View topic - New Article: Stillers-Bengals Postgame Analysis and Grades

[StillMill Profile]

Stillers-Bengals Postgame Analysis and Grades has been posted by Still Mill at Stillers.com.

[BigE Profile]

Completely agree with everything Mill. Let us not forget that the Bungals were also without defensive standouts Antwan Odom, Keith Rivers and Roy Williams to add insult to injury. Six rushing attempts in the first half is total bullshit, why Arians is allowed to keep his position is mind boggling. Do him and Benji jack each other off or what, why is this clown allowed to stay?

[stiller4ever Profile]

Mill - nothing says it better than your comment - "In fact, Tomlin and the team fully appeared to approach this game as “just another game”. No intensity. No spirit. No tenacity. No do-or-die approach. Everything lackadaisical and nonchalant. No attention to detail"

[SteelPower Profile]

This years coaching performance is looking more and more like a Billy Cowhard mail in. The curse of last years SB Championship was BA being able to keep his job. Yesterday was prime example of a poorly coached football team on both sides of the ball. Mill has astuely pointed out that when your quarterback is having a bad day you run the football. Of course BA will not and Tomlin needs his ass kick for not stepping in as the Head Coach.

[ashpitt08 Profile]

OK, so ben runs the no-huddle offense probably better than anyone.........where was it yesterday? the offense clearly needed some kind of spark & some play calling on the fly -but it was nowhere to be found. just as infuriating, on three (probably more) 3rd & short situations the Steelers were in the exact same alignment which produced nothing but a couple batted balls, a sack and an interception. How many times does it take to realize that shit a'int workin? GOD!!!!

[kurtostill Profile]

The thing that pisses me off most about this game and many others since dipshit Arians has been calling the plays is that he simply doesn't adjust to the blitz.
If I were a DC for any team that plays the Stillers, my game plan would be pathetically simple - blitz every down, 6-8 men at least. Why, because dipshit never adjusts to the blitz. NEVER! The Philly game last year was painfully similar to this game in every sickening aspect.
Hey dipshit - 3 step drops, short quick passes and screens are quite effective against the blitz! It's not rocket science you dumbass. 50 yard bombs that take a minute and a half to develop rarely work against a blitzing team. Maybe you only gain 5 or 6 yards on the quick slant to Holmes or dumpoff to Moore or Miller. But that is a hell of a lot better than losing 6 to 8 when Ben is sacked. You were a QB coach too - there is no excuse for this. You can even run against the blitz - slants and pitches can also quite effective against over pursuing blitzers.
C'mon Bruce, it's not that f#$%*ing complicated.
I'm realizing that the only way the Stillers can be effective on offense is if Ben pulls his Houdini act or the opposing DC is an incompetent imbecile that pays no attention to game tape or tendencies.
If the opposing defense is actually aggressive and doesn’t allow dipshit Arians to fart around with his moronic, random, nonsensical, and cutesy playcalling, the Stillers O goes nowhere. I have no idea how opposing DCs haven’t figured this out yet. Although I have a feeling that we can probably expect to see a lot more of it.
Mike, it’s time to get rid of the dead weight and get an OC in here that has a clue.

[rifraff Profile]

QB play was way off, the whole O was off. Did having a Mon nite game in Denver cause some of this? Quote "QB dosent have clue of how to throw the ball away" Exactly, he will stand there & look to make a play, Im ok with that. What Im not ok with is QB under center, no back, duh its a short pass. Cincy LBs on seeing this immediately lined up on the line to blitz, the corners pressed, quik pass not there, duh QB holds ball, takes sack. This play call is a disaster waiting to happen. Its gonna get the QB killed or probable fumble, for what maybe 3 yards. The risks are way to high. Lets call it somemore Didnt call enough running plays when obvious QB could hit broadside of barn, no adjustmet is neccessary cause we dont know how to adjust? Special teams, there 'special' allright. No 'no huddle/muddle' attempts before 4th Q cause why? Maybe snaps QB out fo funk, worth the try, were not going to win with FGs.

Im not a hockey fan (our QB is) but when the game started they said the Penquins won? an OT game, was that at nite, like maybe Sat nite? Hmmm?

[Field General Ben Profile]

I dunno StillMill. I think you're a bit easy on them, don't you think?

[Uhh Profile]

A little harsh but I didn't see anything I disagree with. Nice job. And Ben's weather comments were pretty much the weakest thing I can imagine anyone saying after a loss like that in fine weather.

[IronCity__Man Profile]

I don't understand why we didn't use the no huddle. I guess it works too well, just like Mendenhall running off-tackle versus inside all game, to implement it in the most important game to date this season.

A few corner blitzes would have been nice.

[rwdavis2 Profile]

It's not that Arians does not have a game plan. It's the fact that his game plan is that every play will work perfectly and Ben will have a great game. It make him look like a genius. His problem is that he does not seem to know how to adjust when necessary. As shown yesterday.
BD

[SoCal Stiller Profile]

Can someone please explain to me why the fuck you go empty backfield on 1st and goal??? As if the Bungles were'nt applying enough pressure, now that complete dumbfuck Arians announces to the entire world that the Stillers are passing! Mendy was averaging 5.7 yds/carry, yet he rushes 6 fucking times! Inexcusable! How in the hell can we rid ourselves of this fuckstick? I must have said the words "fucking Arians" more than a dozen times Sunday.

I did not have a big problem with the way the defense played and they were in no way the reason we did not win this game, but our special teams woes continue to baffle me. We need to go out and find some soccer stud who at least has a chance to reach the opposing 10 yard line on KO's! Fucking Reed cannot even make it inside the 15 yd line & I think this is killing us. Can Sepulveda kick-off or WTF?

Also, did anyone else notice Ben flexing his hand or was that just some kind of visual excuse for his putrid play?

[IronCity__Man Profile]

I questioned whether or not Ben received a concussion on that last play. His facial wince after his head smacked the ground on the last sack could have been an indication. Something the steelers may cover up.

[dlbldlab Profile]

I agree with just about everything Mill. Except for the special teams. Our special teams has been less than spectacular for multiple years now. Our lack of improvement is apparant not only in our punt/kickoff coverage, but also in our returns. That being said, our players are not scrubbs obviously, they are super bowl caliber players. They have the skills. We have seen Logan's abilities but he's getting swarmed by defenders. What we don't see are the holes that are supposed to be provided by the blocking schemes put together by the coaching. What we don't see are the techniques and formations set by the coaches on kickoff coverages. So what I'm trying to say is, the problem is not in our players, it is in the coaching. We have consistently sucked over the past few years, so I find it hard to believe that with all the special teams rosters that have been changed and rearranged over the past few years, that all those players suck and that's why we have been and are so bad. I've said it many times over the past couple of years and I'll say it again, FIRE the special teams coaches, Ligashesky and Jones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are the problem.

[tourosteelersfan Profile]

Allow me to join the chorus.

I voted for Ben's poor play as the reason for the loss - he looked terrible, though neither the line nor the receivers did much to pull him out of the funk. Ben is the straw that stirs the drink, if you'll permit the comparison, and it is virtually impossible to overcome an off day by him against a quality opponent. (Harrison had a lousy game but the defense did its part, certainly until the fourth quarter, even without Polamalu.) Arians seems to have lapsed back into some of his predictable patterns, though one could say that perhaps he was just trying to get Ben in the groove. (I am trying to muster a defense for him before voting to convict; the failure to run Mendenhall more is beyond puzzling, as was the failure to adjust to the blitz with screen passes, etc.) As to Tomlin, it is still early in his tenure but what is frustrating about this year's team has been the failure to win games that should have been won. By that I mean that in his first two years the Steelers were almost always well prepared and last year made the big plays on defense to put games away. Similarly, it seems unfathomable that Tomlin has yet to address the kickoff coverage; perhaps he's been reading Cowher's how-to-manual along with the press clips after the Broncos game.

What team will emerge in the next 7 games and the playoffs: the team that whiffed against Chicago and the Bengals despite numerous opportunities to win? Or the team that held off the Vikings and crushed the Broncos?

[Bukk U Profile]

In a relatively even game, the deciding factor was starting field position after a score. The Bungels score and we get the ball at the 20 if all goes well. It is brutally painful to march down the field, settle for a lousy three points, and then kick it back to them only to allow them a quick six, or start within 2 or 3 first downs of attempting their own three pointer?!?!? You can't consistantly ask the D to come up and save the day. Hangover Reed was kicking off to the 15 and then there was not a black shirt to be seen in the vicinity until the returner got to at least the thirty!! He is either injured and they are hiding it, or he has to just kick it out of bounds because he sucks and I don't even trust this group to cover a squib kick that Reed would probably ef up anyway. He is a one man train wreck that could not reach the end zone in the mile high air the week before. Personally I like the kicker at Northwestern for next year – the kid kicks in a cold weather climate, has a hell of a leg and is perfect on the season last I knew.

Speaking of the Doncos and our big win last Monday night, how impressive does that look right now after they were throttled by the Deadskins??? And can you really hang your hat on the Dykings game as a signature win; do you really feel good about being outplayed all day and scoring on two huge defensive plays to eek out a win? Even though the Dykes lost, they have to feel confident in themselves knowing they were on the road and controlled the game. When that was over I did not feel like we earned a stellar win, I felt like a thief and tried to get away before anyone noticed me. I am having trouble finding a single game this year that leaves me feeling good about the long-term success of this squad the rest of the way. They are playing to the level of their competition and finding ways to lose rather than win. The injuries to the D line are being overlooked and we are 1-3 without Polamalu in the lineup; who doesn’t look like he will be 100% the whole year, or possibly not even make the whole year at this point. The schedule is weak and we are still bumbling through – yikes.

[Jeemie Profile]

This guy could fuk up a 1-car funeral procession.

I'm not as hard on Arians as you are, but this was funny. I don't care who you are!

[SteelPower Profile]

The schedule is weak and we are still bumbling through – yikes.

This is why this season is so frustrating and the coaching staff is doing a fine job just mailing it in.

[Jeemie Profile]

The schedule is weak and we are still bumbling through – yikes.

This is why this season is so frustrating and the coaching staff is doing a fine job just mailing it in.

This I completely disagree with.

The coaching staff is not "mailing it in".

I see this site still suffers from what made it a caricature of itself- this idea that every team failure is a failure of coaching.

[kurtostill Profile]

The schedule is weak and we are still bumbling through – yikes.

This is why this season is so frustrating and the coaching staff is doing a fine job just mailing it in.

This I completely disagree with.

The coaching staff is not "mailing it in".

I see this site still suffers from what made it a caricature of itself- this idea that every team failure is a failure of coaching.

Agreed, I don’t think the coaching staff is “just mailing it in”. However, I’m definitely not going to give them a free pass. Unlike MLB, I think almost every team in the NFL has a substantial group of talented players. When you have the level of parity that exists in pro football, coaching becomes absolutely critical. Good coaching involves drafting well and acquiring quality free agents on the front end. Then motivating players, creating a strong team atmosphere, solid game planning, schemes and in-game adjustments on the back end. I think the bottom line is that quality coaching on every level is an absolute necessity for any NFL team to be successful.
Therefore, I think the strong criticism of coaches on this site is warranted. In my opinion, this is especially the case with Arians and Ligashesky. However, I think the continual condemnation of Dick LeBeau is a bit over the top and at times unwarranted. This seems to be especially true when you consider that NFL rules heavily favor offense, particularly quarterbacks and the passing game.
All that being said, even the best coached players screw up. NFL players, as absurdly talented as they are, are human beings and make mistakes from time to time. Great coaches however minimize those errors and enable players to learn from mistakes and continually improve as individual players and as a cohesive team.
Is it all the coaching staff’s fault – obviously no. Can a quality coaching staff be the difference between a mediocre 8 & 8 team and a super bowl champion – I say absolutely.
I think our coaching staff needs to do a little more homework (e.g. Ligashesky) and some (e.g. Arians) need to be replaced because they don’t really have what it takes to cut it in the NFL, IMO.