TDubbs

If you're insinuating that somehow a better draft position will help us more, than let me once again point out that teams with top draft picks mostly end up just getting top drafts picks every year because losing begets losing in this league.

We're much better off winning as much as possible and getting a winning momentum to our team and drafting in the middle-late of each round. Those are the teams that win next season, and the season after.

I do believe a better draft position will help us more. I agree there are teams like that, like the Jaguars, but then there are teams like the Bengals. They go 4-12 in 2010, draft AJ Green and have been consistent (regular season) winners ever since. We're in that class b/c our winning infrastructure is in place, and we're not as bad as our record.

Now ... what I don't like is when players and coaching staff show (what feels like false) optimism, as it relates to projecting out our playoff possibilities if we go 8-0 ... 7-1 .. or whatever. As a team we need to stop "talking" about winning. We need to zip it, get to work, play with more passion and discipline and let the chips fall where they may. 

 I have felt a great deal of that as well, we're saying the right things about winning but not necessarily believing it. Is definitely a sign of a lack of confidence and a realization of where they stand in the AFC. 

I love to optimism for wanting a Wild Card spot but its just not whats best for us. If we miraculously won enough games to get the spot, end up 1 and done ... we're in this exact same position next season. 

Its got to be so difficult for Pitta, he's always going to wonder 'what if' he could have played a full career w/ his bud Flacco and both of them in their primes. It's unfortunate, we all saw that chemistry grow throughout the SB run. 

I like how he said he's been around now and gotten banged up a bit, so he appreciates being home more. I mean the kid was a 3rd round pick a year ago, he definitely has good upside to him. Wouldn't be surprised to see him take Mostert's spot in the coming weeks and get some game reps. 

It will be interesting to see if Welker looks any good. I like their WR's w/ Britt playing well and Tavon lighting it up.

Side Note: How bad must Hakeem look? He went from being a Pro Bowler to a nothing so fast, still young too. 

Every team in the league should do Welker a favour and not sign him. His concussion history is scary and he's one hit away from being a vegetable ... He'd also be way more vulnerable than ever b/c he is not even close to as quick as he was back in the NE days. 

If I'm a player on this team I don't want to see our best defender on the sideline in a walking boot and crutches, thats not encouraging at all, its actually depressing. 

I think TOUGH is Steves middle name.....

( looking on the bright side )

Fact of the matter is, he is gonna have to get it repaired ANYWAY.  He is gonna have to rehab it ANYWAY. 

I agree ... one of the toughest dudes to ever step on the field. However there is a huge difference between rehabbing an achilles for normal life, and rehabbing it to step foot on an NFL field at the age of 37 ... especially as a WR. 

Achilles tears are NO JOKE. Someone's his age probably can't come back from that. Add the fact that he was already contemplating retirement.

The rehab process to come back from an Achilles is as tough as it gets, you have to fully commit to coming back like Suggs did a few years ago. At his age that commitment to come back would be a tough road to take ... 

For an undersized WR drafted in the 3rd round, intended to be not much more than a KR/PR ... the guy had a phenomenal career. At least he was able to crack the top 10 in yards today, some comfort to be taken with that. 

Terrible pick I don't see much of a future for him, but it was after a SB win so its not as bad. The 1st round of that draft was pretty poor in general ... but some gems were found in rounds 2 and on. Keenan Allen, Wheaton and Mathieu in the 3rd round were steals. 

If we ended up like the Chiefs taking a 1st overall OT I would be depressed ... 

Larry Fitz - Michael Floyd - John Brown and don't forget about Jermaine Gresham. I don't see us being able to cover all of those guys effectively, as well as CJ2k has been hitting some gains out of the backfield. Unless our pass rush kicks it up a notch and is all over Palmer, they'll be putting up close to 40 points. 

I feel as though the things he kept from the previous offense were the worst parts of that (passing) offense, and the things he changed haven't worked, yet. We'd be better off with him just making a full-scale shift to his own system.

I feel the same. We didn't let him implement his own offense b/c of the success we had last year, so now we're in limbo w/ the shell of Kubiaks scheme. Hopefully we start shifting towards letting Trestman run his offense, and fully dive into it next year. We'll never be successful forcing Kubiaks scheme on any OC. 

When are we going to let Flacco cut it loose? The main problem I see, aside from a serious lack of talent at WR, is schematic. I don't believe we've let Trestman run his own offense, we've forced the remnants of Kubiaks offense on him b/c it worked last year. If we let Trestman actually install his offense we'd be better off ... He wants to run Shotgun, not rely so much on a 30 year old RB running a single back zone scheme. 

Firing Ozzie and Harbaugh would be a mistake. We need one good draft this April to get things on track for next year. We need to pick in the top 15 and find a franchise guy in there, and it will be nice to have picks in the top of the rest of the rounds as well. We'll have a little more cap space next offseason to find quality depth that we don't have right now, not big time FA's. 

That's the point I've been trying to make. Oz is golden in the top of drafts. He will get Bosa for us and the world will be right!

I'd agree. I mean look at the last time he took a crack at the top 20, we got Mosley who will be a perennial All-Pro. Its just that time in the franchise where we need a new blue chip talent to spark the franchise. 

Theres no WR of significance out there that would make sense to trade for, and any WR that would be is not worth top assets we'd give up. In this league you draft WR's and you have to find them in all the rounds, like the Packers and Steelers do. We simply have not been able to do that well and its been well documented. 

That might be the case in most NFL stadiums. Friendly advice, in case you ever go to Europe to watch soccer or basketball game, stay clear of wearing a jersey when your team plays away game. I'm guessing it isn't different in South America either.

In Europe and South America, when your talking about soccer, those fan bases take it to a different level. They'll tip your car over and torch it if your wearing another jersey. 

Did anyone else get a chance to see Stefon Diggs yesterday (5 round draft pick)... Imagine how much better this team would be if we would have drafted him in the 5th and possibly a pass rusher in the first

Couldn't be any worse than cutting our 5th rounder this year ... 

Decided to wear a 52 jersey in Pittsburgh, which really is just asking for it.

I disagree 100%. It's all about how act, carry yourself and interact with other fans. If your loud and disrespectful and confrontational, things like this happens. 

I went to the 2012 SNF game in the Burgh in a Ray Lewis jersey, Ravens toque and sweatpants. I didn't have one bad encounter, just spirited debate. Its not the jersey, but the guy who is wearing it. 

I don't believe its worth giving up top assets, or taking on a big contract in lieu of assets. Our WR core is brutal right now, but its also not the main reason why we're losing games. Sure, I'd love Alshon on this team ... but to give up a 2nd round pick, then pay the guy top WR money? Thats a tough call and I don't think it would help us long-term. 

Perriman is not a bust, just like Kevin White isn't and OBJ was not last year. Unfortunately we just depended on his impact too much and thats where the mistake was made. 

We're not as bad as we look, we do have the talent but our record speaks for itself unfortunately. If we can beat Pittsburgh we have a shot to salvage the season. IF we go 0-4 we have to start looking ahead and maybe this is the year we get a top 10 pick to spark the franchise again. 

The reason why we didn't advance to the AFC Championship last year was because Jimmy was out. 

 

The last 2 games, Jimmy hasn't been that special and the entire secondary is playing poorly. 

 

We do not have a free safety. Hill is good, but not over the top. He has the be in the classic SS position to be effective. 

You are correct. There is a significant difference when teams w/ young QB's like Dalton are afraid to throw deep b/c Ed Reed is roaming and when he is not. 

Hill is an elite SS, imo, but he can't do it all. When you don't have an effective centre fielder it forces Hill to do much more than he should. Life after Reed is tough ... 

Very true, but then so has everyone else... especially in this game.

Also not just on our side of the ball ... Penalties in this game were vast; I feel the Refs were trigger happy (didn't affect the game immensely) but still were a factor.