Stillers 28, Bengals 17 ���. Oct. 3, 2004 ����Game #4
Stillers-Bungals Postgame
Analysis and Grades
The
Stillers played fiddle faddle with the lowly Bungals for well over 3 quarters, and
were clinging to a 4-point lead when Troy Pola picked a pass and returned it 26
yards for the game-sealing TD.� ��
Grades:
QB:�
Ben Roth was quietly efficient, going 17-25 for 174 yards and, perhaps
most importantly, no INTs.� As opposed
to his aiming the ball the past 2 games, Roth was firing and rifling the ball
with authority.� One prime example was the
clutch, 6-yard completion on 3d & 5 on the final play of the 3Q, which was
bulleted to Ward for a 6-yard gain.� Had
the Stillers not converted that 3rd down, they have punted from deep in their
own territory, with Cinci leading by 3 as the 4Q began.� Instead, that completion ignited the long
march for the go-ahead score.� What also
impressed me today with Roth was his ability to scoot laterally from pressure,
while still keeping his vision downfield.�
He hit Plex for a 16-yard gainer in the 1Q on a lil' scoot to his left,
and on the TD pass to Haynes, Roth calmly and adroitly scooted to his right
before hitting Haynes with an off-balance throw.� Roth even had a good block on the Ward reverse.� And Roth displayed good athleticism and
smarts when he shook off 2 defenders in the pocket and completed a 57-yard pass
to Plex.� Roth knee had hit the dirt,
but the whistle hadn�t blown, and Roth had the sense to rush the offense up to
the line in order to beat a challenge by Cinci.� (Cinci did challenge the play, and the gain was over ruled, but
it was a good play by Roth.)� The only
down note was the deep post to Plex in the 2Q, in which he threw the ball wide
of Plex.� In all, a very solid outing
for the youngster.� A.�
RB:�
The Duce led the way with his best yardage day thus far with the
Stillers, gaining 123 yards on 25 carries.�
Many of these yards were once again off of 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th effort
in which Duce churned and chugged for extra yardage.� One of his better runs came in the 1st half, in which he
stuttered away from a Bengal defender in the backfield, and then dashed around
left end for 8 yards.� He also had a
nice 16-yard gainer on 3d & 1 early in the 4Q, and then had a 14-yard gain
later in the drive.� The down note, of
course, was the 2 fumbles.� These hurt,
no doubt about it, and Staley has got to tuck the ball better as he's grinding
away for extra yardage.� Haynes had a
nice TD grab, and caught 4 balls on the day.�
Haynesie had a nice 14-yard gain on a SG draw late in the game.� Doughboy Bettis had his typical stat line --
6 carries, 9 yards, and 2 TD plunges of 2 yards and 1 yard.� Late in the game, he was inserted for no
good reason whatsoever (Haynes was readily available), and promptly botched a
pitch that he luckily recovered.� The
fumbles take away from what was otherwise a splendid day at the office for the
top 2 backs.� B+.�
FB: Kreider was tough and solid,
including a great block on the Duce 14-yard run in the 4Q.� A.�
WR:�
Hines Ward led the way with 6 grabs, albeit for paltry yardage of 48
yards.� He also chipped in 10 yards on a
reverse.� Ward was flagged for holding
in the 4Q.� Plex had 4 grabs for 69
yards, including a 30-yarder.� Burress
had another chance at a reception late in the 1Q, but his legs were cut out
from underneath him and he was unable to hold on.� Plex threw a very nice cutblock on a wide Staley run late in the
1Q.� El had 2 grabs, including a
20-yarder, and 2 rushes for 6 yards.� Of
course, the Stillers got nothing from their #4 receiver, who ever that is.� B.�
TE:�
Jay Riem had a grab for 8 yards, but other than that the TE spot was
never considered for inclusion in the passing game.� They did chip in pretty well in the blocking department.� B+.�
OL: Not that they were facing the '85
Bears, but the O-line was pretty darned solid today.� They gave Roth good time and room back in the pocket, and opened
up plenty of holes for The Duce.� Key
Vincent had a nice pull and block on the 10-yard Staley run that preceded
Bettis first TD.� There had been concern,
foolishly enough, that Vincent couldn't handle the guard chores and the pulling
chores.� This guy isn't Sam Davis, but
he's capable enough at pulling.� The
down note was the holding flags, both on Vincent and both on running plays,
which bogged down drives early and late.�
�A-.
DL:�
If there was a unit that performed in a sub par manner, it was the
D-line.� Rudi Johnson posted nearly identical
numbers as Staley, gaining 123 yards on 24 carries.� Much of this was right up the gut, where Casey Hampton seemed to frequently
abandon the 3-4 mantra of "taking up space" and "taking the
blocker head on".� Instead, Hampton
was caught taking angles to one side or the other, and the Bengals seemed
content to influence him and ride him in that direction.� Aside from allowing Rudi to slip away for a
7-yard gain in the 2Q, Kimo wasn't heard from all too often.� So, too, was Aaron Smitty, who failed to
make the stat sheet in the tackles column, but did commit the unbelievable
stupidity of going offsides on two consecutive plays in the 1Q.� Kirschke dropped a fumble/INT (depending on
how it would have been ruled) that hit him right in the breadbasket.� This line has played much better and is much
more capable than this, especially against such a lukewarm line like the
Bengals'.� C-.�
LB:�
This crew started off a bit slow, but poured it on as the game wore
on.� Foote led all Stillers with 9
solos, including a Dong Sack on an untouched rush.� Foote also forced the Watson fumble.� He had a nice stand-up of the big FB, Jeremi Johnson, after a
short reception, although he was too slow in coverage on Chris Perry on the 3Q
reception.� Foote still gets caught up
in the wash and takes some off kilter angles, but the Stillers are getting
pretty good mileage from him while Ken Bell nurses his litany of injuries.� �Joey
Porter was pretty active, although he dropped 2 INTs and was fooled on an
end-around for a 13-yard gain.� He did
have good harassment that forced an incomplete pass in the 2Q, and 2 plays
later he grabbed Palmer by the ankle on another incomplete pass.� Porter also harassed Palmer into a feeble
incompletion on 3d & 9 in the 2Q.�
James Farrior was his usual steady self.� He helped blow up a screen play in the 2Q.� My only beef with Farrior was his work on
the Rudi TD plunge in the 3Q, in which Farrior went out of his way to take on
the FB, while the ballcarrier wasn't anywhere close to following the FB.� Clark Haggans was a bit quiet.� He did apply a good hit on Palmer just as he
released the ball on a completion to Watson in the 3Q.� Zo Jackson, as usual, wasn't allowed to
dress.� B.�
DB:�
The secondary played pretty well, although they got a reprieve when
Warrick didn't dress and the Bungals had no one else besides Chad J. and
Housemanad.� Each DB starter made some
good plays and some boners.� Townsend
had good, blanket coverage on a bomb on Cinci's very 1st play, but then had a
putrid tackling attempt on Rudi's 7-yard run in the 2nd series.� Overall, though, Townsend played pretty
well.� Chad Scott was twice beaten for
completions, in which he had decent coverage but failed to crane his neck and
find the football as it was arriving.� Scott
was also flagged for an illegal contact infraction, but this was a lame call on
an 11-yard completion.� He was also
flagged for PI on a deep pass in the 1Q, although this was pretty good coverage
and the flag came a bit late.� I was
actually pleased that Charred didn't fall for the double move on this
play.� Chad got the easy INT late in the
game when the ball popped out of Kelley Washington's chest.� Scott and Hope were beaten deep a lil' by
Chad Johnson on the bomb after the Staley fumble, but fortunately the pass was
incomplete.� Hard Hat Award
winner Chris Hope picked up where he left off last week, coming up in run
support and blasting into Rudi so hard that Hope's helmet fell off his
noggin.� Troy Pola redeemed himself
after a poor 2Q.� Pola missed a tackle
on an end around, and then dropped an easy INT that likely would have been
returned for 7 points.� The next play,
the Bungals booted a FG, which therefore was, at the very least, a 10-point
swing.� As if that weren't bad enough,
he committed a boneheaded 15-yard masking penalty in the 2Q. �But Pola redeemed himself late in the game, going
up and plucking the Palmer pass, and then broke 7 -- count 'em, seven --
tackles en route to the end zone, where he bulled in for the TD.� �Simply
spectacular, and a small vindication of the Stillers trading up to select Pola
in the 1st round last year.� Colclough
saw some time in the nickel.� B+.�
Spec
teams:� El was strong in KO returns.� Colclough had 1 KO return, in which he
slipped 3 (three!) times before ever being hit, and then used his knee to knock
the ball loose, in which Kreider recovered.�
Reed's KOs were very strong and deep.�
Haynes had a nice stop in punt coverage, as did Kreiwalt in KO coverage
in the 4Q and Morey on punt coverage in the 2Q.� Gardocki got off his NFL-record 1,000 punt without a block,
although he drew my rage when he launched a booming punt into the EZ in the
4Q.� The sourest note was the punt
return in the 4Q, in which W. Williams and Taylor were flagged for different
infractions on the same play.� Given the
usual lousy nature of a Billy Cowher coached special teams, this was decent
play today.� A-.�
OC:�
Whisenhunt rightly attacked the soft underbelly of the Bungal
defense.� I liked the play in the 2nd
series, in which the Stillers lined up in the SG with dual boxcars, and then faked
the draw and then hit a wide-open Plex for 30 yards.� I also liked the deep post to Plex in the 2Q, which was open but
the pass was off a bit.� My lone disgust
was the wasted TO at the end of the 3Q, right after Plex's tantrum.� I realize we have nobody on
the WR depth chart after Plex, Ward, and El, but you cannot afford to waste a
TO that late in a game in which your team is trailing.� I'm pleased that Duce got 25 carries, but
I'm still dismayed that this offense totally ignores Staley in the short
passing game out of the backfield.�
These can be used like long handoffs for easy 6 and 8 yard gains, but
WiseHunt doesn't even seem to realize this is a legal play in this NFL.� This grade could potentially be higher, but
keep in mind that the Cinci defense has been, and is, as soft as Cool
Whip.�� B+.�
DC:�
It's hard to fault LeBeau, but let's face it -- Palmer isn't nearly
ready for the starting chores, which made the DC chores fairly easy.� The Bungals did chew up a goodly amount of
ground yardage and clock, which ain't good.�
B-.�
�
HC:� This was
Billy Ball at its most common -- play it close and hope for a victory in the
4Q.� In this case, this was playing DOWN
to an injury-riddled opponent, at HOME, and actually losing going into the
4Q.� You'll hear plenty of cries about
"pulling out the win", but this game should have never been this
close.� Funny irony about playing down
to an opponent�. when this is done, you typically end up down.� C+.�
Synopsis:�
Again, keep this win in perspective.�
Sure, it's always good to win a divisional game.� But playing at home, against an
injury-riddled team, this shouldn't have come down to a comeback in the 4Q and
then sealing the win with a spectacular INT returned for a TD. �This should have been a thorough beat down,
and instead it was the lowly Bungals giving it to the Stillers for 3
quarters.� There's plenty of room for
improvement, and we'll need to see it in the upcoming weeks as the Stillers
gird themselves for tough games against Dallas, NE, and Philly.�