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hawaiiansteeler
10-30-2015, 12:21 PM
Steelers Film Room: The costly mistakes of CB Antwon Blake

By Jeff.Hartman and Christopher Carter on Oct 29, 2015

Here at the BTSC Film Room, we hate to single out individual players for an entire set of plays, but we felt compelled to in regards to Antwon Blake's performance against the Chiefs Sunday in Arrowhead Stadium.

Life in the NFL is like a roller coaster. You are up one week, and down the next. It comes with the territory, but as much as we at BTSC try to avoid singling out a specific player throughout any of our Film Room articles, the play of Pittsburgh Steelers CB Antwon Blake has become difficult to avoid.

Yes, Blake made a game-changing interception returned for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football in Week 5, but there are some growing trends developing with one of Mike Tomlin's favorite players.

In today's film room, we analyze some of Blake's short comings, which has nothing to do with his height, and what might be done to help at least mask some of these issues in the future to prevent them from completely altering the outcome of games.

First Play:

When Tomlin speaks of Blake he often talks about Blake's physicality and his presence in the back end. Blake does like to lay the wood on more than one occasion, but even his tackling has become suspect in recent weeks. This could be due to his injured thumb, and having to wear a small cast, but if such an injury is going to hinder a player to the point of his performance hurting the team, then that falls on the coaching staff for putting him on the field.

On this play there isn't much analysis needed, but has become a trend not just with Blake, but the entire Steelers' secondary. Blake approaches the ball carrier with his head down. He does approach the wide receiver's outside shoulder to force him back into help, which is approaching in the form of Jarvis Jones, but not only does Blake whiff on the tackle, but his help does too. Not to be left out, Lawrence Timmons is also there to make the tackle after Jones' miscue, and he makes it a hat trick of missed tackles on one play.

This play should have been stopped for a short gain, but due to poor tackling, starting with Blake, the play went for a first down and continued a Kansas City Chiefs drive.

to read rest of article and see the videos of plays mentioned:

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-nfl-features-news-blog-long-form/2015/10/29/9629066/steelers-film-room-the-costy-mistakes-of-cb-antwon-blake

Steeldude
10-30-2015, 06:06 PM
But this is Tomlin's guy.

hawaiiansteeler
10-31-2015, 12:54 PM
Steelers CB Blake works way from waiver wire to starting job

By Chris Adamski
Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=pbDM4 pxSrcPUsUmAs0Hfas$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYsVknah_BENOMy z9tuNb$KPWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg

Pro Football Focus rates Antwon Blake 167th among the NFL's 172 cornerbacks this season.

Will Allen is in his 12th NFL season. He has played for three teams and had hundreds of teammates.

Yet the safety singles out one player above all others.

“Antwon (Blake) is the quickest guy I ever played with and most athletic guy I ever played with,” Allen said. “And that's saying a lot.”

Blake's is one of the feel-good stories on the Steelers roster. An undrafted, undersized player from a small school, he was cut by one of the league's worst teams and claimed by the Steelers 26 months ago. He ascended from a game-day deactive to special teamer to part-time cornerback to starting corner.

“He does the best he can. He tries as hard as he can, and I know he's going to compete when he's out there,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “I'm glad we have him.”

That's a sentiment expressed throughout the locker room about the feisty, 5-foot-9 Blake, who has played more than 94 percent of the defensive snaps this season.

He has 32 primary tackles and 41 total tackles to lead the Steelers secondary and rank second on the team overall. His 70-yard interception return is the third-longest in the NFL this season, accounting for the Steelers' lone defensive touchdown.

So why is Blake frequently a lightning-rod for fan angst?

For one thing, subjective analysis of his performance isn't as kind: Pro Football Focus rates Blake as 167th among 172 cornerbacks who have played this season.

Blake also is a prominent part of a Steelers secondary that ranks 27th in the league in pass defense.

to read rest of article:

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/9352101-74/blake-steelers-season#ixzz3qAXCrjxO

MrPgh
10-31-2015, 01:08 PM
Rubbish! Tomlin never ever makes the wrong decision!

StillCurtains
10-31-2015, 07:51 PM
Steelers CB Blake works way from waiver wire to starting job

By Chris Adamski
Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

http://triblive.com/csp/mediapool/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=pbDM4 pxSrcPUsUmAs0Hfas$daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYsVknah_BENOMy z9tuNb$KPWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF$9l$4 uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_C ryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg

Pro Football Focus rates Antwon Blake 167th among the NFL's 172 cornerbacks this season.

Will Allen is in his 12th NFL season. He has played for three teams and had hundreds of teammates.

Yet the safety singles out one player above all others.

“Antwon (Blake) is the quickest guy I ever played with and most athletic guy I ever played with,” Allen said. “And that's saying a lot.”

Blake's is one of the feel-good stories on the Steelers roster. An undrafted, undersized player from a small school, he was cut by one of the league's worst teams and claimed by the Steelers 26 months ago. He ascended from a game-day deactive to special teamer to part-time cornerback to starting corner.

“He does the best he can. He tries as hard as he can, and I know he's going to compete when he's out there,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “I'm glad we have him.”

That's a sentiment expressed throughout the locker room about the feisty, 5-foot-9 Blake, who has played more than 94 percent of the defensive snaps this season.

He has 32 primary tackles and 41 total tackles to lead the Steelers secondary and rank second on the team overall. His 70-yard interception return is the third-longest in the NFL this season, accounting for the Steelers' lone defensive touchdown.

So why is Blake frequently a lightning-rod for fan angst?

For one thing, subjective analysis of his performance isn't as kind: Pro Football Focus rates Blake as 167th among 172 cornerbacks who have played this season.

Blake also is a prominent part of a Steelers secondary that ranks 27th in the league in pass defense.

to read rest of article:

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/9352101-74/blake-steelers-season#ixzz3qAXCrjxO


This is just a constant headache that just won't go away. I've told folks here that this situation is based on pure bias and favoritism. Some say that it's speculation but it's truly not.

First, they bench Cortez with the blink of an eye, but then you have a guy that is playing worse and he stays in? Coincidence? No!

Then Cockrell is brought in off waivers after Boykin was here weeks before and he plays more? He lacks game experience and is in over Boykin? Although he is better than Blake and has good upside, he's not better than Boykin. The reason he got the nod is because he was a 2014 dtaft target by Tomlin. Think that's by coincidence? No!

So far 2 times this year Blake has been taken to the locker room for concussion protocol. In both instances with Blake out for limited time, Boykin made plays in coverage and on the ball that Blake never makes in full game time.

Now with the recent responses from our coaches, with Tomlin stating he did some good things vs Kansas City. Really? Then Butler says his confidence is his best attribute, you have to have that at corner. He says he has a short term memory and goes to the next play despite what happens against him. Says he's physically and mentally tough, he's a tough little guy. He plays as good as he can? Wow!

Those words from our coaches have teacher's pet written all over it! I said this from the beginning but some wouldn't buy it. There has not only never been any criticizm by our coaches toward him for his bad play, but they can't even mention any skillset that he has to make him an asset to start.

They've gone to the well so long with starting Blake by preference and not ability, that they're afraid to give Boykin any chance to see the field because they know that when Boykin shows he clearly is the better player, they will look foolish to the media, the analysts, and the fans, so therefore he can't be allowed to see the field.

B&GFever
10-31-2015, 08:24 PM
IF Boykin accumulates 60% of the defensive reps for the year we are on the hook for a 4th round pick .... could they be just foolish enough to be keeping him off the field long enough so as they do not have to pay the piper that 4th rounder and instead ship a 5th to Philly come draft time ?


just sort of thinking out loud

86WARD
10-31-2015, 09:45 PM
He'd be worth a 4th if he played and proved he was good enough to sign to an extension. As of now, they wasted a 5th Round pick for nothing...borderline moronic.

B&GFever
10-31-2015, 09:54 PM
He'd be worth a 4th if he played and proved he was good enough to sign to an extension. As of now, they wasted a 5th Round pick for nothing...borderline moronic.


agreed that is my thought as well , but can not help but wonder if that is not playing a part in it all...

if that does not have something to do with it , we are in bigger trouble than we think ....

we have only 1 other option and that is Tomlin having the true ability to cut his nose off to spite his face over a little bit of pride

86WARD
10-31-2015, 10:06 PM
agreed that is my thought as well , but can not help but wonder if that is not playing a part in it all...

if that does not have something to do with it , we are in bigger trouble than we think ....

we have only 1 other option and that is Tomlin having the true ability to cut his nose off to spite his face over a little bit of pride

If that's why they are holding him out, that's just plain stupid on Tomlin's part. It may be the dumbest thing he's done in his career here other then stepping on the field like an idiot during a kick return. It's just hurting yourself for what...one round draft pick that they would no doubt screw up anyway?

fansince'76
10-31-2015, 10:11 PM
http://cdn.meme.am/instances/54728373.jpg

Craic
11-01-2015, 08:05 AM
Rubbish! Tomlin never ever makes the right decision!
There, fixed it for you, at least according to some of the fans around here.

SteelMayhem72
11-01-2015, 10:24 AM
This is just a constant headache that just won't go away. I've told folks here that this situation is based on pure bias and favoritism. Some say that it's speculation but it's truly not.

First, they bench Cortez with the blink of an eye, but then you have a guy that is playing worse and he stays in? Coincidence? No!

Then Cockrell is brought in off waivers after Boykin was here weeks before and he plays more? He lacks game experience and is in over Boykin? Although he is better than Blake and has good upside, he's not better than Boykin. The reason he got the nod is because he was a 2014 dtaft target by Tomlin. Think that's by coincidence? No!

So far 2 times this year Blake has been taken to the locker room for concussion protocol. In both instances with Blake out for limited time, Boykin made plays in coverage and on the ball that Blake never makes in full game time.

Now with the recent responses from our coaches, with Tomlin stating he did some good things vs Kansas City. Really? Then Butler says his confidence is his best attribute, you have to have that at corner. He says he has a short term memory and goes to the next play despite what happens against him. Says he's physically and mentally tough, he's a tough little guy. He plays as good as he can? Wow!

Those words from our coaches have teacher's pet written all over it! I said this from the beginning but some wouldn't buy it. There has not only never been any criticizm by our coaches toward him for his bad play, but they can't even mention any skillset that he has to make him an asset to start.

They've gone to the well so long with starting Blake by preference and not ability, that they're afraid to give Boykin any chance to see the field because they know that when Boykin shows he clearly is the better player, they will look foolish to the media, the analysts, and the fans, so therefore he can't be allowed to see the field.
This.

SteelMayhem72
11-01-2015, 10:30 AM
Ive said all im gonna say about Tomlin in the last couple of weeks. Some thought i was crazy for saying some of them but an article surfaced about Tomlin about his favortism no matter how bad the player is and no matter how good the other player is. Hes held grudges and had arguments with players including Ben and punishes them for it unrelentlessly. If this season turns out bad the media needs to start challenging Tomlin with the appropriate questions and I dont care if he gets mad hopefully he will open his eyes and see that he is not fooling anyone but himself.

fansince'76
11-01-2015, 10:34 AM
Some thought i was crazy for saying some of them but an article surfaced about Tomlin about his favortism no matter how bad the player is and no matter how good the other player is.

A real article from a reputable media source, or a blog by some pissed off yinzer living in his mom's basement? There is a difference.

SteelMayhem72
11-01-2015, 10:45 AM
Point is the media needs to ask the questions...im not sure where the article came from...i wanna say pro football talk but dont quote me on that.

fansince'76
11-01-2015, 10:47 AM
Point is the media needs to ask the questions...im not sure where the article came from...i wanna say pro football talk but dont quote me on that.

But the Rooneys control the media and have them trembling in fear! :rolleyes:

hawaiiansteeler
11-01-2015, 10:53 AM
an article surfaced about Tomlin about his favortism no matter how bad the player is and no matter how good the other player is.

got a link?

Steel Peon
11-01-2015, 06:13 PM
I'm not saying Boykin would be worse, but Blake isn't losing games all by himself, when in fact it's far from it.

86WARD
11-01-2015, 08:17 PM
For the most part, I thought Blake played well today...not counting the INT.

teegre
11-01-2015, 08:19 PM
got a link?

His friend... remember?

The same friend who told him that Tomlin has stalked Vick for years.

Steeldude
11-02-2015, 12:34 AM
I'm not saying Boykin would be worse, but Blake isn't losing games all by himself, when in fact it's far from it.

No, but it would be nice to see him come off the bench rather than starting : )

hawaiiansteeler
11-30-2015, 12:56 PM
by Ray Fittipaldo

It was the third time as many games the Steelers allowed the opposing quarterback to throw for 300 yards or more. Derek Carr threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. Johnny Manziel threw for 379 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

That’s 1,025 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions over a three-game span. The Steelers are lucky they won two of those games.

The secondary couldn’t communicate, cover or tackle on Sunday. It was reminiscent of the season opener at New England when the Patriots had players running free through the secondary all night.

The Steelers have to be asking themselves this morning if Robert Golden and Brandon Boykin would be upgrades over Will Allen and Antwon Blake.

Golden was solid when he had to step in and start three games for Allen earlier this season when Allen had an ankle injury. There should not be any hesitation to go back to him if the coaches determine Allen can’t hack it as a starter any longer. Allen’s tackling has been suspect all season and he was badly beaten for a touchdown.

Blake is the most-targeted corner in the NFL. He couldn’t keep up with Seattle’s receivers and he couldn’t tackle, which is supposed to be one of his strong suits and reason why he plays ahead of Boykin. Tomlin has been on record saying he likes Blake’s physicality and tackling ability.

But if Blake is hindered by a fractured thumb it might be time to turn to Boykin. The Steelers traded a fifth-round pick for him in July and he’s barely played. Even if Boykin is flawed, in this instance change for the sake of change might not be a bad idea.

to read rest of article:

http://sportsblogs.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers-steelers-blog/2015/11/30/This-one-s-on-Tomlin/stories/201511300002

steelreserve
11-30-2015, 01:05 PM
Blake is the most-targeted corner in the NFL. He couldn’t keep up with Seattle’s receivers and he couldn’t tackle, [B]which is supposed to be one of his strong suits and reason why he plays ahead of Boykin. Tomlin has been on record saying he likes Blake’s physicality and tackling ability.


TACKLING is supposed to be Blake's strong suit? Exactly how high was Tomlin when he said that? I guess if your idea of good tackling is leading with the shoulder for a "big hit" and still not bringing the guy down, or getting easily faked out with simple moves the rest of the time, then he's a great tackler. Here on Earth, he's one of the worst in the business, and that's saying a lot on this defense.

86WARD
11-30-2015, 01:05 PM
A fractured thumb shouldn't hinder his coverage skills to the point that Blake was getting torched like he was yesterday. His lack of tackling looked no different than it did with two healthy hands. Both thumbs still appeared to be up his own ass.

Steel Peon
11-30-2015, 02:14 PM
Aside from the fact that most LBs and all DBs were playing piss poor across the board, I think there were some blown coverages that forced Blake to abandon his guy and go try and make a tackle across the field, which used to be something he did very well. Even though I think he's being used a scapegoat in this mess, I think him having a fucked up thumb is a good enough reason for him to sit for at least a week. Save his ego (ala Cortez) and say he's sitting out of practice and the next game due to injury, and instead insert Boykin. This will accomplish many things at the same time, including stopping all the whining about Boykin not playing, put Blake on the back burner, and maybe fix our pass protection issues, but unfortunately might shift attention to Cockrell.

hawaiiansteeler
11-30-2015, 02:14 PM
WORST PLAYERS AT EVERY POSITION FROM WEEK 12

by BRYSON VESNAVER

Cornerbacks: Antwon Blake, Steelers (-5.3)

There were a lot of corners who could have made the team this week. Blake actually wasn’t that bad in coverage, allowing five-of-seven passes to be completed for 115 yards and two touchdowns. However, he had five missed tackles on the day, and finished with a -3.2 run defense grade, lowest among corners.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/11/30/pro-worst-players-at-every-position-from-week-12/

katmandu
11-30-2015, 03:31 PM
Blake actually wasn’t that bad in coverage, allowing five-of-seven passes to be completed for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

However, he had five missed tackles on the day, and finished with a -3.2 run defense grade, lowest among corners.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/11/30/pro-worst-players-at-every-position-from-week-12/Including a very costly miss that resulted in a Seattle touchdown.

ALLD
11-30-2015, 03:40 PM
The Steelers have needed secondary help since Tim friggen' tebow beat them in OT how many years ago? Sooner or later after all of the wasted opportunities they will get around to finding some quality secondary help. On a lighter note, it makes the OL look good.

hawaiiansteeler
11-30-2015, 11:15 PM
Steelers CB Antwon Blake has done little to silence the Brandon Boykin commentary in 2015

By Jeff.Hartman on Nov 30, 2015

https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JngBBthSIiLH_klov_38WUUkbEU=/0x8:3329x2227/2400x1600/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47768183/usa-today-8870556.0.jpg

The Pittsburgh Steelers secondary is in disarray, and the ongoing discussion surrounding the team is regarding the play of Antwon Blake and the lack of playing time for Brandon Boykin.

Don't let athletes fool you. They read the papers, if they have social media they check their notifications and some members of the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown they read the very website you are reading right now. They know what is being said about them and their play on the field, and in regards to Antwon Blake, you would have to have very thick skin to not hear the constant talk about Brandon Boykin supplanting him at the cornerback position.

The Steelers coaching staff has done their best to quiet the critics. Always talking about how "they like their secondary", "Blake is a competitor" and "he is strong against the run". After the team's Week 12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, it will be interesting to see how the coaches respond, as Blake has done little on the field to silence the Boykin commentary, which has survived 12 weeks in the 2015 season.

It was simple for Blake. Go on the field, play fundamentally sound football and make sure no on even brings up Boykin as a potential threat to your position. Take away Blake's two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers and another against the Cincinnati Bengals, Blake has done very little to silence the critics.

To his defense, he is playing with a fractured thumb, which could take away the one part of his game which had been his calling card, his tackling. Nonetheless, after Week 12, Blake was considered the worst cornerback across the NFL, according to ProFootballFocus, a growing trend for the 4th year CB out of UTEP. Against Seattle, Blake allowed 5 completions of 7 passes thrown his way for 115 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a team-high 5 missed tackles on the day.

At this point it is pointless to sit and wonder why Brandon Boykin isn't even getting a shot to play over Blake, but the question which is now brought to the forefront is "can it get any worse?". The Steelers secondary has given up 966 yards through the air in their past three games. Nearly 1,000 yards passing by Derek Carr, Johnny Manziel and Russell Wilson. If such a statistic doesn't scream change, then I don't know what does.

If Boykin is given a shot to play, could it get worse than nearly 1,000 yards in three games? I highly doubt it. The sad truth to this scenario is nothing is likely to change. The Pittsburgh secondary has been giving up yards all season, but have been fortunate to bend, but not break. However, the secondary is breaking, and it was only a matter of time until it caught up to the Steelers.

As the team desperately clings to its AFC Playoff hopes, the time for a change is now. Blake has had more than ample opportunity to prove what he can do on the field, and now it is time to give someone else the chance. Will it be Boykin, or will it be Ross Cockrell? At this point does it really matter? Change is needed, and the time is now. If not, it will be interesting to see what the next three games have in store when Matt Hasselback, Andy Dalton and Peyton Manning / Brock Osweiler face this secondary.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-opinions-reactions-news-updates/2015/11/30/9819360/steelers-cb-antwon-blake-has-done-little-to-silence-the-brandon

Steel Peon
12-01-2015, 04:22 AM
Just for the record, when Boykin is put in to replace Blake, and there still appears to be opponents catching balls all over the field, over and over (against Cockrell, Mitchell, Golden, Allen, and Gay), how many of you assholes are going to put Boykin under the microscope and skewer him when he allows a catch, or misses a tackle, and then make him the scapegoat for an entire defense's failures? I'm guessing, all of you.

86WARD
12-01-2015, 05:35 AM
Just for the record, when Boykin is put in to replace Blake, and there still appears to be opponents catching balls all over the field, over and over (against Cockrell, Mitchell, Golden, Allen, and Gay), how many of you assholes are going to put Boykin under the microscope and skewer him when he allows a catch, or misses a tackle, and then make him the scapegoat for an entire defense's failures? I'm guessing, all of you.

Thing is that if that happens, it happens. At least we'll really know at that stage that nobody is worth a damn instead of continuing to be bludgeoned to death with the secondary that's out there and potentially having a better player or two sitting on the bench. I don't think anyone thinks Boykin is an All Pro savior. There's a potential upgrade sitting on the bench that hasn't gotten an opportunity...if it's better great, if not...had nothing to lose..,

LLT
12-01-2015, 06:23 AM
how many of you assholes are going to put Boykin under the microscope

Really?

Back off the name calling and debate like an adult. Not a suggestion.

Steeldude
12-01-2015, 07:51 AM
Just for the record, when Boykin is put in to replace Blake, and there still appears to be opponents catching balls all over the field, over and over (against Cockrell, Mitchell, Golden, Allen, and Gay), how many of you assholes are going to put Boykin under the microscope and skewer him when he allows a catch, or misses a tackle, and then make him the scapegoat for an entire defense's failures? I'm guessing, all of you.

I don't blame Blake for the entire defense, but he does suck. It's not just Blake's poor coverage skills. It's also his inability to correctly tackle someone.

fansince'76
12-01-2015, 08:42 AM
I don't think anyone thinks Boykin is an All Pro savior.

I beg to differ on this one. Not saying you are of this mindset, 86, but there do seem to be a number of folks who think starting Boykin would be some sort of magic bullet for all the secondary's problems. Some of the "Start Boykin!" articles I've seen seem to suggest as much as well.

Steelman
12-01-2015, 09:15 AM
Just for the record, when Boykin is put in to replace Blake, and there still appears to be opponents catching balls all over the field, over and over (against Cockrell, Mitchell, Golden, Allen, and Gay), how many of you assholes are going to put Boykin under the microscope and skewer him when he allows a catch, or misses a tackle, and then make him the scapegoat for an entire defense's failures? I'm guessing, all of you.

I for one would just like to see the guy we traded a 5th round pick for get on the field and see if he's capable. If we had all-pro corners ahead of him on the depth chart, then yeah, let him rot. But the fact is we have the worst corner in the league as our starting outside corner. It's not that Boykin will magically solve anything but based on previous track record, he might individually be a little better than Blake.

As far as the rest of the secondary, Mitchell has been "solid" and Golden has been above expectations, but I'm not sold on Cockrell, and Gay and W. Allen aren't able to keep up anymore. But those guys aren't the worst rated players at their positions either.

So for the record, you'd think if you have a starting player who's consistently among the worst at his position every week that you'd give other people a shot.

NCSteeler
12-01-2015, 11:07 AM
Just for the record, when Boykin is put in to replace Blake, and there still appears to be opponents catching balls all over the field, over and over (against Cockrell, Mitchell, Golden, Allen, and Gay), how many of you assholes are going to put Boykin under the microscope and skewer him when he allows a catch, or misses a tackle, and then make him the scapegoat for an entire defense's failures? I'm guessing, all of you.

Uh, Blake didn't miss A tackle, he didn't allow A catch he has been miserable. He has been the worst rated corner in the league for weeks and weeks now. Yet all the backups sit and rot. I seriously hope Boykin plays and plays bad, because at this point he's so pissed at the Steelers they have no hope of retaining him and getting return on the draft pick wasted

tube517
12-01-2015, 11:20 AM
671740273320402944

steelreserve
12-01-2015, 11:44 AM
Just for the record, when Boykin is put in to replace Blake, and there still appears to be opponents catching balls all over the field, over and over (against Cockrell, Mitchell, Golden, Allen, and Gay), how many of you assholes are going to put Boykin under the microscope and skewer him when he allows a catch, or misses a tackle, and then make him the scapegoat for an entire defense's failures? I'm guessing, all of you.


I beg to differ on this one. Not saying you are of this mindset, 86, but there do seem to be a number of folks who think starting Boykin would be some sort of magic bullet for all the secondary's problems. Some of the "Start Boykin!" articles I've seen seem to suggest as much as well.


I don't think anyone's under the impression that this guy is going to suddenly fix the entire defense. Just not being the worst cornerback in the league would be a start. Just be average. Don't give up multiple huge plays every single game, that's all. Talk about the secondary being a dumpster fire - Blake IS a dumpster on fire.

At this point, I don't care if it's Boykin or a street free agent; what we're doing isn't working - at all - so it would be dumb not to try something else. If we try and it doesn't work, then oh well. At least we tried. At least we recognized there was a problem, even if it was almost half a season overdue.

Steel Peon
12-01-2015, 12:32 PM
Back off the name calling and debate like an adult. Not a suggestion.

An asshole is anyone who doesn't (actually) watch the game, and singles out players when it suits their needs (kind of like when some people said Ben sucked against Seattle), so if this applies to you, then you are one.

SteelerFanInStl
12-01-2015, 12:34 PM
I beg to differ on this one. Not saying you are of this mindset, 86, but there do seem to be a number of folks who think starting Boykin would be some sort of magic bullet for all the secondary's problems. Some of the "Start Boykin!" articles I've seen seem to suggest as much as well.

I haven't seen that from anyone on this forum. Everyone here knows that the defense has more issues than just Blake. It's the pure stupidity of Tomlin refusing to even try anyone else despite Blake sucking so bad that pisses people off. It's even more maddening when you consider what Boykin has done in previous seasons. He's not some unknown street free agent. He's a proven NFL player.

86WARD
12-01-2015, 09:28 PM
I beg to differ on this one. Not saying you are of this mindset, 86, but there do seem to be a number of folks who think starting Boykin would be some sort of magic bullet for all the secondary's problems. Some of the "Start Boykin!" articles I've seen seem to suggest as much as well.

Yeah, you're right. I am not of that mindset. I'm more of the mindset that we know what we have out there and it's trash. It can't hurt to give a guy who was in line to take a starting CB spot for the Eagles and give him some sort of shot. It can't hurt anymore than it has...

hawaiiansteeler
12-02-2015, 01:26 PM
Unrestricted free agents:

Antwon Blake (25) – 2015 salary cap charge $1,542,000. Pro Football Focus grade: -23.9 (112 out of 113 ranked cornerbacks).

Once upon a time Cam Thomas was the least popular player on the Steelers roster. In 2015 Blake has picked up that mantle and shows no sign of letting go anytime soon. Claimed off waivers from Jacksonville in 2013, Blake began to emerge towards the end of last season and entered this year as one to watch in the rotation. As Allen faltered Blake was given his opportunity, but an interception return for a touchdown aside, his season has been one to forget.

Currently ranked second to last among cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus with a -23.9 rating (New Orleans Brandon Browner has a -28.3), there has been much concern over the standard of play shown by Blake this year.

While admittedly playing much of the season with a fractured thumb that has seen him sporting a cast at times, Blake has been responsible for a high number of missed tackles as well as lacking in coverage on numerous occasion.

It is hard to come up with an convincing reason why the Steelers should retain Blake beyond this season, although it is equally difficult to explain why the coaching staff have continued to start him each week over other options.

There is often a disconnect between the fan bases opinion of certain players against that of the coaching staff. For the collective sanity of SteelerNation going forward, we can only hope this is not one of them. Blake should be playing elsewhere in 2016.

http://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2015/12/02/steelers-2016-salary-cap-space-available-cornerbacks-depth-chart/

Steeldude
12-02-2015, 01:59 PM
Is Tomlin incapable of judging talent?

86WARD
12-02-2015, 07:27 PM
Is Tomlin incapable of judging talent?

Definitely DB talent.

MrPgh
12-02-2015, 07:34 PM
Definitely DB talent.

But we keep getting told these are "capable men."

86WARD
12-02-2015, 09:12 PM
They're doing okay.

hawaiiansteeler
12-02-2015, 10:05 PM
Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat transcript: 12.2.15

TX_Steeler: Are Blake's struggles more related to his thumb injury, or is he just an average to below-average player (very below according to Pro Football Focus)?

Gerry Dulac: I don;'t think the thumb has anything to do with it. And, if it does, then he shouldn't be playing.

Me: It sounds like they don't want to play Boykin because he's an "inside" CB. What difference does that make? Can he be worse than Blake?

Gerry Dulac: I think that's what it has come to.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2015/12/02/Gerry-Dulac-s-Steelers-chat-transcript-12-2-15/stories/201512020179

hawaiiansteeler
12-20-2015, 11:49 PM
I have to believe that after this game Pro Football Focus will finally rank Antwan Blake as the worst CB in the NFL...:thumbdown:

86WARD
12-21-2015, 05:13 AM
He has to be...

ALLD
12-22-2015, 07:21 AM
But if we start him a few more games he might catch on or make more splash plays.

Shoes
12-22-2015, 08:02 AM
Same Blake different game. Expect the same against the rats.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a488/Taylor_Haase/Denver3rdPassing_zpszzjgfbpr.gif (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Taylor_Haase/media/Denver3rdPassing_zpszzjgfbpr.gif.html)

Mojouw
12-22-2015, 09:05 AM
Same Blake different game. Expect the same against the rats.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a488/Taylor_Haase/Denver3rdPassing_zpszzjgfbpr.gif (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Taylor_Haase/media/Denver3rdPassing_zpszzjgfbpr.gif.html)




Look. I know that Blake can't tackle for shit this season. It is weird because that was his one "skill" based on last year. But to hang him for this one is a bit of a stretch. Demaryius Thomas has built a career as one of the better wideouts in the game by doing this to CBs across the league.

86WARD
12-22-2015, 09:16 AM
Look. I know that Blake can't tackle for shit this season. It is weird because that was his one "skill" based on last year. But to hang him for this one is a bit of a stretch. Demaryius Thomas has built a career as one of the better wideouts in the game by doing this to CBs across the league.

It's not a stretch at all. Probably not smart to try to tackle Thomas around the shoulders and if Thomas has made a living doing that to CBs around the league, Blake probably should've picked that up in film study...Blake got abused.

zoneblitzerII
12-22-2015, 09:52 AM
Same Blake different game. Expect the same against the rats.

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a488/Taylor_Haase/Denver3rdPassing_zpszzjgfbpr.gif (http://s1280.photobucket.com/user/Taylor_Haase/media/Denver3rdPassing_zpszzjgfbpr.gif.html)




Thats a size mismatch. Little guy against a giant.

cold-hard-steel
12-22-2015, 10:09 AM
I can't bring into my heart to trash on Blake. He tries man. My heart tells me he is playin out of position. You can make a safety out of a CB , but damn man it's hard to make a CB out of a pure safety.

steelreserve
12-22-2015, 10:26 AM
Look. I know that Blake can't tackle for shit this season. It is weird because that was his one "skill" based on last year. But to hang him for this one is a bit of a stretch. Demaryius Thomas has built a career as one of the better wideouts in the game by doing this to CBs across the league.


Maybe if he hadn't been playing 7 yards off the line of scrimmage, from the 7-yard line, then they wouldn't have seen a glaring mismatch and gone straight at it. I'm sorry, but it was a blatant mistake and they obviously spotted it before the play and went after it immediately.

See how the other defenders were playing their men? THAT'S what you do in a goal-line defense. Blake simply fucked up and got abused for it. I don't think it's a coincidence that was his last meaningful action of the game. Hopefully of the season.

Rotorhead
12-22-2015, 10:30 AM
If he would have attempted to tackle him around the legs he wouldn't have been abused on this play. He read it correctly, was in position to make the play, but then decided to try to grab his shoulders? No, you put your shoulder into his thighs and wrap up, that is how everyone learned to tackle.

NCSteeler
12-22-2015, 10:32 AM
Looks to me like on that play, his first instinct was great a quick first step. If he follows through he squares him in the bread basket. But he hesitates, stutter steps and finds himself on the wrong end of a stiff arm. What it looks like to me is a guy living in his fears, reading too much press and not forgetting the last play. If he drives on him without thoguth he'd of made a great play.

tube517
12-22-2015, 10:37 AM
Maybe if he hadn't been playing 7 yards off the line of scrimmage, from the 7-yard line, then they wouldn't have seen a glaring mismatch and gone straight at it. I'm sorry, but it was a blatant mistake and they obviously spotted it before the play and went after it immediately.

See how the other defenders were playing their men? THAT'S what you do in a goal-line defense. Blake simply fucked up and got abused for it. I don't think it's a coincidence that was his last meaningful action of the game. Hopefully of the season.

This.

steelreserve
12-22-2015, 10:37 AM
If he would have attempted to tackle him around the legs he wouldn't have been abused on this play. He read it correctly, was in position to make the play, but then decided to try to grab his shoulders? No, you put your shoulder into his thighs and wrap up, that is how everyone learned to tackle.


Looks to me like on that play, his first instinct was great a quick first step. If he follows through he squares him in the bread basket. But he hesitates, stutter steps and finds himself on the wrong end of a stiff arm. What it looks like to me is a guy living in his fears, reading too much press and not forgetting the last play. If he drives on him without thoguth he'd of made a great play.


To summarize: He can't cover, he can't tackle, and so he fucked up. A regular cornerback who didn't suck at those things would've had every chance to make the play. Is that about what I should be getting out of this?

SteelerFanInStl
12-22-2015, 11:12 AM
To summarize: He can't cover, he can't tackle, and so he fucked up. A regular cornerback who didn't suck at those things would've had every chance to make the play. Is that about what I should be getting out of this?

Yep. He can't play safety either because he's too small, can't tackle and can't cover. I don't want to see him on the roster next year at all.

Mojouw
12-22-2015, 12:07 PM
I am no Antwon Blake fan. I never have been. I think it has been obvious all along what he is, a crappy corner that went undrafted and found the waiver wire for a reason. Sure he doesn't mind the physical aspects of the game. Great.

But, all I am trying to say, is things are now getting a bit ridiculous. Put it this way, remember that brutal stiff arm AB had on one of Denver's DBs last Sunday? I certainly do. Was that AB being talented and "league MVP worthy" or was that the Denver DB being crappy, out of position, fundamentally unsound, and worthy of being cut? Sure, ALL of Denver's DBs are better than any one of the Steelers. Certainly bad play and poor tackling have become a season long pattern with Blake. I am not arguing that Blake is not terrible, but to blame everything that is not a positive on him and him alone is a bit ludicrous.

Many, not all, but a measurable amount of the "big" plays he has given up this year are on patterns where his zone is flooded with receivers and Blake is forced to cover both and therefore neither one gets covered. Is that on Blake, scheme, or late help from another DB or LB? I don't know. In one on one situations down the sideline, Blake has gotten beat about as much as Cockrell. They both kinda suck - let's be honest. Cockrell just looks more promising because he seems like he could still develop.

What you can bang on Blake for is tackling. He has missed some easy ones. But to say that there are many CBs that make the play in the previous GIF one on one against one of the most physical WRs in football? Come on. There are like 4 guys that don't give up the score there. Watch the thing again - Allen knows it. He just can't get over there in time.

Shoes
12-22-2015, 12:08 PM
Look. I know that Blake can't tackle for shit this season. It is weird because that was his one "skill" based on last year. But to hang him for this one is a bit of a stretch. Demaryius Thomas has built a career as one of the better wideouts in the game by doing this to CBs across the league.

If he can't tackle for shit why play him? Tomlin is a walking contradiction.

Shoes
12-22-2015, 12:13 PM
Thats a size mismatch. Little guy against a giant.

Not for a pro football player that knows how to tackle.

cold-hard-steel
12-22-2015, 12:14 PM
I am no Antwon Blake fan. I never have been. I think it has been obvious all along what he is, a crappy corner that went undrafted and found the waiver wire for a reason. Sure he doesn't mind the physical aspects of the game. Great.

But, all I am trying to say, is things are now getting a bit ridiculous. Put it this way, remember that brutal stiff arm AB had on one of Denver's DBs last Sunday? I certainly do. Was that AB being talented and "league MVP worthy" or was that the Denver DB being crappy, out of position, fundamentally unsound, and worthy of being cut? Sure, ALL of Denver's DBs are better than any one of the Steelers. Certainly bad play and poor tackling have become a season long pattern with Blake. I am not arguing that Blake is not terrible, but to blame everything that is not a positive on him and him alone is a bit ludicrous.

Many, not all, but a measurable amount of the "big" plays he has given up this year are on patterns where his zone is flooded with receivers and Blake is forced to cover both and therefore neither one gets covered. Is that on Blake, scheme, or late help from another DB or LB? I don't know. In one on one situations down the sideline, Blake has gotten beat about as much as Cockrell. They both kinda suck - let's be honest. Cockrell just looks more promising because he seems like he could still develop.

What you can bang on Blake for is tackling. He has missed some easy ones. But to say that there are many CBs that make the play in the previous GIF one on one against one of the most physical WRs in football? Come on. There are like 4 guys that don't give up the score there. Watch the thing again - Allen knows it. He just can't get over there in time.
I have played corner in my youth,which he still has a handle on. But to his credit rarely do you get the tackle if you miss that flight to the ball.

Steel Peon
12-22-2015, 12:17 PM
things are now getting a bit ridiculous. Put it this way, remember that brutal stiff arm AB had on one of Denver's DBs last Sunday? I certainly do. Was that AB being talented and "league MVP worthy" or was that the Denver DB being crappy, out of position, fundamentally unsound, and worthy of being cut? Sure, ALL of Denver's DBs are better than any one of the Steelers. Certainly bad play and poor tackling have become a season long pattern with Blake. I am not arguing that Blake is not terrible, but to blame everything that is not a positive on him and him alone is a bit ludicrous.

Many, not all, but a measurable amount of the "big" plays he has given up this year are on patterns where his zone is flooded with receivers and Blake is forced to cover both and therefore neither one gets covered. Is that on Blake, scheme, or late help from another DB or LB? I don't know. In one on one situations down the sideline, Blake has gotten beat about as much as Cockrell. They both kinda suck - let's be honest. Cockrell just looks more promising because he seems like he could still develop.

Just typed basically the same thing highlighted above, in another "Everything is Blake's fault" thread. I also agree with (and have previously stated) everything else, with the only possible exception being that I still think Blake has just as much potential as Cockrell, especially after the critical turnovers he's caused, including a pick-six that we needed to win a game.

cold-hard-steel
12-22-2015, 12:31 PM
Blake gets burned so much he might as well be in hell. We don't know the defensive game-plan. Come on man give the dude a break. It is a transition period for our D-fence.How do you know what the jobs of the other defensive players on the field are?

cold-hard-steel
12-22-2015, 12:51 PM
Somebody gots ta defend the teams decision to play him where he's at. Yeah he messes up sometimes. What is the percentage of his messing up and not ? One single play he makes could mess up your whole percentage calculations . So if that's your theory I hope you can stick by it . He still contributes to our over-all plan I believe . BLAKE , here is to you man !!!!!!! Make us proud.

Shoes
12-22-2015, 12:54 PM
Blake has over 30 missed tackles as of last game. That's double the misses from the other players in the Steelers secondary. If that doesn't raise a red flag, I don't know what will.

cold-hard-steel
12-22-2015, 01:13 PM
Blake has over 30 missed tackles as of last game. That's double the misses from the other players in the Steelers secondary. If that doesn't raise a red flag, I don't know what will.

I think he's still on the learning curve of what he needs to do. Me , I think he is safety material , but i'm backing him all the way.

cold-hard-steel
12-22-2015, 01:30 PM
I can only back Blake up so much . He is on his own no matter what I suggest . We do have other options at that particular position you know. My question then......is why simply keep him in there. Why ! I think that Blake is the fall guy to set up our opposition. That my friend is absolute brilliance.

Shoes
12-22-2015, 02:22 PM
I am no Antwon Blake fan. I never have been. I think it has been obvious all along what he is, a crappy corner that went undrafted and found the waiver wire for a reason. Sure he doesn't mind the physical aspects of the game. Great.

But, all I am trying to say, is things are now getting a bit ridiculous. Put it this way, remember that brutal stiff arm AB had on one of Denver's DBs last Sunday? I certainly do. Was that AB being talented and "league MVP worthy" or was that the Denver DB being crappy, out of position, fundamentally unsound, and worthy of being cut? Sure, ALL of Denver's DBs are better than any one of the Steelers. Certainly bad play and poor tackling have become a season long pattern with Blake. I am not arguing that Blake is not terrible, but to blame everything that is not a positive on him and him alone is a bit ludicrous.

Many, not all, but a measurable amount of the "big" plays he has given up this year are on patterns where his zone is flooded with receivers and Blake is forced to cover both and therefore neither one gets covered. Is that on Blake, scheme, or late help from another DB or LB? I don't know. In one on one situations down the sideline, Blake has gotten beat about as much as Cockrell. They both kinda suck - let's be honest. Cockrell just looks more promising because he seems like he could still develop.

What you can bang on Blake for is tackling. He has missed some easy ones. But to say that there are many CBs that make the play in the previous GIF one on one against one of the most physical WRs in football? Come on. There are like 4 guys that don't give up the score there. Watch the thing again - Allen knows it. He just can't get over there in time.


The GIF was about tackling or I should say a lack of. Whats ridiculous is Blake trying to tackle Thomas high, with one arm which has been his pattern all year. If Blake would have when low with proper technique he would have stopped Thomas dead in his tracks. But hell its only another year and game 15 what can one expect out a professional football player and Tomlin's stubbornness?

steelreserve
12-22-2015, 02:31 PM
Put it this way, remember that brutal stiff arm AB had on one of Denver's DBs last Sunday? I certainly do. Was that AB being talented and "league MVP worthy" or was that the Denver DB being crappy, out of position, fundamentally unsound, and worthy of being cut?

If it was just one play, maybe you've got a point. When it's been happening all season and this is just the latest iteration, it's hard to defend.



But to say that there are many CBs that make the play in the previous GIF one on one against one of the most physical WRs in football? Come on. There are like 4 guys that don't give up the score there. Watch the thing again - Allen knows it. He just can't get over there in time.


Knowing all of that then, was the smart play to sit back all the way at the goal line and concede the quick catch, then try to stop him one-on-one when he's got a full head of steam? No, you're better off trying to get in his face and prevent the catch, or tackle him right after the catch, when can't just steamroll you. It's Blake's responsibility to be aware of the situation and do what works to your advantage, or at least cuts down on your disadvantage. The fact that he even put himself in the position of trying to make that tackle tells me that he just had no clue.

cold-hard-steel
12-22-2015, 03:52 PM
After one game altering defensive play that turns the game toward our favor , I will come back and visit this here thread . Here's to you BLAKE !!!!!!!

Rotorhead
12-22-2015, 05:10 PM
Good luck with that, even when he made his interceptions he was lucky to not have the ball stripped out of his hands the way he carried it.

steelreserve
12-22-2015, 05:50 PM
After one game altering defensive play that turns the game toward our favor , I will come back and visit this here thread . Here's to you BLAKE !!!!!!!


For Blake, the most likely game-altering play that would turn the game in our favor would be a play where he got injured and someone else had to replace him.

Psycho Ward 86
12-22-2015, 10:10 PM
I think he's still on the learning curve of what he needs to do. Me , I think he is safety material , but i'm backing him all the way.

Hell of a learning curve for a guy on year 4

hawaiiansteeler
12-28-2015, 12:06 PM
from Pro Football Focus:

No CB with 500+ snaps has allowed more receiving yards than the Steelers' Antwon Blake (1,003)

tube517
12-28-2015, 12:12 PM
from Pro Football Focus:

No CB with 500+ snaps has allowed more receiving yards than the Steelers' Antwon Blake (1,003)


That's like acknowledging the sky is blue....

Rotorhead
12-28-2015, 01:07 PM
And he whiffed on another possible game changing tackle again the Ravens, missed on a 3rd and 4 tackle that would have caused a punt, instead the Ravens score a FG . . .

cold-hard-steel
12-28-2015, 01:55 PM
Senquez will be better?

Rotorhead
12-28-2015, 02:43 PM
I doubt he would be worse honestly. What would be nice is if Boykin stayed after this season, he made several plays out there during the game. None of our DB's are great, but there is a HUGE difference between Blake and the rest. All of them miss plays here and there, but Blake consistently misses tackles, blows coverages, and just plain gets beat. I can only hope Boykin can be retained (I would leave if I was him with the way he was treated) and we can get a solid starting CB to replace Blake on the roster. At this point Blake would not even be a good backup. We have 2 prospects on the roster now, maybe we can patch together a decent backfield in the off season (Golden, Gay, Boykin, Cockrell (one of the prospects) and Mitchell with a good draftee or FA trade. That would be out best option. Maybe we can swing a solid OLB to bookend Dupree as well, but for now JJ could be fine if Dupree takes off his second season and becomes a top level rusher, it will certainly take some pressure off JJ (like JH did with Woodley).

cold-hard-steel
12-28-2015, 03:04 PM
I doubt he would be worse honestly. What would be nice is if Boykin stayed after this season, he made several plays out there during the game. None of our DB's are great, but there is a HUGE difference between Blake and the rest. All of them miss plays here and there, but Blake consistently misses tackles, blows coverages, and just plain gets beat. I can only hope Boykin can be retained (I would leave if I was him with the way he was treated) and we can get a solid starting CB to replace Blake on the roster. At this point Blake would not even be a good backup. We have 2 prospects on the roster now, maybe we can patch together a decent backfield in the off season (Golden, Gay, Boykin, Cockrell (one of the prospects) and Mitchell with a good draftee or FA trade. That would be out best option. Maybe we can swing a solid OLB to bookend Dupree as well, but for now JJ could be fine if Dupree takes off his second season and becomes a top level rusher, it will certainly take some pressure off JJ (like JH did with Woodley).

Didn't the pick up cost of Boykin change according to the percentage of plays he was on the field ? What do we do with Cortez ?

steelreserve
12-28-2015, 03:26 PM
Didn't the pick up cost of Boykin change according to the percentage of plays he was on the field ? What do we do with Cortez ?


Yeah, he cost us a 4th-round pick if he played more than 60% of snaps, which obviously he didn't.

Allen has turned out to be useless and continuing to decline rather than improve; I'd be surprised if he's on the roster next opening day.

hawaiiansteeler
12-28-2015, 05:23 PM
Allen has turned out to be useless and continuing to decline rather than improve; I'd be surprised if he's on the roster next opening day.

nevertheless, Cortez Allen is still under contract next season and I believe he will report to training camp and be given every opportunity to make the team.

I also think Shamarko will be given that same opportunity at the safety position.

I doubt either one can turn it around, but it won't hurt to look at them one more time just in case and we can always cut them after the pre-season if they don't.

teegre
12-28-2015, 05:30 PM
The Steelers tried to trade up for Landon Collins, and there were no other SS's that they wanted in that draft class. Hence, they were forced to use Will Allen. Robert Golden has been good, but nothing special. And, Shamarko can't figure out the playbook.

SUMMATION:
Shamarko will be in camp, and Golden will be the backup at both safety positions; but, don't be surprised when the Steelers use their R1 pick on Su'a Cravens or Jayron Kearse.

hawaiiansteeler
12-28-2015, 05:48 PM
The Steelers tried to trade up for Landon Collins, and there were no other SS's that they wanted in that draft class. Hence, they were forced to use Will Allen. Robert Golden has been good, but nothing special. And, Shamarko can't figure out the playbook.

SUMMATION:
Shamarko will be in camp, and Golden will be the backup at both safety positions; but, don't be surprised when the Steelers use their R1 pick on Su'a Cravens or Jayron Kearse.

I agree with everything you wrote, but the Steelers would still start Robert Golden ahead of a rookie...

teegre
12-28-2015, 06:35 PM
I agree with everything you wrote, but the Steelers would still start Robert Golden ahead of a rookie...

For the opener and the first portion of the season: yes.

The SS position for the Steelers is complex. Until the rookie has a firm grasp on it, I'd go with the less talented, but more savvy Golden.

By week 10, the rookie's smarts will finally catch up with his talent.

B&GFever
12-28-2015, 07:59 PM
No CB with 500+ snaps has allowed fewer rec yards than SD's Patrick Robinson (300). No CB has allowed more than PIT's Antwon Blake (1,003)

teegre
12-28-2015, 08:26 PM
No CB with 500+ snaps has allowed fewer rec yards than SD's Patrick Robinson (300). No CB has allowed more than PIT's Antwon Blake (1,003)

Wasn't Robinson scheduled to come in for a visit???

He had an awful 2014, but it appears that he would have been a good free agent signing.

B&GFever
12-28-2015, 08:30 PM
Wasn't Robinson scheduled to come in for a visit???

He had an awful 2014, but it appears that he would have been a good free agent signing.

yes he was in for a visit and nobody here wanted him ( understandable after his no so shiny history ) but he is playing very well this year

teegre
12-28-2015, 08:42 PM
yes he was in for a visit and nobody here wanted him ( understandable after his no so shiny history ) but he is playing very well this year

Indeed. Over at SF, we were in agreement: "No way!!!"

Looks like we were all wrong.

hawaiiansteeler
01-10-2016, 07:01 PM
I gotta show some love for Antwon Blake, I thought he played very well against the Bungals...:thumbsup:

86WARD
01-10-2016, 07:47 PM
He did play well...whenever you don't hear his name...it's a sign of a good thing...

SteelerFanInStl
01-10-2016, 07:52 PM
He did play well...whenever you don't hear his name...it's a sign of a good thing...

I agree. Overall the DBs played pretty well.

tube517
01-11-2016, 12:32 AM
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/01/steelers-vs-bengals-player-snap-counts-wild-card-week/

Odd man out was Cockring:

Gay 72 snaps
Boykin 62 snaps
Blake 62 snaps
Cockring 10

Mojouw
01-11-2016, 10:18 AM
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/01/steelers-vs-bengals-player-snap-counts-wild-card-week/

Odd man out was Cockring:

Gay 72 snaps
Boykin 62 snaps
Blake 62 snaps
Cockring 10

Which makes sense - to a degree. Lost in all the noise over Blake and Boykin is that Cock hasn't been all that much better as the season went along.

Still an intriguing young player, but not exactly a rock.

Steeldude
01-11-2016, 11:18 AM
Blake needs his snaps greatly reduced. I would rather have Cockrell.

hawaiiansteeler
01-11-2016, 05:49 PM
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/01/steelers-vs-bengals-player-snap-counts-wild-card-week/

Odd man out was Cockring:

Gay 72 snaps
Boykin 62 snaps
Blake 62 snaps
Cockring 10

I'm glad one of the 10 snaps Cockring was in for was the fumble he recovered at the end of the game! :thumbsup:

polamalubeast
01-12-2016, 01:57 PM
686992376582291456

hawaiiansteeler
01-12-2016, 11:19 PM
Pittsburgh's Antwon Blake missed 28 tackles in the first 15 games of the season. He hasn't missed any in each of the past two weeks.

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) January 12, 2016

maybe Blake was hurt more than we knew and has since healed...

Count Steeler
01-13-2016, 05:15 AM
maybe Blake was hurt more than we knew and has since healed...

That was my suspicion a few weeks ago. My guess was shoulder or ribs.

teegre
01-13-2016, 06:40 AM
On the play before the Shazier forced fumble, AJ ran the wrong route (cut inside) and Blake cut inside with him. But, had they continued up field, Blake had position on AJ (for once) and likely would have had an INT.

No INT... led to Shazier's forced fumble.
Shazier's forced fumble... led to ire & mayhem.
Ire & mayhem... led to Burfict targeting BB.

See... it's always Blake's fault. :lol:

Steeldude
01-13-2016, 06:51 AM
maybe Blake was hurt more than we knew and has since healed...

Or maybe he isn't trying to tackle anyone so he stays off the negative stat sheet : )

tube517
01-13-2016, 08:52 AM
On the play before the Shazier forced fumble, AJ ran the wrong route (cut inside) and Blake cut inside with him. But, had they continued up field, Blake had position on AJ (for once) and likely would have had an INT.

No INT... led to Shazier's forced fumble.
Shazier's forced fumble... led to ire & mayhem.
Ire & mayhem... led to Burfict targeting BB.

See... it's always Blake's fault. :lol:

http://www.cedarhilllandscaping.com/images/bale%20of%20straw.jpg

SteelerFanInStl
01-13-2016, 09:15 AM
maybe Blake was hurt more than we knew and has since healed...
He must have gotten "hurt" in preseason then because he's sucked for most of the season.

And, if he's "hurt", why is he still playing?

steelreserve
01-13-2016, 10:28 AM
There were still a few plays that made me uncomfortable. That interception Blake had? He was beaten, BADLY, and McCarran underthrew the ball by about 10 yards. The were a couple other times at least when a guy was wide open for what would've been a big catch, but the ball clanged off his hands. It wasn't nearly as bad as Blake in some other games, but there was also luck involved for sure.

hawaiiansteeler
01-22-2016, 12:31 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers free agency: Antwon Blake must go

By: Curt Popejoy

I’m sure that when it comes to free agency, NFL often labor which players to offer contracts to, and which ones to cut loose. That almost certainly also applies to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This franchise is like a family, and it shows. So when Pittsburgh chooses not to re-sign a veteran, it is often a difficult decision.

But this one shouldn’t be. Cornerback Antwon Blake came to the Steelers in 2013 after spending his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Blake made his way to the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Blake was primarily a reserve in 2013, and settled in as a nickel/dime cornerback in 2014.

In 2015 Blake was given the opportunity to start opposite veteran cornerback William Gay. This was primarily due to the total lack options. The hope was that cornerback Cortez Allen would step into the starting role, but he once again fell flat and was lost for the year. That put Blake front and center as the next man up. How did he perform? This tweet sums it up.

According to @PFF, Antwon Blake allowed the most yds by a CB in coverage 1028 in NFL history with 28 missed tackles

— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) January 5, 2016

These numbers should seal Blake’s fate when it comes time for the front office to decide who is getting a new contract and who isn’t. Blake has zero leverage with the team, and it is doubtful any team is going to look at his 2015 film and pull out the old checkbook. When you figure in that Senquez Golson is coming back from injury and both Brandon Boykin and Ross Cockrell stepped up when called on this season, there is just isn’t a spot on the roster for a cornerback that can’t cover and can’t tackle.

http://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2016/01/21/pittsburgh-steelers-free-agency-antwon-blake-must-go/

steelreserve
01-22-2016, 01:03 PM
These numbers should seal Blake’s fate when it comes time for the front office to decide who is getting a new contract and who isn’t. Blake has zero leverage with the team, and it is doubtful any team is going to look at his 2015 film and pull out the old checkbook. When you figure in that Senquez Golson is coming back from injury and both Brandon Boykin and Ross Cockrell stepped up when called on this season, there is just isn’t a spot on the roster for a cornerback that can’t cover and can’t tackle.


I have my doubts Boykin will be back, but I'm all but convinced they'll find some way to justify keeping Blake on the roster next season, even though anyone but an idiot can see he doesn't have what it takes.

If they bring him back and skip CB in the draft entirely, I swear I am going to go out and kick a dog.

86WARD
01-22-2016, 03:17 PM
Blake probably wouldn't be signed by any other team if he were released today.

steelreserve
01-22-2016, 03:49 PM
Blake probably wouldn't be signed by any other team if he were released today.

We do have a way of finding players like that and giving them one chance too many.

hawaiiansteeler
02-23-2016, 03:17 PM
The Least Valuable Player of Every NFL Team in 2015

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Will Laws

Pittsburgh Steelers: Antwon Blake
PFF grade (position rank): -28.1 (117th)
2015 salary cap hit: $1.5 million

It would not be a stretch to say Blake was the worst cornerback in the league this season. He allowed the most receptions (76) and yards (1,074) of any corner, missed the most tackles (28) by 12 over the next closest player, and tied for the second-most touchdowns allowed (eight).

Offensive coordinators are quick to sniff out weakness in opposing defenses in the NFL, and they quickly learned to pick on Blake this season. He was thrown at 110 times, the third-highest total in the NFL.

Pittsburgh's defense improved as the year went on, and Blake was actually decent in the Steelers' two playoff clashes. However, he still stood out as the weak link of a once-proud defensive unit. It'd be a shock if they brought back the former undrafted free agent in 2016.

http://football-players.pointafter.com/stories/10227/least-valuable-worst-players-nfl-2015?utm_medium=cm&utm_source=outbrain&utm_campaign=ao.cm.ob.dt.10227#23-Pittsburgh-Steelers-Antwon-Blake

Cyphon25
02-23-2016, 04:05 PM
I say there is about a 90% chance Blake is our day 1 starter at corner in 2016. Tomlins MO is to play favorites as he goes by his "gut" as opposed to facts, knowledge, player history, analytics, and common sense.

Mojouw
02-23-2016, 04:56 PM
I say there is about a 90% chance Blake is our day 1 starter at corner in 2016. Tomlins MO is to play favorites as he goes by his "gut" as opposed to facts, knowledge, player history, analytics, and common sense.

Since we don't go to practice or sit in the meetings we don't know how true that is or is not. Second, I raised this in another thread, we simply don't know how these line-up calls are made internally. I highly doubt it goes like this:

Tomlin: Hey, Butler, Lake. Come in my office real quick.
Butler and Lake: Yea, coach?
Tomlin: I see you are starting Gay and Boykin this week. Nope. We gotta get Russ and Blake in there. Those are my favoritist players.
Butler and Lake: But those guys are terrible.
Tomlin: Don't care. I play favorites, obviously. Buck stops here. Iron sharpens iron. Thanks for coming in guys.

C'mon. That doesn't even really make sense. A more rationale idea is that Tomlin collaborates with his staff to make line-up decisions. Cockerell worked his way onto the field. And so did Boykin eventually. We just don't know exactly what it was that was holding him back. But I am sure it wasn't just Tomlin being a dickbag.

Cyphon25
02-23-2016, 06:13 PM
Since we don't go to practice or sit in the meetings we don't know how true that is or is not. Second, I raised this in another thread, we simply don't know how these line-up calls are made internally. I highly doubt it goes like this:

Tomlin: Hey, Butler, Lake. Come in my office real quick.
Butler and Lake: Yea, coach?
Tomlin: I see you are starting Gay and Boykin this week. Nope. We gotta get Russ and Blake in there. Those are my favoritist players.
Butler and Lake: But those guys are terrible.
Tomlin: Don't care. I play favorites, obviously. Buck stops here. Iron sharpens iron. Thanks for coming in guys.

C'mon. That doesn't even really make sense. A more rationale idea is that Tomlin collaborates with his staff to make line-up decisions. Cockerell worked his way onto the field. And so did Boykin eventually. We just don't know exactly what it was that was holding him back. But I am sure it wasn't just Tomlin being a dickbag.

The thing is, we don't really need to know those details. All that matters is the product on Sunday. When Blake is clearly the worst CB in football it shouldn't matter how well Boykin knows the defense. You go from the worst CB in football to a lost one? Not sure how that hurts us lol.

The one and only thing that could ever excuse Tomlin in this is if we found out the Rooney's forced him into certain decisions. Outside of that I consider him an utter moron for the way he handled the Boykin/Blake situation. Even worse is that he made a name for himself as a DB coach. So tell me how that works lol.

hawaiiansteeler
02-23-2016, 07:40 PM
When Blake is clearly the worst CB in football it shouldn't matter how well Boykin knows the defense. You go from the worst CB in football to a lost one? Not sure how that hurts us lol.



slight correction, Antwon Blake was the 2nd worst CB in the NFL.

I watched the Saints' Brandon Browner play a couple of times this past season and as hard as it is to believe he was actually worse than Blake.

st33lersguy
02-23-2016, 08:24 PM
The Steelers FO should be drug-tested if they waste cap-space bringing back Burntwon Blake

86WARD
02-23-2016, 10:45 PM
No matter how he decision is made on which players to play, it was clear to everyone who has the tiniest bit of football knowledge that Antwon Blake should not have been on the field nearly as much as he was. It doesn't matter if Boykin was borderline learning disabled and couldn't understand English. He should have been given a shit way, way, way before he was. If Boykin didn't work out, I guarantee anyone that there are street free agents out there now that would play better than Blake. He quite possibly could be the worst CB in Steelers history...and possibly the worst player in team history...and I include Sean Mahan in that...

Absolutely no way that Blake should be back. Cortez Allen is maybe 30/70 to return...

SteelerFanInStl
02-24-2016, 10:03 AM
No matter how he decision is made on which players to play, it was clear to everyone who has the tiniest bit of football knowledge that Antwon Blake should not have been on the field nearly as much as he was. It doesn't matter if Boykin was borderline learning disabled and couldn't understand English. He should have been given a shit way, way, way before he was. If Boykin didn't work out, I guarantee anyone that there are street free agents out there now that would play better than Blake. He quite possibly could be the worst CB in Steelers history...and possibly the worst player in team history...and I include Sean Mahan in that...

Absolutely no way that Blake should be back. Cortez Allen is maybe 30/70 to return...

I agree. It's hilarious to read some of the "excuses" that people are coming up with as to why Boykin wasn't playing. They read it on the internet so it must be true!

teegre
02-24-2016, 11:07 AM
I will say this about Boykin's lack of knowing the playbook...

Denver playoff game.
Third-&-12.
A fifth-string scrub receiver converts, because Boykin is doing "I don't know what".

steelreserve
02-24-2016, 11:40 AM
I will say this about Boykin's lack of knowing the playbook...

Denver playoff game.
Third-&-12.
A fifth-string scrub receiver converts, because Boykin is doing "I don't know what".


On the other hand, is that a worse result than what Blake would give us?

How about the other Denver game where he basically spotted them FOUR touchdowns? (He had a little help from Allen on two of them, but as I've said before, I think Allen is an OK player normally, but when he's on the same side as Blake, they both play 10 times worse.)

Boykin comes in and Blake goes to the bench. We give up no points for the rest of the game. I don't know how much more clear-cut it gets.

Boykin had a few lousy plays here and there, but on the whole looked like a regular CB. Blake was a doorknob to the asshole. The fact that Blake actually KNOWS the playbook and is as bad as he is ought to tell us something ...

teegre
02-24-2016, 11:49 AM
On the other hand, is that a worse result than what Blake would give us?

How about the other Denver game where he basically spotted them FOUR touchdowns? (He had a little help from Allen on two of them, but as I've said before, I think Allen is an OK player normally, but when he's on the same side as Blake, they both play 10 times worse.)

Boykin comes in and Blake goes to the bench. We give up no points for the rest of the game. I don't know how much more clear-cut it gets.

Boykin had a few lousy plays here and there, but on the whole looked like a regular CB. Blake was a doorknob to the asshole. The fact that Blake actually KNOWS the playbook and is as bad as he is ought to tell us something ...

I hear you, but a few counter points.

Blake often plays against the top receiver.

In the Denver game, when Boykin came in, and they changed the coverages (Boykin was covering the slot guy). Plus, the front seven came out highly motivated in the second half. (I think that they got their asses chewed off.)

To clarify: I am not defending Blake; he's not very good. But, I don't think that there is much evidence that Boykin would have been markedly better than Blake. Then again, almost anyone would have been an improvement over Blake.

Steel Peon
02-24-2016, 11:50 AM
How about the other Denver game where he basically spotted them FOUR touchdowns?

Statements like this are the main reasons I almost stopped commenting on these fan boards altogether. Even with this being as absurd an insinuation as it is, I'm afraid many, many, many Steelers fans actually think this is possible.

SteelerFanInStl
02-24-2016, 12:23 PM
I will say this about Boykin's lack of knowing the playbook...

Denver playoff game.
Third-&-12.
A fifth-string scrub receiver converts, because Boykin is doing "I don't know what".

So you're saying that a player that knows the playbook never gets caught out of position?

steelreserve
02-24-2016, 12:32 PM
Statements like this are the main reasons I almost stopped commenting on these fan boards altogether. Even with this being as absurd an insinuation as it is, I'm afraid many, many, many Steelers fans actually think this is possible.

Yeah we all know. Blah blah, team game, blah blah blah. Did you see how badly they took advantage of Blake, and the Blake/Allen tandem, in that game? Get some regular defense out of those guys, and Denver isn't in position to score any of those TDs.

I guess you could argue that it would've happened anyway, or there were plays made against other defenders on those drives too ... but the real back-breakers were almost all Blake and Allen. Blake is the starting point for a cascading failure across the entire defensive secondary, just like McLendon and Cam Thomas are the starting point for a cascading failure across the front seven.

If you can't see that, then I'm afraid you're the one who is disconnected with reality, and sure, go ahead and stop commenting; I doubt many would miss it.

teegre
02-24-2016, 12:48 PM
So you're saying that a player that knows the playbook never gets caught out of position?

I never said that. :huh:

What I am indeed saying is that if we are going to mercilessly lambast Blake for giving up receptions to players like AJ Green, we should at least make a note of it when Boykin makes a gaff.

steelreserve
02-24-2016, 01:08 PM
I never said that. :huh:

What I am indeed saying is that if we are going to mercilessly lambast Blake for giving up receptions to players like AJ Green, we should at least make a note of it when Boykin makes a gaff.


Well, nobody's perfect, that's for sure. Boykin just seemed to have a more or less normal amount of mistakes. Whereas Blake could be counted on to leave receivers wide open way down the field 5 or 6 times a game, and the only question was whether the QB would overthrow him or not. Fortunately, we seemed to be blessed by a high number of key situations throughout the season where the QB did just that, or overlooked it and threw to someone else - otherwise we may well have been watching the playoffs from a couch.

SteelerFanInStl
02-24-2016, 01:11 PM
I never said that. :huh:

What I am indeed saying is that if we are going to mercilessly lambast Blake for giving up receptions to players like AJ Green, we should at least make a note of it when Boykin makes a gaff.

You said that Boykin didn't know the playbook and you offered that play as proof.

Being out of position on a play doesn't mean that the player doesn't know the playbook. Even the best players get caught out of position now and then.

What happened last year is history. I'd rather talk about how we can make the team better.

teegre
02-24-2016, 01:19 PM
Well, nobody's perfect, that's for sure. Boykin just seemed to have a more or less normal amount of mistakes.

Maybe, maybe not. I'm not entirely certain that Boykin would have been drastically better at covering opposing teams' #1 and #2 receivers.

Again, I'm not saying Blake is great, but for whatever reason, no one regularly points out Boykin's mistakes. He seems to get a free pass.

- - - Updated - - -


You said that Boykin didn't know the playbook and you offered that play as proof.

Being out of position on a play doesn't mean that the player doesn't know the playbook. Even the best players get caught out of position now and then.

What happened last year is history. I'd rather talk about how we can make the team better.

Okay... fair enough. He knows the playbook, and still can't cover a team's fifth option. That's actually worse.

MOVING ON:
I see Blake or Boykin as status quo... thus, neither of them will cut it. Golson should improve the secondary a little bit. Adding another CB (R3 would be my suggestion) should make the secondary "good enough" to win a championship.

teegre
02-24-2016, 01:34 PM
I apologize if I'm coming across as "snarky." It is just that Blake gets ripped in endlessly (this thread keeps popping up again & again), and yet Boykin gets carte blanche.

STORY:
Years ago, on another site, everyone was debating who was better: Sheldon Brown or Pete Hunter??? After about a month, I added my two cents: "They both suck."

Deja vú. That's how I feel right now.

Blake sucked. I get it. But, I truly don't see Boykin as some sort of savior.

Makes sense???

Cyphon25
02-24-2016, 01:40 PM
You guys are focusing on the wrong thing. It was NEVER about Boykin vs Blake. 2 different positions that shouldn't even be compared. What it came down to (and this is from the coaches if I remember right) is this:

The coaches were too comfortable with how the defense operated with Gay playing the slot so they were reluctant to move him to the outside. The problem with that reasoning is this (and I like to do it with numbers because I am a nerd)

Let's say they consider Gay an 8.5 in the slot and a 7 on the outside. Boykin is also an 8.5 in the slot so you lose nothing there, and Blake is like a 3 on the outside. Even if you consider Boykin a 7.5 or 8 in the slot, the loss isn't as bad as the positive you gain by moving Gay outside.

Obviously they didn't consider the numbers that way and they were clearly wrong, but nobody in here should be comparing Boykin to Blake. It was never those 2. It was about playing Boykin over Gay in the slot.

Mojouw
02-24-2016, 02:42 PM
We need to also inject some outside variables in to this equation. Part of the Steelers secondary's problem was not just that this or that individual player sucked - it was one of communication and handeling overloads. The most obvious example was the Seattle game. The Seahawks identified that the Steelers were playing sides or zones with their DBs. They would send 2-3 receivers into one guys area. Forcing that defender into a "no-win" scenario. Cover Option A or Option B? Whichever one they chose, the other was wide open.

Will Allen and Blake were repeatedly isolated and forced into this decision. Same thing Haley does when he sees the opponent in single high safety. He sends Bryant and AB deep on opposite hashes. No matter what the safety does, he is wrong.

Look, do I really care if Blake every suits up for another NFL game, much less for the Steelers? Nope. But football is a ton more complicated than "that guy sucks" and replacing that cog will fix the broken machine. When the whole machine is kinda dodgy...

- - - Updated - - -


You guys are focusing on the wrong thing. It was NEVER about Boykin vs Blake. 2 different positions that shouldn't even be compared. What it came down to (and this is from the coaches if I remember right) is this:

The coaches were too comfortable with how the defense operated with Gay playing the slot so they were reluctant to move him to the outside. The problem with that reasoning is this (and I like to do it with numbers because I am a nerd)

Let's say they consider Gay an 8.5 in the slot and a 7 on the outside. Boykin is also an 8.5 in the slot so you lose nothing there, and Blake is like a 3 on the outside. Even if you consider Boykin a 7.5 or 8 in the slot, the loss isn't as bad as the positive you gain by moving Gay outside.

Obviously they didn't consider the numbers that way and they were clearly wrong, but nobody in here should be comparing Boykin to Blake. It was never those 2. It was about playing Boykin over Gay in the slot.

But that is a bit of false logic. It is starting with the assumption that Boykin was not seeing the field despite demonstrating the ability to competently play in the Steelers defensive system. We have absolutely no way of knowing if that is true. We can assume it to be true and then fill in all kinds of wacky theories about arrogance and what not for why the better player was nailed to the bench for 10 or 12 weeks.

OR - we can start with a more logical premise. Boykin was NOT doing something that was a foundational expectation for him seeing the field. He eventually demonstrated whatever that criteria was in practice and meetings. He saw the field.

Which one sounds more like how a group of people working towards a goal would proceed?

Cyphon25
02-24-2016, 04:19 PM
We need to also inject some outside variables in to this equation. Part of the Steelers secondary's problem was not just that this or that individual player sucked - it was one of communication and handeling overloads. The most obvious example was the Seattle game. The Seahawks identified that the Steelers were playing sides or zones with their DBs. They would send 2-3 receivers into one guys area. Forcing that defender into a "no-win" scenario. Cover Option A or Option B? Whichever one they chose, the other was wide open.

Will Allen and Blake were repeatedly isolated and forced into this decision. Same thing Haley does when he sees the opponent in single high safety. He sends Bryant and AB deep on opposite hashes. No matter what the safety does, he is wrong.

Look, do I really care if Blake every suits up for another NFL game, much less for the Steelers? Nope. But football is a ton more complicated than "that guy sucks" and replacing that cog will fix the broken machine. When the whole machine is kinda dodgy...

- - - Updated - - -



But that is a bit of false logic. It is starting with the assumption that Boykin was not seeing the field despite demonstrating the ability to competently play in the Steelers defensive system. We have absolutely no way of knowing if that is true. We can assume it to be true and then fill in all kinds of wacky theories about arrogance and what not for why the better player was nailed to the bench for 10 or 12 weeks.

OR - we can start with a more logical premise. Boykin was NOT doing something that was a foundational expectation for him seeing the field. He eventually demonstrated whatever that criteria was in practice and meetings. He saw the field.

Which one sounds more like how a group of people working towards a goal would proceed?

That would be a valid point minus one thing. Blake was not doing lots of things that should have been a foundational expectation for keeping him on the field and he was doing it on Sundays, practice be damned. He was really so bad that they had nothing to lose.

And look, the truth is out there in the interviews that Tomlin had some kind of bias whether we want to say it is logical or not. Didn't he say something about liking Blake out there because of his tackling or how he played against the run? And he lead the team and league in missed tackles. Boykin comes in and is a very solid tackler. And I don't remember for sure but I would bet $500 he said at some point he was happy with the DB play. If that is a coach who is happy with what his DB's showed he is a coach who doesn't understand the game of football.

Mojouw
02-24-2016, 05:55 PM
That would be a valid point minus one thing. Blake was not doing lots of things that should have been a foundational expectation for keeping him on the field and he was doing it on Sundays, practice be damned. He was really so bad that they had nothing to lose.

And look, the truth is out there in the interviews that Tomlin had some kind of bias whether we want to say it is logical or not. Didn't he say something about liking Blake out there because of his tackling or how he played against the run? And he lead the team and league in missed tackles. Boykin comes in and is a very solid tackler. And I don't remember for sure but I would bet $500 he said at some point he was happy with the DB play. If that is a coach who is happy with what his DB's showed he is a coach who doesn't understand the game of football.

This is where we differ. I assume that everything said by coaches and team officials in the press in media is cliched, scrubbed, and basically nonsense.

fansince'76
02-24-2016, 06:53 PM
This is where we differ. I assume that everything said by coaches and team officials in the press in media is cliched, scrubbed, and basically nonsense.

:iagree:

Of course it is. I stopped listening to the pressers and "in-depth interviews" years ago for exactly that reason. They literally blather on for 20+ minutes and sometimes even longer and wind up saying absolutely nothing. If NFL coaches had their druthers, they would never talk to the media. Ever.

Cyphon25
02-24-2016, 07:01 PM
This is where we differ. I assume that everything said by coaches and team officials in the press in media is cliched, scrubbed, and basically nonsense.

Don't get me wrong, I agree it is mostly BS as well but you are still held responsible for what you say. We can't be sure he doesn't actually believe it. Especially given that he kept playing Blake. So I lean towards it not being BS and Tomlin actually not understanding DB talent very well.

On top of that, it isn't like he had to give those answers. He could say something where he doesn't bash the player but also doesn't praise them for poor performance.

Mojouw
02-25-2016, 11:37 AM
Don't get me wrong, I agree it is mostly BS as well but you are still held responsible for what you say. We can't be sure he doesn't actually believe it. Especially given that he kept playing Blake. So I lean towards it not being BS and Tomlin actually not understanding DB talent very well.

On top of that, it isn't like he had to give those answers. He could say something where he doesn't bash the player but also doesn't praise them for poor performance.

Again, I don't think you are fully taking my point. I do not believe that Tomlin or any other coach really believe 90 or more percent of the cliched nonsense they spew to the media.

Am I arguing that Tomlin is great or even decent judge of DB talent? Nope. I really have no idea, because none of the nonsense he or anyone else says to the media is more than bland spin.

Look, you may be correct. It is highly possible I am wrong. I just have no interest in paying close attention to NFL figures media comments in order to try to armchair analyze my way into their through process and true opinions on anything.

steelreserve
02-25-2016, 12:22 PM
Forget what the coaches say in press conferences - the only thing that is on public display, and we all see the same thing, is the game on the field.

And what we saw there was a guy who was completely in over his head, but they continually ran him out there week after week, long after it was apparent to even the casual observer that it was a huge problem, and that it was not improving by giving him time to "adjust," "get comfortable," "get up to speed" or whatever you call it; it was just getting worse as opponents exploited it more. And they did have a guy on the bench who, if not stellar, was certainly not as bad, and showed it when given the chance.

And even then they STILL bent over backwards to keep fucktarded Blake on the field for about 40% of the snaps, despite having THREE guys in front of him who were more skilled and more or less functioned as a unit.

So what I saw was that Tomlin fucked up royally - or if it was someone else's idea, that person fucked up royally and Tomlin fucked up by not putting a stop to it - and it would be very, very difficult to come up with a satisfactory excuse for either. He fucked up. It looks to me like more of Tomlin's doghouse bullshit that he has to do with someone once a year, and this time it cost us more than in the past.

I hate coaches who do that. I've seen them at every level from youth sports to high schools to college and pros, and it just serves no purpose and sometimes messes things up.