Whats with all the love for the steelers?

[CarlJohnson]

I couldn't believe my ears last night with all of the sports shows slurping all over the steelers. I dont understand how they are grouping pittsburgh in with the colts and patriots. How can a team with two losses to teams with under .500 records be considered a top echelon team in the nfl? I understand they're a good team, but to put them at the top of the nfl? Is my hate for the steelers clouding my view or am i missing something here?

 

[Doomsday101]

I couldn't believe my ears last night with all of the sports shows slurping all over the steelers. I dont understand how they are grouping pittsburgh in with the colts and patriots. How can a team with two losses to teams with under .500 records be considered a top echelon team in the nfl? I understand they're a good team, but to put them at the top of the nfl? Is my hate for the steelers clouding my view or am i missing something here?

Little of both. I think the media gets carried away and your hate may be clouding your vision. In the games I have seen including MNF the Steelers look like a very good team and one who could come up and bite the Colts or the Pats when they face them

 

[AdamJT13]

They're in the AFC, so some people think they're automatically better than anyone in the NFC. But both DVOA and Sagarin say they've played the second-easiest schedule in the league so far, and Sagarin's ELO CHESS ranking (which cares only about winning and losing, not scores) says they're the 20th-best team. In other words, they've been blowing out bad teams when they haven't been losing to bad teams. And the best team they've played -- Cleveland -- started Charlie Frye at quarterback.

 

[trickblue]

I was listening to Fox Sports on XM on the way home last night and they had a local sports guy from Pittsburgh on to talk Steelers.

They started saying how they were the third best team in the NFL, just a slight notch below Indy. The local guy said "Now wait a minute. That has to be Dallas. They are blowing teams out and they hung with New England til the fourth quarter. You take that junk TD away at the end and this is still a close game. Their offense is high powered and their defense is really good. Don't talk about their weak schedule. We lost to the likes of Arizona and Denver and you want to put us in the same class as Dallas? I'm not buying it. They are playing teams they are supposed to beat and they are not just beating them, they are blowing them out."...

They tried to talk him into the Steeler hype but he was having none of it. You could tell they were PO'ed with him. When he left they said, well we still think Pittsburgh is better than Dallas. He just said thanks and bye...

 

[theebs]

The steelers have been very good. I dont know what happened that night in denver...very strange but They are very good.

There defense is relentless and will give them a shot against anybody. The colts had better hope they dont stub their toe somewhere and lose a game or two. I dont think they want to go play that defense on the road in january.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

It is just amazing....I mean think about it...the Ravens were without their starting CBs....the Ravens have been beaten by the Bills. The Ravens gave Pitt a short field the entire 1st half. And the Steelers did what they are supposed to do. BUT HAD THE COWBOYS LOST TO THE CARDS OR DENVER...their is nothing that would have stopped the media for constantly reminding everyone we could not be taken seriously because we lost to the Cards!

I don't care but I am sick of it...we get knocked for WINNING....people knocked our win against the 4-4 Bills. The same Bills that beat the Ravens, yet somehow the Steeler beating the Ravens elevates them to new heights? People knocked our win against the Vikes. Heck Peter King ranked San Diego ahead of us because he did not like how we beat the VIkes....then the Vikes promptly go out and dump truck the Chargers. And do you hear Peter King backtracking or even apologizing? I could go on and on with many more examples...but you guy's get my point...I am sick it.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

The Steelers are playing very good football at home, however, on the road it does not look so great....they can be beat

 

[YosemiteSam]

Vic Carucci isn't deceived.

LINK

Why the Steelers aren't among the league's elite

Monday night takes

» The Steelers' humiliation of Baltimore has generated discussion about whether they should be viewed as the third-best team in the NFL behind New England and Indianapolis. For now, I vote no. At this point, Dallas, Green Bay, and the New York Giants seem to represent the next level of NFL teams better than anyone in the AFC. They generally are more consistent at playing at the lofty level necessary to even be mentioned in the same sentence as the Patriots and Colts. For that matter, I don't even know how rock-solid the Steelers are as the No. 3 team in their own conference. Another 6-2 club, Tennessee, makes a fairly compelling argument for that designation as well.

I was as impressed as anyone with the way Ben Roethlisberger moved and threw his way to a franchise-record five touchdowns. But that's what a good quarterback with above-average receivers should do against a team missing both starting cornerbacks. I was as impressed as anyone with the very convincing Jack Lambert imitation that James Harrison gave in the first half. But that's part of what the league's top-ranked defense should do against an offense, and especially a quarterback, that can't out of its own way. What troubled me was seeing the Steelers' No. 2-ranked rushing attack struggle to move the ball on the ground, even if it didn't have to.

I'm also still bothered by Pittsburgh's losses at Arizona (3-5) and Denver (3-5). A truly elite team should dominate weaker opponents. I know the Steelers did that against the Ravens and have done that against other opponents this season. But they need to show greater consistency in order to make the case that they are a legitimate threat to keep either the Patriots or Colts from reaching the Super Bowl.

 

[vicjagger]

Perhaps this type of stuff influences the mediots' perceptions:

Pittsburgh: #1 in total defense (#1 pass, #4 rush), # 1 in scoring defense (98 pts, 12.2/gm). # 2 in rushing offense, # 8 total offense, +6 turnover margin (T-6th), #1 in time-of-possession.

Their strength of schedule (to-date) is .422 (T-26th, with Dallas), strength of victory is .438 (6th) and strength of loss is .375 (T-30th, with Green Bay), which confirms what Adam wrote about them losing to bad teams. They did have several key injuries at the time though...Polamalu, Himes Ward.

They are a very good team.

 

[WV Cowboy]

In other words, they've been blowing out bad teams when they haven't been losing to bad teams. And the best team they've played -- Cleveland -- started Charlie Frye at quarterback.

Yea, it has really been a tough road for the Squeelers, and it's only going to get tougher, ... as they still have to play the Jets(1-8), the Dolphins(0-8), the Bengals(2-6), the Rams(0-8), and don't forget they have to play the Ravens again, who gave them all they could handle on MNF.

Could it get any easier for the Squeelers?uke:

 

[percyhoward]

The game I most look forward to next year.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Perhaps this type of stuff influences the mediots' perceptions:

Pittsburgh: #1 in total defense (#1 pass, #4 rush), # 1 in scoring defense (98 pts, 12.2/gm). # 2 in rushing offense, # 8 total offense, +6 turnover margin (T-6th), #1 in time-of-possession.

Their strength of schedule (to-date) is .422 (T-26th, with Dallas), strength of victory is .438 (6th) and strength of loss is .375 (T-30th, with Green Bay), which confirms what Adam wrote about them losing to bad teams. They did have several key injuries at the time though...Polamalu, Himes Ward.

They are a very good team.

I don't think the OP was saying they weren't a good team, but was asking how they were being placed up with the Colts and the Pats.

Their signature win was on opening day against the Browns before the Browns found their QB.(Sunday should be interesting.)

Other than that they have beaten the 4-4 Bills, the 2-6 '9ers', the 4-4 Seahawks, the 2-6 Bengals and the 4-4 Ravens.

 

[AdamJT13]

Their strength of schedule (to-date) is .422 (T-26th, with Dallas), strength of victory is .438 (6th) and strength of loss is .375 (T-30th, with Green Bay)

Where are you getting those numbers? Our raw strength of schedule is .431 (28-37), not .422. And neither of those would rank 26th. Our adjusted strength of schedule (taking our games out of it so we're not punished for winning) is .474 (27-30), which ranks 20th in adjusted strength of schedule.

It should be noted that simple win-loss records aren't the best method of evaluating strength of schedule. Both DVOA (play-by-play) and Sagarin (game results) say the Steelers have played the second-easiest schedule in the league, while we're in the middle (14th and 17th). So although the combined win-loss records of our opponents are similar, in-depth statistical analyses say that our opponents have been much better.

 

[cobra]

They could have 50 last game if they wanted to do so.

Here is the deal with Pitt:

Yeah, they have lost 2 games they probably shouldn't have. But they have are getting healthy and have won respectably despite some serious injuries on their team.

They were playing without Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Casey Hampton, Troy Polamolu, and Alan Faneca have been missing games. Those are some of their best players. Ryan Clark, their starting safety, is out. Aaron Smith, their starting DE, is out. In short, they got the injury bug big time, but still won games. Now they are getting healthy and looking very good.

They are a tough team. Their QB is playing very good depsite having injuries to his best pass catchers. Their RB is excellent. Their defense is top notch.

If they get healthy, watch out.

(The way NE is playing, everyone is playing for 2nd place, though).

 

[CarlJohnson]

They were playing without Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Casey Hampton, Troy Polamolu, and Alan Faneca have been missing games. Those are some of their best players. Ryan Clark, their starting safety, is out. Aaron Smith, their starting DE, is out. In short, they got the injury bug big time, but still won games. Now they are getting healthy and looking very good.

I understand all that, and im not one for conspiracy theories or anything like that. But i know the media has certain teams they want to see win and some that they want to see lose. I see your point with the steelers injuries and agree, i hear that same arguement for the giants first two game, osi was hurt and strahan wasnt in football shape yet. But when that point was brought up with indi against the pats(harrison, gonzalez, the left tackle) most people said " you cant use that as an excuse, the pats are just a better team" And hardly anybody in the media mentions dallas not having henry, newman, glenn, ferguson at different times. I dont want to sound like im whining, because im not, injuries are apart of the game. But it's just frustrrating to me that injuries seem to be a good excuse to some teams but not others.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Interestingly enough, I was listening to Newton on FOXSports yesterday and he said he ranked Pittsburgh as the 3rd best team as well. I thought that was interesting because he's typically a homer. Not in this case.

BTW, he also said he hates NE but that they are dominating the league right now. Said they are in a class by themselves, which I don't agree with.

Said that if they played his Cowboys teams, they would get delt with, no contest.

I don't really agree with a lot of what Newt says but he is entertaining.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Don't worry. IF the Pats reach the SuperBowl, they will get delt with by the Cowboys. :laugh2:

 

[WV Cowboy]

I would gladly play the Steelers any time.

 

[AmishCowboy]

I understand all that, and im not one for conspiracy theories or anything like that. But i know the media has certain teams they want to see win and some that they want to see lose. I see your point with the steelers injuries and agree, i hear that same arguement for the giants first two game, osi was hurt and strahan wasnt in football shape yet. But when that point was brought up with indi against the pats(harrison, gonzalez, the left tackle) most people said " you cant use that as an excuse, the pats are just a better team" And hardly anybody in the media mentions dallas not having henry, newman, glenn, ferguson at different times. I dont want to sound like im whining, because im not, injuries are apart of the game. But it's just frustrrating to me that injuries seem to be a good excuse to some teams but not others.

 

[AmishCowboy]

Just like the Media asks who we beat, I give you the Steelers whose only win against a .500 or better team is against the 5-3 Cleveland Browns on Opening weekend, they are a far better team now. I agree that Pitt's injuries get mentioned, but the media forgets Glenn, Freguson, Newman and Henry.