The Good, The Bad, and the Huh?

[Mojouw]

GOOD
Cam Sutton
Tuitt and Heyward (I think)
Bongtavious
Juju
Eli
Artie Burns (played a physical game and even hit some people. Has looked good on an island last few weeks. Those PI calls were ticky tack.)

BAD
Spence
Davis
AV

Huh?
If Burns and Dupree are busts and disappointments, where is the Sean Davis hate brigade? He is supposed to be this instinctual player who has great instincts for the ball. I see a guy who is a step late and a dollar short almost every play. I also see a young guy who can get better, but he deserves some heat around here.

Did no one ever ever tell Ben that QBs can throw the ball into the seats?

i actually cant believe I’m saying this, but Steeldude has a point. Watt looks gassed, Chickillo is average, and Dupree is an enigma. There has to be snaps for Harrison.

in fact the whole defensive rotations are goofy. They are playing their top guys at Thibedeau levels. They better get a bye. Those dudes are gonna have nothing left.

All that being said - this team can play with anyone. Any mention of Gronk is not on this list. Why? Because even with all his efforts, Steelers still basically won. Davis or James is a millimeter the other way and this is a totally different board tonight. Gronk is like AB. They are gonna get theirs so just shut the rest of the team down and try and hold on.

[BlackAndGold]

GOOD
Artie Burns (played a physical game and even hit some people. Has looked good on an island last few weeks. Those PI calls were ticky tack.)

He is so much better in man coverage.

[tube517]

That #26 guy was pretty good.

[DesertSteel]

Can we go ahead and cut Spence now? How is this guy playing ahead of Fort???

[SteelerFanInStl]

Can we go ahead and cut Spence now? How is this guy playing ahead of Fort???

Fort certainly can't be any worse. I don't recall Spence making a single play the last two games.

[Born2Steel]

Can we go ahead and cut Spence now? How is this guy playing ahead of Fort???

Have you noticed James in your sig picture? Not blocking, yet not going out for the pass either. Lots of open ground out there. Bell seems to have quit on the play as well.

[zulater]

The good. We proved we can play with the Patriots. Wasn't one of those cosmetically close games where the Steelers score a TD on the final play to make it look better than it
really was. This is the first time in a long time that we showed that we can take their best shot and remain standing. I think this could go a long way if we play them again in the playoffs. Especially if AB and Haden are full participants. Belief is a powerful weapon, and while the Steelers have always claimed to be confident they could beat that team deep down you wonder if they had doubts. Now they know damn well they can beat them!

The bad. Leaving Sean Davis in single coverage on Gronk on the 2 point conversion. Forget everything else, just think if you can stop that 2 point conversion if the game had followed in the same course, once Ju Ju gets the ball to the 10 your playing out the clock for the game winning fg. Also damn it Sean, you could have intercepted that damn ball! I know it wasn't easy, but an NFL player can make that play.

The ugly. The second guessing of Ben. Hypocrites! Ben's trying to make the play to win the damn game! Instead of being critical of his decision making look at the play again. The db made a great play! Ben threw the ball slightly behind where he wanted to. But it took a perfectly timed swipe to knock that ball in the air, and got a lucky as hell result. The way the pass was thrown 98 out of 100 times it's either a catch or an incompletion. That ball was tracking for empty turf without a great defensive play. Ben's made a living making that play way more often than not. And if that game goes to OT and you lose the coin toss there's a helluva chance you never see the ball again.

[Mojouw]

Have you noticed James in your sig picture? Not blocking, yet not going out for the pass either. Lots of open ground out there. Bell seems to have quit on the play as well.

That is/was the play design. We have seen this fake spike play before. Everyone kinda stands around and Ben hits AB (worked - don't remember the game) or throws a bone-headed INT to Rogers (last night). We can/should yell about the play design or the actual call, but James and Bell are likely blameless there.

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The ugly. The second guessing of Ben. Hypocrites! Ben's trying to make the play to win the damn game! Instead of being critical of his decision making look at the play again. The db made a great play! Ben threw the ball slightly behind where he wanted to. But it took a perfectly timed swipe to knock that ball in the air, and got a lucky as hell result. The way the pass was thrown 98 out of 100 times it's either a catch or an incompletion. That ball was tracking for empty turf without a great defensive play. Ben's made a living making that play way more often than not. And if that game goes to OT and you lose the coin toss there's a helluva chance you never see the ball again.

THose are really good points. I hadn't thought about it that way.

[DesertSteel]

Have you noticed James in your sig picture? Not blocking, yet not going out for the pass either. Lots of open ground out there. Bell seems to have quit on the play as well.
The whole sequence is nothing but confusion.

[teegre]

Have you noticed James in your sig picture? Not blocking, yet not going out for the pass either. Lots of open ground out there. Bell seems to have quit on the play as well.

More importantly, look at all of that GREEN to the right. Why didn’t Rogers run a fade route?????

[AtlantaDan]

More importantly, look at all of that GREEN to the right. Why didn’t Rogers run a fade route?????

Check out the thread on how the Steelers ran the fake spike play successfully against Dallas last year with AB running don the sideline to the right corner of the end zone
http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/showthread.php/28161-Steelers-Botched-End-Of-Game-Management-Is-Most-Frustrating

Maybe Rogers ran the wrong route - makes no sense to run the only receiver into traffic in the center of the end zone

Also may indicate Ben’s explanation as to what was going on pre-snap was bullshit - might have been a designed play that was called to be run if TD was not scored on second down and then botched

[DesertSteel]

More importantly, look at all of that GREEN to the right. Why didn’t Rogers run a fade route?????
That was my thought. Release the block and there's a clear path to the end zone. But Ben was locked in on Eli and the three defenders around Eli could see it too. There's no Undo button!

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The bottom line is that Tomlin, Haley and Ben come out of it looking like the Three Stooges in those last 20+ seconds.

[Rotorhead]

Look at the photo, Rogers has the inside position, green space in front of him, it was a good route and open, the defender climbed up his back and made the play of the game there. It was luck the ball was tipped up instead of into the ground, AB probably makes that catch, etc etc etc. I liked the call, and won't complain about it. It worked against Dallas because it was AB, it probably would have worked here with AB also.

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

More importantly, look at all of that GREEN to the right. Why didn’t Rogers run a fade route????? That makes it look like Ben could have fake pump once and roll out and ran it in on his own. Well at least a young Ben could have.

[Iron Steeler]

Im so sick that of talking about this. I hope this doesn't knock the wind out of the team sails.

[SteelerFanInStl]

That was my thought. Release the block and there's a clear path to the end zone. But Ben was locked in on Eli and the three defenders around Eli could see it too. There's no Undo button!

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The bottom line is that Tomlin, Haley and Ben come out of it looking like the Three Stooges in those last 20+ seconds.

And exactly who else was Ben supposed to be looking to throw the ball to when no one else was even running a route?

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The ugly. The second guessing of Ben. Hypocrites! Ben's trying to make the play to win the damn game! Instead of being critical of his decision making look at the play again. The db made a great play! Ben threw the ball slightly behind where he wanted to. But it took a perfectly timed swipe to knock that ball in the air, and got a lucky as hell result. The way the pass was thrown 98 out of 100 times it's either a catch or an incompletion. That ball was tracking for empty turf without a great defensive play. Ben's made a living making that play way more often than not. And if that game goes to OT and you lose the coin toss there's a helluva chance you never see the ball again.

This 1000%!

[DesertSteel]

And exactly who else was Ben supposed to be looking to throw the ball to when no one else was even running a route?

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A. It was a horrible play call. Just line up and run a real play.
B. To answer your question, the fan in the 8th row.

[SteelerFanInStl]

A. It was a horrible play call. Just line up and run a real play.
B. To answer your question, the fan in the 8th row.

You were bitching about him being locked on to Rogers. That's what happens when only ONE receiver is running a route.

Ben didn't call the play.

[DesertSteel]

You were bitching about him being locked on to Rogers. That's what happens when only ONE receiver is running a route.

Ben didn't call the play.
I'm complaining that he threw the pass into triple coverage. And to be honest I don't know who called the play but that person shares the blame.

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

I wished Ben never throw that pass to Bey and they would have had two shots at the end zone. A chance to kick a FG if they didn't work. That pass caused all they chaos after.

[teegre]

Check out the thread on how the Steelers ran the fake spike play successfully against Dallas last year with AB running don the sideline to the right corner of the end zone
http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/showthread.php/28161-Steelers-Botched-End-Of-Game-Management-Is-Most-Frustrating

Maybe Rogers ran the wrong route - makes no sense to run the only receiver into traffic in the center of the end zone

Also may indicate Ben’s explanation as to what was going on pre-snap was bullshit - might have been a designed play that was called to be run if TD was not scored on second down and then botched

:nod: That is exactly my point.