lillloyd
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2010
- Messages
- 502
- Reaction score
- 776
Seems like a visit from Pittsburgh was all that was needed for what ails you
My thoughts:
Good luck the rest of the way guys. Hopefully we'll give you a better game next time around...
lillloyd
My thoughts:
- The game started completely the opposite of what I expected; I thought both NE and Pitt would feast on vulnerable run defenses. But in the early going both run defenses held up unexpectedly well. I would have bet a lot of money before the game that there would be considerably less than 1000 yards of offense and 86 points scored!
- It felt like the Ridley and even Blount really started gashing Pittsburgh (ironically) after Pitt pulled even at 24-24. That was what I expected to see the entire game, and I think this was an important (if overlooked, given Brady's explosion) development in the game.
- Brady was pinpoint, vintage Brady. He made great throws even when under pressure. Sadly (!) playing Pittsburgh always seems to bring out the best in him.
- Roethlisberger, on the other hand, started very shaky before settling down. The first INT was dreadful. Of course, he was terrific at times and made characteristic Roethlisberger plays...but I worry that the constant beating (not just this year, but really since 2008 when the line really started to become awful) is giving him the yips. I have seen him bail out of throws a couple of times this year, which is unlike him.
- Gronk looks about as good physically as he has in years. Very glad to see that he was not injured on the play with Clark (the announcers initially said it was a "knee" but it looked like it was just a thigh bruise).
- The game itself was more or less a microcosm of the Steelers season to date: Blown assignments in the secondary letting Amendola run free (twice!). Blown assignments on the OL letting rushers in free. Early turnovers. In-game injuries to the OL. A major talent deficiency at LT having a major impact. Yet another costly, poor punt at a critical juncture (even if this punter wasn't named Mesko). Debatable coaching (not sure why LeBeau played so soft, particularly in the first half, when he had been so successful in 2011 playing tighter coverage). A defense that continues to give up huge, long plays. We deserved every bit of the drubbing that we received.
- I actually thought we got decent pressure (Heyward, in particular, seemed to be in the backfield a ton), but Woodley didn't really dominate in Vollmer's absence the way we needed him to. Of course, TB was in such a zone, it might not have mattered.
- Another key moment: Ben missing Miller deep over the middle on 3rd down in the 2nd half. A bad overthrow in a game where we couldn't afford it.
- You guys will be incredibly tough to stop if Amendola and Gronk can stay healthy and Dobson can continue to develop. Dobson was uneven but definitely flashes. Gronk is an impossible cover.
- On the flip side, I was surprised we were able to move the ball as much as we did. We have had *serious* problems scoring all season, and played most of the game without 3 starters on the line (a line that is pretty terrible to begin with). I suppose we can chalk some of this up to Talib being out, and Gregory going out later, but honestly when we went down early I thought we might be looking at a 49-3 type score.
- At the end of the day, this game doesn't tell me much about Pittsburgh that I didn't already know. They have talent deficiencies at key spots, have injuries at key spots, and have injuries magnifying these issues. This is obviously not their year.
- We'll have to see if this marks the launchpad for NE towards another Super Bowl win. (They certainly looked the part yesterday!) But the sad reality (for me anyway LOL) is that they'll face much tougher offenses and defenses than Pittsburgh's, a team NE owns even when Pittsburgh is having a very good year. But with apologies to KC (which lacks a franchise QB), I'd put NE and Denver as the clear favorites in the AFC.
Good luck the rest of the way guys. Hopefully we'll give you a better game next time around...
lillloyd