12/21/24
January 09, 2012
Tebow & Broncos best Roethlisberger & Steelers: Never thought I would read that let alone see that.
I hope you didn't turn off. Shit gets wild.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 08:18 PM on January 08, 2012
Thank you, Pittsburgh, for at least losing in spectacular, memorable, and myth-making fashion.
posted by Bonkers at 08:45 PM on January 08, 2012
Wow, never imagined the Steelers losing to the Broncos. And I thought if the Steelers faltered during the playoffs it would be because of key injuries on offense (Ben, Pouncey, Mendenhall, etc.). That was about the most pathetic I've ever seen a Steeler defence play - they made Tebow look like freaking Tom Brady today.
posted by cixelsyd at 11:17 PM on January 08, 2012
The Steelers defence went "all in" on the first play of the OT?
The first play?!
posted by grum@work at 11:35 PM on January 08, 2012
Um, it's sorta hard to say this, but Tebow looked gooooooood.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:08 AM on January 09, 2012
Saw a great photo of the entire CBS Post Game show crew doing the "Tebow".
Never gave him a chance.
posted by dviking at 12:55 AM on January 09, 2012
New England fans watching Denver beat Pittsburgh were likely "Tebowing" in answer to their prayers that Pats would not have to face Steelers and Ravens back-to-back. After watching Denver put together a pretty solid looking effort today, I'm telling Pats' fans to be careful what they wish for. Had not one of the officials been a bit hasty blowing his whistle on the backward pass, and it had correctly been called a fumble instead of an incompletion, Denver likely would not have needed OT. I don't care what happened in week 15, Patriots will have to do some work in order to advance.
posted by Howard_T at 01:29 AM on January 09, 2012
I think Tebow just assured his job for at least the start of next season. No matter what happens next week against the Patriots, he played quite a bit more than five minutes of good football this week. And, yeah, somebody is going to beat the Patriots with that defense. I am going to hope its the Packers and not Denver, but as the saying goes, "any given Sunday...+
posted by Joey Michaels at 05:06 AM on January 09, 2012
Um, it's sorta hard to say this, but Tebow looked gooooooood.
That leg kick thing he does? It's the worst thing I have ever seen. I'm a a fan of the Bucs, so I've seen many a QB that were playing absolutely terribly. You were probably talking about him being productive rather than the way he looks out there though.
Roethlisberger was a mess in the first half. He was limping around and throwing to the wrong team. They sure made it exciting in the second half.
I wonder if the new overtime rules had something to do with that play. If so, they need to change the regular season rules too.
posted by bperk at 07:51 AM on January 09, 2012
Tebow threw for 316 yards against the NFL's No. 1 ranked overall defense and No. 1 ranked passing defense. Two passing touchdowns. One rushing. No sacks. No picks. That last pass to Thomas was perfect. I can't believe that just happened.
The Steelers sure missed Ryan Clark.
Shouldn't the Steelers have let Shawn Suisham try the 68-yarder at the end of the fourth quarter? With only three seconds left, Denver had no time to try one if it missed. The only bad outcome is a block run back for a score.
posted by rcade at 08:14 AM on January 09, 2012
The only bad outcome is a block run back for a score.
Considering the fact that Suisham would probably have to kick it lower than normal to get enough distance, a blocked kick with a possible return was a greater than negligible chance of happening.
Oh, and this could have happened as well.
posted by grum@work at 08:30 AM on January 09, 2012
There is no excuse for blowing that game, but you cant help but look at all the injuries the Steelers had. Eventually they catch up. Clark, Mendenhall, Pouncy, Keisel, Hampton and Ben just to name a few. Still no excuse, but Keisel and Hampton hurt most. The Steelers have had a 5-6 man rotation on the line all year and only having 3 men able to go in the high altitude led to no pass rush.
posted by Debo270 at 08:56 AM on January 09, 2012
Shouldn't the Steelers have let Shawn Suisham try the 68-yarder at the end of the fourth quarter
No. The odds of a kicker whos career long is 52 hitting a 67 yarder is alot lower then the odds of throwing one up deep and going after it. A blocked kick with that many big guys on the field has potential for a return.
posted by Debo270 at 09:00 AM on January 09, 2012
One leg Ben...we still love yah man...here's to a healing off season and to a healthy team for the next season.
posted by iceboxraider at 10:12 AM on January 09, 2012
I know it's a lot easier to take risks when you're sitting in your own living room, but I was wishing the Steelers would have gone for 2 when they scored the tying touchdown. Sure, you're screwed if you don't get it (although if you trust your defense you'd probably get another shot), but that's probably the game if you convert.
posted by cobra! at 10:21 AM on January 09, 2012
Still no excuse, but Keisel and Hampton hurt most.
I agree, that was huge. The Bronco's run game still wasn't great but it did enough to pull up the safety in overtime.
What a crazy Bronco season.
posted by tron7 at 10:21 AM on January 09, 2012
Terrible coaching on the part of Pittsburgh and Atlanta I might add this week. How do you allow a play like that first play in overtime? Nine defenders in the box against a QB that had already completed two passes for over 50 yards. Under the new playoff overtime rules the only thing that can beat you on the first possession is a TD. Even if you expect a running attack, allowing a receiver up the middle that deep is just bad coaching or a blown coverage. They went all in and invited that play and got burned by it.. Don't expect New England to make the same mistakes.
posted by Atheist at 11:22 AM on January 09, 2012
Hoping for a little snow in the air when Denver plays New England, just for the heck of it.
Now reunited with the Pats and keenly waiting for the Broncos to arrive: Josh McDaniels.
posted by beaverboard at 11:52 AM on January 09, 2012
Don't expect New England to make the same mistake
New England is known for their vaunted defense.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 01:03 PM on January 09, 2012
Lifelong Steelers fan - but Steelers did not deserve to win last night.
Ike Taylor was horrible. Pass rush was non-existent - agreed Hampton and Keisel going down played big part in that, but next guy up has to deliver. Ben was still only 50% and practically immobile for most of first half.
Denver capitalized on almost all Steeler's mistakes, so hats off to them.
If that's all the better Steelers can play with players they can put on field - I'm glad they don't have to face Pats. It would be ugly.
posted by BikeNut at 01:06 PM on January 09, 2012
New England is known for their vaunted defense.
No, but given the flammable nature of their secondary, they are unlikely to leave them in zero coverage on a regular basis.
posted by yerfatma at 01:19 PM on January 09, 2012
Where's your Jesus now, Tebow? HAHA. You bitches got owned.
Also, what was up with Rapelisberger's post game gangster attire - is that how he dresses these days? Too funny to believe.
posted by phaedon at 01:58 PM on January 09, 2012
but next guy up has to deliver.
Who are you Mike Tomlin, "the standard is the standard"
The next guys up did ok, but that is usually a group that rotates 5-6 guys. with only the 3 backups and the troubles with breathing as it is in Denver, not much you can do.
Ike was not good, but Munday back there instead of Clark had alot to do with that too.
posted by Debo270 at 02:05 PM on January 09, 2012
That last pass to Thomas was perfect.
That was a 20 yard slant to a wide open receiver with zero pressure on the quarterback. An NFL quarterback should be able to make that throw in his sleep. Hell, a decent college quarterback makes that throw. I guess we (and evidently the Steelers) expect so little of Tebow we're amazed when he completes the most basic of plays.
I think the Steelers took Tebow too lightly as well. They thought he couldn't hurt them, so they decided to stop the run and let him implode. Even with his 'great' game Tebow was under 50 percent completion wise.
I think the Patriots should play him straight up, and if their offense is clicking, and they're scoring points, I don't believe he has the talent to keep the Broncos in the game (basically, I think the Patriots offense is the key, not the defense).
posted by justgary at 04:57 PM on January 09, 2012
(basically, I think the Patriots offense is the key, not the defense)
Indeed. As one commentator said this morning on the radio, "Do you think he wins against the Patriots by scoring 23 points in regulation?"
Of course, simplistic thinking would have it that 23 points against the "best defense in the NFL" = 230 points against the Patriots, I guess. I have a funny feeling it's not going to work out that way.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:42 PM on January 09, 2012
Realistically, the Steeler's defensive approach is what I would have used. Tebow isn't a QB who executes passing plays well and the least bit of coverage and pressure should have resulted in a win for the Steelers. Problem is they got no pressure and couldn't get within 8 yards of receivers in man coverage. The defensive scheme was superb, the execution was pathetic.
posted by cixelsyd at 06:14 PM on January 09, 2012
Ordinarily I'd say the injuries excuse was bunk (Packers fan, thinking of last season) but Roethlisberger being injured just wrecked them last night. The Steelers just looked old, running around out there. Altitude messing them up a bit as well? Hard to say, but I don't know what the hell I watched last night. I saw it as a failing on the part of the Steelers much more than any excellent gamesmanship on the part of Tebow and crew.
(Then again, I'm pretty biased since the Packers have one of the two or three best quarterbacks playing the game right now, and yet Tebow's getting all the press -- and isn't anywhere near the caliber of Rodgers, Brees, or Brady.)
posted by evixir at 10:36 PM on January 09, 2012
Can TJ Yates get any love? The boy is fantastic!
posted by Landis at 10:54 PM on January 09, 2012
The defensive scheme was superb, the execution was pathetic.
Sure, stuffing the run and rushing the quarterback with pressure is a great plan if you can pull it off. Not exactly a novel idea. If you can't do it, not so much. Planning a defensive scheme you can have success with is as important as the scheme itself.
I haven't watched the Steelers much this year, so maybe this was injuries, but they didn't look capable of being successful at their defensive scheme. And if it was injuries, well, they knew what they had going into the game.
In Tebows previous game he was 6 for 22 for 60 yards and a 2.7 average. So a defense as good as the Steelers decides they need a special game plan to stop him?
And then, when it's quite apparent what a mistake the game plan was, they continue it into overtime? Pitiful. This was a game lost by the Steeler coaches as well as the players.
Tebow isn't a QB who executes passing plays well
Exactly. So why not make him attempt pass after pass to get down the field rather than give him the chance to do damage with just a few throws. Doesn't make sense.
posted by justgary at 11:19 PM on January 09, 2012
I don't think the Broncos can score enough to go far in the playoffs. Under Tebow the Broncos went 7-5 in the regular season, and are 1-0 in the playoffs. In that time they've scored over 30 points twice (38-24 over the Raiders and 35-32 over the Vikings). They've scored over 20 points three times (they lost 29-24 to the Chargers, lost 41-23 to the Patriots, and beat the Steelers 29-23 in OT). In their other seven games they've scored 18 (OT), 10, 17, 17, 16 (OT), 13 (OT), 14, and 3 points. They can't keep pace with the high-scoring teams in the playoffs.
The Patriot's offense is better than the Steelers', and much better than the Broncos'. The Bronco's defense is better than the Patriots' D, but I don't think it's better enough to overcome the Patriots' offense.
posted by kirkaracha at 01:53 PM on January 10, 2012
I don't think the Broncos can score enough to go far in the playoffs.
I think the Steelers were worried about Roethlisberger and their offense scoring. So instead of simply holding Denver to 10-14 points at most with their normal defense, they decided to completely shut down their offense, which backfired.
That's about the only reason I can come up with for their game plan.
posted by justgary at 03:14 PM on January 11, 2012
OMG, Denver leading 20-6??? What is going on?