View topic - Very good article about Stillers D and Big Ben...

[Steeledge Profile]

...article here...
Not very glowing about Ben, but Cosell really has some good points here, especially the part where he writes...

After five years in the NFL, he still is not comfortable in the pocket. When the coverage dictates the throw before the snap, Roethlisberger can look very good, delivering with rhythm, timing and accuracy. When the throw is not evident right away, his predisposition is to rely purely on instincts, not a refined sense of reading progressions.

And that leads to a problem I see with Roethlisberger when I study him. He struggles with blitz recognition before the snap. Every blitz, no matter how well disguised, has a pre-snap indicator, and Roethlisberger too often fails to identify those keys.

As a result, Roethlisberger does not handle pressure well, both mentally and physically. He doesn’t recognize it; therefore, he doesn’t react to it with controlled, decisive responses. He’s apt to be a little frantic and hyperactive. He’s reactive rather than proactive, and that just reinforces his sandlot tendencies.

don't get stuck on this, though - read the whole article. Very astute...

I have to think that there are plenty of good reasons for Ben to be "not comfortable in the pocket," but to be completely honest, I don't think a quarterback has ever existed that could rightly feel comfortable in the pocket behind this atrocious "offensive" line. And I can't think of an NFL quarterback playing the game today that's better suited for the job than Big Ben, even if he has looked skittish and unsure on quite a few occasions this year.

As the year has worn on, he has matured dramatically. He was already good at making big plays while on the move, but recently it's becoming apparent that he's truly one of the greats. Likewise, even though Arians is painfully slow at recognizing the need to adjust his play calling due to shortcomings of the line, the play calling does seem to be coming around. The jury's still out on whether it's Bruce or Ben making the adjustments, but whatever the case, it's starting to work.

The timing really could not be better, either. Even with the brutal schedule that we've had, our defense has dominated the entire year in truly historic fashion. With an offense that's starting to click just enough to get by, this team is going to be extremely dangerous in the coming weeks. Ben has been battle tested by playoff-caliber teams all year and is getting much better at making decisions on the run, which is exactly the kind of playing he can expect to be doing in January. Call him a non-elite QB or whatever else you will, but if my team's going to the Big Dance, I would much rather have a battle-worn and tested Ben from December 2008 for my QB than an exposed and very human-looking Tom Brady from December of 2007.

I'm getting more and more fired up at our prospects of being the first team with six rings and picking 32nd in this spring's draft. If we somehow manage to fix the O-Line this off-season, just imagine how devastating this team could be for years to come.

God help us, though, if Colbert's still around and he decides to completely ignore the O-line again.
But, that's for another day and another thread...

[indysteel Profile]

I wish I could share you enthusiasm.

Kinda hard to argue with their record though.

I was trying to think back to I believe it was 1976 / 77. We had like six shut outs by the defense. Bradshaw was out and we were relying on Kruczek at QB.

Now, I'm not trying to draw a comparision with the QBs, particularly BR7 versus Kruczek.

What I am making a point on is that defense then was pretty DAMN good......but we didn't win the SB.

I'm afraid that they are winning, but with (a) luck; and (b) smoke and mirrors. Come playoff time, the offense could be what dooms us.

I also keep saying it's time for a ST meltdown....probably will happen in the playoffs.

Put another way -- I have NO CONFIDENCE this team could come from 14 to 17 points down and win in the playoffs.

Hope I'm wrong.

[Teegre Profile]

I wish I could share you enthusiasm.

Kinda hard to argue with their record though.

I was trying to think back to I believe it was 1976 / 77. We had like six shut outs by the defense. Bradshaw was out and we were relying on Kruczek at QB.

Now, I'm not trying to draw a comparision with the QBs, particularly BR7 versus Kruczek.

What I am making a point on is that defense then was pretty DAMN good......but we didn't win the SB.

I'm afraid that they are winning, but with (a) luck; and (b) smoke and mirrors. Come playoff time, the offense could be what dooms us.

I also keep saying it's time for a ST meltdown....probably will happen in the playoffs.

Put another way -- I have NO CONFIDENCE this team could come from 14 to 17 points down and win in the playoffs.

Hope I'm wrong.

Actually, I was thinking the exact opposite...
...how great could this team be when the offense finally plays up to its potential.

1) A healthy Ben. He gets better/more healthy every week (e.g. the long ball, which disappeared for a month, is starting to return). I know that the Baltimore game was rough, but I chalk that up to dropped balls. Speaking of which...

2) Santonio & Nate stop dropping balls...especially in key situations.

3) The O-line's start to the year was abysmal...but, they have slowly gelled into a "decent" group. Most of the easy sacks that they gave up early on in the year were due to miscommunications (via four new starters on the line). Now, those types of plays occur less often.

4) Bruce Arians allows Ben to run the no huddle in the first half (even if for one series)....which would assuredly be a touchdown (see: Ben's final drives in the past few weeks). That extra seven points would be huuuuge.

Anyway, I am the eternal optimist.