Bires: Tomlin's mishandling of RBs helped cause fumbles

[zulater]

http://www.timesonline.com/columnist...cb6223db1.html

In the aftermath of all their “mistakes by the lake,” four running backs who fumbled away a Steelers’ victory accepted blame and apologized to their teammates.
“This is embarrassing,” Rashard Mendenhall said in a solemn and sad locker room.
A few feet away, Jonathan Dwyer could be heard saying, “We let everyone down.”
Yes, it was an atrocious day for men who tote the ball for the Steelers.

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“That was an ugly performance,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the 20-14 loss to the Browns. “It’s ours. We own it.”
How appropriate that Tomlin used the words “ours” and “we” because he, too, is part of the blame. He’s also at fault for the pathetic exhibition of ball security in particular and the poor overall performance of the running game (a season-low 49 yards).
Firstly, Tomlin should not be starting Mendenhall, who’s missed so much time this year due to knee and Achilles injuries. He’s a shell of the runner he’s been in the past.
Dwyer has clearly been the Steelers’ most productive and effective runner. He should get the bulk of the carries.
Secondly, Tomlin’s decision to exile his fumblers to the bench in Cleveland is the kind of thing coaches do on the junior high level.
After his fumble, Mendenhall didn’t get another carry until the midway in the third quarter and finished with just four for the game.
After his fumble, Redman didn’t get any more carries.
After his fumble, Dwyer got one more carry.
That is no way to treat running backs who need consistent carries to find their groove.
“We are going to play people who can secure the football,” Tomlin said.




Could you imagine if Chuck Noll had pulled Franco after every fumble? Franco would have never made it to the HOF, and the 70's Steelers would have never won 4 SB's.

And Tomlin is being a hypocrite. He holds the rb's to one standard, yet he allows Mike Wallace to go out every week and make multiple mental errors, crippling drives all along the way. And where's his repurcussions?


Tomlin needs to quit playing games with the rb's. You can't run with agression if you run with fear of losing the ball. It's one thing for fans to overreact to every single play on the field. But the head coach has to be above that. Realize that mistakes sometimes happen. That's not to say they're excused. But you certainly don't correct them by keeping a guy on the sideline with a dunce cap on him.

[steeldawg]

In the aftermath of all their “mistakes by the lake,” four running backs who fumbled away a Steelers’ victory accepted blame and apologized to their teammates.
“This is embarrassing,” Rashard Mendenhall said in a solemn and sad locker room.
A few feet away, Jonathan Dwyer could be heard saying, “We let everyone down.”
Yes, it was an atrocious day for men who tote the ball for the Steelers.

.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .............................


“That was an ugly performance,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the 20-14 loss to the Browns. “It’s ours. We own it.”
How appropriate that Tomlin used the words “ours” and “we” because he, too, is part of the blame. He’s also at fault for the pathetic exhibition of ball security in particular and the poor overall performance of the running game (a season-low 49 yards).
Firstly, Tomlin should not be starting Mendenhall, who’s missed so much time this year due to knee and Achilles injuries. He’s a shell of the runner he’s been in the past.
Dwyer has clearly been the Steelers’ most productive and effective runner. He should get the bulk of the carries.
Secondly, Tomlin’s decision to exile his fumblers to the bench in Cleveland is the kind of thing coaches do on the junior high level.
After his fumble, Mendenhall didn’t get another carry until the midway in the third quarter and finished with just four for the game.
After his fumble, Redman didn’t get any more carries.
After his fumble, Dwyer got one more carry.
That is no way to treat running backs who need consistent carries to find their groove.
“We are going to play people who can secure the football,” Tomlin said.




Could you imagine if Chuck Noll had pulled Franco after every fumble? Franco would have never made it to the HOF, and the 70's Steelers would have never won 4 SB's.

And Tomlin is being a hypocrite. He holds the rb's to one standard, yet he allows Mike Wallace to go out every week and make multiple mental errors, crippling drives all along the way. And where's his repurcussions?


Tomlin needs to quit playing games with the rb's. You can't run with agression if you run with fear of losing the ball. It's one thing for fans to overreact to every single play on the field. But the head coach has to be above that. Realize that mistakes sometimes happen. That's not to say they're excused. But you certainly don't correct them by keeping a guy on the sideline with a dunce cap on him.

I agree you cannot especially in cold weather games pull running back in and out of the game like that, nobody had a chance to get going they couldnt hold ball and rainey nearly got snapped in half.

[zulater]

Kovacevic: Tomlin’s bizarre benchings

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But Tomlin’s reaction was no less bizarre: When Mendenhall fumbled, he was benched for Dwyer. When Dwyer fumbled, he was benched for Redman. When Redman fumbled, Rainey was summoned off kick-return duty.
“Man,” Rainey said with a shake of the head, “I didn’t even think I was going to play .”
Play?
The 5-foot-8, 178-pound scatback was the goal-line back for the Steelers’ 1-yard TD run near the end of the first half that brought a 14-13 lead. He even was sent, Bus-style, right between the tackles!
Had Rainey not pinballed outside and scored, Tomlin and offensive coordinator Todd Haley would have looked ridiculous.
Tomlin’s explanation for benching the backs was succinct and predictable: “They were fumbling the ball. So we are going to play people who can secure the football. But after everybody does it, obviously, there aren’t many choices left.”
OK, so why then did Tomlin come back with Rainey to open the second half?
Rainey didn’t lose a fumble in the first half, but he let one slip out of bounds.
Is that the new standard?
The Steelers lugged that one-point lead into the third quarter, and they surely didn’t need much more to bury this opponent. But their first two offensive drives moved the ball a total of 4 yards, and the Browns had life. That doesn’t all fall on Rainey, of course, especially since Batch killed one of those drives with an interception. But Tomlin would have done far better to go with one of his best. Or one of his three best.
This, I dare say, smacked of coaching to be the coach rather than coaching to win.
It’s not unreasonable to think one of Mendenhall, Dwyer or Redman could have broken a big one. Or that Mendenhall might have gotten going with more than four carries, Dwyer more than nine, Redman more than two. Or that going to the run had a better chance of success than anything involving the sadly struggling Batch.
Standing by one guy, showing a little faith, might even have cut short the cycle of fumbling.
As Mendenhall put it when asked that hypothetical, “Yeah, when you see it keep happening, you start to kind of shadow-box yourself out there.”
As fate and fickle fingers would have it, Mendenhall fumbled again shortly after his return late in the third quarter.


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[GodfatherofSoul]

Had Rainey not pinballed outside and scored, Tomlin and offensive coordinator Todd Haley would have looked ridiculous.

In other words, if you don't count his touchdowns, he was terrible. That ability to cutback might be the reason he's on the team.

[Dwinsgames]

“We are going to play people who can secure the football,” Tomlin said.

hope he has 4 out of work RB's on speed dial then with that logic

John Clay where are ya son ?

[zulater]

Seriously how can you hold a running back to such a high standard? If anything when you take a player with no real history of fumbling and start treating him like this you're going to end up putting that fear in his mind. And way too often when we fear something too much it because a self perpetuating reality of our own making. Sort of like a marginal week end bowler ( say 140-60 avg) being told not to roll high into the head pin. Once it's in your mind, you end up doing it all damn night!

Anyway what's next? We going to tell Ike that he's going to be benched for dropping interceptions? Woodley for missing sacks? Max for giving up a sack? Ben for throwing an interception?

Seriously backs are going to fumble at times! It's part of the game. (unless they're playing the Steelers, then they never fumble ) Tomlin's got to get over himslef and figure out a successfull backfield rotation the rest of the way. Motivation through fear of fumbling is a plan that needs to be abandoned!

[BlastFurnace]

In other words, if you don't count his touchdowns, he was terrible. That ability to cutback might be the reason he's on the team.

I'm sorry, but Rainey doesn't look as fast as advertized and I don't see any cutback or elusiveness from him. When I saw Willie Parker as a rookie, he looked lightening fast. I don't see that with Rainey at all.

[Dwinsgames]

I'm sorry, but Rainey doesn't look as fast as advertized and I don't see any cutback or elusiveness from him. When I saw Willie Parker as a rookie, he looked lightening fast. I don't see that with Rainey at all.

that is because Parker did not have patience and ran with reckless abandon hole not there bounced outside where sports cars play their best ball ( hole or no hole he went anyways ) Rainey has patience and waits for blocks to develop before just running it up in there ...sometimes that is a good thing , sometimes it is not ...if the hole opens its a good thing because everyone coming for m the backside runs themselves out of the play , if it does not develop then it is bad because he gets hit from behind ....

what I would like to see is him taking it upon himself and cutting it outside when it is not there instead of trying to force the issue and staying between the tackles when the hole is just not gonna be there no matter how long he waits ... he has the speed but it does him no good without the room to use it and they continually call inside runs with a Ferrari .... Ferrari's need room to use the speed , inside runs are for Trucks not sports cars outside runs are for sports cars not trucks ... we are trying to get to cute and misusing guys because its not what the opponent would think you would do with them ( guessing ) what other reason could there be ?? oh and as a side not no way is he 180 pounds at 5' 8" the man is skin and bones if he goes a pound over 150 he would be lucky

[Psycho Ward 86]

hope he has 4 out of work RB's on speed dial then with that logic

John Clay where are ya son ?

not on an NFL team where he belongs. he's terrible. anyone could have told you that before he ever toted a ball in the nfl. Wildly incomplete back, mediocre receiver/blocker, soft against contact unless he has a full head of steam going, terrible feet, product of one of UW Madison's better O-line's that they've ever had. Here at UW, us badgers just kind of cheer him because he's alumni even though we know he sucks

[Dwinsgames]

not on an NFL team where he belongs. he's terrible. anyone could have told you that before he ever toted a ball in the nfl. Wildly incomplete back, mediocre receiver/blocker, soft against contact unless he has a full head of steam going, terrible feet, product of one of UW Madison's better O-line's that they've ever had. Here at UW, us badgers just kind of cheer him because he's alumni even though we know he sucks

guess I need to try harder in the humor department

[NJarhead]

I say this a little tongue-in-cheek, but if our offense never takes the field, we win 7-3. haha

*sobs uncontrollably*

[43Hitman]

We should have kept Kuhn. He would fix all of our problems.

[NJarhead]

We should have kept Kuhn. He would fix all of our problems.

Amen

[Dwinsgames]

We should have kept Kuhn. He would fix all of our problems.

fine FB but he would not fix the issues of ball security any more than Rocky Bleier in his prime could ( well Bleier could be the feature back if he had to in his day that is ) Kuhn is not that kind of player sorry ( and I like him a lot ) Kuhn is more along the lines of Jon Witman and has success running from time to time because its more of a surprise because of the many many weapons you must defend when playing the packers IMO

[Craic]

We should have kept Kuhn. He would fix all of our problems.

Ahh, man! You stole my thunder! I was going to say the same thing.

Anyway, I found this to be dead on.

I don’t agree with Mendenhall starting in the first place. But if he’s the starter, Mendenhall should have gotten a carry on the next series after his fumble. If you believe in him enough to start him, give him a second chance. Benching those backs only them shakes their confidence. And it doesn’t do much for the team’s overall psyche, as well.

[43Hitman]

Ahh, man! You stole my thunder! I was going to say the same thing.

Anyway, I found this to be dead on.

I couldn't resist with all the doom and gloom lately.

- - - Updated - - -

fine FB but he would not fix the issues of ball security any more than Rocky Bleier in his prime could ( well Bleier could be the feature back if he had to in his day that is ) Kuhn is not that kind of player sorry ( and I like him a lot ) Kuhn is more along the lines of Jon Witman and has success running from time to time because its more of a surprise because of the many many weapons you must defend when playing the packers IMO

Kuhn and all of his offspring are HOF'ers and don't you forget it!

[NJarhead]

fine FB but he would not fix the issues of ball security any more than Rocky Bleier in his prime could ( well Bleier could be the feature back if he had to in his day that is ) Kuhn is not that kind of player sorry ( and I like him a lot ) Kuhn is more along the lines of Jon Witman and has success running from time to time because its more of a surprise because of the many many weapons you must defend when playing the packers IMO

[Craic]

fine FB but he would not fix the issues of ball security any more than Rocky Bleier in his prime could ( well Bleier could be the feature back if he had to in his day that is ) Kuhn is not that kind of player sorry ( and I like him a lot ) Kuhn is more along the lines of Jon Witman and has success running from time to time because its more of a surprise because of the many many weapons you must defend when playing the packers IMO

How dare you!

[Count Steeler]

Should have let Mendy play at least the first full quarter. Don't agree with Tomlin on that move. Mendy is not a fumbler. You have to let these guys get in that grove.

Why didn't he sit Batch after his first interception? I'm sure there were other players that blew assignments on the field. You deal with these issues during the week. Not on game day.