Loose Slag from The Still Mill (Jan. 7th, 2003)

 

- In reviewing the tape of this game (yes, I realize that, in reviewing the tape, this makes me the anomaly amongst nationally known Steeler analysts) that the Stiller O-line is giving up a good bit of leakage on the backside of too many running plays.� The blocking at the point of attack is solid, but far too often, backside leakage is throwing a wrench into the entire play.� Russ Grimm needs to get his gang together and batten down the hatch on the backside of ground plays�especially because Amoz is prone to cut back to daylight or stutter in hopes of finding a seam.� ��

 

- James Farrior arrived to the Steel City, amidst the great ballyhoo that he was world renown as The Great Winged God of Linebacker Coverage.� Farrior was going to cure everything that ailed this defense.� Because he was The Great Winged God of Linebacker Coverage, he was going to shut down every opposing TE, and with his "great speed" and "ability to cover sideline to sideline" teams would be hard pressed to complete anything more than a shovel pass. �Farrior finished this regular season with 1 -- count it, one -- pass defensed all season. �This past Sunday, he got tooled by Mark Campbell for a 16-yard gainer on a simple seam route.� Can anyone cite for me exactly what makes James Farrior the Great Winged God of Linebacker Coverage?� Or why, with the addition of The Great Winged God of Linebacker Coverage, our pass defense finished 20th in the NFL�and Kelly Holcomb shredded us for 429 yards on Sunday?

 

- We'll be inundated all week that Steve Mariucci's team -- just like Cowher's -- got into a big hole while playing at home, and then came back to win.� Thing is, Mariucci's team was facing a legit, starting quarterback.� Billy Cowher's team, on the other hand, was facing a BENCHWARMING journeyman named Kelly Holcomb.� Mariucci made his comeback against a solid Giants defense.� Cowher made his against the Cleveland Clowns.� Big difference.��

 

- I'm waiting with extreme caution to see if Chris Fu will show up on the injury report with a pulled elbow, or a bruised pinkie, or a sprained hammertoe.� He actually gave the offense a good boost in the 4th quarter, turning two short dumps into 10-yard gains.� If healthy -- and it's always a big "if" with Fu -- this guy needs more touches against Tenn.� Fu carried only twice against Clev, although the large deficit made us abandon the ground game.� 4 touches in an entire game simply aren't enough for what Fu brings to the table.� And, the bruising style of Fu -- who didn't play against the Titans -- might very well dent the quick Titan defense that bottled up Amoz fairly well back in November�

 

- Having said that, I will be perfectly happy if Jerome Bettis fails to attain the number of touches he had versus Cleveland�

 

- Coaches -- and anyone in a leadership position in any business in the country -- have 2 primary, immensely critical tasks when it comes to new players or employees:

 

� 1.� Development

� 2.� Evaluation

 

These two go hand-in-hand, and neither of these critical tasks can occur while a player or an employee rots away doing little or nothing.� They can only happen during the crucible of a game or the conduct of a real-world job.� A lawyer never develops trial skills if he/she never conducts a case in court.� An accountant never develops auditing skills if he/she never conducts an audit.� An architect never develops design skills if he/she never plans and implements a design.� And so it goes.� And so it goes with the likes of a Hank Poteat.� Here's Poteat, who, just 10 days ago, finished his 3rd regular season in the NFL, and as far as playing DB is concerned, the guy has played no more than 30 snaps in the NFL.� Three years "on the job", and 3 years with this club, and his employer (ie, the coaching staff) has no clue whatsoever as to whether this man can play football in the National Football League, nor have they done anything to groom/improve him to compete in the NFL.� That's a failure in development, and that failure rest squarely on the shoulders of the head coach.� Now, there are those who will immediately claim that "Cowher already knew the guy sucked" and/or "Even Joe Six Pack could tell that Poteat is a bum."� Ok -- then why is Poteat still clogging a roster spot??�� If the staff truly felt that Poteat was a stumblebum, then that's a failure in evaluation, and that failure rest squarely on the shoulders of the head coach.� If Poteat was deemed a bum, he should have been sent packing soon after his rookie year, or at the very latest, after his 2nd season.� You don't keep a guy around on the roster for 3 full seasons and never play him until the pressure cooker of the playoffs, and then expect good results.� The Stillers went 13-3 last season, yet how much playing time to Poteat get as a DB?� Very little.� That's exactly the kind of myopic foresight that Cowher has consistently displayed in his 11-year coaching tenure.�
�

- Throughout the 1st half, Clev. put good pressure on Maddox, sending 5 or 6 men at him on numerous occasions.� The result: a couple sacks, loads of pressure, and lots of misfires.� �The Stillers opened the 3d quarter with 3 consecutive runs, and then punted.� On the 2nd possession, the Stiller tried 2 passes sandwiched around an El run. �Those 2 pass plays fell incomplete, primarily due to heavy pressure by a Clev. 5-6 man rush that hurried and harassed Maddox. �The remaining 5 drives -- which produced 4 TDs -- looked like this:

 

������ 10 plays, TD pass to Plex.�� 9 pass plays -- 4(four) 3-man rush; 4(four) 4-man rush; and 1(one) 5-man rush by Clev.��

 

������� 6 plays, TD pass to Tuman.�� 4 pass plays -- 2(two) 4-man rush; 2(two) 5-man rush.�

�

������ �5 plays, punt.�� 4 pass plays -- all 5-man rushes.�

 

������ 13 plays (with penalties), TD pass to Ward.� 13 pass plays -- 6(six) 3-man rush; 3(three) 4-man rush; and 3(three) 5-man rush

 

���� ���6 plays, Fu TD run.� 5 pass plays -- 2(two) 3-man rush; 2(two) 4-man rush; and 1(one) 6-man rush (which forced errant pass to Plex that was inc.)�

 

As can be plainly seen, Davis and Co. called off the dogs, and allowed the NFL's slowest QB to stand unfettered in the pocket and play pitch-and-catch with his receivers.� Is rushing 5 or 6 men the cure-all for every play on defense?� No.� But sending only 3 or 4 men a majority of the time against a 5-man offensive line -- especially a line as talented, rugged, and experienced as the Stillers' -- is a recipe for disaster and is every bit as stupid as, say, trying to pole-vault over the Eiffel Tower.� I've been told that I'm just an idiot with a VCR, who doesn't have access to the "coaches'' films".� I wonder what Titan Coach Jeff Fischer will see on his special "coaches' tapes"?? ��

 

- Speaking of stupidity, the Stillers coaching staff will claim that they "blitzed" on the 32-yard TD pass to Northcutt early in the 2Q.� It's true -- Lee Flowers blitzed on the play. (Not that Flowers is of any help in staving off downfield passes, of course)� Here's what the Steeler coaching brain trust won't tell you -- Flowers was in the middle of the field, at the Steeler 24-yard line when the ball was snapped and he began his "blitz".� Since the line of scrimmage was the 32, this means Flowers was 8 (EIGHT) yards off the LOS when the play began.� Sorry, Bill Cowturd -- that's not a blitz; that's just downright stupidity at its worst.� The shame of it is, this ain't the first time this exact same idiocy has burned the Stillers.� Back in '99, the Stillers lost to the Titans on a 4Q TD pass, in which GilDong got beat by the TE in the EZ and Lee Flowers began a "blitz" a full 10 yards off the LOS.� If you're not an in-his-prime Rod Woodson, you ain't gonna get to the QB when starting 8 yards off the LOS.� Once again, this kind of overt stupidity comes down to COACHING.��

 

- Just curious�. has anyone even seen The Flopper, Jason GilDong�. other than ads for Burger Queen?�

 

 

- Stay tuned later this week for The GilDong Report and the Stiller-Titan Pregame Analysis�.