View topic - New Article: Loose Slag from The Still Mill

[StillMill Profile]

http://www.stillers.com/articles/2305.aspx has been posted by Still Mill at Stillers.com.

[Hoppy Profile]

Wow.......Mill....what does a full page Ad in the Gazette's sports section cost?? I'll pay half.

[Nittany Steel37 Profile]

I think dealing Hampton in the offseason is an intriguing idea. It'll depend on whether other teams have noticed how much Hampton's fell off. I do just want to point out that for years before filling in for Big Snack in 2004, Chris Hoke was known to Still Mill as "Hoke the Joke" and his place on the roster was questioned repeatedly. I generally agree with most of the things you say, but just wanted to point out your lack of perfection.

[Steel_Buckeye Profile]

As far as Lebeau is concerned, I wonder if it's the same with him as it was M. Millen? What is coming out now about Millen is how after initialy drafted Harrington, he did everything in his power to make that #1 pick succeed after he was looking like a bust. Why? Just to make himself look good. He kept drafting #1 WR's for Joey, he eventialy brought in Martz, an offensive genius, for Joey. All about Millen. Millen, Millen, Millen. Ego! Insead of cutting loses and moving on in a direction that bettered the team. I think Dick is the same way. You don't think he hears about how much of a genius he is, or how he might be the first "coordinator" inducted into the hall? It's all about LeBeau, man! How would it look if a greenhorned rook came in and played in the vaunted LeBeau D like it was easy? LeBeau wouldn't be great, the player would be. But bring him in later and its...."oh just the system". I'm starting to hear stories and see the ego's of the owners, coaches and co-ordinators in the NFL like never before, and its sickening. Don't get me wrong I like LeBeau, and his "system" is good, and I hope I'm wrong about him, but let's not think he has no ego. I would hope its all about putting the best people on the field to help the Steelers win games. Period!

[StillMill Profile]

I think dealing Hampton in the offseason is an intriguing idea. It'll depend on whether other teams have noticed how much Hampton's fell off. I do just want to point out that for years before filling in for Big Snack in 2004, Chris Hoke was known to Still Mill as "Hoke the Joke" and his place on the roster was questioned repeatedly. I generally agree with most of the things you say, but just wanted to point out your lack of perfection.

Let's include the CONTEXT, Clittany. Hoke was rightfully ridiculed for being a beanwaxer and a weak player at THAT point in time. In 05 he filled in admirably down the stretch when FatAss was hurt. At a puny salary, Hoke is a superb bargain.

[Rushmore Profile]

The Moore reference rings true. The Steelers are not major players in free-agency, so Moore's signing was deliberate. Why the wait?

As far as Spaeth: a 3rd-round, and IMO, unnecessary, pick never heard from again?

The LeBeau criticisms/observations: just cut-n-paste NYGiants / Titans where ever you see PS. Same arguments apply.

-Rushmore

[stillgrill Profile]

Accurate info, particularly the benchrotting of Wood, Timmons, & McFadden. No one would trade for a NT w/ a penchant for lounging around too much in the offseason, however. Han Solo is here til he eats his way out of the league.

RE: Spaeth - hell they wasted a 4th rd pick on a guy who gets less opps than Tuman did.

Re: the inability of FWP in the passing gm, I think the key to having successful flares, ala B.Westbrook, is the ability to make the first guy miss. While Willie is indeed fast, he does not have the juke required for that play, as well as the smarts to find an open area (c/b fault of Arians?). Moore has just enough swivel to turn that 2 yd wasted-play into a nice 6 yd gain.

[McLovin Profile]

Excellent writing as usual Mill delivered only as you can. McLovin recalls the Colts and Dungy loving Hampton on draft day but Steelers beat them to him after moving down one spot in a trade with the Jets. The Colts DL a mess this year and they had traded a 4th rd pick for Bills 1st round bust John McGargo. Although Fat Casey on the down side of his career he should command better than 4th round pick the Colts offered the Bills before McCargo failed his physical. But trade will have to unforturnately wait til the offseason and what an offseason it will be with several OLman and McFadden key FAs who could leave.

McLovin is too displeased in LeBeau's refusal to play the more talented player based on his loyalty to vets and his belief that his system too difficult. No bigger example than Haggans a starter when Silverback was rotting for years and Woodley last year. Foote over Timmons still the mystery of all mysteries this year. Spaeth? Terrible 3rd round pick from the get go. Who knows what this kid can or can't do hell Miller doesn't even get to show what he can do and he is a first rounder.

[catesinator Profile]

Rotting is nothing new on the LeBeau defense. None other than Troy Pola rotted as a rookie, all because he hadn’t mastered the overcomplicated LeBeau defense in 4 languages (Mandarin Chinese, Hangul, Russian, and Lithuanian).

Fucking dumbass. Lebeau was a coach in Buffalo in 2003 and the Steelers defensive coordinator was Tim Lewis when Polamalu was rotting on the bench behind Alexander. Still want to blame Lebeau for him not seeing the playing field as a rookie? Way to get your facts right fuckhead.

Not all, but most of what these 2 players are doing this season could have also been accomplished last season. Timmons could have rushed from the ILB spot; Woodley from the OLB spot.

Interesting. How was Woodley going to rush from the OLB spot when he was fucking injured? That was the reason Woodley didn't see the field much last year, not because of Haggans's play.

Jones-Drew (Injured and left the game in the 1H); and F. Taylor

Where are you fucking getting this? Drew got injured but returned to the game and barely missed any time. Jones-Drew was on the field over Taylor for two out of Jax's 3 4th quarter drives. He had a catch on the last drive of the game. Are you fucking blind?

His luck of facing bumbling clods runs out on Sunday afternoon, however, as he faces Eli and a deep stable of very strong backs

Trust me, if Eli lays another egg and shits the bed again you'll tout how shitty a QB Eli Manning is and add him to that list of piss poor QBs Lebeau has faced this season. Even though Anderson made the pro bowl last year, McNabb is a potential hall of famer and Garrard nearly made the pro bowl last season.

[Jeemie Profile]

Related to the point above, we already know that Arians fully despises using Parker in the passing game. Parker, blessed with speed, agility, and toughness, has the tools to be a major factor in the passing game. Yet in 14 games last season, he caught (hold your laughter) 23 passes. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that Arians would submit to a multiple tooth extraction without any painkillers before he would agree to using Parker in the passing game. The concern going into this game, then, is that we have to almost pray that Parker’s workload is limited, lest we revert back to the bland, predictable, Cro-Magnon, Parker-based offense that was obliterated by the Eagles in Week 3.

Sorry, Mill, but Parker has been maddeningly inconsistent in the pasing game, and actually quite poor with the short passes out of the backfield.

Have you actually watched him catch a pass out of the backfield? Almost always has his hands turned wrong, and almost always has to break stride to catch the pass.

Compare that with the fluidity of Moore and even Mendenhall on the few times he caught balls before getting hurt.

Sometimes, it IS the player and not the coaches.

[StillMill Profile]

Lebeau was a coach in Buffalo in 2003 and the Steelers defensive coordinator was Tim Lewis when Polamalu was rotting on the bench behind Alexander. Still want to blame Lebeau for him not seeing the playing field as a rookie? Way to get your facts right

Correct on this....Dick didn't rejoin Pgh until 04. My bad. I'll correct that part of the article.

Interesting. How was Woodley going to rush from the OLB spot when he was fucking injured? That was the reason Woodley didn't see the field much last year, not because of Haggans's play.

Uh, wrong, assface. While he had a few nicks, Woodley was healthy enough that he PLAYED in THIRTEEN (13) games last season. "Being injured" was not a valid reason for Woodley to be rotting the pine last year.

Where are you fucking getting this? Drew got injured but returned to the game and barely missed any time. Jones-Drew was on the field over Taylor for two out of Jax's 3 4th quarter drives. He had a catch on the last drive of the game. Are you fucking blind?

Uh, as I said, he LEFT the game. You are correct, he did return. The world will sleep better tonite knowing that a hobbled Jones Drew returned to action in the Stiller game.

[Homer J Profile]

The player on the bench never makes mistakes. The player on the field does. Therefore, the player on the bench is always better than the player on the field.

Mill, there's nothing worse than watching some kid who's not ready fuck up, miss an assignment, and clearly cost the team a touchdown. That kid may be full of promise, and may be a real playmaker. But starting him is a risk.

There's a late round draft choice in Washington, DB Ricky Horton, who has a shitload of INTs and fumble recoveries and big plays. The fans love him. But he's cost the Skins at least two touchdowns on blown coverages, and they have been obvious rookie mistakes and well publicized. He's an example of the double-edged sword of throwing a kid in there. He can't beat you as easily as he can help you win.

Timmons was 19 years old when the Steelers drafted him. He had one year starting in a major college program. He looked lost on some of those occasions he played with the defensive unit last year. Benchrotting, my ass!!! He was playing on special teams and getting spot duty and getting accustomed to the speed of NFL football when his college teammates were playing their junior year.

It is impossible to refute your argument, because we never saw the mistakes that Timmons (and Carr) didn't make because they didn't play. We didn't see how those mistakes fucked with their confidence, because it didn't.
Woodley certainly would have played more last year, except he was hurt.

There are only two things we can agree on:

1) Woodley and Timmons are kicking ass right now.
2) You don't think much of Dick LeBeau.

[Jeemie Profile]

It is impossible to refute your argument, because we never saw the mistakes that Timmons (and Carr) didn't make because they didn't play. We didn't see how those mistakes fucked with their confidence, because it didn't.

Those are the kinds of arguments in which Mill specializes.

[lloydrules Profile]

You play who is on your schedule. It's not DL fault of who they lined up against. And that list is about to get a whole lot more impressive so we shall see.

[Nel Profile]

I think this is more superb writing and analysis by Still Mill. Great stuff!

I was pleased to read it and learn from it.

[ReigningSteel Profile]

Mill, quit bitchings just to hear yourself bitch. Your article isn't worth wiping my ass on. Your list of quartbacks is funny. Like catesinator said, outside of Fitzgerald, that list is just fine. Even Schaub has been playing good football lately.

God forbid Dick Lebeau's defenses will play GREAT against mediocre talent!!! fuck Lebeau for that. Your act is old.

[acewhiplash Profile]

And yet the Steeler D has taken 3-4 series off per game against Flacco and Fitzhue, making them look like wily veterans.

And this Ricky Horton bullcrap: he's still starting, isn't he? the Skins still have a winning record? You take the good with the bad with rookies, and you allow them to grow and make plays and also make mistakes, with the hope that they will mature on the field and become better players. But if you make things too difficult, then yank the rookie when he makes a mistake, you shake their confidence and you can ruin them...or then you keep them on the bench and they rot. that doesn't mean play all rookies, but Horton looks like he could be a solid safety for years to come.

Don't we remember McFadden's good play in 05? Yet after that they went back to DeShea...why? Now we may only get 3/4 of a good season from McFadden out of 4 toal years before he rightly goes elsewhere for a good payday...why would he want to stay with a team that lowered his value by never playing him?

[octopoon Profile]

This article is trash.

[Suwanee88 Profile]

Hampton around in a trade for draft picks or an unheralded Stapleton-type lineman that can step in and perform. Hampton is a fat lard who showed little dedication in getting his weight down before camp.

Better yet, how about at least shopping guys who still have value (Alan Faneca, Plaxico Burress) during the draft before their last year if we have no intention or possibility of resigning them.

For whatever fucking reason, the Rooneys like these type of guys to play out their contract instead of trading them and playing the young guy - stupid stubborn bastards!

[McLovin Profile]

Hampton around in a trade for draft picks or an unheralded Stapleton-type lineman that can step in and perform. Hampton is a fat lard who showed little dedication in getting his weight down before camp.

Better yet, how about at least shopping guys who still have value (Alan Faneca, Plaxico Burress) during the draft before their last year if we have no intention or possibility of resigning them.

For whatever fucking reason, the Rooneys like these type of guys to play out their contract instead of trading them and playing the young guy - stupid stubborn bastards!

Now this something McLovin can wrap his 3rd person brain around. How great would it have been to trade Faneca to the cards for say even a 2nd round pick and giving Kemo a year of experience under his belt. Now the cycle continues with Kemo soon to be a FA and he'll be gone. Football just not like baseball in that regard. Pirates knew they weren't re-signing Nady or Bay they at least got prospects before losing them. Happens in baseball all the time.