Get
your heads out of the Gutter
This article contains both a review of the game last weekend and my two
cents on the mindset of many a Steeler fan.
The shocking, horrendous loss this weekend came down to three separate simple
areas in order of importance: Special Teams, Execution and Play Calling.
Special Teams:
Well what can I say? They�ve been a problem all year and we should have
all seen it coming. In what was undoubtedly the most important game in 4
seasons, the Steelers special teams unit failed to show up. Lee Flowers went on
record saying that many of the younger players didn�t take it �seriously.�
Sounds like to me that there are some heavy egos on the youngsters in Camp
Cowher. This makes me think that not all is hunky-dory with many of the egos of
the 2nd and 3rd tiered players.
Kris Brown,
although boomed some kick-offs, once again kicked low, line-drive field goals,
of which resulted in the blocked kick/td.
The returns were
unspectacular, except for the 38 yarder by Troy Edwards, which set up the
Steeler�s second touchdown of the game.
And finally, what was Josh
Miller thinking? Why in God�s name would you punt the ball down the middle of
the field to Troy Brown?
This team was marred in
mental breakdowns all day. If it wasn�t Josh Miller it was Kris Brown. If it
was Brown, it was Marvel Smith. If it wasn�t Smith it was Troy Edwards.� Based on the points given up, I can safely
say that the Special Teams cost us the Super Bowl.
Execution:
Following closely behind is
the overall execution. Pittsburgh needed to continue to execute with the same
efficiency it did during the regular season and first playoff game. Belichick�s
schemes withstanding, I was amazed that the execution was so poor. Part of it
was nerves, but the other part was once again mental focus. Stewart fumbled the
snap twice, Ward and Burress both dropped easy passes, Troy Edwards let one
clang off of his chest, the offensive line, while excelling in blitz pick-up,
was down right offensive in run blocking, and Bettis hesitated too often.
I don�t by the theory that
the defensive scheme had anything to do with this game. I really think that the
Patriots came in and whooped our butts. It�s not like we have played teams that
haven�t run blitzed this year. We ran on those teams. Usually only one of the
receivers had an off day each game, but in this one, all of our receivers had
off days.
Play
Calling:
In my pre-game, I stated
that the Steelers needed to �dance with the girl that got them here.� Needless
to say, that didn�t happen. I was surprised, too, after Cowher declared that
they weren�t going to do anything different. Well, Coach, you did do things
differently. You didn�t play aggressively. You didn�t attack the defense.
I didn�t know what Steelers
were waiting for. I figured no stone would be left unturned, but it seemed like
half of the playbook went unnoticed.
Where were the screens, the
pitches, the shovel passes, the misdirections, the trick plays, the traps? We
beat Oakland last year by performing those traps and misdirection plays because
they run blitzed on every down. Those same plays when used this past weekend,
worked. Bettis in the 1st Quarter took a shovel pass 11yds for a
first down. Kordell on play action rolled out and found Dan Krieder for another
11 yd gain. But these plays were too few and far between.�
Our offensive strategy
played right into the defenses hands and only a superior physical effort would
have turned the tide. Being that we got our butts whooped physically, the team
had no chance with play calls made.
A few final points to be
made because this crap just drives me crazy:
The banter that Bill Cowher
is a loser and can�t win the big one is just pure bull. Look, the man is not a
loser; let�s get that straight. No coach who has the record he does, nor has
had the success he�s had can be labeled a loser. Secondly, the fact that he has
a losing record at home in the AFC Championship, doesn�t mean he can�t win the
big game. Coachs coach, players play. I�ll name you another coach that took a
while to win the big game. His name was Don Shula. The fact that Cowher took
this team and coached them to a 13-3 record shows that this team truly
overachieved this season. That�s right, overachieved.
If you want to play history,
let�s play history. First off, let�s get some things straight. Talent and
records mean nothing in the playoffs. It�s all about who is executing at the
highest efficiency. San Diego in 1994 was a true upset in every word. The next
year, a thin team depth-wise defeated an Indianapolis team playing better
football. That team played a superior Dallas team to the nail in the Super
Bowl. Sorry folks, but Dallas was the better team. Then in �96 the Steelers
limped their way to the playoffs and were defeated by another superior team
that season in the New England Patriots. The following year, the Steelers
overachieved and rode a wave of emotion and excitement into the playoffs. They
were defeated yet again, by a better team in the Denver Broncos. Once
again, sorry folks, Denver was the better team.
This season? Well, the boys
played above any reasonable expectations we had for them. They gripped our
hearts in a way they hadn�t since 1994. We had every reason to believe that
they would pound the Patriots because �who did the Patriots have?�
Well, the Patriots were a
team after our own heart. A group of no-names with a spattering of Big Guns
that turned their season around after a rough opening. The lost arguably their
best player for a significant period of time (Bledsoe) Folks you have to give
it up, the Patriots are a great team. A Super Bowl caliber team in fact. They
were playing the best football in the AFC second to only the Steelers and even
that was debatable. They had the best record to end the season, the longest
winning streak and most momentum. It was not surprising, then, what happened on
Sunday. We lost not to a better team, but to a team on par with ours. If it
were a seven game series it would go 4-3 either way.
We should be proud and hold
our heads high as fans with the way our team played this season. Steeler
football is alive and well for the next coming years. This team should be in
the Super Bowl hunt for at least the next 2 �3 years and we should enjoy the
ride.
HOWEVER, because of his
success with this team, Cowher will be under the gun to bring home nothing less
than a Super Bowl next year. He will have the majority of his team and depth in
tact. He will have new faces that should compliment this team on its way to the
playoffs. He will have his whole coaching staff sans special teams coach Jay
Hayes back next year. There will be no reason to expect and demand nothing less
than a Super Bowl victory next year.
So, talk to me next year and
I�ll tell you if he can�t win the big one.
Written By
JB in the Big Steel Apple
Go Steelers!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. New England will win the Super Bowl this weekend.