caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 You better read the following... One disclaimer....if you are a fan of a perennial loser and just want to come back to respectability...he's your guy. If you are a fan that expects your team to win a Super Bowl...don't hang your hopes on him.... In the Cowher Era postseason, Pittsburgh is: •2-7 against division winners •6-2 against wild-card teams •1-9 against teams that went 11-5 or better in the regular season •7-0 against teams that went 10-6 or 9-7 in the regular season Under Cowher, the Steelers have NEVER won a playoff game against a team that won its division and had a record of 11-5 or better. Pittsburgh's last win over a division champion came back in 1997, when the Steelers squeezed out a 7-6 win at home against 10-6 AFC East champ New England. Its only other postseason victory over a division-winning team came against 10-6 AFC East champ Buffalo in 1995. Pittsburgh's three postseason wins since 1997 have come against wild-card teams. Its three postseason losses since 1997 have come against division champions. Pittsburgh's lone postseason victory against a team 11-5 or better came back in 1994, when it beat Bill Belichick's wild-card 11-5 Cleveland team, 29-9, in the divisional round. (For all his postseason failures, Cowher remains the only coach to beat Belichick during the New England coach's NFL-record 10-1 postseason run.) Still, that victory was 11 years ago. If you can't beat 11-5 teams, you simply don't belong in the playoffs. For some more perspective, New England's nine postseason victories in its recent Super Bowl run include seven victories over teams that went 12-4 or better. So why are Pittsburgh teams that appear so dominant in the regular season unable to pull it all together in the postseason? We dug into our Gojo jug of gridiron analysis, spit-polished the NFL record books, and uncovered two reasons. 1) A lack of balance Cowher may enjoy piecing together teams that define the term "smashmouth." It's certainly a pleasure for football fans to watch. What blood-thirsty, testosterone-fueled football fan doesn't get a little chubby watching his team physically pound another into the turf? It's a form of football we learned to admire – and aspire to – playing on Pop Warner and high school teams. Unfortunately, it just doesn't cut it in the NFL, where the Cold, Hard Football Facts have taught us that proficiency in many areas is more important than dominance in a few. With few exceptions, the Steelers have been proficient offensively only in the running game. Playoff Year Rush Yards (Rank) Pass Yards (Rank) 1992 2,156 (4) 3,046 (22) 1993 2,003 (6) 3,606 (10) 1994 2,180 (1) 3,247 (22) 1995 1,853 (12) 4,093 (9) 1996 2,299 (2) 2,990 (30) 1997 2,479 (1) 3,215 (23) 2001 2,774 (1) 3,295 (22) 2002 2,120 (9) 4,036 (8) 2004 2,464 (2) 2,970 (28) Notice something about Pittsburgh's lowest-ranked rushing team, the one Pittsburgh playoff team over this period that failed to rush for more than 2,000 yards yet did pass for more than 4,000 yards? Sure you do. The 1995 squad is the one Pittsburgh team that's made the Super Bowl in the Cowher Era. When the Steelers find themselves up against high-quality defenses in the postseason – teams that can shut down the running game or at least make it work harder for its yards – they typically can't make up for it with a successful passing attack. Put most simply, playoff-caliber defenses stack up against the run and Pittsburgh's passing attack has not been good enough to overcome this strategy when it has encountered high-quality teams. The Cold, Hard Football Facts surrounding Pittsburgh's postseason passing attack have been like a painful colonoscopy inserted into the rectum of Steelers fans using our grainy friend Gojo as a lubricant. 1994 AFC title game – In a 17-13 loss to San Diego, Pittsburgh's leading ballcarrier, Barry Foster, picked up just 47 yards on 20 carries. With his top-ranked rushing attack stifled, O'Donnell was forced to pass 54 times. The Pittsburgh offense found its way into the end zone just once and lost, 17-13. 1995 Super Bowl – In a 27-17 loss to Dallas, Pittsburgh's top two ballcarriers, Erric Pegram and Bam Morris, were held to just 88 yards on 25 carries. With his twelfth-ranked rushing attack stifled, O'Donnell famously tossed two INTs to wide open defensive back Larry Brown, who set up easy touchdowns for the Dallas offense while earning MVP honors in the process. 1996 divisional playoffs – In a 28-3 loss to New England, Pittsburgh's leading ballcarrier, Jerome Bettis, was held to 43 yards on 13 carries. With their second-ranked rushing attack stifled, quarterbacks Tomczak and Stewart combined for a spectacularly unproductive 16 of 39 for 110 yards with two INTs. 1997 AFC title game – In a 24-21 loss to Denver, Pittsburgh's leading ballcarrier, Bettis, gave the Steelers a potentially winning performance with 105 yards on 23 carries. But against a champion-caliber defense, Stewart completed just 18 of 36 passes for 201 yards with 1 TD and 3 INTs. 2001 AFC title game – In a 24-17 loss to New England, Pittsburgh's leading rusher, Bettis, was held to a humiliating 8 yards on 9 carries. With his top-ranked rushing attack stifled, Stewart completed just 24 of 42 passes for 255 yards with 0 TDs and 3 INTs, including one each on Pittsburgh's final two desperation drives. 2004 AFC title game – In a 41-27 loss to New England, Pittsburgh's leading rusher, Bettis was held to 64 yards on 17 carries. With his second-ranked rushing attack stifled, Roethlisberger had his worst game of his previously unbeaten rookie season. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 226 yards and 2 TDs, but tossed three INTs, including one that was returned nearly 100 yards by Rodney Harrison for a back-breaking TD at the end of the first half. Put most simply, Pittsburgh can't win because it can't pass against good teams. After nine seasons of postseason futility – with virtually every loss a repeat of the previous one – you would think Cowher would change his philosophy. He has not. Pittsburgh may have found its man in Roethlisberger, who has been virtually flawless in 2005 and remains unbeaten through his first 16 regular-season starts in the NFL. However, he's tossed the ball just 32 times in Pittsburgh's two victories this season. There is a model for this type of team. In Super Bowl VII, Bob Griese completed 8 of 11 passes for 88 yards as he guided the undefeated Dolphins to a 14-7 win over Washington. The following year, in Super Bowl VIII, Griese completed 6 of 7 passes for 73 yards as the Dolphins ran the ball 54 times in a 24-7 win over Minnesota. Of course, that was more than 30 years ago – a virtual offensive Stone Age by modern NFL standards. A lot has changed in the NFL since then. For example, the NFL has liberalized its passing rules several times since 1973. (And, of course, Larry Csonka retired in 1978.) Someone should alert Cowher of these changes. The nine copycat losses certainly haven't registered with him yet. 2) Weak competition As any student of the Cold, Hard Football Facts quality wins quotient has learned, teams that generate great periods of success – whether it's a regular season win streak or a multi-year period of dominance – can typically find the reason for the streak in the quality of the competition. Teams that face weak schedules win frequently. Teams that face strong schedules lose frequently. Pittsburgh has reeled off 10 playoff seasons (including nine division winners) during a period in which its division has routinely been among the very worst in football. In the 10 seasons from 1992 to 2001, when Pittsburgh played in the old AFC Central, its division rivals combined for a mere 10 postseason appearances. Only two teams competed against Pittsburgh from 1992 to 2001 in the old AFC Central and then again for all three years of the realigned AFC North (which was created in 2002): the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati has not fielded a single winning team in the Cowher Era. These two franchises over this 13-year period have combined for just five winning seasons and four postseason appearances. The new Cleveland franchise, meanwhile, rejoined the AFC Central in 1999 and moved to the AFC North with Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Cleveland/Baltimore in 2002. The new Cleveland franchise has fielded just one playoff team since 1999. This means that Cincinnati, Cleveland and Cleveland/Baltimore have a combined 32 seasons worth of competing against Pittsburgh in the Cowher Era (13 each for Cincy and Cleveland/Baltimore, and six for Cleveland). Given these 32 opportunities, these three franchises – Pittsburgh's chief rivals in the Cowher era – have combined for just six winning seasons and five postseason appearances. Pittsburgh was also a great beneficiary of realignment, which took away its two most successful rivals and plopped them down in the new AFC South. In the Cowher Era AFC Central (1992-2001), Jacksonville fielded four playoff teams while the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans boasted three postseason qualifiers. Over the same period, Cincy, Cleveland and Baltimore/Cleveland combined to send just three teams to the playoffs. Basically, the Steelers have had the good fortune of being able to beat up on a second-rate division. Steelers fans may not like the assessment, but it's one that's certainly justified by Pittsburgh's inability to beat high quality teams in the postseason. A look again at Pittsburgh's lone Super Bowl team in the Cowher Era provides proof yet again that the Cold, Hard Football Facts are indisputable. The 1995 Steelers boasted more than just a balanced offensive attack, the kind typically necessary for Super Bowl success. The 1995 Steelers also had one of the easiest roads to the championship game in Super Bowl history. In the 1995 divisional round, Pittsburgh beat a 10-6 Buffalo squad. They followed that performance with their lone Cowher Era victory in an AFC title game. Of course, that AFC title game victory came at the expense of an upstart Indy team that went just 9-7 in 1995 (it was a hard-fought 20-16 contest that ended with Indy knocking on Pittsburgh's end zone). In the divisional round, the Colts had upset 13-3 Kansas City, knocking out the AFC's No. 1 seed and Pittsburgh's top contender for the conference title. The Chiefs, of course, remain the only team in recent years that can compete with Pittsburgh for postseason futility. An assessment of Kansas City may follow in the future. For now, though, the reasons for Pittsburgh's regular-season success and postseason failures are obvious when we use our Gojo mojo to clean up the filth of opinion and replace it with crystal clean Cold, Hard Football Facts. Pittsburgh fails to win in the postseason because: 1) its weak regular-season competition gives the Steelers a false sense of superiority, and 2) Cowher hijacks his team's hopes with his stubborn insistence on sticking with his well-proven formula for failure. It's a formula that once worked – back in the NFL Stone Age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 He's won 9 division championships 2 Conference championships And a SB for good measure I don't get this post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 He's won 9 division championships 2 Conference championships And a SB for good measure I don't get this post. Did you read the freaking post? Nevermind...I forgot who this was. I understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Sanchez Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 ...and the one year Cowher actually had a good QB, he won the Super Bowl. Perfect fit for the Giants. Improve the running game and defense. The Giants passing game is already good with Eli and a crop of great young WRs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 You better read the following... Did you read the freaking post? Nevermind...I forgot who this was. I understand. Nah..that was all I needed to read. Nice fishing trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 ...and the one year Cowher actually had a good QB, he won the Super Bowl. Perfect fit for the Giants. Improve the running game and defense. The Giants passing game is already good with Eli and a crop of great young WRs. Unless you get Dick Lebeau you won't be happy. Look, the guy is a GOOD coach. He is not a great coach. Very few coaches can do what you want him to do. I don't believe he is one of those coaches. He happened to work for a great franchise(similar to the Giants), but his style of offense is not suited for the long haul. You reference the good QB. They did not win that game because of Ben. Ben can be credited for the next Super Bowl win, not that one. I am just saying that if you are a team like the Giants you will be sorry. If you are a team like the Chargers...what can it hurt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 Nah..that was all I needed to read. Nice fishing trip. Nah...what you need is a meeting. No fishing trip at all. Damn you are dense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 If you are a team like the Chargers...what can it hurt? Now this we can agree on. The components that Turner failed to turn into champions are gone or long in the tooth. A rebuild? I wouldn't be torn to see that. But, I will admit, in order for this to happen, AJ Smith would have to go as well as Cowher would want complete control of the rebuild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Nah...what you need is a meeting. No fishing trip at all. Damn you are dense. I'll ignore this since this is a FF forum, not a personal one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 I'll ignore this since this is a FF forum, not a personal one. Thanks honey...I guess I am lucky I don't have to deal with your blabbering anymore. Please let the big boys discuss from here on out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Sanchez Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Unless you get Dick Lebeau you won't be happy. Look, the guy is a GOOD coach. He is not a great coach. Very few coaches can do what you want him to do. I don't believe he is one of those coaches. He happened to work for a great franchise(similar to the Giants), but his style of offense is not suited for the long haul. You reference the good QB. They did not win that game because of Ben. Ben can be credited for the next Super Bowl win, not that one. I am just saying that if you are a team like the Giants you will be sorry. If you are a team like the Chargers...what can it hurt? True, they won that one game against a weaker opponent despite Roethlisberger. How do you explain the 15-1 regular season record and other playoff wins? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Thanks honey...I guess I am lucky I don't have to deal with your blabbering anymore. Please let the big boys discuss from here on out. Big boys? You consider yourself one of those???? hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....man thanks for the laugh. BTW: 9 division Championships 2 Conference Championships and a SB for good measure....yeah..keep singing that song bro. Dumb ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Wow, I'm impressed that you researched and wrote up all that detail. ya might wanna read THIS before you sing him praise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 True, they won that one game against a weaker opponent despite Roethlisberger. How do you explain the 15-1 regular season record and other playoff wins? If you read my original post(you really need to read that whole post), you will see what I mean. the 15-1 team had the number one defense in the league. I am not about to disect every season under Cowher. He had success and plenty of failures. He will break your heart. The original article's main point is just that. His teams dominate in the regular season and usually fail in the playoffs when they run into a good team or coach. He will never beat the Packers with Rodgers in a big game. He will beat the crap teams(Seahawks) but lose to the Pats every time. So if you are lucky enough to have a smooth path to the big dance and a major upset in the other conference, he's your guy. If not and you have to face Brees, Brady, Rodgers, or any offensive guru you are in trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 ya might wanna read THIS before you sing him praise. I am sure it was sarcasm you fool. I never claimed to write it. Moran. Secondly, please quit telling me about the coach I watched every week for every game he coached. You have no freaking clue what you are talking about. I lived it first hand, not from some media source like you. I saw what he is capable of. I was thrilled he left and we sure as hell have not missed him for a second. Do you really think that Mike Tomlin is that much better of a coach than Cowher? He sure is doing a better job in the four years he has been here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 (edited) I am sure it was sarcasm you fool. I never claimed to write it. Moran. Secondly, please quit telling me about the coach I watched every week for every game he coached. You have no freaking clue what you are talking about. I lived it first hand, not from some media source like you. I saw what he is capable of. I was thrilled he left and we sure as hell have not missed him for a second. Do you really think that Mike Tomlin is that much better of a coach than Cowher? He sure is doing a better job in the four years he has been here. It was sarcasm But to totally dismiss a HC with those credentials is like the Chargers firing Marty for not winning a playoff game. Look at where that got them. Would I jump for joy if the Chargers hired Cowher? Ya damned right I would. And you're right...I've never seen him coach live.....that doesn't mean I wouldn't want a live piece of meat with a headset on over what we have now. ETA: At least you got "moran" right...figuratively speaking of course. BTW: What do I have to do to make you understand I am not your enemy, just some football fan that posts on the web. You take chit way too seriously my friend. And don't call me honney..its kinda weird. Edited November 29, 2011 by tazinib1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 It was sarcasm But to totally dismiss a HC with those credentials is like the Chargers firing Marty for not winning a playoff game. Look at where that got them. Would I jump for joy if the Chargers hired Cowher? Ya damned right I would. And you're right...I've never seen him coach live.....that doesn't mean I wouldn't want a live piece of meat with a headset on over what we have now. ETA: At least you got "moran" right...figuratively speaking of course. BTW: What do I have to do to make you understand I am not your enemy, just some football fan that posts on the web. You take chit way too seriously my friend. And don't call me honney..its kinda weird. Well...you might start with looking at your first post. You spent no time reading what I posted and made a smart ass comment. Then when I asked if you read it...another smart ass and quite a stupid comment from you. I was posting the original topic with some hard facts and yes a biased yet pretty damned informed opinion and you make two smart ass comments and spout nothing but hard numbers with no reasoning behind them What the hell am I supposed to think? Post #1 He's won 9 division championships 2 Conference championships And a SB for good measure I don't get this post. Post #2 QUOTE (caddyman @ 11/28/11 11:29pm) Did you read the freaking post? Nevermind...I forgot who this was. I understand. Nah..that was all I needed to read. Nice fishing trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 (edited) guilty as charged ETA: but ya really do need to change the avatar. Cause he should be in jail. But that is another forum and thread all together. Edited November 29, 2011 by tazinib1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 There are a lot of coaches who haven't won multiple super bowls that are still much better than some of the dreck out there now I bet teams that only have a few wins would love someone with cowhers track record to even get the opportunity at playoff games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddyman Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 There are a lot of coaches who haven't won multiple super bowls that are still much better than some of the dreck out there now I bet teams that only have a few wins would love someone with cowhers track record to even get the opportunity at playoff games. Helloooooo...reading is fundamental.... One disclaimer....if you are a fan of a perennial loser and just want to come back to respectability...he's your guy. If you are a fan that expects your team to win a Super Bowl...don't hang your hopes on him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 (edited) nevermind....can't think straight Edited November 29, 2011 by tazinib1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL Fan Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Helloooooo...reading is fundamental.... One disclaimer....if you are a fan of a perennial loser and just want to come back to respectability...he's your guy. If you are a fan that expects your team to win a Super Bowl...don't hang your hopes on him.... As a Rams fan it's "Bill Cowher, COME ON DOWN!!!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Jesus guys, it was an interesting article. Caddyman didn't write the effing thing. I'm guessing he just thought it was an interesting other-take on a guy whose name comes up, each and every time there's a coaching spot. Food for thought. I, for one, did not know any of those facts. Now I do. That, besides picking fights with Bronco Billy , is why I come here. The end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Unless you get Dick Lebeau you won't be happy. Look, the guy is a GOOD coach. He is not a great coach. Very few coaches can do what you want him to do. I don't believe he is one of those coaches. He happened to work for a great franchise(similar to the Giants), but his style of offense is not suited for the long haul. You reference the good QB. They did not win that game because of Ben. Ben can be credited for the next Super Bowl win, not that one. I am just saying that if you are a team like the Giants you will be sorry. If you are a team like the Chargers...what can it hurt? Ben didn't win the Super Bowl game, but, he sure had a big part in getting them there, with very good performances on the road in Cincy, Indy & Denver. Despite these numbers, I still believe that Bill Cowher is/was a very good coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Jack Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 its never a good idea to get a superbowl winning retread. coaching is long, hard work, you need to be hungry. besides any team that expects cowher to be as good leading their team as he was leading the steelers need only wait something like seventeen years for a superbowl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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