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[StillMill Profile]

Stillers-Panthers Postgame Analysis & Grades has been posted by Still Mill at Stillers.com.

[Field General Ben Profile]

Thanks for the great analysis Mill! Just a couple minor bones of contention - no team is a gimmie, even the Panthers. Their defense isn't half bad, especially against the run so I give them credit for that. It's not like the Steelers beat the Jets, but I love any NFL win and will not take the "well they should have won this one" tack. Secondly, it was Sanders who they overturned the TD call on, not Brown.

[Pommah Profile]

Not sure I agree with you FG Ben, that looked like one of the sorriest excuses for an NFL team I've ever seen on the field last night. It should have been 52-0 at the half. Other good teams would have done so and then played their backups the entire 2nd half. Ben never leaving the field in this game is inexcusable. Lefty is a capable QB, and we could be faced with Ben having to come out in a playoff game due to injury and he'd have to go in stone cold. It's just not good coaching and there is no excuse for it. And if I was a player like Worilds I'd be so demoralized, I'd be incapable of playing well even if hell froze over and I got to go in.

[PGHeaven Profile]

Still Mill remains the Master. perfect summary with usual hilarity and perfect dosage of ironicism. Mill DID sday the TO overturn was on Sanders. One correction, our backup QBs, all 3 of them, did get playing time covering for Ben the 1st 4 games, but that was it.

If Baltimore loses this weekend, which I fucking doubt, Momlin should consider allowing Lefty and DD and maybe even Charlie to each get a quarter.

One thing not mentioned, Mendy actuall got tossed an outlet pass from Ben while under pressure that resulted in a sweet gain. Mill has been calling for this all year and it appears he is RIGHT! Use Mendy out of the backfield and you will get some nice gainers ARIANS!

[tourosteelersfan Profile]

Not much to add. The Steelers were somewhat underwhelming in victory but so what? The team took care of business and the game was over by half-time. I too was surprised that Ben R wasn't pulled; is it possible that he wanted all the snaps because he missed the first four games? If the Steelers handle the Browns the same way in ten days or so, a 12-4 finish and a #2 seed is very respectable given the injuries this year and Ben R's absence the first four games.

[pinpon Profile]

Worilds had a knee injury and left early from the game. How many more drops is Hines going to have this year. Seems he's dropping one every game recently. Spaeth is atrocious! Good job as always Mill, love your work!

[m1k3 Profile]

I think you're right about the quick whistles. I recall one play where it seemed like the whistle was blown as soon as the ball carrier was touched by the defender. Both players were completely upright.

[PGHeaven Profile]

Not much to add. The Steelers were somewhat underwhelming in victory but so what? The team took care of business and the game was over by half-time. I too was surprised that Ben R wasn't pulled; is it possible that he wanted all the snaps because he missed the first four games? If the Steelers handle the Browns the same way in ten days or so, a 12-4 finish and a #2 seed is very respectable given the injuries this year and Ben R's absence the first four games.

So what? If we don't improve in many aspects then we will be one and done, that's so what.

[tourosteelersfan Profile]

I know the Steelers need to improve in a number of areas - the decline in the special teams play is especially problematic at this time of the year. It's just that the Panthers are more or less the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NFL - a 27-3 win isn't much different from a 38-3 win or whatever. The important point is that the Steelers sufficiently dominated and now get to rest up. The Steelers have played enough good teams this year to know where they stand. I give the team no more than a 25 percent chance to make the Super Bowl, with the Patriots in New England as the principal obstacle. Still, with the bye, the Steelers should win the first playoff game - the Ravens are probably the best of the rest in the AFC, and a healthy Steelers team should be able to beat Baltimore or any other AFC team in Pittsburgh in the first round and be in the AFC championship game.

[StillMill Profile]

One correction, our backup QBs, all 3 of them, did get playing time covering for Ben the 1st 4 games, but that was it.

PghHeaven -- Batch and Dixon got PT while Ben was suspended; Lefty did not. And Lefty is supposedly our #2 QB.

[PGHeaven Profile]

One correction, our backup QBs, all 3 of them, did get playing time covering for Ben the 1st 4 games, but that was it.

PghHeaven -- Batch and Dixon got PT while Ben was suspended; Lefty did not. And Lefty is supposedly our #2 QB.

Oh yeah, thats right. Wasn't Lefty injured?

[StillMill Profile]

One correction, our backup QBs, all 3 of them, did get playing time covering for Ben the 1st 4 games, but that was it.

PghHeaven -- Batch and Dixon got PT while Ben was suspended; Lefty did not. And Lefty is supposedly our #2 QB.

Oh yeah, thats right. Wasn't Lefty injured?

YES, Lefty was injured during the suspension, which makes the insistence on playing Ben for EVERY SINGLE snap all the more ludicrous. There was the drubbing of Oak, and even the beating at the hands of NE, where Lefty could have scraped off the rust. Let's face it -- QBs do NOT face anything resembling a REAL, ATTACKING defense in PRACTICE. They face, at best, something that is about 60% of what game conditions are like. There is a mammoth difference in facing a big blitz, with bodies flying to and fro, as opposed to the vanilla, hum-drum, polite world of PRACTICE.

It's pure and utter stupidity that Tomlin, the idiot, has either failed or refused to get Lefty some work.

[ballhair Profile]

Good job Mill. What bothers me most is not being able to score TD's in the red zone. We need a killer instinct like the Pats. Score a lot of points and put the other team out of the game early.
I have to root for the clowns tomorrow.

[rifraff Profile]

They said they were going to stop going for the TD right away in the red zone but work it down. So they have like one minute and 2 timeouts at about the 18 yd line and they throw 3 passes into the endzone. Time management with these guys aint good, looks like they panicked some there and they had gobs of time?

Why with 10 mins left in the 4th Q against this pathetic Carolina offense is all the starters still playin on offense? Seems real stupid, we might have to play em next week. Leftwich should have got some playin time. The friggin QB's got a bum foot, for cryin out loud, I dont care how tough he is, if he wants to play, sit em down.

So basically the players are fine, what the Fu&%* are the coaches thinking?

[Pump-N-Iron Profile]

Mill... great job as usual. Adding a few thoughts of my own.

Officiating - I really hate whining and bitching about the officiating, but it seems that every week they get worse, not better. As you pointed out, this week, we had to endure EXTREMELY QUICK whistles. I get the feeling that Goodell is sending a different message to the officials every week, to the point that, now, they have NO IDEA what he wants them to call. It's like working for that boss we all hate, who changes his mind & strategy every week. You hate going to work since you know you are fucked no matter what you do.

Red Zone problems - Is it just me, or does EVERY DEF Coordinator in the NFL know that when we get in the Red Zone, we will waste 1st down with a Mendy plunge up the middle??? Examples:
Q1 - 1st and 10 at Car 11 - Mendy up the middle for -5 yards
Q2 - 1st and 10 at Car 10 - Moore up the middle for 2 yards
Q3 - 1st and 10 at Car 14 - Mendy up the middle for 6 yards (abberation)
Q3 - 1st and Goal at Car 1 - Mendy up the middle for 0 yards (Repeat on 2nd Down)
Creativity? none. Imagination? none. PAP? nope. Attempts to keep the Defense off balance? Not a chance. Total failure by Bruce Arians.

Wally, Sanders, Brown & the Quick Slant - Friggin' Amazing what happens when Ben gets the ball out of his hand early, hits the receiver ON TIME and let's him use his speed to beat the defense. As I predicted during the in game log, Arians noticed how DEVASTATINGLY WELL that play worked, so he NEVER called it again. He probably will not use it again this year. WHY??? OMG, with the speed we have, this play should be burning defenses every week, especially when they send jailhouse blitzes.

Woodley - Saved the best for last... who taught this flaccid piece of shit how to tackle? I counted at least 5 missed tackles by this loafing turd. Instead of putting his shoulder into someone and wrapping up, he limp-wristedly paws at jerseys... only to be left with his dick in the dirt moments later. I am not sure if he is upset by not getting a new contract or what, but his play has declined faster than Joey Porter with a bullet in his ass.

[PGHeaven Profile]

Mill... great job as usual. Adding a few thoughts of my own.

Officiating - I really hate whining and bitching about the officiating, but it seems that every week they get worse, not better. As you pointed out, this week, we had to endure EXTREMELY QUICK whistles. I get the feeling that Goodell is sending a different message to the officials every week, to the point that, now, they have NO IDEA what he wants them to call. It's like working for that boss we all hate, who changes his mind & strategy every week. You hate going to work since you know you are fucked no matter what you do.

Red Zone problems - Is it just me, or does EVERY DEF Coordinator in the NFL know that when we get in the Red Zone, we will waste 1st down with a Mendy plunge up the middle??? Examples:
Q1 - 1st and 10 at Car 11 - Mendy up the middle for -5 yards
Q2 - 1st and 10 at Car 10 - Moore up the middle for 2 yards
Q3 - 1st and 10 at Car 14 - Mendy up the middle for 6 yards (abberation)
Q3 - 1st and Goal at Car 1 - Mendy up the middle for 0 yards (Repeat on 2nd Down)
Creativity? none. Imagination? none. PAP? nope. Attempts to keep the Defense off balance? Not a chance. Total failure by Bruce Arians.

Wally, Sanders, Brown & the Quick Slant - Friggin' Amazing what happens when Ben gets the ball out of his hand early, hits the receiver ON TIME and let's him use his speed to beat the defense. As I predicted during the in game log, Arians noticed how DEVASTATINGLY WELL that play worked, so he NEVER called it again. He probably will not use it again this year. WHY??? OMG, with the speed we have, this play should be burning defenses every week, especially when they send jailhouse blitzes.

Woodley - Saved the best for last... who taught this flaccid piece of shit how to tackle? I counted at least 5 missed tackles by this loafing turd. Instead of putting his shoulder into someone and wrapping up, he limp-wristedly paws at jerseys... only to be left with his dick in the dirt moments later. I am not sure if he is upset by not getting a new contract or what, but his play has declined faster than Joey Porter with a bullet in his ass.

There is one message that Goodelol sends with regularity EVERY week. And that message is - FUCK THE STEELERS IN EVWERY WAY IMAGINABLE

FUCK GOODELL