Loose Slag from The Still Mill (Nov. 20, 2002)

- Just to clarify a comment in Trap�s latest article, Mill didn�t say that Porter had a poor game.� What Mill noted in his post-game report, was that Porter had his worst game of the season.� Porter whiffed -- which is rare for him -- 2 or 3 times in the game on basic tackles.� This isn�t to say Porter had a bad game.� I scoured the tape, and Porter was ferocious, hell-bent, and tough all game long.� Ironically enough, Porter�s worst game of the season is still twice as good as the other starting OLB�s best game of the season.�

- I hate to say I told you so (ok, Mill sometimes enjoys that)�.but back in early March, while the rest of the Stiller fan base was running Kris Brown out of town, Mill forewarned that it might not be a bad idea to sign the guy to a moderate 1-year tender.� My thinking was three-fold:

��� a.) bring in a kicker to camp to challenge Brown, either via the draft or a free agent.� Nothing brings out the best in athletes than competition.� Perhaps Brown would have responded to the challenge and done well, or, perhaps the competition would have won the job.�

��� b.) Additionally, I saw no reason why both Brown and a young kicker could not be retained, if, and only if, Brown was kicking well and the young kicker had a strong leg and the propensity to boom the ball deep on KOs.� Worst case, the youngster could be placed on the practice squad, an idea I've been all in favor of for years, yet is rarely enacted upon because teams are more in favor of keeping scrubeenie CBs, OGs, and other blocking dummies that have an infinitesimally tiny chance of ever contributing to an NFL victory.

� ��c.) Unlike anyone else on the planet, Brown would have had a full year of experience at the Heinz Horror House under his belt.� It�s possible that Brown may have improved this season with better acclimation.� We�ll never know, but we do know one thing:� Todd Peterson was utterly horrible, and marginally better than the infamous Matt George.� (Something about playing in Tennessee brings out the worst in Stiller kickers�)�

- Memo to those Stiller fans waxing fondly for the return of Jerome Bettis to �wear down opposing defenses�: the Bettis you�re waxing fondly over, is the 1997 version.� It is now 2002.� Bettis now weighs at least 20 pounds more, and unlike 1997 -- when he was 100% healthy -- is now saddled with a plethora of small but nagging, hampering injuries.� Just like the 1982 version of Franco Harris paled in comparison to the 1978 one, Bettis is no longer the dominating back he once was.� Get used to it.� Get over it.�

- According to that noted genius of football, Jim Wexell, �Earl Holmes cannot tackle�.� Waxall probably avoided watching the highlights of the 4th quarter of the Clev-Cinci game last Sunday.� All-World RB Corey Dillon had 2 stabs to score from the Clev. 1-yard line with under 7 minutes remaining in a close game.� On 3rd down from the 1, Dillon was stopped by a guy named Earl Holmes for no gain.� On 4th down from the 1, Dillon was stopped again, this time by Holmes and Hambrick.� But, remember, as Jim Waxall will try to tell you, �Earl Holmes can�t tackle.��

- My esteemed colleague Still Tank hit on a good point.� (Tank is a superb analyst for us, by the way, which is precisely why he is on our elite staff.)� Cowhead and Mularkey must let Stewart throw the ball, and also put him on the move.� None of this Neanderthal bullshit of plunge, plunge, and screen pass. �Ward and Plex have tortured defenses, and Mathis and El give us a good 4-WR gang.� I�m not advocating that we throw the ball 55 times vs. Cinci, but I don�t want to see a timid, cowardly game plan versus Cinci that reduces this passing game to nothing more than lil� curls, screens and shovels.

- As I�d noted in my post-game report 3 days ago, the decision to rush center Jeff Hartings back into the starting lineup is topped only in sheer stupidity by such idiocy as the decision to start PeePee Hawkins at WR for 2 consecutive seasons.� Hartings is OUT for the Cinci game, and, if he�s hampered after that, he could miss more game time.� All of this, because the myopic Billy Cowshit had to rabidly rush Hartings back into the lineup against the Falcons, despite that fact that Okobi -- in his THIRD year in the NFL -- acquitted himself quite well, while the clearly hobbled Hartings played like manure in that contest.� But hey, that Billy Cowher -- he really is a smart guy�.

- Not to pick on James Farrior -- but wasn�t he supposed to be the God of Pass Defense in terms of NFL Linebacking�?� Just wondering�. because not all of the hideous pass yardage has been surrendered on 3rd down or against the dime defense.

- Watching Hines Ward plays his ass off and giving everything he has -- while watching Jason Gildon do the exact opposite -- I can�t help but think that Ward, if tasked to play OLB, couldn�t do a better job.�

- For those Mark Bruener fans, Jeremy Shockey hauled in 11 passes for 111 yards this past Sunday�. roughly the equivalent of an entire season�s worth of �productivity� from Mr. Stonefoot, Mark Bruener.� Yet unbelievably, there are stubborn fools with their gold-shaded eyeglasses who wouldn�t trade Bruener for Shockey, even if a gun were held to their heads.�

- �But Mark Bruener is the best blocking TE in the NFL.�� Oh, sure.� And Todd Peterson is the best punt-returning FG kicker in the NFL.� Tell me again why either would even register on the NFL�s Who Gives a Shit meter�?

- If Bruener is so great and dominating, why is the Stiller running game not?� After all, the cries heard the entire off-season were, �If only the God of Blocking, Mark Bruener, had played against the Pats, our running game would have dominated��

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