5 Players who Impressed....and those who didnt

Wallace is very exciting.

Mr 412 also noted (on another post) the special teams and fullback play of Summers. I’m going to have to watch the blocking more carefully.

The guy I really like is Harris. I posted before that I thought he would make the team (but that was only wishful thinking). Now my point of view might have actual support. The front office would have to keep 7 defensive linemen (instead of six) in order for Harris to get a spot, don’t you think? The talent tiers look something like this:

Smith Hampton Keisel
Hood Hoke Kirschke
Harris Paxson Eason

I could see Paxson and Eason getting cut, but it’s hard to see Kirschke getting cut since he played with the first team last night. So it seems like Harris will have to hope for seven DEs on the roster.

I ask from You that our 2 outside LBs and beloved QB have “injury-free” seasons this coming 2009 NFL season.

How could you not mention Shaun McDonald? He was definitely in my top 3 of players who impressed me (Wallace and Redmann being the other two). He was fantastic in the slot and made some great grabs and moves over the middle. Also, he looked quick and confused defenders for some good YAC.

Here is to hoping they drop Davis, and alternate Redmann and Tank at FB….

1. SHIP!!! He pushed guys back, he held his ground, he switched his man and picked up stunts like a veteran, I watched him every play he was out and was greatly impressed, give the kid some first string time! Let’s see how good he is.

2. Legursky. Expected the Cardinals to go after him hard, either they were sluggish or the young centers are the real deal.

3. Sweed. Yeah he dropped one, he always will I feel, but the hype he’s been getting he lived up to. Ward, Holmes, Sweed, Wallace, McDonald (also very impressive, but mostly what I expected) would be a sick group to take into the season.

4. Davis. Worlds apart from everything else I’ve seen of him, he looked like a Steeler LB out there. I was very pleased to see him play like that. Great job.

5. Dennis Dixon. What you say? yeah, he looked bad at times, but he made plays. I think he’s a year or two away from being a very valuable 2nd QB. Let’s hope we don’t get to see him tested this season, but still I liked what I saw, he looked a lot better than last year.

Disappointed: Almost the entire second and third string front 7. Hood was solid and made a nice sack, Harris looked like a real 3-4 end but we were getting knocked off the ball and gaps were opening against our guys.

Starting O-line. We don’t play very smart and we often don’t beat the guy in front of us. I got beat twice on a swim move too. Anyway, Shipley and Legursky, put them in!

To me, it seemed that Mendenhall was avoiding contact. There seemed to be a couple of times were he had a big head of steam and could have blown some guys up but instead tried to manuver and got dropped. I’m really rootin’ for the guy but, MAN was Redman impressive! Sweed, on the other hand, has seemingly improved enormously. I’ll accept a single drop in the first preseason game in exchange for those great grabs he made in traffic. Wallace and McDonald were eye-catching as well. How are we going to hold on to this abundance of wealth at WR ?

Did not look like a stud out there, especially in run support, even though PixburgArn assures me he is the second coming. He gets a pass the first few games though because he is essentially adding a whole new element to his game, but as of now I remain especially unimpressed with his run stopping.

When you are left clean on the back, you have to make the tackle. Timmons is a work in progress, but damn is he fast.

The Good:
- Trai Essex looked solid in the little action he got, primarily blocking Darnell “I own other players named Darnell” Dockett. He got some push in the running game and he kept his guy off Ben.

- Kemo actually picked up a stunt (!)

- Wallace and Sweed both looked like they were too good to play against the second team defense.

- McDonald looked too good to play against the third team defense.

- James Harrison. Holy shit.

- William Gay wasn’t tested enough in coverage to say much there, but he was destroying ball carriers.

- Donovan Woods looked like a capable backup.

- Bruce Davis didn’t look nearly as bad as I thought he would. He could still make the team.

The Bad:
- I love Ziggy Hood, but I wasn’t terribly impressed with him in the running game. He needs to get his pad level down. In his defense, he was doubled a lot.

- Joe Burnett, the first rule of returning punts is you do not fumble the ball. The second rule of returning punts is YOU DO NOT FUMBLE THE BALL.

- Doug Legursky was the only OL starter that had no business being out there. He is a big oaf who got away with several blatant holding penalties. I didn’t watch Shipley close enough, but I’d like to see him next week if Hartwig and Stapler are still out.

- Willie Colon: LINE UP IN THE FIN RIGHT SPOT, RETARD!!!

- The first team defense as a whole wasn’t pumped up for the game, which is understandable, but hopefully they’ll play with more intensity in real games.

Q: How bad did you beat that cornerback?

A: I couldn’t even tell you. I just felt like I got up on his cushion and then I was open. I was just looking back for the ball. I don’t even know where the corner was.

From: http://pit.scout.com/2/888309.html

I love it.

1) Willie Colon seems to be in mid season form already with an early pre snap penalty. A lack of running game and an illegal formation penalty later coupled with too many men in the huddle made Arians and his crew look like they too are in mid season form.
2) Sepulveda will be a HUGE upgrade in the kicking game this year. He got the loudest ovation from the crowd after his first booming punt.
3) To all the Fast Willie Parker haters; it didn’t look like Mendenhall had any room to run anywhere either. Sure glad we got FWP on the squad as I trust him with the ball in the 4th quarter.
4) Sweeeeed! He looked much improved and like a contributor. He also dropped a 1st down pass that was in his hands.
5) 3rd round CB Keenan Lewis had a nice hit on special teams that forced a fumble but later came up limping in pass defense. Others looked better in the secondary but others looked worse.
6) Deebo planted Matt Leinart and looks to be in mid season form. So did Jeff Reed after sinking a 50 yard putt.
7) Bruce Davis looked much improved both as a special teams player and as a LB in the defense. He made some tackles for both squads and chased Palko and the others out of the pocket several times.
8) The Tank looked good on special teams but so so as a runner. He blocked ok but the best runner looked to be FA Isaac Redmon not Tank or Mendenhall.
9) New DB Keiren Ratliff looked ok in coverage and could make the team but how do you let Sean Morey beat you on a 3rd and long? A long time favorite Anthony Madison also got beat up in pass coverage as well as had an INT taken away and given a PI leading to an AZ 3.
10) Always liked LB Donovan Woods. He plays hard.
11) Mike Wallace is fast. Shaun McDonald looked like a real NFL #3 WR. Limas had his moments. Looks like the Steelers could be deep at WR.
12) Joe Burnett was the most impressive rookie and had the play of the game with his INT. I didn’t think he had a chance to make the 53 with the competition at DB but based on the coverage skills of some of his competition last night I reassess and say he has a chance to make the 53 and dress.
13) Greg Warren looks recovered from his injury. Sonny Harris and Ziggy Hood look like guys that could play in 09. Scott Paxson also looked pretty solid telling me that the Steelers will have a solid D this year. Loved their goal line stand in the first half.
14) I’m sure glad Steeler football is back.

Frank “The Bulwark” Summers did not look like a tank. He’s good at running at people. Not so good running between them. I thought he was going to be our short yardage guy, not our fullback.

Patrick Bailey looked “meh”. I’ve read some posts that are pretty down on him, and he deserves them, but I don’t think he’s done. There was at least one play (maybe two) where he got a good bull rush going and collapsed the pocket. He got his shoulder under the linemen and pushed well with his speed rushes, but his feet just weren’t fast enough. Fixable?

What happened to Stefen Logan? Did he ever take the field?

Donovan Woods flashed a little early in the game. I’ll have an eye on his for the rest of the preseason.

Isaac Redzone can read the holes and get into them. He still needs to prove he can make the yards when the path is a little more cluttered, but he’s another everyone will be watching.

I want to see more feedback on Johnson (thanks Kiwi!). My preference would be to see him make the team. McHugh has to be the tallest FB ever. How good can that be if he is called upon to run block? He’s 6 inches taller than Kreider was.

Anyway, I’m sorry to hear that he (Johnson) had an ugly incompletion. Sometimes that’s all it takes to get dropped yourself.

he did a good job of taking what the Cars Defense gave him he took outlets when everyone was covered down the field looked comfertable in the pocket. And in former Steeler News Brian St. Perier( can’t remeber how to spell his name) thows an INT to his old team so much for being the no. 2 guy in AZ.