1st & Goal: Playcalling

Ok, lets say you've got the ball at the opponent's 2 yd line. 1st and goal, close game (Something like... 7-3, your team is winning, 4th qtr).
You got to the 2 yd line by passing the football.

What do you do?
A) Run 3 times up the middle, which happens to be the weak link of your OL (and lets say yo have a 2nd stringer at Center & LG). If you have no success, then go for it on 4th down with another run up the middle.
B) Try something else on 1st, 2nd or 3rd down, and if not succesfull, get the FG
C) Try something else on 1st, 2nd or 3rd down, and if not successfull, go for it with something else

This is a fictional situation. Any similarities with reality are just a coincidence

 

Or put in your real power RB and score the damn ball......

 

Insert your fresh sledgehammer RB and RUN-RUN-RUN-RUN. Hopefully it only takes one attempt, as I think there was a chance for Mendy to drive through at least one of those tackles. Would be very hesitant to throw a pass for fear of a INT with a gimpy QB out there. Should be able to run the ball in on 4 attempts vs the Browns.

Since we always seem to pass out of shotgun in GTG, and we always seem to run in a full-house set in GTG, I think it would've made sense to run a draw out of shotgun on one of those 4 attempts. You know, do something that hasn't been on tape.

 

From the Post Game Conference:

Did you have any intention of kicking the field goal on your fourth-and-goal?
Coach T: Absolutely not. If we can’t get in the end zone from the two-yard line, four shots running, then we deserve to potentially lose.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/ ... 792d7f61a2

 

I love that quote and Coach T's absolutely right. Good thing is that we could afford to try to make a statement like that against the Browns and their ineffecitve offense.

 

First off is SOFT SOCRATES MENDANHALL, is not a power back and is soft as paper cotten with his high running self. Now, Redman is standing on the sidelines watching this totally unexceptable display of softness getting stopped from the three yard line four times. He is saying to himself look at this Soft S_ _ _ . They have no repect for my talents at all. I would have put that ball into the endzone. How can Arians do that stupid stuff all the time? How can Tomlin let it happen. I blame him for letting that stupid stuff go down. Everyone in the stadium and everyone watching on TV is saying, where is Redman? That is a prime example of why Bruce Arians should be gone. He has no imagination at all. He doesn't know how to develop a running game, and his play calling is just totally unexceptable. This is what my wife who knows very little about football was saying while watching Mendenhall get stopped four times from the three yard line; that is totally unexceptable. Doesn't the Steelers have a better runner then that guy? What are they doing. Most teams line up and send a bunch of guys in front of the runner and score a touchdown. Thats from a woman who doesn't know much about football. She said that was sad.

FIRE BRUCE ARIANS IMMEDITELY AND SEND MENDENHALL AND KEMO PACKING WITH HIM!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I thought we might pass on 4th down...but I didnt have any problems running the first three times....we needed to run some clock off

 

It wasn't the runs that bothered me, it was WHERE they ran. Try a different gap, maybe away from LB making the plays...

 

YAWN...

i like the fact TOMLIN went for it tarheel flyer just got it
hit a different gap

 

Getting snuffed out after being on the 2 yard line with a first and goal against the clowns is the exact reason why the Steelers will not go far in the playoffs! Sad to say.
Also, at the end of the season, Get rid of batch, leftwich & dixon. Release them all at once. Then try to find a half decent backup that isn't hurt all the time.

 

Kemo, the giant pile of ****, almost cost us the game because of his low IQ and lack of talent. I would send him packing back to the pineapple plantation.

 

Yes and I agree with Tomlin on that question. But I can't believe his answer to the follow-up:

Actual question asked: "Did you have any thoughts on giving Isaac Redman the football on the two-yard line?"
Tomlin: "No."

No? That's it? That series of calls, basically the same running play 4 times in a row using the same running back who's not a short yardage specialist, could have cost us the game if our D hadn't stepped up to stop the other team. And all you can say is "no" when asked if you considered using our steamrolling back who averages 5+ yards per carry and routinely drags defensive players around for extra yardage on his back? No explanation. Next question (so I can give you another 1 word answer). Does anyone else see a stubborn coach with a chip on his shoulder?

 

This.

 

it would have been cool for Ben to fake the handoff on 4th and run it in himself. it would have worked.

 

You need to punch yourself in the face for that comment. That would be like trying to run Talledega with 2 flat tires. Didn't BR do enough? And what you propose would likely have gotten him broken in two. Did ya happen to notice how hard it was for him to even hobble 3 steps to stretch to hand off to the RB? Maybe this is sarcasm, I don't know, sure hope it is.

 

AND AND AND a different back...!

This isn't a news flash. Ariens doesn't use his talent properly.

 

we all know he was faking. it has already been reported he was.
Dega? 2 flats?what does that even mean?

 

I would have ran on all 4 downs. Just not those same plays or that back. Mende would have been watching Redman score on his 1st touch. Arianns and Tomlin need to be held accountable. Horrible display of football. I agree. That series of plays is why we will not go far into the playoffs. Unless they read this board and figure it out. GIVE REDMAN THE BALL>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

I don't think he's smart enough to harvest pineapples

 

Exactly!

 

so I wasn't the only one screaming at the TV, calling for Redman during that series.

 

That was possibly a defining moment for Mendenhall, the type of play every back dreams of, one on one versus a LB.

[youtube:1u7e4mmi]lgbFwRV0hBU[/youtube:1u7e4mmi]
Here is how you beat a LB one on one and mind you how old that RB is and the caliber of LB he overcomes. Mendenhall got own twice in a row by a 6th year player on the Browns and probably made him a superstar in Cleveland overnight.

 

I dont understand why 'run up the middle' was called 4 times in a row. Hell even the dreaded WR screen would have worked.

 

Some of you guys are still stuck in the Bettis era. I loved Bettis as much as the next guy, but that style of football is dead. You want to run Redman in the red zone? Fine, but those of you who want to run Mendy out of town because he's not a power runner, you're crazy.

Is Chris Johnson a power runner? What about Lesean McCoy or Matt Forte? What about Barry Sanders? Fact is, a true power runner isn't overly effective in todays NFL and it's definitely not needed. What is needed is an OC who knows how to run the ball and will listen when his RB is begging him for a true FB. We also need a line that can run block.

A TE doesn't know how to properly block like a true FB does. When a TE run blocks, they latch on to a defender and they curl the defender away from the gap. A FB takes on one or more blockers head on and tries to drive them back as far as possible. It makes no sense to have a TE acting like a FB.

We ran to the exact same spot 4 times in a row. What BA should have done is run the FB (or TE in our case) to the right, then cut the RB back to the left. Or drive the TE up the middle and pitch it out to Mendy. Instead, we did the same thing 4 plays in a row. There was absolutely no creativity there whatsoever. That series was sickening to watch