The Okie tries to explain....

Must be a real nice try, because your answer isn't really an answer.

 

Just because he wasn't up to last year's pace doesn't mean he was struggling. Allen was on pace for 1,233 yards before the game against the Steelers. That's not struggling.

 

So anyway holding off all week about the LB on Allen matchup during game. The bottom line is this, if SD showed 13 in slot at the 2 or 3 in trips in previous 11 games, which I’m SURE they did, and Steelers answer was ANY LB vs him in coverage, then it’s pure negligence on Steelers part. Plain and simple. They had a week to plan w the guys they had available. And on the biggest down of game in last minutes, Bostic on 13 is a joke.

 

Btw, on 3rd down w 1 and change left, there were ZERO RBs or TEs on field. WHY WAS BOSTIC ON FIELD vs empty?? Will wait for answers

 

Don't worry; Butler certainly won't make that mistake again. This week he plans to trot out Boswell and Berry to cover the slot.

 

How many times do guys have career days against us? It’s bevause since Tomlin got here the defense has gotten worse and worse and the defensive draft picks have rarely panned out. Tomlin is supposed to be a defensive minded coach and yet the thing that hold us back every year is this crap defense. Colbert gets some blame to but this has to be on MT. He should own it.

 

First you say that his numbers are only inflated due to the game against the Steelers. Now you wrote, based on how he was producing before that game, his pace will slow over the final four games. That doesn't make sense.

You keep talking about 65-yard games, but Allen has been over 70 in five of the last six games. To come up short of 1,233 yards, Allen would have to average below 59 yards per game the rest of the way. He has only been below 59 yards in a game twice this season.

The touchdown was a gift, a horrible play by Sean Davis, but Allen wasn''t only beating linebackers last week. He converted a big third down early on by abusing Haden. If you take his actual pace for the season, Allen would end up with 1,328 yards, only 65 away from what he did last season.

I'm as frustrated with the way the defense handled him as anybody, but your analysis of the statistics doesn't make sense.

 

You can add the great Dud Dupree to that list

 

You all arguing about a receiver that torched us because of the ineptitude of the defensive coordinator. Keenan Allen is a #1 receiver and in no shape or form do you cover him with ANY linebacker even if it was Shazier! Unless your,

 

Our inside LBers have trouble even covering a RB. Here are three pictures showing a Wheel Route by McCaffrey where the ILBer can't catch him. McCaffrey scores on this play.

 

What’s insane is this is the NFL. An inside LB on Allen in middle of field on 3rd and Medium. How can this be our scheme in this spot?? It’s almost comical. Rivers knew it was a conversion before the ball was snapped.

 

My problem with his response is hanging his hat on how well it worked the 1st half.

They had time to try something/anything different in the 2nd half when it was not working any longer.

The refs unquestionably spotted them 14. Nothing you can do about that but when the opportunity arrives to try and stop the bleeding, he does not seem to acknowledge nor address the opportunity to do so. Adjustments should have been made but they were not and its a trend on that side of the ball. It's asinine but along with some of the other head scratchers we all watch constantly, atleast they're consistent. Hahahaha

 

I agree with the overall point, that the Steelers played horribly against Allen. Butler's scheme was a huge part of the problem. It worked for a half, but even Tomlin admitted part of that was smoke and mirrors. If you know that, you have to be ready to adjust once the opponent figures it out. Butler clearly wasn't and they ended up with Bostic on Allen on third-and-4 with the game on the line. Sure, he had help from Davis, but that wasn't going to stop them short of the line to gain.

I see part of our disagreement was a mathematical error on your side. That happens. I've done it, too.

You also have to look at the remaining schedule. The Chargers play the Bengals Sunday. Allen could rack up another 200 receiving yards in that game alone, especially with Gordon still out. They also have the Chiefs' defense to victimize along with a couple of tougher matchups in the Ravens and Broncos.

 

bull chit. he would give us a much better chance than bostic or any other LB. allen played well in preseason and did not look lost. it was one play and butler blew it big time. again. this hoe handle needs to go. why he was promised this job is beyond me.

 

I thought Allen played well in the PS too. I know he got beat a couple times trying to make a play on the ball. It seems to me sometimes that's the last thing they want from our CBs. Maybe he was cut originally because he wasn't playing within their scheme. He is athletically gifted and I had wished and still do that they would of tried to convert him to a FS. He definitely could be getting some work in the slot. I'm not sold on his future as a outside corner. I just don't see how he can't be used in some capacity with how gifted he is.

 

i agree. the kid has made some nice coverage plays as well. you can't teach that build. butler has kept players out because of practice so many times before because he said they were not ready, even when he was just the LB coach, only for those players to get their chance and play well. i never liked his way of player evaluation then and it hasn't changed. all the players have plays made against them at times, even the best of them. he just can't say we had no other options when we did. he needs to go. i think allen would have been a much better choice in that situation. burns has lost his confidence. i believe our new DB coach will bring these guys along if they are not hamstrung by butler next year. you can't play defense in fear and thats butlers way.

 

The argument about Allen struggling this year prior to playing us really does not matter. I wasn't sure what he did during this season BUT what I do know is that he was catching everything in site and was running away from our linebackers all day. SO this game we needed to do something different to stop him. Don't care what our DC or MT says about who's playing or not playing, it's simple, put your better corner on him and play man against him. This was one of the worst coaching defensive non adjustments a have seen since we did the same thing against Gronk over and over again.

It is a shame that millions of people watching and thousands in the stands were saying by the 4th qtr all you have to do was put somebody on Allen who could keep up with him. Truly this is high school football 101, and we got 2 coaches who can't make that in game adjustments.

Can you see Belicheat, Noll, or even Cowher doing that? I'll answer that: NO.

 

Agreed. Burns confidence is shot. He couldn't cover a shell of Antonio Gates. Maybe Allen would of failed,maybe not. Putting Bostic on him it was destined to fail. I think they are wasting Allens talent trying to groom him as a outside corner. He is the type of athlete that can excell in specialized roles. IMO.

 

BA would have fared no better against Kennan Allen than the linebackers did. Think about what you are saying right now. You are criticizing Butler for not putting his 5th best corner on the Chargers best receiver. How is that a better strategy? You had Artie Burns sitting there. Struggling as he may be, he was still a starter on this team. Burns was your best bet.

As for the pre-season, if being over-aggressive and getting burned for touchdowns is your idea of a good pre-season so be it.

 

Haden should have been following Keenan Allen all over the field. Not that he would have shut the guy down completely, either. Allen burned Haden badly on a third-down conversion early on, but Haden would have done better than what they tried. Once the Chargers seemed to figure it out on that first drive of the third quarter, it was time to adapt and the Steelers didn't do it.

 

he said they had no choice. yes i'd put my 5th CB over a LB that hadn't covered well the whole 2nd half against a WR. it didn't have to be against allen at that point. all of our corners have given up TD's allen in preseason made a lot of plays too and he tackles pretty well. so yes i did think about what i was saying, did butler? burns had one play and gave up a TD already in the game talking about giving up TD's.

 

I agree with this. The excuse I have heard on the radio is that moving Haden inside to stay with Allen, would have meant taking a LB off the field. The Steelers feared that if they did that, they would have gotten gashed with the run. I agree though, once the mismatch was being exploited repeatedly you have to do something. I am positive there is a way you can have Haden on Allen inside, and still play sound run defense.