I'm curious...
by steelerark on Oct 27, 2008 12:13 PM EDT
19 comments
I'd like to know what everyone else thinks about this. I haven't heard much talk about it yet, but this play really bothered me.
I was very upset after we went for iton 4th and 5 in the 4th quarter. The score was 14-9 and there was, if I remember correctly, about 12 minutes left in the game. Why? Why go for it there? Aside from that first drive, the offense had been struggling all game to get into some sort of a rhythm. We were up by five and if you kick there, we are up by eight, a two score or two point conversion lead. We have a kicker who is at 100% on the year. We were at the 30. Why? Let him kick a 47 yarder. Why trust an offense that had been struggling the majority of the game instead of a sure thing, or at least as close to one as we have on our team. That play changed the entire complexion of the second half. Ben threw a pick, and the momentum completely shifted in their favor. Its not like we were burning up the field on offense. After that play, we did not have one single 1st down for the rest of the game. As I said in an earlier post, this was the first decision that Tomlin made that just flat out infuriated me. I am a huge fan of his, so I'm not jumpin off his wagon, just hated the call. Any comments?
By the way, here is my report on my adoptee, Nate Washington. Nate had 1 catch for 65 yds that went for a TD. Great catch and throw. He also had another beautiful catch that was called back on a very frustrating Colon hold. On the negative side, Nate had three drops, one of which he tipped into the hands of Giant Bryan Kehl. In his defense, he was hit hard on the catch. However, Ben hit him square in the chest, and guys get hit over the middle in this league and hold on to the ball every sunday in this league. He should have caught it.
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Injured
long snapper definitely changed the complexion of the game. Tomlin felt better about a 4th and 5 with the O on the field than 92 snapping.
My question is why didn’t Hartwig snap? He does for the shotgun! Wouldn’t he have been a better choice than Debo?
When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen
by 5020 on Oct 27, 2008 12:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
hmm
I didn’t even think about Warren.
by steelerark on Oct 27, 2008 12:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ha, I didn’t even think about the holder. Not sure you want a guy with a busted hammy placing the ball for Reed.
by steelguy99 on Oct 27, 2008 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Warren out yet?
Cant remember for sure but I thought the injury to Warren came after this situation. I remember scratching my head on this one as well. Pts in this game were critical and even 3 points may have been a psychological advantage for us.
by BlkNGold on Oct 27, 2008 1:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
From Tomlin’s post game:
Can you talk about the injury to Greg Warren?
Greg Warren tore his ACL, so he was out. Nobody has two long snappers on their team; what you have is emergency snappers. James Harrison is regarded as the lead candidate in that regard; James Farrior is after him. We got some snaps on the sideline and we felt comfortable. We reduced the depth of our punter to 13 yards so that accuracy would be less of an issue. We weren’t able to execute but make no mistake, I take my hat off to James Harrison for stepping up and volunteering and being pumped about snapping that football. We just weren’t able to get it done. That was the first game that I have been involved in that we didn’t have a snapper; so be it.
Is that why you didn’t kick the field goal in the fourth quarter?
Absolutely. That was on the outer limits of field goal range. When you have a backup snapper in there you knew that they were going to come after it. I just didn’t feel comfortable kicking with whoever we put out there in that position. It was a manageable fourth down if you will; we took a shot with our offense.
Why don’t we see regular centers long snap in that situation?
There is a big difference between a shotgun snap and a long snap.
charity standing orders
by BadMaafala on Oct 27, 2008 1:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I hope Deebo simmers for the next 8 days and takes it out on the redskins.
by steelguy99 on Oct 27, 2008 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
what difference? 5, 8 yards?
the mechanics are the same!
by SteelersVT on Oct 27, 2008 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
nah
They really aren’t. Look at where Hartwig snaps it to. He snaps it to 6’5" Ben’s upper chest in a slow arc 3 yards deep. If it took that long on a kick, it will be blocked more than 50% of the time. (yeah I made up that stat, who cares! Honestly, who knows how often, but if you look at how close it comes with a good sharp snap it’s hard to say you wouldn’t see a block most often)
by Chicago Steeler on Oct 27, 2008 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Another possibility
Is that we were on the 34, not the 30. Sorry to nitpick, but that makes it a 51-yarder instead of a 47-yarder. While Skippy has proven capable, I was OK with going for it. An incomplete pass is better than a missed FG (by seven yards). I am one of those guys who doesn’t mind the occasional fourth-down gamble, especially on the opponents side of the field. The longsnapper notwithstanding, I am still OK going for a manageable fourth-down try. But I can see arguments either way.
by maryrose on Oct 27, 2008 1:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Hard to fathom that the coaches didn't trust the snap on a FG try
…well inside the opposition territory, where the worst case scenario was a missed scoring play, but were willing to risk it on a punt from deep in their own territory where there was an excellant chance of giving up a score if it failed.
by robert ethan on Oct 27, 2008 1:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
What were they suppose to do?
Go for 4th down deep in there territory? They had to punt, no question. I know this coaching staff can do know right to you, but you are grasping at straws here.
by _ET_ on Oct 27, 2008 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Quick kick
Have Ben (or maybe Hines) quick kick it.
by WolfpackSteelersFan on Oct 27, 2008 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
that makes much more sense
to me. I guess in the thick of the game, I wasn’t thinking about the injury to warren, so I was completely befuddled. I am totally on board now, its understandable to not want to use your ‘back up’ snapper in a situation like that. And it being on the 34 instead of the 30 does make a big difference. 51 yds is a long way for no snapper.
by steelerark on Oct 27, 2008 2:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
How about Ben do a pooch punt to try and pin the Giants inside the 20yd line. I would’ve rather seen that cuz an int or turnover on downs changes momentum in game. The safety on the punt proved that. Pooch punt and let your defense do what it does best.
by woody71 on Oct 27, 2008 5:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
THe mechanics are very different
on Shotgun you use one hand, have to protect with the other,
on long snap, you use one hand for strenght,(throw) and the other for direction and spiral! So, not the same,,
by SteelerBrazil on Oct 27, 2008 5:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lets get it straight
Clearly, the long snap is NOT the gimme we uneducated couch players think. I would have thought though that your primary center was the obvious next in line, but maybe not.
Anyway, the go for it was probably the right thing to do. The play call sucked though.
I would have been cool actually seeing Roethlisberger do his patented pooch punt from shotgun, that has worked before to hold em inside the 10.
On the Nate Washington. The one drop was helmet to helmet contact and he didnt move after the hit. No flag, and certainly not his fault he dropped that. The other one was in the tips of his hands, and the defender ripped it out. Nothing you can do when flying through the air.
The other drop WAS his, but honestly he did more help than harm.
by Mechem on Oct 27, 2008 7:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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