Steelers Stuff...
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Bill Shatner
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He's an insecure cunt of a human being. Flying into to practice is just his way of big dicking everyone there.
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Yeah I just hope he doesn't get ultra nervous and fuck up the way Tolbert did his entire rookie season.
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Yeah, good old wait and see. I don't think all small school guys are like Tolbert but going from bumbblefuck small school to the NFL is a big leap.
dpf1123
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Cowboys Pregame Three Thoughts: Week 5
Dallas faces a tough test where a gritty win in Pittsburgh could pivot the entire season.
Bob Sturm
Oct 04, 2024
There are forks in the road in every season, and I feel like Sunday night in Pittsburgh is going to be a huge one for the 2024 Dallas Cowboys. If you win this game, order is restored with back-to-back wins on the road, confidence grows as you win a huge game without some of your very best players, and everyone feels good.
If you lose, the noise gets significantly louder, and the looming back-to-back with both teams from last year's NFC Championship Game suggests that 2-5 is about to hit you square in the face. 2-5 will then feel like a coaching search and an early view of the 2025 Draft will come into focus.
So, yeah, this one has been on my mind all week, and that stadium in Pittsburgh should be pulsating. This is going to be a wonderful test that may or may not give us an enjoyable answer.
First, the history between these two is absolutely spectacular. I know the Cowboys have bigger rivals, and those teams play each other way more often, but consider the Pittsburgh Steelers’ case:
From the press notes, it is the 34th ever matchup and the 31st in the regular season. Surely, the last time the Cowboys were in Pittsburgh, we saw the signature game of the “21-4“ era and I can still remember Travis Frederick out in front of Zeke on that screen pass beauty.
But, those are in the archives for a reason. They are yesterday. Now, we focus on the here and now. The Cowboys need a win and they need it badly. Let’s dig in.
When Dallas has the ball:
– The Cowboys Offense will need to take this game as their personal responsibility to win their side of the ball. They are mostly intact and have the onus on them to help the defense survive.
There are different ways to win football games, and different styles are called for in different situations. We know all this, but as you look at a matchup like this, it becomes pretty clear that the Dallas offense has to duplicate the type of game control they showed in New York again.
The Giants wanted to get to Dak and force the Cowboys into a cycle of 3rd-and-long and short drives with many punts. The Steelers want to do similar things, but they will do it with much more terror coming off the edge. No Alex Highsmith is a nice break for the Cowboys, but T.J. Watt very much remains T.J. Watt.
We know that he is tied to the Cowboys forever as many of us pounded the table for Watt as the Cowboys inexplicably claimed he was not a scheme fit.
Hopefully, we now know that since he was in the same draft as Myles Garrett and actually has many more sacks, he is a scheme-fit master key. He fits in any scheme on any planet, and that was a rough decision from the Dallas front office. 99.5 career sacks mean he is already nearly a Hall of Famer and has yet to turn 30 (this week). One sack on Sunday, and he will tie Charles Haley’s career mark.
Insane.
Now, we expect he will be where he always is lined up—over the right tackle. That puts Terence Steele on notice because Watt has five more sacks already this season, and Atlanta’s poor Kaleb McGary probably still sees him in his nightmares. Steele has to be ready for one of the true game-wreckers in this league.
For Dallas, there will be no Brandin Cooks. I have been thinking he doesn’t look right, so hearing he is injured is not the biggest surprise. This gives Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy chances to step in, but I would also suspect the Cowboys will be in plenty of 12 personnel and try to make this game one where they play a similar style to the Giants game and ask Dak to find targets quickly to help the O-line out. That is why we highlighted Jake Ferguson above. He hasn’t impacted the passing game a ton so far, but CeeDee is going to need Ferguson to get down the seams to make this all click.
The matchup graphic is not great. Pittsburgh is green in everything and that means all of our 10 key stats puts them well-above average in league rankings. They may not be the best defense on the schedule, but, you know they will be cranked up and Renegade will be blaring. Strap it on.
Dallas badly needs that same Dak Prescott from New York. They need that same CeeDee Lamb, too. Those two are this offense’s biggest hope. Rico Dowdle and Jake Ferguson need to be productive and maybe a shot down the sideline to Jalen Tolbert once a half can get you to 24 points. I think that is about what you will need to have a chance.
When The Steelers have the ball:
– The Cowboys have put their weaknesses on tape and now they have lost the two matchup problems for an offense. Arthur Smith and Justin Fields will be trying to mess with the understudies on the edge. Dallas has to have a big game from there and the linebackers right behind them.
Welcome to “Do Your Job” Sunday for Mike Zimmer’s men.
The Steelers' offense is not what it was the last time the Cowboys visited Pittsburgh. They are trying to find a quarterback and trying to build an offensive line. The skill guys are not what they once were, but there are some dudes. The general point here might be that Dallas is down pretty bad right now on defense, but this matchup has a chance to be reasonable if you ask the offense to do the heavy lifting and the defense to hang in there with a Pittsburgh unit that is not always sky-high with confidence themselves.
Now, to state the obvious, we should expect that Justin Fields is going to be using his legs a lot in this game. I will set the over-under on his runs at a dozen, and then I will tell you I am going over. He can pass the ball, as his Ohio State tape suggests, but the bottom line is that he is a dual-threat guy, and if I am facing Marshawn Kneeland, Chauncey Golston, and Carl Lawson instead of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, well, I am going to be a bit more fearless out in space.
I am looking forward to full-time Kneeland. He is a special player who has all sorts of size and ability. We just need him to be calm and take a deep breath in this huge spot.
For Dallas, this is a big linebacker game, and DeMarvion Overshown will be asked to keep Fields somewhat contained, and open-field tackling will be massive. But more so, this will be a lot for the secondary. Anyone who follows the NFL knows that George Pickens is a game-breaker with absurd amounts of ability. I was a big fan out of Georgia, but I will say this, and the tape below will verify from last week against the Colts: Pickens gets open and makes plays, but then he also gives plays away.
He is an excellent player, but then he does a thing or two that leaves moments on the field and perhaps even opportunities for a defense. But I would love to have him. When he is right, he is a problem.
Dallas has to play this game with eleven in unison and play a simple defensive game. Fly to the ball as a group and back each other up on tackles so there are many hats. But at the same time, over-pursuit might kill you. They will be trying to get the defense with misdirection, so I am hoping for a textbook performance of simplicity and fundamentally sound defense. But it is a big ask.
The other question will be whether Mazi Smith can throw out a repeat performance against the rookie center Zach Frazier. He was the best center in the draft, but he has struggled a bit early. Mazi needs to keep that going and get into the backfield. The Steelers cannot control the line of scrimmage.
Can Dallas get two takeaways? That might decide this, and Pittsburgh has not turned it over much. In fact, both teams have been great at not turning the ball over, so this game could hinge on that stat.
– This game will require some guts and grit from Prescott. But, I will circle back to the fork in the road. If Dallas can find a way – any way – to win this game on Sunday, they can do plenty in 2024. If they cannot find a way to win this game, I have significant fears for the remainder of the year. You never want to put all your eggs in one basket, but QB1 and his mates will want to play some of their sharpest offensive football of the year. 2024 might literally hinge on this outcome.
Last week, some rolled their eyes when I mentioned a “Tom Brady-type performance” from Dak Prescott. But that is the standard. Your team needs a win, and you are going on the road against a very difficult opponent. The game does not call for spectacular; it calls for tough and precise. Find a way to get points and to extend drives with short, quick, and decisive throws that hit the mark. Get up when hit, dial in another tight-window throw, and avoid mistakes.
They need their QB to frustrate a stadium by making this game one where he can outfox an opponent with precision and a death by 1,000 papercuts. In other words, the way Tom Brady did it for two decades. Not spectacular—just spectacularly simple in the way he would frustrate an opponent and quiet a stadium.
We saw it last week, but now he needs it again.
Let’s hope we enjoy the game!
Dallas faces a tough test where a gritty win in Pittsburgh could pivot the entire season.
Bob Sturm
Oct 04, 2024
There are forks in the road in every season, and I feel like Sunday night in Pittsburgh is going to be a huge one for the 2024 Dallas Cowboys. If you win this game, order is restored with back-to-back wins on the road, confidence grows as you win a huge game without some of your very best players, and everyone feels good.
If you lose, the noise gets significantly louder, and the looming back-to-back with both teams from last year's NFC Championship Game suggests that 2-5 is about to hit you square in the face. 2-5 will then feel like a coaching search and an early view of the 2025 Draft will come into focus.
So, yeah, this one has been on my mind all week, and that stadium in Pittsburgh should be pulsating. This is going to be a wonderful test that may or may not give us an enjoyable answer.
First, the history between these two is absolutely spectacular. I know the Cowboys have bigger rivals, and those teams play each other way more often, but consider the Pittsburgh Steelers’ case:
- The first game the Cowboys ever played was against Pittsburgh, 9-24-1960
- The first win the Cowboys ever registered was against Pittsburgh, 9-17-1961
- The most common Super Bowl matchup ever played is against Pittsburgh.
- And, aesthetically, the most wonderful uniform matchup is against Pittsburgh.
From the press notes, it is the 34th ever matchup and the 31st in the regular season. Surely, the last time the Cowboys were in Pittsburgh, we saw the signature game of the “21-4“ era and I can still remember Travis Frederick out in front of Zeke on that screen pass beauty.
But, those are in the archives for a reason. They are yesterday. Now, we focus on the here and now. The Cowboys need a win and they need it badly. Let’s dig in.
When Dallas has the ball:
– The Cowboys Offense will need to take this game as their personal responsibility to win their side of the ball. They are mostly intact and have the onus on them to help the defense survive.
There are different ways to win football games, and different styles are called for in different situations. We know all this, but as you look at a matchup like this, it becomes pretty clear that the Dallas offense has to duplicate the type of game control they showed in New York again.
The Giants wanted to get to Dak and force the Cowboys into a cycle of 3rd-and-long and short drives with many punts. The Steelers want to do similar things, but they will do it with much more terror coming off the edge. No Alex Highsmith is a nice break for the Cowboys, but T.J. Watt very much remains T.J. Watt.
We know that he is tied to the Cowboys forever as many of us pounded the table for Watt as the Cowboys inexplicably claimed he was not a scheme fit.
Hopefully, we now know that since he was in the same draft as Myles Garrett and actually has many more sacks, he is a scheme-fit master key. He fits in any scheme on any planet, and that was a rough decision from the Dallas front office. 99.5 career sacks mean he is already nearly a Hall of Famer and has yet to turn 30 (this week). One sack on Sunday, and he will tie Charles Haley’s career mark.
Insane.
Now, we expect he will be where he always is lined up—over the right tackle. That puts Terence Steele on notice because Watt has five more sacks already this season, and Atlanta’s poor Kaleb McGary probably still sees him in his nightmares. Steele has to be ready for one of the true game-wreckers in this league.
For Dallas, there will be no Brandin Cooks. I have been thinking he doesn’t look right, so hearing he is injured is not the biggest surprise. This gives Jalen Brooks and Ryan Flournoy chances to step in, but I would also suspect the Cowboys will be in plenty of 12 personnel and try to make this game one where they play a similar style to the Giants game and ask Dak to find targets quickly to help the O-line out. That is why we highlighted Jake Ferguson above. He hasn’t impacted the passing game a ton so far, but CeeDee is going to need Ferguson to get down the seams to make this all click.
The matchup graphic is not great. Pittsburgh is green in everything and that means all of our 10 key stats puts them well-above average in league rankings. They may not be the best defense on the schedule, but, you know they will be cranked up and Renegade will be blaring. Strap it on.
Dallas badly needs that same Dak Prescott from New York. They need that same CeeDee Lamb, too. Those two are this offense’s biggest hope. Rico Dowdle and Jake Ferguson need to be productive and maybe a shot down the sideline to Jalen Tolbert once a half can get you to 24 points. I think that is about what you will need to have a chance.
When The Steelers have the ball:
– The Cowboys have put their weaknesses on tape and now they have lost the two matchup problems for an offense. Arthur Smith and Justin Fields will be trying to mess with the understudies on the edge. Dallas has to have a big game from there and the linebackers right behind them.
Welcome to “Do Your Job” Sunday for Mike Zimmer’s men.
The Steelers' offense is not what it was the last time the Cowboys visited Pittsburgh. They are trying to find a quarterback and trying to build an offensive line. The skill guys are not what they once were, but there are some dudes. The general point here might be that Dallas is down pretty bad right now on defense, but this matchup has a chance to be reasonable if you ask the offense to do the heavy lifting and the defense to hang in there with a Pittsburgh unit that is not always sky-high with confidence themselves.
Now, to state the obvious, we should expect that Justin Fields is going to be using his legs a lot in this game. I will set the over-under on his runs at a dozen, and then I will tell you I am going over. He can pass the ball, as his Ohio State tape suggests, but the bottom line is that he is a dual-threat guy, and if I am facing Marshawn Kneeland, Chauncey Golston, and Carl Lawson instead of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, well, I am going to be a bit more fearless out in space.
I am looking forward to full-time Kneeland. He is a special player who has all sorts of size and ability. We just need him to be calm and take a deep breath in this huge spot.
For Dallas, this is a big linebacker game, and DeMarvion Overshown will be asked to keep Fields somewhat contained, and open-field tackling will be massive. But more so, this will be a lot for the secondary. Anyone who follows the NFL knows that George Pickens is a game-breaker with absurd amounts of ability. I was a big fan out of Georgia, but I will say this, and the tape below will verify from last week against the Colts: Pickens gets open and makes plays, but then he also gives plays away.
He is an excellent player, but then he does a thing or two that leaves moments on the field and perhaps even opportunities for a defense. But I would love to have him. When he is right, he is a problem.
Dallas has to play this game with eleven in unison and play a simple defensive game. Fly to the ball as a group and back each other up on tackles so there are many hats. But at the same time, over-pursuit might kill you. They will be trying to get the defense with misdirection, so I am hoping for a textbook performance of simplicity and fundamentally sound defense. But it is a big ask.
The other question will be whether Mazi Smith can throw out a repeat performance against the rookie center Zach Frazier. He was the best center in the draft, but he has struggled a bit early. Mazi needs to keep that going and get into the backfield. The Steelers cannot control the line of scrimmage.
Can Dallas get two takeaways? That might decide this, and Pittsburgh has not turned it over much. In fact, both teams have been great at not turning the ball over, so this game could hinge on that stat.
– This game will require some guts and grit from Prescott. But, I will circle back to the fork in the road. If Dallas can find a way – any way – to win this game on Sunday, they can do plenty in 2024. If they cannot find a way to win this game, I have significant fears for the remainder of the year. You never want to put all your eggs in one basket, but QB1 and his mates will want to play some of their sharpest offensive football of the year. 2024 might literally hinge on this outcome.
Last week, some rolled their eyes when I mentioned a “Tom Brady-type performance” from Dak Prescott. But that is the standard. Your team needs a win, and you are going on the road against a very difficult opponent. The game does not call for spectacular; it calls for tough and precise. Find a way to get points and to extend drives with short, quick, and decisive throws that hit the mark. Get up when hit, dial in another tight-window throw, and avoid mistakes.
They need their QB to frustrate a stadium by making this game one where he can outfox an opponent with precision and a death by 1,000 papercuts. In other words, the way Tom Brady did it for two decades. Not spectacular—just spectacularly simple in the way he would frustrate an opponent and quiet a stadium.
We saw it last week, but now he needs it again.
Let’s hope we enjoy the game!
Foobio
DCC 4Life
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Bill Shatner
Lock phasers on target
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But imagine this. Kneeland and Gholston hold down the fort as Zimmer unleashes the Conga Line blitz. Nobody will see that coming.
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Good news is I don't think Fields see much of anything. He looks for one route, maybe two and runs. He isn't reading anything he is just winging it.
Bill Shatner
Lock phasers on target
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Chocolate Lab
Kuato Lives
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