Game balls and goats

[RunNGun]

Hell of a roller-coaster ride this one was. Offense was non-existent in the first half and showed life in the 2nd. Admittedly, I didn't think this team had a chance after the first half. Defense was lights out and should receive high praise for the way they balled out. Special teams started bad, but now it's Danny Smith for pres!

Gameballs...

Defense. Everyone. They were lights out. There looked to be no weakness in that defense. Pierre made some nice plays by keeping everything in front of him. Tj Watt was TJ Watt...the best edge in the business. Minkah was flying all over the place. Cam was in the backfield early and often. Sutton held his man in check all day. Highsmith was great at almost getting sacks. Ingram filled in well when called upon.

Goats

There is no goats this week. No one on the offense played particularly well, but they showed signs of improvement and that is huge for this team. We beat a great team on the road and we're sitting 1-0. They made the necessary adjustments at half and the offense showed a pulse. No one saw us winning this game besides a few experts on this forum. Onto da Raiders!

[86WARD]

Game Balls: Defense, Special Teams, Ben, WRs.

Goats: Run Blocking.

Great team win to start the 2021 season!

[EzraTank]

Wow not what I expected. If the OL can get better we have a shot against anyone. This defense was scary good, assuming this secondary continues to play like this.

GB: Ben, Harris, the defense and special teams. The blocked punt/TD sealed this game.

Goats: Run blocking, but it got better.

[Fire Goodell]

Game Ball: 2nd half
Goat: 1st half

[Mojouw]

Almost all positives.

The only thing that concerns me is that very little came out of scheme and flow on offense. It was all individual plays and a few key penalties. That was what eventually ran out of gas last season.

But for week 1, just give everyone a game ball for stealing a win on the road.

[HollywoodSteel]

20-0

[RunNGun]

Almost all positives.

The only thing that concerns me is that very little came out of scheme and flow on offense. It was all individual plays and a few key penalties. That was what eventually ran out of gas last season.

But for week 1, just give everyone a game ball for stealing a win on the road.

It is concerning. It definitely took some magic to pull this one out, but I do look for the running game to keep improving. That should take some pressure off of Ben and the WRs.

[NCSteeler]

Almost all positives.

The only thing that concerns me is that very little came out of scheme and flow on offense. It was all individual plays and a few key penalties. That was what eventually ran out of gas last season.

But for week 1, just give everyone a game ball for stealing a win on the road.Exactly how I see it. No players were schemed open. Everyone was pretty well covered but made great plays

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Edman]

Heroes: Defense, Special Teams, 2nd Half Offense.

Goats: First half Offense was miserable.

The game swung when Buffalo made those 4th down calls. They clearly didn't respect the Steelers Offense and challenged them. The Offense for the most part responded.

[Craic]

Game Balls
Offense: Diontae Johnson.
HM: O line for coming together in the second half, and especially the two rookies.

Defense: Yes.

Special Teams: Miles Killebrew.

Goats

Special Teams Kick Coverage.

[Fire Goodell]

FO did a good job picking up Black Tommy Maddox :chuckle:

[Shoes]

Goats: game day thread. :lol:

[Craic]

Almost all positives.

The only thing that concerns me is that very little came out of scheme and flow on offense. It was all individual plays and a few key penalties. That was what eventually ran out of gas last season.

But for week 1, just give everyone a game ball for stealing a win on the road.

You know, I'm really not worried about scheming this game. It looked as though the scheme was: "Wait, new O line and rookie RB who doesn't block well at the NFL level (yet)? Yeah, we're not going to get our QB killed." Now, if this is the same game plan for game 6, I'm going to be seriously worried.

[Edman]

Goats: game day thread. :lol:

I'm already in midseason form.

[Shoes]

I'm already in midseason form.


:toofunny:

[tube517]

Goats: game day thread. [emoji38][emoji1787][emoji1787][emoji1787]

Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk

[Mojouw]

You know, I'm really not worried about scheming this game. It looked as though the scheme was: "Wait, new O line and rookie RB who doesn't block well at the NFL level (yet)? Yeah, we're not going to get our QB killed." Now, if this is the same game plan for game 6, I'm going to be seriously worried.

All very true and reasonable. I just feel like every year we hear all off-season that this or that is gonna come for the offense. And then every season, it is Ben just stands back there and tries and make random plays. Structure and flow be darned. Feels like more of the same...but...who really knows?

[Fire Goodell]

All very true and reasonable. I just feel like every year we hear all off-season that this or that is gonna come for the offense. And then every season, it is Ben just stands back there and tries and make random plays. Structure and flow be darned. Feels like more of the same...but...who really knows?

I feel part of that is because of the lack of a run game that commands any respect. A lot of times it came down to Ben just buying time and making shit happen. Hopefully that changes through this season as I like that they're showing a commitment to running the ball

[86WARD]

All very true and reasonable. I just feel like every year we hear all off-season that this or that is gonna come for the offense. And then every season, it is Ben just stands back there and tries and make random plays. Structure and flow be darned. Feels like more of the same...but...who really knows?

Offense definitely looked different today. There were some of the same plays but you’re going to have that no matter what. There was some nice wrinkles in there though.

[Fire Goodell]

Want to add that Freiermuth was clutch when his number was called. If he keeps this up he's going to be a Steeler for life

[Craic]

All very true and reasonable. I just feel like every year we hear all off-season that this or that is gonna come for the offense. And then every season, it is Ben just stands back there and tries and make random plays. Structure and flow be darned. Feels like more of the same...but...who really knows?

I understand, and really, had to temper a few thoughts I was having during that first half as well along the same lines. But I just kept reminding myself of something I learned back in the 1997 season. NEVER judge a Steelers team until the sixth game is over. If we're 3-3 or better most likely we are playoff bound.

[ETL]

FO did a good job picking up Black Tommy Maddox :chuckle:

:toofunny:

[HollywoodSteel]

All very true and reasonable. I just feel like every year we hear all off-season that this or that is gonna come for the offense. And then every season, it is Ben just stands back there and tries and make random plays. Structure and flow be darned. Feels like more of the same...but...who really knows?

That's all fair, and the first half did have me worried. But even Ben said that this offense might not look too pretty early on. That tells me that there is a plan, Ben is confident in that plan, but it will take a little while to hum. If we can get Ws while that happens, what more can I ask for.

Even the difference between the first half and the second gives me some hope.

But man, our defense today on the road in a playoff atmosphere against an offensive juggernaut... that REALLY gives me hope that we'll have little cushion to get it together offensively. We were praising CBs like Sutton and Pierre for heaven's sakes! That is really nice.

[pczach]

Almost all positives.

The only thing that concerns me is that very little came out of scheme and flow on offense. It was all individual plays and a few key penalties. That was what eventually ran out of gas last season.

But for week 1, just give everyone a game ball for stealing a win on the road.


With limited playing time, I doubt the entire playbook is available. Too many young players and new players to master it all. I think more and more will be added and on display as the season unfolds.

[fansince'76]

Dong win...

:chuckle:

[dislocatedday]

It was so good to have Bush and Schobert in at middle linebacker. It was a noticeable difference with those 2 in versus what the Steelers had to field in their spots most of last season.

[teegre]

GAMEBALLS
Highsmith: two holding calls called against the LT… that would have been hurries (or possibly sacks)

Ingram: dude was lined up everywhere; excellent pressure; someone used a bicycle pump on his arms

Watt: pffft, five less sacks than the NFL leader (joking aside: his presence was felt)

Sutton: WOW!!!

Bush: He was making tackles that normally would have ended up being big gains

Punt coverage: Block!!!

Green: He was 35 yards downfield blocking on Claypool’s long run

Boz: …is money

Heyward & Fitzpatrick: Good as always (I almost forgot them).

GOATS
Challenge flag (lack thereof): when Heyward stripped that ball, why wasn’t it challenged???

Danny Smith: Need I say anything??? SMFH

[Shoes]

It takes Ben 4-5 games to come out of hibernation nothing new here. :chuckle:

[86WARD]

Friermuth's blocking was pretty solid.

[teegre]

Friermuth's blocking was pretty solid.

On Najee’s long run, Muth sprung him by blocking the LB who had gotten behind the LOS. If not for that block, it’s (yet another) run for a loss.

Oh, and Norwood & Pierre had some key plays.

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

I was impressed by Ingram and Sutton's play and of course TJ as always.

[Mojouw]

Edmunds made several solid open field stops that prevented good plays by the Bills from turning into great plays. Had a solid game doing what a safety should do.

[86WARD]

On Najee’s long run, Muth sprung him by blocking the LB who had gotten behind the LOS. If not for that block, it’s (yet another) run for a loss.

Oh, and Norwood & Pierre had some key plays.

Same on Chase’s run. Sealed the block and upfield he went.

[The Bark]

First half offense had me hating the fact that the key players played a total of what, one, two quarters together in the preseason. Granted, it's essentially a new offensive line and coordinator, but that's also why they need(ed) more time to gel (and not to take anything away from Buffalo's defense.) Hopefully they will improve as the season progresses, but that first half was absolutely flat-out dreadful and aside from the motion looked an awful lot like last year's offense down the stretch, with an emphasis on awful.

Game Ball - Watt.
Goat - all-in-all, they won with a team effort coming from behind on the road in a tough, pumped up environment. I've been to many games in Buffalo and the Bills are my #2 team, so it was a big game and a bigger win in a stadium that can be filled with its fair share of arsehats.

[Texasteel]

Goats: game day thread. :lol:

Can't blame me, I just got home, but I did see the game from the comfort of a bar stool.

Not going to make any lasting judgments on the first game, but Green seemed to have pick up on the center position pretty quickly. anxious to see him with 3 or 4 games under his belt.

[Texasteel]

I will say that the person that deserves both the hero, and goat award is who ever drew up that bone head 4th down play the Bills tried to pull off. Hero for us, goat for them.

[Fire Goodell]

I will say that the person that deserves both the hero, and goat award is who ever drew up that bone head 4th down play the Bills tried to pull off. Hero for us, goat for them.

i think even the steelers were surprised it wasn't a qb sneak. you got a big athletic qb and only half a yard to go

[Steeler-in-west]

Gameballs: Sutton, Bush, Schobert, and the defense overall, except for that one quick long drive by the bills the defense was outstanding

also good efficient game by Ben, and great catch by DJ

[BlackAndGold]

Norwood keeps it up, he has a place on the defense. Other than stopping his feet in coverage which let Sanders get open down the field(overthrown) early in the game he played very well. His versatility let Minkah move around in the slot. I'm not sure how much they'll keep doing it but it's something I liked seeing.

[dislocatedday]

I will say that the person that deserves both the hero, and goat award is who ever drew up that bone head 4th down play the Bills tried to pull off. Hero for us, goat for them.

That would be Bills OC Brian Daboll, who is getting roasted on Bills message boards, and rightfully so for that call.

[RunNGun]

Norwood keeps it up, he has a place on the defense. Other than stopping his feet in coverage which let Sanders get open down the field(overthrown) early in the game he played very well. His versatility let Minkah move around in the slot. I'm not sure how much they'll keep doing it but it's something I liked seeing.

This. I underestimated Norwood in the preseason. He seems to be the real deal. It's really impressive to see a 6th round pick catch on that quickly. I do believe his speed could hurt him at times, like on the Sanders deep ball, but all in all, the guy knows where he needs to be and puts himself in good position.

[HollywoodSteel]

I absolutely loved DJ’s concentration on that TD. It was his biggest problem last year and we all know how hard he worked on it in the offseason.

Also looked like he channeled a bit of Lynn Swan there. :)

[86WARD]

What about Claypool’s catch...pretty sick...

[HollywoodSteel]

What about Claypool’s catch...pretty sick...

Juju was clutch as well.

We have some talented WRs

[Steeler-in-west]

I absolutely loved DJ’s concentration on that TD. It was his biggest problem last year and we all know how hard he worked on it in the offseason.

Also looked like he channeled a bit of Lynn Swan there. :)

He’s actually starting to look a little like AB out there but yeah that particular catch was Swanny

http://www.steelersuniverse.com/forums/blob:http://www.steelersuniverse.com/9caeaf83-eacd-48c7-bccf-2551c4965064

[DesertSteel]

Danny Smith: Need I say anything??? SMFH
He gets no credit for the blocked punt/ TD?

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Norwood keeps it up, he has a place on the defense. Other than stopping his feet in coverage which let Sanders get open down the field(overthrown) early in the game he played very well. His versatility let Minkah move around in the slot. I'm not sure how much they'll keep doing it but it's something I liked seeing.

Norwood doesnt have long speed and will get burnt often if having to cover receivers downfield. But if he can play slot CB or S and cover slot receivers and TE's, he will be fine. I think Sutton and Pierre showed they can be an improvement over what Nelson was last year.

- - - Updated - - -


Can't blame me, I just got home, but I did see the game from the comfort of a bar stool.

Not going to make any lasting judgments on the first game, but Green seemed to have pick up on the center position pretty quickly. anxious to see him with 3 or 4 games under his belt.

Green showed well and played beyond the whistle at times. Same with Turner and Dotson. This group of guys is going to improve as the weeks go by, as long as they stay healthy.

[Squeegee Thompson]

Game Balls:
Holy crap ... almost everyone on D! Watt, Highsmith, Ingram, Heyward, Minkah, Sutton, Pierre, some JAG named Norwood. That was an all-around nasty defense that was bringing pressure from anywhere and everywhere. And when's the last time the secondary has ever been so stingy? Pierre, Sutton, and Norwood I think all had pass breakups.

Offense: Claypool, Juju, Muth (for a great catch and better-than-expected run blocking). DJ showed great concentration on that tipped pass in the EZ. 2nd half Ben. He does what he does: puts the team on his back in a hostile playoff-like environment and ground out an ugly just-good-enough-to-get-it-done win. He's showing better mobility in the pocket and the willingness to even tuck it and run that I didn't see at all last year. And even at 39 has still proven to be one tough SOB to get to the ground.

Special Teams: Killebrew and UGIII for that back-breaking blocked punt which effectively sealed the game. Harvin also impressed aside from that one shanked punt. He absolutely buried one (probably wind-aided) that he kicked from 2 yards deep in the EZ that landed at the Bills' 35 yard line ... that travelled about 77 yards in the air and had enough hang time to allow the tackle immediately after the catch. Totally flipped the field. The new holding combo of Kuntz, Harvin and Boswell sure seemed fine to me. All Boswell did is what he normally does: bisect the uprights on everything he kicked.

Coaching: I really liked to see the rotation of players in there. At one point I noticed Kendrick Green getting spelled for a few plays. I liked seeing the rotation of Heyward, Wormley, and Alualu and Highsmith, Ingram and Watt. I have no problem seeing our $120 million dollar toy being spelled for a few plays so he can come back in and wreak havoc with fresh legs. If they can keep a rotation of DL and OLBs fresh, they're going to give QBs nightmares.

Zebras: I get "let them play", but holy crap feel free to throw a flag sometimes. Watt was being held / tackled / sat on on Every. Single. Play. Same was nearly true for Highsmith on the other side. I saw at least 3 DPIs that didn't get called. That officiating (or lack thereof) was unreal.

GOATS:
Offense: Run blocking. Yeah, yeah, I get it - you've got 2 rookies on the OL with 4 new faces from last season's OL and a rookie running back in there and none of these guys have seen true NFL game speed against a really, really good defense - but man, they looked overmatched for most of the game. I can only hope that more game time / cohesion / film study / weight room work will get them where they need to be. Just hoping Najee starts getting more to work with because he was being swallowed in the backfield almost all day long. DJ, although he had a great catch had 3 miscommunications with Ben. I'm guessing that Ben "read it right" and DJ "read it wrong", but any one of those screw-ups could've been disasterous. 1st-half Ben also missed some easy throws. I'll attribute it to rust / timing not being 100% there, and it would've been much more concerning if he hadn't put on his Superman cape for the 2nd half and gone vintage Ben.

Defense: No goats. I saw Bush take a bad angle on one of Singletary's long runs in the 4th quarter and get swallowed up, but it's hard to be critical of much at all on the D. They alone got the win.

Special Teams: How in the world does somebody take the opening kickoff 75 yards and never have to a) make somebody miss, b) change direction or c) break a tackle?! It was either an amazing job of blocking on the Bills' side, or an amazingly-poor series of angles taken by the gunners. ... and since Danny Smiff is still the ST coach, I'm going with the latter.

All-in-all it's hard to be too critical of a win that they weren't supposed to get in conditions that were not conducive to the passing game against a team that thinks it's going to the Super Bowl. A+ effort all around. Take the win, enjoy the flight back to the 'Burgh and on to the Raiduhs!

[tube517]

Game ball - ME. I switched TV's at halftime and moved to another room after that crap first half.

[DesertSteel]

Ben is now a game manager; he was a bad game manager in the first half and a good one in the second.

[HollywoodSteel]

I think we should show Keith Butler some love. Yes, he has some great individual players to work with but he did a masterful job utilizing the secondary and the rotation of linebackers.

I think he studied the Bills offense very hard, remembering exactly what they - especially Diggs - did to us in the past and found a way to counter it.

My opponent in fantasy had Diggs so I was double happy that we kept his numbers relatively low.

[Mojouw]

I think we should show Keith Butler some love. Yes, he has some great individual players to work with but he did a masterful job utilizing the secondary and the rotation of linebackers.

I think he studied the Bills offense very hard, remembering exactly what they - especially Diggs - did to us in the past and found a way to counter it.

My opponent in fantasy had Diggs so I was double happy that we kept his numbers relatively low.

Good points. Being able to get offense killing pressure with just 3 or 4 is just a "cheat code" for a defense.

Send a minimum amount of dudes and then play safe coverage behind.

[pczach]

I think we should show Keith Butler some love. Yes, he has some great individual players to work with but he did a masterful job utilizing the secondary and the rotation of linebackers.

I think he studied the Bills offense very hard, remembering exactly what they - especially Diggs - did to us in the past and found a way to counter it.

My opponent in fantasy had Diggs so I was double happy that we kept his numbers relatively low.



The defensive game plan was excellent. They rushed four almost the entire game. They blitzed only once. They sometimes rushed four, but only had two players going after the QB, with two others holding their ground at the LOS and keeping Allen from getting out of the pocket.

The Bills don't run the ball. So they essentially played third down defense with few defenders at the LOS with their hand in the dirt while mixing up coverages on the back end.

It was a masterful plan and I think they have a blueprint that other teams will throw at Allen.

Great job by Butler, and his design was executed beautifully by the defense with great controlled aggression.

[teegre]

Good points. Being able to get offense killing pressure with just 3 or 4 is just a "cheat code" for a defense.

Send a minimum amount of dudes and then play safe coverage behind.

55 plays by Buffalo’s offense
1 blitz by the Pittsburgh defense

One!!!

[HollywoodSteel]

The defensive game plan was excellent. They rushed four almost the entire game. They blitzed only once. They sometimes rushed four, but only had two players going after the QB, with two others holding their ground at the LOS and keeping Allen from getting out of the pocket.

The Bills don't run the ball. So they essentially played third down defense with few defenders at the LOS with their hand in the dirt while mixing up coverages on the back end.

It was a masterful plan and I think they have a blueprint that other teams will throw at Allen.

Great job by Butler, and his design was executed beautifully by the defense with great controlled aggression.

Absolutely right. Although I don’t know if the blueprint will work for most teams. Butler was masterful because he knows he has the personnel to pass rush effectively with just four guys. Our front seven are monsters, even without Tuitt!

Imagine how many pressures and turnovers we might have had if the Bills didn’t hold on every play. :)

[Squeegee Thompson]

Imagine how many pressures and turnovers we might have had if the Bills had gotten called for each hold on every play. :)

FIFY ...

[HollywoodSteel]

FIFY ...

Yeah, that too.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Imagine how many pressures and turnovers we might have had if the Bills didn’t hold on every play. :)

I think a lot of fans see O linemen grab shoulder pads on the shoulder and around the chest and think that is a holding call that wasnt made. No official is ever going to call those, as long as the o lineman is between the defender and QB and has his hands tight like in the attached picture and is moving his feet to block.

Its actually coached that way and considered to be "inside the frame". They will call it if the rusher gets by the blocker and he is still holding on. But I think a lot of fans see it as a hold, when it is not, by football standards.

Sorry I could not find this photo in a smaller version, but it shows a great example of "not a hold".

https://images.ctfassets.net/2fsertgrdoba/6oCJHuUV99J1p3AkPBdHGt/f40d07f485a989273761b711c7620c2a/USATSI_11918061.jpg

[Mojouw]

I think a lot of fans see O linemen grab shoulder pads on the shoulder and around the chest and think that is a holding call that wasnt made. No official is ever going to call those, as long as the o lineman is between the defender and QB and has his hands tight like in the attached picture and is moving his feet to block.

Its actually coached that way and considered to be "inside the frame". They will call it if the rusher gets by the blocker and he is still holding on. But I think a lot of fans see it as a hold, when it is not, by football standards.

Sorry I could not find this photo in a smaller version, but it shows a great example of "not a hold".



I deleted the photo for ease of posting, but it might make my question less clear.

But if Watt is able to take a step outside of Johnson's frame (say to the inside towards the guard) and Johnson does not mirror it properly and he and Watt are no longer "square" - would that be holding? Because now Johnson (the OT) would be using a hold to keep Watt from sidestepping his block...or at least this is how I have understood things for a bit. Doesn't mean I am correct.

[Edman]

The Bills' very high expectations did them in.

They went into this game with the mindset of blowing out the Steelers instead of just winning the game and were overly aggressive. Buffalo kept throwing haymakers that weren't landing.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

I deleted the photo for ease of posting, but it might make my question less clear.

But if Watt is able to take a step outside of Johnson's frame (say to the inside towards the guard) and Johnson does not mirror it properly and he and Watt are no longer "square" - would that be holding? Because now Johnson (the OT) would be using a hold to keep Watt from sidestepping his block...or at least this is how I have understood things for a bit. Doesn't mean I am correct.

Correct. If the rusher gets his hips past the OT hips and the OT is still hanging on, like a goalie trying to catch a puck with an extended glove hand, then its a hold and an easy penalty call.

I just think so many fans think that a guy is holding when he had closed hands inside the frame of the defender and that is not a penalty.

[Craic]

Correct. If the rusher gets his hips past the OT hips and the OT is still hanging on, like a goalie trying to catch a puck with an extended glove hand, then its a hold and an easy penalty call.

I just think so many fans think that a guy is holding when he had closed hands inside the frame of the defender and that is not a penalty.
I'm reminded of a common saying about this topic - "There's holding on every single play if the refs wanted to call it." The real issue isn't whether there's holding or not, but are the refs consistently letting the same things go and consistently calling the same actions for holding against both sides in a game? If the answer is yes, then that's all we can hope for.