Thoughts on the Ravens game

Havent been on the site since Sunday Night becuase i was so angry about the game. I was so frustrated with the poor execution and play calling at the end of the game. If there is one team i absolutely hate to lose to it is the Ravens. I had a bad feeling when Flacco got the ball back with 2 minutes left. To start, Arians could have ran the clock down more, Instead we decide to pass and Johnson drops a wide open pass. Another thing that still bothers me is our inability to sign a kicker who we TRUST. Granite i know Heinz is extremely difficult to kick in. It's about time we use a high pick and get the top kicker in the draft next year. Lastly, i felt like i was watching the same ending over and over again. We always drop into Prevent Defense when we need our defense to hold them under 2 minutes. This clearly isn't working, and it is extremely nerve racking to watch. On the touchdown play, I dont see how Clark was the safety help but he allowed the ravens WR to beat both him and Gay. Lastly, William Gay has got to go. I do not see what Tomlin see's in him. If he is our best option for the secondary, that is a direct result of our inability to draft Secondary players. William Gay does not have the talent to be a CB in the NFL. Just had to get out all my thoughts about the game. Can't wait to knock them out of the Playoffs when we see them!
Go Steelers!

 

Completely agree about the kicker, although not sure I would go higher than a 5th round pick. Suisham I don't trust even with the short ones. He makes me nervous everytime he kicks it.

 

I don't think we were in the prevent defense. We were in press coverage, which was why Ike and Gay were getting burned. This is one instance when the prevent may have been the best choice.

 

Okay yeah your right man, thanks for letting me know. Either way i wish we could have stopped them.

 

Yep, they were in M2M coverage. I don't recall how close Gay was to the line to know how much he really pressed (or tried to press) him.
Clark hesitated a split second and made a slight move to come forward to help Ike w/Boldin. That move was enough for Smith to take the route he did and Flacco to float it up and out there to that spot. Clark was out of position from the start for where the play went, but his hesitation and slight step ensured he had no chance to get there to help at all.

 

I watched the latest Chalk Talk on Steelers.com. Tunch breaks down that play (among others). He shows how the defense broke down on that play.

 

My thoughts are this,

We wont win games with so many third down conversions. The defense changed the scheme and went into some kind of prevent mode which from the past games where Dick has done this we have lost. Blown coverages and mistakes is what plagued this team against the Ratturds. They were not tired IMHO as some had stated previously. They changed how they were getting to Flacco and how they stopped the run.

* Offensive line played very well for the most part.. Ben had a good game despite the pick from Suggs which should have been easily prevented. Suggs was right there and Ben never saw him. Not sure why since his head was clearly turned to the right. . Suggs is too big to hide.

* Play calling was questionable once again. They should have used the same formula that had them winning against Brady & Co

* I said in the game day thread we needed to go to Heath more often and after that post they did start to throw his direction but I believe it was 3rd quarter before they found Heath hehe. Go with what works and keep going there until they figure out how to stop it.

* Injuries. I had a bad feeling about this game due to the amount of injuries and in my opinion we mostly missed Sanders. Sanders brings another sure handed receivever with speed and good blocking. He closely resembles Ward.

* Troy is pretty much out of the picture this year. He is not as intuitive as in years gone by. Not getting the jump like he has in the past which is most of his game. He has good ball hawking skills but has not been a factor in most games and explains why our turnover ratio is poor.

There are other things which need improvement but as a whole I like our chances to go 12-4 which is what I predicted at the start of the season. The Steelers usually start to play better ball near the end of the year when it counts. Cinci is no joke and this will be a close game but I think we are victorious.

Bman

 

Yeah, it definitely wasn't prevent on the last play....BUT.... as they marched down the field, we seem to allow an alarming number of somewhat uncontested 15-yard out routes out of bounds, even when only rushing 3 players (which always seems like a recipe for disaster). Even at the end of the first half, yards were there for the taking when they needed them. They need 12 yards for a field goal attempt, and we're content as long as they don't get 15.... seems like situational play-calling is an issue. Of course, I'm not an expert and wouldn't want to put myself in the shoes of the coaches having to make split-second (or, maybe 41-second) decisions, but as a fan who has watched the Steelers for years, based on that experience alone, it's hard NOT to get the sinking feeling when we're protecting a lead late, and changing what we've done in the first 57 minutes of the game that has largely been successful....

Hopefully we can beat the Bengals, get healthier during the bye, and put the Ravens debacle firmly in the rearview mirror....

 

After a couple days this is my thought on the game:

Lebeau used the wrong game plan agains the Ravens. They took the man 2 man scheme from the Patriots game and tried to utilize it against Ravens. However, we own the Ravens playing zone. If it ain't broke don't dix it. Flacco, struggles against the zone.

It wasn't just the 92 yard drive the defense gave up, it was also that field goal before the half..that they never should have let happen. It should have been 6-6 at half instead it was 9-6

 

This is a good point. I have considered this, as well. I believe your elite QBs: Brady, Manning, etc. can slice up zone coverage. The other QBs can't break down zone coverage, as well. Flacco hasn't been able to do it, yet. When he sees zone he seems to like to just check down to Rice.

 

The infuriating thing is that the game plan didn't work from the 1st Q, Flacco 3rd down efficiency was off the charts. Not changing the scheme during the game is a head scratcher, not changing the scheme on the final drive once they crossed the 50yd line is inexcusible.

Not putting safeties deep to prevent the game winning TD in such an important game is _______________-I'm at a loss for words.

 

The infuriating thing is that the game plan didn't work from the 1st Q, Flacco 3rd down efficiency was off the charts. Not changing the scheme during the game is a head scratcher, not changing the scheme on the final drive once they crossed the 50yd line is inexcusible.

Not putting safeties deep to prevent the game winning TD in such an important game is _______________-I'm at a loss for words.[/quote:1rlglpgx]


However, (just my 1 penny), i STILL give the D and Coach Richard LeBO a pass - they STOPPED the Rats on a 3 and out with 4:30 to go in the 4th. It was up to Arians and the O to close the game out, especially with the field position they were handed. 8 yard line or not, 92 yards or not, the Rats should have NEVER gotten back possession OR if they did, it should have been at least 23-16 Steelas. JMO. :geek:

 

Also, the Rats still got to finish the deal - the trifecta. Wouldnt it be sweeter than ever, if we get them again in January, in Baltimore (still, maybe at Heinz), and shallack them like they did in Sept, and just break their funky little smack-talkin hearts again. Gatorade shower in early November. seriously? the Raidas swept their division last year. How that work out for them? didnt even make the dance. the Pats went 18-0. howd that work out? it aint over til its over. We want them rats one more time... GO - STEELAS !!!!!!!!