Commentary
by PalmerSucks
September
14, 2012
Well,
Stiller fans, don�t say I didn�t try to warn you about that defense. As a
certain Stillers head coach would say, �it is what it is.� In this case, �it�
is a unit that no longer has the top-name players that once allowed it to take
chances � and usually get away with them. After a promising start, which
included of all things a takeaway, the Stillers� pass defense proceeded
to get picked apart on a series of long drives.
What
can I say? In my pre-season report I mentioned two areas that HAD to be fixed,
or else. One was scoring offense, the other, pass defense.
The
Stillers finished the game with a ton of possession, but just 19 points to show
for it. 19 points won�t even beat Tim Tebow, let alone Peyton Manning.
I�m
sure a lot of fans will blame Ben�s pick-six for the loss, but to me, the game
turned on this sequence: the Stillers ran a 9-minute drive for a field goal,
while Denver possessed the ball for just 36 seconds and scored a TD. There you
have it � a failure in the scoring-offense department, followed by another pass-defense
collapse. The classic 2011 formula for a one-and-done season � returned to
haunt the Stillers in the 2012 campaign.
So
is it time to panic? Well, reading some of the fan-site message boards, a lot
of Stillers fans seem to think so.
I
don�t know about you, but I leaned towards the Stillers dropping the opener.
The defense you saw, featuring Chris Carter in Harrison�s spot, simply wasn�t
up to the task of carrying the load in the absence of points scored by the
offense. Nor will they be for most games, which goes
back to the original point I was making.
However,
that doesn�t mean the defense can�t still be effective � provided they can
continue to do a nice job of keeping the opponent from scoring, as they did
last year. Then, as I�ve said again and again, the 2012 season will hinge on
the offense scoring more than 20 points a game.
That�s
why the Stillers need to recognize the true nature of their team, and its
strength. All off-season we�ve heard talk of the team and its supposed need to
�get back to Stillers football� � code for �run the ball more.� That idea
worked great in 1972, but unfortunately isn�t suited for winning hardware today.
Frankly, these people harping on the need to run the ball � led by the team�s
owner � need to STFU and take a reality pill.
Three-quarters
of all offense generated last week came by way of passing � it seems
embarrassingly obvious to say, but that�s because the NFL has become a passing
league. Certain elements in the Stillers organization want to think otherwise,
almost as if they�re right and the rest of the league � including the teams
that have won the last few Super Bowls � are the ones who�ve gotten it wrong.
The
Stillers set out early Sunday Night trying to establish the run. Nothing
happened. Then they turned to their up-tempo passing game, and for the rest of
the game nearly outdueled the Broncos in a no-huddle passing contest.
The
Stillers� best players on offense are the QB Roethlisberger, receivers Brown
and Wallace, and TE Miller. That means they�re set up to win with the pass �
and the sooner they realize that it�s all about the run-around-and-extend
Roethlisberger passing game, the sooner they�ll have a shot at a winning
season, and a shot at a playoff run. Running the ball to support the passing
game is fine � running the ball just for the sake of running the ball, isn�t.
In
fact, the Stillers� organization should realize the strength of the offense not
just for the sake of the offense, but the defense, too. A low-scoring,
eat-the-clock O is one thing when you�ve got a dominant defense, but the �12
Stillers unit ain�t no Steel Curtain. As I said
earlier, the top-name players largely aren�t there anymore, and the ones who
are, are old.
The
front three once clogged the lanes and allowed the linebackers to make their
splash plays � but gone is Aaron Smith, and Chris Hoke now rushes to the
broadcast booth to yuk it up with Edmund. Hampton, for his part, can no longer
handle 30 plays a game.
The
secondary is unproven, and Cortez Allen, who looked so promising in camp,
looked lost out there Sunday Night. The OLBs failed to pressure Manning, and as
for the inside guys � let�s just say things are bad when Larry Foote has the
best game of anyone.
The
Stillers must turn to their passing game, to score more points, and make up for
the fade on defense. It�s that simple. I�ve often wondered in the past why more
teams didn�t scrap the run,and try passing more on the
Stillers � after watching Sunday, expect them to.
So
then, back to the panic thing � the Stillers now face the Jets. You remember
the Jets, a team the mainstream sports media were panicking over themselves,
due to a total lack of scoring capability in pre-season. Now, after one week, the
Jets are unstoppable, and their fans aren�t asking if their team will
win, but by how many points?
OK,
OK � it�s pressure time, yes, and the Stillers do need to avoid the dreaded 0-2
start. But is it really time to panic, as so many fans seem to be doing
already?
A
couple things to keep in mind about the suddenly-mighty Jets:
--Mark
Sanchez isn�t Manning � either Manning. What you saw from the Denver QB is a
guy who can elevate everyone�s game around him. What you�ve never seen is the
same thing out of Mark Sanchez.
--Lost
in all the Jets hype is the fact that Buffalo absolutely gashed them on the
ground. The Bills racked up 195 rushing yards at a 7.5 per-carry rate. Even
worse, CJ Spiller notched 195 yards at an Alabama-vs.-Appalachian-State-like
12.1 yards-per rate. If there�s ever a week
to temporarily go run-first, this would be it.
You
know I�ve bragged up Jon Dwyer in the past. Sunday he�ll get a chance to show
what he can do. I�ve said before, Dwyer has first-round skills with a
sixth-round attitude. He seems to be turning his head around though. There�s no
reason he can�t plow through the Jets defense the same way Spiller did.
Not
only that, but preseason sensation Chris Rainey failed to produce even one big
play last week. That could change against this suspect Jets defense. The
Stillers lost to Denver because they hit a lot of singles, and no home runs.
That won�t hold against the Jets.
As
of Friday, it appears that All-World Jets CB Revis
won�t be playing. Paging Mister Wallace,
Mister Mike Wallace � please report to the 9-route room. It�s time for the
offense to break out big. And who knows, maybe Dick will devise a real defense
to stop Tebow this time, should he make an appearance.
I�ve
been following a Jets� free-agent gem named Austin Howard. Last week he handled
the Bills� big-money defensive end, Mario Williams, with ease � opening up huge
passing windows and making Sanchez look way better than he is. That has to stop
this week � paging you, Mister
Woodley.
Sanchez
doesn�t handle pressure well. Last week, he had little of it put on him. It�s
time to get this QB controversy started that�s been so hyped up in New York.
If
the Stillers can fix their two big weaknesses, they�ll have a say in who goes
to the Super Bowl this year. If not, my pre-season pick of Houston vs. San
Francisco stands. But the Stillers are likely going nowhere with an 0-2 start.
Time
to panic? Nah � not at least until after Sunday Night.