Steelers vs. Eagles Post Game Thoughts

The Eagles D-line almost always gives us fits. I don't know why, they just do.

Ben was good. Lefty was fine. Johnson was bad. Maybe we can pick up the guy the Eagles waive, whoever that is.
Redman looked good. Dwyer looked good. Clay looked blah...Rainey is going to drive teams nuts. I think they used Batch exactly how they wanted to last night, a lot of touches.
WR, we still need a #4/#5 to step up.
TE, losing Johnson reduces our numbers and probably makes some cuts easier.
OLine. Just looked bad overall. It isn't a concern for me. Foster at LG has always been a problem IMO, he is just better on the right.

The first 2 defensive units looked fine...after that...just not good.

 

Don't put too much stock in the pass protection of the o-line. They have only been practicing against the Steelers' D, which is a 3-4. Thus, they went into this game facing a 4-3, with different responsibilties -- and didn't even prepare or plan like they would a normal week. No big deal.

 

That wide 9 the Eagles run was giving the Steelers fits because you have to take different angles than playing most other teams. Eagles has a quick pass rush, but their weakness is their run defense, and that is what essentially happened last night.

 

Watching the replay now and will render some inadequate opinions afterwards here.

 

I'm watching the replay on NFLN right now. If there is a concern, to me, it's once again the kick coverage. But maybe we all just accept this. Except for 1995, when Bobby April came in and shored up the unit, this has been an achilles heel every single year. It doesn't matter who's playing or coaching, the coverage teams always suck.

 

as well as just about every other tackle in the league from time to time. i'll take that work in progress though. there is no excuse for gilbert getting man handled like he did last night. he's 6-6 330 and got pushed around like a 98 lb. weakling. thats as bad as i've ever seen him.

 

that's part of the trouble with butler. he out kicks his coverage. we should be very happy they didn't get a couple of scores off those. not so much the coverage units as much as the guy kicking. we would be much better off if kap gets well.

 

Didn't get to watch the game or listen. Looked at the stats and only saw 1 sack and 1 turnover by defense. How did the 1st team D line and backers look?

 

good, but remember most of our game 1 starters were not playing either.

 

TE Mccoy had two bad blocks on ST= He probably just sealed his fate as ST was his only real shot.
Legs cemented his roster spot. His 2nd level block sprung Rainey for a huge run and him+ DeCaastro sprung Dwyer.
Foster avg.
Adams has been the talk of camp concerning our new OL BUT DeCastro showed he's getting close to being named the starter. Adams is a good run blocker but for him,speed kills and I'm not talking about his speed.
Sylvester Stevens (ILB) is unimpressive. If and I mean if he makes the roster this very may be his last year.
Spence shows flashes but needs to learn how not to get tied up, he is very quick in space.
Haley- He is setting the stage, we are gonna run the ball.
The P&G just reported D. Johnson has a torn ACL and is out for the season. Looks like Will Johnson just made the 53 IF he can prove a FB is needed on this team.
Curtis Brown needs improvement/ cortez will be ahead of him on the depth chart.
Myron Rolle will be among the 1st cuts, sad, I was really pulling for him.
Adrian Robinson just may make the 53 at OLB- Great as this is my Projection for biggest need in next years draft.

More will come later when I can better review the game, had to watch it last nite via a internet stream.

Cajun-

 

Gilbert was AWFUL! He is the reason DJ tore his ACL. Hope Tomlin is giving him an earful today.

 

Local headlines like this, "Backup QBs shine for Eagles", makes me mad.

 

Was thinking precisely the same thing

 

He was set up to fail. He had zero blocking. Not his fault. I thought he looked alright when he had room. And he's not a power back. He might be strong, but he's not a power back. After his first game, I buy the Mewelde Moore comparisons.

 

Not saying you're wrong about his missing the roster, but in my opinion those were both bad calls. The second one was close (I thought he hit him in the shoulder, but it was close), but the first one was a terrible call. Just because he's behind the guy doesn't mean he's blocking him. Frankly, if I was in his shoes I'd have done exactly the same. I thought he really got screwed. I saw him talking to Tomlin after the first one and he looked relaxed.

Not saying you're wrong about his making the roster, but in my opinion he played like crap. And he didn't spring Rainey on his huge TD run. You're thinking of Malecki. If you were referring to Rainey's 12 yard run in the 2nd quarter (not as huge), he made a decent block, but it really wasn't that great. In fact, it might have worked out, but the block was pretty ugly considering the LB pretty much got right by him and left Legs chasing from behind. Rainey breaking a tackle is what made it work.

I agree about Foster, he was mostly okay, but he blew it really badly on one play, causing one of Ben's sacks. DeCastro doesn't yet look like an all-pro, but he didn't make any mistakes like that.

Yeah, I don't see Sylvester Stevens making the roster either, but Stevenson Sylvester definitely will. He's currently the top backup at ILB and is good on special teams. He's also trying to branch out to OLB. He may not be back next year, but he'll be here this year. And he wasn't great, but I saw him make a couple good plays.

Cortez has been ahead of him on the depth chart since (at the very latest) week 7 of last year.

 

True, but we won't be facing them week 5. How many points did Vick put up?

 

Might want to watch that tape again...Myron Rolle was all over the field...and I was pleasantly surprised....maybe not enough to make the team...but he represented well.

HACK

 

I really hope with the changes the team made it will work out because I saw last season DL that is average and will struggle again with the run if it doesn't change. I saw a very poor secondary which is the same just about every season but with so many good QBs and the rules not allowing any contact we nedd a lot better. The OL needs much more time than I had hoped, maybe going to 4 or 5 games into the regular season, and another season and another poor kick coverage team. I had reallly high hopes and I know it is the preseason but does anyone other than me worry about how bad the back ups on this team look? I need help and hopefully a good week one will do it but I'm not watching another preseason game as all I see is doom and gloom and I know it isn't but I can't help it.

 

But, the way the rule with written it is any potential scoring play should be reviewed by the booth. The Eagles got hosed on that IMHO. In the grand scheme of things, since this was a meaningless preseason game, I guess it doesn't really matter.

 

If there was a rule change this season, I'll shut up.

But as far as I understand (and I am positive about this as far as last season), it's only automatic if it was originally ruled a scoring play. There is no "potential scoring play" review. You better have a challenge in your pocket if you want to challenge a runner being ruled down at the 1 yard line, but you think it was a TD. If you're on defense and it's ruled a TD but you think he was down... never fear, it's automatic.

 

And Mac daddyo and I do not like #8. Enjoyed sparring with ya during the game last night mac.

 

One more thing guys. Don't forget. Cuzzin Todd and Dick LeBeau were not showing anything. We had a scrimmage mind last night
We'll show a lot better around Game three then again in Denver week 1.

 

That and the Steelers seem to be the only team that can't put kickoffs through the endzone.

 

Good to see the O line still stinks. I was getting worried with all this talk of improvement.