Three
things are apparent after that debacle yesterday:
1) Mularkey and Maddox do not read my articles where I emphatically state that
Plaxico is the best weapon we have on offense.
2) The Steelers' secondary cannot cover a WR for the usual 8 seconds that they
are required to do so.� If by chance the
opposing QB throws a ball before winding his watch in the pocket, the secondary
will either be too slow or out of position to make a play, and if by chance an
athletic member of their secondary gets himself into position (please note the
only athletic members of this secondary are the rookies Polamalu and Taylor and
possibly Logan) to make a play, there's a doggone good chance it'll go right
through his mitts.
3) The front office must be enamored with Kevin Jones, he's the stud RB from VA
Tech, because the team is playing like they want to secure his services in next
year's draft.
You read from this writer last week that Burress is the most dangerous WR on
the team, which prompted heavy debate on the message board.� Well apparently Mularkey doesn't agree since
he continually eschews throwing the high reward/low risk bomb to Burress for
the high risk/low reward 5 yard hitch and curls to Ward.� I like Ward, he's a nice guy and gritty
player.� You don't win championships
throwing 5 yard hitches to Ward.�
Perfect example, 3rd and 1 after Bettis churned 9 yards on 2
rushes.� Does Mularkey come out in the
Power I formation allowing him to either run Bettis for a third time, or run
play action which should see Burress or Ward running free in the
secondary.� Nope Mularkey comes out in a
pass formation and clutched to his pacifier (the 5 yard hitch to Ward).� Amazingly enough, I'm not a genius in
predicting that play and neither was Jerametrius Butler (who is that you ask? �well he's the guy who knew what was coming
just as you and I did, oh yeah did I mention he's some seldom used reserve who
was thrust into playing time).� If the
opposing defense is doubling up on Plax and isolating Jerametrius Butler on
Ward then you've got to take your chances downfield with Ward.� I'm not saying throw to Burress at all costs
(although a few more jump balls like the one we saw early yesterday would be
nice), but rather use Burress as a decoy if he draws attention and spring Ward
deep.
Maybe part of the problem is Maddox is too
gunshy and scared in the pocket to stand in and deliver the ball
downfield.� I thought the offensive line
gave him some time in the pocket this week, granted not as much time as
opposing QBs get against our meager pass rush, but time nonetheless.� I said it before and I'll say it again,
Maddox is not the same guy he was ever since he lay unconscious on the field in
Nashville.� He looks like a deer caught
in headlights in the pocket and his numerous picks returned for TDs since that
injury (2 against the Texans plus a cheesy fumble returned for a TD and another
4 this year) merely prove that point.
Here are the questions that I would love to see asked of Cowher at his press
conference tomorrow:
- What do you think of an offensive gameplan that calls only 4 passes to
Plaxico Burress?� Do you like
continually throwing short passes in traffic in the middle of the field, or do
you anticipate ever throwing the ball downfield?
- Do you understand risk and reward and how it pertains to the game of
football?
- Do you know there's a big discrepancy between pass interference penalties
called against your defense and pass interference penalties called against your
opponent's defense?� Do you think this
has anything to do with the fact that opponents take chances downfield, while
your offense revolved around the 5 yard hitch to Ward?
- Has Jason Gildon broken Greenwood's sack record yet?� How come your superb Pro Bowl pass rush
specialist OLB, Jason Gildon, can't seem to win his one-on-one matchups with
TEs and blocking FBs?� Do you think this
is more a function of a spade being called a spade (take a look at Gildon's QB
pressures versus sacks in prior years) rather than a statistical anomaly?
- If you want your best 11 defenders on the field, then why are Brent Alexander
and Jason Gildon out there?
- Do you think Maddox is the same QB he was before his injury in Nashville last
year?
- Do you base your offensive gameplan around the RB that's in the game?� In other words, with Bettis it would be more
strategic to run the ball up the middle or off-tackle and then use play action
passes off of that to go downfield in the passing game.� Whereas with Zereoue it would make more
sense to run the ball outside and use flare passes.� It appears to me that the gameplan doesn't change with regards to
which RB is in the game.� Isn't this
rather foolish use of your personnel?
- Would you rather have a defensive back that atleast has the physical tools to
put himself into position to make plays (ie. Polamalu) or would you rather have
the savviness of a veteran who isn't athletic enough to put himself in position
to make plays, or even make plays that fall into his lap (ie. Alexander)?
- Are you planning to hire a defensive coordinator next year, or do you plan to
go without one again?
- What do you think of the athleticism Ike Taylor shows on special teams?� Do you think it would be interesting to see
what this kid could do in the secondary?
- Have you spoken to Kevin about what your options might be with a top 5 pick
in the 2004 draft?� You might want to
make a few scouting trips down to Blacksburg, VA as they have a stud RB down
there named Kevin Jones.
- Do you think Matt Hasselbeck can pick apart a defense if he has 8 seconds in
the pocket every play like Bulger did this week?� Did I mention he's got a couple 1st round draft choices at WR in
Koren Robinson and Darrell Jackson?� It
should be interesting next week in Seattle, eh?� Lest we forget they also have a premier RB in Shaun Alexander,
who unlike Bettis can do more than the occasional 3 yard plunge.� But then so can Kevin Jones, so it's all
good right?
- If Gildon, Bruener, Washington, Bettis and Alexander are all salary cap cuts
this offseason, then will you utilize the remainder of the season to atleast
dress and perhaps even give meaningful playing time to guys like Alonzo
Jackson, Ike Taylor, Polamalu, etc.
- What's that, oh you didn't realize those guys are going to be salary cap
cuts?� Well do you think there needs to
be more communication between the front office and the coaching staff then
regarding the present, short-term future, and long-term future of the
organization?
- Do you think you deserve to be the head coach of this team next year...or how
about next week?