Week 14: Steelers at Bills on SNF

[Hapless Bills Fan]

41 minutes ago, QLBillsFan said:

Tomlin was super pissed after the Ravens game calling his team JV. This week he’s pissed because they got outplayed by the Skins. At some point the angry guy skit gets old. I’ll take our calm coaches prep focused on the execution vs opponent. Angry guy act is kinda of high school. I also like our talent and they are banged up on D. Bills dominate this guy because we are better 34-20. 

 

That's a point.  I suppose it depends upon the overall relationship with the coach.  If he's pissed and yelling all the time, I'm sure that does get old.  If he's got the relationship where the players respect him and really want to go hard for him and earn his respect, then they're focused on the way to shut him up is just execute, I imagine.

[QLBillsFan]

1 minute ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

OK, so here's a question for the guys who have played:

 

Can you beat an angry team?  If the talent difference in the NFL between any team is so small (as the players say it is), is that angry edge the defining factor?

Yes the Bills will remain calm and defeat the Steelers in a close game. Ultimately pushing the Bills to the 2nd spot in the AFC and avoiding the Chiefs until the AFC championship. The Steelers will not rebound losing to us again in week 2 of the playoffs. I just think the Bills are most talented and somewhat more healthy. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

17 minutes ago, QLBillsFan said:

Agree he’s a solid coach and determined hard worker. In this era I don’t think multiple weeks in a row you should publicly embarrass your players. So that’s where I’m at. Don’t discount his accomplishments. I think it exposes his concerns about this teams ability to really be a contender. 

 

I hadn't thought about it that way

[K-9]

6 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

OK, so here's a question for the guys who have played:

 

Can you beat an angry team?  If the talent difference in the NFL between any team is so small (as the players say it is), is that angry edge the defining factor?

Anger only works if it pays off early. If not, and the opponent gets up, that anger leads to frustration and a frustrated team is easy to beat most of the time. 

[Big Blitz]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

OK, so here's a question for the guys who have played:

 

Can you beat an angry team?  If the talent difference in the NFL between any team is so small (as the players say it is), is that angry edge the defining factor?  Does the "angry edge" wear off if you're getting your butt kicked and you get pissed off in return?

 

 

Anger should motivate you to prepare and practice harder and stay focused.  Extra time in the film room, etc. 

 

When that translates on the field you didn't see an angrier team, you just saw a team more focused and better prepared.  You aren't out there thinking about the last game or anything else other then your job.  No time to be angry about the noise or the last game.  But they will work harder.  

 

In the NFL these days the top 10 teams are very close so any edge will make a difference.  And if they are ticked off all week being told they aren't what they're record is, and they keep replaying the Renegade play from last year, yea they're going to be motivated.  That's the key.  

 

Does that worry me tho?  For the Bills O absolutely not bc the Steelers D is banged up and we should be able to *Booger voice* score the football.  

 

But the Steelers O worries me.  Ben does not get sacked.  It's the best oline we'll see all year - better then the Rams and we saw what they did with us.  Conner and Pouncey back.   

 

We're definitely not the run D of weeks 1-6; if that's bc Edmunds is healthy and something clicked or Ed Oliver finally figuring things out or just the coaches figuring out how to use the new pieces I don't know.  

 

But I do know the Steelers have been angry all week they'll be prepared and ready.   

 

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

 

 

 

 

[stuvian]

Ben is wonky.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/concern-mounting-within-steelers-organization-about-ben-roethlisberger-knee-injury/

 

Calling for Bills win by 7

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, Big Blitz said:

Anger should motivate you to prepare and practice harder and stay focused.  Extra time in the film room, etc. 

 

When that translates on the field you didn't see an angrier team, you just saw a team more focused and better prepared.  You aren't out there thinking about the last game or anything else other then your job.  No time to be angry about the noise or the last game.  But they will work harder.

 

That's a very good point, well stated: it's not the anger per se, it's the use you make of it.  If it motivates you to be better prepared and more focused, it's great.  If it doesn't, or if the public shaming dents your confidence that you can effect change, it's useless or even counter-productive.

 

23 minutes ago, stuvian said:

Ben is wonky.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/concern-mounting-within-steelers-organization-about-ben-roethlisberger-knee-injury/

Calling for Bills win by 7

 

I don't care so much about Ben's knee.  He hasn't been trying to be mobile anyway.  This interests me:

 

"The Steelers have attempted 104 passes in the last two weeks. The results? They barely defeated the Covid-ravaged Ravens and then lost to Washington.  Sources said the team did not intend to disband the run game to that degree and noted the wide autonomy that Roethlisberger commands to change plays at the line of scrimmage as a primary factor in the development. "

 

Anyone have idea who these sources are and what would be the motivation? 

 

"Pittsburgh has tended to go up-tempo with a spread formation for long stretches at a time – often an empty set – with Roethlisberger getting rid of the ball quickly in a short-and-intermediate pass offense."

 

If it's an empty set, it's not Roethlisberger changing things.

 

 

[RochesterLifer]

7 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

OK, so here's a question for the guys who have played:

 

Can you beat an angry team?  If the talent difference in the NFL between any team is so small (as the players say it is), is that angry edge the defining factor?  Does the "angry edge" wear off if you're getting your butt kicked and you get pissed off in return?

So, this isn't football experience. But, after 30 years of rugby, I can tell you that anger is easy to defeat in contact sports. Focus on fundamentals, execution, recognition and performance. That cross-eyed, slobbering meathead on the other side of the line can focus on anger all he wants. His performance will suffer due to misguided focus and lack of thinking.

 

Go Bills. 

[stevewin]

Damien Woody on Sportscenter just now "Pitts defense don't think going to hold Bills offense down with the weapons they have on the outside with Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley and John Brown"  

[billybob71]

5 minutes ago, stevewin said:

Damien Woody on Sportscenter just now "Pitts defense don't think going to hold Bills offense down with the weapons they have on the outside with Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley and John Brown"  

yeah he got me excited for a sec that i missed Brown coming off IR 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

8 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

OK, so here's a question for the guys who have played:

 

Can you beat an angry team?  If the talent difference in the NFL between any team is so small (as the players say it is), is that angry edge the defining factor?  Does the "angry edge" wear off if you're getting your butt kicked and you get pissed off in return?

 

Steelers could have an edge if this were a 1 pm kick-off. But since this is a primetime game I think the Bills will be plenty motivated that it will cancel out any edge the Steelers would have wanting to revenge their loss from last week. 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

11 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

Steelers could have an edge if this were a 1 pm kick-off. But since this is a primetime game I think the Bills will be plenty motivated that it will cancel out any edge the Steelers would have wanting to revenge their loss from last week. 

 

You think the Bills are extra motivated by prime time?

 

49 minutes ago, stevewin said:

Damien Woody on Sportscenter just now "Pitts defense don't think going to hold Bills offense down with the weapons they have on the outside with Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley and John Brown"  

 

Now now.  The wonder is that they're talking about us. 

 

It's a bridge too far to expect them to talk about us correctly.

 

Be prepared for the "poor hurt beat up Steelers heroically overcoming" narrative all night long.

Don't expect any mention that our #2 WR and our starting LG are on IR, or that our starting RG and LB are playing with pec braces.

 

 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

8 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

You think the Bills are extra motivated by prime time?

 

 

Equal amount the Steelers would be to avenge a loss. Yes. Steelers are no strangers to prime time. Bills players, if they hear even a snippet of the talking heads are well aware that they are seen as not a real contender yet. 

[stevewin]

31 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Be prepared for the "poor hurt beat up Steelers heroically overcoming" narrative all night long.

Don't expect any mention that our #2 WR and our starting LG are on IR, or that our starting RG and LB are playing with pec braces.

 

 

 

Seems all we do is plays heroes - Tenn Covids courageously overcoming self-induced illness, 49'ers bold physical defense led by the greatest defensive mind of all time (who runs stadium stairs!) despite injuries, Kyler Murray bravely overcoming being height challenged his whole life - good thing the Bills have never had injuries or been affected by Covid this year...

[NewEra]

40 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

Steelers could have an edge if this were a 1 pm kick-off. But since this is a primetime game I think the Bills will be plenty motivated that it will cancel out any edge the Steelers would have wanting to revenge their loss from last week. 

I don’t understand.  Why?

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

11 minutes ago, NewEra said:

I don’t understand.  Why?

 

Players extra focused?

 

Why would the Steelers have an edge and the Bills don't? I would have preferred the Steelers coming in unbeaten. But I still think Bills have plenty of extra motivation with the talk from the national media being the Bills needing a "signature win" still. Don't get me wrong I really don't believe in a lot of this stuff but I was responding to a question. If we are saying the Steelers are motivated an extra 1% coming off a loss then I'll counter that with the Bills being motivated by an extra 1% with it being a primetime game and the talk of needing a signature win. Primetime games are still relatively new for the Bills especially in contrast to a team like the Steelers.

[r00tabaga]

Is Haden officially ruled out?

[dollars 2 donuts]

If I am doing my math correctly kickoff is still 50 hours away.

[YoloinOhio]

13 minutes ago, r00tabaga said:

Is Haden officially ruled out?

Yes