Run The Damn Ball!!!
by baabaablacksheep on Oct 26, 2009 2:17 AM EDT
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Mike Tomlin and the Offensive Coordinator are driving me absolutely crazy. Rashard Mendenhall only carries the ball 10 times? He averaged almost 7 yards per carry. Against the Browns he had what? 15 carries? Against the Lions with the Steelers leading by 15 with about 8 minutes to go the Steelers had the ball on the 40 yd line 1st and ten. What do they do? Pass.....Penalty, Sack, Incompletion....and maybe 30 seconds taken off the clock. Against the Bengals they had the ball inside the 40 with about 4 and a half minutes to go.......it was 3rd and 2.......what do the Steelers do? How about trying a low percentage almost 40 yd pass to the endzone? Yep, that's what they did. Stupid!!! Get the first down with a high percentage play call and take time off the clock. While I appreciate the Steelers opening up their offense you just can't be idiotic about it. That's what they've been doing....and in my opinion it has cost the Steelers a win agains the Bengals and allowed the Lions and others to hang around longer than they should. When Cower was coach I always wished the Steelers could open up the offense a bit more.....now they have and I do like it.....but please let's not forget HOW TO FINISH ....and Cower was pretty good at doing that. Give Cower a 10 point lead in the second half and it was O V E R. Can the Steelers just be a bit smarter about play calling during crucial times of the game when it behooves them to take the time off the clock and Mendenhall has proven himself to be quite capable of handling the load...........34 needs the ball 20 times a game MINIMUM!!!! good grief!!!
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they only had 26 passes and 20 runs. Considering Minny has the best run defense in the league, that’s not a terrible ratio. Problem was we couldn’t get off the field on defense for much of the 2nd half. Mendenhall also has coughed it up more than the coaches would like. And, you’re talking about a Vikings secondary that’s not great to begin with and missing their best corner. There have been times where your argument would hold up, but not sure it’s great here. How about Minnesota only running it 23 times compared to 50+ passes? Now that’s wacky balance.
Freel free to email me anytime at behindthesteelcurtain@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, complaints, etc, or to just say what's up. -Michael Bean (Blitz)
by Blitzburgh on Oct 26, 2009 2:30 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree in part
Going into a game you should plan your offense around what their defense is. However, if during the game we are clearly running the ball better than we are passing it…you should change things up.
This is the reason the Broncos are undefeated right now. Their coach does a tremendous job adjusting their game plan at half time. Hence their defense having only given up some ridiculous number like 16 points in the second half all year.
Arians should have pounded the ball more, and Mendy should have gotten a second chance after the fumble.
" I’m glad we play Pitt twice, and not Tenn this year." - Salty Browns Fan.
by Johnny_S on Oct 26, 2009 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
um
I listed several instances…not just the MN game. They might have more plays run period if they would run the ball more often. If im averaging almost 7 yds a carry I don’t care whose defense is out there……..I’m going to give it to him more than 10 times. Moore and Parker were not averaging 7 yds per carry so in my argument I’m not even bringing them up….if we didn’t have Mendenhall then you wouldn’t hear me complaining……..but we do and he can do the job. There is a downside to passing the ball as much as the Steelers are doing…..more pressure on the defense….more time on the field for the defense……not being able to pick up key short yardage situations…..not being able to take time off the clock which allows other teams that are trailing to gain steam and get back into games quickly. The point is……….when you have a RB averaging what Mendenhall is averaging per carry……….there is NO EXCUSE what so ever to only give it to him 10 times……NONE.
by baabaablacksheep on Oct 26, 2009 2:41 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
um, wow, settle down
You do realize that we also have the most accurate qb in the NFL through 6 weeks? And you do realize that we run a bunch of bubble screens to our WRs and other screens and dump offs to Heath Miller that are more or less just like running plays?
Would those things contradict your oh so tough assertion that there’s NO EXCUSE for giving him 10 carries?
Freel free to email me anytime at behindthesteelcurtain@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, complaints, etc, or to just say what's up. -Michael Bean (Blitz)
by Blitzburgh on Oct 26, 2009 3:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No
those things do not contradict what I’m trying to say. Throwing bubble screens to the WR’s and to Heath Miller are not runs….if they are dropped or if it’s a bad pass….the clock stops. If it’s a run for no yardage….the clock is still running. That is part of my point….read above…..just one example………Steelers up by 15 with 8 min to go in the game and they have the ball 1st and 10 from our 40. What did they do? Pass….incomplete…..penalty…..sack. So now the Lions got the ball back and less than a minute was taken off the clock. Running two plays for ZERO yards would take a minute and a half and by the time they are throwing the ball on third down and punted on fourth down that’s about three minutes taken off the clock. SO…………..you see……..runs for ZERO yards are still a positive in certain situations………a run for no yards is MUCH MUCH better than an incomplete pass when you have a lead in the fourth quarter trying to take time off the clock. Tomlin and this off coordinator don’t seem to comprehend that. Yes, I realize he’s the head coach and I’m not…..but I also realize he’s the ONLY head coach that has EVER ran a two point converstion after a holding penalty from the 12 1/2 yard line. Remember that???? against the Jags in the playoffs that cost them the game? While I appreciate Tomlin as a motivator and a no nonsense type of coach….I don’t think he can hold his own as a strategist against the likes of Belicheck…..these are very very simple concepts I’m talking about……one that BILL COWER was a master of. I’m also not ready to crown Tomlin as a great coach either. He was given a ferrari……how do you think Tomlin would be doing if he switched places with Todd Haley of the Chiefs? Probably fighting for his job. Run the damn ball, coach……RUN IT. I’m not cool with the greatest show on turf offense….esp when it’s so ridiculously lopsided and you have a number one draft pick sitting in the backfield only getting 10 to 15 runs a game.
by baabaablacksheep on Oct 26, 2009 6:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes it is
It’s not like every running play was going for good yardage.
We sometimes got around the corner… but not always. And between the tackles was tough sledding.
by MarkJoel66 on Oct 26, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We lost
against the Bears and Bengals when we were leading the ENTIRE game……when you can’t eat time off the clock and maintain long drives RUNNING THE BALL……..the other teams have more chances to climb back into games and gain momentum…..I’d prefer 7-0 as opposed to second place in the AFC NORTH and a 5-2 record………and we would have a 7-0 record with better situational play calling that includes RUNNING THE BALL……handing it off to big ol number 34!!! GIVE HIM THE ROCK!!!!
by baabaablacksheep on Oct 26, 2009 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
OK, I agree...
Against the Bengals, that is a head scratcher…
But your post complained after THIS game… and in THIS game, I can understand why they didn’t want to put the ball in a rookie’s hands (he is virtually a rookie, after all).
The kid lost the ball in a bad fumble. That is in his head. Do you want him thinking more about holding on to the football than getting yards? And if so, how well do you think he will hit the hole?
This was a high pressure moment. I don’t mind putting it in the hands of the guy who has proven he can. It just didn’t work out…
by MarkJoel66 on Oct 26, 2009 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I made the post
after this game because I just joined this blog yesterday. It was my first post and also if it was just something that happened in that particular game then you wouldnt be hearing from me……but this is becoming an uncomfortable alarming pattern. It’s going to get cold and rainy and snowy in the coming months….the Steelers need to RUN THE BALL…..and their best option BY FAR is Rashard Mendenhall……i understand he fumbled……so did Parker in the last game as well and Parker isn’t the answer…..#34 is. I appreciate the more open offense….I really do……..but whoa nelly……..let’s pull it in a bit and not go to incredibly haywire with it………I just don’t like STUPID FOOTBALL and game after game after game I’m seeing A LOT of stupid play calling throughout the game ESP in the 4th quarter. Like is said earlier………….Tomlin is the only coach in history that I know of that went for a two point conversion AFTER a holding penalty on the 12 1/2 yard line and to me…….since I’ve been watching football……..that’s the SECOND DUMBEST thing I’ve ever seen a coach do……….SECOND to Morningwig defering the kick in overtime for the LIONS. So…….when we have a coach that is going to call something as ridiculous as a 2 pt conversion from the 12 1/2 yd line I’m going to start looking at other things he’s doing as well………that was a REAL EYE OPENER…….I’ve not forgot it and don’t imagine I soon will. RUN THE BALL!!!!
by baabaablacksheep on Oct 26, 2009 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
At first I just thought you were another of our over reacting negative douchebags on here, but then you started capitalizing certain words, and all of the sudden I found your arguments very compelling.
by worldtrip on Oct 26, 2009 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m glad he did, because the “….” were not enough emphasis for me
" I’m glad we play Pitt twice, and not Tenn this year." - Salty Browns Fan.
by Johnny_S on Oct 26, 2009 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Whats up with the “……” Try using these: . , ; ! ?
It will make your points a lot easier to read and therefore a lot stronger.
" I’m glad we play Pitt twice, and not Tenn this year." - Salty Browns Fan.
by Johnny_S on Oct 26, 2009 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
AMEN!!
Rashard rips of 11, 12 and 17 to the right and each time after that, we pass. I am all for mixing it up, but, this is starting to get a little wierd. This brings me back to the days when Tommy Gun was tossing the ball all over the place. It looked good, and was a bit fun, but it didn’t get us anywhere in the playoffs.
I know we have a better pass offense than we’ve had, ever, but not running the ball against the Bengals, Lions, and Browns is downright criminal. We should have racked up 200+ yards and would have won all three convincingly.
by Piratefan13 on Oct 26, 2009 8:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
This brings me back to the days when Tommy Gun was tossing the ball all over the place.
I’m all for running the ball more, especially when Mendenhall is averaging 6.9 yards per carry. However, I would just point out that I don’t think Tommy Maddox ever had a completion percentage over 70%. I could be wrong on that, but I feel like he wasn’t quite that accurate.
As for lamenting that the Steelers didn’t win “convincingly” against the Bengals, Browns, and Lions, who cares? A win is a win, with the exception of the Bengals game, which is lamentable because the Steelers had the lead in the 4th quarter, only to wind up losing the game. Of course, it seems to me that Willie Parker ripped off 97 yards on 25 carries in that game, a game in which Rashard Mendenhall was held out in one of the great coaching maneuvers I can recall.
To be clear, yes, the Steelers should probably run the ball more often. Then again, maybe Rashard Mendenhall shouldn’t fumble at critical points in the game. Although I’ve argued that the fumbles were not necessarily the kind that should give a coach pause to continue using the back as a workhorse, the fact is that Mendenhall has erred twice in two weeks. If you’re looking for a reason to limit carries, that’s a good one. Another reason would be Ben’s superb play. A third would be the fact that this gameplan appears to be working, considering the Steelers have won their last four games and knocked off the previously unbeaten Vikings.
So, to me, it’s hard to complain to loudly that the Steelers aren’t running the ball enough, even if logic seems to indicate that running the ball more would probably be a good idea. We simply can’t argue with the results to this point in the season. For what it’s worth, I have Rashard Mendenhall on my fantasy team, so of course I hope for him to get 30 carries each game, but as long as the Steelers win, I’ll take what I can get.
...Behold, a pale horse. The man that sat upon it was Wieters, and hell followed with him.
"BJ on the BE" - Kierkegaard
by Brett Jones on Oct 26, 2009 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only run I missed
Was the one Ben did not make.
Coming around the corner on a scramble, needing just 2 yards for a first down, he opts to loft a pass at Santonio’s ankles instead of running for the sure first down.
The defense had JUST finished the dramatic goal line stand and was tired. We needed that damn first down to get them a breather.
Ben has to run a little more on those plays. Just get the first down already. Move the chains.
by MarkJoel66 on Oct 26, 2009 8:51 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm confused
I heard someone last week refer to the Steelers as “pass happy.” What? Pass happy Steelers? Isn’t that an oxymoron??
by OhioSteelerFan on Oct 26, 2009 10:03 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No one mentioned the one thing that make the o so wrong
Airens.
by SNW on Oct 26, 2009 3:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The offense has been doing pretty well...
When you have one of the top three passing attacks in the NFL, and you are setting team records… I am willing to say the Offense hasn’t looked so bad.
Some of the credit for that has to go BA’s way. I mean, if we blame him when things are bad… we haev to give him credit when they are going well…
by MarkJoel66 on Oct 26, 2009 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think most would agree that Mendy should have had more than 10 carries, especially to the right. But overall this was very close to a 50/50 split as far as run/pass goes. Generally speaking, having the lead in the fourth quarter is not a bad time to pass. The defense is usually taking a big gamble that you are going to run and is generally stacked against that, making them vunerable to the pass. The issue in this game was more lack of execution. The offense seemed out of sync most of the day, frustrating yes, but it happens to the best of them. If there was an issue with the play calling, IMHO, it was a lack of cohesion, it seemed random and not in keep them guessing kind of way. I think BA was worrying too much about MN and not enough about just playing our game. To be fair, even though they have improved greatly, the OL is not the same quality as in the Cower years and as good as I think Mendy will be, he is not Jerome Bettis(notice how I restrained myself from putting not in all caps)so those arguements are pretty much invalid. We would all love to get to the point where our #1 pick can just take it and finish games off, the running game is close but not quite there yet. Until then, I am pretty comfortable with our other #1, $100M pick handling the ball.
by DarinS on Oct 27, 2009 3:00 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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