Thinking Aloud
by Still Desi
- All this clamoring over Mike Mularkey being the next
great head coach is really just a bunch of malarkey.� Any offensive coordinator who continually chooses to remove his
single greatest asset (Plaxico Burress) in the redzone certainly does not have
the strategic mindset to manage a game or a team as a whole.� What's even more mystifying is the fact that
the Steelers have zero success when Burress is out of the game, yet he
continues to stand on the sidelines.� If
they're afraid that Plaxico will be double covered, then the genius named
Mularkey should try to draw up an effective play pitting 10 offensive players
versus 9 defensive players.� It appears
that he would rather play eleven against eleven.
- Speaking of Burress, I know he doesn't have the stats or the grittiness of
Hines Ward, but is there really any question who the most valuable WR on the
team is.� Hell Burress is the most
valuable member of the offense, simply because he would be the most difficult
to replace (there could be some argument for Faneca due to the battered state
of our line).� This might be heresy in
these parts, but honestly Hines Ward is nothing more than a superb possession
WR who happens to be a tenacious blocker.�
Ward does not force other teams to roll coverage, or even command an
opponent's best CB every week.� Opposing
teams gameplan against Burress and hope the Steelers offense will try and dink
& dunk their way along with Ward.�
If you think I'm lying about the true value of Burress versus Ward, just
take a peek to the Left Coast where the Raiders offense has been
floundering.� I wonder if they're
missing Jerry Porter over there; he was really the guy who made that offense
tick.
- I said this in the offseason and I'll say it again:� Maddox does not deserve to be paid amongst the highest paid QBs
in football.� Maddox is a very accurate
pocket passer, who possesses adequate arm strength, very little athletic
ability, and zero mobility.� Give Maddox
time and he'll pick you apart, but then again so will just about any QB in
football � have you checked out the stats of guys named Kitna, Q. Carter, or
even Frerotte last week.� The value of a
QB in my mind (or really for any player at any position) is what does he do
incremental to help his team above and beyond the typical guy at his
position.� For instance, Brett Favre has
superb arm strength and excellent athletic ability.� McNabb & Vick have superior mobility and can beat you with
their feet.� Manning and Bledsoe have
tremendous poise in the pocket and don't get rattled with lots of pressure in
their face.� I really can't point to
Maddox' redeeming quality other than if you give him time in the pocket, he's
very accurate.
- Has anyone else noticed that Maddox is quickly getting "Kordell"
disease where he pretty much only looks to Hines Ward 70% of the time.� As Still Crazy pointed out in his shotgun
analysis, the undoing of any offense is predictability.� In years past, the Steelers were a very
predictable running team.� I knew based
on formation instantly whether it was a run or a pass.� Now I know that they will be looking to Ward
most of the time on those little hitches or curls about 8-10 yards
downfield.� These plays require Maddox
to stand back in the pocket (usually under duress) and make an accurate throw
in traffic in the middle of the field beyond linebackers, in front of safeties,
and with cornerbacks covering.� Wouldn't
it be easier to isolate Zereoue in the flat one-on-one with a linebacker and
throw him a simple flare pass.� The
guess here is that those flare passes would net on average the same if not more
yards, but carries significantly less risk.�
The key point with the flare pass is it should be to a back like Zereoue
or possibly Haynes.� Throwing a flare
pass to Kreider (which they did several times against the Bengals) or the Bus
is simply a waste of a down.
- As Mill pointed out Joey Porter's comments about the
defense showing little regard for Bennett and McCareins is alarming.� That speaks volumes about Tim Lewis'
preparation for the defense, where he pretty much focuses on the other team's
best player with little regard for role players.� I wonder who the focus will be on this week � Kevin Johnson?� Quincy Morgan?� Andre Davis?� My guess is if Lewis builds his
defensive gameplan around containing Johnson, the Browns will adjust and beat
us with one of their "other" WRs.
- Has anyone once spotted Alexander even in the screen when our CBs are
routinely getting toasted downfield?�
Thank goodness we have his veteran savviness back there, I'm not sure
what we would do without it.
- I'm sure everyone hears how Maddox is leading the league in passing yardage.� Well he's also leading the league in interception yardage against with a whopping total of over 200 yards.� Again, the types of passes that Maddox routinely throws � namely passes in the middle of the field directed to Hines Ward are usually made in heavy traffic.� Combine that with a QB who gets easily rattled at the first sign of pressure and a patchwork offensive line, and you've got a recipe for disaster.� Here's hoping the o-line improves greatly, so Maddox has the time and courage to stand in and throw some deep lobs to Plaxico.� Those plays have minimal risk (even if it is picked, it works like an effective punt), but a great deal of upside.
- Chad Scott has gone on record as stating that he's planning on returning more picks for TDs this season.� Well he's at an inherent disadvantage since he doesn't get to play against Maddox and the Steelers offense.� Maddox has 2 of the 9 picks returned for TDs so far this year�how about that wide open offense???� Did I mention that a 3rd pick was returned to the � yard line and could have easily been ruled a TD.� So that's essentially 3 out of 10 picks returned from one guy and one team.� A statistical anomaly�I think not, rather it appears to be a disturbing trend.� That's something the coaching staff must address real soon, and it's not a new occurrence based on what transpired last year against Houston.