It doesn't get better than this. Steelers vs Ravens on primetime television. Ultra-competitive, hard-hitting slugfest.
First Half
- Suisham's times: 4.05 (15), 4.26 (9), 4.19 (-6 touchback, nulified by penalty) 4.35 (6 - Kickoff from the 25 due to penalty). Couldn't get a recording for the last kick. The camera angle switched from replay after the kick. The 4.19 and 4.35 times are some of the best this year from either kicker.
- We used the pistol offense for the majority of the first half. Guess we were trying to find a way to keep the threat of the running game while not forcing Ben into playing under center and having to drop back. Running didn't really work partially because the Ravens' defense is tough and our line is makeshift but also because there may be less of a threat in playaction and no threat of an option read like what colleges have.
- Remarkable how many times Troy is able to come in free off the line. The Ravens even ran at him but didn't bother to block him, and he tackled McGahee for a loss. And we know what happened when Troy came unblocked on a pass....
- If the Ravens didn't false start on the fake punt run, it would have been a HUGE gain.
- Ben overthrew Wallace. Wow!
- Disappointed that we didn't do anything points-wise with our first two drive that put us in excellent field position.
- Try to stay with me here on this explanation. I think the long pass to Boldin was a product of the Ravens taking advantage of a good matchup, getting Boldin on Clark. It's tough to tell what the scheme was, but I think we just wanted two DBs on each side of the field. Ike manned up on Mason, Gay seemed to be playing half the field to Ike's side (left) with Clark and McFadden in man on the right. It seemed like we were trying to disguise our man scheme because either Gay or Troy had to be on Boldin before the motion, but Troy crept up to the line after the motion while Clark ran up to get about 5 yards in front of Boldin. Basically, wanting to keep 2 DBs on each half of the field and disgusing our man scheme created the favorable matchup.
- It was a tough first quarter for Chris Chester, to say the least. Ran over by both Woodley and Harrison.
- I can see there being miscommunication on the Boldin TD, which is what Troy said. It's definitely a zone scheme. I don't see there being a "man under" like what Collinsworth said. It may be man on the corners, but the LBs are all in zone and definitely not playing a man scheme. My guess is that once Boldin turned and started to run to the right and right sideline, Troy was supposed to go to man with McFadden playing zone underneath. Troy and McFadden stayed in zone and Boldin cut across the middle and got wide open.
- Bouncing off of both big plays I've touched on, I think we have trouble adjusting to motion at the last second. On both the long ball by Boldin and the TD, there was motion right before the snap. With how complex our scheme can be, it's liable to miscommunication if there isn't time to figure out the adjustments before the snap.
- Could Ben's broken nose be a blessing in disguise? It probably took away the pain in his foot. Let him move around without much pain.
- David Johnson can catch! It's an early Christmas miracle!
- I don't write about other players too much but Ngata is a best. And they do a really good job of moving him around. They'll put him on the nose, three technique, and out at DE and get him on the TE. Advantage Ngata.
- Flozell got bullrushed by Suggs. Terell obviously was a monster.
- Wonder if there was miscommunication on Ben's INT. Wallace and Brown seemed close together. I don't think Brown ever saw the ball.
- McFadden is just making an aggressive guess by attacking the seam on the deep ball to Stallworth after the deep ball to Boldin, but I don't think McFadden can stray from the fastest guy on the Ravens like that. Troy did say there was miscommunication, but it's hard to tell what went wrong.
- The thing I really liked on the same drive after the long completion to Donte was the fact that we didn't allow any points. Huge.
- One of my favorite play of the night in a game chalk full of big ones. Mid-2nd quarter, Harrison gets off his block, forces toss to the inside, and makes the tackle.
- Actually kinda mad about Mendenhall alligator arming one pass with Suggs bearing down on him and dropping a pass when he heard footsteps in the second half. The offense struggled to get moving and Ben is playing at about 5%. Follow suit Mendenall. Take the hit.
- One playcall before the two minute warning I didn't like. Motioned Mendenhall out on 3rd and 2, making it obviou that if we were going to run, it was going to come on the dive to the left side to Redman. Which is what we did. And they stopped it. Suggs came through free. Redman ended up fumbling and Mendenhall luckilly recovered it.
- 4th and 2 play after the fumble. Good job by Ben to go through his progressions and find Johnson. Certainly not his first target.
- Ugly drop by Ward on 3rd down. Unfortunate because the pickup was great. Redman had a great block.
- I doubt Suisham had practiced much punting. Maybe a little while with the team but likely none as a free agent. He did a good job all things considered.
Second Half
- Quick WR screen can work against the right coverage. CB playing off and the safety playing up. Huge gain to Wallace.
- Suisham has already won over Tomlin. That 45 yarder was technically out of our prescribed range. Granted, it was only by a yard or two but Tomlin gave him the chance and Shaun delivered.
- I can't see Sepulevda having a major ACL tear. He was holding and seemed to be walking around decent. I didn't spot a major limp like Andre Frazier had when he tore his in the preseason a couple years ago.
- Good stand by the defense. Held Ravens to a field goal after they had a 1st and goal from the 6.
- Nice job by Ben to draw the Ravens offsides on 4th and 1.
- Don't know how Heath was able to walk off the field.
- Another quick screen to Antonio Brown for 11 yards.
- Flozell got his leg rolled into again. Had to have been the 4th or 5th time that's happened to him. Unreal, worst luck in the world.
- Very disappointing that we couldn't score on the goalline but no Flozell and 1 TE + a great front seven = trouble
- 3rd and goal screen to Wallace some, including myself, were puzzled about. I think Ben read the same thing he read on the big gainer screen to him. The CB had backed off and Landry was lined up close to the line. Landry backed off at the last second and I don't think Ben saw it. If I'm Wallace, I'm running to the pylon too. Not going over the middle into the congestion.
- Another illegal formation of us incorrectly lining up on the LOS. Took away a 3rd down pickup, and it forced a punt in our own zone.
- Lots of penalties on special teams. I think Worilds had two. Lewis had a crucial one that took away a great punt from Suisham that pinned them inside their five.
- Just like last year against Green Bay, Ben's ability to avoid the sack is just as big as throwing the TD.
- Like LeBeau having to listen to his players, I'm sure it's tough for Ben to have to hit his hot on the 3rd and goal TD and hope Redman can punch it in. But it was the correct read. If he holds onto the ball any longer, he's going to be sacked. He got hit right after the throw.
- Redman has been a great story. From Bowie St to beating the Ravens with a game-winning TD when he wasn't even supposed to be out on the field. Incredible.
- Sanders with a huge tackle on the following kickoff.
- Really frustrated by McFadden's second pass interference. Clear he didn't see the ball.
- Looks like the Ravens went to the same play on the one that beat us in our previous meeting. Ran it with 1:20 left. Clark and B-Mac had good coverage.
- Will give McFadden props for jamming Boldin on 4th and 2. Forced Flacco to have to go to another read.
- Keisel played a lot of snaps. Awesome to see considering how much time he missed.
Sacks
- 3rd and 8, 12:30 left in 1st: Shotgun, 4 WR, 1 RB. Ngata gets inside of Foster, clocks Ben in the nose. Suggs beats Flozell off the edge and cleans up the sack.
- 2nd and 10, 14:20 left in 2nd: Shotgun, 3 WR, 2 TE, 1 RB. Run a stunt with Suggs. Pouncey sees it but runs Pouncey over and gets the sack.
- 2nd and 8, 6:21 left in 4th: Shotgun, 3 WR, 1 TE (Johnson split out) 1 RB. Good protection. Mendenhall with a really good chip on Suggs. Nothing downfield, Ward and Johnson bumped into each other. Redding takes Ben down.
Sack Counter (Week)
Wide Receivers: 1
Maurkice Pouncey: 1
Ramon Foster: .5
Flozell Adams: .5
Sack Counter (Year)
Maurkice Pouncey: 4
Ben Roethlisberger: 3.5
Flozell Adams: 2.5
Ramon Foster: 2.5
Jonathan Scott: 2
Coverage: 2
Chris Kemoeatu: 1.5
Wide Receivers: 1.5
Dennis Dixon: 1
Tony Hills: 1
Max Starks: 1
Rashard Mendenhall: 1
Heath Miller: .5
Mewelde Moore: .5
Trai Essex: .5
Documentation
Empty: 6
FB: 3
Pony: 1
Injuries
Ben has a broken nose as you're aware. No big deal. Had surgery and will wear a protective shield.
Flozell has an ankle sprain. Apparently will play this week. Tough son of a gun.
Miller with a concussion. Doesn't remember the play. Likely out.
Sepulevda has a torn right ACL though as I said, I don't see it being a horrible tear (Of course, I'm no doctor). Picture of when/how the tear happened.
http://i51.tinypic.com/2h6r6dt.jpg
Speath is on track to play Sunday.
Quote to Note
Ben Roethlisberger
(on the way Terrell Suggs played) "He is a heck of a player. We kept trying to change our blocking schemes on him, and he still got through. One time after a play, I looked at him, and he was bleeding from the mouth. I was bleeding from the nose. That says it all about a Ravens-Steelers football game."
Roster Moves
Placed Daniel Sepulevda on iR. Signed punter Jeremy Kapinos.
