Big Ben is back - Steelers AFC North favorite?

[machine gun kelly]

Taking Big Ben lightly is a mistake.  He’s always been stout to be polite, but he still can hang in the pocket and make the tough throws, when others would go down.  They were 5th in defense and 28th in offense.  With Ben back, that offense will improve.  We’ll see.  A lot of pride on this board and that is fine.  How about we win a bunch before as Parcells said, we crown them.  My phrase as I’ve said before is cautiously optimistic.

[JMF2006]

2 hours ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

He needs to lose like 30 pounds. Crazy

 

More like 130

 

If he had any strength they could move him to guard  

[Greg S]

6 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

Taking Big Ben lightly is a mistake.  He’s always been stout to be polite, but he still can hang in the pocket and make the tough throws, when others would go down.  They were 5th in defense and 28th in offense.  With Ben back, that offense will improve.  We’ll see.  A lot of pride on this board and that is fine.  How about we win a bunch before as Parcells said, we crown them.  My phrase as I’ve said before is cautiously optimistic.

 

On the flip side Ben is 38 and has had his share of injuries. He is obviously a first ballot HOF but injuries and age might be catching up to him now. I wouldn't be surprised if he is not playing when the Steelers come to OP.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Greg S

[BarleyNY]

1 hour ago, MJS said:

 

That game was never really in question. The Bills had it under control and our defense shut their offense down. I was never worried. Were you?

I was not.  But that was largely because the Stiller offense was completely impotent against our defense.  Had BR (even a very fat BR) been QBing their offense, it would have been a very different story. 

[Rico]

Ravens, still the best team in the league.

[Hebert19]

Hes been declining for 2 or 3 years.   Don't think the injury will help with that.  They have a solid chance at 3rd though. 

[C.Biscuit97]

7 minutes ago, Hebert19 said:

Hes been declining for 2 or 3 years.   Don't think the injury will help with that.  They have a solid chance at 3rd though. 

In 2018, he threw for 5,000 yards and 34 tds.  It’s so weird the double standards we have for other QBs.  Bills QBs throw for 200 yards, they are awesome.  Other QBs win the MVP or throw for 5,000 yards, they are flukes!

[njbuff]

He could fall off the cliff athletically this year.

 

But Ben has been a HOF QB with two SB rings, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt, even at age 38.

 

We have been trying to bury Brady for many years to no avail. Ben should given the same respect and he will have to show he is done instead of us predicting he will be done.

[Franco_92]

4 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

They went 8-8 a year after losing Bell, Brown,  and Big Ben starting a guy named duck and terrible Mason.  The AfC north is going to be a beast this year. 

Watch the tape on Big Ben before he hurt his elbow. They would have been that or worse with him playing the whole season. He's trash now

So, they'll be ~8-8 again, though it's far from a guarantee they lead the NFL in takeaways again

 

47 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

In 2018, he threw for 5,000 yards and 34 tds.  It’s so weird the double standards we have for other QBs.  Bills QBs throw for 200 yards, they are awesome.  Other QBs win the MVP or throw for 5,000 yards, they are flukes!

If Manning can fall off a cliff in a season, so can Ben. He was ***** terrible for 2 games and then had a horrific season-ending injury in his throwing elbow, and gained 500 lbs while turning 38 or 39. 

He is done

[SoTier]

4 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

They went 8-8 a year after losing Bell, Brown,  and Big Ben starting a guy named duck and terrible Mason.  The AfC north is going to be a beast this year. 

 

This.  I could see the Ravens, Steelers, and Browns all making the play offs -- although they might all lower their win totals if they take turns beating one another.

[stinky finger]

4 hours ago, LeviF91 said:

 

You may not like it, but this is what peak male performance looks like.  Deal with it.

 

 

"You too can play QB in the NFL"

[Billl]

6 hours ago, MJS said:

 

That game was never really in question. The Bills had it under control and our defense shut their offense down. I was never worried. Were you?

 

[Mr. WEO]

When's the weigh in?

[NoHuddleKelly12]

28 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

They played a 3rd string QB who had no business starting. Duck Hodges is god awful..... if the Bills lost that game they didn’t deserve a playoff spot. 

Allen faced down a top tier defense in an environment that was as pressure packed as it gets at the NFL level—he could’ve folded like a cheap suit but rose to the occasion—point being, that Steeler D was no cakewalk, the Bills earned what they got. 

[YoloinOhio]

3 hours ago, arcane said:

Watch the tape on Big Ben before he hurt his elbow. They would have been that or worse with him playing the whole season. He's trash now

So, they'll be ~8-8 again, though it's far from a guarantee they lead the NFL in takeaways again

 

If Manning can fall off a cliff in a season, so can Ben. He was ***** terrible for 2 games and then had a horrific season-ending injury in his throwing elbow, and gained 500 lbs while turning 38 or 39. 

He is done

I think Ben’s issues for years have  been that he’s a  different QB on the road than he is at home. Really the whole team under Tomlin usually rises to the occasion at home especially in big games and has looked like a different team often on the road, specifically when it’s a game they are expected to win. 

[Brennan Huff]

8 hours ago, Greg S said:

I would go with the Ravens. How much does Ben have left in the tank? Can he stay healthy for a full season? What is he 38,39?

He’s the same age as JP Losman. Remember him?

[YoloinOhio]

6 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Have the new Browns EVER been anything but an also ran -aside from a League embarrassment? Yes, we lost to them last season but removing the ‘process’ exposed our team as not very good. Yet, we nearly came back against Baltimore -who were embarrassed by the Chiefs a few weeks later, stifled a Steeler team at home in Prime time in a game they HAD to win. Cincy? Fuggetaboutit. 

The Division was not a beast last year and there’s nothing to suggest collectively they’ll be better heading into ‘20. Stiller’s have their customary 4 prime time games, but 3 are on the road. 

Nothing to see here.

The Browns somehow even lost to Duck Hodges. But beat Mason Rudolph (literally, with a helmet). 

[The Firebaugh Kid]

No way. Ravens are a force. 

[MJS]

1 hour ago, Billl said:

 

 

Well everyone knows you stay away from game day threads. Nothing but melodrama and overreactions.

[Franco_92]

43 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

I think Ben’s issues for years have  been that he’s a  different QB on the road than he is at home. Really the whole team under Tomlin usually rises to the occasion at home especially in big games and has looked like a different team often on the road, specifically when it’s a game they are expected to win. 

That may well be true. I'm happy to eat crow if I'm wrong (well, not really, because that would mean the Bills have competition I don't expect) but I just see his issue now as being an almost-obese 38 year old football player that just had Tommy freakin John surgery and was showing signs of being horrific before injuring the elbow 

[major]

8 hours ago, BuffaloBillies said:

Ben Eatinburgers

Ben RAPEthlisberger

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, Billl said:

 

 

Not sure what point you're trying to make here?  That some members go postal during games?

[Billl]

26 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Not sure what point you're trying to make here?  That some members go postal during games?

I’m saying the game was very much in doubt.  Pittsburgh has a 72% expected win rate at one point. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

25 minutes ago, Billl said:

I’m saying the game was very much in doubt.  Pittsburgh has a 72% expected win rate at one point. 

 

Thanks for the clarification.  Perhaps that link wasn't the best way to display that (I assume you mean "win probability" for "win rate", minor nit)

[Talley56]

Without Bell or Brown, missing an entire season, and getting close to 40, I don't see Ben being very effective anymore.  Ravens may take a small step back but they'll still be one of the best teams in the AFC and probably the entire league.

[JDubya76]

11 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

I believe the word you were searching for is "husky." 

I thought the word was rapist

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

CHONK

[Teddy KGB]

9 hours ago, The Firebaugh Kid said:

No way. Ravens are a force. 

regular season beasts.  

[billsfan_34]

Baltimore will take the division- Bens not going to change the trajectory 

[aristocrat]

if big ben is able to pick up where he left off i'd put him right up there to take the division. they still have a top defense and lots of weapons on offense. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

16 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

Taking Big Ben lightly is a mistake.  He’s always been stout to be polite, but he still can hang in the pocket and make the tough throws, when others would go down.  They were 5th in defense and 28th in offense.  With Ben back, that offense will improve.  We’ll see.  A lot of pride on this board and that is fine.  How about we win a bunch before as Parcells said, we crown them.  My phrase as I’ve said before is cautiously optimistic.

I agree. People here are viewing Ben as injury prone. Last year was really the only major injury of his career. It’s not like he has been on the decline either— just 2 years ago he threw for 5100 yards. 
 

if he had been healthy last year, they were easily a 12-13 win team. 

[LeviF]

1 minute ago, HOUSE said:

 

The suit sucks, should have stayed at home

 

Mid-00's was a rough time for NBA and NFL fashion.

 

[YattaOkasan]

Im just not sure they can replicate the turnovers they created last year.  That was a huge reason they were 8-8 and I would bet on a regression to the mean there. 

 

As for when we played them, it was classic comedy of errors from our offense.  Cover 1 recently did all our offensive plays against them on youtube and it was ugly pretty much across the board.  You got a drop from brown that wouldve been a first but becomes 3rd and very long outside FG territory, a drop from Beasley in FG territory that becomes a pick again (his drops had to have huge EPA over the season), Frank Gore trying to bounce plays to the outside, Singeltary having super inopportune fumbles (lost one after a 20 yard run).  Think there were probably some costly penalties in there too.  Josh made a couple rough plays too but the plays above really hurt as it was 5 explosive play swing to them.  

 

 

Edited May 19, 2020 by YattaOkasan

[BigBillsFan]

10 hours ago, Talley56 said:

Without Bell or Brown, missing an entire season, and getting close to 40, I don't see Ben being very effective anymore.  Ravens may take a small step back but they'll still be one of the best teams in the AFC and probably the entire league.

 

Because QBs are more important to the success of a WR than the WR making the QB. His last playoff game he threw for almost 500 yards and a bunch of TDs. He's got the mental part of it, I doubt he'll have a major regression unless he gets injured.

 

If he plays this year he'll be good for 4200+ yards and 25 TDs minimum. If that was Allen we would be having a heart-attack in excitement.

[Talley56]

1 hour ago, BigBillsFan said:

 

Because QBs are more important to the success of a WR than the WR making the QB. His last playoff game he threw for almost 500 yards and a bunch of TDs. He's got the mental part of it, I doubt he'll have a major regression unless he gets injured.

 

If he plays this year he'll be good for 4200+ yards and 25 TDs minimum. If that was Allen we would be having a heart-attack in excitement.

I don't know what the stats of his last playoff game, from over two years ago, have to do with how he'll do this year (btw, Bell and Brown accounted for over 200 of those yards) but I never said QBs weren't more important. I'm just saying you cannot deny that not having Bell/Brown will be a huge detriment.  You're on a board where people are constantly talking about Allen being held back by a lack of good WR options.  I would be really surprised if Ben puts up those numbers this year.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

Let them (defensed) beat the snot out of each other

[BmarvB]

On 5/18/2020 at 1:06 PM, YoloinOhio said:

Ravens or Steelers - who ya got?

I like the men of steel

[billsfan89]

I would not put the Steelers as the favorite over the Ravens. The Steelers lost Jason Hargrave in free agency who I think will be a significant loss on defense and there is no guarantee that they will be a top offense with Big Ben. The Steelers offense was struggling with Big Ben. Ju Ju as a number one receiver might not work and Connor as Lev Bell's replacement isn't working as planned. Yes they still won 8 games and were sitting at 8-5 before losing their last 3 games without Big Ben and riding on a great defense. But the defense lost one of its best players and there is no guarantee Big Ben turns around that offense enough or stays healthy. 

 

I would give the Steelers a good chance to nab a wildcard spot but not to compete with the Raven's for the division. 

[Mark Vader]

On 5/18/2020 at 10:16 AM, C.Biscuit97 said:

They went 8-8 a year after losing Bell, Brown,  and Big Ben starting a guy named duck and terrible Mason.  The AfC north is going to be a beast this year. 

A beast of burden.

 

Baltimore wins the division and after that an 8-8 Pittsburgh or Cleveland will have a shot at the 7 seed.

[Mr. WEO]

On ‎5‎/‎18‎/‎2020 at 1:44 PM, LeviF91 said:

 

You may not like it, but this is what peak male performance looks like.  Deal with it.