Game thoughts

[langer]

A "work in progress".

Shouldn't that be what it's called in the spring, not during the goddamn season??? Same shit last year.

[Rod & Wire Mill]

I feel like this era of Steelers football is some fucked-up thought experiment where you have to try to understand why a coaching staff would desperately cling to an offensive philosophy that has proven to be counter-productive time and time again. I wholeheartedly believe we would rather play small-ball until the closing seconds of a losing effort than open it up and give ourselves a chance to win, and I can't pull off the mental gymnastics to understand why. If we come out and let Trubisky throw deep balls to Pickens the entire second half yesterday, how would the end result have been any worse? What are we trying to protect?

I keep thinking about Miami yesterday. A team with a perceived game manager at QB and an offense that last year was even worse than ours throws for 450/6 to erase a 3-touchdown deficit and win. That game is over for us (as any game would be) as soon as Baltimore gets a multi-score lead. It looks like Miami did what they needed to do to compete with modern NFL teams and we're still approaching each game with a mindset that would only make sense A. if it were still working and B. if it were 2004 and a team could win on defense alone. It's maddening.

Answer: It’s what Deuce wants, and yes, it’s maddening

[Thrillsseeker]

I'm no Matt Canada fan, but right now I'm putting about 75% of the blame on Mitch. We can't make excuses for him.

1. We know his mechanics suck. He's throwing off the back foot way too often and sometimes he gets away with it because he's got a pretty strong arm. But oftentimes it leads to inaccuracy like the Najee wheel route.

2. I saw Mitch completely ignore open receivers today quite a bit. And, that's why I'm not blaming all of this on Canada. Let's take the famous 3rd and 8 on the second to last drive. The reason we are in that hole is because Mitch missed a back shoulder throw to Pickens by about 5 YARDS. Horrific. Then on 3rd and 8 someone earlier mentioned he had no choice but to dump it to Najee because of pressure. BULLSHIT. Mitch had Muth running wide open for an easy first down in the middle of the field. Instead, he sensed a bit of pressure and immediately just dumped it. Pathetic.

3. Mitch is playing scared. He's not stepping up in the pocket at all and instead bailing towards pressure off his back foot. He can't hang in and step into a throw to save his life.

So, in short, he's not seeing the field well, his mechanics and accuracy are poor, and he's playing scared. THIS IS CLEAR AS DAY TO ANYONE BUT MIKE TOMLIN.

Was terrible all day but that play ended my hope he’ll get better. I’m all for Kenny to start now.

[langer]

Watching the Bills is like watching a well-oiled machine.

Watching the Steelers is like watching a bum fight at 2AM on the South Side.

[tbsteel]

Guess where ole Trent, I mean Najee took this run.

[langer]

Just watched Henry get a goal line TD. I recall in a similar situation Najee blasted into Watt’s back.

[Stosh-67]

Watching the Bills is like watching a well-oiled machine.

Watching the Steelers is like watching a bum fight at 2AM on the South Side.

Saying the Bills offense is light years ahead of the Steelers offense....
Is an insult to light itself.

[Stosh-67]

Guess where ole Trent, I mean Najee took this run.

Jeez. I can hit that hole.
Tell me the rest of the story.
Did he run into grand canyon...
Or meet and greet the Pat's defender in the small hole?
I sure hope they go over play by play, slide by slide, frame by frame and use these as teaching tools.

Nice footwotk and seal by the TE, Nice double by LT/LG. Nice double by RG/RT.

C with stalemate ....but not a miss.

That's an 8 -10 yard run.

[Orangesteel]

Eagles coaching has turned Hurts into a pretty good QB.

Do you all realize how bad our coaching is? I mean it is absolutely abysmal.

[Kodiak.]

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-explosive- ... ve-success

It's PFF, but this stat should be relatively straight forward. This is why small ball doesn't work:



And it gets worse:


And the money shot:

[langer]

Josh Allen is murdering the Tits.

What exactly did Mitch learn while riding the Bills bench??? I mean, that was one of the PR moves that sold this jagoff to the yinzer faithful. John Allen just loves him!

Good grief.

Ah, I know what he learned, grooming facial hair to look like you're a good QB.

[Stosh-67]

Ben to the Titans

Ben to the Colts.

Yes....he is enjoying golf.

But those are two good teams that need some magic at the QB spots.

[Orangesteel]

Siriani gets the ball back with basically no time in the half from their own 5 yard line. He allows Jalen Hurts to methodically get down the field with perfect play calls and time management.

Hurts throws a dart to Goedart to get them within an easy FG. That is outstanding coaching.

Tomlin would have ran the clock out, no question 100 percent positive.

We are so fucked until Tomlin is dismissed.

[Stosh-67]

Eagles coaching has turned Hurts into a pretty good QB.

Do you all realize how bad our coaching is? I mean it is absolutely abysmal.

absolutely positivly abysmal

[Jobu]

Eagles coaching has turned Hurts into a pretty good QB.

Do you all realize how bad our coaching is? I mean it is absolutely abysmal.

Hurts looks great attacking all levels and doing it with his legs too. Watching the Eagles offense…sitting here shaking my head!

[DP39]

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-explosive- ... ve-success

It's PFF, but this stat should be relatively straight forward. This is why small ball doesn't work:



And it gets worse:


And the money shot:

Question about the money shot: notice anything particular about the left-bottom two teams included with the Steelers? I do.

[bradshaw2ben]

one is 0-2 and the other is 2-0?

[jeemie]

Eagles coaching has turned Hurts into a pretty good QB.

Do you all realize how bad our coaching is? I mean it is absolutely abysmal.

Hurts looks great attacking all levels and doing it with his legs too. Watching the Eagles offense…sitting here shaking my head!

I was watching games from 2004…remember when rookie Ben was just a “game manager”?

Offense under rookie Ben was many multiples better than the offense today.

And we thought they were being too conservative at times.

[Professor Half Wit]

one is 0-2 and the other is 2-0?

Both owned by families connected by great granddaughters of the teams founders?

[fractalsteel]

Guess where ole Trent, I mean Najee took this run.

Jeez. I can hit that hole.
Tell me the rest of the story.
Did he run into grand canyon...
Or meet and greet the Pat's defender in the small hole?
I sure hope they go over play by play, slide by slide, frame by frame and use these as teaching tools.

Nice footwotk and seal by the TE, Nice double by LT/LG. Nice double by RG/RT.

C with stalemate ....but not a miss.

That's an 8 -10 yard run.

Is this the play that Harris ran into Cole's backside? Hence the need for a blind man's cane. The ILB had his left foot planted so he was moving towards the hole. Too bad our RB wasn't.

[langer]

Does Najee need glasses? Serious question...I recall in the past this being a thing with some NFL football player, too macho to wear glasses or something, maybe it was an afterschool special

[ToddHaleysNineIron]

Guess where ole Trent, I mean Najee took this run.

I really hate still photos...

What I see?
-The Tackle is throwing Mason Cole to the side.
-A play designed to open up on the left, and the cutback lane that is about to be swallowed up before any cut can be made.
-A free linebacker who has filled the hole and because there is no push, can easily get back to the middle of the field.

Plenty of examples I'm sure, but still shots - they don't tell me anything, I like the gifs and movies of Harris running into people instead.

I mean someone above is mad because Harris isn't cutting yet.. he literally just gets the ball here.

[langer]

There's the play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNmqMnePYgg

[DP39]

one is 0-2 and the other is 2-0?

Both owned by families connected by great granddaughters of the teams founders?

Ding ding ding!

Rooney, Mara and Tepper. The family/ownership ties run deep and are cut from the same cloth -- same old fashioned mindsets and philosophies.

As b2b says, changing to a modern NFL offense is equivalent to turning a supertanker with the Steelers (and per my observation, owners just like them).

[ToddHaleysNineIron]

There's the play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNmqMnePYgg

Thanks for the link, I saw a lot "holes" that weren't where the blocking was going, and would have been closed up by the defender, and I see lots of "still" screens that show a hole, and are immediately closed up because the o-line isn't holding any blocks.

I think "still" screens are popular because it's easier to digest , but I think the reality is as it was last year, and is for pass protection... this offensive line is very poor.

The difference I see with Harris as compared to Benny Snell Jr., Jaylen Samuels and Anthony McFarland of the year 2020, is that Harris gets some positive yards instead of losing a yard or two. That's not a ringing endorsement by any means, but I don't see it as something to get worked up about with this offense.

Watching some of the route concepts on Steelers Depot yesterday - I'm more concerned with receivers running routes all at the same level, and always close to each other to the point they are running into each other.

[Kodiak.]

Watching some of the route concepts on Steelers Depot yesterday - I'm more concerned with receivers running routes all at the same level, and always close to each other to the point they are running into each other.

PFF (I know, I know) again this year, as last, is rating every receiving target not named Diontae Johnson as poor at getting open.

And, yes, I think a lot has to do with the playcalls and route concepts. But I also said we've been overrating our receiving group for years.

The QB has to be nearly perfect for this offense to be effective. And that's not a level even the best typically operate at.

[955876]

There's the play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNmqMnePYgg

Thanks for the link, I saw a lot "holes" that weren't where the blocking was going, and would have been closed up by the defender, and I see lots of "still" screens that show a hole, and are immediately closed up because the o-line isn't holding any blocks.

I think "still" screens are popular because it's easier to digest , but I think the reality is as it was last year, and is for pass protection... this offensive line is very poor.

The difference I see with Harris as compared to Benny Snell Jr., Jaylen Samuels and Anthony McFarland of the year 2020, is that Harris gets some positive yards instead of losing a yard or two. That's not a ringing endorsement by any means, but I don't see it as something to get worked up about with this offense.

Watching some of the route concepts on Steelers Depot yesterday - I'm more concerned with receivers running routes all at the same level, and always close to each other to the point they are running into each other.

The okay where he slips, that still looks like a pretty damn big hole up the middle if he cuts that back.

Well, and is fast enough to beat the 300 pounder being blocked.

Najee lacks burst is what I’m seeing.

[955876]

There's the play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNmqMnePYgg

Thanks for the link, I saw a lot "holes" that weren't where the blocking was going, and would have been closed up by the defender, and I see lots of "still" screens that show a hole, and are immediately closed up because the o-line isn't holding any blocks.

I think "still" screens are popular because it's easier to digest , but I think the reality is as it was last year, and is for pass protection... this offensive line is very poor.

The difference I see with Harris as compared to Benny Snell Jr., Jaylen Samuels and Anthony McFarland of the year 2020, is that Harris gets some positive yards instead of losing a yard or two. That's not a ringing endorsement by any means, but I don't see it as something to get worked up about with this offense.

Watching some of the route concepts on Steelers Depot yesterday - I'm more concerned with receivers running routes all at the same level, and always close to each other to the point they are running into each other.

The okay where he slips, that still looks like a pretty damn big hole up the middle if he cuts that back.

Well, and is fast enough to beat the 300 pounder being blocked.

Najee lacks burst is what I’m seeing.

[Kodiak.]

What some of us have been saying since last year:

"Canada said it’s different having a new quarterback with a bunch of young players as opposed to having Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, though Roethlisberger was restricted in how much he could audible, too. However, Roethlisberger would dump those restrictions when he got to the fourth quarter and needed to score points in seven of their comeback victories."

[Havoc]

What some of us have been saying since last year:

"Canada said it’s different having a new quarterback with a bunch of young players as opposed to having Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, though Roethlisberger was restricted in how much he could audible, too. However, Roethlisberger would dump those restrictions when he got to the fourth quarter and needed to score points in seven of their comeback victories."

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a clown show on the offensive side of the football, all things considered. It has gotten to the point of embarrassment.