Speaking of blocking, I'm glad we're at the bye. If we had to go into next week with only Matt Feiler at RT... ummm yeah.
Speaking of blocking, I'm glad we're at the bye. If we had to go into next week with only Matt Feiler at RT... ummm yeah.
Array title="Shoes has a reputation beyond repute">
No thanks, draft a complete Steeler TE.Originally Posted by st33lersguy
Great point! Anyone know what is wrong with Hawkins - or does he just stink now?
Array title="Born2Steel has a reputation beyond repute">
Didn't he spend his rookie year on IR? I think he's just learning to play tackle at this level. They can't ALL be AV.
Maybe Roethlisberger is no longer in his prime, but I believe that steelers can win a super bowl with him, with the talent that steelers have.
But of course, he can be much better ... at least yesterday, Ben was great on the 3rd down for the first time of the year...Ben was like 9/12 on the 3rd down with 2 drops pass (one by JuJu and the other by Eli Rogers.
And remember in 2008, many had doubts about Ben with his injury to his shoulder and it was more true when Roethlisberger had 3 disastrous games in a row against the giants, redskins and colts(1 TD,8 INT in his 3 games) but even if Roethlisberger was not incredible after his 3 games he was very good when the steelers needed him.
Let's hope it's going to be the same thing this year.
Array title="DesertSteel has a reputation beyond repute">
Why do you think that Tomlin and Haley don't share your opinion?
Array title="Shoes has a reputation beyond repute">
Well they must share it somewhat, by picking up McDonald who is a much better blocker than James. The problem is he can't catch! Most folks didn't think Millers retirement was going to be an issue since we had so many "great" WR, we don't need a Miller type TE. BS!
Last edited by Shoes; 10-30-2017 at 05:32 PM.
Array title="DesertSteel has a reputation beyond repute">
I guarantee you that they don't think that James is "detrimental to the offense." No coach would play, much less start someone with that status.
Array title="tube517 has a reputation beyond repute">
Hargrave is a beast.
What a deep DL we have now. Alualu also steps up with that 4th down tackle of Stafford preventing a TD.
Gone are the days of Dirty Dick.
Array title="Shoes has a reputation beyond repute">
I don't think James is detrimental to the O, he just can't block which is very important.So why pick up McDonald, Just to make James work harder?
Blake was pretty detrimental to the defense.
He's been inactive. I believe he's the LT backup. May not be a great swing option thus the option to dress Feiler instead... who had a history of zero snaps.
Well, to be fair, Kittle isn't getting may targets either. And that team is a mess.
Array title="Shoes has a reputation beyond repute">
That's a good reason.
I guess they basically had to last night. McDonald was inactive and Grimble is more suspect at both catching and blocking than James.
So I am not certain that "starter by default" is a major ringing endorsement. Again, I am not trying to post that I am smarter or know better than the paid actual NFL coaches. I don't. All I am pointing out is that it is not getting discussed enough, as folks try to figure out the redzone and third down struggles, that there are multiple breakdowns in the "little things" from players that would ideally be back-ups but are starters currently.
James is simply not a very good blocker. I don't think that is a surprise.
Hubbard gets beat about 2-3 times a game - sometimes in critical spots. That is not new information either.
Conner stinks at blitz pick-up right now. It has led to at least one turnover and his insertion into the line-up is usually a "tip-off" that it will be a run because no one trusts him in pass protection. Is not the first and will not be the last rookie in this situation.
And I think I am mostly writing this to let Shoes know, I am finally on his side. I agree that TE is a need. But I will also still cling to my one caveat -- none of the first round guys were worth snot as blockers this year!
Array title="Shoes has a reputation beyond repute">
The more the merrier.I guess they basically had to last night. McDonald was inactive and Grimble is more suspect at both catching and blocking than James.
So I am not certain that "starter by default" is a major ringing endorsement. Again, I am not trying to post that I am smarter or know better than the paid actual NFL coaches. I don't. All I am pointing out is that it is not getting discussed enough, as folks try to figure out the redzone and third down struggles, that there are multiple breakdowns in the "little things" from players that would ideally be back-ups but are starters currently.
James is simply not a very good blocker. I don't think that is a surprise.
Hubbard gets beat about 2-3 times a game - sometimes in critical spots. That is not new information either.
Conner stinks at blitz pick-up right now. It has led to at least one turnover and his insertion into the line-up is usually a "tip-off" that it will be a run because no one trusts him in pass protection. Is not the first and will not be the last rookie in this situation.
And I think I am mostly writing this to let Shoes know, I am finally on his side. I agree that TE is a need. But I will also still cling to my one caveat -- none of the first round guys were worth snot as blockers this year!
Yeah, the O and eight ones. You gonna make me watch more. Please, no.
You think they'd trade for a diva wideout with a herbal compulsion?
Array title="DesertSteel has a reputation beyond repute">
I'm gonna start isolating on James the next couple of games to see if he's as bad as you say. That said, I'm all for drafting a TE in the first three rounds next year.I guess they basically had to last night. McDonald was inactive and Grimble is more suspect at both catching and blocking than James.
So I am not certain that "starter by default" is a major ringing endorsement. Again, I am not trying to post that I am smarter or know better than the paid actual NFL coaches. I don't. All I am pointing out is that it is not getting discussed enough, as folks try to figure out the redzone and third down struggles, that there are multiple breakdowns in the "little things" from players that would ideally be back-ups but are starters currently.
James is simply not a very good blocker. I don't think that is a surprise.
Hubbard gets beat about 2-3 times a game - sometimes in critical spots. That is not new information either.
Conner stinks at blitz pick-up right now. It has led to at least one turnover and his insertion into the line-up is usually a "tip-off" that it will be a run because no one trusts him in pass protection. Is not the first and will not be the last rookie in this situation.
And I think I am mostly writing this to let Shoes know, I am finally on his side. I agree that TE is a need. But I will also still cling to my one caveat -- none of the first round guys were worth snot as blockers this year!
Array title="Born2Steel has a reputation beyond repute">
Rd1 QB
Rd2 TE
Rd3 WR
Apparently we need weapons.
I'd have drafted Jake Butt, George Kittle or Jordan Leggett in the 4th instead of Dobbs. A decent TE prospect was something needed.The more the merrier.
Maybe Leggett is a reach, because of attitude, but still would have liked to see a TE.
Array title="Shoes has a reputation beyond repute">
Agreed!
Things we all know after week 8:
1) Mike Mitchell is the biggest detriment to this defense. Particularly in cover 2. Old news. It must have been pure agony for Joe Haden to play as well as he has and haplessly watch Mitchell fuck up as coverage responsibility are handed off from zone to zone
2) Vince Williams started real slow but has ramped up his play (Just like Lawrence Timmons used to be, what a coincidence) to a high level starting with the Chiefs game. I was wondering where Vince's solid spot starts from past seasons had gone, but it looks like he's got it down now
3) Big Ben had a QB Rating 127 when targeting Juju BEFORE the Lions game. Whatever seems to be ailing Ben, throwing to Juju some more is sure to help
The pick I would redo is Conner. He just isn't NFL ready and competent back-up RBs can be found via a variety of means.
- - - Updated - - -
I would love to see someone really breakdown the coverage responsibilities and "blame" for all the passes completed against "hole in zone" last night. Is it on Mitchell? Or is it just a play that the scheme will give you over and over if you can hit it? Did Butler leave that out there for a reason or were the Steelers unable to adjust/execute?
I'm not defending Mitchell, but there is so much more there I want to know! Starting with, at what point to the Steelers need to admit their safeties are not closing that hole and separating wideouts from the ball, so you gotta do something else...
I’d pick Dak Prescott instead of Jerald Hawkins (in the 2016 draft). Then, with Dak in the roster, there’d have been no need to draft a QB in 2017. Voila!!!... Kittle (or whomever) is a Steeler.
If Dark would be with us, nobody would know if Dark is good or not and I'm afraid he would still be behind Landry Jones ...
Maybe... maybe not.
True
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I've been noticing it for a while. To be honest, and I don't like this assessment, but it reminds me too much of Peyton Manning's throwing style his last year when he had already lost some arm strength. The pure arm-throws Ben used to make now have to be made from the whole upper body, and the upper body throws he used to make needs to be made with the momentum of the whole body now.
And, because that's true, I think it's thrown off his accuracy. He can no longer just hit the guy crossing in front of him 20 yards downfield with a flick of the arm. So, the extra motion takes extra time, and all of that means he also has to re-calibrate his sense of timing and how hard he has to throw the ball to get it there since it's a different momentum.
To be fair its both, but Mitchell has been way too big of a culprit on defending his deep 1/2 on cover 2 when the adjacent cornerback is passing off a receiver to his zone. A huge percentage of Stafford's big throws came there and Mitchell consistently arrived "on time" to deliver a big hit, but consistently too late to actually play the ball. If this were pre-2009 NFL Mitchell might actually be a pretty good safety but its not
As of October 31st, here are my thoughts:
Go with Dobbs. The QB class was looking great... until they started playing the games. Surround Dobbs with as much talent as possible, and see what he can do.
R1: Quenton Nelson, LG, Notre Dame
Foster can’t play forever, and as good as Finney is, Nelson is flat-out amazing. He is overshadowed by McGlinchey (for good reason); so, he is often the forgotten superstar on that O-line.
R2: Troy Fumagalli, TE, Wisconsin
A former “R1 talent” whose leg injury has slowed him. His loss is our gain.
R3: Jordan Whitehead, S, Pitt
Regardless or our desires, I expect Mitchell to be here one more season. Size, suspensions, and injuries will drop Whitehead to R3. Draft him and groom him to take over as a starter in 2019 (as well as, replace Golden in 2018).
Array title="Born2Steel has a reputation beyond repute">
Dobbs can be a good backup, I just don't see him as the future of the franchise. I watched him in too many TN games. He has a great deep ball but misses on too many short throws. Obviously, QB is the biggest gamble. Depends on the scout reports and who's available. I am not a 'draft for position' guy. I believe in the BPA rule. If that matches position, bonus.
I know we need OL. If Pouncey is serious, and retires when Ben does, he COULD be gone after this season. Foster's replacement needs to be considered as well. I haven't looked into OL for the upcoming draft.
Honestly, I would rather hit FA for a veteran safety again. We keep getting younger, there are just some positions that require experience to be good at. If we're talking for next season or the one after.
As for TE, I want a guy that can actually play the position. TEs block AND pass catch. When did they all seem to become specialists? I really liked that guy from Pitt we had last preseason.
I still think we need to draft better depth at WR. Injuries happen, bikes get stolen.
Also, as of OCT.31st.
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