View topic - Fixing the problems

[Pommah Profile]

This 8-8 team lost 5 games by a field goal. Flip all five and the team is 13-3 and resting up on a bye week for the first playoff game. Are things really that bad? What are the problems, and how do you fix? Here's my quick list.

1. Mental toughness and discipline

Way too many mental mistakes for both players and coaches. Buckle down in the offseason. Strict training camp. The Wallace holdout was a huge distraction for this team from day 1. If you're not in camp, you don't play. Coaches, you are not there for players to love you. The players did not love Noll, Landry, Shula, Brown, Walsh, etc. They don't love Bellichick. The players respected the hell out of them though. This "Player's coach" thing is so much bullshit.

Our players are caught not thinking way too many times. Has got to end. This is the pro's not college.

2. Injuries

I have no way of getting any actual data on this, but it seems like we miss more player-games than any other team. My hypothesis (which I have no way of proving) is that we don't rotate players enough. The NFL is a 16-game war of attrition where each team is not all that different - maybe a few key players - from each other due to all the parity rules. I don't think there is any way a player can play all 16 games every minute and not avoid injury or not be totally spent by the end of the season. I think that showed up big time in Denver last year in the playoffs.

3. Ben
His injuries have deeply impacted the last two seasons. He's on the wrong side of 30, it takes longer to heal. Lost a step. His sandlot-style pulls off some amazing plays at times, and costs big others. Lost five games by a field goal, and how many times did his taking a sack drop us out of field goal position? More than five. I'm not saying shackle him, I am saying, his sandlot-style will have more impact 4 or 5 times a game than every other play practically. He's a much better drop-back passer than people give him credit for. Batch was not sacked that much even though he can't move; he makes it easier on the O-line. Watch Brady. Drops back more than takes the snap out of the shotgun. Can be on his third read by the time he takes the set, fourth by the time of the throw, his O-line knows where he is all the time. I saw an interview where Ben says he won't change the way he plays. Well, I give him only 3, maybe 4, seasons left in the league if he doesn't. And he will be hurt in each of those.

4. Drop the 3-4, go back to 4-3.
We don't have the personnel to run the 3-4 anymore, we are not getting enough pressure on the QB and as a result aren't getting the picks. It's too hard to find draftees who will make good 3-4 linebackers and when you do it takes too long for them to learn it. This little trick has run its course.

5. Special teams
Can't make a diagnosis here, but it seems to me starters should be on special teams more and 2nd teamers should get more playing time rather than being banished to ST. This is also a discipline issue. If special teams is treated as an afterthought by the coaching staff that's how the players will treat it too. Also you won't get the players busting ass to prove themselves on ST if the opportunity to play a position never materializes.

6. Free agents
Ditch Wallace, Hampton, Lefty, Mendy, Mundy, and do your best to keep the rest, restructuring where necessary. Bring a lot more free agents to camp, with a general notice that all positions are up for grabs.

[PGHeaven Profile]

This 8-8 team lost 5 games by a field goal. Flip all five and the team is 13-3 and resting up on a bye week for the first playoff game. Are things really that bad? What are the problems, and how do you fix? Here's my quick list.

1. Mental toughness and discipline


2. Injuries

3. Ben

4. Drop the 3-4, go back to 4-3.

5. Special teams

6. Free agents
Ditch Wallace, Hampton, Lefty, Mendy, Mundy, and do your best to keep the rest, restructuring where necessary. Bring a lot more free agents to camp, with a general notice that all positions are up for grabs.

1. Agree - this is a top down disaster - Rooney has been eating Bon Bons in an Irish castle - Momlin is doing god knows what "in the lab" and then acts like a neophyte on the field. Colberts drafting sucks! and no locker room presence. NO WONDER!
2. Injuries - no mental discipline and lousy camps. You CANT eat twinkies all week and then play NFL football
3. Ben - AGREE - Ben is exposed - he is too old now to play sandlot - can he be a pocket passer like Peyton?
4. drop 3-4 - disagree - this mean we need 2 animals at DE - we DONT have that. We rely on LBs and safeties. We would have to draft exclusively to make this happen and then what to do with Woodley Hood Heyward et al?
5. special teams - AGREE - we got buttfucked twiced on fake punts - PUNTING SUCKS - and NONEXISTANT return game. Suisham is damn good though

[SoCal Stiller Profile]

Ben has proven that he can be a good pocket passer every time they run the no-huddle.

With Whiz being fired and Haley being interviewed by AZ, I say the Steelers do everything they can to bring in Whiz. That's seems like a good trade for us. Otherwise, they should take their best shot at getting Norv Turner to run the offense.

I agree with your free agent assessment Pommah. You have to re-sign Starks for just one more year. He has earned it more than almost anyone else on the team. Maybe they shoud cut him first - worked last time.

Make Batch QB coach under Whiz or Norv Turner.

This would be a good start to fixing the problems.

[Ohio Profile]

Ben has proven that he can be a good pocket passer every time they run the no-huddle.

With Whiz being fired and Haley being interviewed by AZ, I say the Steelers do everything they can to bring in Whiz. That's seems like a good trade for us. Otherwise, they should take their best shot at getting Norv Turner to run the offense.

I agree with your free agent assessment Pommah. You have to re-sign Starks for just one more year. He has earned it more than almost anyone else on the team. Maybe they shoud cut him first - worked last time.

Make Batch QB coach under Whiz or Norv Turner.

This would be a good start to fixing the problems.

I was looking at some numbers. And I understood that the idea I had of ben is wrong. Somebody pointed that out here some weeks ago. I didn't understand. Then I saw some numbers... He had 11 on 48 on throws of 20+ yards. That is a joke. He couldn't throw it downfield. And you know what ? I was watching him closely against the Browns. His scrambling abilities were down. People if we cannot throw you know what happens ? 8 in the box. Than you either have a Adrian Peterson or you are dead. I smell bad times coming. I just hope we draft a qb

[SoCal Stiller Profile]

... He had 11 on 48 on throws of 20+ yards. That is a joke. He couldn't throw it downfield. And you know what ? I was watching him closely against the Browns. His scrambling abilities were down. People if we cannot throw you know what happens ? 8 in the box. Than you either have a Adrian Peterson or you are dead. I smell bad times coming. I just hope we draft a qb

How many of those throws were dropped by the underachieving WR's - or they didn't get up and fight for the ball? Ben's receivers let him down all season and what about his shoulder? Stats can be very misleading. Ben makes above average mid-range and long throws when healthy.