Steelers WRs are great.

We currently have Dionte Johnson, JuJu Smith-schuster, Chase Claypool and James Washington. I initially felt we had 4 number 2 WR's. However in 1995 The Steelers had Yancy Thigpen, Ernie Mills, Charles Johnson and Andre Hastings. The 1995 WR's didn't have a great QB yet they tore the league up. The opposing defenses 4th best corner couldn't defend our 4th best WR. I am starting to thing the group we have now are 4 number 4 WR's. They each have glaring holes in their game. Hell they don't even seem to be a "one trick pony". Before you start focusing in our run game in 95 being 1000 times better than our current run game. Consider this if these WR's are so great why cant they get the defense out of the box and open up our run game. GET OPEN and do it quickly. Neil Odonell didn't hold on to the ball they were quick routes most of the time.

 

Our wr's don't need no moves, or what it takes to go get a ball, not even the grit to manhandle a puny db one on one. Just a qb that can hit them in the bread basket when they decide to get open.

Superstar participation trophys for the wr corps! Let Ebron have one too!

 

If Ben had Lamar's legs, we'd all be stoked.

 

We have 4 #2’s which is perfectly fine

 

This raises the question is it talent or game plan. I saw supposedly lesser players wide open for Darnold to throw to last night. Yet, every pass the Steelers throw are defended by two, sometimes three, DBs

 

The run game and the line we had in 1995 tho...

 

Morris, Pegram and JL Williams. Legit.

 

I'm interested in this so I went back to the Raiders game to look at the tape. Literally two plays as I'm in between putting kids to bed, but still...

These are the last two plays of the first drive. First, the PA which went to Smith Schuster.



As Ben rolls right, his eyes are on Juju, who's just making a break. But at the 50 yard line Claypool is open for a 10-12yard gain. So that's on Ben.

Next play, where Ben did his old Ben magic and Ebron dropped the pass, this is what Ben is seeing when he first winds up to throw.



Ben is trying to hit the receiver on the sideline, but the DB has given him a soft cushion so rightly Ben doesn't throw. However, in front of him both Najee and Ebron are turning right into space, while DJ has a step on his marker (because Najee is crossing in front of him). Nobody is college open, but arguably there are throws there.

So then Ben scrambles out of trouble and looks for who's open.



Juju has run out of contention for the first down by now, but there are actually three Steelers open here - a deep throw to the middle of the field and Ben's original target (now near the 20 yd line) likely scores. From this angle I think Ebron was the right target and he needs to make that catch.
But it's also worth noting the receiver at the bottom of the picture - I think it's Juju - by this point he's effectively given up on the play, and is kind of strolling.

I'm not drawing conclusions from just two plays, but I noted them because on both there are guys open, there are guys without separation and there are bad decisions by both QB and receivers.

 

I hate to even say this but... losing AB was huge.

 

play design is being ignored. If you send three guys deep and isolate a WR on a drag route against a LB that is the play. You don't look it off see one of your deep guys in single coverage, pomp fake and then heave it. Throw the ball to the guy you designed the play for and get the 1st down

 

With all the crap that AB pulled he shouldn't even be in the league. He must have some fine lawyers to keep him from doing any time behind bars as well.

Now he goes to Marsha's team and all of a sudden nobody hears a peep out of the guy. I don't advocate for injuries to players but if he blew out both his ACL's and dislocated both shoulders on one play I'd probably stand and cheer. The guy was such a dirtbag the way he departed our team. Where's Vontaze Burfect when we need him most?

 

Yeah I don’t like him one bit but you have to admit no one could guard him 1v1.

 

Rhule is probably a top 5 coach in the league and it shows. His roster isn’t great but his team looks good.

 

AB can play better than most, the most critical criteria when determining rosters these days. AB should hire Vontaz to take care of his moving discrepancies, help both of them get to where they belong.

 

That's probably a little premature, but I'm certainly rooting for him. Was a big fan of his during Temple career

 

It is pretty obvious by now that offense starts with a decent O-line which we don't have.

 

At the present moment in time I'd agree with everything you say. Your doing good in the predict the score contest and I think you have a shot to win the Steeler Prediction Poll although 6-7 wins seems more likely.

 

In jail, I'm assuming.

 

Would you rather have this group, or one of these? These two won Super Bowls when the QB could get them the ball and didn't need superstars at every position:

2005: Hines Ward, AR-E, Cedrick Wilson, Quincy Morgan

2008: Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Nate Washington, Limas Sweed

 

Both groups with Hines in them.

 

Yeah, AB made this offense. The problem is with this style of offense that Ben has come to like it all revolves around the X wr. Is it a good offense or did it work because we had a generational talent? That's why they have put so much into DJ. All the issues, fumbles and drops Ben will still force it to him. It all revolves around him being a sliver as good as AB. At times DJ shows he has the talent to be that good but just can't put it all together. Steelers had a track record of developing WR before AB that's why I think they needed to revert back to that style of offense instead of trying to clone somebody into AB. But Ben can't run that style of offense anymore, he takes too many hits and it's an offensive league now. AB masked a lot of issues because he would get double/triple teamed every play. Line was better because teams were too scared to blitz which made our running game better. Juju hasn't come close to the production he had when AB was on the field. AB was a generational talent they got in the 6th round.

 

Post it again, I would have found a way come hell or high-water to keep him. Still don’t get it. Never the same after that Bungles game.

 

They even had a chance to get Hollywood Brown ... but, they were still in a state of trauma after dealing with what AB put them through. So they passed

 

AB was always open when covered 1v1

now our receivers are getting blanketed by lineman lol

 

That 2008 group is better than what we have now.