Clock management

Am I the only one who has a huge problem with how we let the time run all the way to/past the 2 minute warning on our last scoring drive? Especially if you're planning to kick it away, I feel like you must use some timeouts on offense there.

Maybe I'm missing something though, and they were doing it to keep KC from subbing in?

 

Don't know, but there wasn't much urgency that drive with Ben diving in whatsoever.

 

Our clock management has always been horrible. Neither Tomlin nor Ben have any clue how to manage the clock. For some reason, the team has never done anything about a known problem. They should hire a guy that calls all the TO's and strip that power from Tomlin altogether. With that said, you don't use a TO on offence when trailing by more than 1 score late in the game. You save those TO's for the defence. If you need to stop the clock on O, you spike it, or you just hurry your ass up and get the ball moving down the field.

 

Between Tomlin, Haley and Munchak they had 3 guys with head coaching experience on the sideline and couldn't get it right then for however many years, why would they get it right now.

 

Hate to sound like a broken record but time management goes along with discipline and we have none.

 

No urgency on the last offensive drive. Perplexing.

However, when you have 3 time outs on defense and need the ball back to win, you can’t give up 9 yards on a 1st down carry up the gut. Ugly and soft.

 

Dilly Dilly

 

Ya it just took way too long it seemed after they hit the big chunk play to James with about 4 minutes left. You needed that extra timeout with the two minute warning and it seemed like it took Ben way too long to get the next play off each time. There needed to be more urgency on that last series and there just wasn’t enough and it costs the Steelers precious time that didn’t allow them to get the ball back and have a chance to win the game.

 

Clock management had no bearing on the game, D just have to start manning up. And O has to get started earlier.

 

I agree with you - however, there was 0% chance this D was stopping anyone on the next possession.

 

Agreed, which is why I was calling for an onside kick, but I guess Tomlin didn't read that post of mine

 

Would be nice that someone has "out of the box" thinking.

On that note - was listening to the PBP and they mentioned that with the new kickoff rules that onsides are harder than ever. We are already lousy at onsides, can't imagine we'd be any better with less chance of success under new rules.

As an aside - have the kickoff rules changed as they pertain to a "live ball" in the endzone? I noticed on one of our KO's today that the ball went into the endzone, bounced once and didn't go thru the back - yet the ref blew it dead without the KO returner even attempting to go after the ball. In the past, that was 6 for the kicking team if they recovered - has that been negated? If so, what's the point of KO's again?

 

It wouldn't have mattered, they couldn't stop the Chiefs to get the ball back.

 

It happened against Cleveland last week too. Not sure what’s up.

 

1:59 left, 3 timeouts. The defense on 1st and 10 lets a 9 yard run.

Blame the defense. Totally unacceptable.

Aside from TJ Watt and Cam Heyward, defense is utter garbage. Greek tragedy that renegade was even played for them. They ought to play organ circus music because that is what they deserve.

 

Yeah, with the new kick-off rules most of the players are inside of the 1 yard buffer and stationary before the kick. The advantage to the kicking team of already being in motion is basically gone. At that point it's a standing start to get a ball that is kicked away from your own guys.

I've seen some suggestions that it would be easier to pop one up over the receiving team and try to get it to bounce back, but....

 

Yes. The ball is dead when it touches the ground in the endzone.

 

So like I inferred - KO's are pointless now.

 

I will agree the D is garbage however 3:34 1st and goal at the 2 if I am correct and we don't score until 1:59 is bad. We not only lost time but a free time out as well......bad play calling and clock management

 

Reason to try an onside kick. Defense couldn't stop anything. Only trailing by 5, so even if you can 3 and out the chiefs, they maybe try a FG, then your still only down 8. Maybe they miss the FG, and your still down only 5.

An onside maybe should of been tried yesterday.

 

Personally I would put clock management at the bottom of the list as to why we lost....well maybe right above not having cheerleaders which in the current state of this team we may want to revisit the idea ,so at least we would have something nice to look at....

 

Clock managment wasn't why we lost yesterday, but Tomlin's clock management and game management have always been awful. I just have no idea what goes through his head during a game, it can't be much. Anyone sat at home knows you don't punt in that situation why you haven't stopped them all day.

 

TheSteelDeal said: "Personally I would put clock management at the bottom of the list as to why we lost....well maybe right above not having cheerleaders which in the current state of this team we may want to revisit the idea ,so at least we would have something nice to look at...."

Be careful what you wish for................... .