The Steelers 2013 season opener looked like a repeat of the preseason, an 0-4 preseason.
The club was flat from the word go, got a safety on the first play of the day, and did nothing else in an embarrassing 16-9 loss to the Titans.
Not only did the team lose a game that many had circled as a ‘win’ on the schedule, they also lost their All-Pro center, Maurkice Pouncey to what could be a MAJOR knee injury.
The bottom line, there was nothing good about this game. A loss to a team that won six games last season.
Let’s have it Steeler Nation – let’s hear your comments below. We will have a lot more here on SteelersGab.com later tonight and tomorrow.
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josh
September 8, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Todd Haley must go. Period. Worst play calling I’ve ever seen. Like he wasn’t watching the game.Ben needs to start ignoring the sideline til they bench him. Then while team walks off and refuses to come out on field till Haley is fired.
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 4:38 pm
It’s also Tomlin …that’s like pointing finger at line cook and ignoring the chef who oversees everything…but I predicted you all would make Haley the scapegoat…not saying he doesn’t play a part, just not the biggest part!
SteelerKWL
September 8, 2013 at 9:40 pm
I get it about Todd H. But scheme is not the reason we can’t move the sticks!! #68 played hard all day. #66 looked shell a hocked. Understandably so. But the effort from the other three is the problem. Zone scheme requires hustle! And effort!! Rubbing bellies won’t get it! Till that is solved no RB I’ve will gain yardage. The ass on the line here should be Bucknell !!!!
joe
September 8, 2013 at 4:09 pm
So tired of this bs offense todd haley needs to go…at least the whole division is 0-1
Ugh
September 8, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Looks like they got rid of the wrong running back. Redman’s days in black and gold are numbered. Toad Haley knows the honorable thing to do is to seppuku himself, right?
Chris
September 8, 2013 at 4:19 pm
Well if our offensive line wasn’t already the worst in the league before pouncey was hurt it sure is now. What a pathetic effort by our steelers. I say the entire coaching staff should be worried for their jobs if we miss the playoffs. So disappointed .
Robert Morse
September 8, 2013 at 4:21 pm
Fire Tomlin
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 4:39 pm
Thank you!!!!
Yoy..
September 8, 2013 at 4:22 pm
The entire coaching staff and organization should be embarrassed and something needs to be done and done quickly. This team looks completely out of sorts and has no running game or push up front from the group that is there. Tomlin may want to say that pre season means nothing but this group looks like the one who could not score or move the ball in the pre season. Like another fan said.. At least we are tied with everyone else in the afc north at 0-1.
Slexteriors
September 8, 2013 at 4:23 pm
I agree! Never liked haley! He seems incompetent or just stubborn to run the same obvious plays over and over. Get rid of him! Our offense hasn’t been this bad since mark malone or bubby brister (aka bloody blister). I’m sick to my stomach. I bet dick lebeau could call a better offensive game than haley!
Planetrock
September 8, 2013 at 4:28 pm
Too many mistakes. Anemic offensive scheme. Defense played ok. Dwyers phone should be ringing.
Danny
September 8, 2013 at 4:31 pm
Where is the fire? This isn’t supposed to happen. Our lineman are all pretty much high Dra
ft picks. This is going to be a long season and I think it’s time for Tomlin to go. His drafts have been subpar.
Adrian C
September 8, 2013 at 4:31 pm
I thought preseason was overrated!!! I will admit I was completely wrong!!! The offense was awful and the Titans showed to be the more physical team. I hope they can bounce back next week against the bungles! I still have faith in the team!!!!! That is what a true fan does supports no matter what!! I am disappointed like most. GO STEELERS!!!!
dylan
September 8, 2013 at 4:31 pm
We looked terrible out there. Running game is non existent. Get Dwyer on the phone heck get anyone on the phone. How can we run play action when we aren’t running. Pick it up now or rebuild boys .
Bob
September 8, 2013 at 4:32 pm
How many seasons will we have to put up with Haley’s miserable play calling?
Absolutely miserable. But the players looked like they had no damn clue. They
Said they would not “play down” to these inferior teams. Well they are on their
way to being one of biggest inferior teams. A true fan disgusted.
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 4:36 pm
Jalen says:
September 8, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Thanks decastro for being just so…..smart!
Reply
Ugh
September 8, 2013 at 4:36 pm
I guess this is what you get when you have an offensive (very offensive) coach who has never played a down of an organized football game in his life. The Steelers need to let this f**ker go so he can coach golf somewhere. (The one sport he did play in high school.) Either that, or demote him back to ball-boy. Come to think of it, I got some balls right here that he can lick clean! F you, todd haley.
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 4:42 pm
I was hoping you we’re talking about Tomlin….why does he get so exonerated?????
jenn
September 8, 2013 at 4:39 pm
Long time.fan utterly disgusted. The D can not win the games for us…out with Haley!!
Justin A.
September 8, 2013 at 4:43 pm
Doesn’t matter what Haley calls if Ben and O can’t execute!!! Ben keeps claiming he’s taken a leadership role on this team. Someone needs to tell him that there is more to being a leader that stating it!!! God I hate Ben and can’t wait for him to retire!!!!
Justin A.
September 8, 2013 at 4:41 pm
Players didn’t execute…PRRIOD! Ben still makes young mistakes…after 10 years, RB’s still want to dance instead of hitting the hole, and the O line has not gotten any better. Tomlin needs to go! And what’s up with all of these injuries…the conditioning coach needs to go also!!!
Steel City Irish
September 8, 2013 at 4:43 pm
I agree with Adrain C, the last couple years I feel the NFL as a whole has been a “made for TV” type of entity. I came into this game thinking preseason didn’t matter, these guys are good, the coaching staff is sitting on their haunches till the regular season… but sh*t guys, where is the running game we were trying to bring back? Pouncey out? JESUS! Kudos to Mechium for stepping into a position he hadn’t had much experience in and doing as best he could, but I have a bad feeling about this season. I am a yinzer who think we will win the SB every year… but I feel it is going to be a long year this time.
Go ‘Lers!
Tyler H
September 8, 2013 at 4:53 pm
One of the worst displays I’ve ever seen not only did we loose every player we cant protect Ben. Play calling is terrible (both Haley and Tomlin). Something really needs to change in the burgh.
Dan
September 8, 2013 at 4:53 pm
1. Defense did well and Polamalu was great.
2. Offensive line, embarrassing is an understatement.
3. Redman, start working on your resume.
Bottom line it feels like we took a step backwards from last year. Going to be a long season if we don’t start executing.
Steel City Irish
September 8, 2013 at 4:56 pm
Dan,
I did like what I heard (I am outta state now) from the boys on the radio… I felt like it was almost the finger shovel save he did a couple of years ago inches from the ground… It is nice to see Troy is back!!!
S.C.I.
RJ Carr
September 8, 2013 at 4:58 pm
I have said it over and over. New strength coach, new OC, keep Dwyer, he was ready. THEY my steelers back door him. Maybe they might call him.
Ugh
September 8, 2013 at 5:04 pm
Jalen, it’s not that Tomlin gets exonerated. Ultimately, the buck stops with him. But he doesn’t control the draft, trades, injuries or play calling. Ben had well documented problems with Haley and his system last year.
However, I don’t think you fire a two-time SB winning head coach for a crap pre-season and an awful first game. Bringing in a new head coach almost always means an entire restructuring of a team, and that is usually best left for the off-season, as it takes time for players to adjust.
Perhaps this cancer does indeed start at the head, only time will tell.
But if coach Tomlin does get fired, whom would you want to see as his successor?
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 5:12 pm
Let this season play or run its course get rid of Tomlin in offseason and bring back cowher. If not cowher, then gruden if not gruden, scour the college ranks or wait and see a young oc or dc resurrect a perennially shit team this year and bring him in. My get rid of Tomlin talk is conjecture for the right time to do it. Obviously the season in progress is hardly the right time, but mind you if this type of play continues, it might not be able to wait until off season and leabeau could be staring at interim job!
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 5:20 pm
He does have a say in drafts and trades he’s the HC!!!! He also oversees who the conditioning coach is (injuries) and the overall game plan (play calling)!!!! Sounds like exoneration to me!
Ugh
September 8, 2013 at 5:37 pm
You really need to look up what a GM (or in the Steelers’ case, director of football operations) does, as opposed to a HC’s duties, because it seems like you think the head coach does everything. (He does not.) Maybe you should be railing against Kevin Colbert, or perhaps Mr. Rooney?
This is ludicrous, anyway. We agree that Tomlin shouldn’t coach the Steelers after this season if things do not improve.
And it doesn’t seem that they will, with both Pouncy and Foote out for the season. Looks like you just might get your wish.
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 6:07 pm
I didn’t say he has final say….I said he has a say, ergo input… Learn how to read…input means he may or can potentially have influence on or in areas that are slightly out of his jurisdiction….doesn’t mean he has final say…just say and possible influence. And yes colbert’s a douche and the Rooneys are a bag…put em together and what’d ya get?
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 5:05 pm
I work as a supervisor at a school and if I screw up yeah I hear about it but the principal gets to hear about it exponentially more than me especially from angry parents…. Point is although Haley pulled both his coaching career and today’s game plan out of a Cracker Jack box, Tomlin ALLOWS things to happen and his teams have been getting worse every year….injuries can be attributed to happenstance in which case it’s no ones fault AND they can e attributed to conditoning in which case it’s conditioning coach’s fault and who oversees him. Not being prepared falls squarely on HC. Bad play calling is the OC and who oversees him? Choosing the wrong personnel is GM and HC! Other teams lose players too! Hell GB lost bulaga starting LT and they still protect Rodgers. Not saying BBis the best QB in the nfl but he’s in discussion. Why do we as an organization allow him to continually have to deal with bad pass protection? Too many people turn their head on the whole blame Tomlin thing! He’s in over his head everyone! He cannot get his players or staff on the same page both from a tactical and motivational standpoint and it has been showing with increasingly more obviousness every week and year since our SB loss! If you stick up for tomlin, you obviously have a bias of some sort.
Ugh
September 8, 2013 at 5:14 pm
No bias here, mate. Just calls em as i sees em. I don’t think its panic mode just yet, but it seems to get worse every week. If the Steelers go under .500 this season, then I will agree in calling for Tomlin’s ouster.
John
September 8, 2013 at 5:10 pm
Tomlin seems to be the issue. Everyone is jumping on Haley, but remember, this year Ben can change the play at the line of scrimmage if he doesn’t like what is called. From what I saw was a team that is lacking disipline and fire. That starts with Tomlin. Every year it has seemed to continually take a step back. With out the disipline is why the offense seems like they don’t know the play. The head coach seems more worried about being a friend then the coach, same problem we had with Arians and Ben. Tomlin needs to quit being a figure head and be the leader that Head Coach requires. Not a fan of Haley’s either, but lets quit giving Tomlin a pass and blaming Haley. Lebeau would be a better head coach then how Tomlin is leading this team. I’m for stability, but when you make a mistake, cut your losses and move on. Big changes need to happen or Tomlin needs to be gone.
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Praise God someone else sees the light!
P.S. I’m also watchg Eddie Lacey a guy who I thought we were gonna grab with that second round pick, running through the sf defense right now!
John
September 8, 2013 at 5:13 pm
RJ Dwyer would be a good call, but since Tomlin has issues with him, don’t see it happening. Tomlin is about what he wants not what is best for the team.
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 5:16 pm
I couldn’t agree more, John!
joe
September 8, 2013 at 5:45 pm
I cant blame tomlin hes been great for us even cowher had bad years we dropped tje ball on lacey but hopfully bell is what we hope he is and we start to air the ball out i hear t.o is still lookin for a job… just sayin
Justin
September 8, 2013 at 6:28 pm
It’s not going to matter who calls the play with effort and execution like today. Haley is not the problem, it’s a lack of dedication to the run. Ben can’t throw the ball all over the field and take 5 sacks when we are running the ball and hell get no credit for someone else getting kudos!!! There is a lack of leadership and since Ben says he’s the leader on this team, the problem starts there. Rooney’s will figure it out, but don’t look forward to a playoff run this season either.
Kelly ray
September 8, 2013 at 6:34 pm
Haley needs to go offense has sucked since he’s been there! It’s going to b a long year! Steelers fan for life!
Kevin
September 8, 2013 at 6:38 pm
I really cannot figure it out. I watch the redzone channel in the background along with the Steelers on my computer. I cannot figure out why the offensive line is so TERRIBLE. At first I thought it was coaching. We have a new offensive line coach and still the same result. They get Physically dominated by every team. They get pushed back on every play. Is it still coaching, is it bad drafting? I don’t blame Todd Haley because he cant freaking go out and block. I used to blame Ben but hes getting the ball out faster than ever. I watch other teams play and they seem to have at least two more seconds to throw then Ben gets. I am so frustrated with this that I cant even stand it. Even back ups for other teams are better than our starters. Guy Whimper is so freaking terrible, remember Jonathan Scott, he was the worst offensive lineman I have ever seen. How the hell is the line so damn bad!!!
joe
September 8, 2013 at 6:43 pm
We need more threats on offense our recievers are all number two recievers and slot guys i dont miss mike wallace but we need some serious talent at reciever too. I dontt hink foote is a big loss timmons should be fine to take over and pouncey hasnt been healthy since we got him so no loss there either. Look to loses more players next week.
Deven
September 8, 2013 at 7:36 pm
We need to start a petition to FIRE MIKE TOMLIN. Even when he coached a good football team, it was clear that discipline and heart was going to be an issue under Tomlin. i completely understand that we had ups n downs with cowher, but with tomlin its just been steadily down. we have gotten worse every year and now if preseason and today’s game are any indication, we damn well be the worst team in the nfl. yes, fire Haley, but, if we don’t get Tomlin out of there, then we better get used to being the laughing stock of the league, which i know, no Steeler fans are used to, or ready to be. When Brown turned around and ran that punt in backwards last year, that was the final straw for me. Especially when he didn’t grab brown by his facemask and ream his ass. He is a buddy to the team, HE IS NOT A LEADER
Jalen
September 8, 2013 at 8:02 pm
So well said!
josh
September 8, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Can’t catch, can’t run, can’t protect, two starters out for season, how can Ben even get in rhythm if he’s drilled every 4th play. Long time thoroughly disgusted fan, why in the hell is Stephens-howling smallest guy on roster trying to block.d-line men Im pretty sure I’ve seen high school teams play better offensively, zero execution team looked Scared, Chris pussy Carter could have had interception n then bunny good out of the way, where do I even begin……thoroughly disgusted.
chris
September 8, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Black and Gold for life here. Thouroughly disgusted with offense today. Unfortunately this defense is not the STEEL CURTAIN of the 70’s or we would not need these clowns on offense. 8-8 looking pretty good to me right now.