Run game

I am not going to get into crying about how the refs screwed the pooch on this game. What I will talk about it why you don't try to establish the run game in the fourth quarter. You need to pound the rock through the game early in order to have the ability to close out the game with it late. Trying to established a running game with dominance late in the fourth just doesn't work. I know that with Brown, Sanders, Wallace, Miller and such you have alot of weapons but you need to have the run when you need it and they needed it in the red zone tonight and it wasn't there.

I not saying the game plan should be 75% run especially against a great run stopping team such as the Ravens or the Steelers but you do need to wear them down so you can get a first down when you need it third and five and you throw it to the flat to Moore? heck bring the jumbo set and pound on them.

 

Sounds like you miss Bettis. :bye:

 

Isn't that the truth...

 

The Bus had a line that could actually block people

 

I miss the bus I miss krieder, I miss throwing a screen play, I miss imposing your will on the other team. I can pretty much guarantee that no one on the Ravens front seven was worried about Mendy breaking one, or Moore catching a screen pass, or Redman pounding it into the line time and time again.

 

The lack of a running game had no impact on whether the Steelers won or lost this game. Our defense continues to suck pond water and everyone want to point at the running game, or lack thereof?

rutan

 

That is a cop out. This line can block when they are asked to straight up drive block and do some down hill power run blocking they have proved that. It is when they are asked to zone block and cut and trap, pulling guards on slow developing run plays that they look slow weak and pathetic. If they asked them to get nasty and get after people you could average 5 yards a carry and wear teams out. But that doesn't let Ben be the superstar and it isn't the type of team we have yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah.

 

The run game and the refs didn't matter. The fact that most of us were nervous when Flacco had 92 yards to go says it all. Our D backfield stinks.

 

Running game? What is this Running Game you speak of?

 

I didn't say it was the reason they lost, I said you can't expect to establish it in the fourth quarter and use it to close out a game. Yep the defense sucked on that 92 yard drive no doubt but when you give the offense the ball with less than five to go and your have a four point lead. You want to see them chew up the clock don't throw in completions try running plays that are well telegraphed and allow the Ravens to hold onto their timeouts.

 

I agree as far as pass protection but they really didn't try to take advantage of the aggressive ravens defense to make them defend the screen pass which would make the safeties cheat up and op it up more for Wallace, Brown, and crew. They didn't use Johnson and Saunders when they lost Ward and they didn't try to disguise run plays like having Redman as FB and doing the short hand off.

 

O-Line played great. Ben dropped back to pass 37 times and was sacked only once

 

Even that sack could have been avoided if they would have dialed up the screen pass, Moore was untouched as he made it to the second level looking to make a block. He went right through the gap that Kruger left as he went wide on Gilbert. In Ben's younger days he could have sprinted through that hole as well and probably got the score. This is the thing about having a passing attack is that if you don't get into the endzone on YAC things tighten up as you get close and if you haven't got your run game going it is tough to start when it is 2nd and goal with three yards between the back and the endzone and the defense doesn't fear them.