Pittsburgh Steelers: Time to play for 60 minutes

Mike Tomlin should make the team watch 60 minutes until they grasp the concept. Maybe because last season they owned the 3rd quarter they now think the game ends then?

Not so ironically the Steelers are 5 and 3 this season when they are leading after the 3rd quarter. They are 0 and 2 when they are trailing after the 3rd quarter. They are 1 and 1 when they are tied headed into the 4th quarter. So the 4th quarter has not been a strength. It has been abysmal at times in fact.

This has to stop, NOW!   What is the biggest problems?

• Secondary is in shambles. Polamalu will help but will he be 100% healthy this year?

• Front 7 not getting to QB like they have before.

• I think the physical prowess has dropped off too much on both sides of the ball.

• Sustained drives would help the 4th quarter woes. Get a lead and then smash-mouth your opponent.

• TD's in Red Zone would help.

• Bad turnovers. Not say there are many good ones, but you know what I am saying

VS BROWNS ON THURSDAY:

• The Browns SUCK so pummel them! You had a cupcake schedule this season with the Browns 2x, Kansas City, Oakland, Detroit, and Chicago. And you lost to the Bears, Raiders and the Chiefs!

• Get after QB! No more 2 sack games against inferior teams. 5 sacks at least!

• 150 yards rushing should be minimum. Cleveland allows an average of 154 yards per game on the ground. 29th in the league!

• They allow 246 in the air per game. Please, they stink there too. 26th in the league.

• They allow 25+ points per game also. You see a pattern here?

• The Browns average 12+ points a game. The Raiders scored 10.5. So look out.

• The Browns are DEAD FREAKIN' LAST in offensive yards per game!

The most nauseating part of this is the Steelers have come up small against teams just as bad. The Raiders scored 21 in the 4th quarter having come into the game averaging 10.5 points per game. So does that mean the Browns will put a 25 spot in the 4th?

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Mike Tomlin has vowed changes. Of course he promised hell last week and we didn't even get purgatory. This is what Coach is saying this week:

“ I think it’s appropriate at this time that we acknowledge we have an undesirable pattern of behavior, which produces a series of outcomes that are not what we’re looking for,” said Tomlin. “Moving forward this week and beyond, we can’t continue to do what we’ve been doing and assume that pattern of behavior is going to change and those outcomes are going to change. We’re analyzing all aspects of what we’re doing here, specifically this week, and we are going to be aggressive in looking at potential changes. Not only what we do schematically, but who we have do it in all three phases because it’s appropriate. I think that’s evident.”

“ We have some things from a personality standpoint that are occurring continuously that are not acceptable,” continued Tomlin. “We’re not making plays at the end of games, particularly defensively on the back end – opportunities to close games out from an interception standpoint, allowing people to get big plays on us.

  “ You know, it’s very early in the week … we’re in the early stages of development of our playing adjustments right now,” said Tomlin. “But I can assure you, there are going to be some (changes). Whatever we think is appropriate in terms of giving ourselves a chance to win based on the match-up with the Cleveland Browns. Subtle in some areas, not so subtle in others, but I’m acknowledging that I’m very open to that.”

What any of this means remains to be seen although with Gay banged up we are likely to see "I had the INT" Joe Burnett and maybe some Keenan Lewis. Offensively Hines Ward is having a hamstring issue and this is a short week. Theoretically you should beat the Browns with a paraplegic wide out or Limas Sweed. Some would say they are the same. Sweed has no hands.

Look I think we know what has to happen here or the season is over. Ben put it this way “ There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It ’ s a long tunnel and a small light, but it ’ s still flickering down there. ”

A 45 to 10 thrashing would help but I don't see it happening. I see a lame 17 to 13 win for the Steelers and I don't like it one bit. Oh how I wish I am wrong! But until you fix the problems and prove that you have, there is no reason to expect anything other then what you are getting.

By: Andy Natalie
ProFootball-fans.com Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent