OT: NFL

[Ram040506]

From the Panthers perspective it looks even worse when you remember that they traded up to get Young. They gave away two firsts; which became Caleb Williams (perhaps an even more hyped QB prospect) and Jalen Carter (not necessarily elite but had an acceptable season as a rookie rotational DL), two seconds; one of which became Brenton Strange (looks like a potential bust at TE but when you’re as bad as the Panthers you just kinda need high picks and they could have taken someone else) and one that conveys in 2025, and D.J Moore (a good but not necessarily great receiver). There’s still time for Young to turn it around but I would be shocked if he ever makes this trade worth it even if he avoids total bust status.

Jalen Carter is much more than a rotational DL. He's the best player on the Eagles defense, a home run pick that fell in their lap.

[Ram Tough]

I'm not saying that Caleb Williams doesn't have tremendous talent, but Tyson Bagent is the better QB at this moment.

[TheBigCat2192]

No. Andy Dalton is better than all of them. LOL.

It's starting to look like Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud could be one of the great draft bombs of all time.

From the Panthers perspective it looks even worse when you remember that they traded up to get Young. They gave away two firsts; which became Caleb Williams (perhaps an even more hyped QB prospect) and Jalen Carter (not necessarily elite but had an acceptable season as a rookie rotational DL), two seconds; one of which became Brenton Strange (looks like a potential bust at TE but when you’re as bad as the Panthers you just kinda need high picks and they could have taken someone else) and one that conveys in 2025, and D.J Moore (a good but not necessarily great receiver). There’s still time for Young to turn it around but I would be shocked if he ever makes this trade worth it even if he avoids total bust status.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Bryce Young to the bench in Carolina. Would the Panthers take Russ and a draft pick to send Diontae Johnson back? Lol.

No. Andy Dalton is better than all of them. LOL.

It's starting to look like Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud could be one of the great draft bombs of all time.

[Chuck Norris]

Bryce Young to the bench in Carolina. Would the Panthers take Russ and a draft pick to send Diontae Johnson back? Lol.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Steelers are preparing as though Fields will start on Sunday. Tomlin asked twice if Wilson will start when healthy and will not commit.

Oh boy. Here we go.

For the theatrics of it, I'd have loved to see Wilson start against the Broncos. There's just something appealing to seeing a team paying a player $30m to play against them.

In case anybody wasn't aware, Denver is paying about $29m of Wilson's $31m salary this year. That's how badly they apparently wanted him out of Denver.

[Chuck Norris]

Steelers are preparing as though Fields will start on Sunday. Tomlin asked twice if Wilson will start when healthy and will not commit.

Oh boy. Here we go.

[IUP24]

I think Tomlin has hit the point that Andy Reid did with the Eagles where it was time to move on. You had great success together in the past but both need a fresh start. The negative for Steeler fans is the bottom has never fallen out with Tomlin like it finally did with Reid or Belichick in New England to force ownerships hand. One Division championship (Covid year) since 2018, me not being a Steelers fan what would you all say has been Tomlins signature win the past 5 years? Ben's last home game? The cold as hell Christmas eve vs the raiders?

There hasn't been one.

Look, I think there's a ton of value in not adopting a "losing culture." One where you just mail it in for a high pick every year you realize you aren't in it. But the Steelers need a total organizational reset. Top to bottom. I cannot tangibly look anywhere and say they are better now than last year. And I don't think they are at quarterback either. They believe grinding out wins and going 9-8 and getting the 7 seed or just missing the playoffs means something. But they are so far away. They aren't close to some of these teams in the AFC. The live and breathe Steelers fans will tell you that they own Baltimore and Cleveland still can't really take the next step. But the macro is that they aren't close to those teams, or KC, Miami, Buffalo, etc., when you look big picture.

The organization is so obsessed with defense and running the football that they believe they can plod their way to a Super Bowl. Football, at least now, is about scoring more points faster. Atlanta is a bad team and you plodded to the tune of 6 field goals and 0 touchdowns. People complained about Kenny Pickett (largely because there is a huge Penn State and WVU presence in the Steelers fan base and in the Pittsburgh media - and to be clear, he needed to be better), but their offense won't be any different without him. And my point in saying that is what every Steelers game has looked liked since Ben returned from his elbow injury. It's Tomlin's scheme and vision for how he wants to play football.

Nothing is more emblematic of their outdated approach than when Roethlisberger went down in 2019 and they traded their first round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick. I said above I see value in not wanting to have a losing culture, but what exactly are you doing there? You still have most parts and pieces of your 13-3 team of 2017. That was still a good football team. They were going nowhere without Ben at QB that year. But they felt there was value in going 8-8 and winning games by hoping the defense could score a touchdown. Had they won 2-4 games, like they probably should have, they'd have Burrow or Justin Herbert. Tomlin and the Steelers cannot see past the next Sunday.

[Chuck Norris]

Tomlin is an interesting cat. He's still very young, coaching-wise. He's only 52 (seems like 65).

He could retire this year and have networks in a bidding war for him. I don't think he will, however. I've listened to him rant forever. I don't know what would be so appealing about hearing Tomlinisms on network TV but rest-assured he'd be in very high demand.

He'd also have 10 job offers tomorrow if the Steelers were to fire him (which they never will).

He's got a QB mess. No doubt. One is a reach. One is a has been. QB is a funny position. There's apparently about 12-13 people on this whole planet that are classified as a good NFL quarterback. They aren't easy to find. The Pickett draft may be one of the worst QB classes in history. We'll see.

As a fan ... I don't love him. I don't hate him. I'm a 'college guy' and, while I cheer for the Yinzers ... I don't really care if they win or lose. People were tired of Cowher at the end. He's now remembered as being on par with Jesus Christ around these parts. I do firmly believe coaches have a shelf life.

Of the 9 QBs drafted in 2022, Brock Purdy and Skylar Thompson are the only 2 still with the team who drafted them. Only Purdy played on opening weekend. Though it could be Malik Willis time in Green Bay for a week or so if Jordan Love can’t play.

[The P in IUP]

He'll have to accept it. Because he's outdated and stale in terms of his vision of football. And the Steelers aren't even remotely close. And they really haven't been in a while.

3 playoff wins in 13 years. Those 3 came against Matt Moore (Miami Dolphins), Alex Smith (Kansas City), and AJ McCarron (Cincinatti). And if we are being technical, they had no business winning the game in Cincy in 2016.

I think Tomlin has hit the point that Andy Reid did with the Eagles where it was time to move on. You had great success together in the past but both need a fresh start. The negative for Steeler fans is the bottom has never fallen out with Tomlin like it finally did with Reid or Belichick in New England to force ownerships hand. One Division championship (Covid year) since 2018, me not being a Steelers fan what would you all say has been Tomlins signature win the past 5 years? Ben's last home game? The cold as hell Christmas eve vs the raiders?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

He'll have to accept it. Because he's outdated and stale in terms of his vision of football. And the Steelers aren't even remotely close. And they really haven't been in a while.

3 playoff wins in 13 years. Those 3 came against Matt Moore (Miami Dolphins), Alex Smith (Kansas City), and AJ McCarron (Cincinatti). And if we are being technical, they had no business winning the game in Cincy in 2016.

Tomlin is an interesting cat. He's still very young, coaching-wise. He's only 52 (seems like 65).

He could retire this year and have networks in a bidding war for him. I don't think he will, however. I've listened to him rant forever. I don't know what would be so appealing about hearing Tomlinisms on network TV but rest-assured he'd be in very high demand.

He'd also have 10 job offers tomorrow if the Steelers were to fire him (which they never will).

He's got a QB mess. No doubt. One is a reach. One is a has been. QB is a funny position. There's apparently about 12-13 people on this whole planet that are classified as a good NFL quarterback. They aren't easy to find. The Pickett draft may be one of the worst QB classes in history. We'll see.

As a fan ... I don't love him. I don't hate him. I'm a 'college guy' and, while I cheer for the Yinzers ... I don't really care if they win or lose. People were tired of Cowher at the end. He's now remembered as being on par with Jesus Christ around these parts. I do firmly believe coaches have a shelf life.

[IUP24]

I think Wilson has good football left in him. But if this calf situation lingers any longer things could get ugly, given how it happened. If he doesn’t get the chance to stick it to Sean Payton on Sunday things could blow up. Fields would be a great backup but he won’t accept that role long term in Pittsburgh. His physical talent will convince at least one more team they can fix him and make him the guy.

It is time for Tomlin and the Steelers to move on from one another, but the Steelers love when networks put up that graphic that they’ve only had 3 coaches since 1969. And, this is just a guess, but I think when Tomlin is done in Pittsburgh, he’s done coaching. I think he’d love to win something without Ben, and if it happens or he accepts that it’s not going to, he’ll hang it up for good.

He'll have to accept it. Because he's outdated and stale in terms of his vision of football. And the Steelers aren't even remotely close. And they really haven't been in a while.

3 playoff wins in 13 years. Those 3 came against Matt Moore (Miami Dolphins), Alex Smith (Kansas City), and AJ McCarron (Cincinatti). And if we are being technical, they had no business winning the game in Cincy in 2016.

[Chuck Norris]

When he starts turning the ball over like he does (historically more than anyone else through number of games played), I wonder what the tune will be. And frankly, I don't believe Wilson is much better either.

Pickett wasn't an elite quarterback (and he needed to be way better), but everything about that situation was botched. But it's also forgotten that the Steelers were 7-3 or 7-4 when he went out with the injury in the Cardinals game last year. If the Steelers plod to 7, 8, or 9 wins again playing horrendous looking football (which they will), will it even matter who the QB is? Will all the local media members who complained about Pickett realize he wasn't the overall problem and that the result is exactly the same?

At some point, the people carrying the water for the Steelers and Tomlin (and that includes both the fans and the media), need to realize that the organizational philosophy is what's holding back the Steelers. This post is not to be a Pickett defense. I just don't think he was the largest problem they had. They aren't anywhere close.

I think Wilson has good football left in him. But if this calf situation lingers any longer things could get ugly, given how it happened. If he doesn’t get the chance to stick it to Sean Payton on Sunday things could blow up. Fields would be a great backup but he won’t accept that role long term in Pittsburgh. His physical talent will convince at least one more team they can fix him and make him the guy.

It is time for Tomlin and the Steelers to move on from one another, but the Steelers love when networks put up that graphic that they’ve only had 3 coaches since 1969. And, this is just a guess, but I think when Tomlin is done in Pittsburgh, he’s done coaching. I think he’d love to win something without Ben, and if it happens or he accepts that it’s not going to, he’ll hang it up for good.

[Fightingscot82]

When he starts turning the ball over like he does (historically more than anyone else through number of games played), I wonder what the tune will be. And frankly, I don't believe Wilson is much better either.

Pickett wasn't an elite quarterback (and he needed to be way better), but everything about that situation was botched. But it's also forgotten that the Steelers were 7-3 or 7-4 when he went out with the injury in the Cardinals game last year. If the Steelers plod to 7, 8, or 9 wins again playing horrendous looking football (which they will), will it even matter who the QB is? Will all the local media members who complained about Pickett realize he wasn't the overall problem and that the result is exactly the same?

At some point, the people carrying the water for the Steelers and Tomlin (and that includes both the fans and the media), need to realize that the organizational philosophy is what's holding back the Steelers. This post is not to be a Pickett defense. I just don't think he was the largest problem they had. They aren't anywhere close.

I agree and pretty soon we'll be back where we were several years ago where the underperforming lines are full of well-paid experienced or inexperienced players.

It really shows how much TJ Watt keeps them in games.

[TheBigCat2192]

I'd like to see him get another start or two ... see how he changes with having a game under his belt.

Fields had a 40 game sample of QB play coming into this season. Not exactly an unknown quantity. While it’s not totally inconceivable that he could be better with Pittsburgh than Chicago his biggest flaw as a QB, horrible pocket presence/sack taking, is something that is difficult to develop out of. If you’d like an example you can just look at the other QB on the roster who has been a sack machine behind lots of different O-Lines across two different franchises. The biggest difference is that Wilson has actually been a very productive passer when he isn’t being sacked. Fields hasn’t.