Run the ball and Tackle the Catch
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 5:16 pm
The Game Plan
Run the ball and tackle the catch.
Offense
I think we have seen games over the last two years in which were very heavily weighted either run or pass. Mostly run.
The Steelers ran the ball on their first 5 offensive plays and 7 of their first 10 plays.
They handed the ball to Dwill the first two plays of a possession 6 out of 13 times.
The PS knew the rain was rolling in. They probably assumed it was going to be a ball control ground game and probably wanted to get the run game in rhythm early on, rather than try and establish the run when the weather got worse. Given the rain, wet ball and worsening field conditions as the game wore on, the plan worked, as evidenced by the final score.
Like some have mentioned, It would have been nice to be more balanced and unpredictable. I do not think they wanted to get into long downs and distance. Getting two or three+ yards on first downs and staying away from 3rd and longs kept them in favorable spots, as opposed to having that defensive line pin back their ears and hit Ben all day. Keep in mind that Jessie James is still not very good at protecting Ben when asked to stay in and block. Grimble is still new and learning assignments as well.
But it was also nice to see the continued growth of Jessie James and introduction of Grimble, who had two tuff catches. Would have been nice to see Rogers work against #3 or #4 db's on a wet field in short distance to help move the chains.
Ben was not very sharp yesterday. Yes the rain and wet ball had a lot to do with it. But he has missed on more throws the first 2 games than he has in any 2 game stretch that I can remember.
With all the new guys mixing in and learning the offense and where to be for Ben, it will take some time. Count me in on welcoming back Wheaton as a guy that has a good amount of play time with Ben and may be able to convert some third downs or at least some easier completions. He at least has a good amount of routes he can run with Ben and has over 100 receptions in the last two years.
There were very few easy completions yesterday. . Coates is still limited. Rogers is still raw. James is still not totally in sync with Ben.....to be that quick, hot read, open target over the middle that Heath provided.
Hence, on a rainy sloppy day, against a division rival. We got an extra large dose of Dwill.
Once again, I say, top 5 FA signing over the last 20+ years. ( Bettis, Farrior, Hartings, Clark, Dwill)
Run to the Wheels fall of 101.
32 carries for 94 yards with a long run of 11 yards, means Dwill = Dmoney.
Love his running style. Watch how he almost always readies for impact by wrapping both arms around the ball and lowers his shoulders.
In his first 9 years in Carolina, Dwill carried the ball more than 20 times in a game only 14 times. He had more than carries 25 in a game, twice, including a career high 30 carries in a game in 2009.
In 17 games in Pittsburgh, he has carried more than 20 times 7 times. 25 or more 4 times, including a career high 32 yesterday.
Love watching him run. Hope they learn how to mix him in more when Bell comes back, so they both stay fresh.
It was nice to see Richardson and Frenchy get some touches. Would like to see more in Philly so we have Dwill for all 16 and then some. I look forward to seeing Rosie Nix back in the mix as well, both as FB and on ST's.
Defense
Tackle the catch was certainly the plan. Keep everything in front of you was what kept A.J. Green from striking big and often.
I do not think anyone would have bet on Green ending the game with 2 catches for 38 yards and no touchdowns. Makes AB's stats look good. LOL
Make Dalton beat you with the other guys is what the game plan was.
No Marvin Jones and Mohammed Sanu is huge. Eiffert being out helped.
Without all those Cards to play with and the Steelers bottling up Green, Dalton still managed to complete 31 passes for 366 yards.
Keeping him out of the endzone was obviously the key.
The defensive plan has been the same the first two weeks.
I will assume it will be the same in week 3 as well.
It has worked twice, as giving up only 16 each Sunday will win a lot of football games.
Only 5 teams have given up less after 2 full games.
Baltimore has only given up 26, but they have played two poor offensive teams in Cleveland and Buffalo with far less talented QB's than Cousins and Dalton.
It's encouraging to see Davis and Burns getting good playing time. Davis may not have left the field much at all the first 2 games. They will get better each week.
Burns is gonna get his hands on some balls.
Burns may be competing for Cockrells spot down the road.
Gay played a nice game and was around the ball often. Golden was around the ball often and had was in the backfield making hits.
Mitchell was also active, tho I do not know what he was thinking leaving his feet looking to deliver a blow on one incompletion.
So the secondary, given its assignments and restrictions, played well.
Making the opposing QB play perfect and stay patient while waiting for mistakes has worked twice.
Not hitting the QB, not making him move his feet, not sacking him will not win playoff games or Super Bowls.
The pass rush is not going to get home with this plan. Rushing 3 and 4 into 5 and 6 man lines with a blocking back chipping and releasing will not continue to work against better teams and better QB's.
Its compounded by not subbing in defensive lineman to stay fresh. Hence, Tuit and Heyward have little to nothing left for those last few drives by opponents.
We need to see several things for the pass rush to get home.
Hargave, Matthews and Big Dan mixed in a bit more, or at least the first two guys more often as the PS went 2 DLinemen often.
James Harrison is still our best pass rusher. He needs to be part of the pass rush more often.
Moats may be the 2nd best pass rusher as far as OLB's. He needs to see more snaps from that left side than Jarvis.
More Blitzes........primarily from the ILB's and secondary, since it does not look like we will get much pressure from the OLB's
Shazier gets to the QB in a hurry. If Timmons is staying on the field, they should send him once or twice a game.
Fort showed a quick burst in spots last week.
I do not think we have seen a DB or S blitz in two games. Run blitz, yes. But not on third and long downs.
With Mitchell, Golden and Davis all on the field together and often.............I would like to see a Safety blitz once or twice a game.
I do not think we have seen a CB blitz in 2 games. Once or twice a game would help.
Faster decisions under quick pressure creates panic, errant throws if not INT's
I understand they are slowly meshing and growing as a team in terms of trust and responsibilities.
But I expect to see some things mixed in week after week.
Can't wait to watch this team on Sunday. Look forward to seeing what Philly does tonight. Nice to get them on a short week as well.
Go Steelers
Run the ball and tackle the catch.
Offense
I think we have seen games over the last two years in which were very heavily weighted either run or pass. Mostly run.
The Steelers ran the ball on their first 5 offensive plays and 7 of their first 10 plays.
They handed the ball to Dwill the first two plays of a possession 6 out of 13 times.
The PS knew the rain was rolling in. They probably assumed it was going to be a ball control ground game and probably wanted to get the run game in rhythm early on, rather than try and establish the run when the weather got worse. Given the rain, wet ball and worsening field conditions as the game wore on, the plan worked, as evidenced by the final score.
Like some have mentioned, It would have been nice to be more balanced and unpredictable. I do not think they wanted to get into long downs and distance. Getting two or three+ yards on first downs and staying away from 3rd and longs kept them in favorable spots, as opposed to having that defensive line pin back their ears and hit Ben all day. Keep in mind that Jessie James is still not very good at protecting Ben when asked to stay in and block. Grimble is still new and learning assignments as well.
But it was also nice to see the continued growth of Jessie James and introduction of Grimble, who had two tuff catches. Would have been nice to see Rogers work against #3 or #4 db's on a wet field in short distance to help move the chains.
Ben was not very sharp yesterday. Yes the rain and wet ball had a lot to do with it. But he has missed on more throws the first 2 games than he has in any 2 game stretch that I can remember.
With all the new guys mixing in and learning the offense and where to be for Ben, it will take some time. Count me in on welcoming back Wheaton as a guy that has a good amount of play time with Ben and may be able to convert some third downs or at least some easier completions. He at least has a good amount of routes he can run with Ben and has over 100 receptions in the last two years.
There were very few easy completions yesterday. . Coates is still limited. Rogers is still raw. James is still not totally in sync with Ben.....to be that quick, hot read, open target over the middle that Heath provided.
Hence, on a rainy sloppy day, against a division rival. We got an extra large dose of Dwill.
Once again, I say, top 5 FA signing over the last 20+ years. ( Bettis, Farrior, Hartings, Clark, Dwill)
Run to the Wheels fall of 101.
32 carries for 94 yards with a long run of 11 yards, means Dwill = Dmoney.
Love his running style. Watch how he almost always readies for impact by wrapping both arms around the ball and lowers his shoulders.
In his first 9 years in Carolina, Dwill carried the ball more than 20 times in a game only 14 times. He had more than carries 25 in a game, twice, including a career high 30 carries in a game in 2009.
In 17 games in Pittsburgh, he has carried more than 20 times 7 times. 25 or more 4 times, including a career high 32 yesterday.
Love watching him run. Hope they learn how to mix him in more when Bell comes back, so they both stay fresh.
It was nice to see Richardson and Frenchy get some touches. Would like to see more in Philly so we have Dwill for all 16 and then some. I look forward to seeing Rosie Nix back in the mix as well, both as FB and on ST's.
Defense
Tackle the catch was certainly the plan. Keep everything in front of you was what kept A.J. Green from striking big and often.
I do not think anyone would have bet on Green ending the game with 2 catches for 38 yards and no touchdowns. Makes AB's stats look good. LOL
Make Dalton beat you with the other guys is what the game plan was.
No Marvin Jones and Mohammed Sanu is huge. Eiffert being out helped.
Without all those Cards to play with and the Steelers bottling up Green, Dalton still managed to complete 31 passes for 366 yards.
Keeping him out of the endzone was obviously the key.
The defensive plan has been the same the first two weeks.
I will assume it will be the same in week 3 as well.
It has worked twice, as giving up only 16 each Sunday will win a lot of football games.
Only 5 teams have given up less after 2 full games.
Baltimore has only given up 26, but they have played two poor offensive teams in Cleveland and Buffalo with far less talented QB's than Cousins and Dalton.
It's encouraging to see Davis and Burns getting good playing time. Davis may not have left the field much at all the first 2 games. They will get better each week.
Burns is gonna get his hands on some balls.
Burns may be competing for Cockrells spot down the road.
Gay played a nice game and was around the ball often. Golden was around the ball often and had was in the backfield making hits.
Mitchell was also active, tho I do not know what he was thinking leaving his feet looking to deliver a blow on one incompletion.
So the secondary, given its assignments and restrictions, played well.
Making the opposing QB play perfect and stay patient while waiting for mistakes has worked twice.
Not hitting the QB, not making him move his feet, not sacking him will not win playoff games or Super Bowls.
The pass rush is not going to get home with this plan. Rushing 3 and 4 into 5 and 6 man lines with a blocking back chipping and releasing will not continue to work against better teams and better QB's.
Its compounded by not subbing in defensive lineman to stay fresh. Hence, Tuit and Heyward have little to nothing left for those last few drives by opponents.
We need to see several things for the pass rush to get home.
Hargave, Matthews and Big Dan mixed in a bit more, or at least the first two guys more often as the PS went 2 DLinemen often.
James Harrison is still our best pass rusher. He needs to be part of the pass rush more often.
Moats may be the 2nd best pass rusher as far as OLB's. He needs to see more snaps from that left side than Jarvis.
More Blitzes........primarily from the ILB's and secondary, since it does not look like we will get much pressure from the OLB's
Shazier gets to the QB in a hurry. If Timmons is staying on the field, they should send him once or twice a game.
Fort showed a quick burst in spots last week.
I do not think we have seen a DB or S blitz in two games. Run blitz, yes. But not on third and long downs.
With Mitchell, Golden and Davis all on the field together and often.............I would like to see a Safety blitz once or twice a game.
I do not think we have seen a CB blitz in 2 games. Once or twice a game would help.
Faster decisions under quick pressure creates panic, errant throws if not INT's
I understand they are slowly meshing and growing as a team in terms of trust and responsibilities.
But I expect to see some things mixed in week after week.
Can't wait to watch this team on Sunday. Look forward to seeing what Philly does tonight. Nice to get them on a short week as well.
Go Steelers