PDA

View Full Version : Backup tight end Spaeth stunned by two key drops



stillers4me
12-20-2010, 04:56 AM
Matt Spaeth watched it all slip through his hands, just as Ben Roethlisberger's passes escaped his grasp in the end zone.

The Steelers tight end had a chance to provide a thrilling end to Sunday's game against the New York Jets, to bookend his first touchdown reception of the season with a game-winner in the final nine seconds.

And he dropped the ball -- twice.

A stunned Spaeth was apologetic after the Steelers' 22-17 loss to the Jets at Heinz Field, knowing he could have capped an 82-yard drive in the final 2:08 with a 10-yard touchdown catch.

"I could have been the hero," said Spaeth, starting a second consecutive game for Heath Miller (concussion). "Guys made plays all day, especially on that last drive, and it was my turn to step up and make a play, and I couldn't do it."........................

Read more @ http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_714543.html

BlastFurnace
12-20-2010, 06:45 AM
Funny thing is Matt...no one else is surprised.

SteelerSal
12-20-2010, 06:58 AM
Just don't get why he would even be on the field in that situation....Battle was dressed and should of been on the field. IMO

HometownGal
12-20-2010, 07:05 AM
I'm not going to get on the guy too much, as there is a reason he is a back-up TE. I think we can all say with a reasonable degree of certainty that Heath would have caught that TD pass, but Spaeth is NOT Heath. Hey - Heath has dropped some sure catches - it happens. We get over it and move on.

SteelerSal
12-20-2010, 07:08 AM
Not getting on him..just wondering why we did not have all wr's on the field is all.....Spaeth I felt played a pretty good game and the guy did very well blocking and protecting ben on a few blitz pickups.

Merchant
12-20-2010, 07:14 AM
Just don't get why he would even be on the field in that situation....Battle was dressed and should of been on the field. IMO

Uhh.. :uhoh:

Steeldude
12-20-2010, 08:01 AM
he is paid a ridiculous amount of money to catch passes. you would think by now he would have learned how to do it. catching is so very, very simple. i don't see how some players have so much trouble with it.

ALLD
12-20-2010, 08:09 AM
He took his eye off the ball many times. The only time he caught it was when Ben drilled it into his kidneys. The guy is not a go to guy.

SteelerFanInStl
12-20-2010, 09:40 AM
He took his eye off the ball many times. The only time he caught it was when Ben drilled it into his kidneys. The guy is not a go to guy.

Yep. If you go back and look at the catches he made, all of them were drilled into his body. He can't seem to catch it with his hands.

El-Gonzo Jackson
12-20-2010, 10:16 AM
Funny thing is Matt...no one else is surprised.

:rofl:

Yeah, its why I dont blame him much because he has little history of making tough catches.

fansince'76
12-20-2010, 10:50 AM
I wish this were just an isolated thing with Spaeth, but it isn't. "Dropitis" has been a recurring theme with this team all year. I also seem to recall at least two dropped TD passes against New England a few weeks back which would have made that game much more interesting, with one of those drives ending with the shanked chip shot by Reed that finally bought him his ticket out of town. So instead of 14 points, we got 3, thanks to two drops in the end zone. Hell, even Ward and Miller haven't been completely immune from it. Has Ben misfired on a number of passes this year? Yep. But he's also had an absolute ton of passes which should have been caught by his receivers get inexcusably dropped as well. The entire receiving corps need to start spending extra time in catching drills and on the Jugs machine, IMO.

JayC
12-20-2010, 11:18 AM
spaeth would be goat #1 if he missed the first TD catch. he had like 4 drops. he sucks.

CPanther95
12-20-2010, 12:12 PM
Worse than the dropped TD catch at the end (not an easy one if he had made it) - was the fact that Spaeth appeared to be the only receiver trying to get into open field when Ben had to extend the play. Didn't go back to watch it again - deleted this game the minute it was over - but I recall seeing a receiver at the front of the end zone on the same side the throw went to that looked like his route was over so he just stood there covered while Ben was scrambling.

steelerdude15
12-20-2010, 01:51 PM
I miss Heath and I never realized how much losing Heath would hurt us.

steel striker
12-20-2010, 02:42 PM
I was really hoping it would not come down to Matt having to make a grab and, I was really hoping Wallace or Hines would have got open on that last play. You know though the one thing a like about Ben is he always fights to the end. He almost pulled that game out.

Psycho Ward 86
12-20-2010, 06:47 PM
At least he's got a nice photo finish on NFL.com of him dropping that last ball...dumbass...

Chidi29
12-20-2010, 06:51 PM
Just don't get why he would even be on the field in that situation....Battle was dressed and should of been on the field. IMO

Battle has played less than five snaps at WR this year. Maybe just one or two.

He had a shoulder and rib bruise and might not play this week.

If we want to go five wide, we'd go

Ward, Wallace, Sanders, Brown, and Moore.

86WARD
12-20-2010, 08:25 PM
Spaeth actually played fairly well Sunday...lol. It's not like other guys on the team don't drop passes.

Having said that...can't wait to have Heath on the field!