Heat-seeking Mitchell owes no apologies

[stillers4me]

In your opinion, perhaps, he celebrates too much. Sometimes inappropriately. Sometimes when the ball's on the ground.

Is that all you got on Mike Mitchell?


'Cause this is what I got: The man might be playing as violently and effectively as any safety in the NFL.


You know who I thought of Sunday as I watched this maniac, this heat-seeking Mitchell, blow up Oakland Raiders like they were clay pigeons? Jack Tatum. “The Assassin” from the 1970s Raiders.


Mitchell is beginning to fit nicely into the grand tradition of wild-man Steelers, too, from Jack Lambert to Greg Lloyd to Hines Ward and Ryan Clark. I mean that in terms of having blatant disregard for all bodies on the football field — including one's own..............

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/...#ixzz3rBMCHggs

[86WARD]

Mitchell has been playing really well. I don't mind the celebration...just make sure the damn play is over...

I don't like the fact that he's in such a "hurry" to get his celebration out...lol.

[Hawkman]

I don't know if anyone else saw it, but Mitchell actually went over to the Raiders bench to check on how Murray was doing. I've never seen that side of him.

[TD's & Beer]

OK. He's a headhunter - Ball falls loose after a hit and he stands there celebrating while his teammates scramble for the ball at his feet.



Oh well, at least he has a skill.

[teegre]

I've stated it before: he's just simply dumb.

In this past game alone:

-Receiver is catching the ball. Ryan Clsrk would have batted the receiver's arms/knocked the ball away. Mitchell lowers his head and hits the receiver in the thigh.

-Mitchell forces a fumble, but makes ZERO attempt at recovering the ball. Instead, he poses. WTF!?!

-Mitchell run out of bounds, and scoops up a fumble, making it a dead ball. Bud Dupree and another Steeler defender were right there. Knowing that he had gone out of bounds, he should have either a) re-established himself, or b) let one of those TWO Steelers get the recovery.

Dumb, dumber, dumbest.

[86WARD]

I've stated it before: he's just simply dumb.

In this past game alone:

-Receiver is catching the ball. Ryan Clsrk would have batted the receiver's arms/knocked the ball away. Mitchell lowers his head and hits the receiver in the thigh.

-Mitchell forces a fumble, but makes ZERO attempt at recovering the ball. Instead, he poses. WTF!?!

-Mitchell run out of bounds, and scoops up a fumble, making it a dead ball. Bud Dupree and another Steeler defender were right there. Knowing that he had gone out of bounds, he should have either a) re-established himself, or b) let one of those TWO Steelers get the recovery.

Dumb, dumber, dumbest.

IMO he re-established himself. That was and is a bullshit call. He was well in bounds with one foot, other foot was no where near the white line when he scooped that ball up. If a player is running on the sidelines and his leg goes over the white line, he's not ruled out of bounds. The speed and angle, it's easier to say to re-establish himself sitting at home than in reality.

You never know what could happen with those fumbles...Dupree or whoever could've knocked it out of bounds, knocked it around and A Raiders player recovered.

I don't put that much blame on Mitchell trying to make a heads up play there.

[Steeldude]

IMO he re-established himself. That was and is a bullshit call. He was well in bounds with one foot, other foot was no where near the white line when he scooped that ball up. If a player is running on the sidelines and his leg goes over the white line, he's not ruled out of bounds. The speed and angle, it's easier to say to re-establish himself sitting at home than in reality.

You never know what could happen with those fumbles...Dupree or whoever could've knocked it out of bounds, knocked it around and A Raiders player recovered.

I don't put that much blame on Mitchell trying to make a heads up play there.

I believe the rule is both feet have to be inbounds before touching the ball. It's hard to recall it all without a replay. I looked around for a video of it, but couldn't find one.

[Texasteel]

The player has to re-establish himself in bounds. That means both feet on the ground in bounds. I can't get to mad at a player gets existed and touches the ball to soon, but he probably should have let one of his team mates make the fumble recovery. My guess is that he was afraid it would bounce out of bounds and though he could get that foot down in time.

[86WARD]

I believe the rule is both feet have to be inbounds before touching the ball. It's hard to recall it all without a replay. I looked around for a video of it, but couldn't find one.

I'm pretty sure it is two feet. My point is, he was well in bounds (in stride) with one foot, other foot was off the ground, "in bounds" just hadn't touched the ground yet. I think that's bull shit in this case that he would have to establish himself with two feet when really, there was no room or time to do two feet. Big he stops there b/c he's out of bounds and some how an Oakland player recovers, he's getting a tom if shit for "quitting" on the play.

I just don't have a problem with him trying to make a play there and think that rule is horseshit.

[Steel Peon]

I've stated it before: he's just simply dumb.

In this past game alone:

-Receiver is catching the ball. Ryan Clsrk would have batted the receiver's arms/knocked the ball away. Mitchell lowers his head and hits the receiver in the thigh.

-Mitchell forces a fumble, but makes ZERO attempt at recovering the ball. Instead, he poses. WTF!?!

-Mitchell run out of bounds, and scoops up a fumble, making it a dead ball. Bud Dupree and another Steeler defender were right there. Knowing that he had gone out of bounds, he should have either a) re-established himself, or b) let one of those TWO Steelers get the recovery.

Dumb, dumber, dumbest.

Thought I was going to have to render an opinion here, but yours will do just fine. How on Earth is Carolina doing good without this gas bag, huh?

[steelreserve]

I'm pretty sure it is two feet. My point is, he was well in bounds (in stride) with one foot, other foot was off the ground, "in bounds" just hadn't touched the ground yet. I think that's bull shit in this case that he would have to establish himself with two feet when really, there was no room or time to do two feet. Big he stops there b/c he's out of bounds and some how an Oakland player recovers, he's getting a tom if shit for "quitting" on the play.

I just don't have a problem with him trying to make a play there and think that rule is horseshit.

Yeah, it's not a very good rule, kind of like a touchback if a fumble goes out of the end zone. But you've got to get both feet back down and in bounds BEFORE you do anything, and he wasn't. The instant he picked up the ball I knew it was coming back, and I'm not even a football player. You've got to know those things.

Mitchell plays hard and has some skills, but man, does he play stupid. He's the archetypical guy who prioritizes looking good and showing up on the highlight reel above of what's actually a good football play. He seems like a prime candidate for getting shot in the leg over some dumbfuck argument one offseason.

[Craic]

I don't know if anyone else saw it, but Mitchell actually went over to the Raiders bench to check on how Murray was doing. I've never seen that side of him.

I saw that - thought it was a pretty classy act for him, especially with some of the other stupidity we've seen from him.

[teegre]

I believe the rule is both feet have to be inbounds before touching the ball. It's hard to recall it all without a replay. I looked around for a video of it, but couldn't find one.

Yiu are correct; you need to feet in bound in order to re-establish yourself.

Alas, he clearly only had one foot in.

[teegre]

IMO he re-established himself. That was and is a bullshit call. He was well in bounds with one foot, other foot was no where near the white line when he scooped that ball up. If a player is running on the sidelines and his leg goes over the white line, he's not ruled out of bounds. The speed and angle, it's easier to say to re-establish himself sitting at home than in reality.

You never know what could happen with those fumbles...Dupree or whoever could've knocked it out of bounds, knocked it around and A Raiders player recovered.

I don't put that much blame on Mitchell trying to make a heads up play there.

Look... 99 times out of 100, I would agree with you on this. If this had happened to Harrison, I would have chalked it up to bad luck. But, that's because Harrison has a history of making smart plays. Conversely, Mitchell already made two bonehead plays in this game... which just adds to a long, long list of bonehead plays that he's committed.

It was a bang-bang play, and he didn't have time to think about his feet. That said, I'd wager a month's mortgage that James Harrison would have at least thought about his feet and/or letting Dupree recover the fumble; whereas, I wouldn't bet $10 that Mitchell doesn't even understand what he did wrong.

Here's an analogy:
If Troy Polamalu yells at his wife in a restaurant, I'd wonder why that occurred. Whereas, if OJ yells at his girlfriend, I'm assuming he's about to stab her.

Precedent. Recidivism.

[Shoes]

I believe the rule is both feet have to be inbounds before touching the ball. It's hard to recall it all without a replay. I looked around for a video of it, but couldn't find one.

You can see it here at 17:40

http://www.steelers.com/videos/video...2-cda656258507

[teegre]

I don't know if anyone else saw it, but Mitchell actually went over to the Raiders bench to check on how Murray was doing. I've never seen that side of him.

Yep. I noticed that, as well.

And... not to kick a guy when he's down, but did anyone noticed where Mitchell patted Murray? Yep... on the head. Mitchell gave a friendly slap to the helmet of a player with a concussion.

[Craic]

Yep. I noticed that, as well.

And... not to kick a guy when he's down, but did anyone noticed where Mitchell patted Murray? Yep... on the head. Mitchell gave a friendly slap to the helmet of a player with a concussion.

Huh.

Didn't even realize it. Thanks for giving me a laugh!

[silver & black]

You know who I thought of Sunday as I watched this maniac, this heat-seeking Mitchell, blow up Oakland Raiders like they were clay pigeons? Jack Tatum. “The Assassin” from the 1970s Raiders.

The same conclusion was drawn when the Raiders drafted him. It's also one of the reasons he was let go. There's no doubt he knows how to hit. The problem, when we had him, was that was all he wanted to do. He won't just make the play..... he has to lay the wood as often as possible. You guys seem to be getting a little tired of his antics too, I see.

I will say he's a better player now, than when he was with us. Good luck with him. If he can learn to be a little smarter on the field, he's definitely a good player.