all the missed opportunities and the turnovers. I think that early fumble by Ben near the goal line seem to give the Titans confidence that maybe they could beat the Steelers. That fumble wasn’t forced, either. Ben just didn’t take care of the ball. And with the other fumbles Ben just held on the ball too long (as usual). I’m trying to understand why he does that. Is he just not seeing open receivers or is he being greedy in looking for the big play?

I will say that the game was pretty close in the 1st half. The Steelers had the momentum but I think that Reed missing that easy FG w/ 4 secs left before halftime swung it back to the Titans. In the 3rd QTR, their defense didn’t play with that attitude and energy you’re used to seeing them play with. Collins had too much time to find his receivers. If I recall correctly, they only sacked him once (Harrison’s 16th). But they were’nt really pressuring him like they normally pressure opposing QBs. The DBs were playing soft, sissy coverage. That led me to believe that maybe they were tired. You could see the Titan’s receivers gaining confidence on every ball that was caught.

On the question of playing “flat” — check out Tomlin.
http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80d82acd

Gotta like this dude.

You saw the game. I trust your eyes because that’s his stock answer. I like his answer, though. I think I perceive a bit of frustration with the turnovers, though, because that’s been the recurring theme of the season. A lot of times, the turnovers aren’t even forced — they’re surrendered.

Props to Derrick Ward, but how can you ignore Derrick Mason? With one arm he outplayed every Cowboy receiver.

Can somebody yank the Arizona Cardinals’s NFC West title away from them? Since they clinched, they just haven’t done anything. Makes you wonder how the season might have gone for the 49ers if they had let Mike Nolan go earlier. Mike Singletary definitely has proven that he should be the permanent coach for the 49ers.

The Titans are clearly a solid team, but they’ve not made it over the hurdle. I suspect that long-time defensive stars like Bulluck and Kearse are really frustrated by seeing teams like Pittsburgh and Indianapolis bask in the glow of considerably more media attention AND the bling bling of a Super Bowl ring.

That’s why I cautioned the stepper to realize the in dancing on the Terrible Towel, they might actually be pulling the plug on their own showcase. The Steelers are not the Terrible Towel or any other icon. They are (echoing kos), however, the team that knocked the dog shit out of Dan Pastorini when it mattered most. They are the team that battled the Titans, Ravens and Jaguars througout the early years of this decade — and they’re the squad that blazed the trail for road dogs to win Super Bowls in 2005. They’re flesh and blood and they’ll be back. It seems like players like Jeavon Kearse forget that when it matters most — that’s why all of his “signature moments” were speed rushes around the outside from his rookie year.

Bulluck is one therapist’s couch away from having a London Fletcher melt down moment.

kos– You should have heard Collinsworth when the Steelers beat the Bengals. Its clear that he looks upon teams like the Ravens as the big brother he wishes he could march into a fight in Pittsburgh. When he was stuck with rolling with the Bengals, his closing line was to the effect of – Once again, the Steelers outhit, outmuscle, outphysical the Cincinnati Bengals.

I wonder if it hurts him more to see his “big brother” lose to the Steelers than his very own Bengals. After all, he’s used to that.