Jest 24, Stillers 20 …..Oct 2, 2022 ………Game # 4
Stillers-Jest Postgame Analysis and Grades
The 1-2 Stillers hosted the lowly 1-2 NY Jest. Armed with Kenny Pickett’s insertion after halftime, the Stillers stormed ahead in the 4Q with a comfy 20-10 lead. Comfy, of course, if ya didn’t realize how soft this defense truly is. Sure enough, The Softee Defense got gashed on 2 long TD drives in the 4Q, stealing defeat from victory in front of a stunned home crowd.
Grades:
QB: Trib got the start. Waited too long to throw the deep ball, 1st series, to Pickens, which was busted up. Threw an INT in the 1Q, but that was entirely the fault of Dionte, who allowed the ball to clang off his hands. Fired a good looking TD pass, 2Q, but Dionte, the mega millionaire armed with his fatty new contract, failed to get both feet in the EZ.
Stepped BACWARDS and caused a sack, 5:45 2Q. Zero field awareness whatsoever. C
Pickett – took over to start the 2H. Not a great deepish ball to Carool, but Kenny got no help when Carpool lazily jumped all of TWO inches off the ground and got out-jousted on the ball that was INT’d. Good 3rd effort on the QB sneak for a TD, 3Q.
Outstanding quick pass in the face of a blitzer, on 3rd down, to hit Fryboy early in the 4Q to set up the 1st and goal at the 4. THIS is the kind of play that separates REAL starting pro QBs from mediocre backups. KP followed that up with a boot run for a TD. The INT in the 4Q certainly hurt…..I have to share blame on KP with Pay Fryboy, who gave a Carpool/Dionte like effort on the play. Solid first game by the rookie. B
RB:
Harris – Played ok. Thought he missed some creases and some daylight on more than a few runs. Had 18 rushes for 74 yards, which is adequate. What annoys me is that he had zero catches after grabbing everything in sight last season. B+
Warren – threw a blistering, pancake chip-block, early 2Q, on the pass play that resulted in Pickens’ deep crosser. Two plays later, ran a toss sweep.....same blocking as Harris had earlier for 5 yards, and Warren gains 9 more yards on his than Harris. Had 3 runs for 18, and 1 grab for 4. Seems this is the extent this stubborn, myopic coaching staff is going to use him, barring an injury by Harris. A
Snell – Didn’t play on O.
FB: Watt played here and there, but sparingly.
WR:
Dionte – Clang ! A slant pass, 2d series, clanged off his hands and was INT’d. Then, he was too casual with his feet on an EZ pass, 2Q, which was correctly ruled OOB and negated a TD. Finished with 2 grabs for 11 yards. Hey, good thing GM Omar Kahn CAVED in to Dionte’s sily-assed “sit in” during camp, and overpaid this rabid stat padder who rarely makes the big play in the clutch. D-
Claypool – Good thing Chase Carpool is able to jump only 3 INCHES off the ground on the deep pass by Pickett that was INT’d. Going against a 5-8” DB, this meek, half-assed effort enraged me. He finished with zero grabs and zero rushes. Wow, talk about a fellow rabidly regressing from a rookie season 2 years ago. D
Boykin – no PT on O.
Pickens – superb pluck on a high crosser, and good RAC, 2Q. Stellar 3rd down sideline grab, late 3Q. Led the WR corps with 6 grabs for 102 yards. To think, this fellow was rabidly and intentionally ignored the 1st 3 games of the season. A-
Olzewkski - tip-toed on an end around, 1Q, and got LIT up for no gain. Ya can’t take a carry like that, with ACRES on the boundary, and tip toe like a complete dweeb and then get jacked up by a ‘backer. C-
TE:
Pat FryBoy – stellar grab of out pass, 3Q. Had a big day with 7 grabs for 85, but the final INT is partially his fault. I wasn’t fond of his Claypool/Dionte like effort. C
Gentry – grabbed a shovel pass. Saw a lot of snaps in power running formations.
OL: Overall, the line (Moore, Dotson, Cole, Daniels, Okorafor ) blocked okay. Certainly not great, but not horrible. There was more leakage in pass pro than I’d prefer. That said, at least 2 of the sacks can be blamed on Tribisky.
Daniels was flagged for ineligible man downfield, negating a 1st down grab by Pickens. Dotson was flagged for a hold in the 2Q, negating an ultra-rare 6 yard gain by Harris. Pukes Okorafor was flagged for hands to the face on a 3d down play, 2Q. Moore was flagged for a false start, late 2Q. On the very next play, Moore got abused by Lawson for a sack. Dotson was flagged for ineligible man downfield, 3Q. Overall, C. Moore, C- .
DL:
Heyward – at halftime, the big team captain had all of 1 assist and ZERO solos. Finished the game with (hold your laughter) ONE solo and 3 quiet, mealy-mouthed assists. Big Scam talks a big game, full of bravado and big-man toughness, but then on the field he once again does jack squat. D-
Ogunjobi – forced the 1st sack by High. Harassed the RB with good penetration, forcing a No Gain.
Adams – got the start, and did very, very little.
Alu Alu – committed a hold, late in the game, giving NY a key 1st down.
Wormley – chipped in here and there.
LB:
Bush – tackled like a NO-armed man near the goal line on the 20 yard scamper by Carter, mid 4Q. Got abused on a15 yard pass play, late 4Q. Got picked on mercilessly in pass coverage. Didn’t do dick to impact this game. C
Jack – fairly active, but like his mates, wilted badly in the 4Q. C+
Watt – still on IR.
Highsmith – good run stop, 1st series. Got a Dong sack, 2nd series, when Wilson hastily ran from slight pressure from Ogunjobi. Whiffed like a jackass on an easy sack, late 1Q. Limped off, early 2Q.
Spillane – got abused in coverage continually.
Malik Reed – Now we know why this stiff was available. He sucks. Badly. C-
DB
Wallace – got abused and torched on a 3d & 6 out pass, late 1Q, and then was completely incoherent to make a RAC stop, allowing extra yardage. Very sophomoric, and poor. Didn’t do nearly enough. C+
Cam Sutton - solid run stop, early 2Q. Snared a Dong INT, late 2Q, on a poor pass to nobody. Still not doing quite enough in coverage. B-
Norwood – Chipped in with 5 solos, including 2 TFLs. B
Edmunds – Edmunds got injured on a late 2Q play in which he should have snared an EASY INT. No ball skills, reading ability, or awareness whatsoever. Did not return.
Minkah - nearly a pick 6, 3Q, off a Dong INT on a pass that clanged off the NY receiver’s hands. Returned the ball to the NY 4. Forced a fumble at the GL in the waning seconds of the game…..the replay review ruled it a TD. Was a heckuva an effort. A
‘Spoon – did not dress, due to a hammy.
Maulet – failed to corral a fairly easy INT, late 2Q. Flagged for a costly hold on an inc 3rd down pass, late 2Q. Got scorched on a 4th down pattern, mid 4Q.
Spec teams:
Harvin – vomity punt, late 2Q, that went all of 35 yards from deep in PIT territory. Very poor, and unacceptable. As was his entire day. D
Boswell – foolishly booted a KO OOB after his FG, 2Q, giving the Jest the ball at the 40 yard line. Nailed a 51 and 59 yard FG. A-
Olzewski – fumbled one punt; luckily Pierre recovered. Has vastly unimpressed me over these 4 games. No wonder Billichick discarded this pilo manure. C-
OC: Matt Canada oversaw another moribund 1H. The 2H was a bit better, with Pickett leading the charge. Still, this offense has all the adroit cleverness of a toddler drawing on a napkin at a local pizza parlor. D
DC:
Austin struggled once again against a bumbling, decrepit offense. The 1st Qtr and early 2d Qtr was hardly impressive, as his vaunted D allowed a long TD march of 9 plays, 70 yards.
PIT took a 20-10 lead in the 4Q, but sure as a bear shoits in the woods, this vaunted, over-hyped defense promptly allowed an 11 play, 81 yard TD march, in which NY converted two 3d & longs, as well as a 4th and long. Then, after the INT gave the Jest the ball on their own 35, this softee D allowed the Jest to march 65 yards in 10 plays for the GW TD with just seconds remaining. Of course, Austin made NY’s task as easy as pie…..he leaves the ENTIRE MIDDLE of the field wide open, so that all the QB has to do is fire a pass, STRAIGHT AHEAD, with an acre of open room for 12-14 yards ANY time he so desires.
For having THE highest paid defense in the entire NFL, this ain’t good enough whatsoever. F+
HC: Mike Asslin oversaw yet ANOTHER 4th quarter collapse by his vaunted defense, the FOURTH in four games this season. Epic Collapse #4 ! The Softee Defense is just like Mike Stoogelin……all sorts of hype and bravado, but when the game is on the line, Asslin and his Softee Defense wilt like week old lettuce. Looks like this’ll spiral into a losing season, and hopefully the start of the end of Mike Asslin. F
Synopsis: A manure loss against a manure team, playing at home no less. Inexcusable. This team has now urinated away two very, very winnable HOME games against inept foes in NE and NY. Hard to be optimistic about anything right now, even with the insertion of KP into the starting lineup.
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