Why you prepare

Matt Flynn is still out there...

 

Yeah imagine. No freakin way I am doing that

 

I think you are being a bit too tough Thorn. I agree Vick isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but to walk into that situation with basically one day's practice is pretty tough. I think he did okay....and I mean just that okay, the guy basically made zero plays in the game, but he also made no mistakes...though the missed opportunities on some of the guys downfield could be viewed as a screw-up. But he didn't have any turnovers and that was huge. I have been a pretty big proponent of Haley, but I am pretty confused of how Vick was mis-used in the late game 3rd and 4th situations...rolling him to the short side of the field, expecting him to complete a sideline out pattern to Brown with the game on the line, not using Bell at all. This falls on Tomlin too. And I blame the coaches (okay really Scobee) much more than Vick. I also do not understand how there were basically no deep shots at all in the game with a QB that has a cannon for an arm, that may have helped the receivers with some of the shorter game and allowed them to make some plays after the catch if the CBs had to respect the deep pass more. Also the Bengals and Raiders had absolutely torched that secondary in previous weeks.

Also Charlie Batch did know the offense and that Baltimore win is memorable, but don't forget the week prior to that was the complete clusterfuk in Cleveland where Batch looked worse than Landry Jones - so Charlie laid a few eggs too. Let's just hope that the extra 1/2 week Haley and Vick have together makes a difference. The Steelers are probably going to have to put up a lot of points - maybe 30 or more - to beat the Chargers....a very tall task for your backup QB.

 

Didnt Hasselbeck just play a game last night with no practice and he carved up the texans, and looked sharp doing it, thats what an experienced back up does, this no practice excuse for vick is a getting old, based on this I guess after a week of practice I can expect vick to be as good as hasselbeck was last night, not holding my breathe in expectation however...

 

Hasselback had also played the previous week at home against Jacksonville and he didn't exactly light it up in a 16-13 win where the Jax FG kicker missed two game winning kicks and that was with a full week's practice - not a Thursday night game.

I am not a Vick fan, but I am willing to cut him a bit of a break considering the hand he was dealt.

 

Considering vick was handed the keys to the best offense in the league, he should have eecked out a 3 point win like hasselbeck did with not as potent an offense in his first backup start, I'd take hasselbeck over vick right now in a heart beat....

 

I would too....but look at the multitude of things that went wrong for Vick at the end of that game. Questionable play calling on two 3rd down calls and two 4th down calls and a guy who missed two FGs....that is a lot to deal with...that is why I said Vick was okay, but in my opinion he was not the main reason they lost the game. Also Baltimore is a higher quality opponent than Jacksonville and the Texans looks like they are a complete mess.

 

Perhaps I am being a little bit harsh but less get rid of this notion that Vick had only one day to practice, that poor little Mike Vick couldn't have possibly been ready to step into a starting role. He was brought in after an injury to the veteran backup on the team to be the back-up quarterback for a franchise QB that has had injuries that prevented him from playing in games before. So unless he is the village idiot the thought had to occur to him that he should be prepared to go at a moments notice. Now as to having chemistry and timing down with the WR's on the team yes that will take time to be able to have timing routes and I am not overly critical in that aspect of his game. What doesn't require time and chemistry is basic playing skills that he should have since high school and possibly before. Get up to the line, see if the CB is in press coverage, if you have a 5yard cushion on AB, audible to a quick slant and hit him and let his skill level do the rest. That should be such a basic play that it doesn't require a Probowl QB to make it and yet they didn't try it time and time again. Heck on Sunday I watched 2nd year QB Teddy Bridgewater hit Mike Wallace on a slant over the middle and Wallace has always been a sloppy route runner going against probably the best defense in football in the Denver Broncos. Bridgewater also completed passes to a rookie who made Talib look like a scrub so is it too much to ask for a seasoned vet that was brought in for just such an occasion to make throws that are simple bread and butter plays? I am not asking for a pump fake and go over the top to DHB, or a timing pattern to the sideline to AB, I am saying look at the defense make the call and make the throw. I'm sure the vanilla play calling didn't help him but if he knows the audibles then change the play I seriously doubt he will get the hook for not going with Haley's play call.

Look all I am saying is that if you look on this forum there is a 6 page, 150+ response thread dissecting a third year OLB's play when he missed the bulk of last season and much of his first that don't give him any kind of breaks at all and yet for some reason it is handle Vick's performance with kid gloves time. He has been on the team for well over a month and while he doesn't get 1st team reps that doesn't excuse him from being prepared. Apparently it does mean that he can't make 5 yard pass completions

 

Well, as Steelers fans, lets start preparing for next years scheduled game

 

To win games.