We'll sink or swim with our rookies...

I'm not very confident with this season coming up.  If we have the same injury problems (especially on the oline) that we've had for the last 3-years, I expect our season is going to be absolutely horrible and possbily ending up being worse than last season.  That means that Tomlin's rope gets a little tighter.  Remember, Cowher had only 1 time with back to back losing seasons.

I think it is imperative for the rookies to step up because we're going through a big turnover of players on our team.  So we go as our rookies go.  What does this mean in my opinion?  I'm expecting a horrible start and a gradual improvement as the seasons goes on if these players we drafted are even NFL capable.  This could spell doom for our entire season. 

Here is the win/loss records of Tomlin and Cowher.

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I THINK THE POINT MISSED IN THOSE STATS IS HOW COWHER BUILT HIS TEAM FROM ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ... AND TOMLIN WAS HANDED A SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.

COWHER WON AND DOMINATED THE NFL FOR YEARS WITHOUT EVER HAVING AN ELITE QB


TOMLIN WAS HANDED AN ELITE QB AND HAS WASTED THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF HIS OWN POOR COACHING DECISIONS , LACK OF PREPARATION, LACK OF MOTIVATION, LACK OF A WINNING ATTITUDE, LACK OF A WINNING GAME-PLAN, .... BASICALLY TOMLIN HAS BEEN A SPECTATOR WHO RIDES THE COAT TAILS OF THE PLAYERS ... UNFORTUNATELY IN THE NFL YOU USUALLY CANNOT WIN CONSISTENTLY WITHOUT A GOOD HEADCOACH ...  TOMLIN WON A RING EARLY IN HIS CAREER BECAUSE THE TEAM WAS ALREADY CHAMPIONS AND WAS LOADED WITH VETERANS WHO WERE ABLE TO OVERCOME TOMLINS INCOMPETENCE

OUR BIG ATHLETIC ROOKIE POWER RUNNINGBACK IN ACTION

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This season rests on the shoulders of two players, Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert. It doesn't rest on the shoulders of rookies. The FO took a big chance in not resigning Max Starks, and the confidence in Gilbert in particular might be misplaced.

This season rests on the shoulders of two players, Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert. It doesn't rest on the shoulders of rookies. The FO took a big chance in not resigning Max Starks, and the confidence in Gilbert in particular might be misplaced.

 I'll agree,but if this team doesn't establish any running game, this season will be like last season. Defenses will load the box again,and that OL will be tested again

TASKFORCE wrote:I THINK THE POINT MISSED IN THOSE STATS IS HOW COWHER BUILT HIS TEAM FROM ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ... AND TOMLIN WAS HANDED A SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.

I know where you're going with this but I'm not ready to throw the towel in on Tomlin just quite yet.  I'm not happy with him either so let's just say I'm on the fence for another year with Tomlin.  My complaints about Tomlin was some of his horrible decision making he did during games that could have gone either way last year and we ended up losing those games.

RLON39 wrote:This season rests on the shoulders of two players, Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert. It doesn't rest on the shoulders of rookies. The FO took a big chance in not resigning Max Starks, and the confidence in Gilbert in particular might be misplaced.

 I think we'll be alright with these guys if we run the ball alittle bit more.  We need Bell to be successful and I think he will as long as our line stays healthy.  Adams is an absolute monster run blocking, lets just hope he will improve in his pass blocking.

leejr wrote:This season rests on the shoulders of two players, Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert. It doesn't rest on the shoulders of rookies. The FO took a big chance in not resigning Max Starks, and the confidence in Gilbert in particular might be misplaced.

 I'll agree,but if this team doesn't establish any running game, this season will be like last season. Defenses will load the box again,and that OL will be tested again

 I think the only time you'll see defenses loading up in the box is if our running game is very successful.  If they do put 7 or 8 in the box, I guarentee you that Ben will have a tremendous year if he can stay healthy.  Yes, Ben will be licking his chops and loving it like never before.

I know where you're going with this^^^^^^^^

Of course you know where he is going, he and his alter ego has beaten the point to death over the past few years. It's time to focus on what's here...

RLON39 wrote:I know where you're going with this^^^^^^^^

Of course you know where he is going, he and his alter ego has beaten the point to death over the past few years. It's time to focus on what's here...

 IT'S FUTILE TO FOCUS ON "WHAT'S HERE" IF YOUR HEADCOACH IS INCAPABLE OF PREPARING HIS TEAM TO BEAT THE LOWEST LEVEL OF COMPETITION EACH YEAR ... THIS IS AN ANNUAL EVENT WHERE TOMLIN SHOWS THAT HE LOSES GAMES TO THE TEAMS WE SHOULD BEAT EASILY , ITS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT TOMLIN DOESN'T HAVE THE SKILLS NEEDED TO KEEP A TEAM PREPARED AND FOCUSED FOR 16 WEEKS ... THIS FACT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHO WE HAVE ON OUR ROSTER OR WHAT ROOKIES WE DRAFTED ...  WHEN TOMLIN CAN SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN HIS OWN COACHING SKILLS THATS WHEN THE FANS WILL LAY OFF HIM ... UNTIL THEN , WE MUST HOLD HIS FEET TO THE FIRE.

I think the only time you'll see defenses loading up in the box is if our running game is very successful.  If they do put 7 or 8 in the box, I guarentee you that Ben will have a tremendous year if he can stay healthy.  Yes, Ben will be licking his chops and loving it like never before.

Ben isn't your fast release qb. Without a running game,defenses will load up to see if that ol can protect Ben. With a running game you can keep things honest.With Miller out,and no one to stretch the field,they better establish a run game,or they will b home

If they do put 7 or 8 in the box, I guarentee you that Ben will have a tremendous year if he can stay healthy.^^^^^^^^^^^

That is a big 'if', because that OL has a long way to go before they can hold pressure enough, with 8 in the box, to allow Ben to hurt opposing teams without breaking tackles, and risking injuries in the process, to make teams pay for not being honest. They haven't been able to do that honestly, without Ben being superman, for years. I hope this is the year they can deal with that scenario without risking the life of their franchise QB.

Man, that 15-1 2004 team, outside of having a rookie QB and an opponent who practically stole games through videotape spying....would have been one of the great ones of all time IMO. They way they won many of their games was extraordinary, like they were a team of destiny, until a coverage liability like Rodney Harrison just all of a sudden looked like he could run routes for professional wide receivers.

leejr wrote:I think the only time you'll see defenses loading up in the box is if our running game is very successful.  If they do put 7 or 8 in the box, I guarentee you that Ben will have a tremendous year if he can stay healthy.  Yes, Ben will be licking his chops and loving it like never before.

Ben isn't your fast release qb. Without a running game,defenses will load up to see if that ol can protect Ben. With a running game you can keep things honest.With Miller out,and no one to stretch the field,they better establish a run game,or they will b home

 Ben was last year before he was hurt.  He ran alot of 3-step drops and was in the running for MVP before his injury.  That's not what Ben likes to do though and he has talked Haley into mixing it up this year.