Steelers worst team in league
LONDON 无毛视频� One of the worst teams in the league.
无毛视频淎nd it hurts.无毛视频�
That无毛视频檚 what Ben Roethlisberger said after the Steelers lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 34-27, and fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1968, which was the year before the so-called modern era began with the hiring of Chuck Noll.
On Sunday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin warned that heads will roll this time, too, if he doesn无毛视频檛 see 无毛视频渢he belief and effort and continued improvement in detail,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚f I don无毛视频檛, they ain无毛视频檛 going to be a part of it, whoever it may be. It无毛视频檚 just that simple.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger 无毛视频� who actually said 无毛视频淩ight now you could say we无毛视频檙e the worst team in the league无毛视频� 无毛视频� echoed Tomlin by saying, 无毛视频� We have to believe that we can still be a part of something special, and if you don无毛视频檛 believe that, then you don无毛视频檛 need to be on this team or be out here.无毛视频�
So, that was a warning first from the coach and then from the gutty quarterback who brought the Steelers back from a 17-point deficit to first-and-goal at the 6-yard line.
Does it mean there无毛视频檚 a problem in attitude?
无毛视频淚 think our attitude has started to change,无毛视频� said Roethlisberger. 无毛视频淚 just think that we need to continue to have the right attitude. By saying those things, I don无毛视频檛 say it in the terms of 无毛视频榮omeone needs to lose their job,无毛视频� but people need to continue to step up and be better. We need to be better as a whole team. We can无毛视频檛 have good parts on certain times, bad parts on certain times. We need to put it all together.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger dodged pass-rusher Jared Allen often enough in the fourth quarter to put his team in position to tie the game at the 6-yard line with 24 seconds remaining. He spiked the ball on first down, threw away the second-down pass while under heavy pressure, and on the final play was sacked by Everson Griffen and fumbled when Roethlisberger didn无毛视频檛 see anyone open.
无毛视频淚 couldn无毛视频檛 manage to get it out,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淥f course I无毛视频檓 holding it out like a loaf of bread because I无毛视频檓 trying not to take it to the ground. And they got it out late. I don无毛视频檛 know 无毛视频� even if I would无毛视频檝e held on to it 无毛视频� I don无毛视频檛 know if we would无毛视频檝e had enough time.无毛视频�
It concluded yet another impressive performance by Roethlisberger, who completed 36 of 51 passes for 383 yards, but he was sacked 5 times, and all of that pressure 无毛视频� most of it from Allen 无毛视频� led to an interception and the fumble. The Steelers couldn无毛视频檛 record a turnover themselves for the fourth consecutive week.
The defense uncharacteristically allowed big plays that led to 21 Minnesota points.
In the first quarter, Matt Cassel hit Greg Jennings for a 70-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Adrian Peterson ripped off a 60-yard run through right guard for a touchdown. Jerome Simpson caught a 51-yard pass from Cassel in the third quarter that set up Peterson无毛视频檚 7-yard touchdown run. Jennings无毛视频� 16-yard touchdown pass on the Vikings无毛视频� next series set the lead at 34-17 before the Steelers fought back.
无毛视频淲e just missed tackles,无毛视频� said free safety Ryan Clark. 无毛视频淚f you watch film around the NFL 无毛视频� even film of us 无毛视频� when you miss tackles, you have to have other people coming to the ball to make them. To have plays where people are overrunning and you miss three or four tackles on the play, that无毛视频檚 how you get the big plays, and that无毛视频檚 what we无毛视频檙e doing. We无毛视频檝e had situations where individuals have missed tackles, but not where countless guys are missing them and allowing big plays to happen. We have to find a way to put that fire out. I think it无毛视频檚 about getting more people to the ball. I don无毛视频檛 think it无毛视频檚 lack of effort. I think it无毛视频檚 us not doing the things we need to do to get people on the ground.无毛视频�
Cornerback Cortez Allen, who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, missed tackling Jennings on the first touchdown and was also beaten by Jennings on the final Vikings score.
无毛视频淭he main thing is I无毛视频檝e got to make my tackles and I无毛视频檝e got to be better in coverage,无毛视频� said Allen. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 something I无毛视频檝e got to correct, and I will correct because I don无毛视频檛 like this feeling.无毛视频�
Clark was asked if the losing streak 无毛视频� the Steelers have lost nine of their last 11 games and also all four preseason games 无毛视频� has become a psychological snowball.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 about getting off the snide,无毛视频� Clark said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 insane enough and crazy enough 无毛视频� even at 0-3 and the position we were in 无毛视频� that when the offense was driving the ball, I was thinking to myself 无毛视频榃e无毛视频檙e going to win this game.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚 think as long as we still have that feeling as a team, that we feel we can overcome most things to win, things will start changing.无毛视频�
Clark said the key is to have fun, but how much fun can be had at 0-4?
无毛视频淵ou have to understand the position you无毛视频檙e in. That无毛视频檚 first and foremost,无毛视频� Clark said. 无毛视频淵ou have to understand where you are as a team. More than understanding where you are as a team, you have to understand why you无毛视频檙e there as a team. That无毛视频檚 the thing we need to go back and look at. It无毛视频檚 embarrassing what we did defensively. Giving up the long play to Greg Jennings, then Adrian busting a play, and we had another play in the second half, it无毛视频檚 embarrassing. But be positive in that we fought, man. We had a chance to lay down. Guys had a chance to not compete, and they didn无毛视频檛 do that on either side of the ball or special teams, so that无毛视频檚 promising to leave here knowing that this team is going to fight. But it无毛视频檚 about execution.
无毛视频淒on无毛视频檛 get it wrong: It无毛视频檚 about executing, and we aren无毛视频檛 executing at a high enough level to win games in the NFL.无毛视频�