Legursky Takes Kemo's Spot Vs KC

This should save us 2 holds as well as a boneheaded personal foul. Legs isn't great but Kemo sucks so I'm fine with this move

 

Interesting.

I have been thinking that the primary reason for Kemo remaining as a starter was due to his effectiveness in the running game--especially when they pull him. After hearing BA's comments regarding the need to run the ball more effectively, it surprises me a little that they would make this move. Perhaps Legs has simply outperformed him in practice in the run game.

I do think that Kemo has a tendency to get "blown up" in pass protection, though. Hopefully this won't happen with Legs.

 

They are sick of Kemo's mental lapses. I was hoping for this move going into the bye week. Kemo is just too unreliable.

 

Good news! Hope he finishes the season as a starter and plays well in the Super Bowl.

 

If anything, it might give Kemo something to think about, like it did Mendenhall when he sat for a game or two.

Presuming Kemo has some "thinking" capability.

 

They told you that you looked weak out there, Chris, not unhealthy.

 

Yeah.

Legs might not be the second coming of Faneca, but at least he plays smarter than idiot Kemo and won't cause (as many) stupid penalties.

 

Interesting. Is there a "toot your own horn" smiley? I like to think I was on the cutting edge of Kemo-bashing, calling him overrated and undeserving of anything over $1 million per year, and saying his play ranged from terrible to average, but never better than that. This was years ago, when many on the old board were calling him a Pro Bowler and rubbing their bellies with pleasure over his replacement of Faneca.

That said, I think people have gone too far with their Kemo-bashing. Before he wasn't as good as anyone said, and now he's not as bad as anyone says. He didn't get worse over time. He was always this bad. People just finally came around to realizing it.

But I think he gets too much blame for all the personal fouls. He really is not smart enough to judge when a play ends, and thus relies on the whistle to stop him. But if you pay close attention, you'll notice that officials very often let a few seconds go by after a play has ended before blowing the whistle. They do that probably because they are paying attention to other things, like the spot of a ball, or if it was a touchdown, or whatever -- and mostly because they assume everyone can see that the play is over and there's no rush. That might work for 21 of the guys out there, but not our Kemo. Think about it. How often does a whistle really stop a play? When a RB's forward progress is stopped and the defense is still fighting. When a QB is in the grasp. What about when there's an incomplete pass? Lots of times there's no whistle at all because everyone saw the ball hit the ground. Kemo needs that whistle. He fights until he hears it, and even though that makes him a total dumbass lots of times, at least his heart is in the right place. Can't fault him for that.

Mendenhall's TD against Baltimore in the playoffs is a great example of that. We could all see that Mendy had scored, and the refs were signaling touchdown. But the scrum on the goalline was still going on, and Baltimore was still trying to push him back. Kemo dove into the pile and was flagged 15 yards on the kickoff, which could have really hurt us. Yeah 3 seconds had gone by, but I watched and listened a dozen times and there was no whistle. He was just trying to get us a touchdown and was simply not aware enough to notice the refs with their arms up or his teammates celebrating. You have to put most of a play like that on the refs. They simply forgot to do the most basic part of their job, because they decided it was so basic nobody really cares. That's bad. The holding calls and hands to the face, though, are on him.

As for this year, Kemo is playing below the line as usual. Normally we have no better options, but with our OT spots actually looking decent and RG not looking too terrible, Kemo is looking like the worst guy out there. This is a good move. It'll either boost the position immediately or at least light a fire under Kemo's butt. If we get average play out of our LG, our OL could actually be onto something. But in the future, I'm really not satisfied with Legursky/Foster as starters. I still see them as backup quality. I have us taking a guard in rounds 1 and 4 in my positional mock draft, and that's sounding better than ever right now. We've got to get at least one early.

 

This is way overdue....will Kemo be gone at the end of the year?

 

Kemo should be on some arena team roster !!

 

Other than the QB, an offensive lineman has to be the smartest player on the team. Kemo and smart will never be mentioned in the same sentence unless there's a not in there somewhere.

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11327/1192078-100.stm
Just wanted to post this link, because I read it before coming here,
And it got me thinking about the cries for the "youth movement"...
I agree on Kemeatou( or however you spell his name)...
Just too many dumb penalties, and there have been a lot of things said about his arthritic knee...
Ward, probably should have a diminished role, too,..
However, I do have a bit of a problem with the fact that they didn`t seem to let him know about it ahead of time, even if he has been saying all the right things...
I still have faith that he can come up with clutch catches when needed, and it was only a year ago, and two years ago, when Ben was comfortable finding him, when a completion HAD to be made...
Not to mention, his jump over the Bengals( I think...), defender into the endzone, this year...
An "Over the hill" player, doesn`t give that effort, to get in the endzone, like he has always done...
While I agree his time is getting near...
I don`t think it`s quite here, yet, and I would put my $ on him over Cotchery, ANYTIME!!!
And I can`t help but feel that if they did decide to demote him, he is one of the few players in the league, who is OWED a face-to-face, meeting from the head coach, to just say, look, we decided to try something different.
Ward shows up to training camp every year, with the "rookie" piece of tape on his helmet, with his name on it, like he hasn`t made the team yet....
I don`t think he does it insincerely... he has HEART, like few players nowadays do... and besides that, I feel he still has plenty to offer the team , on the field, on Sundays...
But I digress...didn`t mean to just rant about him... that`s a different thread...
I also have been wondering where Chris Hoke has been lately, when McClendon has been taking his spot...
I don`t pretend to be a coach, focusing on which one has done better, each, and every play they have had, or to know what they see in practice...
I can only hope they are right that McClendon is better...
Because, I KNOW Hokey has been pretty damn good, when he has had his chances...
I guess, in a nutshell, my point is...
Watch what you ask for...
These rookies seem to be on the fast track, to take over for our established players(yeah, Cotchery is a vet, but a rookie on OUR team)...
And I have seen LOTS of people on the board bashing Legursky...
Guess we will be seeing soon if yinz were right, or if the coaches know what they are doing...
GO STEELERS!!!

 

You make some good points, especially about Ward. I am hoping like crazy that he can get to 1,000 receptions this year but it's not looking good at this point. He does deserve a face to face meeting but we don't know for sure that he hasn't received one.

 

He is not as dangerous as Sanders, Brown, or Wallace. That is a fact available for all to see, including Hines. He knows that if the coaches choose not to play him, there's a very good reason. He doesn't need a face to face meeting to know that. However, he still deserves one. He is a living legend. I'm sure he got one.

All that said, he does still have value to the team. Those guys are all faster, but Hines was never fast! He's always excelled at getting open in zones and making tough catches. Going over the middle on cross routes and seem routes. Not to mention the blocking. He can still do that stuff, and in my opinion he still needs to be getting reps on game day. Not as many reps as those other guys, though...

 

We really need to consider drafting a LG in next year's draft.and I mean a stud in the first round..

 

Usually by the time we pick, all of the studs are gone. Maybe a highly rated gelding will be still be available.

 

Don't guards typically go later in the draft? I don't follow college football at all and I'm not familiar with the needs of other NFL teams, but I have to believe that the possibility of a "stud" guard being available near the end of the draft is much greater than a stud tackle or "skill position" player.

 

raying:

Don't guards typically go later in the draft? I don't follow college football at all and I'm not familiar with the needs of other NFL teams, but I have to believe that the possibility of a "stud" guard being available near the end of the draft is much greater than a stud tackle or "skill position" player.[/quote:2pqb3cdp]


You make a good point. But by the time we pick at the number 32 position we'll probably be picking the third or fourth best guard on the board.

 

well huge snack, i've been saying it since he became a starter. it's about time. colon will be next. :Thanksgiving:

 

de castro ????

 

I agree that Kemo wasn't as good as people said or as bad as people said. Legs has been hurt a lot. We may come to depend on Kemo again. The Steelers are on a run, that will hopefully end with a victory in Indianapolis. Obviously, they feel Kemo is better than whoever else is out there and available. So I say, keep your head up Kemo, keep working at it.

 

Don't guards typically go later in the draft? I don't follow college football at all and I'm not familiar with the needs of other NFL teams, but I have to believe that the possibility of a "stud" guard being available near the end of the draft is much greater than a stud tackle or "skill position" player.[/quote:1po9p5dp]

You make a good point. But by the time we pick at the number 32 position we'll probably be picking the third or fourth best guard on the board. [/quote:1po9p5dp]
It's not uncommon for zero guards to go in the first round. Sometimes the first and highest rated guard goes halfway into the second round. Last year I believe Watkins was the only one to go in the first, the year before that Iupati. From what I've seen in my limited research, next year seems to have a couple of very highly rated guards, so I'm hoping we get a shot at one of them at #32.

 

Colon won't be next unless another injury does him in. It won't be a coach's decision. That's not just my opinion, the coaches love him.