Stillers 34, Brown 21 ���. Nov. 13, 2005 ����Game #9�
Stillers-Brownies Postgame
Analysis and Grades
After yet
another sluggish start, the Stillers roared back and laid the wood to the
Brownies, rumbling all over the hapless Brownosers en route to a sound 34-21
win that wasn't as close as the final score indicates.�
Grades:
QB:�
Batch got the start and had a sterling 1st half, coolly going 13 of 19
for 150 yards; scrambling for a big 15 yard gainer; sneaking for a 1-yard TD;
and leading the team to a comfy 17-7 lead at the half.� Batch got things going nicely on the 1st
series, hitting Ward with a very nice pass on a boot right.� Batch also did a very sound, heady job of
leading the TD march late in the 2Q.� Taking
over at the Clev 40 with 1:19 remaining, Batch used his 3 TOs smartly, and when
Ward was ruled down at the 5-inch line on a 2d down curl, Batch -- without any
TOs -- had the presence of mind to rush the offense to the LOS and call his own
number on the sneak, which he converted for a TD just 6 seconds before the
half.� But Batch hurt his hand late in
the 2Q, and did not return for the 2H.��
Mommy Maddox took over in the 2H, and blundered about just well enough
to avoid giving the game away.� Maddox
did try to give it away, to no avail.�
He threw a horrendous INT on a deep slant to Wilson, but luckily McKinley
was flagged for a mask, which nullified the INT.� Maddox was scattershot on the rest of the limited passes he threw,
aside from the easy, short dumpers.� As
if The Mommy's play wasn't getting me irate enough, the dumb sunuvabitch loses
track of the clock on 4th & 1 on the Clev 22 in the 4Q, which caused a DOG
penalty.� So, rather than attempting the
short plunge on 4th & 1, the Stillers had to attempt the FG, which Clev
blocked and returned for a TD.� No doubt
about it, El threw the ball better than The Sadd Ox.� God help us if Saddox has to start next week in Balt.� ��Batch
= A, Maddox = D-.�
RB:�
Staley got the start and responded with a strong effort, gaining 64
yards on 17 carries against what is obviously a porous Clev rush defense.� Among his better carries was the 10-yard run
on the 2d series of the 3Q.� Staley also
had 2 grabs for 16 yards, which might be a career high for his time with the
Stillers.� Bettis chipped in, adding 28
yards on 9 carries.� He had a good
10-yard run in the 2Q down to the Clev 2, and then scored on a short TD plunge
a couple plays later.� On the down note,
The Great God of Short Yardage was called upon on a 3d & 1 plunge in
the 1Q, and he was toppled over as easily as pie for no gain.� �Haynesie
got some carries during garbage time, and did a nifty job on a 4th & goal
toss sweep to elude Ruff in the backfield and then scamper down the chalk for a
10-yard TD.� Parker did not dress.� A-.�
FB: Kreider had a strong game, making a
nice lead block on Haynes' 3d & 1 plunge that netted 5, as well as a good
seal block on Haynesie's TD run.� A.�
WR:�
Hines Ward had a big nite, breaking Stallworth's Stiller all-time
reception mark en route to an 8-catch evening for 124 yards and 1 TD.� Ward saved the TD drive late in the 2Q,
making a superb diving, fingertip catch on 3d & 3 for a 5-yard gain.� He did have a drop of a short in, but as the
play was 3rd & 10, with defenders nearby, there's no way he could have
gotten the 1st down yardage anyway.� El
had a nice evening after a few quiet weeks, grabbing 2 passes; taking a direct
snap and running for 10 yards on 3d & 3; and heaving a superbly thrown pass
off a reverse for the big 51-yard TD strike to Ward.� Whiner Wilson had 3 grabs for 48 yards, including a nice
adjustment on an underthrown Batch pass that he hauled in for 43 yards.� Wilson was slipping all evening, as he
slipped on a 0-step hitch and also slipped when he returned an onsides KO late
in the game.� Maybe in the offseason
he'll "do more research" and find a team with a better quality of
grass field.� A.�
TE:�
Miller was held without a catch, with the only pass thrown to him being
misfired by Saddox.� Kranchick, just re-resigned
this past week, grabbed a short out for 6 yards.� The blocking was solid.� Tuman,
joyously enough, did not dress, and with any luck won't dress again the rest of
the season.� A-.�
OL: The line play was merely adequate,
what with the opponent being the woeful Clev Browns front 7.� On the 1st series, the Stillers were unable
to convert on 3d & 1/2 and 4th & 1, primarily because the blocking
stunk.� Smith got totally abused on that
3d & 1.� He then was overtly poor on
the 3d & 10 pass on the 2nd series, foolishly blocking the rusher heading directly
at Faneca and allowing Thompson to attack the QB, totally untouched, which forced
a hasty incompletion.� Starks was
wheeled all the way back to the QB -- in Fat Oliver Ross fashion -- by Roye
late in the 2Q, which forced an incomplete dumpoff.� Hartings committed a dumbassed false start on 3d & 5 in the
1Q, which hampered the drive.� The line
did creates some nice fissures for Bettis and Staley to run through, and the overall
protection was decent, but the quality of the opposing front 4 is so poor that the
modicum of blocking accomplishments wasn't all that stupendous.� B.�
DL:�
An ok evening against a marginal O-line.� As usual, the line was sluggish and oafish on the 1st drive,
allowing the Brownies to march down the field like participants at the Rose
Bowl parade.� Aaron Smith's play has
really tailed off from '03 and '04; right now, he's just another body trying to
"clog the line".� Kimo and
Hampton chipped in some.� Aside from,
say, Cleveland's DL, I'm not sure if there's a more bland, non-impact D-line in
the NFL than the 1 that plays in Pittsburgh.�
C.�
LB:�
Another uninspired effort from this crew.� Due to injury, Farrior did not dress, so Kriewaldt go the
start.� Clinton actually had a couple
good plays, knifing in on the 2d play of the game on a run-blitz for a stop of
Droughns for no gain and deflecting a 3Q pass on a deep crosser while back in
coverage. But he also took a poor drop angle on the 3d & 4 deep slant to
Edwards, which would have gone for a long TD if Dilfer hadn't misfired so inaccurately.� Larry Slow-a-Foote had an abysmal game.� Don't look at the D-stats, as any ILB can
collect a load of slop tackles, which is pretty much was the Footester did.� Amongst his lousier plays:
���������� - 3d & 8, 1Q; curl pass to Bryant.� Foote, back in coverage, made a sloppy
tackle attempt, which allowed Bryant to squirm and wriggle forward for the 1st
down.
���������� - 3d & 17, 3Q, screen right
Droughns.� Foote was as weak as watered
down Bud Light, flailing weakly at Ruben, which allowed the RB to ramble 19
yards.�
���������� - 3d & 1, 4Q, plunge by
Droughns.� This play made me puke.� Foote danced and then played pom-pom
pullaway with a blocker, while The Ruben was simply plowing up the gut for a
healthy 6-yard gainer.� This was as
sorry a play by an ILB as you can find around the NFL.�
���������� - late 4Q, dump to Droughns.� Foote flailed again and whiffed, allowing
Ruben to gain 11.
���������� - 2 plays later, another dump off to
Ruben, and another flop n' flail by Foote, allowing a 15-yard gain.�
Footsie
also committed a dumbassed personal foul after the Porter INT return.� Foote did have a nice stick of Droughns on a
toss sweep by Ruben early in the 2Q, but that was it.� The rest was awful.� Of
course, Joey Porter wasn't about to let Foote run way with the Gawdawful player
o' the game Award.� Porter did have a
nice swoop in and sack of Dilfer on the 1st series of the 3Q, when he abused
the slow-footed Shelton.� Aside from
that, Porter did jack the rest of the game.�
He had a Dong interception when Pola caused a pass to shoot straight up
in the air like a mortar round.� He was
as soft was margarine on the Droughns TD plunge, jousting with the blocker and
never once making a tackle attempt at The Ruben.� Aside from the 1 sack, his pass pressure was nonexistent, and I
don't want to hear the cock & bull about "Joey is always back in
coverage", as the sorry bastard had plenty of rushing opportunities
today.� Clark Haggans didn't commit many
overt boners; but aside from stacking up a sweep, he didn't do much all
game.� The most humorous play, in a sickening
sort of way, was seeing Haggans get faked out of his jock by Dilfer on a mini
rollout and then a pump fake deep in Stiller territory in the 1Q.� I mean, the only QB slower than Trent Dilfer
in the entire NFL is the other # 8, Mommy Maddox.� Harrison got some work in relief.� C-.�
DB:�
Some good, lots of bad.� Pola
forced the bloopish pass that Porter picked, and had some other pressure on Dilfer.� He had some good tackles, though he flailed
a couple times and allowed an easy INT to go right through his hands --
somewhat similar to his "basket catch" routine from his rookie season
-- which allowed Edwards to grab and run for a 37 yard gainer.� Pola had a nice read, flash, and stop of
Heiden on a short dumpoff in the 4Q.� Chris
Hopeless had a dismal evening.� Like
Foote, he had a litany of piss-poor plays, to include:
���������� - 1Q, Droughns TD plunge.�� Chris The Dope foolishly tried to take on
The Ruben up high, and got bulldozed for 3 yards as The Ruben plowed into the EZ
for the TD.�
���������� - Later in the 1Q, Ruben carried the
ball�and then carried The Dope for a full 6 yards en route to a 9-yard
run.� You'd think Chris The Dope would
have learned his lesson after the TD run, but obviously not.
���������� - 3Q, 3d & 17 screen pass to
Ruben.� Hope came up and got his face
stiff-armed into the turf, which allowed Ruben to get the final 6 yards for a
19-yard gain.�
���������� - 4Q, pass to EZ, hit The Dope right
in the numbers, dropped INT. ���
Perhaps in
a former life Hope was a camel jockey and merely enjoys being carried around by
another mammal.� Hope had the big, easy
hit on Bryant for the FF late in the 3Q, but 1 play doesn't outweigh a plethora
of poor ones.�
Townsend
was simply outreached on a deep seamer to rookie Braylon Edwards, which
resulted in a 28-yard gainer early in the 4Q.�
He had a good hit on Northcutt on a 3rd down in the 3Q, but overall
isn't playing up to the standard of a starting caliber CB for a team with
playoff aspirations.� Taylor gave up a
fair amount of underneath stuff, and then not only got beaten by Bryant on the slant
for the late TD, but also was flagged for PI.�
Colclough failed to adjust to the ball on the 3d & 7 deep ball to
Bryant in the 1Q, which resulted in a 35-yard gain.� C-.�
Spec
teams:� A little good and bad.� Chris Gardocki punted superbly, adroitly pooching
the ball and pinning the Brownies on their own 1/2-yard line and 6-yard
line.� The down note was the blocked
44-yard FG in the 4Q, in which KenDoll Simmons got blown off the ball and then literally
knocked back onto his ass, which allowed the leakage that blocked the FG.� The kick was also lil' bit low.� The FG block was bad, but it got worse as the
ball was recovered by former Duquesne Duke Leigh Bodden and returned 59 yards
for a TD.� Reed's KOs were barely
mediocre.� The return game provided
nothing.�� C.�
OC:�
With how well Batch played, it's all the more absurd how WiseHunt and the
Stillers coaching staff treated him like a juvenile simpleton in last week's
totally dumbed-down offensive game plan.�
Fortunately, WiseHunt extracted his head from his ass prior to this game,
and allowed Batch to attempt some forward passes.� A few things still gnaw at me, such as the shitgun formation on
3rd & 3 and the removal of Miller on some passing downs, particularly in
the red zone (RZ).� I also wasn't
pleased that WiseHunt didn't attack backup CB Gay Mickens after he replaced
starting CB Daylon McCutcheon in the 1Q.�
B.� ��
DC: After another horrendous showing on
3rd (and 4th) downs, Corporal LeBeau might want to join Corporal Newkirk and Sergeant
Kinchloe back in the misery of the Nazi prisoner camp.� To wit:
���������� 1.�
3d & 8, 3-man rush, curl to Bryant, 9 yards.�� ��
���������� 2.�
3d & 7, 35 yard deep ball gain to Bryant.�
���������� 3.�
3d & 4, deep slant to a wide open Edwards, pass off
target. ��If complete, this probably
goes for 6 points.
���������� 4.�
3d & 1/2, Droughns plunge, 2 yards.
���������� 5.�
(2Q)� 3d & 11, Dilfer
scramble for 5.
���������� 6.�
�3d & 14, all day in pocket,
5-man rush, perfectly thrown deep out to Northcutt that was dropped.� Would have been an easy 17-yard gain.�
���������� 7.�
(3Q)� 3d & 17, screen right
to Droughns, 19 yards.
���������� 8.�
3d & 3, Droughns delay up RG, got 3-1/2.
���������� 9.�
3d & 5, crosser to Northcutt, drop.�� Townsend, to his credit, did deliver a good hit on this
play.�
���������� 10.�
(4Q)� 3d & 10, deep sideline
pass to Edwards, partial drop and partial bust-up by Carter.
���������� 11.�
4th & 10, deep flag to Bryant, got 1 paw on the ball but unable to
haul it on.�
���������� 12.�
3 & goal on 9, incomplete crosser to Edwards in EZ.
���������� 13.�
4 & goal on 9, slant to Bryant, TD.�
The stat sheet graciously shows a 5 of 11 rate on 3rd downs
-- not that this is something for Dick to crow about and be proud of -- but like
most football stats, this is entirely misleading.� Northcutt dropped a perfectly thrown deep out on 3rd & 14,
and on the 3d & 4, Edwards would have taken it to the house if Dilfer
weren't such a shitty QB.� The 4Q passes
to/near the end zone to Edwards and Bryant were entirely catchable and against
a better WR corps -- such as Wayne, Harrison, and Stokely, for example -- these
are probably hauled in.� There are
multiple problems, to include: feeble pass rush; no disruption of opposing WRs'
route running; lousy tackling after the RAC; timid read & react; and lots
of softee cushions.� The personnel is
too good to be so out righteously pitiful on 3Ds.� The additional concern is the long string of slow starts by his
defense, which has gotten beyond the point of disturbing.� It's easy to shrug it off, but for a ball
control team that is coached by a man who puckers at the first sign of
adversity come playoff time, this ain't the optimal path to success.� D.�
HC:� Cowhard
will, of course, be pleased with the win over Clev, but the bigger concern is if
Bilbo -- supposedly a defensive "expert" (sic) -- sees the glaring
problems on defense and sees a solution.�
This 3rd down problem has, like an infected boil, festered far too long
to merely apply some weak topical ointment.�
The problem is much deeper and much worse, and should it not get
rectified soon, this team will embark on plenty of leisurely golf outings come mid
to late January.� The DOG penalty just prior
to the FG block has to be at least partially attributed to Cowhard, who
appeared indecisive as to what he wanted to do on that 4th & 1.� On a positive note, Cowhard had his team
revved up and ready to hit, which was a pleasant sight.� B.�
Synopsis:�
Lest I forget to mention, any win over the hated Browns is better than
single malt scotch on the rocks.� Not
only did we whupp on the Brownies, but a buddy of mine -- a Clev fan -- now
owes me lunch.� The acknowledgement of
this win being accomplished, there are some nagging defensive concerns that
dampen the win, especially for a team that is based entirely upon a strong
ground game that works in conjunction with a tough, stifling defense.� And should Maddox have to start next week in
Baltimore, it could be very, very ugly, especially with the Ratbirds seething
after the heavy whipping they received from the Jaguars.�