Doncos 31, Stillers 28� ���. Oct. 21, 2007 ����Game #6
Stillers-Doncos Postgame
Analysis and Grades
Coming off
the resounding win over Seattle, the Stillers ventured out west, this time to
the Mile High city of Denver.� Like their
previous venture out west to Arizona, the team laid a collective egg, en route
to a 31-28 defeat to the reeling, lowly Denver Doncos.���
Grades:
QB:�
Benji started out, well, cold, in the cold Denver weather, misfiring
numerous times on open receivers in the 1H.�
Even the deep completion to Nate in the 1Q was an underthrown pass that
had far too much hang time.�� He also
threw a hideous seamer to Holmes that was nearly picked by Bly, and his deep
flag to Holmes was slightly underthrown and picked by Bly later in the 1Q.� There was also the overtly poor pass to Ward
on 3d & 3 in the 1Q that was behind Hinesy.� He also missed a wide open Ward on 3d & 4 in the 2Q.�� Later in the 2Q, he threw a wretched INT on
a pass that was gimpily thrown off his back foot.� Last but not least in the 2Q, Benji was entirely too liberal with
the ball, and was stripped in the pocket, which led to the 50-yard fumble
return for a TD by Crowder.� To his
credit, Benji shook off the miserable 1H and came alive in the 2H, leading the
offense to 3 TD marches while completing 3 TDs to 3 different receivers.� He fired a nice strike to Holmes for a TD,
and then did a nice time buy before hitting Speath for the tying TD late in the
4Q.� Overall, an ok performance, but
facing an average secondary missing its best player (Bailey), there was far too
much ugliness in the 1st half, which allowed Denver the large bulge on the
scoreboard.�� C+
RB:�
Facing the league�s worst rush defense, Parker was limited both by a
preschool game plan coupled with Devner routinely marching 9 defenders into the
box against Arian�s horseshit packed formation of 2 and even Tes.� He did rip off some nice runs, and finished
with 93 yards on 21 rushes.�� He was
enormously successful on dumps after play-action fakes in the 4Q, gaining 22
and 12 yards on these 2 identical 4Q plays.��
Davenport had 2 carries and no receptions.�� B.�
FB: Davis started and played some.� His blocking was hardly overpowering.�� He snagged 1 pass late in the game for 8
yards.� According to NFL dot, Kreider
started, although I don�t recall seeing that�..and for that matter, I don�t
recall seeing the NFL�s 2nd best blocking FB on the field for the offense the
entire game.���� Inc.�
WR:�
Hines returned to the lineup after missing a couple games with the knee
injury, and his rustiness showed early on.�
He had a semi-drop on a 3d & 3 in the 1Q.� In the 2Q, he nearly grabbed a tough catch on aslant, but could not
hold on.� Ben�s 2nd INT appeared to
glance off Ward�s fingertips.�� Like
BenRoth, he did snap out of his doldrums in the 2H and made some clutch grabs
down the stretch.� Holmes had a pretty
strong game, grabbing 6 passes and a TD, which was indeed a superb catch in
which he held onto the ball despite a brutal hit by Ferguson.�� Holmes did commit an asinine boner near the
end of the 1H, lazily drifting OOB while Ben was scrambling and then being
flagged for being the first man to touch the passed ball.� Ced Wilson, who�d led all Steeler receivers
in the previous game, was literally written out of the offense by Arians and
wasn�t thrown a ball until late in the game.�
Nate grabbed the deep ball for 40 yards on the game�s first possession,
and then wasn�t thrown a pass the rest of the game.�� Facing an average secondary missing its best player, this was a
bit ho-hum.�� B-
TE:�
The TEs sparked the offense, with Miller snagging 2 TDs and Speath
one.�� The blocking was ok.��� Tuman did not dress.�� B+.
OL: Loads of spottiness and lethargy, although at times,
the line was simply outnumbered, trying to block 8 and even 9 men in the
box.� Center Sean Gayhan continues to
enrage me with his oafish blocking, such as the lame, half-assed attempt on
Williams that resulted in a 1-yard loss by Parker in the 2Q.� To make matters worse, Mahan struggled again
on SG snaps, placing numerous snaps either too low or too high and making Ben�s
job all the more difficult.�� He also
was flagged for being an ineligible man downfield in the 1Q.� The Sack o� Shit play of the game, of
course, was the entirely feeble-as-shit, pudd-pulling blocking effort by Marvel
Smith and Alan �The Crybaby� Faneca, who, despite DOUBLE teaming Dumervil,
allowed him to come charging in on Ben Roth and strip the ball, which led to
Crowder�s TD return.� Smith was simply
feeble on this play, allowing Dumervil an uncontested inside rush.� Faneca, not to be outdone, blocked on this
play like a complete faggott, with one hand up his ass and the other meekly
grabbing at Dumervil�s ass.� To add salt
to the wound, after Crowder, a 275-pound DE, scooped up the ball and ran toward
the EZ, Faneca gave chase as the closet Steeler, but then literally quit
and gave up chasing a good 30 yards from the end zone.�� Remember this play, Crybaby Alan, when you
begin your offseason bitching and moaning about Rooney�s salary offer and your
subsequent signing with, say, Danny Snyder and the Wash Deadskins.�� Soon after this fiasco, Smith was whipped
to the outside by Dumervil, and in similar fashion, Smith basically quit on the
play, which allowed Dumervil to loop all the way around the Horn of Africa and
drop the QB.� Faneca had a nice pull and
block on Parker�s 15-yard run in the 3Q, but that was too little, too
late.� KenDoll Simmons was flagged for two
holding penalties, although the first one was a bit questionable, as the ref
threw this flag about 3 seconds after the supposed infraction incurred.�� It�s a rather sad indictment, where the
starter with the least pedigree and NFL experience -- Willie Colon -- acquitted
himself the best in this game.����
C.�
DL:�
A really drab outing by the D-line.��
Hampton returned to the lineup and appeared to be rusty and out of
gas.� In fact, on a 3rd & 1 midway
through the 3Q, Fat Casey wasn�t even on the field, giving way to Hoke.�� Sorry, but if a guy is going to be praised
and worshipped as the supposedly greatest nose tackle in the NFL, then his fat
ass needs to be in the game on a 3rd & 1.�� Aaron Smith hurt his leg in the !H and did not return, which was
a big loss.� Hoke had outstanding push
on a goal-line plunge late in the 3Q, totally disrupting the play and helping
to halt it for no gain.� Kirschke saw
some PT.� Eason got a lot of PT in
Smith�s absence and was entirely mediocre.��
Cutler almost always had eons of time, and Henry had decent running room
and was rarely punished.�� Facing a line
that was missing veteran center Tom Nalen, this was an extremely disappointing
effort.�� C-
LB:�
A see-saw game by the LBs.� Jamie
Harrison led all defenders with 9 solos, but he spent much of the 1H
titty-fighting and ass grappling.� He
was also scorched by Sheffler on the Doncos� 1st drive, resulting in a 26-yard
gain on a seamer.� He did come alive in
the 2H, including an impressive 2-play sequence in which he blew by Graham to
drop Gay Cutler and then stuffed Henry for a 1-yard loss.�� But, like his teammates, he got lazy and
clumsy, getting flagged for being offsides on the fatal final drive.�� Farrior and Haggans were each overtly
piss-poor on the long, 31-yard Cutler scramble in the 2Q, each taking angles
more befitting a marcher in the San Fran gay and lesbian parade rather than
that of an NFL starting linebacker.��
Hagg was a bit quiet, with his biggest play coming on the game�s final
drive, as he went offsides like a complete dumbass.� Foote had some good, some bad.��
He had a sterling stop of Henry on a goal-line plunge in the 2Q, but on
the very next play, he was too slow in both recognition and coverage to cover
Sapp on the 1-yard TD pass.� In the 3Q,
he made a superb, athletic INT to help turn the tide.�� But on the final play of the 3Q, Foote foolishly chased a back
that Haggans was already blanketing, leaving the TE open for the easy,
short TD toss.�� For the life of me, I
have no earthly idea how a veteran LB that has been starting for over 3 full
seasons could commit such an assaholic blunder such as this one.�� LaMar Woodley, as usual, got very
limited PT, but wasn�t fooled on a bootleg and blasted Cutler, forcing
a 3Q fumble that unfortunately was recovered by Denver.���� C-
DB:�
Pola returned to action, but the secondary got shredded by one of the
most lukwewarm passing attacks in the NFL, which was missing its best WR, Javon
Walker.�� Time after time, Denver WRs
made easy receptions while timid, terrified D-backs gave gobs of softee
cushion.�� On a 3d & 9 in the 1Q,
from the Stiller 15, Ike Talor was not only standing at the 6-yard line, but he was also
backpedaling as the ball was snapped.��
Exactly how deep was Taylor expecting Stokley to run��?� Perhaps into the 18th row of the end
zone bleachers ???�� Stokley easily cut
underneath Taylor for the easy 15-yard TD.��
Clark had an unbelievably weak flail n� whiff on Young on a 3d & 14
screen, resulting in a 16-yard gain.�
Anthony Smith had a fairly easy INT on a foolish pass into double
coverage by Cutler.� Townsend looked
positively lost on a 3d & 14 to Stokley that gained 17 yards.� On the very next play, he played the screen
to Marshall like a complete pansie, doing nothing to impede Marshall except to
backpedal and puss out.� Pola was pretty
active, but almost always seemed to be a step late or a split-second late.�� He was flagged for a 15 -yard �blow to the
head� at the end of Cutler�s long run in the 2Q, which was complete,
unadulterated bullshit.�� There never
was a �blow to the head�, as he simply wrapped his arm around Cutler, and once
a QB is OUT of the pocket and running DOWNFIELD for positive yardage, there is
no such thing as �hitting the knees� or �blow to the head�.�� This does not exist; rather, a stupid-assed
ref invented this on the spot.�� A genuine
�blow to the head� would warrant a fine from the NFL, and when Pola does not
get fined this week, that will fully prove what a busllhit call this was.���� Overall, against such an average WR
corps, this was grossly unacceptable.�
If this is an indication of what this secondary is capable of, I can
only shudder at what NE�s passing attack will do in December. ����D.�
Spec
teams:� Pretty lackluster.�� The KO coverage was spotty after the 1st TD and after the 4Q TD
at the 10:00 mark.� Rossum and Daven had
a miscommo on a KO, which resulted in starting FP at the Steeler 6.� Reed was short on a 65-yard FG, which, of
course, can hardly be faulted since no one in the history of the game has
booted a FG that far.�� The return game
gave the team very little.�� Sepulveda
punted solidly.����� B-.�
OC:�
Arriving to the stadium to face the NFL worst rush defense for a night
game on a day in which it had already snowed and the 37-degree
gametime temperature slated to fall down to the high 20�s by game�s end, Bruce Arians
nonetheless came out with a clever game plan that called for the abandonment of
the running game in the 1H and asked for Roethlisberger, who hasn�t played in
cold weather in over 10 months, to pass and pass and pass the ball incessantly.�
���������� Had there been some cohesive plan of
attack, I could have lived with a larger balance of pass to run, but there
wasn�t a shred of anything even remotely intelligent or cohesive.� Here�s Denver, missing their very best
defender, CB Champ Bailey, and their other CB, Dre Bly, fighting off a
painfully injured shoulder, and Arians plays right into this by running nearly
everything in the 1H east-west, including a massive barrage of screen plays
that fooled nobody.��
���������� Madden noted that �the Doncos were
doing more blitzing that they have this year�.�� Ok, fine�..WHERE was the adjustment?��
���������� Amidst Ben Roth scrambling for his
life:
���������� ���
- Miller was hit with a quick popper off a play-action fake, which
gained an easy 27 yards.� Despite John
Lynch spending nearly the entire game within 5 yards of the LOS, the play was
never run again.��
���������� ���
- As noted above, Parker twice was hit on short dumpers after a play
fake, gaining 22 and 12 yards in the 4Q.��
Where was this play 3 quarters prior ??�
���������� ���
- Cedric Wilson was literally ignored until late in the 4Q and finished
with 1 grab.��
���������� Arians has this bizarre fetish with 2
TE, and even 3 TE (using Starks) sets, with 1 WR and 1 RB.�� All Denver did, was literally pack 9 men up in the box.��� 8 blockers cannot block 9 defenders, but
Arians is too much of a dumb bastard to realize this.��
���������� Until I see otherwise, the biggest
impediment to this team making a long playoff run, is none other than Bruce
Arians.��� D-��
DC:�
Dick had the luxury of facing a QB making his 11th career start, and
missing his top WR and his starting center.��
All Dick did, was allow Cutler to look like a combination of Danny
Marino and Johnny Unitas, calmly and easily completing 22 of� 29 passes for 248 yards and 3 TDs.�� It�s readily apparent this defense,
including LeBeau, spent the bye week proudly reading all of the press clippings
about how dominant they�d been and how great they were.� They showed up with little vigor, little
innovation, and little energy.�� Denver
easily, without the slightest bit of perspiration, completed 3d & 9, 3d
& 12, 3d & 14, and 3d & 14, all the while with defenders stumbling
around in a stupor.� The pass harassment
and pressure was weak and negligible.��
The Stokley TD in the 1Q still has me enraged.�� Part of this must be blamed on Dick, who presumably ordered
Taylor to give 9 yards of cushion on a play from the 15-yard line, which is
utter stupidity.� LeBeau kept using this
homo� defense of 2 DL, 3 LB, and 6 DBS,
which generated ZERO pressure and offered zero pass coverage as well.� If Dick wants to be innovative and clever,
especially with Aaron Smith out, then LaMar Woodley should be used to join
Keisel and Hoke/Hampton/Kirschke to at least add some bulk and push to this
feeble-assed pass rush.�� In all, LeBeau
should be utterly embarrassed for one of the worst defensive efforts against
such a below-average offense.���
D-.�
HC:� Tomlin needs
to only look in the mirror to find a main culprit for today�s pathetic
lethargy.� He had the bye week to
refocus the team�s efforts, and instead the team apparently lollygagged and
loafed during the off week.�� How else
do you explain:��
���������� � - 2 veteran O-linemen lazily allow a
defender to squeeze between them and strip the QB, and then literally quit
while chasing the lumbering D-lineman as he runs for a TD.��
���������� � - Holmes lazily drifts OOB on a QB scramble
and gets flagged.��
���������� � - Holmes is blasted OOB on a late hit by one
of the dirtiest bastards in the NFL, John Lynch, and nobody -- absolutely
NOBODY -- gets in Lynch�s face after this play.��
���������� � - Woodley strips the ball from Cutler on the
long-assed march in the 3Q.� As the ball
is lying on the ground, you can freeze your DVR.� Here�s what you�ll see --�
1 (one) Steeler defender is near the ball, amidst a sea of 7
(seven) blue shirts that are surrounding the football like a swarm of
hornets.�� How, pray tell, could a WIDE
RECEIVER come up with that football, while only ONE Steeler had the gusto,
hustle, and energy to race and dive after this loose ball??��
���������� ��- 2
different veteran starters foolishly commit the entirely LAZY penalty of
offsides on Denver�s game-winning FG drive.��
�
Like the AZ loss, the team jumped to an early lead, and then
went flat and flaccid and allowed a grossly inferior opponent to seize the
game.� Tomlin has to ensure more fire
and focus in the preparation, and then ensure that these lethargic mid-game
letdowns don�t occur.���� This team
isn�t talented enough, like the Pats and Colts, to show up with only their �B�
game and half-assed intensity.�� D.�
Synopsis:�
After playing what was arguably the finest 2nd half in franchise history
in their previous game, the team went out and laid another collective egg,
their 2nd of the season.�� It may be too
early in the 6th game of the season to declare many trends, but one trend is
undeniably clear:� when this Stillers
team shows up in a snarly mood, focused and ready to hunt bear, they maul their
opponent with good, crisp, hard-hitting football.�� Conversely, when they show up smug, haughty, and overconfident,
the resulting slop and slather is of sickening proportions.� Denver responded to the adversity of their
losing streak and previous assbeating at the hands of Diego.�� The Stillers failed to respond to the prime
time atmosphere and do-or-die mentality of the Doncos.�� If they take Cinci lightly, despite how
pitiful the Cinci defense is (remember last week�s avalanche of how poor the
Denver defense was?), they�ll be looking at 4-3 really fast.���
(Still Mill
and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the Pittsburgh Stillers,
no one else comes close�.)