(09-11-2015, 08:55 AM)GMDino Wrote: Did Thomas play much at all?

(09-11-2015, 08:54 AM)GMDino Wrote: One was a completely blown coverage.  One was for one yard and the TE barely caught the ball and reached across the line.

He had a great game...and he should have against that secondary.  The Steelers couldn't figure out how to cover Gronk...not many teams have.

(09-11-2015, 10:04 AM)McC Wrote: Happened to catch a bit of Tomlin's post game presser.  The Steeler coaches were hearing the Pats radio broadcast in their headsets for most of the first half.  Unbelievable.

In a situation like that, aren't the Pats coaches supposed to turn their headsets off too?  Did that happen?  Apparently, this is the norm when you go to Foxboro.

Quote:The NFL described the headset problem as “intermittent,” and elected not to shut down the Patriots’ system in return as would normally be required under the NFL’s “Equity Rule.” The NFL’s Gameday Policy Manual describes this process as follows:

Quote:System Malfunction – If the entire coaching staff of a club cannot communicate from the bench area to the coaches’ booth or vice versa, the technician or a representative from the affected club should notify the nearest game official or League representative immediately. Upon confirmation, the game official or League representative will instruct the opposing club’s coaching staff to relinquish its use of the beltpacks and headsets on the field and in the coaches’ booth to the technicians until communication is restored to the affected club.

NBC’s Michele Tafoya, confusingly, reported from the sidelines during the second quarter that the Patriots’ headsets were, indeed, shut off—contrary to what the NFL claims. (The Steelers, reportedly, are planning to file a complaint with the NFL.) Here’s how the Pittsburgh Steelers’ official website described tonight’s headset issues (emphasis mine):

Quote:The broadcast was so loud that the Steelers coaches were unable to communicate, and the NFL rule is that if one team’s headsets are not working the other team is supposed to be forced to take their headsets off. It’s what the NFL calls the Equity Rule. Strangely enough, whenever an NFL representative proceeded to the New England sideline to shut down their headsets, the Steelers headsets cleared. Then as the representative walked away from the New England sideline, the Steelers’ headsets again started to receive the Patriots game broadcast.

NFL spokesperson Michael Signora issued the following statement, in which he claims the NFL supplies the coaches’ communications equipment—and that, contrary to Tomlin’s claims, the problems didn’t last the whole first half:

Quote:In the first quarter of tonight’s game, the Pittsburgh coaches experienced interference in their headsets caused by a stadium power infrastructure issue, which was exacerbated by the inclement weather. The coaches’ communications equipment, including the headsets, is provided by the NFL for both clubs use on game day. Once the power issue was addressed, the equipment functioned properly with no additional issues.

This 2014 NFL.com article seems to dispute that the NFL provides clubs’ headsets to them on game day:

Quote:This year, Bose shipped about 50 headsets to each stadium, for use by coaches on the sideline and in the booth, medical and officiating personnel. Teams travel with their own headsets in a special case and many coaches, creatures of habit and superstition, have taken to labeling their headset, particularly if their teams win when they wear a specific one. [...] The NFL mandates that every coach have exactly the same headset, and that any modification be made available to all teams so that no competitive advantage can be gained.

In fact, the NFL’s own Gameday Policy Manual states:

Quote:Home clubs are responsible for the installation and maintenance of the coaching staff communications infrastructure.

It further explains that the visiting coaches on the sideline may use their own headsets, but those used by visiting coaches in the coaches’ booth are supplied by the home team.
As Tomlin implied, this is far from the first time opponents facing the Patriots have r