Raiders,
Stillers 17���. Sep. 15th, 2002 ����Game #2
Stillers-Raiders
Postgame Analysis and Grades
Returning home after the
disaster in Boston, the Stillers hoped to right the ship with a win over the
hated Raiders.� Instead, the Stillers
were once again thrashed in every phase of the ballgame.�� The Stillers also committed a host of
unforced errors, all of which led to a 30-17 whipping by the Raiders in a game
that could have been much worse, were it not for the play of Joey Porter.��
Big Plays:
1. Stew connects with Ward
on a 34-yard TD to give the Stillers a 7-3 lead.�
2. �But on the next drive, Garner saunters thru
the middle of the Stiller defense, and goes 36-yards for the go-ahead TD.
3. �On a 2d & 10 from the Pit 22, Joey Porter
INT's a pass near the goal line, snuffing a deep Raider drive.
4.� On a 1st & goal from the Raider 3 in the
2Q, Stew fumbles the snap and Oakland recovers.�
5.� On the ensuing drive, facing a 3rd & 15
from their own 5, the Raiders run a shovel pass to Kirby, who dashes 24 yards
for a huge 1st down.� �
6.� On a 3d & 10 later in the drive, Jerry Porter
snares a deep slant in the EZ to put Oak. Up, 17-7.
7.� Fu blocks a punt just before halftime,
allowing the Stillers to get a late FG and go into the locker room down only
17-10.
8.� On a 2d & goal at the Pit 3, Joey Porter
reads the play and INT's the ball in the EZ, then races downfield on the INT
return.� About to be tackled deep in
Oak. territory, he adroitly hands off to Scott for an apparent TD, which was erroneously
over-ruled.� Still, the Stillers scored 5
plays later to make it a 3-point ball game at the end of the 3Q.
9.� On the ensuing KO, Terry Kirby dashes 96
yards for the TD, taking the wind out of the sails of the home team and crowd.
10.� �The
Stillers begin to march, but Ward fumbles after a reception.
11.� Burress pounds the final nail into the
coffin, coughing up the football without a jar or a strip, but rather a
mindless, unforced cough-up.
Grades:
QB: Stewart had an ok nite, although
hardly awe-inspiring.� At times, he was
on, but more often he was not.�� He
completed some good receptions, including the 2 TD passes, and did a good job
in the pocket to avoid the rush.� The
2nd TD impressed me, because he threw while on the run, something Stew has been
loath to do.� However, there were
several badly misfired passes, which were either too high, too far out in
front, or too low, despite pretty solid pass protection all evening.� Additionally, two deep lobs to Burress
really drew my ire (one late in the 1Q, the other early in the 3Q).� In both cases, Stewart put zero loft on the
ball, and underthrew Plex.�� On these
kind of plays, Stewart absolutely must get some air and loft under the ball,
thus allowing Plex a chance to go up and get it, which is precisely what occurred
on the lob in the EZ in which a penalty was called on C. Woodson.� Along with the 9-foot high lobs, the play
fakes Stewart gave were about as convincing as Saddam Hussein's denial that his
thugs are brewing nuclear weapons.� Stew
actually had improved significantly in this area last year, but thus far this
year he's regressed miserably.� �And, lest I forget, his fumble near the goal
line was also a shameful mistake that took at least 3 points off the board at a
critical juncture of the game.� C+.�
RB:�
The Tubby Tailback had some solid production despite a light
workload.� He carried 10 times for 41
yards, which isn't shabby.� I was peeved
on one play, in which he tiptoed on a delay HO and took forever to hit what had
been a decent hole.� I was also peeved
on the play in which he remained in to pass block, only to get steamrolled by
Bill Romanowski, which caused a flush of Stewart.� �I expect a RB who weighs
280 pounds to go a better job than that half-assed blocking effort.� Amoz had a few nice carries and snagged 3
balls out of the backfield, but then had a critical fumble in the 4Q that
helped seal the loss.� To his credit, AZ
saved a TD by hauling down Rod Woodson after the Stewart fumble near the
goal-line.� Fu played sparingly and
never touched the ball.�� B.
FB: Kreider sprang Bettis with a couple
good blocks.� He dropped one pass near
the goal-line on a tough chance due to a low throw.�� B+.�
WR:�
Ward led the way with 7 grabs for 92 yards and 2 TDs.�� His RAC work was good, except for the
costly fumble in the 4Q.� His juggling
catch early in the game near the s-line was a thing of beauty.� Mathis had 3 grabs, including a nice grab
near the s-line.� El was limited to 2
grabs, and also had 10 yard run after receiving a snap as a "shotgun QB.� He did show his green-ness on one late curl,
in which he failed to come back for the ball, thus allowing it to be batted
away.� Burress had just one grab, after
which he coughed the ball away without any sort of jar or strip.� Very pitiful.� �B-.�
TE:�
Bruener had one grab for 10 yards.�
But the God of Blocking was flagged once for a crucial hold that bogged
down the 1st drive of the 3Q, and he was soundly whipped by Armstrong on a 2nd
quarter shovel pass to Amoz.� All in
all, hardly a good game for Mr. Stonefoot.��
Tuman didn't help, dropping an easy pass on a 1st qtr. 3rd down play
that forced a punt.��� C.�
OL: The O-line redeemed themselves from
the horrendous stinkout up in Boston, with a pretty solid effort.� �On
the whole, Stew was given ample time and room to throw.� The line also opened up some nice creases
for the ground game.� In all, this was a
more than acceptable effort against a solid defense.�� B.
DL:�
The d-line faced few rushing attempts in this pass-fest.�� For the most part, they bottled up the
Raiders ground game, except for the 36-yard TD scamper by Garner.� The pass rush from this crew was mostly
non-existent, although that's not their forte.�
B.�
LB:�
Little was accomplished in this game, but one major accomplishment was
achieved:� Joey Porter has cemented his
place as, by far, the very best OLB on this football team.� Mind you, Porter has, for over 2 seasons now,
been the best OLB on this club, but tonight merely cemented it for the
myopic fans who failed to see the obvious.�
In what may have been the greatest game by a Stiller OLB since the days
of Jack Ham, Porter was all over the gridiron -- stuffing the run, covering Hall
of Fame WRs, harassing and sacking the QB, and intercepting 2 passes. �In fact, Porter became the 1st NFL player to
ever 3 sacks and 2 INTs in one game.� He
personally snuffed two deep Raider threats with heady INTs, along with good
run-backs on both, to include a smart hand-off near the end the 2nd INT-return
that was incorrectly ruled a forward lateral.�
Clark Haggans, who is finally being permitted to venture onto the
gridiron during meaningful games, chipped in with some solid play and 2
sacks.� While Porter was having arguably
the greatest game by a Stiller OLB in the past 25 years, Jason GilDong went out
and had one of the truly worst games of any Stiller OLB in the past 25 years, with
an effort as sorry and outrageously putrid as a veteran LB can possibly have in
the NFL.� When Jason -- the supposed
"pro bowler" and defensive captain -- wasn't FLOPPING and FLAILING at
the feet of a RB, he was getting slapped about by RT L. Kennedy.� When that wasn't happening, he was getting
mauled and bullied off the LOS by a TE or RB on running plays or short flips to
Brown.� On two shovel passes in front of
him, with nary a blocker on him, Jason still flopped and flailed
miserably, allowing a crushing 24-yard gain on a 3d & 15 from the Oak. 5,
and another deflating 28-yard gain on 3d & 8 (a play in which Jason
actually flopped and flailed twice).�
�On a few pass rushes, Gildon was
manhandled and whipped to the ground so rudely that he ended up rolling around
on the Heinz Field turf like an empty beer keg thrown out of a frat house
window.� GilDong's presence on the field
tonight was as inconsequential as the gas emitted from the flatulence of a hamster
in the midst of a roaring hurricane.� James
Farrior had an ok nite, to include a couple of stuffs on ground plays.� On the other hand, the long TD scamper, as
well as 13 & 12 yard runs by Kirby & Wheatley respectively, can at
least partially be attributed to the veteran LB.� Rookie L. Foote chipped in a bit.�� Porter:� A+.��� Farrior, Haggans, Foote:� B.�� Jason
GilDong:� D-.
DB:�
The secondary gave up gobs of yardage (403), but I cannot fault them
entirely.� For most of the evening, they
were hung out to dry with Lewis' vanilla defense that did little to pressure
and harass Gannon.�� The DBs had
numerous good break-ups on passes, and some very good coverage on plays where Oakland
receivers simply made good catches. ��Of
course, the TD to Jerry Porter -- covered by Scott -- was weak.�� I respect Brown and Rice, but giving Porter
that much room in the end zone on a simple slant was piss poor.� Brent missed a few tackles tonight, and made
few, if any, plays (ie, deflections, break-ups, etc.) on passes.� Flowers put a nice stick on Porter early
on.� Townsend picked himself back up
after the poor play in New England.� Mike
Logan had a fairly strong game, and soon enough it will be time to consider
inserting this man into the starting lineup.�
The overall DB tackling, though markedly improved from last week, was
still a bit spotty here and there.� One
thing that does perturb me is this:� 64
passes tonight, and no INTs by the DBs.�
Add on the 43 thrown by Brady last week, and you have 107 passes without
an INT by a DB.� With such a low
probability of a turnover from an INT, why will any offense eschew tossing the
ball 50 times a game versus the Stillers?��
B-.�
Spec teams:�
For what seems like the first time since the end of the Cold War, the Stillers
blocked a punt (by Fu), which enabled them to boot a FG late in the 1st
half.� But otherwise, it was a spec
teams disaster once again for Bill Cowher and his merry band of oafish
clods.�� After scoring to make the game
20-17, the Stillers kicked off and proceeded to allow Terry Kirby to dash 96
yards for the crippling TD. �The
inability to maintain lanes, as well as close in on Kirby, was quite
evident.� Townsend was also soft and
feeble in his attempt to bring down Kirby near the end of the dash.�� El had a couple nifty returns, although he
foolishly fair-caught one punt in which no one was within 8 yards of him.� The Stillers committed 2 spec teams penalties,
one of which negated a nice 36-yard KO return.�
Josh, the mega-million dollar punter, boomed two punts into the EZ for
touchbacks in the 1st half.�� In all, a
typical stenchfest that we have become accustomed to seeing from the spec teams
on a team coached by Bill Cowher.�
D-.�
OC: �Mularkey had a combination of mishaps, penalties, and turnovers to
deal with, which can hardly be blamed on him.�
Still, Mularkey isn't blameless after this hideous loss.� Mularkey seems to be running the same
grab-bag offense that his two predecessors, Gay Sherman and Kevin Gaypride, ran
with such fondness and lack of success.��
Case in point: the Stilers try an end around, but run it at Bill
Romonowski, a 15-year vet who is one of the smarter defensive players in the
NFL.� Hello, Mularkey??!!!�� Maybe run it to the other side??�� Then there was the ridiculous little
out-pass to Kreider on a 2d & goal from the 4 that fooled no one and even
if caught, accomplishes nothing.� Two
games into the season, and Mularkey has yet to set up a single big play.� Also, how 'bout near the end of the
half?� With the ball on the Oakland 34,
with only 16 secs and no TOs, you can actually take a couple stabs for a TD if
you go outside and deep.�� No, the
Stillers settle for the 8-yard slant-in, and nearly lost the opportunity to
boot a FG.� C.�
DC:�
Fantasy Football Alert:� Start anyone
on your roster, if his team is facing the Steelers!!�� Even if the guy is a 3rd string TE or the #5 WR, start him for
fantasy football.�� Start any QB you
have, regardless of whether he's a clod like Dilfer or a putz like Bubby
Brister.�� Why?� Because Mister Vanilla, Tim Lewis, is
perfectly content to stand back and watch opposing teams shred his defense
while he hides behind the pathetic, vanilla charade of� "I'm so afraid to get beaten on a
single play, then I'm going to sit back and allow the other team to do anything
it wants under no pressure or duress whatsoever."�� The softee vanilla was so prevalent that
every ice cream parlor owner will soon be rushing to Pittsburgh to get a patent
for this new brand of softee cream.� Part
of the problem is this:� Lewis, in using
a base 3-4 defense, actually BELIEVES in his own simple mind that when he sends
a single LB or DB to join the 3 linemen, that he is
"blitzing".�� Ergo, you have 4
rushers against 5 or 6 blockers, and Lewis, as dumb as a doornail, can't figure
out why the opposing QB has eons of time and space to pick apart the
secondary.� One plays stands out to
me:� 3d & 10 early in the 4Q -- DeWayne
sat in a short zone, and Tim Brown raced right by him and was wide open on a
fly route downfield.� Gannon threw the
ball to Brown, but the pass was way overthrown and fell harmlessly incomplete.� WHY was this pass so pitiful?�� Because, for one of the few times this
evening, the Stillers BLITZED with a fury, and like every other QB not named
Dan Marino, Gannon's lack of time and room in the pocket forced him to make a
poor throw.�� D-.�
HC:�
If you've never entertained the possibility that Billy Cowher simply
isn't very bright, tonight should have snapped you out of that funk and turned
the light bulb on.�� Cowher's team got
scorched thru the air last week by NE, so what did Cowher do to adjust for this
game?� Answer:� NOTHING.� The interview
with Cowhead at halftime was so laughable that, if it weren't so sickening to
see a man steal a $3M per annum paycheck, it would be hilarious.� Cowher all but came out and admitted how
duped and unprepared he was for the Raiders pass-happy offense, and seemed to
concede defeat despite another 30 minutes remaining.� We know Cowher knows exactly nothing about offense, but
defense is supposed to be his forte.��
If so, where is it??� Cowher's
teams have always handled prosperity about as well as a drug abuser handles
loose cash, and that fact is being hammered home as Cowher's AFC front-running
team slumps to the rear of the pack.� F.
Synopsis:
�0-2 is obviously the worst possible way to
script the opening of a season for a team thought to be the front runner to
represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.�
The bye week couldn't have come any sooner, because this team needs to
reassess everything and start anew.� Enormous
problems exist, and soon enough morale and in-fighting could be added to that
list of problems.�� On the other hand,
the season is still young.� Unlike some
teams, the Stillers are not only extremely healthy, but also face a very soft
stretch on their schedule.� Don't jump
off the Clemente Bridge just yet, folks.��
The season is still young, and there is enough talent and teamwork on
this team to overcome Bill Cowher and his dimbulbed staff.��