danny smith

#1 During a work week, how many reps should Danny give professional football player(s) to KNOW that it's a live football after 10 yards on a free kick?? My goodness, it's not Pop Warner league. It's not they are trying to time up a play action pass or developing a screen. These guys have played how many years of football?? Cleveland players weren't exactly as quick as I figured at recovering the ball. At first, it made me think NFL had some rule change on free kicks at some winter meeting.

#2 I see tons of pooch kicks at the high school level. Nobody will kick deep to us. It makes the middle wedge guys fair catch the ball. If we kick 2-3 during our KOR period, I am more than sure the pros are doing it. Humans make bad decisions on stuff they should know off the field as well.

 

OK thanks. Guess all the other experts went to bed already. Funny thought, what if Nix didn't know Switzer was behind him and was waving to surrender (like no play-dead ball) like they do in College ball this year where you get the ball on the 25 provided it bounces between the 25 and the end of the end zone. Other than that, I've got nothing.

 

Danny Smith isn’t going anywhere.

 

Totally agree. That's not really a bad thing either. He's not the greatest ST's coach but he's far from the worst.

 

FWIW, I was telling Switzer (through my TV, which usually works) to catch it or go fall on it. I kinda figured it was live, but I didn’t know for sure either way.

 

I do not understand why anybody has Smith's back here. The Steelers screwed this up on his watch last season. After a disaster like that, there is no excuse for not making it clear to his players as they went out on the field this time.

 

Maybe smith has gone over this ad nauseum? Maybe Switzer not being here has not heard the talk yet? Maybe, just maybe with nix calling fair catch... Switzer had a brain fart moment as did nix, he and brown after the action and **** just happened? Most People know to be careful with knives yet today whilst un loading the dishwasher my daughter asked me a question while I was putting a butcher knife away and by gum that split second distraction put that knife right into my other unsuspecting mitt. I knew better, got side tracked... It happens and it happens even with the highly paid should be know it all in every profession. We could do far worse than big league chew but I seriously hopes he gets these big KR's paid attention to and fixed NOW. Good thing is a lesson was learned yesterday doubt we'll see it again this year but with this generation I'm not too sure hahahahahaha

 

I'm just glad Donovan McNabb wasn't back there with them in an overtime game.

 

Even if they don't take time to practice this situation all it would have taken is Smith to say " SWITZ remember it's a live ball!" as he was going out on the field just a simple reminder.

I taped the game and need to re watch that entire play.

We screwed up fair catch then total bail out bad on us.

The browns screwed up bu downing the ball and without a challenge from a Steeler could have picked it up and run for a TD, bad on the Browns.

I still need to see when or why did the refs blow the play dead I don't remember a Steeler touching anyone down maybe I am mistaken. Its possible the refs screwed up the play call too.

If my third point is true it should go down as the most confused play in history as no one got it right .

 

I’ve been walking through the NFL rulebook. I haven’t yet found anything definitive, but it appears that when a fair catch is signaled, only the signaling player may catch the ball. That may be why Switzer backed off. Why Nix signaled but didn’t get under the ball and catch it, I don’t know.

 

The refs blew the whistle a few seconds after the Browns piled on top of the ball and each other. Presumably, the Browns player was deemed to have surrendered himself at the spot where he recovered the ball.

 

ARTICLE 4. CATCH OR RECOVERY OF A FREE KICK

1. 
   (a) If a player of the receiving team catches or recovers the ball, he may advance.

1. 
   (b) If the ball is declared dead while in the simultaneous possession of two opposing players, the ball is awarded to the receiving team.

1. 
   (c) A player of the kicking team may legally touch, catch, or recover the ball if:

1. it first touches a receiving team player; or
2. it reaches or crosses the receiving team’s restraining line.

1. 
   (d) The ball is dead if

1. it is caught or recovered by a player of the kicking team. If the catch or recovery is legal, the ball belongs to the kicking team at the dead-ball spot.
2. it is not touched by the receiving team and touches the ground in the end zone (touchback).

ARTICLE 5. FREE KICK CROSSES GOAL LINE
It is a touchback, if a free kick:

(a) is not touched by the receiving team, and the ball touches the ground in the end zone.

(b) goes out of bounds behind the receiving team’s goal line;

(c) strikes the receiving team’s goal post, uprights, or cross bar; or

(d) is downed in the end zone by the receiving team.

ARTICLE 6. END OF FREE KICK
A free kick ends when either team possesses the ball, or when the ball is dead, if that precedes possession. A running play begins when the receiving team establishes possession of the ball.

You mean like here? I've been watching football for about 40 years and even played some. I've never heard if it being called a safety kick but tomato/tamato I've know some are mocking the " experts" but I'm not gonna apologize for knowing the rules. Like many others have alluded to its not DS first screw up. He's not that good,has never been that good and we wouldn't be doing our due diligence as a organization if we weren't looking for ways to improve any and all aspects of the team....

 

The kicking team can't advance the recovered ball.

 

No, I mean like here:

RULE 6. FREE KICKS
SECTION 1 - PROCEDURES FOR A FREE KICK
ARTICLE 1. FREE KICK
A free kick is a kickoff or safety kick that puts the ball in play to start a free kick down. It must be made from any point on the kicking (offensive) team’s restraining line and between the inbounds lines.

1. A kickoff puts the ball in play at the start of each half, after a try, and after a successful field goal. A dropkick or placekick may be used for a kickoff.
   
2. A safety kick puts the ball in play after a safety. A dropkick, placekick, or punt may be used for a safety kick. A tee cannot be used for a safety kick.

 

OK, Coach Tomlin finally addressed the issue that the two gentlemen in the above two posts so eloquently and diligently opined and here's what MT had to say to clear this matter up once and for all: "Two of those elements, actus reus and mens rea, are of more importance in establishing the precise corpus delicti, while the remaining three are of more general application. The “corpus delicti rule” requires the prosecution to present independent evidence—more than a confession—of the corpus delicti." There you have it - we can all return to normal activity. Bottom line, just jump on the damn ball and consult your attorney later!

 

Ok but I'm taking tomato.....you can have tamato

 

For the morbidly curious old-timer fans, here's the infamous Barry Foster kickoff snafu back in 1990. More inexcusable than the Switzer/Nix fiasco.

 

There have been some ST snafu's, but honestly I'll take them if the kick coverage is good. Does anyone remember the kick coverage before Smith got here, it was awful for many years.

 

I will admit i did not realise a free kick was a live ball

 

Thanks for your honesty Bussie - myself and probably most on this MB were in the same boat. However, I also forgot all about what happened against KC 10-15-17, same exact thing. Here's CBS Sports recap:

"OOPS MOMENTS
The Chiefs' first turnover since their first offensive play of the season came in the first half, when backup center Zach Fulton snapped the ball over Smith's head for a safety. But the Steelers gave the ball right back when they inexplicably decided not to field the ensuing free kick."

It is inexcusable how this would/could occur just 1 year later. Even though safeties are quite rare (kind of like ties) you'd think that this film would be shown at each and every special teams meeting by the coaches just to rub it in about the importance of game awareness. I'm thinking flash cards, like we used in grade school, would help these guys rehearse "what if's" on a regular urgent basis.