Stillers-Packers Postgame Analysis and Grades

Stillers 37, Packers 36 ���. Dec. 20, 2009 ����Game # 14

 

Stillers-Packers Postgame Analysis and Grades

 

The Stillers slopped about for yet another game, and the 4th quarter once again resembled Groundhog Day, with yet another comfy lead pissed away by a wretched, pitiful 4Q defense.�� The game looked all but lost, with the Stillers facing their last play, with 3 tics remaining, from the GB 19.� Ben fired to the EZ, and Wally hauled it in, just inside the sideline chalk, for the game-tying TD.�� Reed�s PAT, at 0:00, won the game, one that will go down as one of the most memorable ever at Heinz Field.�

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Grades:

 

QB:� Ben had a career day, going 29 of 46 for 503 yards and 3 TDs.� Perhaps just as impressive, Ben threw his first throw-away of the entire season at 0:43 4Q !!�� Amazing !!�� Ben, under pressure, lofted the ball harmlessly into the sidelines for an intentional incompletion.� Yes, I realize you see this every game, from high schoolers, collegians, and NFL QBs, but for BenRoth, this was a career first.��

 

It wasn�t a perfect day, however.�� Ben was tentative right from the get go, when, on the 1st play of the game, he timidly took forever before unleashing the deep ball to Wally, who had to camp under the ball like a centerfielder before hauling it in for a TD.� This was a DESIGNED play; Ben had ALL DAY, and the pass has got to be ripped before Wally gets 40 yards downfield.� There were 3 sacks, at least, where Ben was directly responsible for holding incessantly onto the ball.�� ���A

 

RB:� Mendy started off well, at one point in the 1H with 4 carries for 34 yards.� But like a wooden toy cast aside the day after Christmas, Mendy was quickly cast aside by Arians and rarely touched the ball in the ground game.� He finished with 11 rushes for 38, and a TD off a tough 2-yard run in which he churned thru 2 tackles.�� Parker saw a fair amount of work in the 2H with 6 rushes for 22 yards.� Mendy had a career day thru the air, with 6 grabs for 73 yards, including two 25-yard gainers.� �After weeks of neglect and rot, Mewelde Moore was finally allowed to participate on offense again, and he had 3 grabs for 25 and a TD.��� A-�

 

FB: Never used.� Arians is too smart to use a FB.�� Inc

 

WR:� A big day for the WRs, although a lot of slop n� drop today as well.�� Ward had 126 yards, but dropped a 2Q crosser.� He made a superb catch of the back-end of the ball on a deep flag in the 4Q.� He also had the big grab for 54 yards late in the game.� Ward threw a flying block on a Mendy dumpoff, but ended up being the man hitting Mendy to the ground.�

 

Tonio dropped a curl in the 1Q.� He had a nice pluck and RAC for 33 yards in the 2Q, and then a huge RAC gain for 32 yards late in the game.��

 

Wally caught the opening bomb for a TD, and then the game-tying TD with time expired that will live for years in Stiller lore.� But on the bomb TD, he lazily allowed the ball to hit his chestplate, a� la Plex Burress.� He dropped a pass on 3d & 6 in the 3Q that really could have been ruled a fumble, as he had �3 feet� down before coughing up the pill.� Then, just 2 plays before his late TD, he allowed a curl to go right thru his hands at the 3-yard line.�

 

Logan -- stop the presses ! -- caught his 1st pass of the season, a bubble screen that netted 5.���� ����A-�

 

TE:� Miller had a huge day in the air, grabbing 7 passes for 118 yards.� He ruined the yardage effort with a couple of foolish penalties; one an OPI that negated Mendy�s screen pass TD, and the other a hold on a Mendy run in the 2Q.� Miller was also blistered backwards by Clay Matthews on a blocking attempt in the 3Q, resulting in a 2-yard loss.�� Spaeth, as usual, did little.���� Miller:�� B+��� Spaeth:�� C� �

 

OL: A sketchy game by the OL, although most OL�s will see their share of victimization and abuse when the offense attempts 46 passes versus 17 runs by the RBs.�

 

Max Starks was simply humiliated the entire game by Matthews.�� Starks has been relying far too long on his reach instead of his feet, and with Matthews getting low and simply ducking under Starks, it was total humiliation.�� Starks also got badly tooled by Jenkins on a sack with 0:43 remaining in the game, but a flag on the GB secondary negated the sack.� Starks committed a foolish false start and a hold during the final drive, although the holding call was total bullshit.�� An utterly horrendous call.��

 

Essex got tooled repeatedly throughout the game.� He was flagged for a hold (a bear hug) that negated Ben�s scramble for a 1D in the 4Q.� Hartwig whiffed miserably, causing a sack on 3d & 8 in the 2Q.� Colon, for once, played adequately.�� Foster started at LG and played okay.������� B-�

 

DL:� The line play was sporadic.�� They provided almost zero pass pressure or harassment.� The run stuffing was marginal; the Packer gained some yardage on the few times they ran the ball.�� Fat Casey Hampton, who looks every bit of 350 pounds, had a rare stuff in the backfield on a Grant run for -2.�� Keisel, who has been so strong as of late, did little.�� Ziggy Hood saw extensive playing time and did very, very little.� I suspect he�s thinking too much, thanks to LeBeau�s overly complicated, overly ineffective defensive scheme.� �B-�

 

LB:� Another humdrum day at the office from the LBs.�

 

Leading the way was Larry Timmons, who made plays all over the field.� He drilled Rodgers in the 2nd series of the game with a ferocious, yet legal, hit on a pass rush.� He was beaten by Jennings on the seamer that resulted in an 83-yard TD, but that was simply an assaholic scheme by the Def. Coord with a LB on a WR.� �Timmons did have a foolish offsides penalty in the 4Q.�

 

Woodley did a little bit.� But rarely did he provide heat and harassment, and he dropped an INT off a bobbled screen pass (similar to the one Key Fox picked off versus Minn. in late Oct.)

 

Farrior continued his clumsy, clodhopping struggles.� He was totally abused by TE Don Lee on a seamer in the 2Q, but Lee dropped the pass after it lightly skimmed off Taunto�s helmet.� On the next play, Taunto whiffed on Driver, allowing an extra 5 yards.� Later in the 2Q, Taunto whiffed on Jackson after a dumpoff, allowing an extra 3 yards.� On the late 2-pointer, just as he has been all season, Farrior was badly victimized, standing in no man�s land, doing nothing, and giving up the curl reception 3 feet from where he was standing.�� Very poor.�

 

Doing almost nothing the entire game was none other than former DPOY James Harrison, who finished with (hold your laughter) 0 solos and 1 assist.� He over-rushed on the delayed run by Grant that went for a 24-yard TD.�� Yes, he was held on the 83-yard TD play in the 1Q.�� But overall, he made no impact and made no plays.�� Very disturbing.�

 

Timmons:�� B-���� All others:� C-�

 

DB:� Just another sorry day at the office.�� Gay got picked on repeatedly, and because he fails to break down, he whiffed at least 8 times today on tackle attempts.���

 

Ty Carter had a horrible game.� On the 83-yd TD, he simply failed to even attempt to wrap with his arms, instead doing this grab-ass, no-armed hit that resulted in Carter�s being on the ground and Jennings prancing to the EZ.� He also a poor angle on Driver�s 49-yard play late in the 1Q.�� �

 

After spending the week popping off in the press, even calling out the fans, Ryan Clark played like the abject turd that he is. ���He also took a poor angle on the Driver 49-yard play.� He was pitifully slow in pursuit on the 83-yard TD.� On a key 3d & 16 late in the 3Q. Clark got abused badly by Driver, good for 19 yards.� A short while later, Clark got abused by Jennings on a 3d & 5, good for 14 yards.� On the play after Townsend had adroitly busted up a pass in the EZ, Clark imitated a pylon, never jamming the receiver and never making a play on the ball, which resulted in an 11-yard TD pass.� Ryan Clark -- living proof that ya can�t polish a turd.��

 

Joe �Carol� Burnett was tooled badly on the late TD by Jones.��

 

Ike Taylor did little, but at least he wasn�t tooled and abused like he has been lately.�

 

Carter, Gay, and Clark:�� D-���� All others:� C-�

 

Spec teams:� There was some sporadic coverage, but luckily no TDs allowed.�� Shitpulveda, even with a good, lucky bounce, got off a 27-yarder in the 1Q.� He then had a weak-assed pooch punt in the 3Q, which was FC at the GB 15 for a 31-yard punt.�� I know the NFL stupidly tracks �punts inside the 20�, which is an entire meaningless statistic, as shown on this poor punt.� Better would �punts inside the 10�.��

 

Reed booted an odd, low, goofy pooch KO in the 4Q, which was fielded at the GB 22 and returned to the GB 38.�� With no hang time on the kick whatsoever, this was not really a clever tactic and hopefully this is one that Tomlin will shitcan ASAP. ���Mundy had an illegal block on a punt return, and Burnett was flagged for a late hit in punt coverage.�

 

Logan had a nice 36-yard KO return.��� Reed booted 3 FGs.�� Long snapper Greg Warren tore up his knee on the final PAT and is done for the season (and with his 2nd consecutive season-ending injury, done for his career).�

 

The big play was, of course, the onside KO with 4:03 remaining, with the Stillers up by 2.� This should have worked, but Ike was flagged when he foolishly and carelessly snared the ball about a foot before the 10-yard marker, the 1st ball all year that Ike caught cleanly.�� ����B-�

 

OC:� Arians will bask in the glory of Ben�s historic night.�� Let�s not get too carried away; after all, GB has 3 CBs on IR.�� Arians finally called a PAP boot, this leading off the game, which resulted in a TD.�� Gee, a PAP boot !!��� It only took 14 weeks into the season to call that play.�� Hey, Stef Logan finally caught a pass!!�� 14 weeks, and the guy finally is permitted to participate on offense.� Moore likewise was finally permitted to participate on offense after weeks of rust and inactivity.�� The final drive was as plodding and ass-grinding a 2-minute drill as you�ll see in the NFL, with eons of wasted time and clock-chewing lethargy.� The total abandonment of the running game, in a game in which Mendy and Parker were picking up nice chunks of yardage, was bizarre, but predictable.�� Perhaps once the season ends, Tomlin himself will read some history and see that teams that pass the ball 46 times a game more often than not LOSE.�� ����B-� �

 

DC:� Just another Groundhog Day for Dullard Dick LeBeau, who pissed away his 6th 4Q lead of the season in embarrassing fashion.��

 

You�ve got to love the genius scheme of LeBlow early on, with Timmons on Jennings, a WIDE RECEIVER, on a deep seamer that resulted in an 83-yard TD.�� That Dick -- he�s so clever and such a genius.�

 

Then there�s the 3d & 10 on the last play of the 1Q, good for 49 yards to Driver.� It�s gotten to the point that 3d & long is a guaranteed conversion against The Dullard, Dik LeBeau.�� Then there was the 3d & 16 late in the 3Q, easily converted for 19 yards.�

 

It�s readily apparent that LeBeau should step down.�� This is now the SIXTH time this season he's pissed away a 4Q lead, to go along with a 4Q tied that we ended up losing,�� The defense was 29th in the NFL in 4Q points allowed going into this game; after allowing 22 points in the 4Q, they've probably dropped to 31st.�� (Any chance LeBeau�s defense will stop a 2-pointer any time soon, by the way�?)�� Time for retirement.�� There is a reason why 73-year olds in ALL walks of life and in all sectors of the economy are long RETIRED by the age of 73.�

 

Repeat after me the Dick LeBeau pre-game chant --� �We Todd Did.� We Todd did.�� Eye Yam Sofa King, We Todd Did�.����� F-�

 

HC:� Tomlin again showed little, if any, ability to tactically make adjustments to his sinking ship.�� He let his OC pass amok while his DC sinks further into despair and stench.�� Tomlin will receive heavy heat for the late onsides KO, with the team up by 2, but this was merely a classic vote of no confidence in his bumbling, befuddled Def. Coordinator.�� Tomlin has seen, ever since the Sup Bowl, his bumbling DC piss away 4Q leads time and time and time and time and time again,.�� Enough was enough.�� With basically 4:00 remaining, Tomlin astutely figured that, best case, the Stillers recover the ball and chew some clock. Worst case, the Packers get the ball at the 40 and easily waltz thru Dick�s softee defense like a hot knife thru butter, giving the Stillers plenty of time to march down the field on the counterattack.�� When you have an abject, bumbling incompetent for a DC, you have no other choice but to try a gamble like the late onsides KO.�� Give credit to Tomlin for finally realizing, 14 weeks into the season, what a complete ignoramus he�s saddled with as a DC.� �C+�

 

Synopsis:� An exciting win; far more exciting that it should have been, at home, up 10 points to start the 4Q.�� At this point of a forgone season, you almost hate to see a win in a game like this, as it masks both the assaholic nature of a pass-happy, run averse offense, as well as the total dereliction of duty by the DC.�� There is an overabundance of warts as this team heads into 2010, and the last thing this team needs is a masking of those warts.�� Next up, a home game against the hated PoeBirds from Baltimore.��

 

 

(Still Mill and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the Pittsburgh Stillers, no one else comes close�.)