Loose Slag from The Still Mill������ Oct 24, 2007 ����
- Aside from Bruce Arians, the thing I�m most growing weary
with at this point are these pre-game love fests that are happening too often
before games. ��I�d previously written
about the absurd hug-fest before the Arizona game.�� Whisenhunt and Grimm spent what seemed
the entire pre-game warm-up hugging and making small talk with our
players.� I believed then and now that
this was psychological warfare on their part against us.� �Sunday
nite in Denver, there was another pre-game love fest that drew my ire.�� I'm as Christian
as the next guy, but Sunday nite we had what looked like half the Steelers team
going out to midfield to hug and kiss the widows of two deceased Broncos
players.� The Pittsburgh organization
could've done something else to pay their respects as a whole the day before
the game.� That would've been
classy.� Or, perhaps Rooney himself, and/or
Colbert, could have represented the team well enough before the game.� But to have several of our team leaders
taking part in this event was excessive and once again I believe contributed to
the Stillers playing flat and flaccid for most of the game.
���������� I
won't say that all the hugging and kissing with rivals before the Arizona and
Denver games led directly to both our defeats.�
A lot of others factors explain why we've looked like manure our last 2
road games (start with game plans and poor adjustments).� But I'm of the opinion that once a team puts
on the pads and is dressed for action, it should not be overly friendly with
the opposition.� Call me old fashion,
but that's my opinion.� Thinking back, I
don�t ever recall -- EVER -- seeing Jack Lambert, Mike Webster, or Mel Blount
part of any pre-game grabass or glee club type of event.�
���������� Remember,
you hear it all the time�.�The NFL is a copycat league�.�� Soon enough, the Stillers will be coaxed
into a weekly parade of pre-game ceremonies and love fests, unless Tomlin puts
his foot down and says that enough is enough.��
- I hate to
keep asking��but when, uh, will we ever see this vaunted �Hurry Up Offense� that
Arians crowed about during the entire summer ??� �If the intent was to pass
on the Doncos early on in order to open things up, would not a little bit of
hurry-up have helped, especially with Champ Bailey out of the lineup??�
- The
Stillers are sticking to their claim that they wanted to pass in the 1H in
order to open things for the ground game. �The fact that they scored on their first series, mostly in the
air, should have done that.�� And, with
that accomplished, they could have worked on pounding the ball on the ground against
the NFL�s worst run defense.� Instead,
after Parker gained 7 yards, they passed twice and punted, and then passed
twice to start the next possession, ending with the INT by Bly. ��It all leads to the very obvious conclusion
that not only is Arians running a grab-bag offense, but he has no clue as to game
planning and shifting gears.��
- Another
question that has been bugging me�.with such versatile players such as Hines Ward,
Ced� Wilson, and Tonio Holmes, why have the
various �trick� plays been totally eradicated from the playbook??�� If a defense is diving 9 players into the
box, isn�t it reasonable to think that a quickie pitch, an end around, a
reverse, or a halfback option pass might be the tonic to take advantage of a
selling-out- overzealous defense ?� �Remember, there is no� NFL rule that says a team must wait until
the 4th quarter before running these plays.��
- Last point
on the offense, before I shift gears and beat on the defense, which played like
utter dogshit on Sunday.�� Said Ben Roth
in the Trib Review, �We got ourselves into some third-and-long
situations and they dropped into a Tampa-2 that we weren't exactly
prepared for, hadn't really seen it from them."�� Uh, say what ??��� My gawd, the entire NFL plays some version of the Tampa 2.�� The Doncos had played 5 games prior to this
one.� The Stillers had TWO WEEKS to
prepare for this game.� TWO WEEKS!!��� And the QB is claiming that a simple cover
2 was something �we weren�t exactly prepared for� ??�� Aside from heavy boozing, what exactly did that sorry bastard Arians
do during the bye week?�
-� The PG�s Geno Collier beat me to commenting
on this play -- the bubble screen to the left to Marshall on Denver�s 3Q TD
drive.� What a fiasco!!�� There were 3 WRs lined up to the left, and
ONE Steeler DB, with Troy lined up just outside the normal OLB area as a
blitzer.�� Even if Troy doesn�t blitz,
you have an ugly mismatch.�� For a
defense with ZERO rookie starters and ZERO players that are in their 1st
year as a starter, HOW does stupid shit like this occur ??�
- Having
watched the game twice via DVR, I�m still appalled by the total lack of pass
pressure and harassment by the defense.��
Remember, I�m not fretting about sacks.� �I�m talking about a simple
paw in the face of a QB, or some heat just as the QB releases, or some pressure
to make the QB shorten his stride on his delivery.� Sunday nite, there was NONE of that.�� What I can�t understand, is why LaMar Woodley is being marooned
on the BENCH during all of those 3rd & 14�s, amidst long drives
when other rushers must be tired AND the fact that the game was played in altitude,
which screams for the use of substitutions at pass rusher in order to keep
fresh lungs in the game.��
(Still Mill
and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the Pittsburgh Stillers,
no one else comes close�.)