Stillers 34, Bungals 11 ...... Dec 23, 2023 ………Game # 15
Stillers-Bungals Postgame Analysis and Grades
The struggling, bungling 7-7 Stillers hosted the 8-6 Bungals. The Stillers were up 24-0 at the half. They added to the lead in the 2H, and cruised to a rare, laugher of a victory.
Grades:
QB: Rudolph got the start.
Gutty scramble for a 1st down at the Cin 3, mid 2Q. 2 weeks ago, Trubisky had a similar situation and SLID some 2 yards short of the sticks,
Superb touch on the 66-yard TD pass play to Pickens, 3Q.
17 of 27 for 290 yards and 2 TDs. Very well done. Showed poise and moxie, and real pocket presence. WHY exactly has this fellow been sitting as the #3 both last season and this year?? A
RB:
Harris – Solid game. Ran with some authority. B+
Warren – pancake block on the Austin TD run, 2Q. He’ll probably receive another fine from the NFL 8 rushes for 24m plus 5 grabs for 30. B+
FB: rarely if ever used.
WR:
Dionte – fairly quiet nite, with 2 grabs for 15. Mason missed him on an open route in the 2H. B
Pickens – big RAC, 2nd play on offense, for an 86 yard TD jaunt !! Superb grab of a deep ball, late 1H, in which he barely got 2 feet IB on a super-tough catch, good for 46 yards. Had a careless fumble that he recovered, but lost 4 yards in the process. Scored the Cinci D for a 66-yard TD to fairly seal the win. Of course, let’s see him piece this together for, say, 3 straight games before declaring him the next Jerry Rice. A
Austin – good speed and read on 5-yard end around for TD. That was his only tough of the game; was targeted twice.
Robinson – Had 4 grabs for 36 in what was, for him in this offense, a grueling effort.
Boykin – grabbed a short pass.
TE:
Pat FryBoy – held off the scoresheet.
Darnell – Had 1 grab for 8. Okay blocking.
Con Heyward – not involved at’all on O.
OL: Overall, the line (Moore, Seumalo, Cole, Daniels, Jones) had an adequate game. Both the run blocking and pass pro were acceptable. B
Jones allowed heavy pressure, late 2Q. Moore was flagged for a hold, late 2Q.
DL:
Heyward – in hilarious fashion, this vaunted he-man was held OFF the scoresheet…..zero solos, zero assists, zero nothing. A big fat ZERO for The Donut Roller, Scam Heryward. D-
Ogunjobi – Chipped in some.
Watts – did a little bit; nothing noteworthy.
Lowdermilk – saw some PT, did little.
Leal – was a healthy scratch.
Benton – was quiet. Not sure how many snaps he saw.
LB:
Landon Rob – Injured an arm and did not return. Who knows….could be done for the season.
Watt – Hat trick, TJ Watt, 2Q…. Forced a QB flush, drew a holding flag, and stripped the QB of the ball ! Had some heat and harassment on the QB. Had 1 pass defensed. A-
Highsmith – Got sucked inside, 2Q, allowing the RB to cruise off tackle for an easy 4 yard gain. Flagged for offsides, mid 3Q. Finally got onto the stat sheet with his FIRST tackle of any sot, late 3Q, with a sack.
Rare athleticism, snaring an INT, 4Q. There was all sorts of ball-washing and fawning by Todd Jackledge on the TV broadcast about how great and vaunted Big Alex was playing. Rest assured, it was sheer bullshoit. The 1st INT was a chasedown by WATT, not big Alex. The 2nd INT supposedly was “pressure by Alex”, which was pure tripe. Fact is, the INT was caused by a greenhorn QB getting DUPED by ZONE coverage when he thought he had man. Nothing more. There was zero legit NFL-caliber pressure by Big Alex on the play.
As it was, The $17M Fraud finished with ONE tackle all game long. Just one. C
Herbig – Herbig comes in for Big Alex Highsmith, 3Q, and actually GETS REAL PRESSURE on the QB and affects the throw. Nick had 2 legit pressures, and 2 solo tackles….all for $16M less per season than Big Alex. A-
Myles Jackoff – chipped in here and there. There’s already a wave of fawning over this guy after this game, as though he played like the 2nd coming of Ray Lewis. JackOff was average, at best. Nothing more. Let’s see how he fares next week. C+
Mark Robinson -good stop of an off tackle play, 1Q, for 2 yards.
DB
Wallace – near INT, 1st series.
Peterson - started at safety. Snared a Dong INT, 1Q, on a poorly thrown throwaway pass into the EZ that wasn’t near any WR.
Joey Porter Jr. – may have gotten away with PI in the EZ on the 4th down pass to Higgins. Played solidly.
Kazee – on suspension.
Keanu Neal – on IR
Minkah - sat out due to injury
Eric Rowe – Got a Dong INT, 2Q. Failed to wrap on a lick to Boyd, allowing a 25 yard gain when it should have been 11 or so. Then whiffed on Irwin a few plays later after a short curl. Good jam of Irwin, the lead blocker, on the failed 3rd down plunge, late 2Q. Poor angle, and slower than whale-dung, on the Higgins 80-yard RAC TD, 3Q.
Chan Sullivan – good sniff of a WR screen, 2Q, and tackled it for 1 yard loss.
Spec teams:
Harvin – Good pooch, 2Q, downed at the 7. Dogshoit pooch, 3Q, FC at the 20, for a 36 yard effort. How soon can he be cut?
Boswell – was 2 of 2 on FGs, including a 50-yarder that had PLENTY of length. Remember, Mike Asslin eschewed a 56-yard FG last week, in a DOME.
OC: The Sullivan/Faulkner combo oversaw the most productive game of the season. They finally used an overworn tendency – such as the flare to Warren – and called a VARIATION of it to take advantage of the foe’s over-aggressiveness and over-anticipation. Imagine that! 15 games into the season !
Wasted TO, late 1Q, after a 1st down pass to Rob. The clock ran down too far and Mason had to call the TO. Da fuq ?? A-
DC: Austin, for once, didn’t get gashed & shredded in the 1st quarter, nor did he get gashed throughout the 2nd half, as he has most of this season. Let’s not forget, of course, that Cinci was missing Jamar Chase. Nor should we forget that Browning is a rookie QB who made his 5th career start tonite. He’s not yet Roger Staubach. B
HC: Mike Asslin will be all proud over this one. Of course, there was a litany of foolishness……wasted timeouts in each half, for example. For once, though, Big Mike won a challenge…..two of ‘em ! Amazing. Of course, after this stellar performance by Mason Rudloph -- What exactly was Mike Asslin -- who is supposed to be ALL KNOWING and such an omnipotent guru -- seeing that led him to have B!tch Trubisky ahead of Rudolph on the depth chart !? B
Synopsis: Obviously, a must needed win. Of course, Asslin usually gets enough out of his team when facing a bitter rival. Next week will be far different……a road game waaay out west, against a foe the Steelers rarely ever play, the Seahags. Just the kind of game a Stoogelin team shows up flatter than a tortilla.
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