Steelers @ Bills Post Game Thoughts

Now that the dress rehearsal is over, what's everyone thoughts on the team? Especially the starters

 

There's a lot of work that needs to be done in the next few weeks.

 

The offensive line doesn't look any different than last year.
I am a bit worried about the run Defense.

I like the splash plays and ability to score off them.

I like Hrappman better than Suisham.

Lefty looks comfortable in this offense.

Liking Cortez Allen a lot.

 

Rainey still continues to impress me a lot

The first few drives looked horrible

Brown didn't start off well but as the game went on he showed why the steelers extended his contract

We need Wallace

The 2 minute offense looked flawless and hope they continue to run it more

And I agree, Lefty does look so much more comfortable in this offense

 

Starks looks like he will save our left tackle position again. I just want to give him some props because this guy has came through and really haven't been treated that well since his rookie deal was over. It's been franchise tag, one year deals but have always been reliable for us.

Offensive line needs work but with the starting five being starks, colon, pouncey, foster and gilbert hopefully they will gel in to a better unit than last year.

Rainey is fast.

our kickoff and punt return is something we need to look at. Rainey looks like he can't take a hit and may not be reliable fielding punts.

Cortez Allen is going to be good. I don't think he beats out Keenan Lewis. But he isn't that far behind.

We need Wallace more than I thought. Ben locks on Brown. Where is Heath?

If we don't blitz we don't get pressure. Could be a problem

Dwyer could be on Redman's heels. He gave us the spark we needed.

 

I like Dwyer catching passes out of the backfield. definitely seems to have taken a major step forward and can contribute this year

 

I didn't get to watch hardly any of the game because my wife took away the cpu but can anyone tell me how Sean Spence did? One thing I can say about our guys getting hurt is props to them for atleast being out there playing. I'd like to punch Mike Wallace in his stupid little diva mug for being on his greedy butt while our guys are out there getting carted off.

 

Our O line already wasn't very good and now the depth is worse. I can't recall being this bummed after a win.

 

Spence was in for a while in mostly the 3rd quarter...maybe part of the 4th. I didn't see him do anything good or bad really.

 

Has me bummed too. Not opening much for the run game and certainly not looking any better in pass protection.
Should probably give Buffalo some props for their D line though. It is a strength of theirs.

 

tonight was a big loss. i hope it's not bad.

 

Well one positive thing I just gathered from Ben's post game sideline interview is that Ben called his own plays on the 2min drill to end the half. So maybe we can take from this that Ben is getting a feel for the play book? Is this a reasonable assumption?

 

I think it is. I thought it went very well and hope to see more of it. The more and more I see of the Haley offense the more and more I can't wait for the regular season

 

Or that Ben is the badass we all know he can be. Or both? Either way I'm happy!

 

The little I saw Dwyer impressed.

It ended with us scoring 28 so Hrappman had little to do, right?

 

I only saw what NFL Network showed, which was a few plays here and there. The only time I noticed Spence was when he missed the tackle on Fred Jackson's touchdown run. Looked like he had a clean shot and slipped. But I'll know more Monday.

I can't believe we have to wait two days to watch!

 

Just got back from the game. Random thoughts . . .

*The Ralph is one of the most bland stadiums in all of professional football. It's in the middle of nowhere (not that downtown Buffalo has ANYTHING to offer), lacks any kind of real atmosphere, and its design begins and ends with one word: cement. They might as well just string barbed wire across the top because it looks like a prison.

*The Buffalo fans: extremely nice and hospitable. Then again, the more I thought about it, what in the hell kind of smack are they going to talk? They have zero leverage in the smacktalk world. "Try losing four Super Bowls in a row!" isn't really something to aspire to.

*Sat in the lower level, row 1. Great experience. Steelers warmed up right in front of me. Seeing Max Starks stand next to Chris Rainey in a huddle = comedy.

*DeCastro was in serious pain. Definitely looks like an injury of the "season-ending" variety. I took several pictures (for whatever reason - just seemed like the thing to do at the time) of him in agony while being tended to by the trainers.

*Byron Leftwich remains underrated and undervalued as the backup qb for this football team. In all the years I've watched professional football live, I don't believe I've ever seen a stronger arm. I told the woman I took to the game (big Steelers fan from Pittsburgh), "Watch this" as Lefty entered the game. He promptly threw a long td dart to A Brown. To this day, the best throw I've ever seen was a throw Lefty made at Heinz against Carolina in a preseason game a few years back. His arm strength is insane.

*I don't think Charlie Batch makes this team. I could be wrong. Two reasons I think I'm right: 1.) We have way too much need for depth in other areas (linebacker, secondary, o-line, hell . . . most areas). 2.) It isn't like we cut him and he signs on somewhere else. I think he'll be available and return promptly if the emergency dictated it.

*Chris Rainey's cut on his long td was awesome. He's a great addition to this football team. I'm excited to see how we use him.

*This'll stir some debate but I'm not impressed with Todd Haley. One particular play really bothered me. All throughout OTA's and training camp there was talk of how Haley's offense called for quick throws. 3rd and 15 tonight and Ben throws a quick four-yard slant to somebody (I forget who) and they're promptly tackled. We pick up 3rd and 15's when Ben is Ben and runs around, receivers break routes, Ben improvises, and makes a play. These little slants aren't gonna convert 3rd and longs. Our best drive of the night? Ben being Ben. Fast-paced, I think it was no huddle, we moved right down the field. I realize we hold back/don't show our offense/blahblahblah during the preseason but I still think, with the type of qb Ben is, our/his success is still going to be contingent on him improvising and making plays. I still think Ben is most effective when the OC just takes a seat and watches Ben operate out of the no huddle and call his own plays.

*Our running game was atrocious. Sans a few long runs by Baron Batch in the second half, our o-line play looked awful in the running game.

*A lot of dropped passes tonight. That's honestly not a concern though. Not in the preseason. That'll get corrected.

*Cortez Allen was a true lockdown corner tonight. Would've like to have seen how he fared against Buffalo first-teamers without Vince Young throwing weenie-armed balls that hung in the air forever.

*Vince Young sucks. Like . . . badly. Like . . . really, really, badly.

*Still thinking about how bad Vince Young sucks.

*Mario Williams is quite the specimen in person.

*Our special teams looked horrible tonight. Curiously awaiting some inside info on the real reason for Everest's dismissal.

*Gilreath did nothing to move him closer towards securing a roster spot. #15 did (whoever that is). But I'm sure he won't make the team.

*Suisham looked better than the other kid.

*Our punter looks like doodoo. His balls (giggity) don't spiral, they go end over end.

*A lot of missed tackles tonight (Ike and Timmons stand out). Whatever. Preseason. Just an observation.

*The refs don't seem to call anything. I kind of like it. There were a lot of blatant holds going on that weren't called but, honestly, I'd rather games be officated a lot more loosely.

 

I was at the game as well. Sat on the same side as you but way up. I agree with the officiating point, but what the eff happened on the one call? They said a block in the back against the Steelers, so they spotted the ball back. Then just before getting set for the next play, the officials huddled up. 3 minutes later they announced it was a block in the back on the Bills. What seemed like a 10 minute huddle by the refs, they picked up the flag and announced that no foul occurred.

 

The guy from the bill who was on the coverage team pushed a Steeler in the back. They threw the flag then wondered how the coverage team would be throwing blocks. I am not sure what the call should be in that case? Clipping?? Anyway, they were confused so they picked up the flag.

 

I've spent a fair amount of time reading posts on various Chiefs forums/blogs and that touches on one of the main complaints about Haley's offense.

Lots of 1-2 yard passes leading to a bunch of 3 and outs.
Lots of bubble screens(I kid you not)
Running draws on 3rd and long

 

I can't really comment on the game because I didn't get to watch it in my area and because NFL Network won't show the game until Monday at 4:00pm! The little bit that they showed on the NFL Network wasn't much and the highlights only show the TD's mostly.

 

That's the NFL and not just Haley. One and two yard passes have been an in thing ever since the west coast offense came on the scene and contrary to the belief of many Steeler fans Bruce Arians was not the only coordinator to call bubble screens. Any given Sunday you'll see many teams routinely calling the bubble screen and draws on 3rd and long (play safe and live to fight on the next series) have been around for 20 years. So.... I guess what I'm saying is those very same complaints could probably apply to just about every offensive coordinator in the league. Naturally though when one of those 2 yard passes results in a 40 yard TD it was a genius call LOL!

 

I agree - though I guess what matters is not the plays being called (I'm not one of those who thinks if we don't run the ball 95% of the time, we somehow lose our identity as the Steelers), but the effectiveness of how their run. And the only real test of that is going to come in Week 1 against Denver...

 

Definitely. I tend to over react after situations but DeCastro being out isn't a season killer. Many times, rookies don't start their first season and it gives him time to watch and learn. The offense will go as far as Ben takes it.

 

That's true to an extent; however, there's a difference between the west coast offense and an inability to move the chains. What we've seen so far by the starters has been way too many 3 and outs. The starters have put together 2 drives and one of those #7 was calling the shots. How many times did we see the Bills concede the short pass on 3rd and long?

Two yard passes being turned into 40yard touchdowns is the anomaly, not the norm. Trying to live on that as an offensive scheme is probably worse than trying to chuck down field to Wallace 10 times a game. In one scenario the receiver has to beat multiple would be tacklers on the way to the end zone and the other Wallace just has to outrun his man and catch the ball.