The Steeler O controlled the clock and ran it down our throats. The D allowed Pitt to have a 9 min drive that ended in a TD to start the game. The Steelers had the ball for 21 of the 30 mins in the 1st half.
Largely due to the D setting the tone by being run all over on a 9 minute drive t start the game to fall behind 7-0.
Actually on the 1st drive we converted a 3rd and 10 for a 1st down, we actually converted a few 1st downs and held the ball for 4 mins. besides the TO we only had one 3 and out the entire 1st half. The problem is that the D allowed the Pitt O to dictate the game.
I'm glad we can both agree on how important starting the game fast and setting the tone is. How many times last year did we set the tone early on offense and make the defense play our game?
We are a defensive team, we set the tone on D and STs. For whatever reason our O was slow starting(I think much of that has to do w/ a developing QB), we know that going into every game. That doesn't mean the D has to start slow too. As we move forward more pressure will shift to the offense but the last 2 years we played w/ a rookie QB and a 2nd yr QB- many of you guys are completely unrealistic in your expectations of our offense w/ that young QB.
Your other quote was far too long for me to feel like quoting. Let's get this straight though, you are dismissing an entire bad half of defense to say one terrible play call cost us the game? Football isn't the simple. I agree that trying to pick up that first down was a mistake, it was a desperate move that didn't need to be made at that point in the game but there is no need for a desperate move like that if the defense plays even their c+ game in the first half. Rex loves to put his defense on the field to set the tone for the game and on that the tone they set was that the steelers were more physical than they were. It would have been nice if the offense had been able to hold onto the ball longer but to blame the offense for not being able to get in rhythm when they were sitting on the bench watching their defense give up third down after third down the entire first half is as ridiculous to me today as it was to me the day the game happened. The defense is the backbone of the jets and the steelers broke the backbone on the very first drive of the game.
ok this thread has run its course, who wants to do the honor of starting the more appropriate "Schottenheimer Needs to be Fired" thread
The problem I have with that agument is this ... The line of scrimmage was actually the 26 yard line, and we were snapping with about 1:30 to play after a sack and an incompletion. (At ths point I'm screaming at the screen "just run the damn ball and let's get out of here"!!!) If we run the ball on 3rd and 17 like any sane team would do and pick up 4 or 5 yards, we'd be punting from our 30. The clock would be ticking so Pitt would need to use thier last timeout (they burned two on the previous drive). Assuming that we get off an an average NFL punt they would have gotten the ball around their 20-25 yard line with 1:20 and no timeouts. I doubt they would have risked slinging the ball around. Most likely, Tomlin would have run the ball a few times and gone to the locker room, happy with their 17-0 lead ... Still a game, and we're getting the 2nd half kickoff. I like our chances in a 17-7 or even 17-3 game early in the 3rd quarter. 24-0 turned it into a massacre. TERRIBLE decision by Schotty or Rex or whoever ... and we paid the price for it.
I can't believe this has gone on for 111 pages. So will Tom Moore get all the credit when the offense does well and Schotty all the blame when we don't light teams up?
True ... we only averaged 36.5 in that game (long of 53) ... but that still would only give them the ball around their 32 or 33 with no timeouts and a run-first offense. I don't think they pass downfield against us to get in reasonable FG range (our 25 yard line). I guess we'll agree to disagree and we'll never know. Let's just play next year's game in our place
If the Jets offense does well it's because of Moore. If it does really well, it's because of Callahan. If you want evidence that Paul Hackett did long term emotional damage to Jets fans, just look at this thread. No matter what happens with the Jets, the offensive coordinator is to blame.
Walking out of that Stadium all I wanted was a rematch in our building next January. Let's hope it happens.
