did Wallace give up on the interception in OT?

i agree. hines would have made this clear to them i believe if he was still here. lack of vet leadership can lead to this. i hope it's turned around because AB is going to be here awhile. wallace may sign somewhere for less money then we offered last year i have a feeling, but you do have dan snyders out there.

 

Yeah just today me and some guys at work were talking about Haynesworth and how Snyder broke the bank for him. What a dumb mistake! MAN I'm glad we have the Rooney's! They rarely get burned ya know?

 

I don't even get this line. And for the record I don't have a problem with you, just don't agree with your over the top negativity towards Wallace. You seem like an intelligent guy and I'd like to think we can have a discussion even if it gets a little heated and still be fine.

 

I have been criticized for being a Mike Wallace hater as well and I can honestly say that I do not hate Mike Wallace. What I do hate is this:
1) By all accounts, he failed to negotiate with the Steelers in good faith. He thumbed his nose at a $50 million contract because he felt like he was worth more. There were reports that even his agent, Bus Cook, was getting frustrated with Wallace toward the end of the negotiations.
2) Wallace obviously feels as though he as already achieved greatness as indicated by his unrealistic contract demands. He thinks he's the second coming of Jerry Rice when he's closer to the second coming of Renaldo Nehemiah.
3) Wallace admitted that he loses focus when he doesn't get the ball thrown his way as often as he'd like. Wallace needs to talk to Hines about how a receiver can be involved without having the ball thrown his way most of the time like, oh I don't know, BLOCKING for your teammates maybe.
4) Wallace is very lackadaisical when it comes to coming back for the ball, contesting the DB for the reception, tackling the turnover, diving for low throws, leaping for overthrown balls, etc. Even when it may not be catchable show some effort for crying out loud!
5) He drops way too many balls or doesn't make the plays that an elte receiver, which he considers himself to be, makes by getting his feet in bounds, out leaping a DB, etc.

Wallace will be signed by another team with an over-covetous owner who has more money than he has football sense. He may get an offer as generous as the one the Steelers made him but I doubt it. His value has declined significantly this season. Wallace will go down, along with Neil O'Donnel, as one of the more despised players in Steeler history. He had an opportunity to be a very good contributor to the Steelers for years to come. With his great speed had he humbled himself and worked hard to improve in other areas he may have eventually developed into an authentic number one receiver and one of the best in the league. Instead he chose to already consider himself elite and decided that while his teammates were sweating it out in the hot summer sun learning a new offense that he'd relax by the pool and drink exotic drinks and demand more CAYSH. The bottom line is that Wallace is not the Steeler type which is epitomized by self-sacrifice and putting the team first. He's Young Money and the personification of the term "FREE AGENT". He'll sell himself to the highest bidder and hop the first flight out of the Burgh once the illogical bidding wars begin in the off-season. More power to you, Mikey, more power to you.

 

I just don't understand how it is "over the top" to say that a guy who is leading the team in drops has bad hands. I also don't see how it is "over the top" to say that he's not a crisp route runner. That is not a critique of him as a PERSON just as a player. Since you mentioned the fact that I'm a preacher I will put it in these terms to help you understand what I meant by that. There is a saying that says "Hate the SIN. LOVE the SINNER." I hate the dropped passes. I hate the poor route running. I hate the lazy pursuit on the int. But I don't hate the PERSON that done those things. Now do you see?

 

Well said.

 

I have thought about this play over and over and there are a few things that seem to bother me more than just a little bit.

First, why are we throwing an out pattern in that situation? It almost seemed as if Ben was forcing the ball to Wallace for some reason. Maybe Wallace was pouting on the sideline for more looks or maybe Ben and Mike are good buds and Ben wanted to get the ball to his friend. Wallace has proven time and time again that he is not a clutch go-to reciever. If you dont believe this, watch our last offensive play in SBXLV.

Second, Wallace needs to square that route off. An out pattern has to be precise, thats how you generate seperation from the defender. Rounding that route off allowed the defender to get between the ball and Wallace.

Third, Ben needs to make a better throw in that situation. The only thing we can afford there was a pick. Everyone is blaming Ben, and he has some skin in this too, but if Mike runs a better route, the throw is probably where its supposed to be...towards the sideline.

Lastly, the effort by Wallace after the pick. I know this has been spoken off over and over, but giving the situation, OT, turnover, next score wins and he jogs after the guy and oh BTW, avoids all contact while tiptoeing towards the ball carrier...totally disgusting effort by a man wanting "PAID"

This is poorly coached team. These issues are on the coaching staff. There is no way if I am the coach do I put up with that effort, put up with the mental mistakes nor will I have ever accepted it. I would rather lose with guys giving me 110% with honest effort than lose with guys who are capable of much more but dont try.

 

The bashing of Wallace is over the top. Yes, he's been a bit disapoiting. yes, there have been times when he doesn't look like he giving 100%. Yes, he didn't sign the generous offer from the benevolent Rooney's like a good little Steeler. But come on.....

Despite all these shortcomings, the guy is the leading reciever (yds) on the team, and has TWICE as many TDS as all the rest of the WRs on this roster COMBINED.
He's probably gonna have a 1000 yd season for the 3rd straight year (Hines Ward longest streak was 4 yrs, John Stallworth played ten 16-game seasons and never did it twice) He's had 32 TDs in 4 yrs (Hines Ward best 4-yr stretch was 37, his 2nd best was 31).

Is he frustrating? yeah maybe. But there is huge different between frustrating and bad.

I just think that many Steeler fans have correctly perceived that MW is leaving in the off season, and to cushion the blow of that 'betrayal', they are trying to pretend the MW isn't that good and that he won't be missed. So good riddance.

I think he will be missed and it will be obvious in 2013.

 

I dont think Steeler fans are pretending Wallace isnt good. We have seen talented WR's on this team in the past, we know talent when we see it. We also know lack of effort when we see it. Wallace could be great, but right now he is average at best. His effort is lacking and if the effort you see from him is alright with you then we can agree to disagree. Wallace's stats dont mean nothing to me, this isnt fantasy football. I dont care how many yards he has or how many TD's he has....all I care about is how he performs when we need him to. In the real world its about Wins losses and Lombardi's.

 

I would love to hear someone make the case that is this team is more likely to win and win Lombardi's without MW, than they are with him.

 

We are more likely to win with him right now because he is on the team, but we will not win them with him if he doesnt improve his efforts or work on the skills he lacks. The skills he lacks to me are the ability to high point a football, the ability to position himself in tight coverage to make a catch, the ability to use his body to make defenders unable to make a play on th ball and lastly, they ability to play defender either knocking the ball down so the defense doesnt catch it or the ability to make a tackle when the defender does come up with a pick.
What he does well is run past the defenders and turn short passes into decent gains. But he has to do so much more in order to be a top tier WR.
Dont get me wrong, I like Wallace, but I see so many faults and so much potential its an aggravating love/hate perspective.

 

I'll make that argument. I think Wallace's shenanigans in the offseason has set the tone for the entire season. I won't go back into all of it but read my post above. He's all about Mike Wallace and the team just has to take a back seat. We LOST the only Lombardi opportunity we had with Mike Wallace on the team. Ben tried to make him the go to guy on that last drive and the situation was too big for him. In fact, every post season game Wallace has played in has been too big for him. Don't take my word for it, just look at his stats. He disappears on the biggest stages. This is not a sign of greatness. Wallace IS NOT Swann making the acrobatic catches in Super Bowls X and XIII. He's not Stallworth coming through with remarkable catches in crunchtime in Super Bowl XIV. He's not Hines hauling in the long pass from Randle El in Super Bowl XL to seal the deal. Shoot, he's not even Santonio "wake and bake" Holmes making one if the most remarkable catches in Super Bowl history in SB XLIII.

Ask yourself this question AFan. With the game on the line on a big stage do you REALLY want the go to guy to be Mike Wallace?

 

As opposed to who?? Jerry Rice? no. Antonio Brown or Sanders? Absolutely.

Santonio Holmes, another local WR who people were happy to see leave and was full of distractions and personal stupidity, came through in the clutch on the big stage. Whatever you think of Wallace, he hasn't been NEARLY the dolt that Holmes was. Why couldn't Wallace do what Holmes did in the same situation?

Plexico Burress, another renowned WRing meathead, made the big play for the G-men against the undefeated Pats. Why couldn't Wallace do that?

 

Id rather the target be AB any day if the Steelers need one reception on a crucial down to win a big game. He is MUCH MORE sure handed than Wallace. So is Sanders for that matter. I'd rather Heath Miller be the target than any of those guys.

As for the Santonio Holmes catch, there is no way in Hades that Wallace makes that reception. I have never seen anything in his game (catching the ball at its highest point, sideline awareness, dragging his second foot, hands) that would indicate that he's capable of making that catch. The Burress catch, maybe. But the DB did contest that reception and Burress made a nice adjustment to the ball, which Wallace has shown an inability to do so I doubt he makes that catch either. He'd flail his arms and look for the ref to call PI.

 

Which Burress catch are you guys talking about? The fade he caught to put the gnats ahead of the Pats in 07? I didn't remember that being a poorly thrown ball. I just remember that play as a mismatch between Ellis Hobbs and Plax. Is there a play I'm forgetting? I remember the big catch in that game to be the David Tyree helmet catch. I definitely wouldn't see Wallace making that catch. I do remember AB catching one against his helmet against the Rats I think??? It was down the sidelines and he pinned it against his helmet in stride and put is in a goal to go situation.

 

The fade that put the Giants ahead is the catch I'm referring to. The reason I think Wallace would have had a problem with that catch is that the DB was jockeying for the ball and Plex made a nice adjustment. When a DB contests Wallace he usually gives up and starts looking for the PI call. He also has not shown an ability to make a strong adjustment to the flight of the ball to put himself in the best position to make the catch.

And TE the catch that Wallace made in the KC game was a great catch, mostly because he caught it between his knees. I can't really think of any more trademark great catches that he's made though. The catch in the GB game was a very good catch, but it was one that most NFL receivers should be able to make.

 

Ok I see what you are talking about now. As far as Wallace's "signature" catch I really can't think of it either. I mean that was a great catch in the Packers game but it was just one of those stretch out and get your feet down catches. The catch between his legs was the best this year.

 

It's irrelevant my mother could have caught that. It was a bad read by Ben. They thought thy could beat Carr short because of an aggressive style he plays. He gets out of position he is just good enough to get back. It's a bad scheme laid out picking on the wrong guy. (bad coaching) it's a horrible read by Ben ( bad execution). Many to blame but not the guy that could get cracked back on my a defender.

From,
The Steel City

 

You mean to tell me that Wallace shouldn't have tried to make a play because he "could" get injured? Dude it's football. He "could" get injured on EVERY SINGLE PLAY. I have now heard all that there is to hear in this world if I just read what you put correctly. Couldn't he also have gotten hit just as hard if he had CAUGHT the ball? My face is firmly planted in my palm.

 

you still have 100 or so words left hehe

Bman

 

Its an argument about blame. I won't put any on a guy the ball was intended to be caught by.

 

If you scroll back to page ONE, the original poster of this thread was trying to make the accusation that Mike Wallace made absolutely no effort in playing defense AFTER BENS INT. He wasn't so much blaming Wallace for not making the catch. Wallace admitted in an interview with KDKAs Bob Pompeani after the game that he didn't make an effort to play defense after the INT was thrown. Their is absolutely NO ARGUMENT HERE with regards to Mikes lack of effort to either touch the guy who intercepted the ball, or simply chase him down. (I mean he has great speed) HE MADE NO EFFORT ...Fact not Fiction. HE ADMITTED THIS ! Thie Int itself was without question on Ben and NOT Mikes fault

 

If I was Coach T I would have made Wallace run all week until he was puking. There is absolutely no excuse for not chasing Carr down. Disgusting

Bman