Grade the qb

[zulater]

This thread is to do with the Steelers quarterback, whichever one('s) played in the most recent particuliar game.

For Dennis Dixon today I give a C. the win counts a ton. :whew: Even if he did some bad things overall he made enough plays to help obtain the W. Of course it was nice that the Falcons defenders caught the ball like Ike Taylor for the most part. ;)

[polamalubeast]

I give a B. ..... the most important thing was the victory!

But we must not expect it to be as good as Ben!

[Nadroj 20]

Yea I can live with that grade zulater. I'll say C as well. He was average. Nothing very great...nothing very terrible. We got the W.


I'm hoping for improvement out of DD as these next 3 weeks go by. If that happens this 4 game stint with him will = success!

[Shawn]

C+/B- he had 1 INT, but he wasn't awful. He was able to manage the game. He was nervous and playing too conservatively which showed with the under-thrown balls. I expect him to look better next week.

[GoSlash27]

B. He played too conservatively and didn't put touch on the ball when he saw someone underneath. I am very impressed with his accuracy.

[Psycho Ward 86]

18/26 for 236 yards and an interception. (Sacked 3 times), 2 rush attempts for 4 yards (he wasn't looking to run EVER though, except for once on his 1st drive of the game)

On the 1st drive of the game on the play before we had to punt, Dixon tried to take off even though ARE was wide open as heck. Later (or was it before), he threw the ball at ARE's ankles on an easy quick slant. On that interception, Heath Miller was WIDE OPEN. Mike Peterson was directly between Heath and Dixon, but if he tossed up a little floater (almost like a fade route) to Heath, he would've caught it no problem for a 1st down. Mike Peterson would've been chasing after him and the safeties would be scrambling all the way back down the field to make a stop. GREAT plays later on when he tosses a 52 yard bomb to Wallace, and slings it 3 times to Ward for huge gains on another drive. On the 52 yard grab: Underthrown a bit, no surprise there, but if Wallace didn't bobble the ball a little while trying to secure it, it's a TD for Dixon. Also, beautiful play orchestrated by Ward and Dixon on that 21 yard completion where Dixon scrambles to the right and lets it off right before he goes out of bounds.

Several mental lapses in the 1st half, but substantial improvement in the 2nd half. That's a great sign.

I'll also give him a solid C.

[ALLD]

C-

The defense bailed him and Reed out. Matt Ryan is better than him and he sucks.

[Mach1]

C-

[Borski]

I'd say a B, its his second game. He did alright.

[BlastFurnace]

I give him a D-

Sorry, but he should have had 3 interceptions today. Had the Falcons caught those balls, everyone's grades would be an F.

Once again...just like the Baltimore game last year....the reason the game was close was because of the defense.

That being said, it was a win, so I'll take it.

[Psycho Ward 86]

I give him a D-

Sorry, but he should have had 3 interceptions today. Had the Falcons caught those balls, everyone's grades would be an F.

Once again...just like the Baltimore game last year....the reason the game was close was because of the defense.

That being said, it was a win, so I'll take it.

1) That ball that the defensive end Davis almost picked off wasn't his fault, that's a bubble screen and the offensive tackle should have had him sealed off

2) Another pass, i think that CB Chris Owens almost picked off, could be the receiver's fault for not coming back to the ball on a curl to the outside

3) John Abraham shot himself in the foot with his drop, I'll give you that.

[Butch]

C-

The defense bailed him and Reed out. Matt Ryan is better than him and he sucks.


Yeah but consider this is our 3rd stringer, also consider Ryan has a lot more experience. I wonder how many other teams would win with their 3rd stinger let alone their 2nd stringers. Makes ya' feel good about our QB depth.

All that said I'll go with a solid C and I do expect him to improve next week. I wish B.A. would roll him out a couple times and even run it once or twice even when Ben is in there it would be a nice way to throw a curve at the Defense.

Finally what was with all the 1st down runs when we got the ball on a kick/punt??? I think we only passed once in that situation. B.A. throw em a curve stop being predictable for crying out loud.

I will say I liked B.A.'s game plan early but it fell apart as the game progressed.

Sorry HTG had to get my bash in .:behindsofa:

[Psycho Ward 86]

Finally what was with all the 1st down runs when we got the ball on a kick/punt??? I think we only passed once in that situation. B.A. throw em a curve stop being predictable for crying out loud.


Cuz that's how we got stuck in 3rd and long last year...

[BlastFurnace]

1) That ball that the defensive end Davis almost picked off wasn't his fault, that's a bubble screen and the offensive tackle should have had him sealed off

2) Another pass, i think that CB Chris Owens almost picked off, could be the receiver's fault for not coming back to the ball on a curl to the outside

3) John Abraham shot himself in the foot with his drop, I'll give you that.

Receivers fault or not, Dixon looked like garbage today. He's a poor man's Kordell Stewart.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Receivers fault or not, Dixon looked like garbage today. He's a poor man's Kordell Stewart.

he had his moments, no one really seems to realize it. he can't help it when his O-line and receivers make mistakes with him. I understand how you feel though

[Borski]

Receivers fault or not, Dixon looked like garbage today. He's a poor man's Kordell Stewart.

Ouch, he wasn't that bad. He's effectively our 3rd stringer and we didn't lose. Relax a little bit and give the kid a chance.

[steelatl]

18-26 in his 2nd start is not too shabby. I think some of y'all are looking at his performance through Ben colored glasses.

[Nadroj 20]

Receivers fault or not, Dixon looked like garbage today. He's a poor man's Kordell Stewart.

Garbage? i dont know about that...he did ok....nothing great...but nothing very bad

[Butch]

Receivers fault or not, Dixon looked like garbage today. He's a poor man's Kordell Stewart.

He was nervous to start the game, but again he's a 3rd stringer and I have to say I"m glad we have that kind of depth. When you have a 3rd stringer in there you don't expect a lot that's why Hines stated we have to make plays for him. Hell the cryboys would be in a world of hurt with their 3rd stringer in. I believe it's Kitna or else he's their 2nd stringer.

We are a rare team that can expect Wins from all of our backups that is a BLESSING!!! I hope both Lefty and Dixon stay for a long while.

[stillers4me]

C.....average. He did not do enough damage to lose the game, nor did he win it. All in all........he did enough to not lose the game. I'll take the W in the win column, for sure. Thanks Dennis.........not bad.

[memphissteelergirl]

I'll give him a solid C.

He made a few clutch throws. And he managed the game pretty well.

However, there were some passes he missed badly. And then there's that INT.

[BlastFurnace]

Garbage? i dont know about that...he did ok....nothing great...but nothing very bad

Yep. Had those INT's been caught. There would be a lot of people looking at his performance much differently right now. Winning masks a lot. Dixon is not anything near an NFL QB.

[Borski]

Yep. Had those INT's been caught. There would be a lot of people looking at his performance much differently right now. Winning masks a lot. Dixon is not anything near an NFL QB.

Ben throws enough INT's too I don't hear people saying he isnt NFL caliber. Sheesh its the guys 2nd NFL start, it takes a little bit to get into a rhythm. Give him another week or 2 and he'll continue to improve.

[Polamalu Princess]

I will give him a C+. There were mistakes, but I do think the coaching could have mixed it up more for him.

[ALLD]

Yep. Had those INT's been caught. There would be a lot of people looking at his performance much differently right now. Winning masks a lot. Dixon is not anything near an NFL QB.

Those drops turn into picks and you see Charlie Batch appear next week.

[polamalubeast]

Yep. Had those INT's been caught. There would be a lot of people looking at his performance much differently right now. Winning masks a lot. Dixon is not anything near an NFL QB.

He is a young backup.

I would prefer that you support.

Try to be patient, because Roethlisberger will be back Oct. 17.

[memphissteelergirl]

I do think the coaching could have mixed it up more for him.

Now this I definitely agree with.

[HometownGal]

D+. His nervousness showed and at times, he looked totally dazed and confused out there. Most likely his inexperience, but had it not been for the great play by our D today, we would most likely have been beginning the season 0-1 instead of 1-0.

[Kaeg]

My grade being irrelevant; I kind of disagree with the crowd starting to boo at one point. Even an announcer made note of it. I don't think that's any way to get your QBs confidence up and at best, all you will do is make him feel more pressure and perform worse. People at the game should really throw him some support.

[steelerdude15]

I'll give him a C+ for today's game. He had some great plays, but he also had some shaky plays at the same time. Throwing the interception and getting sacked also bring it down to my grade.

[steelpride12]

I have to say C+ as well, he had flashes of success, but could have easily throw around 4 INT's and if it wasn't for our defense our offense would have lost us the game because of him, throwing low a lot of the game and the sacks. The only reason it's a C is because he won the game one way or another he did and that's what matters.

[smokin3000gt]

B. He played too conservatively and didn't put touch on the ball when he saw someone underneath. I am very impressed with his accuracy.

If he was throwing at a sand-worm I am impressed with his accuracy :chuckle:

Otherwise, it was the guys first game and I think he will get better as the he progresses through the four games.

[venom]

I give him a B- . The 3 near interceptions were heart killers

[smokin3000gt]

Forgot to give a grade. I give him a C- at best. I think he has the ability to be much better but like anything it's going to take time to mold him into a real starting NFL QB. If it wasn't for the D, a decent run game, Troy's interception, and Mendy's game winning 50yd TD we would've lost. Many easy first downs blown by digging the ball into the turf and a bunch of near interceptions.

[Steeldude]

for a very bland offense. i give him a "D"

the falcons were the 28th ranked pass defense last year.

this is dixon's 3rd season and the coaches had to dumb-down the offense? i would expect more for a QB going into his 3rd year on the same team.

[MULLDOG24]

I'm gonna give DD a solid C cause it's just his 2nd start and he was nervous. I think he has lots of potential but the only way is to get him in the game and see some real time competition. That being said I look for and fully expect him to improve steadily over the next few weeks.

[steeldawg]

Qb grade was D no touchdowns was a part of that but not converting third down and allowing us keep the ball. With that being said hell of a win boys!!! Oh and who had their popcorn ready for that bengals game i enjoyed every minute of it. Who Dey? Dey the Bungles.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Giving him a B is too generous. That'd be saying he had a good game. Not sure I'd go that far...

[BlastFurnace]

Ben throws enough INT's too I don't hear people saying he isnt NFL caliber. Sheesh its the guys 2nd NFL start, it takes a little bit to get into a rhythm. Give him another week or 2 and he'll continue to improve.

Ben didn't look nearly as lost in his FIRST YEAR. It may be his 2nd start, but it's his 3rd year in the system and they are still limiting his playcalling on the field.

[BPS3akaWirels3]

C+ Need to see more throwing

[Delraich]

I'll say D+ or C-.The D won this game. If he plays at the same level next week at Tenn we will get shut out unless the D scores.

[HometownGal]

Ben didn't look nearly as lost in his FIRST YEAR. It may be his 2nd start, but it's his 3rd year in the system and they are still limiting his playcalling on the field.

I agree. As much as I hate to say it - it almost seems like the coaches don't have total confidence in his abilities as a STARTING QB, though that was pretty obvious when the Steelers went out and secured the services of Lefty and anointed him the starter before his injury in the Panthers game. I do think the young man has a lot of natural talent, tremendous athletic ability and a fairly good arm but he really needs to work on his pocket presence, checking off on more than one receiver (he was eyeing up just one option quite a few times again today) and get rid of that "deer in the headlights" look. These are things the coaches really can't fix - he has to do these things on his own. I realize he was only starting his 2nd NFL game against a fairly good D, but if he wants to make it as a starter someday with this team or another NFL team, he has to knuckle under and get it together. As you so correctly stated - he's been in the system for 3 years now.

[Texasteel]

Not to make excuses, but I guess that's what I am doing. Remember this was the first game of the season, and he hasn't started to many games. I would expect him to play better the next game.

[Wallace108]

I give Dixon a B-.
He made some good throws and a few bad throws, but the play calling was WAY too conservative for my taste. If they didn't trust him to throw the ball downfield, then they should have started Batch.

[HometownGal]

If they didn't trust him to throw the ball downfield, then they should have started Batch.

I think they have even less confidence in Botch than they do in Dixon and understandably so imho. If Lefty hadn't gotten hurt, Botch probably wouldn't have a roster spot.

[st33lersguy]

C, made a few inaccurate bad throws on third down, the interception was horrible, however he played better down the stretch

[BPS3akaWirels3]

I think they have even less confidence in Botch than they do in Dixon and understandably so imho. If Lefty hadn't gotten hurt, Botch probably wouldn't have a roster spot.

hmmm... I think Batch always does have a spot..

[Wallace108]

I think they have even less confidence in Botch than they do in Dixon and understandably so imho. If Lefty hadn't gotten hurt, Botch probably wouldn't have a roster spot.

I don't disagree. They obviously don't have confidence in either Dixon OR Batch. I hope it was just first-game jitters (on the coaches' part) and we see some more throws downfield next week. With that said, WE WON!!! And that's what matters.

[tube517]

To put things in perspective, he is our 3rd string QB. I'm not expecting too much out of him. If you told me we would win this in OT, I'd take it.

[Wallace108]

To put things in perspective, he is our 3rd string QB. I'm not expecting too much out of him. If you told me we would win this in OT, I'd take it.

Again, I can't disagree. We won. And that's all that matters. I just wish the coaches had as much confidence in him as I do. :tt03:

[JayC]

C+

He didn't lose the game for us which is most important for our backup, he giftwrapped a few balls that we were fortunate not to have picked, and we weren't playing against a top 10 defense. I take the W and hope he learns from his mistakes because there's a good chance we won't be so fortunate next week if he plays exactly how he did this week [he wasn't terrible at all, just his bad throws are reallly bad while his others are always on target]

let's just say i don't have much confidence that he will take us for a td with him in there. i always feel like the next play is going to be a giftwrapped int but luckily it only happened once this time. i hope he will impress me next week.

[solardave]

I agree Zulater that he earned a C but watching him on the sideline with BA I got the impression he was frustrated by being held back. I'm not second guessing BA or Tomlin for the game plan because it worked. Next week is a different story. I think we still run the ball but we need some more pass plays to keep the Tits D in check.

[zulater]

Here's Gerry dulac's grade for DD

QUARTERBACKS
Dennis Dixon might not have won the game, but he didn't lose it, either, even though he had several potential interceptions dropped. After a shaky start and a bunch of low throws, he finished 18 of 26 for 236 yards with one pick. Give him kudos for a 52-yard pass to Mike Wallace to set up a field goal and back-to-back completions of 24 and 25 yards to Hines Ward to set up the go-ahead FG.Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10256/1087228-66.stm#ixzz0zP86zJPA

[cold-hard-steel]

He gets a D in my book.Everytime i said pull the blankety blank son of a blank out,he did make a play.Guess we have to give him a chance though.I will tell you right now though,with another performance like that,you can expect "us" to leave Tennesee with a big fat L in the win/loss section of your local sports page.

[SteelGhost]

C+

Keep in mind that he's our THIRD stringer QB. He didn't cost us the game :noidea: Yes, he had three potential pics .... BUT he was picked only once. Yes, he's in his third year in black and gold, but he only had started one game prior to yesteday's game. He didn't play well, but managed the game adequately despite of those "Kordelish moments" :horror:

I liked Brucey's playcalling, but I'd love too see more play action plays next week.

That said, the defense saved the day and I hope DD has a better game next Sunday against the Baby Blues.

[CPanther95]

As a starting NFL QB - D+
Based on expectations - B-

If he gets the balls off the ground, he'll be exponentially more effective.

[Indo]

18/26 for 236 yds and an INT gives him a passer rating of 81.57

with 69% pass completion and 9 yards/attempt (granted, the big one to Wallace helped this out quite a bit)

It's a solid "C" (maybe even a "B--")
It will improve with time. He's still getting used to the speed of the game. When things slow down for him, his performance will get better. Just look at the 4th quarter and his throws to Ward compared to the 1st quarter and his throws into the ground...


http://www.primecomputing.com/

[SteelMember]

The kid was a bundle of nerves. Moving him out of the pocket, and letting some deep throws go down the field to simply loosen him up and get the juices flowing could have been an option, but I can certainly understand the conservative approach. It just took longer to get him a bit more relaxed and confident. Overall, I'd give him a C+

[steel striker]

I would say c and, yes there could have been 2 or 3 ints. That being said we still won the game so I will take it. He played better as the game went along.

[steelatl]

Some people seem to forget that he's our 3rd string quarterback making his 2nd NFL start, 18-26 250+yds and 1 int isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. Yes there were a couple throws that could have been intercepted, but there's an old saying that fits well there. IF ifs and buts were candy and nuts......