# The Myron Cope Memorial Steelers March to the Super Bowl Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 7, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116 "2008-08-07T02:23:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/241 "2008-12-01T02:10:49Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > They got beat by a quarterback who has been chronically injured this season, a third-string and practice squad running back (Moore and Russell), and an offensive line that has more holes than the Maginot Line. > > Pittsburgh has been living off their defense this year, and everybody knows it. All they had to do was stop a statistically below average offense and put up a few points to win. Instead we were treated to the worst case of the drops since Jackie Smith in Super Bowl XIII. > > You can call it an atypical performance if you like, but look at their record this year. It’s not the same Patriots that reloaded and dominated no matter who they played over the last few years. Did Brady really mean so much to them? Perhaps they should have thought about that before going with backup-for-life Cassel, who clearly isn’t anywhere near the guy people were making him out to be. They got beaten by a team that was 7-3 and has the #1 defense in the league. You can’t very well claim that they were beaten by Moore and Russell; Willie Parker was on the field, and ran for 81 yards. Of course Brady meant that much to them- and you can go ahead and say, “well, they should have had a better backup”, but the truth is most backup quarterbacks are really shitty. How many games would the Colts win behind Jim Sorgi? How many games would the Steelers win with Byron Leftwich and his six-Mississippi release behind that offensive line? How many games would the Dolphins win starting Cleo Lemon? 90% of the time, teams that win with a backup quarterback do so because they have the QB of The Future waiting in the wings (Jets with Pennington, Niners with Young/Garcia, Packers with Favre, etc.) or because they got really lucky- Cowboys with Romo, Pats with Brady, Bears with Orton, Redskins with Collins, and so on. There are very very few teams that have a genuinely solid backup available, and usually they’re the teams that don’t have an established starter in the first place. You can call the Pats mediocre if you like, but they’ve weathered losses that would have made 6-10 look like an awesome achievement for _any_ other team- and I say that as a Pats hater. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/242 "2008-12-07T20:04:28Z")
I have a good feeling this week. Jimmy Johnson picked against us in the FOX pregame. He has sucked at picking this year. ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/243 "2008-12-07T23:29:09Z")
This isn’t good. At all. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/244 "2008-12-07T23:59:59Z")
There’s still time. (9 minutes now). Saddle up, boys. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/245 "2008-12-08T00:10:09Z")
5 minutes…plenty of time. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/246 "2008-12-08T00:49:45Z")
Holy hell, these guys are gonna kill me. I think that they are actively trying! Once again our D is awesome. I don’t know if I’ve eaten crow yet over the fact that I believe I expressed doubts about the D in the pre-season. (I have to use the word believe because I’m getting senile and I honestly am not 100% sure.) If I haven’t, well, man was I ever wrong! Once again we need an O-line. We needed the Pats to lose to ensure our place in the playoffs. Since they came through in the end, we still have to work for it. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/247 "2008-12-08T01:08:06Z")
Hmm. I don’t post, and we’re down by ten. I postd and we come back to win it in no uncertain terms. You’re welcome. I’m posting this right now so that the Ravens lose badly tonight. You’re preemptively welcome for that as well. So let’s say we lose to Baltimore and Tennessee…if we beat the Browns, that’s a Division title, yes? Do I have it wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/248 "2008-12-08T06:16:23Z")
10 wins with this schedule? I realize that the Browns and the Bengals didn’t live up to the preseason hype (no surprise there), but this schedule is still ungodly tough, and in spite of the problems with the offense the Steelers are still standing tall with 10 wins. Man, but the defense is unreal. I thought it was over when the Steelers got stuffed on the 1-yard line down 10. Good thing they didn’t give up like I did. I must say, though, it was fun taunting my wife the Cowboys fan as the comeback unfolded. She was more than happy to take shots at me when Dallas was up, but it got real quiet when they choked the game away. Yeah, it was a good day. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/249 "2008-12-08T13:38:37Z")
The D was great as usual, but the offense was, well, _offensive_, as usual. This offense is going to cost us a game at the worst possible time. I have to concede it’s not all Arians’ fault as he has limited tools for the ground game. Carey Davis is awful (Dan Kreider is available as a free agent right now, I’d love to see them bring him back). I like McHugh though, as a third TE/FB option, he’s been solid. The Guards and Willie Colon just aren’t capable of getting enough push to create the inside lanes that Parker needs to run inside on the blast plays they’ve been running since the Cowher days. I realize we’re coming off a win but this offense won’t cut it against Baltimore or Tennessee. They’ve been much better in pass protection though, most of the sacks yesterday were from Ben holding the ball too long, not so bad really. The passing game will come around, I’m not so sure about the ground game and as the weather gets worse it will be more and more necessary. There’s still a chance Marvel Smith could return, I’d leave Starks in at LT and put Marvel in on the right where he always looked more comfortable anyway. My vote for unsung hero of the team goes to Patrick Bailey, the rookie linebacker. He has been GREAT on special teams. The coverage units have been a weak point for many years, they’ve drastically improved this year. Bailey had been very effective this year, not to mention Silverback of course. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/250 "2008-12-08T14:46:19Z")
With all due respect to the overall suckiness of the line, after watching that game, the sacks just aren’t their fault. Roethlisberger is holding onto the ball for ever. I don’t think I saw him throw one away one single time. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/251 "2008-12-08T19:55:16Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > With all due respect to the overall suckiness of the line, after watching that game, the sacks just aren’t their fault. Roethlisberger is holding onto the ball for ever. I don’t think I saw him throw one away one single time. The pass protection has been really good lately. I think the issue with Ben holding the ball too long is two-fold. On one hand I think opposing co-ordinators realize Ben makes more maistakes when reading zone coverage and are playing it more. The other issue I see is the receiving corps on the whole are not good at getting the separation Ben needs. Heath Miller and Hines Ward have great hands but neither is very quick. If a defense keeps a man on Hines and plays everyone else in zone it Ben winds up taking too long to make his read. At least that’s the way it looks to me. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/252 "2008-12-10T01:48:19Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > I thought it was over when the Steelers got stuffed on the 1-yard line down 10. Good thing they didn’t give up like I did. I must say, though, it was fun taunting my wife the Cowboys fan as the comeback unfolded. She was more than happy to take shots at me when Dallas was up, but it got real quiet when they choked the game away. Heh, **Doors** , I gotta admit after that “stuff” it did cross my mind that even with the Cowboy’s inept offense on parade, you probably weren’t enjoying the game as much as I was (shocked mind you, but enjoying it nevertheless). I totally forgot about your missus, despite her admirable, commendable even, choice in teamage. Then, in the span of a few short minutes I knew exactly how you’d been feeling just a few ill-spent moments before. You say “comeback”, I say “giveaway” but to all Steeler fans “Congrats.” Heh, _that_ one just hadda feel good. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/253 "2008-12-15T00:45:06Z")
Whew, another close call. Says a lot about James Harrison when they play an extra lineman to deal with one guy. Here’s hoping the running game gets on track before the playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/254 "2008-12-15T01:09:11Z")
Seems like I say this every week: Holey hell they’re trying to kill me. Wow, what a finish. ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/255 "2008-12-15T02:00:26Z")
I’m disappointed that the call was overturned. I was looking forward to seeing if they’d go for it. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/256 "2008-12-15T02:15:04Z")
> [@Soapbox\_Monkey](#): > > I’m disappointed that the call was overturned. I was looking forward to seeing if they’d go for it. I was so nervous about that since we only seem to have two short yardage calls in the playbook this year; offtackle/blast left or QB sneak, both of which would’ve required someone to get a push on Haloti Ngata, not a comforting thought with this line. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/257 "2008-12-15T03:33:21Z")
> [@Soapbox\_Monkey](#): > > I’m disappointed that the call was overturned. I was looking forward to seeing if they’d go for it. As much as I hate to say it: I don’t think the call on the field should have been overturned. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/258 "2008-12-15T05:26:36Z")
Well, whatever else happened, my awesome weekend was capped not only by a win by the Steelers but a personal win for me. I won $80 from two of my coworkers, both Ravens fans. $20 a game, double or nothing on the second one. That more than offsets the $20 I lost betting on the Steelers against the Eagles. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot: PLAYOFFS, baby! At least one game will be played at Heinz, and if the Steelers beat the Tennesissy Titans next week it’s home field throughout. How awesome would that be? ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/259 "2008-12-16T00:32:39Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > and if the Steelers beat the Tennesissy Titans next week it’s home field throughout. How awesome would that be? Not very. I’ll actually be rooting for the Titans. I’d much rather lose to them in the regular season thus giving us added motivation if we meet them again in the playoffs. Same reason I’m glad we lost to Indy, because we may see them too. If we beat Tennessee next week they’ll be out for blood in the playoffs. No thanks. Let them have this one. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116/260 "2008-12-16T02:17:36Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > As much as I hate to say it: I don’t think the call on the field should have been overturned. Agreed. Was it a touchdown? Probably. Was there “indisputable evidence”? Not a fucking chance. There is a rule in the NFL rulebook that says the guy only needs to have possession and two feet in the endzone if he doesn’t have forward motion - ie., the ball only has to break the plane if the guy is moving toward the plane, which Holmes never was during the catch - and if the officiating crew or Mike Pereira had defended the call on those grounds, I’d have no problem with it. However, they didn’t; they just claimed there _was_ indisputable visual evidence, which there indisputably _wasn’t._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-myron-cope-memorial-steelers-march-to-the-super-bowl-thread/459116.md?page=14)