Stillers-Jags Postgame Analysis and Grades

Jaguars 23, Stillers 17 (OT)� ���. Oct. 16, 2005 ����Game #5��

 

Stillers-Jags Postgame Analysis and Grades

 

The Stillers hosted the Jags and slopped around just enough to hand the Jags an overtime 23-17 victory.� Badly outplayed for a good bit of the game, the Stillers were nevertheless in the catbird�s seat early in OT, but squandered golden FP after Quincy Morgan�s 74-yard KO return, fumbling the ball away on a 3rd down prior to what would have been a game winning 44-yard FG attempt.�

 

Grades:

 

QB:� With Benji nursing the hurt knee, Tommy Maolox got the start.� I didn�t anticipate Maddox wholly smelling out the entire stadium, not to mention the entire North Side area of Pittsburgh, but he most assuredly did accomplish just that.� The man stunk like elephant shit from beginning to end, aiming the ball on nearly every pass, telegraphing nearly every pass, and forcing the ball into double, triple, and even quadruple coverage.��

 

He threw a pitiful INT on the first series to help set the tone.� He had a couple poor passes late in the 1Q, but was saved by a roughing the pass flag as well as a PI flag.� In the 2Q, he actually tried to hit Randle El on a deep curl while El was being blanketed by 4 -- count �em, 4 -- Jaguar defenders.� On the play prior to Reed�s 4th quarter, 46-yard FG miss, Saddox took a 2-yard sack, which might have been the difference between a made and missed FG.� On that play, he had the time to stumble forward to minimize the sack to 2-yards, so it�s plausible that he could have had the time to throw the pill away to avoid the sack.�

 

Then there were his overtime antics that earned him the Goat o� the Game Award.� First, on 3rd down at the Jags� 27-yard line, he fumbled the ball prior to what appeared to be a designed quickie-pitchout to the left to Willie Parker.� Then, to add insult to injury, instead of simply falling on the dadgum football that was lying at his feet, Mommy stooped over like a lil� old lady and tried to scoop the ball up like a complete imbecile, booting and bumbling the ball around in the process, and the Jags recovered.� Not quite satisfied with the amount of bumbling he�d thus far accomplished, Maddox started the next OT series by throwing a telegraphed slant that was deflected by ILB Mike Peterson.� On the next play, The Sadd Ox basically yelled through a bullhorn as to what his intentions were, and CB Rashean Mathis read the pass as easy as a Mother Goose story and picked the curl intended for Morgan, and then jogged 41 yards for the game-winning score.�

 

Any time your QB turns the ball over 4 times (in this case, 3 INTs and 1 fumble), you�re pretty much guaranteed a loss.� Bottom line on Saddox is this -- I don�t want to see that sorry SOB take another snap from center, EVER, in a Stiller uniform.� Not even in mop up, as Randle El can capably handle that chore.�� F.�

 

RB:� Parker started and got the vast majority of the work.� He carried 21 times for a lowly 55 yards.� He ripped off a couple nice runs, but was stuffed many a times by the Jax defense.� He took a page from his mentor, Big Jerome Bettis, by carrying the ball with his inside hand on several occasions, including in OT when he was stripped of the ball and lost 3 yards 2 plays prior to the Maddox fumble. The Great God of Short Yardage, Big Jerome Bettis, was brought on a 3rd and � yard (after Parker gained a half-yard on 2d & 1), and was easily stuffed by the Jaguar defense.� Big Jerome ended up with 4 carries for a whopping 4 yards.� Haynes caught the obligatory screen pass, as well as carried the pig on the obligatory shotgun draw.� Staley did not dress.� C.���

 

FB: Because the Stillers used a majority of 1-back sets, Kreider saw little work.��� Inc.�

 

WR:� Hines sat this game out, and it was quite evident that The Mommy missed his favorite security blanker.� Randle El led the WR corps with 3 short grabs for 27 total yards.� He also dropped an easy out-curl in the 2Q.� Quincy Morgan had a nice day in limited work, grabbing 2 for 33 yards.� Wilson made a nice grab on a low out pass for his only reception.� He had a semi-drop of a low slat on 3d & 6 late in the 3Q.� �B.�

 

TE:� Probably the lone bright spot on an otherwise dismal day.� Heath Miller followed up on his MNF emergence with TE production and rumbling not seen in the Steel City since the halcyon days of Big Eric Green.� He scored on a spectacular 15-yard TD pass, literally rumbling through the tackle attempts of 4 (four) defenders.� He also had a huge 27-yard reception in the 4Q, as well as a nice pluck and grab on a seamer in the 4Q for 25 yards.� Who�d have ever thought they�d see the day when fantasy football mavens are jockeying to acquire a TE from the Stillers?� Miller also had a key block on El�s 10-yard 0-step hitch on the first series of the game.� The down side was the play of TE Jera-lame Tuman, who was, once again, an outright disgrace.� He got abused by Hayward on the first series, which forced a throwaway by Maddox.� On Bettis� plunge for 0 yards from the Pit 5 late in the 2Q, Tuman had a lame, weak block.� The charade of Cowhard starting Tuman, all because Tuman�s a �veteran� and Miller�s a rookie, has got to cease, here and now.� The best TE on this team, BY FAR, is named Heath Miller.����� Miller = A+.�� Tuman = D.��

 

OL: Facing a brawny, tough Jaguar front 3, there was concern about the OL going into this game.� The concerns were valid.� Starks, Simmons, and Smith were all bags o� shit in today�s game.� Smith was whistled for a false start on the first series, and then followed that up by committing a hold on a running play later in the 1Q.� Smith was also abused by Spicer on a Parker run in the 3Q, resulting in a 4-yard loss.� Simmons was flagged for a hold on a Bettis run in the 2Q.� On a rollout in the 3Q, KenDoll Simmons somehow allowed pressure, when all he had to do was position his fat ass so that the lineman couldn�t move all the way to his left (Simmons� right).� I watched this play 4 times on tape and still can�t believe how Simmons was able to dick the dog on this simple block.� MaxiPad Starks got totally abused by Hayward on a simple, basic inside move that resulted in a sack late in the 1Q.� All Starks did on this play was throw a lazy chicken wing in the direction of Hayward, in pitiful fashion.� Early in the 4Q, on a shotgun draw, Starks, as lazy and lethargic as ever, got eaten alive by Stroud, who then helped devour Haynes for 3-yard loss.� Starks is playing so weak and feeble that it�s time to dust off all the infamous monikers that Stillers.com developed for The Human Matador, Piss Conrad.� All in all, a real shameful, piss poor outing from the line.� D-.��

 

DL:� Facing a Jag offense that was missing its key ingredient, Fred Taylor, you expected the D-line to smother and stuff the Jaguar running game. �Not so.� The Jags moved Greg Jones from FB to RB, and he shredded the Stiller defense with 18 carries for 77 yards, good for 4.3 yards a clip.� Kimo had some nice stuffs.� Aaron Smith got great penetration on the 4th & 1 in the 1Q, and then had the cleverness to literally leg whip the RB, which slowed down Jones just enough for the rest of the defense to swarm and stop.� But Smitty committed a thoroughly asinine blow to the head penalty on an incomplete 3d & 16 pass attempt in the 4Q.� Fat Casey clogged some holes, but was also pancaked on the 7-yard run by Pearman in the 4Q.� The pass rush was feeble and the DL allowed too much unfettered yardage by the Jax ground game.� C-.���

 

LB:� Leading the way, at least statistically, was Larry Foote, although far too many stops were made by Footy far too far down the field. �As usual, he spent too much time caught up in the wash, and as usual, no bone-jarring hits were issued by the Footer.� Farrior had an ok game, vaulting in to stuff Jones on 1st & goal at the 1, as well as some other good stops, such as the slash and stuff of Pearman for a 3-yard loss in the final play of the 3Q.� But he too was victimized by the Jax running game, and once again, Farrior was far too slow afoot on a short dumpoff to Jones that netted 10 yards in the 3Q.� Joey Porter snapped out of his long funk with his best effort of the season.� He had a strip of Leftwich in the 2Q, and also had a nice slash n� stuff on the 1st play of the 2H that resulted in a 4-yard loss.� Jamie Harrison had a solid day.� Frazier saw some work, particularly on the GL stand.�� C-.�

 

DB:� Leading the way here was Ike Taylor, who had a very strong all-around game.� He came up a couple times on run & short-pass support, and while he didn�t issue a brutal tackle, he had the wherewithal to slash in quickly and make a diving cut-stop.� Ike had a near INT in the 3Q, only to have it busted up by Wee Willie Williams.� Ike made the defensive play o� the game, busting a deep pass to Smith in the 4Q that would have been a sure TD.� Pola was ok, though he did little in the blitz department, and when beaten on an underthrown 41-yard completion to Williams in the 3Q, he foolishly threw the receiver OOB for a 15-yard penalty.� Soon thereafter, Pola was flagged for a late hit on the TD pass to Jones.� Shidi Iwuoma was beaten badly on a deep ball to Williams in the 2Q, and luckily the pass was too long.� Later in the 2Q, he was far too soft on a 3d & 8 slant that Smith fortunately dropped.� Shidi�s shoddy play was apparently what prompted the dullardly Stiller coaching staff to finally insert rookie 2nd rounder B. McFadden into the game.� McFadd did all right, including a clutch INT on an underthrown deep ball to the EZ late in the 4Q, though he was too soft on a 3d & 8 out to Smith late in the 3Q.� Wee Willie was badly tooled by Jones on the 3Q TD pass, and was also weak on the tackle attempt of Jones on a short curl on 3d & 9, in which Jones easily dragged Lil� Willie an extra 3 yards for a 10-yard gainer.� Willie did have a nice sniff and snuff of a Jones end-around (off a pitch from the QB) in OT that was stopped for a 7-yard loss.�� Townsend left the game in the 1Q due to a hammy, and did not return, which placed a huge burden on incapable backups like Wee Willie.� B-.���

 

Spec teams:� Randle El provided 1 of the few bright spots, taking a punt return 72 yards for a huge TD in the 2Q.� Credit Frazier with a� key block on this return.� Morey had a nice stop on KO coverage in the 2Q.� Aaron Smith got a paw on a short Jax FG and deflected it, although it still made it thru the uprights.� And Quincy Morgan had a dazzling 74-yard return on the opening KO of OT, which set the Stillers up at the Jax 26.� The rest of the STs was a colossal disaster.� Morey was flagged for an illegal block on� PR in the 4Q.� Gardocki, who has �never had one blocked�, which we are reminded of each and every week, had a punt partially blocked, which resulted in a 9-yard boot.� Credit Shidi Iwuoma for the block, as he missed even laying a finger on the rusher from the Stillers� left side.� Later, Shidi, in punt coverage, allowed a punt to go through his hands and into the EZ for a touchback.� Reed shanked a 46-yard FG in the 4Q, pushing it just wide-right.� His KOs were good.� C+.

 

OC:� Whisenhunt need only to look at two key stats to evaluate his work:

 

����������� - 3rd down conversions, 1 of 12�

 

����������� - TOP:� Stillers 27:32, Jax 36:04

 

The Gay Play o� the Day award goes to the 3rd & 3 shotgun draw at the Jax 13 in the 4Q.�� It was so gutless and feeble that the Stillers would have been better off displaying banners of their intentions prior to the snap. The offense ran nothing but sitdown routes the entire day -- which is what made Mathis� OT INT as easy as pie -- which has to be blamed on Wise Hunt.�� And when you consider that Saddox� 1st INT was thrown in the direction of Nate Washington, all the while with Heath� Miller sitting on the pine on this 3d & 14 play, you have to wonder why you would ever sit Miller in lieu of a greenhorn receiver that has done nothing to date in the NFL.�� D+.�

 

DC:� LeBeau was facing an offense without a legit, experienced RB, yet managed to get gashed on the ground time and time again.� Jones had 59 yards rushing in the 1Q alone, which was inexcusable.� Thanks to ineptitude by Leftwich and Co., LeBeau also got away with some major, massive schematic gaffes, as follows:

 

����������� - 1Q, 1st & 10 on Pit 31.�� Leftwich threw an underthrown but on-target flag to a WIDE open Wimbush, who dropped the pass.

 

����������� - 2Q, 3d & 18, bomb to Williams, Shidi Iwuoma left in solo coverage.� Williams open by 2 steps but pass overthrown.

 

����������� -� Late 4Q, 1st play of series, 3:28 4Q.� Jax threw an up route to TE Geo Wrightster, who was WIDE open down the s-line with no one at all in coverage.� Luckily, the pass was overthrown.�

 

����������� -� �In OT, 3d & 17, somehow Williams is allowed to get open by 2 steps past 2 defenders, but once again, the ball was too long.�

 

On 3rd 7 17 and 3rd & 18, how in the hell do ya let a receiver roam wide open on the deep ball ??!�� And again, LeBeau got very little pass pressure from his front 7.� And the TOP (time of possession) battle was lost, in large part, due to his defense allowing Jax to chew clock with their running game, as well as sustain some long drives with a 7 of 19 conversion rate on 3rd down.� The blind and ignorant continue to sing Dick�s praises, but he hasn�t come close to earning all of the adulation and worship.�� D.�

 

HC:� With the star QB and star WR out for the Stillers, you�d expect the rest of the team -- just like you see happen all over the NFL nearly every week -- to rally around this shortcoming and fight like a cornered dog.� Sadly, this never happened, and much of the blame for this must be placed on Billy Cowher, who failed to have his team fired up and energized following the big MNF win. Cowher played cat and mouse with the Roethlisberger and Ward injuries, and in the end his team was ill prepared to play, both schematically and emotionally, without these 2 star players.� Of course, the very decision to start a gimpy Maddox -- the man who didn�t even make the trip to SD last week -- absolutely must be questioned.� Why not Charlie Batch, who is 100% healthy and far more mobile?� Furthermore, one has to question why Cowhard staunchly stuck with The Mommy the entire game.� Here�s Saddox, throwing either a pick or near pick on every other pass attempt, and Cowhard is sticking with the sorry sunuvabitch hell or high water.� The root problem here, exposed today, is that Mommy Maddox is the current version of Cowhard�s favorite fetish doll, Mike �Prozac� Tomczak, and Cowhard simply can�t bear to break the fetish with a more capable player.� Very sad, but true.� The turtling just prior to the 29-yard FG by Reed that tied the game at 17 in the 4Q -- in particular the SG draw on 3rd & 3 -- smelled all too much like Cowher spirit.� F.�

 

Synopsis:� An ugly, frustrating, excruciating defeat, at home no less, to a conference rival.� This loss essentially pisses away all the value of the big road win in Diego last Monday evening.� The Stillers drop to 3-2, with both losses being non-divisional but conference losses that could have a huge impact on a playoff tiebreaker.� The Stillers must now go on the road to face the AFC North-leading Bungals, who came back to beat the Titans.� It�s been rather routine for about 20,000 Stiller fans to attend this tilt in Cinci, but with the resurgent play of the Bungals, there may be a few thousand less Stiller fans in attendance.� At any rate, much work needs to be done in the next 6 days to prevent another disastrous loss, and with Cinci flying high at 5-1, the Stillers can ill afford a loss to fall to 3-3 while Cinci would go to 6-1.��� Perhaps not a �must win�, but at the very least, it�s a �damn well better win�.�