Uhhh.... this also is a mildly terrifying answer by Tomlin. What does this
mean? They had no plays for this? They didn't know what to call on a 4th
and 10? They knew they had no answer? Also, why is there confusion about
who called the play and what the point of the play was?
https://steelersdepot.com/2021/09/mike-tomlin-we-had-fired-all-of-our-bullets-prior-to-4th-and-10-swing-pass/
On Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 5:18 AM David Reid <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
A reminder of what I said in July….
*"A sidenote - compare and contrast what two teams with major needs along
their OL did this offseason, the Chiefs and the Steelers. The OL cost the
Chiefs a Super Bowl, so they went out and got Orlando Brown from the Ravens
via trade, Joe Thuney, Kyle Long and drafted Creed Humphrey. Meanwhile, the
Steelers weren’t really that aggressive at all, despite the holes that
appeared both in season and after the season. The drop-off from Pouncey and
DeCastro to Hassenauer or Finney and Trai Turner is massive. Everywhere
else is a question mark. Joe Haig is nothing more than depth. They have to
hope that Zach Banner and Okorafor are the answer at tackle. The cap
impacted things, but the difference in the way the Chiefs aggressively
addressed their need whilst the Steeler took a needle and thread to theirs
is the difference between success and failure sometimes in this league.*
*I don’t think there is a team in the league with as many wild scenarios
about how their season could go than the Steelers have. It is just as
feasible that Ben has one last revival, the new OL clicks and an innovative
scheme under Canada becomes really productive, the running game is
rejuvenated, the return of Devin Bush energises the defense, the young DB’s
step up to replace the loss of Nelson and Hilton and the team makes a deep
playoff run than it is that the OL doesn’t gel and Ben and the running game
gets a battering, the lack of depth along the defense gets exposed and they
wind up going 6-11. I wouldn’t be surprised by either happening, though, as
always, the truth will always lie somewhere in between. What is different
this year is that it’s not just the Steelers and the Ravens battling it
out. Cleveland can lay claim to the “best roster in football” label,
Cincinnati has the best young QB in the game returning and although I have
questions about Zach Taylor, they still have a lot of talent on offense and
a young, up and coming defense. I doubt the Steelers will finish last, but
again, the proud record of Tomlin never having a losing season is under the
spotlight here, especially as the depth is so, so thin."*
This offense right now has absolutely no positive features right now, with
the possible exception of Harris, though even he dropped 4 passes yesterday
and can’t do it all by himself. The line is mess, individually and
collectively, penalties, lack of attention to detail, missed blocks, I see
nothing in that group that is redeemable at this stage. The wisdom of
firing an OL coach and then hiring his assistant needs to be examined. The
receivers are banged up and it seems that every one of them had at least
one drop yesterday. The QB has zero confidence at all, mechanically, he
isn’t setting his feet or striding into his throws, he is either forcing
everything or checking down to whatever is in front of him. The offensive
co-ordinator, whose innovation got him the job and his commitment to
pre-snap speed motion and misdirection and receivers running combination
routes to confuse secondaries is the standard in modern football, has
abandoned absolutely everything he believes in already, leading to a dump
off pass on 4th and 10 from the Cincinnati 11, down 14 points.
Defensively, they’ve been killed by injuries in the front seven, that much
we know, but the lack of quality depth has always been lurking. Cam Heyward
and a bunch of undrafted FA’s yesterday on the DL, LB’s signed off the
street, a secondary in continuous flux (and again, with Minkah wanting big
money, Edmunds and Haden heading for free agency, there’s another ticking
bomb that’s about to go off). It’s not that they are bad, it’s the fact
that this was all, too predictable. Granted, no one saw the injuries coming
in the numbers of players that have been out after just three weeks, but
the depth was never there in the first place.
Where do they go from here? Depends who’s healthy of course. Do they wait
for Ben to get injured too before putting Mason in, or do they decide to
cut the cord now? Ben won’t be able to take this punishment for much
longer. Banner might be back this week, but what difference will that make?
Who knows where Tuitt is right now. Hell, even Boswell yesterday missed
from a distance where he is usually automatic.
It’s a disaster…. and it would be in keeping with this silly situation and
this silly team that they went on the road to Green Bay next week…. and
win…...
On 27 Sep 2021, at 02:34, Steve Rhoton <sprhoto@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I don’t think Ben is ok at all. You can frame it as a combination of
factors, but I think the end result is he’s done. For example, in that 4th
down play at 3 minutes left, he had someone wide open in the end zone
(can’t remember who), but decided to flair it out to Najeh. You can say
it’s lack of confidence in his oline, you can talk about the scheme being
wrong, but he has to know that ball needs to be in the end zone. I see
someone who is panicking and has a deer in the headlights look. He’s
missing a lot of open looks. It’s like he’s suddenly a mental rookie.
Again, I’m not saying it’s just him, and trying to learn a new scheme at 39
is damn hard, but I think we are done being an effective offense with him
in control. Just my two cents.
On Sunday, September 26, 2021, Scott H <blitzum@xxxxxxx> wrote:
I don’t think Ben is cooked, I think he is feeling his mortality. Every
report is that he is making every pass in practice. I think he doesn’t
trust his O line and is hesitant. He doesn’t like the new offense but is
trying to do his best to be brave and put on a happy face. The play calling
is bad, the execution is worse and Ben is conflicted.
Sadly the passing game goes like this:
1. O line gives Ben no time and is rushed
2. Ben’s accuracy is off
3. WR and Ben aren’t on same page
4. Ben makes great pass and it’s dropped
5. The play called is a bubble screen or quick pass to the line when we
are 3rd and long
I could go on and on but you get the idea
I think if we had a stud O Line Ben is stacking TDs and yards with our
weapons BUT we don’t so he has to step up his play , trust the line and
take a beating. I don’t think he really wants to do that.
Scott in Jersey
On Sep 26, 2021, at 6:23 PM, Steve Rhoton <sprhoto@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
There is a lot wrong with this team. But I will say, Ben looks cooked.
Pair that up with that oline and injuries, and this is not good at all.
Also, does Matt Canada’s playbook look like Fincher’s because he just can’t
do anything else, or because it’s the same playbook?
Thanks,
Steve
On Sunday, September 26, 2021, Scott H <blitzum@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Every year I am cautiously optimisitic after camp. This year I really
thought Highsmith/Ingram would be an uprgade over Bud, Harris over Conner
and the O-line would be no worse tbhan last year.
Now all I want is Dave's way too early evaluations of QBs and to go
1-16. I don't want a 6-11 or 7-10 useless season.
The first half of the season was supposed to be the "easier" part of the
schedule.
Too many things to go into , but much sooo much wasted talent, bad play
calling, poor execution it is almost amazing.
I do believe that they will get better, but I see no way that Ben's last
season is Tomlin's first losing season.
Scott in Jersey