# The 9th Annual Steelers March to the Super Bowl Thread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-9th-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/592586>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [August 13, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-9th-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/592586 "2011-08-13T17:20:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 239

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**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-9th-annual-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/592586/239 "2011-11-07T05:25:01Z")

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> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#):
>
> How many times does a team call in the so-called Prevent only to lose at the end?

I feel your pain. I’ve gotten incredibly frustrated at the Ravens in the past for exactly the same thing. Here’s a post i made during the playoffs in January, 2010:

> [@NFL Wild-Card Weekend](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-wild-card-weekend/523904/60):
>
> If the Ravens end up losing this game, someone needs to kneecap the coaching staff, especially the defensive coordinator.
> 
> This has been a pattern with the Ravens for the past few years. They have an awesome defense, but whenever they get a decent lead the defensive calls become extremely conservative, giving up on the blitz and on all the things that make the Baltimore D so great. Instead, they just sit back and let the opposition pick them off 5 or 6 yards at a time.
> 
> Fucking useless assholes.

I think it’s become the football equivalent of walking a big hitter in baseball. It’s often a bad idea, but it’s done because it seems like the “safe” move and fewer people are likely to criticize you for it.

If you walk Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder and they end up having a big inning, no-one blames you for walking the star hitter, but if you don’t walk them and they hit a game-tying home run, everyone asks why the hell you didn’t put them on.

Similarly, if you play the Prevent defense, and end up giving up a touchdown, you probably won’t cop as much shit as if you continue with the regular defense (including the blitz) and end up giving up a 50-yard TD pass or a long run. If you play your usual defense, and give up a long touchdown, everyone then spends all of Monday second-guessing you and asking why you didn’t drop guys back into a Prevent defense. It’s the “Don’t blame me” strategy.

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