Stillers 24, Colts 17 ..... Nov 28, 2022 ………Game # 11
Stillers-Dolts Postgame Analysis and Grades
The 3-7 Stillers went out to Indy to face the 4-6-1 Colts on MNF. The Stillers managed to go into the locker room at the half, up 16-3.
Sure as shoit, of course, the Danny Smith-coached coverage teams allowed an 89 yard KO return to open the 2H, giving the Dolts golden FP that they quickly cashed in to make it 16-10. Another Indy march pushed them ahead, 17-16.
Amazingly, the Stillers marched 75 yards in the 4Q for the go-ahead TD, and made the 2 pointer as well. More amazingly, this soft, inept defense managed to ward off the Colts from marching 93 yards in the final minutes for the tying TD.
Due to the late nite nature of this game, this’ll be an abbreviated report.
Grades:
QB: KP got the start. Nice 35-yard strike to Pickens on a backshoulder pass, 2Q. Good running with the ball, both on a designed draw as well as scrambles. Threw an EZ pass to Pickens just an inch too long, late 2Q, which was unable to be hauled in. Was 14 of 18, 133 yards, in 1H.
Stellar crossing pass to Pickens on 3d & 9, early 4Q. Threw an accurate, well placed TD lob to Dionte, but he dropped it. Good scramble and then pass on the run to Pickens for the 2-pointer. In all, KP was victimized was numerous DROPS, including those by Sims, Dionte, and Pickens, as well as FryBoy’s failure to simply work back SIX INCHES to the ball on a curl near the GL. Solid work by KP. B
RB:
Harris – good power run for a TD, 2Q. Went to locker room with 1 minute left in the half. Did not return. B
Warren – sat out, due to a ham.
Snell – Converted a 1st down on a short plunge, 2Q. Superb 17 yard run, late 2Q, off an astute cutback. Good read and run on the 2 yard TD run, 4Q. Had 62 yards on only 12 rushes, plus 1 grab for 6. For a fellow getting the ball for the 1st time all season, a very solid effort. A
McFarland – finally dressed this season. Good run for a 1D, late 1Q. Good, shifty RAC on a screen, 2Q, good for 13. Good 9 yard power run, early 3Q. Had 6 rushes for 30, and 2 grabs for 11. Again, for a fellow who dressed for the first time all season, a nice effort. A-
FB: Watt played only a few plays. Overly poor lead block on toss sweep, 3rd play of game, for no gain. Grabbed a shovel pass on 1st & goal, and gained 1 yard. Stellar plunge on 3d & 1, mid 4Q, to move the chains. B
WR:
Dionte – once again loses 4 yards on backwards RAC, 4Q. Dionte, who SAT OUT of team drills at camp with his silly-azzed sit-in, DROPPED a fairly easy TD catch. A shoit play by a shoit player. Later, he snared a 2nd down crosser and would have been, at most, 1 yard short of the sticks, but for the ninth time this season ran BACKWARDS and lost 4 yards. Had 5 grabs for 49, which ain’t nearly good enough. C
Boykin – did not dress, due to an oblique.
Pickens – amazing grab and footwork on a 35 yard back shoulder pass, early 2Q. I wasn’t overly fond of his 1 hand stab attempt on the EZ lob late in the 1H. Deep in the 3Q, he dropped a low but highly catchable crossing pass on 3rd down. Someone please notify George Pickens HOW to position his hands on that low crosser. He had them EXACTLY WRONG on a highly catchable, rather routine play that shuld have been caught. Failed to haul in a moderately challenging pass on a sideline out, late 3Q. Finally hauled in a pass, grabbing a crosser on a key 3d & 9 early in the 4Q. Also grabbed the late 2 point pass. Had 3 grabs for 57. The mistakes pull down his grade. B-
Sims – dropped a challenging, but entirely catchable, pass on 3rd and short, 1Q, which forced a FG. Had 2 grabs for 9. B-
Gunner – good 9 yard run, 4Q.
TE:
Pat FryBoy – failed to work back to the ball on a curl pass, late 2Q. Had 3 grabs for 39. B-
Gentry – caught his mandatory screen pass, which of course lost 4 yards.
OL: Overall, the line (Moore, Dotson, Cole, Daniels, Okorafor ) opened nice holes in the ground game. The pass pro had some leaks, but generally provided adequate time for the QB.
Moore was fagged for a hold on a ground play, 1st series. Got abused by Buckner on a ground play, no gain.
Daniels was flagged for a hold, 4Q, which was declined. Moore: D Rest of OL: B
DL:
Heyward – At the half, had ZERO solos, ZERO assists, and zero nothing. Got mauled off the snap on a Taylor 13 yard gut plunge, 3Q. At the end of the 3Q, The Scammer continued to roll the donut. He somehow got a slop assist late in the game to avoid totally rolling the donut. Finished with ZERO solos, 1 A, and zero nothing. A complete waste of oxygen. F
Ogunjobi – played adequately. B
Adams – Chipped in here and there.
Wormley – adroit fumble recovery, 3Q.
LB:
Bush – got swallowed up and blocked on a 10 yard run by Taylor, 2Q. Had a measly 2 solos. C-
Jack – Didn’t do all that much, and most of his stats were from slop stops. C
Watt – completely whiffed on a screen pass RAC by Taylor, 2Q, turning 1 yard into 9. Nipped a 4th down pass, late 4Q, but it was caught anyway. Finished with 2 solos and 1 A in a meek, weak-azzed effort. D-
Highsmith – big sack, 1 minute left in the game. Then made another big play, hauling down Taylor on a running play.
Spillane – mercifully sat out.
Malik Reed – had decent pressure on Ryan on a play.
DB
Wallace – good bustup, first series. Busted up an out pass, 2Q. Was mysteriously called out by the booth for a potential head injury late in the game, which not only forced him to leave the field, but also gave Indy a free timeout. Played adequately. B
Cam Sutton – whiffed on an easy sack, 2Q. On the final 4th down by Indy, his back was to the ball and he clawed all over the WR. In today’s NFL, that play gets flagged as DPI at least 65% of the time, if not more. He lucked out with no flag. B
Norwood – didn’t play much on D.
Edmunds – got a Dong Sack, 1Q. Was never neat an aerial football. C+
Minkah - flagged for PI on a 3d & goal bustup, 3Q, which would have been the first play this stiff has made in about 3 weeks. Made a stellar play late, late in the game, nabbing a short pass reception that could have gained another 7 or 8 yards. Also helped bust up the final pass. B
‘Spoon – did not dress.
Maulet – was mercifully removed from the de-facto outside starting CB role he assumed last week. Played ok. C+
Pierre – stellar INT, 1st series. Got tooled for the TD lob, late 3Q. C+
Spec teams:
Harvin – boomed a simple pooch punt into the EZ, 1Q. Decent punt, 3Q. Poor 40-yard punt, 3Q. Vomity punt, 4Q, but lucked out with a favorable bounce than added at least 13 yards.
Wright – booted the ball again in place of Boswell. Nailed 2 longish FGs, 1H. Also booted a shorty FG late in the 1H. His Kos were longer, but lacked hang time. B+
Sims – didn’t do much in the return game, but didn’t blunder, either.
Shoitty KO coverage, late 2Q, allowing a 45 yard KO return. Of course, on the opening KO of the 2H, the KO was fielded EIGHT yards deep in the EZ ….and then returned 89 yards by the Colts.
Good FG block by Lowdermilk, last play of 1H. Cam Sutton foolishly went offsides on a 4th & 2, chip shot FG try, 3Q, which gave Indy a 1st down.
Overall ST grade: F
OC: Matt Canada again had a rancid effort.
Gifted with an early INT and no network-TV timeout, Canada eschewed taking a stab downfield, instead ordering a highly elaborate bootleg pass play to the SIXTH string WR, Cody White, which gained 2 yards. WHAT on earth was the purpose of this play?? Naturally, the O settled for a FG.
3d & 1, 3Q, and Canada orders a gut plunge to the SCAT BACK, McFarland, out of a SG formation. Sheer vomit all around, and it was stopped for a short loss.
1st & goal at the 4, 4Q, and Canada The Genius orders a shovel pass….to THE slowest man on the field, Derek Watt. Brilliant!! Of course, earlier, there was also the mandatory screen pass to the slowest, clumsiest receiver on the team, Zach Gentry, which was easily diagnosed and blown up for a 4 yard loss. The next time I see a screen to Gentry, I swear I’ll throw furniture thru my TV set. D
DC:
Armed with a 13-0 lead, Austin promptly allowed the Dolts to grind out a 1 play drive, with 5 runs and only 1 short completed pass, which enabled a FG to trim the lead.
indy takes over at their own 7, less than 4 min left in game, down 7. Perfect time for The Softee defense to get gashed for a long TD march. Sure enough, Indy completes a 28 yard chunk play on the very first play, and casually marched down the field. Only complete mismanagement of the clock, and the situation, by Indy prevented the tying TD.
I was stunned Austin had the sense to remove Maulet from full-time duty as the outside CB, which he did last week and got abused all day long by Cinci. That move should have never been made vs Cinci, of course.
The scattershot Matt Ryan made this game fairly easy for Austin. Let’s not get too giddy. C
HC: Mike Asslin a litany of slop, poor focus, lack of discipline, and so on. Shoddy KO coverage. A starting CB going offsides on a chipshot FG on 4th and 2. An offense that gained 18 yards the entire 3Q. A defense facing the scattershot Matt Ryan and getting gashed nonetheless. Stoogelin will be all proud of beating Coach Jeff Saturday, who has been a coach for all of 3 weeks. B-
Synopsis: A thin win over an equally marginal foe. I’m not going to rejoice nor jump for joy, nor make plans for the playoffs. Next up, a road game vs. ATL.
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