FanPost

Worilds Blew a Huge Opportunity for a Strip-Sack-Fumble

I’m a little bit amazed that nobody has noticed that Jason Worilds blew an absolutely perfect opportunity for a strip-sack-fumble recovery. Matt Ryan was turned facing him with the ball being held at about waist height. He was looking away and unaware of Jason’s approach.

Jason Worilds Hits Matt Ryan

Jason Worilds Hits Matt Ryan

The proper pro football play would be to throw the right arm around Ryan in front while stripping the ball with the left, continuing to drive with the shoulder and legs in the process, and then look for the recovery. Instead Jason appeared to be playing for that next contract and was looking for the big hit that gets lots of replays and attention. No, it should not have been a flag. But it was not the appropriate football play.

We can't really say that it was a great rush either. Worilds came off the edge unblocked. He didn't beat anybody to get there. He had plenty of time to observe that the ball was strippable. Instead, he may have been looking at his future contract prospects rather than the football.

The game is footBALL, not footMAN. It is all about the ball and getting it when you have the chance. Other teams are much more about making plays on the ball than the Steelers. I guarantee you that any Seahawks defender would have strip sacked and recovered that ball for a TD. We see the same man-focused rather than ball-focused orientation throughout the defense. If our defense is to eventually gel into a competitive unit, that's something that is going to have to change.

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