Post-Game Notebook Points Out Several Missed Chances For Both Teams
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 10:00 AM EST
in Steelers Postgame Recap and Review
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We often dictate the quality of a game based on the score. We also determine too much of a quarterback's ability in his statistics.
Both teams failed to claim a lot of plays that would have affected the outcome of the game. Ravens QB Joe Flacco was Joe Montana on third down, and Aaron Brooks on first and second down. In the end, he made the throws he needed to make.
Some notes from one of the most gut-wrenching regular season losses your team will ever see.
- Credit to Ravens coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Two games against Pittsburgh, two wrinkles before unseen: In Week 1, it was the zone stretch runs, and in Week 9, it was lining FB Vonta Leach out wide, and motioning him back behind the QB. It forced the Steelers to show their intentions, and gave Flacco a long time to look at it.
- Whether that's a hold on Ravens WR Torrey Smith depends solely on which team you're rooting for. Final word, if Gay wasn't in the lane Rice was running in, it wouldn't have been called. But he was.
- Very classy of Rice to smash into the older lady in the yellow jacket after the touchdown. Damn her for standing there.
- Interference on the first drive on Gay, one close on Taylor, set the tone for the rest of the game. Harbaugh is one of the few coaches in the league grasping the full advantage offenses have in today's NFL. Throw the ball high in the air, the odds of a defensive player getting flagged for interference, contact or holding during the receiver's route, or a hit that an official will see as helmet-to-helmet, are enormous. Not to take anything away from Baltimore, but the league is set up for the offense. Three pass interference flags (two were declined) and a helmet-to-helmet penalty all the result of Flacco simply throwing the ball high.
- A nod to another fine kick return team performance. Isaac Redman with a great block on Antonio Brown's first kick return, he makes one guy miss, he's gone.
- No surprise to see Baltimore leading the league in takeaways. They have a better feel and understanding of where passing lanes are than any other defense in football.
- This can't be said enough (even though I'm sure we'll attempt to), James Harrison was unstoppable in this game. His conditioning held him back at the end, but the one and only time they tried to block him with a tight end was a laughable failure. He whipped McKinnie pretty much the entire game.
- This Torrey Smith kid is a hot mess. He's like a shorter Limas Sweed. He looks like he has no confidence in himself, and his complete lack of body control ruins the chances he gives himself to make plays with his speed.
- Oh, and so is William Gay. Coaches on both sides are chewing Rolaids watching film of those two today.
- Keenan Lewis is clearly the better pass defender of the two. Credit to Flacco on a great underthrown pass, and Smith's fleeting ability to adjust to the ball in the air, Lewis had great coverage. Is it time to start discussing another change in starting cornerbacks?
- All teams work on hands drills with their defensive backs. It's beyond ridiculous how the Steelers cannot come up with interceptions in any circumstance. 3rd-and-5, Flacco tries to force a pass into Dickson. Gay turns around, cutting off the underneath. The ball hits him right off his hands, goes 20 feet in the air. When it hits the ground, there are three Steelers defenders within a few feet of it. The Steelers have dipped into historic territory with their lack of takeaways, at some point they should be regressing back to the mean. Right?
- There's Redman again, great pick-up of a blitzing Pollard. Just stoned him where he stood, allowing a nice 13 yard completion to Miller. That's just great football.
- It's rare to say this, but Collinsworth completely misdiagnoses Brown's 32-yard reception on 2nd-and-8. The Ravens picked up perfectly on what the Steelers were trying to do - slip screen to Cotchery off a fake pass deep. It froze Ed Reed, who was playing approximately 40 yards off the ball. Cotchery was blanketed by Ray Lewis, and the rest of the defense sold out on the potential deep route to the right side. Brown was all alone on the left side. Nice recognition by Roethlisberger.
- Ray Lewis will be $15,000 poorer after this game. His helmet-to-helmet hit knocked Ward out of the game and it was oddly un-penalized.
- This is what you gotta love about Ward, though...he has a bum ankle last week, and misses the game. He suits up in this one, gets cracked in the head by Lewis, and is clearly on another planet when he gets up. He does, though, have the presence of mind to start limping, and even stop to favor his ankle - giving off the impression that's what he hurt on the play.
- I didn't recognize Kapinos at all. Has he been working out with Ed Hochuli or something? He looks like he got released, got a tattoo and went Steve Lattimer in the weight room.
- Jah Reid could be my favorite name in all of sports.
- Flacco just makes you scratch your head sometimes. No pressure, wide open receiver, misses him by seven yards. Great quote from Baltimore Sun reporter Mike Preston: "The way to beat Flacco is to make him think, and the Steelers didn't do that."
- I got Smith with four drops in this game. Wes Welker led the NFL in 2010 with 11 all of last season. The most contact he had all game was him hitting his own chest, signifying that was on him. And yes, I'm aware of the third-to-last play of the game. Just sayin'...Hot Mess...
- What a beautiful spin move Worilds put on Michael Oher to force pressure on 3rd-and-10 with 5:53 left in the second quarter. Unfortunately, though, Worilds bit on Flacco's pump fake and quit on the play, otherwise he would have sacked him. Either way, Flacco just tossed in the general direction of one of this tight ends. Imagine that. That may be play of the game just for Worlilds giving me a huge amount of confidence in his future.
- Four pass attempts in the red zone. Three to Cotchery, with one completion, and a sack on the fourth. A running game sure is nice to have sometimes.
- Opening drive of the second half was a thing of beauty, until...yeah. What a killer INT.
- Amazing catch by Brown...and yes, I realize I'm starting to sound like Dan Dierdorf. In three weeks, he's become the focal point of the offense. And I'm ok with it.
- It's really unfortunate Heath Miller has to compete against wide receivers for a Pro Bowl bid. He's having perhaps his finest season, but everyone will check off on a "tight end" who plays out wide on 75 percent of his plays. I'm looking at you, Rob Gronkowski.
- The Steelers just worked the Ravens over in the second half in all three phases of the game. Completely beat them down. How did Pittsburgh lose this game...HOW?!?
- Nice move, Baltimore. Ayanbadejo was about as injured as I was on that play. Classy. He wasn't even favoring anything, he just laid there for a minute, got up and walked off the field.
- Jameel McClain cracked Miller in the head in last year's Sunday Night game. Looks like he earned it again this year with a punk hit on Brown. No penalty again, but they're really trying to eliminate helmet-to-helmet hits. Do you really think any player in this game wouldn't rather take $15,000 and make a play over a 15 yard penalty?
- Wallace won't be out-done by Brown. Not sure to whom Ben threw that pass, but I do know I was yelling so loud my dog ran away from me.
- It's times like these you can just hear the gears struggling to work in Flacco's head. He has all day on first down to make something - anything - happen. What does he do? He throws the ball to Rice, who's wearing a Keisel suit. Coverage was good, but so was protection. Why not move around and see if something develops? If nothing, throw it away? This guy completed like 80 third down passes...I just don't get it.
- Rice wants nothing to do with a blitzing Harrison. Flacco is stepping up in the pocket, Rice bails just as Harrison begins his leap. Flacco soils himself and tosses it somewhere close to Ohio.
- David Johnson dropped a first down pass (???) with 4:21 left. It was at this point I felt sick. This was going to turn downhill.
- Of course, everyone will rip Arians, but frankly, he didn't call the play for an incomplete pass. Johnson - or any receiver - will make that catch 99 times out of 100, and the Steelers are then looking at 2nd-and-2, probably. Instead, they gave Baltimore a free timeout, a free down and didn't move anywhere. Even with Redding's penalty, the Steelers end up running a bizarre set of plays, and again, have the clock stop off an incompletion.
- Then there's the 4th down fiasco...Tomlin said after the game it was his fault. Are we punting? Kicking a field goal? Going for it? Planning our post-game meal? From this point on, no one appears to have any clue what they are doing.
- Great punt, everything should have lined up well enough to end this game. The Steelers seemed completely lost on this last series. Flacco threw well, not taking anything away from him, but ye gads, Pittsburgh wasn't even set on the line of scrimmage one of those plays. A ball falls in front of Polamalu, one clangs off Foote's hands...Flacco made some great throws, there were some big drops but he left a few turnovers hanging on the edge.
- The ironic part is if Roethlisberger, the more renowned late game QB was in that spot, and he made some of those throws, the Ravens would have picked them off. No doubt in my mind.
- Smith again wide open, again fails to make the play. Yes, he's now officially Shorter Limas. I even told the wife after that there's no way he's not going back to him. He's gotta catch ONE of these...
- And there it is. A winnable game for both teams, a classic game in many ways, a sloppy game in just as many ways. Time to move on.
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I put this loss completely on
The coaching staff and a flawed game plan… Quite simply, our 3 man defensive line pass rush is and has been completely over matched by the Ravens O line…. should of been a 4 down game plan from the onset… Our nonexistant pass rush put the heat on our Db’s whom were clearly out of gas late in the 4th quarter… upsetting loss giving how well prepared and thought out the game plan was last week….
last week we used it extensively....
point is, not when was the last time we used it…but when we should of….and this week was prime example….did u happen to see…..Hood, Hampton, Heyward, Kiesel applying ANY pressure on Flacco in a 3 man set the WHOLE game….. ?….
by OR69faithfull on Nov 7, 2011 10:34 AM EST up reply actions
Should HAVE
Could HAVE
“should of” and “could of” make no sense in the English Language.
Beyond frustrating...
3rd and 7 – converted
3rd and 9 – converted
3rd and whatever – converted…
Not ready to jump off a ledge or anything, but it’s clear we won’t play the Ravens again at Heinz Field this season.
An addition to the notes...
Early in the first quarter, ravens in the redzone, flacco takes the snap and immediately throws it over everyone’s heads and out the back of the endzone. Shouldn’t that have been intentional grounding?
No
It’s a legal play as long as a Raven is in the area.
Frankly, I’m surprised nobody is outraged at the lopsided officiating.
Every single call that went against the steelers was a momentum changer, starting with the first play of the game. It should have been 1st and 20, not 10. It should also have been 1st and goal from the one yard line on the steelers 1st possession, ultimately making it a 7-3, after lewis’ H2H on ward.
It also seemed like the steelers d-backs were giving them a 3 yard cushion after all those PI calls, especially the Ryan Clarke hit that was called for unsportsmanlike conduct – and throwing it high, in my dumb opinion means nothing. The steelers were visibly dejected by all the interference calls – and didn’t know wtf to do. Flacco tried to thread the needle on purpose, knowing he’d get the calls. And what about that supposed catch by the ravens receiver using the ground? Not overturned? You’ve got to be kidding me. You could see the look on tomlims face, as well as others, that this game was to be determined by the officials.
Yes, the Ravens played well, but so did the steelers, not counting the bonehead Ben interception. Suggs saw that dumbfuck arians bubble screen call coming from china. If it weren’t for the officiating, I say the steelers win. Two scores for the ravens were determined by bad calls, and one score for the steelers that wasn’t because of a lack of a call.
Look, I know there is a certain degree of homerism here, but I saw three games yesterday and parts of a fourth. There were so many calls going against losing teams for pass interference that it seemed so blatantly obvious the refs wanted one team to win. I can’t remember the last time the officiating was so bad,and even so obvious. I can understand one or two calls that are made in error, or even just to keep the game clean, but there were so many calls against the steelers I just watched the entire second half in silence with my jaw on the floor. I wonder if last weeks victory was because they didn’t call PI, with the steelers d-backs all over the Pats receivers. Who knows if this was just a “settle the score” game.
This is pathetic. I wonder why I watch any football at all.
It wasn't the officiating
Which one of the PIs should not have been called? I didn’t see one. Considering Baltimore declined two of them – meaning they succeeded despite it – you can’t really say that was a factor.
As I wrote, I think there were two helmet-to-helmet calls that should have been made, but that probably happens every game.
The officiating wasn’t the problem, I just think the Ravens finally started calling their offense to the skill of their QB, which is short, timing throws. He does not go through his progression well, and cannot improvise. His one-look-and-go mentality is what he had on every bleeping third down pass, and he completed two-thirds of them.
I don’t think we fully comprehend the game he had. The fact they even HAD 21 third downs is beyond strange. Great game plan on Baltimore’s part, but we left interceptions on the field – again. Jacksonville was in the same position against the Ravens, and they caught the ball. That’s why they won.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 10:47 AM EST up reply actions
upsets me so
to see the coaching staff adjust so well with the offensive ame plan, then not use a 4 man front to both apply pressure, and to have another 6-4 pair of defensive linemans arms in the air with our defensive game plan… especially since we were minus Woodley… was our outside Lb on that side even on the field?… I didnt see him…. not in a run stop, not in a pass rush, not in a pass defended…. GRRRRRr…….still steaming over this loss…
by OR69faithfull on Nov 7, 2011 10:54 AM EST up reply actions
That
Would probably been 7 points, and the lack of 7 from wards H2H hit would have resulted in another 7.
Exactly
The refs made me angrier than anything else.
One of the great disappointments of a football game is that the cheerleaders never seem to get injured.
I disagree
Yes, the ravens played well, and all that crap. But the game was decided by 3 points, which is exactly what the nfl wanted, and the only reason it ended up that way was because of a few strategically placed bad calls or non calls.
Everybody talks about momentum, and when you blatantly see that calls weren’t overturned or "yeah, go ahead and purposely spear a player, and and he’s dizzy and can’t get up and NO call? Tell me that doesn’t deflate a team that is constantly being called for H2H hits – even when they are done accidentally. Lewis when after Wards head on purpose.
Lewis when after Wards head on purpose.
man you dont know that at all you
Yes, the ravens played well, and all that crap. But the game was decided by 3 points, which is exactly what the nfl wanted, and the only reason it ended up that way was because of a few strategically placed bad calls or non calls
The steelers had every opportunity to win the game last night and when they were up by 4 points they had every opportunity to stop the ravens offense but they indeed allowed a 92 yard scoring drive.
No one knows his intent, but when you lead with your head high, there is one thing that will likely happen. And it did.
"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 7, 2011 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
I’ll drink just a little bit of league Kool-Aid for a minute, and say this is exactly why they’re trying to get players to stop.
It wasn’t intentional. It was just sloppy technique. Lewis is big and strong enough he knows he doesn’t need to use his shoulders to put Ward (50 pounds less than Lewis) on the ground. He didn’t drop his shoulder nearly far enough, and because of that, he hit him with his helmet.
Lewis could have prevented that (could have absolutely lit him up, too), but he went into it lazily.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:45 AM EST up reply actions
Lewis is supposed to be the poster boy for technique
last year he was one of the talking heads saying how they have adjusted to the new rules. I truly do not know his intent on that hit, but it is hard not to say there was some intent there. The history of the series, the supposed bounty on Ward several years ago. I don’t like to think that someone of his stature in the game would intentionally try to hurt someone, but from what I saw, it looked intentional. He could have applied the same hit to his body to dislodge the ball, but made no attempt to go lower. Then add insult to injury, the catch gets overturned.
Things can always be worse....
After this week when at least one linebacker said he hoped Ward would play and couldn’t wait for him to get out on the field, then the first time he’s targeted Lewis lays that kind of hit?
I love that Harbaugh dotes on his players for playing so cleanly, then they respond by turning Heath Miller into a pez dispenser and Ray Lewis reenacting his nawlin’s alley brawl on the fifteen yard line with Hines Ward’s helmet.
Have any of you ever seen a hit like that by a Steeler on a Ravens player since the increase of fines and H2H flags have grown not get flagged?
Well, the first PI call was on a pass that was CAUGHT, that one left me scratching my head. The receiver was not able to get both feet down in the end zone, but he still caught the ball, so I’m not sure how it was interference.
I disagree
The Ike Taylor PI was a questionable one. I didn’t think he changed the WR route with the contact he was just “checking” the receiver. The ball was also too deep I don’t believe he would have caught it any way. That was a call that should not have been you let the to guy play
William Gay did hold Torrey Smith but after he let go Smith had a nice push off of his own.
Huge fan of the Steelers. (that includes "Steelers West")
"If I could start my life over again, I would be a professional football player and you better damn well believe a Pittsburgh Steeler!"- Jack Lambert
I believe Gay's hold
was a result of being held/pushed off by Smith. To me, no homerism here, that should have been offensive PI. There were other calls/no-calls that were questionable, not using them as an excuse, we got out played when it mattered, but how different the game could have been if the right calls, or even consistency with the calls, were made.
Things can always be worse....
but how different the game could have been if the right calls, or even consistency with the calls, were made.
Such as the bogus holding call on Rice’s 76 yard TD? I am sure Steeler fans though are 100% certain that was the right call…..
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
Yes
He turned him around and held his arms while pushing him down. I know there are bogus calls, but that wasn’t one of them.
"I may not be an expert on everything but I am an expert on holding as I held on every play for 12 yrs. that was no hold!’’
— markschlereth, the former NFL guard and current ESPN analyst, on the holding call on the first play of the Sunday night game between Baltimore and Pittsburgh that negated a 78-yard touchdown run by Ray Rice.
Now, I am sure Steeler fans will question Mark Schlereth and what he knows about blocking in football. Just trying to show you that there are many, many people outside of both these fan bases who think that was a horse shit call. I have been reading about it all morning.
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
Schlereth also played the game 15 years ago, and is paid based on his experience in a game that isn’t played even close to the same way it was then.
It’s a nice, funny comment, and it certainly has gotten play everywhere, but his opinion on this isn’t any better than plenty of other people who basically said, “it’s lame, but that’s what they call nowadays.”
I didn’t know someone could be an expert on holding.
"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 7, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
Well
There’s no such thing as an expert. The refs try to do their best, but sometimes, since there is holding on every play, it’s up to their discretion to call the penalty unless it’s obvious. Or good acting. They might also just call because it’s a home game, or because they called it on the other side a few series earlier.
That’s the part that I’m talking about. It’s easy to skew the calls one way or another, be it on purpose or not. I’m not saying it was on purpose, but it sure looked that way on any one of a number of calls. Maybe they decided it wasn’t a hold in the booth after is was called on the ray rice td run, and wanted to make up for it on another play.
This kind of inconsistency and arbitrary officiating is what’s idiotic.
I'll admit that I'm not sure sure that was a hold...
but I can see why the ref would think it is (depending on his position). Either way, that semi-flop thing Gay did was the only good thing he did all night.
What bothers me is that it really seemed like the refs spent the rest of the night making up for that call. Then again, maybe thats just homerism.
However, I really bo believe that if we had Woodley then this game would have gone very differently. There was no pressure on Flacco in the final drive.
How about Boldin pushing off Taylor yet getting a call. How about Brown getting hooked around the waist in the end zone, no call. How about Cotchery getting shoved out of the back of the end zone, no call. How about Wallace getting his jersey almost ripped off his back on his TD catch, no call.
I’m sure Ravens fans think those were all ‘correct’ non/calls. Sorry, listening to Ravens fans making judgements on holding calls is a laugher, they cried about this ‘bad’ holding call last year that cost them the game on a punt return:
^ To a Ravens fan, that’s not holding/
Flacco is still hot trash & his (& the Ravens) inconsistency will be the reason your season ends yet again with a pre SB loss.
The Ravens are pus*ies compared to the Steelers. - Peyton Hillis 2010
Boldin pushed off a second before Talyor slapped at that same hand. We all saw Wallace getting his jersey pulled from behind on his TD reception, no flag. There were plenty of other instances, Cotchery & Brown in the EZ, where our WRs were clearly interfered with but no flag was thrown, yet the Ravens WRs interfered on offense & still got a call. Definitely played a huge impact on the game. What is it now, 4 PI calls in the end zone for the Ravens the last two games, yet I saw them commit two Sunday night in the end zone & neither was called.
That being said, you are going to have games like that, you just have to play through the BS & make the plays you need to win. We got plenty of chances on 3rd downs to seal the deal & didn’t get it done. Missing half our WR & LB corps hardly helped, but it’s the NFL, you run what ya brung.
I said before the game I wasn’t too concerned if we lost this game, that I thought we would win the division either way, & I still do. I mentioned my focus was going to be on the O line & our younger players. O line played outstanding. Granted Ngata was playing hurt but neither he, Suggs, Cody, or anyone else on the Ravens front 7 was a factor in generating pressure. We only had the ball for 17 minutes & didn’t run enough IMO, but like I said before the game we were able to run well between the tackles. Brown continues to shine & Worlids showed he can also be a factor in run D. Sylvester still looks lost but that’s all mental, he obviously has the physical skills/speed to develop into a more than adequate inside companion to Timmons.
The Ravens are pus*ies compared to the Steelers. - Peyton Hillis 2010
The one that lit me up the most was
not calling the PI when AB was abused in the end zone. Not only did the defender (not sure who it was) slow him down, but he turned him. And the freaking ref was pretty close and looking right at it. Worse, that ball was perfectly thown, and only an easy catch dropped prevented a TD there, or 1st down on the 1. And freakin Collingsworth said during the replay “let’s see if he turned him.” WTF, having his hands on im and slowing him down without turning him is not PI?
Gotta agree on this one
Brown had his body turned on a ball thrown to him and it was a no call.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 10:52 AM EST up reply actions
Blown call had nothing to do with defense allowing a 92 yard scoring drive
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
What does that have to do with losing 6 points on a PI penalty that isn't called in the end zone?
What does the 92 yard drive have to do with Ben’s Red Zone pick? Easy to throw those out there like that huh?
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 11:27 AM EST up reply actions
Because when it came down to dealing with what the Steelers could control...
…meaning their play, as opposed to what the refs did or did not call, when it came down to it being a 4 point game, unfortunately our defense did not make the requisite stop on the numerous 3rd down opportunities that occured in that final 92 yard drive.
Meaning “woulda, coulda, shoulda” on all the calls the refs got wrong. And yes, I was pissed off most of the game because of those calls, but they ALL would have been moot had we been able to stop just ONE of the 3rd downs in that final drive.
And that goes for Ben’s Red Zone pick as well; all part of the game. All those things didn’t matter in the final minutes. The entire game was in the final minutes, on that final drive. Yes, had any of those calls taken place, or had Ben NOT thrown that pick, the final drive wouldn’t have mattered, BUT IT DID. And our defense did not step up when needed, as opposed to Ratbirds offense, which did.
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
Don’t forget the fourth-down conversions too.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:15 PM EST up reply actions
yeah.... easier said than done
It wasn’t a woulda, shoulda, coulda. the refs are there to do a job, if you execute well and the refs completely miss calls badly, even on challenges (ball on the ground pushing from one side of the arm to the other is somehow ruled under the receivers control), than you can execute all you want and it is no longer in your control get it? The route was executed as was the throw, the penalty should have been called – is that under the Steelers control? No, but it doesn’t change the execution on the play. On the exact same play Cotchery was pushed out the back of the end zone – 20 yards downfield – no call – just makes him an ineligible receiver – there is only so much that is in your control every game, especially when the refs aren’t making calls.
On the contrary, Ben’s interception was under Steelers control and was poorly executed. As was clock management at the end of the game which ended up setting up the 92 yard drive to begin with. The defensive scheme on the last drive is the culprit along with a good performance by Flacco.
You can’t point fingers in any direction you want and see the outcome however you want, but the 2 things aren’t related. The blown call cost us points, and Flacco deserves the credit for the drive – it is what it is.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 1:04 PM EST up reply actions
ball on the ground pushing from one side of the arm to the other is somehow ruled under the receivers control
I think that was the right call, though. What the official ruled was he already had possession before the ball hit the ground.
Ben’s INT was an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise excellent performance.
Can't agree with you there Neal
he never really had control going to the ground and once he got there it “squirted” from back to front and then back again and almost popped out the other side – the only reason he didn’t lose the ball is because it was trapped against the ground – that is why it almost popped out the back side on the tail end. any separation between his body and the ground and that ball would have come out – it was not under control. But of course that is my opinion and I don’t get paid to Ref…
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 1:24 PM EST up reply actions
"But of course that is my opinion and I don’t get paid to Ref…"
I’m not sure they do, either…
“Mr. Burns, we found a missing Brazillian soccer team working in your reactor core!”
“That plane crashed on MY property!”
Nice!
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
BTW -
The National Football League (NFL) pays referees anywhere from $25,000 to $70,000 per season. When you consider that the league plays 16 games and referees are considered part-time employees, and they also get one-week intervals and paid travel to and from – not a bad gig.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
That'd be a great gig!
I wish I could misinterpret the rules of my job often and still get paid that much.
Not sure I would qualify, though, I’m too young, and I need at least a decade of solid work on my beer gut to match up with many of the ones they use today.
Ed Hoculi still has some guns though...
I am sure you have to have some solid experience in the lower leagues to make it in and then I am sure there has to be some crazy rule exam you have to pass before getting out there…
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 4:36 PM EST up reply actions
$25k per year for that agravation?
I think, considering how much money the league pulls in, the officials should be paid more otherwise the possibility of someone making one or two bad calls in a game for 10k (or some other amount of chump change) is going to be higher than necessary.
Hopefully when officials have bad games there is some investigation to make certain they haven’t been bought or aren’t having some personal health issues that are impairing their abilities.
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
Ward also had control when he was on the ground
if the other Raven had not landed on him the ball does not come loose. When Ward hits the ground as a result of contact the play is dead at that point, correct? catch should have stood if so.
Things can always be worse....
Yes
On top of being illegally hit, it was a catch.
Meanwhile, the ravens use the turf to gain control of a pass and it’s called a good catch.
The steelers were playing on an….uneven playing field.
Correct, the second hit caused the ball to come out, but he was already down.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
Ward = catch
For the life of me I cannot see in any way, shape or form, that he did not control the ball until Pollard hit him, and that was when Ward’s ass was clearly planted on the ground.
They OVERTURNED the call! Still beside myself on that. Horrible call.
Agreed
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
+2
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
No it wasn’t the right call. You could see the look of disbelief on tomlins face when it was “upheld.” He never had control when he hit the ground and rolled over on it. You actually think it was a good call? Are we talking about the same catch?
Totally mind boggling the called it that way. I’ll bet the NFL owns up later this week and says they screwed up, and then give Lewis a $15,000 – which for him is worth it to take a playmaker out of the game.
Should this not have been illegal contact which is 5 yards and auto 1st down?
On the exact same play Cotchery was pushed out the back of the end zone – 20 yards downfield – no call – just makes him an ineligible receiver – there is only so much that is in your control every game, especially when the refs aren’t making calls.
Things can always be worse....
Yes it should have, like I said - No call...
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
The blown call cost us points, and Flacco deserves the credit for the drive – it is what it is.
Agreed, Flacco had a good drive, but coming into the game he also had a QB rating almost identical to….Tim Tebow. Over the long run he just isn’t good enough.
The Ravens are pus*ies compared to the Steelers. - Peyton Hillis 2010
He was good enough when it mattered
which is the point.
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:11 PM EST up reply actions
We forget
our offense was on the field and with at least one 3rd down conversion, we can either run out the clock or put more points on the board making all of this moot
Things can always be worse....
absolutely correct, there were lots of missed oportunities
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 4:09 PM EST up reply actions
But
That’s not the point.
Everybody likes to talk about the players being human, and they have emotions and reactions like everybody else. Calling bogus PI penalties and allowing the opposing defense to light you up and allow H2H hits has an effect on what you can control. You “control” yourself to prevent penalties. And they did. It’s just like an ump calling strikes wide off the plate. Sooner or later you’re gonna have to bring it inside where the hitter can hit it, even if your sliders were landing on the edge. If the ump wants you to hit it, you will or you get struck out or walked.
Simple as that. They became shy, hesitant, and didn’t play close like they did the Patriots. The ref’s bad calls definitely had an effect.
Probably should have been called, but whaddya do?
The Steelers still need to find a way to get in the end zone. Starting to struggle with that, and I think it’s because they aren’t running enough. One part I left out, props to Mendenhall on a great game despite very few touches. You can run on the Ravens if you apply it all game. Not suggesting that should be the plan, but it would have helped in the second half if we had run a bit more earlier in the game.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 10:54 AM EST up reply actions
The holding call for the 1st play was correct. I just rewatched it and the hold occurs 10 yards off the original LoS. It’s always a 10 yard penalty from the spot of the foul, not from the LoS.
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by John Stephens on Nov 7, 2011 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
Nah, it was about 10 yards past the LoS.
"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 7, 2011 11:16 AM EST up reply actions
I actually thought it was within 5 yards originally
"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 7, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions
It's definitely not at the LOS
It’s about 10 yards off, which is why the next play was 1st-and-10 again.
Gay was in the hole, he would have had a chance to make the tackle. I understand why Ravens fans are hot over it, but he grabbed his arm and pulled him. If Rice didn’t run right past where Gay would have been if not for Smith, it wouldn’t have been called.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:48 AM EST up reply actions
I was going to explain how the rule works
but I think you understand that and I can understand the frustration. If it is a 10 yard penalty that occurs after the first down is achieved then it should go back 10 yards and be first and 20 with the theory being the the new original line of scrimmage would be where the foul occurred.
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:00 PM EST up reply actions
nm
looks like I misunderstood twice.
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:13 PM EST up reply actions
one more
conference loss will put a big snafu in our playoff hopes… just reviewing the NFL’s playoff picture.. one cant account for how wins and losses head to head in other divisions will ultimatley shake out… but…. there are good teams out there with less conference losses, and we only occupy the second wildcard slot currently due to not having our bye week yet….
Agree with just about all.
1. Yes. K Lewis > W Gay. C’mon, man!
2. That was funny watching Rice step to the side for the Flying Deebo. Maybe Deebo and Troy can coordinate a trapeze act.
3. Torrey Smith is a rookie, and I think he will be good. He helped them a lot last night, despite the drops, not just by his catches, but the threat he poses.
4. Yes, on Redman’s blitz pickups. Mendy stoned a few of them too.
5. I thought the same thing re Kapinos. Who is that guy impersonating Kapinos?
6. One thing I disagree with .. didn’t completely “beat them down” the 2nd half. Almost, but Ben’s INT hurt bad. Hurting worse was not getting either a 1st down or FG with 3 min or whatever left. 1st down would have been much better, because I was really nervous about Sushi in that situation and the potential for giving field position. Johnson drops the pass. And last, with the game on the line, D couldn’t keep them from getting a 92 yd TD drive. So agree, but for all but the last few minutes of the game.
7. I think Ben threw that TD pass to AB. Doubt he could have seen Wallace coming to the spot.
8. Starks did a great job on Pretty Boy Suggs. Think that camera is disinfected yet? Maybe they just threw it away.
9. No bonehead penalties by Kemo.
10. Aside from winning SB, only thing to erase this stank would be to bounce the Purple Browns in the playoffs.
didn’t completely "beat them down" the 2nd half.
I may have been somewhat excited when watching it back.
Torrey Smith is a rookie, and I think he will be good. He helped them a lot last night, despite the drops, not just by his catches, but the threat he poses.
I swear to God, a Bengals fan told me that in 2009 after the game Sweed dropped that TD pass. The similarities are frightening to me.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
I hope he starts a lot for the Ratbirds.
I do to.
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
by Mr MaLoR on Nov 7, 2011 10:58 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Funny. He had better stats in one game last night than Sweed has in his career. Definitely just a faster Sweed.
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
faster and shorter
iirc
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:16 PM EST up reply actions
well
one thing he did do…is come back after the drops
That’s the one thing Sweed never did…ever…
so…they are sitting pretty right now.
Let Malorina enjoy his blissful season, he’s suffered enough
This message will self destruct
A
As she will in January, but at least that’s become an expected ritual.
I seem to remember Sweed laying out a Raven on a devastating block, if Torrey can overcome his confidence issues maybe someday he can do the same to a Steeler.
The Ravens are pus*ies compared to the Steelers. - Peyton Hillis 2010
He’s better than Sweed. He has questionable hands but he has better mental strength
Not many players drop a game winning TD and then get a second chance to catch one and then actually do it
Shows two things:
1. Flacco had confidence in his guy to throw to him again even after crucial drops
2. Torrey Smith was able to shake off the drops and still make the game winning play
Right now, not one Ravens fan gives two shits about the dropped passes. He won them a game against the Steelers so he is redeemed.
Trying to compare Smith to Sweed just so we poor, hurt feeling Steeler fans feel better is just pathetic
Formerly known as Steeler_
BTSC's token Kiwi fan. That means I'm a New Zealander. Yes, that small country next to Australia....no we are not part of Australia
by Michael Hewitt on Nov 8, 2011 2:34 PM EST up reply actions
re: #1
Maybe Joe just has that short a memory. I am not saying he does but maybe.
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:17 PM EST up reply actions
That is just insulting to say that Smith is similar to Sweed. The guy has already exceeded our expectations of him on the year. He is NOTHING like that shit WR you all rubbed lime on your nipples for when you drafted him. NOTHING!
Torrey is going to be a dominant WR with the Ravens for a long, long time.
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
Torrey has 4 TDs 20 Rec 397 Yds in the first half of his rookie season. Sweed had 0 TDs 7Rec 69 Yds in two seasons.
Yup, they’re basically the same player.
How many drops did Smith have?
I really don’t understand why you guys are getting so upset over it. Sweed’s body language was EXACTLY the same as Sweed’s after he dropped a TD pass against you guys.
From a technical perspective, he doesn’t have control of his body when the ball is coming to him. Sweed didn’t either. If your legs are moving faster than your body is, you lose your balance, which causes your eyes to dart around. When you’re doing that and a cannon-armed QB named Joe Flacco is firing footballs at you, it’s really hard to catch it.
Sweed had the same problem. If you don’t like it, piss off, I didn’t write this for Ravens fans.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:50 AM EST up reply actions
I don't disagree with what your saying Neal
He had four drops and I agree he needs to work on his hands, he catches way too many balls with his arms or body.
I was just pointing out some facts on the other side of the spectrum that show Torrey has accomplished more in just one game (let alone half a season with no off season to prepare with the team) than Sweed over two years, and shows infinitely more promise than Sweed ever did.
I don’t think Torrey is the second coming but his speed has to be respected, and right now, even with the drops, he is a dangerous weapon. If he gets that issue worked out, the sky’s the limit.
Yeah, definitely a lot of potential. The comparison I made between Smith (LAST NIGHT) and Sweed was in regards to how he’s catching the football. Sweed had the same problem. I’m not saying Torrey Smith will BE Limas Sweed, I’m saying last night, he looked a lot like Limas Sweed.
And I will defend that statement.
Now, I’d more than likely decline if you offered me a bet of who will have more career catches, Smith or Sweed, but that was never my point.
I used the term “Hot Mess” because he looked out of control. Undisciplined. All things that can be fixed. Well, unless you’re Limas Sweed…
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:56 PM EST up reply actions
Thank you.
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
What about the drops, Homer Malor?
You completely overlooked everything I wrote, and in typical fashion, you throw stats out, missing the forest through the trees.
No one said he’s a bust. No one said he he didn’t light up the all-powerful Rams defense a month and a half ago. All that was said is that he was Sweed-like in his lack of coordination and how that lead to his four drops. Those drops are just as real as the one he finally managed to catch.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
I saw the drops, and yes they are worrisome to some extent. But saying he is like Sweed is just uncalled for. Sweed had terrible drops and was NEVER able to bounce back from them. Great players are able to forget those times and make plays later, which is what Torrey did.
This is the 2nd game in a row where Torrey has basically made the catch to win the game. He is doing exactly what we wanted him to do this, run straight and run fast. With his work ethic and the type of person he is, this problem will get fixed.
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
With all due respect, Malor
I don’t f’ing care. I’m not his press agent or his biographer, I’m telling BTSC readers what I saw. I saw him drop a lot of passes, and I can see why he dropped a lot of passes. I connect that to them through Sweed, who was once a young Steelers receiver who dropped a lot of passes.
As soon as I feel the need to speak about Torrey Smith the person, I’m sure to give you a call, seeing that you know him so well.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:35 PM EST up reply actions
Yup. Good game.
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
just be cool man
You know you’re able to rile feathers after a game like that. Don’t be that guy more than for juts a comment or two. You may want to laugh int he face of 99 percent of Steelers fans, but out of respect for the site and me, talk football, not trash. Cheers dude.
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 Michael Bean on Nov 7, 2011 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
I will never throw personal attacks at anyone here Bean, and you know that. Don’t think I talked any trash here. I disagreed with someone who said Torrey is comparable to Sweed, and stated my point.
I have only made valid points such as “Flacco played great, Torrey stepped it up when it mattered” etc.
Im not here saying HAHAHAHAHHAHA or anything like that. I never would.
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
cool
i havent read everything, just making sure i got that in as a reminder to all Ravens fans. thanks bro.
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)
He is doing exactly what we wanted him to do this, run straight and run fast.
p.s. he ran straight and fast on William Gay, which isn’t gonna impose fear in a whole lot of teams. It’s the comebacks and outs he ran that are most impressive. When you’ve got a QB who can put that throw (the 15-and-out) on the money and a receiver who can get open, you’ve got a serious threat. Revis can’t even defend that, let alone poor Willie Gay…
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:50 PM EST up reply actions
I asked this question earlier, why is he on your team then? Why is he covering Torrey then? I am sure Steeler fans are asking this as well.
The Ravens cannot control what the Steelers do, if they want to put a below average CB on a WR who has obviously shown this year he can take the top off the defense against any team, than we are going to take advantage of that. Why do you think Peterson, and Revis, and Joseph, and some other #1 CB’s have been playing Torrey these past few weeks? Because they are obviously worried about him.
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
No need to be defensive
I was paying him a compliment. I think you’re downplaying the success he did have; he did a helluva lot more than “run straight and run fast.”
And I have no idea why they were covering him with William Gay. Likely cuz they wanted Ike’s physicality on Boldin, and Lewis and Allen’s size on TEs.
Likely cuz they wanted Ike’s physicality on Boldin
That obviously didn’t work too well either, and I was surprised very much. Boldin handled Ike pretty well.
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
Obviously?
Seven catches for 88 yards and he was targeted 10 times isn’t a decisive win over a defender anymore – you can’t sneeze on any receiver without drawing a flag (unless you’re Antonio Brown in the end zone, but that’s beside the point). Flacco threw 47 passes, less than one in four went to Boldin. Considering how good Boldin is, I wouldn’t say the plan didn’t work well. If it was a heavyweight fight, it was 10-9 Boldin.
Last week against that sack Richard Marshall, it would have been 10-7 Boldin.
He certainly didn’t look as good as he did against Welker, who I am sure you believe is a far better WR than Boldin is (I do to). Add on top of that Average Joe throwing to him, I think Boldin had a very good game, made some huge catches in extremely tight coverage.
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’d take Boldin over Welker any day.
I think this probably gets into the same thinking as our “Foster vs. Rice” argument. Different players, both do certain things well.
To me, Welker is a glorified running back who won’t be able to think clearly in seven years due to the abuse Tom Brady gave him on six-yard slants into the teeth of the linebackers.
Boldin will probably have similar cognitive problems when he’s older, but at least he did it deep down the field.
You can shut Welker down with man coverage. I’ve always felt that, but teams won’t do it cuz Brady can shred them, so they try to play it safe up front with zone.
You can’t ever shut Boldin down. He shuts himself down here and there, but opponents can do little to prevent him from getting the ball, which to me is more of what an elite receiver does. Welker is just crazy, runs balls-out and has a head made of granite.
which to me is more of what an elite receiver does.
That is the first time I have heard “elite” and “Boldin” used in the same comment. Just last week, I was being explained by fans here that Boldin is washed up and average.
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
Well, I’m sorry not all disagree with me on here, but the dude has been flat-out ballin’ his whole career. I love Anquan Boldin and it made me absolutely sick when he went to Baltimore.
It’s funny, cuz you guys hate Hines Ward and would refuse to call him an elite player too – back in his prime, at least. They’re both very similar. Physical possession guys who can still run vertical routes. Just great football players.
Ward is a HOF worthy player, does that make you feel better. Hate, hate, HATE him, but he will be in Canton one day.
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
Boldin did better than most, but did not "handle" Ike
Boldin did most of his damage when Ike was playing elsewhere. I believe that Ike gave up only one of the catches by Boldin on the final drive.
It's the drops that make us think of him
I believe Torrey will be a Raven for a long time and probably reasonably successful.
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by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:18 PM EST up reply actions
FUnniest line in the whole article:
Ray Lewis will be $15,000 poorer after this game. His helmet-to-helmet hit knocked Ward out of the game and it was oddly un-penalized.</blockquote>
Let me guess; you’re new here, right? NOBODY calls anything that benefits the Steelers if they can help it. Just look at some of the stuff that has happened to Roethlisberger in the last 3 seasons… More specifically, look at the footage from the game LAST season where two defenders were sitting on top of him AFTER the play was dead, torquing his foot back and forth, nothing, no call at all, although it made it on TV live, and was shown on the Jumbotron. Oddly enough, Ben played the rest of last season with a broken foot that only popped up after that play. You think they’re going to throw a flag on a helmet to helmet against a Steeler? Hell, we’ll be lucky if we even see a fine, I’ve seen them ignore just as brutal of helmet to helmet hits already this year, even one on Ben, I believe… Maybe he needs to grow some Tom Brady hair, and then the refs will notice him getting hit late(Although there weren’t any blatant late hits last night that I noticed. Nice for a change).
Oh, so YOU are new.
Mikey, just a word of unsolicited advice: you might want to investigate a little more about who’s posting before you make assumptions like that…. Neal? New….?
Maybe you don’t visit too often…?
IT WAS A JOKE… Jesus people, lighten up. I was imply making a joke about someone saying that it was odd that an official didn’t call a penalty for a shi**y against a Steeler, the joke was to assume that they must be new if it was the first time they saw THAT happen.
I know it’s hard to get subtlety across in the written word, but I thought the sarcasm in the remark was obvious. Obviously, I was mistaken.
Let me guess; you’re new here, right? NOBODY calls anything that benefits the Steelers if they can help it.
I understand your frustration. What I wrote was the G-rated version of what I yelled at the TV about last night. I’m not new here, but my main contention with the game last night is they are only flagging defensive backs, but fining everyone. Fines mean nothing to Ray Lewis, what really will discourage that kind of play (if that’s what they want) is to flag it on the field.
A perfect example in reference to the Ravens fans on here was the flag on Pollard against Jacksonville. Absolutely perfect and clean hit. I’d show that to young players as an example of how to play. He got the flag and the fine. People didn’t complain about the fine nearly as much as they complained about the flag.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:16 AM EST up reply actions
Well, at least you didn’t blow up about the ‘You must be new here’ joke…
Yeah, I’m totally frustrated, and I don’t think there is any way that the refs are held accountable for screwing stuff like this up, either. They penalize the wrong people, they call bad plays, they ignore blatant stuff, and they get to keep pulling in a paycheck. They should start fining the refs too, a certain amount for every blatant call they “miss”, another amount for every time they call a play on someone that was actually a legal move, and a third for when they can’t even get the offending player’s number right. Hell, I think that if they can’t get the right player, they should have to drop the penalty altogether…
Really, what I want to see is some friggin’ consistency, if they call a game one way one week, it should be the same way the next week, right now, the only consistent thing is that you will see some REALLY crappy calls, and from what I’ve seen since the Fining Fiesta really heated up, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ward hit either resulted in no fine at all, or ended up somehow being notably higher or lower than similar ones, because there is 0% consistency in how this league is officiated…
Well, at least you didn’t blow up about the ‘You must be new here’ joke…
We just lost to the Ravens on a last-second touchdown. It’d be hard to care less about it. It’s all good, I really don’t take myself too seriously.
The root of what you’re saying, though, is the officials should be full-time league employees. The NFL does not hire officials full-time, they’re all contractors. Because of that, it’s hard to suggest the league A.) feels the quality of their work is slipping, B.) it is even remotely a concern of theirs.
I’m taking my Steelers hat off, plain and simple, I don’t like the fact Ray Lewis and Jameel McClain both hit players (intentional or not) with their helmets but did not draw a penalty. If that play happens too fast to see it, that’s one thing, but something they need to fix. I don’t understand why you can’t go to the replay on that – or at least if you’re looking at the damn play already.
Yet, the back and side judges will flag every single hit over the middle on a defensive back. That goes to the credibility thing you’re talking about. The league is plenty quick to fine players for it, but rarely are flags thrown for it – or at least on the opponents of the Steelers.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:40 AM EST up reply actions
Yep, and every time I mention it, people tell me I’m just mad cuz I’m a Steelers fan, or that Ward is a “dirty player”, or Harrison, or that Polamalu has long hair, or that Ben is a rapist, blah, blah, blah. They never actually admit the obvious fact that there are teams out there that get hammered for any minor infraction, yet major stuff against them gets ignored all of the time. Steelers aren’t the only team, but is a very small club, that’s for sure.
Sigh… Just part of being a Steelers fan, I guess. It makes every win that much sweeter, because I feel like we beat the opposing them, the officials AND the league! ;-)
BTW, despite what people thought about the ‘Must be new here’ line I actually enjoyed the article, they just didn’t get the joke.
Us Against The World!
To be honest, I can’t really say how often Steelers players have hit helmet-to-helmet and not been called for it. Clark had one last week he wasn’t flagged on (he was flagged and fined for another), but other than that, I couldn’t tell ya. I haven’t really been watching, either.
All’s I know is if Clark got flagged for his last night, then both Lewis and McClain should have been. If the ref isn’t seeing it, maybe he needs to be in a place where he could.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Ward hit either resulted in no fine at all, or ended up somehow being notably higher or lower than similar ones, because there is 0% consistency in how this league is officiated…”
10 billion dollar a year business & the most critical employees they field are underpaid & part time.
The Ravens are pus*ies compared to the Steelers. - Peyton Hillis 2010
Great for a business that is in it for the short term
Not so great for the long term.
anyone trying to contact me via my yahoo account should be aware it has been hacked
by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Nov 9, 2011 3:25 PM EST up reply actions
Whether that’s a hold on Ravens WR Torrey Smith depends solely on which team you’re rooting for. Final word, if Gay wasn’t in the lane Rice was running in, it wouldn’t have been called. But he was.
Worst holding call ever seen. This statement above proves that to me.
This Torrey Smith kid is a hot mess. He’s like a shorter Limas Sweed. He looks like he has no confidence in himself, and his complete lack of body control ruins the chances he gives himself to make plays with his speed.
Ray Lewis will be $15,000 poorer after this game. His helmet-to-helmet hit knocked Ward out of the game and it was oddly un-penalized.
That’s two games against Baltimore this year where Ward got smacked around. Hope he is alright, but I will admit it was quite enjoyable.
And all I gotta say is Joe Flacco. I have already seen Steeler fans and other media members saying that Joe doesn’t get credit for last night, it was the Steelers who lost it (sounds like what Steeler fans say about Ravens fans, hmmm). I am sure it is not a big deal to any of you, but it was to Baltimore. That drive will go down in history for this young franchise. On the road, against the team we never beat, primetime, Harrison drooling at the mouth, 92 yards, Joe Flacco at QB. Unreal, that is my fucking Quarterback, and he stuck it to you guys. Not much you can say about the man.
Yea, um, he is only 8 games into his NFL career without an offseason to help him. People don’t catch game winning TD’s with 8 seconds left and have no confidence in themselves. His hands will get better, games like last night only help with that. He still had a better game than your boy Mike Wallace. It took Torrey two games to score a TD in this matchup, it took Wallace 7….
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
Ill go as far as to say this.....
and I like Flacco on a whole…hails from very close to my home town…….BUT….. youll NEVER win a superbowl with him…quite simply he’s NOT a clutch player, and any team you meet in the possible future will have a GREAT hands down advatage at that position…… good luck with your fairy tale dreams…….
by OR69faithfull on Nov 7, 2011 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
I think……..we will……..win a………superbowl………with him…….
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 was thinking last night a Jets/Ravens re-match would be interesting. I’m thinkin’ they’re the front-runners right now. It’d be interesting to see if Flacco can go 10-for-31 and win again. Not sure that’s ever happened either.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
all three of them are so evenly matched for diff reasons….bills, pats, and jets.. hard to say how its going to shake out head to head…at this point im looking for Bills loses, theyve got a better conf record and were one up on the pats… sure hope we can come out and lite up Cinncy…they r 5-1 in conference…dont want them in the mix for a wildcard slot…. its all moot if we can win out and Morris County Joe Flacco throws up another s ink bomb like he did 2 weeks ago… it will all shake out… just hope we have a big game against Cinncy this week….
by OR69faithfull on Nov 7, 2011 11:18 AM EST up reply actions
+1
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 11:19 AM EST up reply actions
. youll NEVER win a superbowl with him…quite simply he’s NOT a clutch player, and any team you meet in the possible future will have a GREAT hands down advatage at that position…… good luck with your fairy tale dreams
haters gonna hate smh :(
Im not dishing your team
or your QB, but that Malor lips must be on his colon with all the shi* he talks…. not to mention I dont see Flacco having a chance of beating either NO, or GB which gives your only chance for a favorable match up to be the Giants sneaking in……anythings possible
by OR69faithfull on Nov 7, 2011 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
quite simply he’s NOT a clutch player
Looked pretty clutch to me. Not a consistently clutch player, but you dont have to be down by 4 with 2 minutes to go in every game
Formerly known as Steeler_
BTSC's token Kiwi fan. That means I'm a New Zealander. Yes, that small country next to Australia....no we are not part of Australia
by Michael Hewitt on Nov 8, 2011 2:38 PM EST up reply actions
You’re so hypocritical sometimes Malor that it’s ridiculous sometimes. You went absolutely off on Harrison last year being an animal for his H2Hs. Then you state here that it was enjoyable to see Ray Lewis throw a blatant H2H and injure Ward. Really classy, as always, Malor.
"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 7, 2011 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
I never said anything about Ray. It should have been called. But Ward has made many, many players (my players) get helped off the field from bad hits. Was nice to see the table turned around. Like I said, hope he is alright, which I am sure he is.
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’m not buying this shit you are selling.
"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 7, 2011 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
Bad hits? All about perspective
If Pollard was dishing them out, you would be all for it. I am so sick of this pussy attitude about guys being clocked by a receiver – they aren’t dirty hits, just unexpected hits – big difference.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 11:10 AM EST up reply actions
Ward's hits were legal, until rules changed to protect the players...
…Lewis’ hit was clear, blatant, H2H, but no flag. Had it been Smith, or Boldin receiving such a hit from Harrison, YOU would be screaming from every blog and mountaintop, whether a flag was thrown or not (and you know a flag would have been thrown).
Be excited about Smith, but don’t bet the farm on him yet; many a rookie never repeats his initial success. Let time tell.
United we Stand, melded like Steel
To Roger Goodell, We'll never Yield.
+1
Ward’s hits are no longer legal. He also no longer hits like that.
I am happy to hear Ravens fans engaging in Schadenfreude, I’m happy to hear Hines Ward has been SUCH a horrible opponent all these years, you are glad with the fact your veteran leader gooned him and could have put him out for a long time.
I wouldn’t even imagine the backlash any Steelers player would have gotten if someone had done that to Lewis. I’d feel the same way, though, play the game hard, hit hard, cheer hard, but there’s no sense is being happy that one of the competitors of this sensational rivalry is rendered unable to play.
I would love to see one game between these two teams where one side doesn’t cheer at the misfortunes of others.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:20 AM EST up reply actions
And all I gotta say is Joe Flacco. I have already seen Steeler fans and other media members saying that Joe doesn’t get credit for last night, it was the Steelers who lost it
As if you’ve never said that about a Steelers win. Nothing I wrote suggested Flacco didn’t do well, but in all fairness, you cannot say he played a great game all around. He didn’t. Great when his team needed him to be.
Other than that, don’t get your panties in a bunch. You’re fine, relax.
Yea, um, he is only 8 games into his NFL career without an offseason to help him. People don’t catch game winning TD’s with 8 seconds left and have no confidence in themselves. His hands will get better, games like last night only help with that. He still had a better game than your boy Mike Wallace.
Yea, um, not calling out his future career track, but you don’t need to be a psychologist to see clearly he was very down on himself after all those drops. His body language was TERRIBLE. I could give a frog’s fat ass if he ends up catching 1,500 yards for the next 10 years, last night, he did not believe in himself, which is why he dropped a lot of catchable balls. I don’t think you even need to be a coach to see his body is all over the place when the ball is coming to him. Because of that, he’s not set, and his eyes are bouncing around, which is why he’s not catching them cleanly.
Cripes, Malor, even the broadcasters said it. Don’t be such a homer, your guys are fallible as well.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
+1
Especially on the Homer part. Hines? Torrey?
Flacco did go out and win the game, BUT he was also terribly inconsistent.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 11:17 AM EST up reply actions
14 third down conversions is very inconsistent, I agree.
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
Through 16 passes, he was 7-for-8 on third down and 2-for-8 on first and second down.
Even rudimentary statisticians would agree with me. It’s cool though, keep seeing only what you want to see. I used to think of you as a fan who saw what happened on the field, just just what happened through your team’s glasses.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:27 PM EST up reply actions
I saw what happened, but there are no such things as perfect games (unless you are Aaron Rodgers). He missed some passes, no doubt about it, but I am not upset by it. He came through, that is all I ask. He can be inconsistent all he wants if it means wins. I’ll take 28/47, 300 yards and a touchdown EVERY GAME.
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
He missed some passes, no doubt about it, but I am not upset by it.
Ok! Great! Why are you arguing consistency with me, then? I said he played great (Joe Montana) and he played inconsistently (Aaron Brooks). His overall stats do not match the game he played.
Even with that, 14-for-21 is one of the bizarre stats I’ve ever seen. That was really the point I was getting at. He made some very poor throws, but never on third down. Not sure how many times a team HAS 21 third down situations, let alone 21 PASS ATTEMPTS, let alone gets 14 completions.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
Weak Sauce
How did he end up in so many 3rd down situations?
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions
My point was that they were ineffective on 1st and 2nd
In response to MaLoR’s: “14 third down conversions is very inconsistent, I agree.”
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 2:20 PM EST up reply actions
LOL at you
but more at neal. His exact quote….. As if you’ve never said that about a Steelers win. Nothing I wrote suggested Flacco didn’t do well, but in all fairness, you cannot say he played a great game all around. He didn’t. Great when his team needed him to be.
hehehe This is our exact argument when other teams say Ben is not elite.
The similarities between our two teams are massive. Bmore is now playing to the level of their competition and a qb that gets just hot enough to win late.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
--Aristotle
Okay, here we go...
The holding call was ticky tack, but it was real, probably wouldn’t have been called away from the play.
The H2H thing is BS, our guys have been getting flagged for it like crazy, and not catching any flags for the ones on receivers – all season, there were 2 that should have been called last night, but the officiating was garbage last night. I do think it is pretty telling how much Ravens fans deride Hines for being a dirty player and then take such joy in him taking H2H hits – think about it – you guys need a new perspective, very hypocritical. Hines has never put a H2H hit on anyone – yet he is the dirty player… can someone change the record please? I think this one has played long enough.
Joe Cool played a good game last night, I can’t argue that. If anything he wasn’t getting enough help from his receivers who were dropping balls left and right.
Not buying what you are selling on Torrey, boy has a case of the drops, comparing him to Wallace is folly.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 11:08 AM EST up reply actions
Silly
It is silly to suggest that holding only occurs if fans of both teams believe it to be a hold, which is what your post implies. It was not the worst holding call ever. It was a borderline hold that could have gone either way. Had the holding occurred elsewhere on the field rather than near the ball carrier, it almost assuredly would not have been called.
I also find it enjoyable when players on my team hit guys in the helmet in violation of the rules and knock them out of the game. That is the way football is supposed to be played, right?
I fail to see how having four drops could mean that Smith had a better game than Wallace. I guess drops don’t matter in your world, but I believe that his one game was 33% of the way to leading the league if he had done it last year.
Even with 4 drops, Smith still had more catches and yards….but that really means nothing. Just fun to say.
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
It means something
Drops are a big deal. They are a drive-killer or possibly a game ender. There are several reasons why a guy may have more catches or yards in one game. Smith had some big problems during the game. I think Ravens fans should quit trying to play up how great the man played and be happy that he did not let adversity prevent him from making a play when his team needed him.
I meant that it means nothing to say Torrey had a better game than Wallace statistically. Just like saying it, because Wallace is the best deep threat ever.
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
Ok, fair enough
It is silly to suggest that holding only occurs if fans of both teams believe it to be a hold, which is what your post implies.
Obviously that’s not my definition of holding, what I mean is one fan base will say there’s absolutely no chance it was holding, the other will say it was clear and obvious.
I agree with Franz, look at all of what passes for holding today. He was in the hole, you have to assume if Smith didn’t grab onto his arm, he could have made a play. At the same time, the official didn’t have four replay angles and 17 hours to digest it.
“Worst holding call ever seen.”
I thought that was this one from last year:
A ravens fan judgement on holding is to be taken with a grain of salt, obviously.
Torrey has a longggg way to go before he even gets mentioned in the same breath as Wallace. Wallace wasn’t thrust into a starting spot his rookie year, he didn’t have nearly the same number of chances.
Glad you like Flacco, he still came into this game with a QB rating (75.4) that was comparable to Tim Tebow (75.1). Great drive but overall this season he has been mediocre at best.
The Ravens are pus*ies compared to the Steelers. - Peyton Hillis 2010
I'm not sure I agree on Worilds
That might have been the only good play he had and as you said, he gave up. I didn’t see much from him, but I have yet to rewatch.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
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How proud are you of Torrey for how far he came, and now being a successful WR?
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
He has miles to go. Scoring a touchdown on William Gay doesn’t make you a successful WR.
"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 7, 2011 11:01 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Not speaking to his overall body of work last night, just that one play. Well, just the spin move really. Flacco pumped a pass, and it looks like Worilds saw Harrison, and sort of stepped out of his way. If he kept rushing, he would have hit him.
I’m gonna go out of my way and guess that’s a result of protecting the QBs…Worilds contract isn’t anywhere near the size of Harrison’s.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah. I would be surprised if we don’t see two or three LB picks in this next draft.
"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 7, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
Im hoping we are phasing out the 3-4 and are in hunt of another 1st round Def lineman… fits better into out current quality of linebackers and age…. Harrison-Timmons-Woodly…with a development of a replacement for Harrison is our best path I think… release of Farrior, Foote (or special teams only) then sort thru Woirlds, Sylvester, and Carter….
by OR69faithfull on Nov 7, 2011 11:25 AM EST up reply actions
At this point I like Carter better then both the others….
by OR69faithfull on Nov 7, 2011 11:26 AM EST up reply actions
I'm not expert
but I’m somewhat sure that Woodley (and probably Harrison) would not fit in a 4-3. If anything, Woodley would be better suited at DE in a 4-3, which none of us want.
With out personnel, a 3-4 is perfect and it’s going to stay that way.
Worilds also had a pressure
that led to Harrison’s first sack, that rush was pretty good too… Didn’t see too much else of him though.
Flacco played great.
Lots of us speak to the refs or the plays we didn’t make (or did) for why the Steelers lost. Citing what you can control and taking ownership is good. But, a big reason why the Ravens won is Flacco. He played lights out when most needed. Not just in the last drive but on 3rd downs throughout.
+1
That’s fair. It’s also fair to suggest a quarterback who probably completed one of the highest amounts of third down passes in NFL history needing a touchdown with two seconds left to win could suggest his team lacked in other areas. He was not making those kinds of throws on first or second down. Hell, the final drive, he threw two passes that were interceptable – just not on third or fourth down.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
BTW, Neal
I mentioned it in other threads, but I was really pissed off by the fact that on our 2nd to last series (after the go ahead TD) we set up plays to go to DJ and Moore, instead of our playmakers like Brown, Mendy, or Heath. I think when the game is on the line you have to find a way to get it to the guys who regularly make plays. How many times did Baltimore throw to Boldin on that last series? Yeah.
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
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The DJ play, yeah, that was designed to him. I’m pretty sure that’s the last time that’ll ever happen. Props to you, John, looks like your call of Saunders replacing him will be correct, possibly sometime soon.
I don’t have a problem with them going to Moore there. You’re really just trying to throw a high-percentage pass to someone with good hands – I think the play was blown up and wasn’t really going to work so Ben threw it at him just hoping it didn’t get picked.
Even if he caught it, he wouldn’t have gained anything and he probably would have ended up out of bounds. Looked like he was supposed to catch it shorter than where the play ended up going.
To hell with it…is it too early to start drinking?
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:12 AM EST up reply actions
I rewatched both plays and on the 3rd down, Ben almost throws it immediately. Completely uncharacteristic of him. It looked like Baltimore had solid coverage all around, but had no pressure at all. I wish Ben had done his usual play extension and waited to see if something could develop before throwing it away.
"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 7, 2011 11:15 AM EST up reply actions
I was gonna write this, but it was long enough already…we discussed this after the Patriots game too.
I have zero confidence in Suisham at that distance. I liked the way the Steelers defense was playing (at that point in the game, hindsight is 20/20, let’s just discuss this as if it was in real time).
If you trust Ben and the way he’s throwing, what if you just gave him a one-look pass option, and if it’s not there, give yourself up? Fall on the ground, give your punter some room.
Like I said last week, I know that’s crazy, but the upside is a smart QB taking a snap, and making a simple decision. My main target is open, or he’s not. If he doesn’t feel very confident about completing that pass, don’t throw it. Drop to the ground, they can’t him him (and if they do, it’s 15 yards, another benefit to this strategy), and the clock keeps moving/Baltimore burns its final timeout (I think they had one left, IIRC).
You get another seven yards in which to punt, it’s really hard to punt high and short, so give him a bit more room.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:26 AM EST up reply actions
I’m insane, but I let Suisham kick it. I didn’t love the way our D was playing. If it had been me, I would have run it up the middle with Mendenhall and got as much as possible and burned their TO. I go for the FG.
Hit it, and we are up 7 and likely go to OT.
Miss it, and they score faster and leave us at least some time to try to come back with 1 TO. I just felt more confident in the offense than the defense. The real difference in this game is not that the Ravens were better…they just got the ball last. At least, IMO.
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by John Stephens on Nov 7, 2011 11:32 AM EST up reply actions
Valid point
You’re suggesting running a simple dive play and kicking a field goal.
I’m suggesting taking an intentional sack in order to have more room for a guy signed to the roster 24 hours prior to the game to come in and punt inside the 5, thus giving Baltimore a long field with a chance to win.
Who’s insane here? lol
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
Probably both of us.
"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 7, 2011 11:35 AM EST up reply actions
4 down territory
I was calling for them to spread it out with a draw to Redman on 3rd and 5. If they get a couple yards, then they can think about going for it. They also keep the clock running, unless Balt uses their last time out. I figured they did not have confidence in Suisham, especially with Cundiff missing a short FG earlier at the same end.
Several times in the 4th Quarter, it appeared that Balt left only 5 guys in the box.
Very solid points JS
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 11:12 AM EST up reply actions
That was weird.
Offense had long drive after long drive in the 2nd half, and none of them involved Johnson or Moore IIRC. Then we go to them when we most needed a 1st down? Hard to say w/o seeing those plays. Maybe no one else was open. My sense was both plays were designed to go to them. It should be said Mewelde has given a lot of solid 3rd down play. But whatever the reasons, it was odd.
I feel they were both designed to go to them. Certainly not the guys Baltimore would expect, but like John said, is that really the point? Miller, Brown and Wallace are your go-to guys. Sometimes it’s best not to overthink, and dance with the date who brought you there.
Johnson’s was obviously a drop, and the play to Moore was clearly designed to go to him (it was a wide screen), but I think the timing got messed up or Ben just saw something he didn’t like. Even if Moore had caught it, he probably would have been pushed out of bounds. That would be acceptable if he moved it a few yards closer for a field goal, so I’m gonna guess that’s all he was trying to do.
Not sure why you don’t just run it there, if that’s the case…ugh, my head hurts. I’m sure it’ll be an entertaining presser tomorrow.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:31 AM EST up reply actions
Remember the stats, John
MeMo has the surest hands of all our RBs; not a bad call at all. I’ll watch it again, but at the time it seemed to me that it was more on Ben for the throw… You saw otherwise?
I didn’t see otherwise. The play was just thrown to him so quickly that it looked like Ben’s only read. That, to me, made it seem like it was designed for him.
I won’t argue that MeMo has the surest hands of the RBs, but does he have better hands than Brown, Wallace, or Heath. I’d argue no. And I don’t think MeMo is making a play if he catches it short, whereas the other 3 could.
"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 7, 2011 12:32 PM EST up reply actions
Post-game
In the post-game, it was stated that Ben thought he was running a quick out and Mewelde thought he was supposed to turn up, but I don’t know whether that explanation works.
The commentators said
that the throw was so quick that Moore wasn’t looking at Ben yet. If that’s true (haven’t gone back and watched) then it was presumably screwed up timing.
"If you're not getting better, I don't care what business you're in, you're a dead man. I try to look critically at the mistakes that I make and try to learn from them, like our team does." - Mike Tomlin
by Rebecca Rollett on Nov 8, 2011 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
Considering was just 8 sec left on the clock at the score….just running the ball into the middle 3 times and punting on our last possesion would of made all this moot and avoided this downer day
Yep
Hard to guess that at the time, but true. That’s why it’s critical to run the clock when you have a lead. If you have to punt, then you have to punt, but you gotta take away their timeouts and force them to play against you and the clock.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 11:53 AM EST up reply actions
I wish people would get away from the "running" out the clock.
It is first downs and only first downs that run out the clock. If you plan to go three and out then running is superior to passing. When you get first downs the game ends by taking a knee. That’s a secure win.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
--Aristotle
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by Michael Bean on Nov 7, 2011 11:54 AM EST up reply actions
Not much to enjoy. My cell phone has been assaulted since that TD and hasn’t stopped.
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by John Stephens on Nov 7, 2011 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
People are wisely avoiding me today. I’m only taking solace in the fact Baltimore needed as much as they got, which was really just one possession more than the Steelers. Maybe even only seven seconds more. Razor-thin game, just came up a little short.
by Neal Coolong on Nov 7, 2011 12:00 PM EST up reply actions
Exactly - Razor thin, came up short...
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 7, 2011 1:20 PM EST up reply actions
i still say that if we sweep the Bengals, we win the division
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My coach walks in on Monday of Bergen week (Bergen Catholic is our biggest rival) and tells us that a media member told him that the Bergen players were talking shi*t about how they are going to kick our a*s. He then says, "you know what I told the media member to tell the Bergen Players? To suck my di*k and eat it. They have no fuc*ing chance of beating us because we are tougher than them"
by seton hall and steelers on Nov 7, 2011 1:31 PM EST reply actions
Nice points NC
MaLor,
You can cry and vent all about your lover Flacco not getting enough love but I am respect, that is not going to happen anytime soon. The media is still very much in love with the Bradys and Mannings, and now you can add Rodgers, that unless Flacco develops a cure for cancer he won’t get any respect. Hell, Ben won 2 SBs, been in 3 and still he is not considered great in places outside Pittsburgh. And obviously Ben > Flacco.
"He had no teeth, and he was slobbering all over himself. I'm thinking, 'You can have your money back, just get me out of here. Let me go be an accountant." I can't tell you how badly I wanted out of there."
- Denver rookie QB John Elway, on Jack Lambert, after Lambert and the Steelers knocked Elway out of his first game as a pro (1983).
Of course Ben is better than Flacco. If you noticed last week, I was saying that the only QB I would take over Ben right now is Rodgers. The guy is freaking incredible, by far the toughest QB to gameplan for because most of the time, he throws the gameplan out the window and plays school yard football, and that shit is tough to defend.
Your offense had the most success against us last night than any other offense has this season and that is a credit to Ben. And that Antonio Brown, whewww, now I hope you see why I thought he was more of a threat than Wallace coming into this game. One of the best route runners in the game, and he isn’t even close to hitting his peak yet as a WR.
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
Are you really Lardarius Webb??
And that Antonio Brown, whewww, now I hope you see why I thought he was more of a threat than Wallace coming into this game.
Hey, I was making that statement before that article ever came out.
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
Congrats MaLoR
I, like many Steelers fans am licking my wounds after that loss. To say I am pissed off is an understatement, but as a football coach I try to evaluate the game objectively. There is one big factor that won the game for the Ravens and that is the decision-making of the key players and coaches in the heat of battle. Physical play by both sides is fairly even in this one – Ravens and Steelers dropped passes on O and D, game was hard-hitting as usual, well-known playmakers made plays. The mental side of the game was better for the Ravens:
1) Flacco throws no INTs
2) Big Ben throws a bad pick
3) Steelers offensive play selection on last drive is bad, bad, bad
….a) Pass to DJ (#85) results in clock stop
….b) Lateral run play with backside pullers loses 3 yards
….c) 3rd down pass stops clock again
4) Indecision results in punt instead of FG try
5) Man under pass coverage fails miserably in final 2 minutes
6) William Gay covering anyone without clear over-the-top help
Less important but illustrative – Stupid challenge by Tomlin on pass completion (3rd and short vs 3rd and 8). Not important enough to challenge. That could have come back to haunt us but didn’t.
I don’t enjoy saying it but a lot of this loss must fall on Tomlin. In close games the coaching decisions really can be crucial and deciding. The Steelers had a perfect opportunity to win the game regardless of being outplayed at times by the Ravens. Two pass plays stopping the clock was downright moronic. The Ravens scored with :08 left on the clock and a T.O. still on the board. The Steelers could have expended at least 30 seconds more of the clock and forced the Ravens to use all T.O.s by simply running the ball 3 times. Forget the FG. Everything else being equal, the Ravens would have had the ball at their own 8 without any timeouts and 2:00 or less remaining. How do those precious seconds look now?
Harbaugh and his staff benefitted from these decisions and made them pay for it. They won and that’s the bottom line. You can’t blame a loss on the officials no matter how you feel about the calls. Although always discussed by the losing side, any one call is not the game. I often comment about the rules in the NFL and the resulting interpretations and applications of their shitty rules. I hate them but it is not a factor here. The Steelers lost because they didn’t put the game away period, end of story.
"Franz" in NoCal
You can’t blame a loss on the officials no matter how you feel about the calls.
And trust me when I say this, Baltimore fans are livid with the officials as well on some calls.
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
That's because they have the worst rule book of any code of 'football'
You name it – soccer, rugby union, rugby league, Gaelic football, Aussie Rules, HS gridiron or NCAA football… the rules implemented by the NFL create a lesser game than it otherwise should be.
The holding call on the first play was somewhat legit but look at what passes for not holding nowadays. I would say Gay realized he wasn’t going to make the play, grabbed the WR and pulled and twisted as he went down. He definitely begged the call. The Steelers overran that play much as they did in game 1. I was surprised at how well they did as the game progressed though – much better. Ray Rice was not a huge factor, so that was one really good thing the Steelers did.
What other calls were bad from the Baltimore point of view? I can’t recall anyhting glaring but my memory is faulty due to multiple aneurysms…..
"Franz" in NoCal
The early whistle on Rice’s TD on the first drive. Not really a call, but the play was not over and he pushed his way in there. Saw two holds on Jarrett Johnson that weren’t called, one of which came on a huge 3rd down conversion by you guys (but we got away with holding Harrison to on a play or two…..as usual).
I definitely think the PI calls were legit though.
Ray Rice was not a huge factor, so that was one really good thing the Steelers did.
And to think all I heard this week was “stop Ray Rice, Steelers win easily” Guess they forgot to stop Flacco…
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
The early whistle on Rice’s TD on the first drive. Not really a call, but the play was not over and he pushed his way in there.
Disagree…his forward progress was stopped at that point. That is when they’re supposed to blow the whistle. Rice pushing his way into the end zone after the whistle blew can be attributed to the Steelers players easing up just as much as you can say he would have scored if they hadn’t blown it dead.
We’ll never know, but we do know the whistle was blown when there were four guys draped on him. It’s a bummer, but it’s not a bad call, just an unfortunate one, from your team’s perspective.
Yea, basically the way I look at it. Not a bad call like a penalty or anything, but just more of a reiteration by not just me, but all football fans who just want to let these guys play football. And to me, they did not let them do that there. No biggie though.
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
You may not agree, but overall, I would rather see the play blown dead there than have five defenders gang-rape the ball-carrier at the 1, see the ball fly out and see the other team recover when the play should have been blown dead. That would be limp.
Ben took a sack against Arizona for the same thing, and I said it then too.
It might not have sailed over his head had Ike not had a handful of jersey 15 yards down field. Saw him doing it all night, but all CB’s do.
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 hardly ever complain about 99% of the calls. Yeah, sometime some are called, some aren’t. Most of the time they aren’t massively important unless it happens on the gaming winning play, like the Dolphins game for the steelers last year. That was a bad call. But can’t remember the last time that it was so lopsided. And I’m also trying to say that it wasn’t only this game, but two other games as well.
Early whistle vs Forward Progress
This is always tough in those situations – goal line, third and short etc. I would rather they let them play but at some point you have to call penalties for infractions and protect the players when 18 guys are pushing and shoving.
On Rice’s run his forward progress was stopped momentarily. If you watch closely, Aiding the Runner could have been called if you let the play proceed. This happens all the time and is rarely called. Just one of many non-calls that go against the defense ala Off. Pass Int., Holding, Illegal Motion and False Starts even.
Holding? Don’t get me started. My dad suggested years ago that they should require offensive linemen to wear boxing gloves to prevent the holding which is now just accepted. It has changed the game even more than the 5 yard chuck rule. Guys like Suggs and James Harrison are getting screwed all the time. Without holding being legalized, neither one of the teams last night has nearly the passing yards they end up with – the defenses would be dominant and the TV dickheads wouldn’t want that.
Stopping Rice kept Pittsburgh in the game. Since William Gay was relied upon elsewhere, the results were predictable. Cam Cameron deliberately targetted Gay and why not? I thought LeBeau did a good job in most respects but the final drive was mind boggling. Man coverage underneath allows Boldin to run across the field and get out of bounds. These underneath completions plus clock stops were killing the Steelers. Sometimes I think LeBeau just says fuck it – make a play and beat them. Sometimes that doesn’t work so well.
"Franz" in NoCal
Franz, you are my new best friend
I was just writing an article on the basis of what you’re saying regarding Tomlin.
I feel it goes back to the second half of the AFC Championship game. I think you’re spot-on, but it seems more like a mentality than just strictly decision-making. Simply put, it seems like he’s freezing up, and his team is following suit. Well, everyone except Ben.
Look at the Super Bowl, the experienced team played like they were there for the first time. They had such a calm about them, they never got excited. They just flat-lined. Same thing in Week 1, then at the four-minute mark of the 4th quarter last night.
Teams reflect their coach. It’s almost as if his decisions aren’t made in confidence anymore.
I think it's hard for him because neither system being used is his
He’s not the architect of the defense nor contributing to offensive play calling. He is kind of along for the ride in some respects. I still contend that we have no idea how good of a coach he really is. BA and LeBeau pre-date his arrival. Kind of an Al Davis scenario was put in place – congratulations you are the new head coach. Here are your coordinators and they run their shit. You get to set the prctice schedule, hire/fire your special teams coach and make the 4th down go/ no go calls. For everything else you need to talk to us….
I’m not saying he is a bad coach, I just can’t see his influence since the other guys were there beforehand and things are much the same. He needs to overrule BA in cases like last night: " WE ARE RUNNING THE BALL Bruce !! We are running ‘O Power’ twice to the right and once to the left…"
I didn’t see his stamp at the end of the game, only what I suspect LeBeau and BA want to do. How about taking a timeout on offense after the first INC pass and making sure you set up what you want the next two plays? IE: get closer for the FG or at least have your best chance of RUNNING for a first down? Am I wrong? They were winning the game by four points but looked more like a team trailing by four points with that field position.
"Franz" in NoCal
they didn’t put the game away period, end of story.
YES but not end of story. A td in place of one of those field goals or that one less bubble screen.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
--Aristotle
I don't necessarily agree about AB
but he has improved tremendously with his routes and hot reads over the last month of the season. It is like night and day.
So we lost... At least it was to a good team.
God, I HATE the Ravens, but at least they have talent. In all truth, there was only ONE game the Steelers had to win this season in my book. I finally got to see my first Steelers game live last month when I went to see them play the Cards. Holy crap, if they had lost to THAT mismanaged pile of poo, I’m not sure I could have lived with myself… ;-)
Never fear though, there’s plenty of time to fix this, I just wish the Ravens hadn’t swept us, that’s going to make things tough unless they shoot themselves in the foot.
Good post; really captured the game well.
As you noted, very little about this game makes any sense. But many of us had that bad feeling in the pit of our guts that somehow we weren’t going to win this one. Too many near misses, almost interceptions and ill-timed penalties. When Baltimore recovered their kick returner’s fumble, with the ball bouncing around loose at mid-field, I said to myself, “This isn’t our day.”
Concerning Kapinos, this guy is a real physical specimen—not at all your average punter type. Don’t mess with Jeremy.
Several BIG reasons that you could use to claim the Steelers lost it.
Now, I’m all for giving a team credit when they flat out beat someone. I give the Ravens credit for a solid gameplan, the quick and precise routes were unstoppable.
However, I really do think this should have been a win.
First off, we beat the Patriots by hitting their WRs in the mouth after the snap. We played close, no soft cushions. However, this game we were backed off again, letting the Raven’s WRs catch all those short routes and turn them into first downs. I don’t see why we were so scared of them.
Still no running to milk the clock at the end of the game. Mendy wasn’t running bad so for the love of god run some time off the clock. The Ravens scored with 8 seconds left…..don’t you think we could have ran an extra 8 seconds off the clock on our previous possessions?
In the final raven drive Foote has an INT slip right through his hands. 9 time out of 10 thats the play our defense makes that ends the game and people are left saying “Flacco….flacco….flacco…..why?” Thats a INT we have to grab. If we don’t make those then you know things aren’t gonna go your way.
And last but not least, the delay of game on the field goal. Now, I am willing to accept it was a simple delay of game but it does seem a little sketchy that Collinsworth though the clock malfunctioned, NBC didn’t have its play clock ticking down, and nobody on the field realized time was running out. It seems highly possible to me that the clock did malfunction, or didn’t reset to the full time after the previous play. Also, we had a time out and didn’t use it to save those yards. It just seems like 60+ players/coaches with a time out would notice the play clock is almost out.
Anyway, even if it was a legit delay of game why didn’t we use that time out? Clock mismanagement, thats all it is.
You can at least make an argument that the steelers lost this game, and thats why it hurts so bad.
and people are left saying "Flacco….flacco….flacco…..why?"
Maybe now you guys will realize he is not an average QB, but one of the better ones in the league. You guys don’t even think Brady would have that drive against you, let alone the worst QB in NFL history (Flacco)
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 never said Flacco is average
I’ve always though he was above average….but certainly not elite.
However, if Foote caught that INT then I’m sure you guys would be ripping Flacco, and probably for good reason. He gave us a gift, we didn’t capitalize.
Also (and yes I know this is more of a stretch)
Troy has dropped 7 int’s so far this year, that just doesn’t happen. He makes the catches no one else can make – yet can’t haul them in when they hit his hands? So, more to the point, there was a play late in the game where the ball was deflected and in the air headed towards Troy and Troy headed in the direction of the ball and he didn’t even flinch, it was a ball that he normally scoops up and takes off down field with, I was a little confused that he didn’t even make a play on the ball – years past that was a pick 6.
Our astonishing lack of defensive turnovers this year has to give at some point in the season, it just can’t continue like this. We are currently the worst in league history at this point in the season in defensive turnovers, yet we have the 2nd ranked D? Something has to give, we are there, the turnovers just aren’t happening.
"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward. I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that. That's just how I'm wired." - Mike Tomlin
by MDSTEELERSFAN on Nov 8, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
He looks very confident vs the Steelers last two games
Perhaps it’s because he is not fooled like he once was? I don’t think Cam Cameron is fooled by what is going on in the Pittsburgh defense. Cam Cameron takes heat sometimes but he is a pretty good playcaller given the tools he has had. He emphasizes their strengths and minimizes their liabilities. This is a Harbaugh trait in Baltimore and SF, like them or not.
"Franz" in NoCal
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