Stillers 20, Jags 16……. Nov 18, 2018…………Game # 10
Stillers-Jags Postgame Analysis and Grades
The Stillers faced the pesky Jags, who always seem to have their number. Coming off the FIVE day vacation that Coach Asslin had generously provided after the Thur nite win over Carolina, sure as shit, this team dawdled, slumbered, and played grabass the entire 1H, and a good bit of the 3Q as well. Luckily, the Stillers managed to eke out a narrow win on a day they had little business getting the W.
Grades:
QB: Obviously, this was another grisly game vs. Jax that Ben has a proven track record of doing. He was hideous right from the get-to. Shit passes. Horrific INTs. Tentative in the pocket. He finally snapped out of the funk and had a decent 4Q. Still, a poor day. I also despised the spike late in the game, on a 1st & goal. WHY on earth waste a down there?????? A quick pass takes only perhaps 3 more seconds than a spike does. This isn’t that fuking hard. C-
RB:
Conner - Bottled up the entire 1H as the entire OL just sleepwalked thru the half. Had a drop in the 1H, and then dropped a SURE TD with under 30 secs in the game that would have sealed the win. Ben’s late TD prevented Conner from being the goat in this one. C+
Samuel - played only sparingly.
Ridley - not sure if he ever got on the field on O.
FB:
Nix - Didn’t do much; not used much at’all.
WR:
Brownie – did nothing the 1H. Got the team in gear with the 78 yard TD, late 3Q. Made a couple plays in the 4Q. Had 5 grabs on 13 targets, which isn’t overly impressive.
JuJu - made a couple big plays in the final minute of the game. Had 8 grabs for 104.
Heyward-Gay – nothing.
Wash - had a terrific grab of a low out pass for his only catch.
Switz - Had 3 grabs for 28.
TE:
Jesse James - surprisingly had no grabs. With all the attention AB draws, plus JuJu, James should be getting a couple grabs, easily.
McDonald - stellar effort to haul in the 6-yard TD pass, 4Q.
OL: Overall, the line blocked like ass the entire 1H. It was fairly obvious these fat-asses spent the 5-day vacation binging on fatty foods and plenty of beer. They finally got their fat asses in gear in the 2H. Feiler was fairly abysmal starting in place of Gilbert.
DL:
Hargrave - strong all-around game, perhaps his best of the season. His main mistake was coming in HIGH, like a jackass, and whiffing on Bortles on a key 3d & 10 in the 3Q, which allowed the QB to scoot for the 1st down. Tax would score a TD a few plays later. B+
Heyward – Chipped in some, but during the 1H, as the defense was getting GASHED, he was quiet as a farting mouse. C
Tuitt – The Notre Dame pansy sat out.
Alu - piled up some slop stops, but was getting mauled on far too many plays.
Walton - not much
LB:
Vinnie– Had an awful 1H, but rebounded with a decent 2H
Bostic - horrendous 1H. Finished with only 2 solos, which is unacceptable.
Fort- why does this pissass get so much PT ?
Watt - solid game, with 6 solos and 2 sacks.
Crud DuPree - had a couple acceptable plays, along with loads of jousting and slop.
Chickillo - saw some PT
DB
Davis - active game wi 6 solos. Dare I say it……he might actually be catching on to his chores. He’s not getting tooled the way he was earlier in the season.
Senslessbaugh - somehow survived another game, albeit against a QB who cannot pass.
Haden - decent game.
Artie Burned - still glued to the pine.
Hilton - Surprisingly quiet today, altho, again, ya had a QB who cannot pass.
Dangerfield - saw a surprising amount of PT, which is, of course, dangerous.
Edmunds - chipped in here and there. I have my doubts, but perhaps he is improving.
Spec teams:
Jordan Berry – Rare, adequate day at the office. A
Boswell – No FGs attempted. At least he didn’t miss any PATs.
Switz - short returns on 3 Pos, although at the very least he’s been sure-handed.
OC: Simply put, Randy Sphincter is completely in over his head. Just clueless. The team calls a TO, 1st series of the game, on a 3d & a full 1 yard. What does The Sphincter do? Why, he calls a QB sneak, which was engulfed. Today shows that Schinctner is in way over his head.
When Ben is not right, the OC needs to do something other than playground flag football —- “everyone run a buttonhook on three”. D-
DC:
Keith Assler had his weekly luxury, this week getting to face a completely inept QB in Bortles. Undaunted, Assler spent the entire 1H getting GASHED by the Tax ground game. Gashed, and shredded. Sure, the D stiffened up in the 4Q, but you cannot waddle and play grab-ass for 3 quarters and expect to beat top tier foes. D
HC: Just prior to the game, I tweeted my concerns about Asslin’s ridiculous FIVE day vacation, which was senseless, needless, and brainless. Asslin should have had this smug, m underachieving crew BACK AT practice on Monday, rather than Wed (Tues is a mandatory off day per the CBA.). Instead, Asslin gives these fat-asses five fucking days to binge on fat, cake, pie, and beer, and it came home to roost during a 1H in which the entire team was in a fat & booze induced stupor.
The point was PROVEN today, when Asslin's team spent the entire 1H SLUMBERING around. The #4 rush D in the league is suddenly getting GOUGED for 10 yards a carry. The offense went, what, FOUR drives before they got a fuking 1st down. It was a complete clusterfuk...
1st half: defense did JACK DICK. No tackling. GAPING holes on almost every play. Offense couldn't do ANYTHING the 1st half
2d half, after shaking off the HANGOVER and the SLUMBER: Defense was stout. Offense scored THREE TDs.
THIS is precisely what happens when a team gets a BIG HEAD from 1 win over a mediocre Carolina team, and then takes off for over five fuking days. No focus. No intensity. No preparation. No fire.
Mike Asslin clearly pressed the WRONG button after the Carolina game. The team was slated to be off on Fri, Sat, and sun. That's fair and reasonable. They were then having to face the very team that WHIPPED their asses, TWICE, last season, both in Pgh.....and this game would be on the ROAD, where Asslin's teams perennially struggle. The situation demanded that the players report on Monday, yet Mike Asslin, King of the Country Club, extended the vacation essentially TWO MORE Days. And today's performance SHOWED the asininity of it all, as the ENTIRE team -- offense, defense, AND spec teams -- slumbered and slept walked the entire 1H,. To argue otherwise is simply pissing up a rope.
I also despised going for 2 late in the 3Q, when there was absolutely no need to do so. Sure as shit, had Ben not scored the late TD, we have to kick a TYING FG, rather than a GO AHEAD FG. D.
Synopsis: A win that was hardly deserving. Hey, maybe Asslin will give the team FOUR days off after this win…..??!!! Now off to Denver, where the Stillers have long struggled. Denver does suck, but you can expect a variety of struggles out there in mile-high country.
(Still Mill and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the Pittsburgh Stillers, no one else comes close….)
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