It's game day and since there are no real surprises for the Steelers on the inactive list - though Baltimore defensive end Cory Redding is down - I thought I'd put this post up for your thoughts on the game.
The weather here is slightly chilly - between 50 and 60 degrees - and wet. It's not raining now, but it has been sprinkling and there is a chance of showers during the game.
I would think that favors the home team since the Steelers are better stopping the run than Baltimore has been this season.
I hope the weather doesn't cause Mendenhall to catch fumblitis.
ReplyDeleteWell, a terrible game to lose.
ReplyDeleteThe coaching all around gets an F. The team looked completlety disinterested in the game. I hope Tomlin drags their tails into practice all week after that performance.
The offense was inept after getting 2 turnovers in Balt territory and leaving Reed with 2 longer than necessary FG attempts.
Cam Cameron's offense made LeBeau's defense look pedestrian.
Charlie Batch might be a nice guy and know the playbook, but he no longer has the arm to be an NFL qb. He looked like Roethlisberger hanging on to the ball and taking unnecessary sacks.
Antonio Brown won't be getting a hat anytime soon after the bonehead move trying to bring the ball out of the end zone.
I guess the good news is Keisel will shave and the BR and Ray-Ray can text each other happy thoughts.
keisel will shave? that sucks :(
ReplyDeletei like his beard
Yeah, he said he wouldn't shave until the team lost.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Steelers couldn't move the ball after the defense held on 4th and goal, I wondered if Tomlin would have Sepulveda step out of the end zone for a saftey. I know that would have left Balt only needing a FG to win, but it would've let Sepulveda have a free punt from the 20. He can easily punt the ball 60-65 yards which might have made Balt start at maybe their own 30-35 yard line with no TOs and needing to move inside the 30 to try a FG. Cundiff isn't that great a FG kicker and the kick would have been to the open end and he had already missed one in the game.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that crossed my mind after Balt's TD was to put Leftwich in the game with max protection just to wing it down the field with Wallace and Brown running fly patterns as fast as they could go. I don't think Balt's DBs could have kept up with either guy even if they played back.
adamg I'm sorry but those are both terrible ideas. You don't give the other team a chance to win with a FG when they need a TD and don't you think Balt might have sensed something was up if Leftwich all the sudden entered the game? Its not exactly a Hail mary situation.
ReplyDeleteI'm still curious why the hell Troy is blitzing on Balt's TD. That is mind boogling.
And bombs to the endzone on 3rd and 4 when no one can make a FG.
Dave,
ReplyDeleteCan you please comment on Oher's quick first step on passing plays in this game. There were at least a half dozen times where it was clear to me that he was a little early. Was I seeing things?
If not, the guy gets a A+ in this game as his pass blocking kept Harrison off of Flacco. I'm just not sure how legal his first move was.
Quite a typical Steeler/ Raven football game, best rivarly in the league, no doubt!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the D hold em on 4th and 2 at the 2. The only problem I see with this D is when facing 2 minute offenses. The titans scored against us at the end, and could have tied the game up when covering the onside kick. Tampa scored on us at the end, and now Baltimore does it to win the game.
This happened quite a bit last year too.
It's only one game and BR is coming back now, and Coach L is the best in the business, but he really needs to develop a better strategy against 2 minute offenses, IMHO.
Well, Patrick. I think taking a safety and the free kick punt is just as good an idea as punting from your own end zone with the potential of a punt block. The fact is Billy Cundiff already lost a kicking job in Dallas because he's not very good and he already had missed one FG in the game and pretty badly at that. Further, Balt had no time outs left. They likely would have had to waste at least 1 down spiking the ball.
ReplyDeleteAs for the end of the game, the Steelers needed at least 50 yards to even get a sniff of Reed's FG range. It's been obvious the past two games that Batch doesn't have the arm strength to throw the deep passes needed to get that much yardage.
It's not like Balt didn't know the Steelers had to throw long passes. Leftwich has a stronger arm and therefore would provide a better chance of completing those kind of passes.
On a different topic, Batch told reporters that he hard counted his own men offside on the series after the 4th and goal stand. I realize he'd gotten Balt to jump a couple of times, but with the game in the balance and your back to your own goal line, that's not the best time to try and be tricky, imo.
what is up with jeff reed this year? is he still upset about his lack of a new contract? did he stop drinking or something?
ReplyDeleteMy observations: (1) The Ravens game plan did a good job of neutralizing Troy P. (2) Love him or hate him Ray Ray might have lost a step but that's still a step better than most (3) Rashard Mendenhall played well considering the Ravens knew he was the foundation for most of the offense today (4) Haloti Ngata is a beast (5) Randall El is still a helluva football player (6) my daughter can throw harder than Charlie Batch but I still love the guy (7) If Ben were playing the Steelers win this game (8) Timmons is going to the Pro Bowl (9) Michael Oher was given a lot of lattitude and should have been flagged for false starting several times (10) WHEN YOU COMMIT 11 PENALTIES AND MISS TWO FIELD GOALS YOU WILL LOSE!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete"did he stop drinking or something?"
ReplyDeletethat's probably it