Keys to the Ravens game
by ChitownSteelerfan on Nov 2, 2011 12:18 AM EDT
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PrintAs I am sure all of you are aware, the media is high on the Steelers again. I don't know about you guys but I liked it the other way when every media outlet, talking head, etc... thought the Steelers were old, slow, and done. Although I thought the Steelers had a good chance to pull out a win this past Sunday. I still find myself feeling antsy with all this new found attention that comes with beating a top tier team. But the greater challenge is this Sunday. We face the Ravens in a classic divisional rivalry game. Both teams know what the other is going to do and it is a matter of execution. Here are some key points.
STOPPING RAY RICE:
Our secondary is red hot right now and I feel confident in our ability to limit the effectiveness of the Ravens through the air. That being said, what we really need to clamp down on is Ray Rice. Last game we played he gouged us for 107 yards on the ground and 42 in the air. That is unacceptable. I feel confident in our front line's ability to stop him. Although we are going to certainly miss Wood if he ends up sitting, we have young capable guys to step up. It is crucial that we limit his yards and force Flacco to throw the ball to beat us.
BIG BEN:
Big Ben has to have a big game. That means no turnovers, the receivers have to be on the same page as Ben and we have to be good on third down. I would love to see the offense just continue on from last week but make improvements such as better efficiency in the redzone. But the Ravens' defense is number one overall and 3rd in both the pass and the run. This is significantly better than the Patriots. Ben needs to be good...really good.
In the end, I think we have to grind out this win. It won't be easy or pretty for that matter. This game is going to be gritty and a defensive battle until one team blinks. That being said, I feel confident in our coaching staff and players to pull out the win and get the split.
Of course this is just my humble opinion, feel free to disagree.
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I see 2 key people to this game for the Steelers
BA and Troy.
BA has to stay with his quick strike, ball controlled offense he rolled out against Tenn and the Pats. We won’t run on the Ravens and if we leave it up to Ben to scramble and try and play action pass deep, he will get killed by Terrell “don’t call me BizMarkie” Suggs. We have to throw for 5 yard gains at a time.
Troy has to match up or shadow Rice. Rice is their key to beating us. Let Ike lock down Boldin. Keenan on the new kid outside. Let Gay/Mundy/Cortez chase the TE’s. If Troy shadows Rice and keeps him down I don’t see how they beat us.
Rolling out Brady’s offense against the Ravens isn’t the best idea.
The Ravens are one of the best teams out there vs. Brady. It’s why Rex Ryan is coach of the Jets now.
We found out how to beat the Pats, time to put that playbook to rest and go beat the rest of the league the same way we always do.
This
Tomlin said as much during his press conference. I think you’ll see the normal offense and defense this week.
We were able to play man because we weren’t concerned about anyone beating us deep.
The Ravens have players that can beat you deep so you want to take that into account. Ike is probably the only one they trust in man.
Plus Flacco != Brady. We can play zone and Flacco will not carve us up.
On offense we need to get the big play. This is the number one defense in the league, you’re not going to march down the field like you did against the 32nd passing defense in the league. This is the 3rd passing defense in the league so we’ll need a couple of 40+ yard bombs to help move down the field and score. I think the run game will be shut down once again. It will be up them being able to get wallace open down field, if he is open we are gonna have to connect for TDs, won’t get too many chances. If we can get Wallace open then we can start hitting tone 2.0 (Brown) and hines 2.0 (Sanders). Heath will open up the offense also.
I love the Steelers.
by tannofsteel84 on Nov 2, 2011 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
I think you’ll see the normal offense and defense this week.
I’m hoping we show them a varied look to the defense with the Steelers version of a 4-3 or 4-2 or whatever Tomlin/Lebeau/Lake/Butler can come up with given their healthy personnel. It was awesome that the Patriots saw a D that they had not prepared for and were ineffective. Why not give the Ravens something they haven’t seen twice a year since forever?
I think if Woodley and Harrison can't go
the 4-2-5 is our best bet
No way I want to put a 3-4 out there with a nose tackle who can be cut blocked and two OLB who struggle at holding the point and a ILB who has the same issue.
I love the Steelers.
by tannofsteel84 on Nov 2, 2011 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
JM2C
A 4 -man front is an attacking front. We don’t have the personnel for that. Our linemen have been raised to absorb blockers, not penetrate the line. It’s the difference between 2 and 3 technique play. (Plus more esoteric stuff I’m not fully versed in.) I think our guys are better off playing the game they can execute, rather than playing a scheme that is unfamiliar.
A mediocre plan executed well > a good plan executed poorly…. or something like that.
"They eat fish and are majestic" - Great Sergios Ghost
I feel you
but I believe they can execute that
Hampton role wouldn’t be changed. Hood has experienced playing 2 technique since that is what he played in college.
Heyward I believe was a 3-4 DE in college. He just has showed so much ability to rush the passer in the limited time he has been in, I think he could excel in that role.
Kesiel is already used to rushing the passer as he is used as a OLB sometime so his role would be the same in the 4-3 as a DE.
We’ll see.
I love the Steelers.
by tannofsteel84 on Nov 3, 2011 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Possible but not likely
It’s possible the Steelers could use a 4 man line ala a 4-3 defense but we have yet to see it. They will need to install it and rep it in practice for a good while before utilizing it and who knows if that has ever happened? This would move the Steelers toward a more ‘multiple’ defensive system and one would think with Tomlin’s background that would have happened by now. Maybe if Coach Dad retires they will start this process….
The Steelers have traditionally used a 2 gap 3-4 defensive scheme from their base alignment. This requires the 3 DL to align over an opponent (usually the C and both OTs) and react to either side of that opponent to support the run and help keep O linemen occupied blocking them instead of the linebackers.
This technique does not enable them to immediately rush up field as 4-3 DL do in most systems. These 4 DL players only have one gap (one side of an offensive linemen’s body) that they are assigned to defend. These 4 DL players usually align on this assigned side of their respective opponent prior to the snap and maintain that relationship as they move upfield. This enables them to accelerate across the LOS from the snap, whereas the 3 DL on the Steelers are staying square in front of their opponent and then reacting to that O linemen’s block. They then adjust their rush to what they see in front of them.
Things are a lot more complicated than what I list here but that is why you don’t see the Steelers DL making a lot of sacks – there’s oly 3 of them and they are not expected to get upfield quickly. They are expected to control the LOS and occupy blockers. The pass rush comes from one or more LBs who are expected to beat their opponents through quickness and scheme. Lots of ways to do this – by overloading one side of the ball, overloading the total number of blockers in a given area or simply beating your man as in any other defensive scheme.
"Franz" in NoCal
Are they really 3rd?
We proved we are really better than decent anyway by shutting down the Patsies, but the Ravens haven’t had that test. They’re still just a team that has had the good fortune of facing the worst quarterbacks in the league for the first half of the season. This game is for their pass defense what last week’s game was for us, the “let’s see how good you really are” week. We passed the test, and the Ravens may too, but the fact that 4 of the supposed-top-5 pass defenses in the league are from the AFC North isn’t because we’re all that good.
You know why the Ravens and Jets beat Brady right....well one big reason..
They attack him up the middle so he cant step into his throws. We attack from the ends and it gives him more time to a) play small ball and b) dip under an end and hit a receiver
can i give my keys to the game?
the Steelers must score more points than the Ravens. Otherwise, we’ll lose
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well, you can't win games if you don't score points...
you gotta give it up to the man, not only is he a prophet, he draws male genitalia on the teleprompter sometimes
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Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 2, 2011 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
i was actually thinking of the one
from the Giants/Bills super bowl.
Not only did he draw a near perfect pee pee, he said “and this is where it gets messy” and then drew a line that looked like….you know
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sorry, Giants Broncos
but this was was pretty funny too
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He didn't need a flanker
to make that wanker
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill
Agreed!
Outside of RR, there is nobody on offense that scares me. Controlling Suggs from the outside and Ngata will be key. Suggs killed J.scott in the playoff game and in game one this year..Legs got destroyed upfront by Ngata..Foster has shown himself to be much stronger and will not be overpowered by bigger men.
A man is innocent untill proven guilty...Even if it's Ben Roethlisberger!
'I rather have a German division in front of me than a French division behind me'..General George Patton
" I don't care if he has two horns and a tail, as long as he is anti-communist"..General Douglas MacArthur..
"The way to end our dependence on foreign oil is to keep our tires properly inflated"....B. Hussein Obama
"Government is not the solution to our problems, it is the cause of them" Ronald Wilson Reagan..40th President of the United States
Defintely agree, we need to control 3 Purple Browns and stay away from 1
Double Suggs with RB by chipping, Double Ngata with Pouncey and Foster, and control Rice with Troy. Please, please, stay away from Reed or use pump fakes to move him. He will bite on the short stuff.
So we're not going to "...definitely lose!!!"? glad to see you've regained some faith
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
My thoughts upcoming...
1. We need a big play from somewhere unexpected. I’m thinking an Antonio Brown return. He’s been close a few times, we need him to make an impact on ST big time this week.
2. Lawrence Timmons needs to play to his contract this week. He’s been the big no-show so far. I think Tomlin gets in his face and impresses on him the need for Timmons to come up with a splash play or two.
3. Tomlin has a habit of excelling in situations like this. One or two games…us against the world. He will have a plan. Whether it works well enough, we will see.
4. In five years of Tomlin the Steelers have put up identical 6-2 records each time. Talk about first half consistency!
5. It would be nice to get another performance from Big Ben like last week, but that is highly unlikely to happen. Steelers need to not waste alot of time trying to run on the Ravens however.
" Just go and lay your hand on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, and then I think you'll finally understand"
" In America" Charlie Daniels Band
2. I’d like to see Timmons back inside. I don’t care how we do it, that is his position and he flourishes there, he’s not a great OLB.
agreed, hes lost at OL
and….Sly didn’t look good last week. Worilds is not listed on the injury report so start him and Carter on the outside and get Timmons back inside.
Keys
I think some form of the short passing game needs to be kept in mind. Doesn’t have to be as much as the Pat’s game what with the homeless guy roaming the middle like a bum looking for a sammich, but we have to limit the 7 step drop crap.
I also think the no huddle needs to be used and used a lot. Keep Suggs and the nose breaker out there for long stretches and hope they start to burn out. Ben has time and plays smart (taking what the D gives him) we will win.
The Ravens D is scary but I have yet to be impressed with the Baltimore offense sans week 1. Take a page out of the Jags book and press cover. If we can press cover Brady and company we can certainly do it with the Ravens limited weapons.
And I like the idea of troy shadowing Rice. If we can limit him to a ho-hum stat line we win this game.
agreed on this
I wasn’t insuating throwing 50 times. But, a ball controlled, short, safe throwing attack to keep them off balance is needed
I’m guessing the Raves will want to bring their physicality and speed. The steelers need to counter that with either 1. the same physicality and speed, or 2, create situations where that physicality and speed work against them. Some quick hits :
Defense : I think flacco gets easily fooled. He can’t adjust on the fly. Having 4 down linemen and 5 dbacks will confuse him in 3rd down situations. This is something he hasn’t really seen before from the steelers with any consistency from what I can tell or remember.
Agreed. Polumalu needs to shadow rice, and they need to adjust to chop blocks. I smell some penalties on the ravens.
Offense : I don’t know for sure, but I suspect a big running day for Mendy and Redman. I think they need to at least run for 100 yards between them. Catching for another 50.
Everybody is paranoid about Wallace. He will be double teamed and played 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. They also need to put him in motion more to get a head of steam. I liked the Play in AZ. Ben never had much time the first game, and so the Ravens D weren’t too worried about Wallace. That changes this game. The o-line has to give him some more time to let Wallace get up field and I think both Brown and Ward/Sanders need to run short to middle routes with 3-5 step drops for Ben. No throwing into tight coverage or through zones.
They also need to run well designed SCREENS. Should I say that again? Render Ngata and Suggs ineffective by having them overrunning plays, then hitting them with 5 step drops for 20 yards.
My two cents, but I’m just a hack.
good points
Mendy actually ran well against the ravens in the 1st qtr of that opening game. They fell behind and that went out the window…
Thanks. Sometimes I feel stupid here because it’s difficult for me to see the games more than once, while others are very football smart. Smarter than me.
I’m just dicking around on the internet.
this is how I feel
I like your take and would add that Memo needs to be part of the running attack
People don't ever seem to realize that doing what's right is no guarantee against misfortune.
- William McFee
by stillergorillar on Nov 3, 2011 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
They also need to run well designed SCREENS. Should I say that again? Render Ngata and Suggs ineffective by having them overrunning plays, then hitting them with 5 step drops for 20 yards.
Heath Miller needs to play like an MVP this game. Both in getting up field and blocking for “Young Money” and the RBs on screen, and being Ben’s safety blanket over the middle when the Raven’s bring the heat.
Give the Ravens a taste of their own medicine. Fight fire with fire.
"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play." ~Jack Lambert.
"Superman ain't got nothing on me, ... Kryptonite? C'mon now. It's just that you're never going to hear me say that somebody is tougher than me, ... Because I don't believe somebody else could be tougher than me." ~James Harrison
by H-burgSTEELfanatic on Nov 2, 2011 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Make the Ravens chase
Offense: You beat the Ravens passing, not running. They do not have the CB depth to hang with the Steeler WRs. 1. Negate the blitz with quick hitters. 2. Roll away from Suggs and make him chase. 3. Rashard out wide is a matchup made in hades for the Ravens…especially when he is lined up outside Miller. 4. Make them play a lot of inside out pursuit early and use misdirection later. Can’t just go right at them all the time.
Defense: 1. Stop Rice. 2. Stop Rice. 3. Stop Rice. They have no other weapons.
They do not have the CB depth to hang with the Steeler WRs
This was said last time and we are now a lot healthier at CB with the return of Jimmy Smith and Chris carr. 1-5 we are comfortable with all of our CB’s on the field at any given time. Also Hines is coming off an injury and I believe I heard Sanders may have a knee issue(I’m sure something minor).
Roll away from Suggs and make him chase.
You may be surprised by the pass rush from the other side especially in passing situations. Johnson is having an excellent year and our pass rush specialists Mcphee and Kruger have been causing havoc this year.Mcphee has drawn quite a few double teams this year because of this.
Rashard out wide is a matchup made in hades for the Ravens
Not really unless Ray was forced to cover him 1 on1 out there which I don’t think would happen and that takes away a blocker for to help protect Ben so he would have to get rid of it fast.
Can’t just go right at them all the time.
I don’t think you will consistently run the ball well this game no matter what, but teams have had the most success running between the guards and tackles on us, so that would probably be the best place to attack us.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
hmm
I’ll take this one
could be, but my $ would be on #29 Cary Williams as their target RT @scottymorgan2: @Ken_Laird im predicting webb is gonna have rough day.
We’re not running period.
I think Brown and Sanders have improved at least in production since game 1. Especially brown. He was non existent in week 1.
I love the Steelers.
by tannofsteel84 on Nov 2, 2011 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
If Ward and Sanders are down
We’ll just trot out Jericcho Cotchery, a number 2 receiver on most teams, who I’m sure would love to show what he’s got after sitting on the bench so long for us. Also, it was not blanketing our receivers that won you the game last time but that we gave you the ball on every third offensive play.
Suggs and Ngata are the real problem matchup for the Steelers (that and the fact that 3 of our 4 LB’s are down), and we’ve just got to block them or hope that Ben improves his ball security.
-We like our WRs, you like your CBs. My suggestion is you have some of your CBs play man and pray they don’t make a mistake. This is going to be the best match up of the game.
-We have better tackles than what we did week 1. Starks and Gilbert are allowing little to no pressure on Roethlisberger, if you want to get pressure your going to have to do it up the middle with Ngata and Cody, or stunting your OLBs in the inside. My guess taking full advantage of Kemo.
-Your right. I wouldn’t want to see Mendy or any RB for the most part (Moore is pretty good lined up out wide)lined up outside on the LOS. I’d rather see Ben throw to his RBs out of the back field and get to full speed before turning the corner and making someone miss.
"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play." ~Jack Lambert.
"Superman ain't got nothing on me, ... Kryptonite? C'mon now. It's just that you're never going to hear me say that somebody is tougher than me, ... Because I don't believe somebody else could be tougher than me." ~James Harrison
by H-burgSTEELfanatic on Nov 2, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Here is how you can beat us.
1. Pressure Joe (duhhhhh) but that will be tough without your two best blitzers. Still think Lebeau will have an amazing scheme ready.
2. Play press coverage on our WR. Only way to stop Torrey from beating you long is to slow him up at the line. He has as good of acceleration as anyone in the league (better 10 yard dash than Desean Jackson and Mike Wallace). Teams have been putting their best CB on Torrey lately. Revis, Peterson, started to play Torrey because they are the best at press coverage. Not saying Torrey is a world beater, but it is quite obvious that teams are having trouble keeping him in front of their CB’s.
3. Stay disciplined on your D-Line when Rice has the ball. He loves getting outside, don’t let him get the edge.
4. Not sure what you can do against our pass rush. It has been amazing this year. With your O-Line and the way Suggs and Ngata manhandle your group, my suggestion is just pray.
5. Your WR are good, REALLY GOOD. Line up 4 wide early and often and work the middle. In all honesty, Brown scares me more than Wallace right now.
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
Okay
1.) Without Woodley that going to be hard. Maybe Worilds comes back this week and shows us something, but until that happens I will doubt it.
2.) I think you count on some press coverage now due to the success we had this past Sunday, although it wont be as much. I would stick Lewis on Smith because he has the deep speed to keep up with him. Lebeau put Lewis on Wallace in training camp because of this, and Lewis actually was doing a good job from what I heard. Ike obviously has Boldin and Dickson will be covered by a combination of Mundy and Troy on passing downs.
3.) Might be hard to stop Rice again without Woodley, but Ziggy has playing better and Keisel has been great. If Sly is starting again this week he will have to be a lot more disciplined and physical because of obvious reasons. Count on Troy being at the LOS a lot.
4.) Our offensive line has been a lot better in pass blocking over the last two games, so I wouldn’t count on seeing 2-3 guys in the backfield as often as you did in week 1. They’ll get their usual amount of pressure, but this time Jonathan Scott is not the LT and Ramon Foster is playing some good football.
5.) Expect to see the short passing game a lot this time. Personally I would have Mendenhall attack the flats often to draw one of your MLBs from the middle of the field, as well as try to get Heath Miller in some nice matchups.
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 2, 2011 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
as well as try to get Heath Miller in some nice matchups.
I expect to see a ton of blocking from Heath more than him downfield. He is the best blocking TE in the league, and the other side of Ngata/Suggs in our front 7 has been dominant this year. Kruger, McPhee and JJ have all been playing great, Heath will need to take them on.
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
I agree with StoneColdSteel
We’ll play our usual off-coverage mostly to force Flacco to make as many throws as possible, and to keep as many players as possible in front of Rice.
I would add that you’ll probably see Mendy the most out of the spread formation. BA really likes to run out of passing formations to catch teams by surprise. He tried to do that a lot when he first came, and fans were really upset because they were used to Kreider paving the way. We saw some of it again last week, and it worked pretty well, so there’s a good chance you’ll see it pop up again. I think it definitely suits Mendenhall’s style of running better than power running formations, and if we’re going to have success running the ball against you guys it’s probably going to have to come against your nickel or dime defense.
You do realize the Cards tackles are arguably/statistically the worst starting combo in the league. Your pass rush looked great last week, but how much of that was the inferior competition.
The Ravens are pus*ies compared to the Steelers. - Peyton Hillis 2010
I think Steelgator is on our side :)
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 2, 2011 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Your pass rush looked great last week, but how much of that was the inferior competition.
Our pass rush has looked great the whole year. We’re 2nd in the league in sacks, so I’m pretty sure it’s us and not just the cardinals.
On Ed Reed:
"I’ve told him to his face many times, ‘You’re the greatest safety ever to play the game,’"
"We all learn from each other, but we all learn most from him."
- Troy Polamalu
you might see a lot more double or triple TE sets to free up Miller.
"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play." ~Jack Lambert.
"Superman ain't got nothing on me, ... Kryptonite? C'mon now. It's just that you're never going to hear me say that somebody is tougher than me, ... Because I don't believe somebody else could be tougher than me." ~James Harrison
by H-burgSTEELfanatic on Nov 2, 2011 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I would love to see the Steelers put Cortez Allen in press coverage on Torrey Smith. That’d be an awesome match up.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
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by John Stephens on Nov 2, 2011 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Is that Clemson vs UMD 2.0?
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
Allen went to the Citadel
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
Follow me on Twitter
by John Stephens on Nov 2, 2011 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Didn’t you guys take someone from Clemson?
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
Crezdon Butler was from Clemson
But he is on our farm team.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
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by John Stephens on Nov 2, 2011 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Yea, got Crezdon and Cortez mixed up.
Flacco has to trust his receivers to make catches, but shouldn’t throw towards coverage. He needs to attack deep more often, but shouldn’t hold onto the ball so long. He needs to show more awareness in the pocket and move to extend plays, but nothing good comes of him leaving the pocket. He should run with the ball if nobody’s open, but he definitely can’t run with the ball.
Flacco should have the awareness of Roethlisberger, the elusiveness of Vick, the control of the offense of Manning, the leadership of Brady, the accuracy of Brees, and the arm strength of … Flacco? - Ampallang
Smith would burn that dude pretty bad
I think Cortez is faster than 4.51, but he aint as fast as Smith.
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 2, 2011 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s why he would have to jam him.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
Follow me on Twitter
by John Stephens on Nov 2, 2011 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
That would have to be a pretty good jam
The minute Smith gets off the line freely he’s going to leave Cortez.
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 3, 2011 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I was thinking that as well
Two rookies battling it out. It would be interesting to watch and it would leave Ike for Boldin.
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 3, 2011 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions
My keys.
1. Block Ngata
2. Block Suggs.
Seriously, if we could do that it’d be over. In lieu of that Hopefully Starks can slow Ngata enough so that somebody can focus on Suggs. At least it isn’t Jonathon Scott out there this time.
Cut Ngata
Why aren’t the Steelers doing this? Insane, especially given that Short Legs Legursky was matched against him last time.
I don’t like the backside OL being able to cut while the NG/DT is engaged but they are allowing it and it is legal in the NFL. It is being done to the Steelers, so why not use it against a very nasty fellow like Ngata?
Suggs has been a one man wrecking crew versus Pittsburgh. Short pass game needed to reduce damage to Ben and force him into coverage.
Throw early and run late.
"Franz" in NoCal
Do you mean cut him with some sort of sharp blade?
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 2, 2011 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Not Literally but...
they need to slow him down. D linemen universally hate to get cut blocked. I say – so what? We have been teaching it forever and so do most teams, regardless of level of play.
"Franz" in NoCal
We would have to zone block them for that to work (like they did to us)
I’m not sure we can do that, we’ve had a lot of trouble running against them. Cutting them on short passes could work, if Ben throws the ball in time. And thats a big if.
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 3, 2011 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Not necessarily
Blocking zone or blocking man assignments can allow for cutting a guy like Ngata. You don’t have to be zone blocking to cut on the backside, although zoning or ‘scooping’ the backside is common when man blocking schemes are used frontside in many plays and systems (running option or wing T principles for example).
Plus, Kugler has instituted his version of zone blocking already. Their vaunted “O Power” play is as old as the hills and this is a man scheme frontside. But they have zone principles in other plays and most pass blocking is zone or area blocking anyway. Adding a cut here and there to Ngata shouldn’t be hard to do.
"Franz" in NoCal
Cut blocking is
illegal on pass plays, I believe
People don't ever seem to realize that doing what's right is no guarantee against misfortune.
- William McFee
by stillergorillar on Nov 3, 2011 9:50 PM EDT up reply actions
No, cut blocking is always legal
as long as it conforms to the time and place allowed for in the rules. A cut block is a legal block below the waist. The rules for HS, NCAA and NFL are different in many aspects, with blocking no exception.
In the NFL, blockers can generally block below the waist at any time. One notable exception is that no low block can occur once a ball is handed off or pitched to a back (or if QB leaves the pocket) by a player who started more than two yards outside his tackle and block is within 5 yards of the LOS. This is the old crackback block. Blocks by people "outside the box’ must be above the waist, unless that block occurs more than 5 yards beyond the LOS and not from behind (clipping).
You also can not cut block a defender already engaged unless you are next to the man already engaged. If you block low on a man already engaged who is not next to you, or if you fall across a man’s legs who is already moving past you into the backfield – this is a chop block. I think the first part allowing the cut after engagement at anytime is a bad idea but that’s how it is right now.
In HS, you can only block below the waist on a man at the snap of the ball. Both players must be at the LOS and in the free blocking zone at the snap. No delay, no low blocks downfield or in the backfield. You used to be able to Low/Hi double team block with the first man hitting the defender blocking low and second man blocking above the waist. That has been changed. All double team blocks must now be High/High or Low/Low. This pretty much eliminates low blocks on anyone not directly across the line from you or very close since it must occur ‘at the snap’.
Current NCAA rules are similar to NFL except no low blocks if more than one blocker is involved – no Hi/Low or Low/Hi double blocks. Not clear if a Low/Low block is legal as in NFHS rules above. RBs and WRs outside the free blocking zone (5 yards by 3 yards either side of the ball) may only block low on a man facing them or toward his near sideline.
"Franz" in NoCal
thanks
for clearing that up
People don't ever seem to realize that doing what's right is no guarantee against misfortune.
- William McFee
by stillergorillar on Nov 5, 2011 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
1. Coverage sacks FTW! Actually getting to Flacco quickly is going to be hell. Feel good about the DBs limiting Boldin, Smith, and the TEs, but Rice is still going to be a problem, as long as he isn’t going for 1st downs on dump passes I’d call it a win.
2. In preseason it was said the only CB (other than Ike) that could cover Wallace was Keenan Lewis, but that was with when he was a head case and there wasn’t much pressure in just practice. Now he is matured and is playing like our second best CB. Keenan lewis on Torrey Smith is going to be his biggest test of the season, we will see if he is up for it. If not they will switch Ike (who I hope starts out on Boldin) and Keenan. For your TEs I hope we press them on the line often with LBs and hand them off to DBs in coverage. The Patriots failed to do that on Miller, and he murdered them. Timmons/Mundy kept Hernandez quite for most of the game and Cortez Allen did a good job of wrangling Gronkowski after the catch which is no easy task.
3. Self explanitory. We can’t let Rice beat us.
4. I’m glad we have Starks and Gilbert now. That’s all I have to say about that.
5. I’d add Miller into that as well. Roethlisberger seems to operate better when he throws to , plus we are going to need him as a safety valve when the Ravens bring the heat.
"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play." ~Jack Lambert.
"Superman ain't got nothing on me, ... Kryptonite? C'mon now. It's just that you're never going to hear me say that somebody is tougher than me, ... Because I don't believe somebody else could be tougher than me." ~James Harrison
by H-burgSTEELfanatic on Nov 2, 2011 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for chiming in, MaLor
Pressure without blitzing is going to be hard to come by. I think we blanket the receivers. Joe is going to get a few throws. Just not enough to sustain long drives. Kiesel is very good at reading throwing lanes and bats balls down once he gets in close. Cover his receivers long enough and Flacco will take to the sideline and sack himself. :) The blitz package is where we get to Joe. Blitzes will be infrequent, but they will count when they come. Troy can get to Flacco – both physically and mentally.
Taylor is not slow. Neither is Lewis. Torrey Smith is still raw as a route runner. He averages two catches per game. He’s a Sanders-sized threat, not a Wallace. Our zone has beaten Flacco plenty of times. We won’t need press coverage against Flacco the way we did against Brady.
Rice is my big concern. The cut-blocking employed during our week 1 match-up really hurt our defense’s ability to move laterally. Normally, that’s an area where our D line excels. I don’t think we have a solution for that. Timmons has been disruptive at the LOS. He’s weak as a pass rusher, but pretty good at sealing the edge. Then there’s the other side… We don’t even know who is going to be there. It’s a concern.
Our pass blocking has improved, but all we’ve done is gone from stanking to merely odiferous. Against a first rate pass rush, Ben is going to need to dump the ball quick. If we don’t get into a hole, I think ben can pull this off. Suggs will turf him a few times. There’s no doubt it’s going to happen. But I also think Ben escapes and dumps the ball to Moore, Miller, Johnson, or Mendy just as often. I don’t think Miller stays on blocking duty. I’m betting he plays bump and run to keep Ray Ray occupied, which opens up short passes for us and makes the screens more dangerous.
Our WRs will get their plays, but I think we go in with a very balanced attack. Passes will go everywhere. Your backfield can’t defend it. Your best bet is your pass rush, but you’ll get burned as often as you get to Ben. Our 1st and 2nd down running plays will be futile, but we’ll sneak in a few third downs with runs. Just to keep the Ravens D honest…
"They eat fish and are majestic" - Great Sergios Ghost
What are these screens you speak of?
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 3, 2011 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions
No doubt
What I wouldn’t give to throw a couple screens behind Suggs, but BA hates ’em for some reason.
Well
The steelers traditionally(at least over the last few years) didn’t employ man to man cover defense, maybe BA will follow the lead and do something he doesn’t or do much in the past. I keep saying over and over, get Mendenhall in the open field.
Re-confirm distance to target with one ping, one ping only please...
The target is the AFC North championship via beating the Ravens this week.
The ping is the key to winning that game. The telltale sound is the football touching just one thing – the hands of the Steelers offensive players.
No turnovers by Ben and the offense. That is the most important stat or issue imaginable. Bmore doesn’t have enough offense to run away with the game with the way they are playing lately. The Steelers defense should be able to keep the team within striking distance even if we don’t score on offense in the first half.
Lots of other particulars to discuss but really, what else is this important Vasili?
Captain Marko Ramius
"Franz" in NoCal
I'm not sure what the first part is, but it sounds good
Pittsburgh Steelers fan - nuff said.
Miami Hurricanes fan - nuff said.
Georgetown Hoyas fan - nuff said.
Cleveland Cavaliers fan - um yeah, about that...
by StoneColdSteel on Nov 2, 2011 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Hunt for Red October - Sean Connery
Sorry – movie reference.
Tomlin is the captain of the Steeler war machine and needs to make sure that turnovers don’t drown them in the Baltimore game. The Ravens are opportunistic and have a great defense – give them nothing.
"Franz" in NoCal
What I like this time around.
Its the Ravens who are running their mouth to the media and still seem to be pretty confident from their week 1 beat down on the Steelers. Hopefully this time the Steelers are the ones walking the walk instead of talking the talk.
Put the Ravens in a hole early much like they did the Ravens. Have a nice field long drive putting 7 on the board at the end of it. Force the Ravens to a quick 3 and out and follow it up with another score. That way The Ravens are less likely to use Ray Rice, and forces Flacco to try to drive down the field with his arm, which isn’t going to happen.
"I believe the game is designed to reward the ones who hit the hardest. If you can't take it, you shouldn't play." ~Jack Lambert.
"Superman ain't got nothing on me, ... Kryptonite? C'mon now. It's just that you're never going to hear me say that somebody is tougher than me, ... Because I don't believe somebody else could be tougher than me." ~James Harrison
by H-burgSTEELfanatic on Nov 2, 2011 6:37 PM EDT reply actions
Good stuff
I think Rice is definetely the key. Plus their TE’s.
In the WR department, they’re terrible save for Boldin. But Ike and co can handle that.
The real threat are the TE’s and Rice in the middle and check downs. Flacco won’t beat you deep all day, so just focus on that middle.
I’d like to see Troy playing more in that LB slot this week, covering that middle zone while our LB’s take the flats.
Let the corners play man and fan out the LBs.
On offense, we’ll be fine. Ben and young money are hot.
Rice
is the staple of the Baltimore offense like it is to Vietnamese cooking. The guy got almost 40% of their yards in week 1. Stop “Little Ray” and the the Ravin’s have nothing but side dishes for offense. Our DL should do a better job against the run than they did in week 1, but we still have to account for him in the passing game.
Offensively, the Steelers (especially Ben) just have to cherish the football. Don’t commit turnovers that end our drives and start Baltimore off on our side of the field.
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