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Stillers-Bengals Postgame Analysis and Grades

December 05, 2011 by Still Mill

Stillers 35, Bengals 7 ���Dec. 4 , 2011
Stillers 35, Bengals 7 ��. Dec. 4, 2011 ����Game #12

 

Stillers-Bengals Postgame Analysis and Grades

 

The Stillers clawed with the Bungals to a 0-0 score at the end of 1Q, and this started to have the stench of last week�s KC game.�� But the offense exploded in the 2Q to the tune of 28 points, and the 2nd half was basically little more than mop-up time in a 35-7 blowout.��

 

Grades:

 

QB:Ben had an okay day at the office.�� He wasn�t put into much of a pressure situation due to the blowout, and was aided by big plays from his skill players.He had a good cut-block on Brown�s reverse, 10 yards in 2Q.��� On the other hand, there was the WR bubble-screen pass, early 3Q, deep in PIT territory, that Ben threw right into Howard.�� Stupid pass, not unlike the Suggs INT versus Balt last month.�� Why would you even throw this pass when the defender is RIGHT IN THE PATH of the pass ???

 

Batch entered the game in mop-up at 10:14 4Q.�� ������B

 

RB:Mendy had a goood 3-yard TD plunge�.he actually ran LOW to the ground, a 1st in his NFL career.�� Good read and cut-back on toss sweep for TD run in the 2Q to make it 14-0.�� Nice cutback run, eluded defender at LOS, gained 13 yards from his own 7.�� Mendy had 16 rushes for 60 yards.��

 

Redman chipped in very, very nicely, with 8 rushes for 51.�� Nice power run out of 2-FB formation, churned and plowed and got 7 yards on 2d & 5.��� 1st play 2Q, another good plowing, churning run, this time for 9 yards.�� Good blitz pickup of Maualuga on completion to Miller.Spun from pile at the LOS, then juked 2 defenders en route to a 27-yard run in the 3Q.��

 

Moore:Gained 13 fairly uncontested yards on 3d & 23 late in the 1H.�� ������A-

 

FB:Used only a little.�� The 2-FB set, with Red at RB, was rather neat to see.�� Inc.

 

WR:Wally dropped a deep crosser, hit hard by Pac Man and dropped the ball.�� Tough, but should have been held onto.�� Drew a long PI flag in the 2Q on deep post.�� Grabbed easy 12-yard TD in the 2Q to make it 21-0.�� Spectacular RAC on a 19-yard TD catch and run, where he eluded 5 tacklers en route to paydirt.��

 

Brown dropped a slant, 3d & 11 1st drive.�� Great RAC after short crosser, good jets, 45 yards, on last play of 1Q.�� Brilliant pluck on a 3d & long seamer late in the 3Q, good for 23 yards.�� Brown received a legal, devastating hit by Nelson on a deepish lob down the s-line in the 4Q.�� He instantly writhed in pain near the Stiller bench, but appeared to be okay and soon returned back to the game.�� Overall, I just cannot overstate how impressed I continue to be with this young receiver.��

 

Ward:Fairly active today, with 5 grabs for 30 yards.Most were on quick pop passes.�� He went over the 12K yard mark in career receiving yards.

 

Sanders had only 1 catch, but it was a clutch grab, 3d & 3, late 2Q to move the sticks and retain the ball.�� He committed a false start in the 2Q.Cotch played but had no catches.����� A

 

TE:�� Miller allowed crosser to go off his hands, and nearly INT�d, late in the 3Q.Had 2 grabs for 12 yards.��

 

Saunders:Nice grab on flag, 14 yards, late 1Q !��� By next season, this guy should be an immense threat with his athletic and receiving abilities.��

 

Johnson had a decent grab on the 1st play of the 4Q, gaining 9 yards.���

 

The TE blocking in the run game was decent.���� B+

 

OL:��� Starks allowed Michael Johnson to dip right under -- untouched, no less -- for a fast sack late in the 2Q.�� Very ass-clumsy and poor.��

 

Leggo:good pull and block of Maualuga on Mendy�s 15-yard run.��

 

Pouncey returned to the lineup after the stomach virus and played solidly.��� ���

 

Foster:�� Tweaked his ankle in the 3Q and never returned.He was replaced by Essex, who was flagged for a hold on a running play in the 3Q.�����

 

Gil:played okay at RT.���

 

Overall, a decent job of run blocking and giving Ben some time.�����B+

 

DL:��� Keisel led the way with an active game.�� Big stuff, 1st play of 2nd series, 1 yard.�� Chipped in on stop, next play.�� Good pressure up an open lane, got a near safety, late 2Q.���

 

Hood: Good reaction and haul-down of scrambling Dalton on 3rd down, held him to 1 yard, 2Q.���

 

Hampton waddled about and chipped in a little bit.�� Heyward saw some PT.���������� B+

 

LB:����� Harrison led the way with 5 solos and an assist.�� He got sucked inside, end around by Green, for 14 yards.Blindside sack, late 2Q, in which he totally abused Gresham.�� Rushed to the inside and sacked Dalton in the 3Q.�� Harry then buried Dalton on an untouched Dong Sack late in the 3Q, with Dalton never returning to action.�� ��

 

Farrior: Stuff of plunge, 1st play o� game!�� Beaten by Gresham on curl, 2nd & 6, got 7.�� Weak play on 14-yard Benson run, 1Q.��

 

Timmons:Good athletic play to trip up a screen pass, late 2Q.Had 5 solos and 2 As.��

 

Woodley aimlessly titty-fought on long run by Benson of 14 yards, 1Q.�� Never disengaged.�� 2 plays later, Worilds replaced Big LaMarr and made the tackle on a similar play for a meager 1-yard gain.Good stop of Benson on plunge, 1st play of 3Q (nullified by Pola�s offside.)���Woodley never returned, due to an aggravation of his hamstring.�� ��The Stillers are now 3-1 without the $61M Man, Big LaMarr, in the lineup.�� ��A-

 

DB:�� Ike had an up and down game.�� Wearing cleats with short spikes, he slipped all over the place on the shit turf at Heinz Cow Pasture.��� He was beaten by Green, with no help at all from Clark, 43-yard pass play, 2nd play of game.���� Good seal of Green on EZ lob, inc.�� Good hand-jam on this play.��� Bust-up of short pass to Green, punched ball outa hands, early 2Q.Lost track of Green on 11-yard TD pass, 4:06 2Q.�� Good job of eluding convoy of blockers to make stop on TE screen in the 3Q.�� Got INT on ill advised Gradko pass into triple coverage in the 4Q.��

 

Gay surprisingly wasn�t picked on all that often.��

 

Pola jarred ball loose from Gresham for an incompletion late in the 2Q.Nearly a FF.�� Flagged for an offsides, 1st play of 3Q.�� Had 3 solos, and fully appeared to be fine after last week�s concussion.

 

Clark, as noted above,, provided absolutely zero deep help on the 43-yard completion to Green early in the game.��� Unable to break up pass to Gresham, perfect position but total failure to high-point the ball.�� 20 yards.��� Dropped cake-easy INT on pass off Gresham�s hands early in the 3Q.������������B

 

Spec teams:A rare, big day for the spec teams.���� In fact, can someone hit me with a 2-by-4 ....I must be in a weird dream where competence and big plays rule the day for the PIT spec teams.��

 

First, a couple of less than stellar plays.�� Sanders - weak, tiptoed KOR to begin the game, GL to the 17.Very soft and weak.�� Sloppy punt cover, 14 yard return, early 1Q.

 

But the good far outweighed the bad.�� Curtis Brown had yet another good day on coverage teams.��� He had another good, crisp solo stop in KO cover, early 2Q.�� Then, late in the 2Q, he fought off a block, got onto his feet after slipping on the shitty turf, and made a key stop on the 13.�� Curt had yet another tackle on coverage, this on punt coverage, in the 4Q.��

 

Cam Heyward blocked an early FG attempt, helping to set the tone and demoralize the Bungals.�� I honestly can�t recall the last FG block by a Stiller.

 

FF by Steve Sylvester on KO after Mendy�s 2nd TD, which was recovered by Sanders !!��� Worilds made a stop in KO coverage in the 2Q.�� Moore had a good solo stop in KO cover, late 2Q.

 

Tonio Brown had a huge, 60-yard punt return for a TD, late 2Q !!�� Made it 28-7.�� Nearly a block in back penalty by Curt Brown on this play.Good seal by McFadden.�� Last Stiller punt return for a TD was by Tonio Holmes.... in 2006�!���

 

Kapinos: Solid day of punting.�� 59-yd punt, but poor hang time, returned 14 yards, early 1Q.��� Shit 39-yard punt, with no hangtime whatsoever, later in the 1Q.�� Good 57-yard punt late in the 2Q.��

 

Suisham:Way off to the right on a 50-yard FG try, although the FG unit was flagged for an illegal shift that would have obviously nullified a made FG.��� This FG attempt, though, was every bit as bad as if the team had done one of those halftime events where a lucky fan -- more often than not a clumsy, bootfooted sap who would have trouble kicking a basketball out of his own driveway -- gets a chance at booting a FG.���� The kick ended up being wide right by, oh, about 32 feet.�� A really sad, sorry effort.

 

Overall, a rare, splendid day for the spec teams.�� Someone wake me up....I must be dreaming.���� A+��

 

OC:�� Arians was the benefactor of some nice spec teams work, as well as the FF on the Cinci KO return.�� Also, Maualuga was injured, 2nd play of 2Q.��

 

One thing I didn�t like was the 0 receptions by the RBs.��� All 3 of the RBs are good RAC runners and designed flares and RB screens have a useful purpose.��� Of course, that assumes that this offensive scheme has a purpose, which of course it doesn�t.���

 

Wally scored on a WR screen, 1 of about 9 such plays that Arians ran during the game.�� This will now embolden Arians to call this oft-shitty play at least 12 times per game.���� ����B

 

DC:�� Dick, as usual, once again got enormously lucky.��� He again got to face a rookie QB.�� Beyond that, on a 3d & goal at the 4 on the game�s very first drive, Cinci scored a cake-easy TD, only to have it nullified by a tiny false-start on the other side of the field.�� This forced a FG try, which was good, but a DOG flag forced a re-kick.Cam Heyward blocked the re-kick, which enabled Dick to unbelievably go from allowing 7 points to 3 to zero.�� With luck like that, the man should rush out and buy at least a dozen lottery tickets.��

 

Dick was then handed a comfy 21-0 lead, aided largely by a turnover by the spec teams, not the defense.��Then Cinci�s starting RT Andre Smith was injured, mid 2Q.�����

 

Dalton was given massive amounts of time and room for an easy 11-yard TD pass, 4:06 2Q, which made it 21-7.��� This capped a cake-easy, 10-play, 80 yard march.������� Dick could have thrown dirt in the grave on Cinci on this drive, but instead went soft, stumbling, and stupid.��

 

Gradkowski came in at QB, stone cold, at 12:50 4Q, with the score 35-7.�� More shooting of fish in the barrel, and padding the stats, for Dick.�������� B�� ���

 

HC:Tommy apparently got the team�s attention after the half-assed effort in the weak win over KC.��

 

Why the timeout after a 1st down sack of Ben at 3:39 2Q ??�� ��A really odd, puzzling timeout, although, coming from a man who struggles like a banshee in game management, this shouldn�t be viewed as too odd or puzzling.�� B+

 

Synopsis:A nice, relaxing blowout after far too many nail-biters against weak competition.�� It was good to see the team step on the gas pedal and put an opponent on its back and flatten him for the KO.�� There�s no time to rest, as the Stillers host the hated Browns on Thur nite.�� Let us hope the Stillers do not take the lowly Browns too lightly, as this team has shown a penchant for doing this season.��

 

 

(Still Mill and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the Pittsburgh Stillers, no one else comes close�.)

 

 

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