Stillers 23, Jackers 19 ..... Nov 12, 2023 …………Game # 9
Stillers-Jackers Postgame Analysis and Grades
The 5-3 Stillers hosted the 3-5 Jackers. The Stillers had a rare, bustling 1H, scoring 17 points, but the defense got gashed, allowing 2 long TD marches, so the score at the half was only 17-13 PIT. The 2nd half saw the Jackers continue to march, but a fluky INT in the PIT EZ saved at least 3 points, and a last-second pass from the PIT 16 was INT’d to seal the Stiller win.
Grades:
QB: KP got the start. Poor pass to Warren late in the 3Q on 3d & 3, when Warren was completely blanketed and it nearly resulted in a pick 6. Had some spotty passes, and some solid passes as well. To his credit, he nailed a clutch deep crosser to Pickens on a 3d & 10 late in the game, which would have sealed the game were it not for Austin’s foolish OPI flag. He also led the offense to 17 1st half points. However, 14 of 23 for 126 yards ain’t good enough in the modern game. C+
RB:
Harris – stellar running on 1st drive, culminating with a TD run. Big run of 24 yards, early 4Q. Had 16 rushes for 82, plus 3 grabs for 14. Ran better than he had all season. A-
Warren – nice 9 yard run, 2d series. Good grab for 4 yards on 3d & 3, last play of 1Q. Clutch run on a toss, 4th & 1, good for 8. Failed to corral a swing pass, which appeared to be a lateral, which would be a fumble. Luckily, the replay review ruled it a forward pass, which it may have been by about 2 millimeters. Squirted thru a scrum, 4Q, and gained 20 yards on a stellar effort. Had his first 100 yard rushing game as a pro, rushing 15 times for 101 yards, plus 2 grabs for 9. A
FB: rarely if ever used.
WR:
Dionte – drew a PI flag, 1st series, on a deep ball. Failed to haul in a catchable deep ball, early 4Q, but the pass CLANGED off his hands. Finished with 1 grab for 17, which ain’t nearly good enough. C-
Pickens – Had 32 grabs for 45, as well as the late grab for about 18 that was negated by Austin’s silly OPI penalty. B
Austin – grabbed a 0-step hitch, 1Q, for 3 yards. Needlessly made contact with a DB on the late completion to Pickens, and flagged for OPI. The game was OVER with this reception, but obviously the flag forced a re-do on 3rd down, which resulted in a 12 yard run on 3d & 19. I’d cut this sorry bastard tomorrow morning. D
Robinson – several good blocks in the run game, 1st half.
TE:
Pat FryBoy – still injured. Perhaps he’ll play in late Dec.
Darnell – grabbed a short pass, 1Q. Solid blocking.
Con Heyward – grabbed a short pass, 1Q, and hurdled the tackler for 12 yards. Superb effort on 3d & 15, 2Q, gaining about 12 by bulling and plowing at the end of the RAC. Had 3 grabs for 32. B
OL: Overall, the line (Moore, Seumalo, Cole, Daniels, Jones) had a solid game. The holes were plentiful for the ground attack, with the gaudy YPC by Warren and Harris. The pass pro was mostly decent, aside from some overload blitzes that caused a numbers issue.
Jones, good pull and maul block on Warren’s 12 yard run, 1Q. Solid overall game for the rookie.
Cole was flagged for a hold on a ground play, 3Q. Overall line grade: A-
DL:
Heyward – The tubby DE did very, very little all game long. He got a cheesy slop assist along with Highsmith on a play that was long bottled. He got credited with 2 mouse-quiet solos, and did nothing. D-
Ogunjobi – far too quiet, with 0 solos.
Adams – sat out due to injury.
Lowdermilk- made a run stop, 5:00 3Q. Had a couple solos.
Leal – still injured.
Benton – good solo stop, 1st series. Then, on the very next play, heavily harassed the QB and caused an errant pass. Batted a pass, 2nd series. Tackled a screen pass, early 3Q. Dude was all over the field, wreaking havoc on just about every other play. A
LB:
Kwon Alex – got nicked up, 1st series. He never returned and is done for the year, which badly sux, as he was giving this D their first all-around ILB since Shaz got injured.
Landon Rob – saved a TD on a screen pass, early 3Q. Jarred the ball loose on a 3d down pass play deep in PIT territory, forcing a FG. Was quite active. Had some issues in pass coverage, which is not his forte. B-
Cole Holcomb – out for the season.
Watt – good hustle to nab Love on a scramble after a 3 yard loss. Was quite active and made plays all over the field. A-
Highsmith – got a slop assist on a SIX yard run, late 2Q. Big Alex got SUCKED INSIDE, allowing a run of 4 yards on 1st & 10, 5:56 3Q. Got credit for a cheezy slop assist, 3Q, when the RB had been stonewalled by THREE other defenders. Had coverage on a piddly little out pass, 4Q, and the ball was dropped as Alex arrived. Late in the 4Q, deep in PIT territory, Big Alex had a chance on a toss sweep to drop the RB for a FOUR yard loss. Instead, the $17M Man flailed and whiffed with awful tackling technique, and the RB got 1 yard gain. With 17 seconds left in the game, Big Alex FINALLY did something, spinning to the inside on his rush and harassing the QB into a throw-away. Quick – give this fellow an $89M extension !! For the game, The Big He-man did jack squat, rolling the donut on solos (ZERO) and having 2 piddly, cheezy assists. F
Herbig – did little.
Robinson – got some PT with Alexander injured. Chipped in some. Will be called upon much more with Kwon out for the season.
DB
Wallace – got completely abused on the early GB TD. Along with Neal, got abused on the 2Q TD pass. D-
Peterson – chipped in a little bit. Deflected the pass that was INT’d in the 4Q.
Joey Porter Jr. - flagged for PI, 2Q on a short slant.
Kazee – flagged for PI, early 3Q, negating a stop on 3rd down. Grabbed the INT on the final play of the game.
Keanu Neal – Got abused on the 2Q TD pass. Snared the INT in the EZ in the 4Q.
Minkah - sat out due to the ham.
Chand Sullivan – batted a pass while on a blitz, late 4Q.
Spec teams:
Harvin – 50 yard punt in 2Q, although weak hang time, allowing an 11 yard return.
Boswell – Booted a 42-yard FG, 2Q. Entirely shoitty KO to start the 2H, with a shallow boot that was returned 50 yards.
Pat Peterson blocked a PAT, 2Q.
Austin FC a punt at his 8, late 2Q, which didn’t please me.
OC: Matt Canada had a very nice 1H, with the offense scoring 17 points. It wasn’t all glory, of course.
2nd and 1, 2nd series, and Canda calls this little piss-ant rollout that was designed for a NINE yard pass. FFS, either take a stab deep there, or jam the ball down the throat of a GB defense that struggled the 1st drive to stop the run.
I despised how the drive played out late in the 1H. After a 1st down, the O completed a pass to Harris for 6. Then, an odd, shoitty draw play gained 2, and the O wasted a TO. After the timeout, a low percentage out pass to a BLANKETED Dionte was busted up, and the O had to punt. To have a 2nd and 4, and urinate it away like this, was reprehensible.
I despised the construct of the 3d & 2 play, 4Q, around the GB 20. I like the rollout, but where was only ONE receiver who could have been reasonably targeted, and once he was covered, the play was cooked.
Despite a banner day on the ground, this offense scored just 23 points, which is just s-so. C-
DC:
The Steelers scored a TD on opening drive; then this D gets GASHED and immediately allows a long, cake-easy TD march by GB. For all the constant biatching about this offense, this defense, THE highest paid in the NFL, continues to suck horse appendage
3d & 16, 2Q .....and Austin's vaunted defense gets ZERO pressure, and worse, allows a WR to roam WIDE open in the EZ for an easy pitch n' catch TD.
Early 3Q, allowed an 11-play, 31-yard drive, including a 4th & 6 conversion, for a FG to make it a 17-16 PIT lead.
3d & 7, 3Q, and Austin allows GB to play PITCH N CATCH for a WIDE OPEN 37-yard pass play down the seam, later in the 3Q.
PIT scored on a FG to make it 23-19 at 5:23 4Q, and after the KO, GB promptly completed a 28 yard flag route on 1st down. A few plays later, on 3d & 10, Love had ALLL day, and completed a 32 yard strike.
Then, super-late in the game, the Stillers punted and GB took over on its own 19, with only 59 secs left in the game. Sure as shoit, Austin’s osftee, inept defense promtlly allows a 46 yard completion to a WIDE open man to kick-start the late drive.
All in all, this defense got carved and gashed all game long. All game. F
HC: Mike Asslin will crow after this win, despite playing at home against a subpar foe and winning by the skin of his pecker. Far, far too many costly, silly mistakes, combined with a softee, inept defense that had TEN days to prepare for this matchup. D
Synopsis: We’ll take any win we can get, but this one was far, far closer than it should have been. Scoring 17 points at home in the 1H should have been more than enough to cruise to a easy win. Instead, this overhyped, overpaid defense got gashed continually, and darn near gave the “w” away in the last seconds. Up next, a division battle against Cleve.
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