Why I like the fake punt, why it didn't work

If they punt, Brees has 4 minutes to drive the field. Either the defense makes a stop or they don’t. IMHO, they did, but the refs were having none of it.

Had they punted and still scored, Ben has less time.

Oh, and if it’s pass interference against McDonald instead of illegal contact, JuJu doesn’t make that play.

The fake punt was a worthy risk.

 

Maybe the guys had a hard time executing their blocks because the motion by Dangerfield gave it away. So instead of guys falling back to block for the return they knew it was a fake. Maybe if we had been more detailed in our approach it would of worked but they failed once again in the small details department.
You say it showed faith in his QB who was having a great game. Where was his faith during the Ridley hand off? Tomlin admitted he was prepared to go for it on 4th as well . So Ben should of gotten 2 cracks to throw the ball 2 yards if he had so much faith. It was a stupid call I don't care how you slice it. The D was playing well . You are supposed to be a defensive coach. Find a way to get a stop.

 

Motion by Dangerfield??? Here's the ADVANTAGE you always have over an opponent at that moment. For one YOU not your opponent knows the snap count which means you have the opportunity to be quicker and two how you're blocking, block down, left, right, cut angle etc. ALL #44 needed to do was HOLD his block and not allow his man to get a hand on the ball carrier but he got pushed off like a child, this is execution and has little to do with Tomlin as coaches coach and players execute.

I didn't think the run formation or Personnel of Ridley was a good move BUT since Tomlin is resolved to going for it on 4th down if 3rd fails then it's not as bad to me (keep in mind we're talking 2 measly yards with 2 chances)
It's ironic now folks are criticizing a run on 3rd and 2 again laughable. What Ridley absolutely cannot do is fumble in that spot again execution not playcalling.

I'm going to say this again and I hope folks pay attention. I don't believe Tomlin has full faith in his Defense or coordinator but why should he, have you watched the Steelers in the 4th quarter this year on D, last year, year before last? You gave up 45 points to Blake Bortles AT HEINZ at about this time last year and now were supposed to be able to stop Drew Brees with 4 minutes in the dome?

Here's the kicker and I will say it again IM NOT SURE TOMLIN CAN FIRE BUTLER!!!
THE HIRE WAS NOT HIS AS THE OPPORTUNITY WAS PROMISED once Lebeau retired and two, organization loyalty cuts 2 ways. We didn't fire Haley or Arians they played out their contracts which is why I wouldn't fire Tomlin at this point in time (I need to see who HE chooses as a Defensive Coordinator) A better defense probably has you in the Superbowl last year and a better defense probably has you in the playoffs this year DESPITE Ben's decline (oh yeah I said it and I don't care of he throws for 5k). Your QB has helped cost you at least 2 games this year BUT we don't have the D to get timely stops at the end of games or turnovers for the offense to get more snaps. If Tomlin losses his players i.e. they stop playing hard for him then I would feel differently.

 

Looking at the clip again something clearly gave away the fake. Both players that defeated the blocks were crashing down. Showing no intention of going for the punt. They played it like a run the whole time. Also if you watch Dangerfield he motions out of the back field but also shown no intention of running down to cover the punt. He just aimlessly trots out of the picture drawing another man out of the box. They saw it coming all the way.....

 

Matakevich isn't a OL he's a LB and if the play was tipped off by Dangerfield as I feel it was that put both our LBs at a huge disadvantage. They didn't buy the punt you can tell by how the Saints slanted toward the football. I would be interested to see the comparison in size between Matakevich and the guy who destroyed him. As far as Ridley fumbling....you put the ball in a guys hands that is known to fumble and took the ball out of a guys hands you claim to trust. Ridley always gets the ball when he's in the game and the Saints stacked the box accordingly. And the Bettis example is a poor one because he is a Hall of Fame RB running behind a actual OL and not ST LBs.....

Again I will say the D was playing well and Pretty sure what happened last year against Jax had nothing to do with whether we stopped the Saints or not

 

The two Saints are #93 and #60-something (can’t see it clearly in that Twitter video).

93 = Onyenata, 6’4”, 300lbs
60-something = one of four guys, all at least 300lbs

Chickillo: 6’3”, 255lbs
Matakevich: 6’1”, 235lbs

 

I have no problem going for it but leave Ben, AB, Juju, Vance, and the OL in the game. Go down swinging with your best players, not depending on a backup LB to block a DL and your FB to get a career long run .

 

Awesome find...thank you. I knew he didn't get man handled that bad by a guy his size. It just illustrates my point....much obliged Sir

 

Ok anyone who has been coached, practiced martial arts or FOUGHT before will tell you that larger bodies or 300 lb men are typically easier to beat on a blocking assignment. If your Dirty Red you use your speed to against force to knock your opponent off balance. You need quicker feet and hands. If you think being 300lb is the key to bullying and beating a man at the line then I will ask you, why is Big Dan McCullers so terrible? You see it's all in execution. #44 got manhandled by a player who is probably a special teams player only. He had but one job and failed.

 

Again, that's why a reasonable coach doesn't put the entire season in #44's hands.

 

The NFL Gamebook credits the tackle of Nix to C. Robertson and C. Banjo. Robertson is a backup LB and goes 6’1”, 234lbs. Ouch.

 

the reality is Tomlin would have been herald a genius if Nix could have just got another half of yard or whatever.

If you look back over the game thread, you'll see where I mention fake punt prior to the play.

It is a good strategy given the circumstance. Probably a pass would have been better but whatever.

“I just wanted to be aggressive,” Tomlin told reporters. “I wanted to ensure that we had an opportunity to win the game. First of all, I liked the play … I thought where the game was and the time of which was left in the game, I thought that if we did not stop them, that we would have the opportunity to have the ball last. We did. Obviously, unsuccessful.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...trouble/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.57e7413341b4

Drew Brees is one of the best QBs in the game. You want the ball last against teams like the Saints.

WHAT LOST AGAINST THE SAINTS WASN'T THE COACHING!

It was the PENALTIES, Ridley FUMBLE, and yes JU JU FUMBLE AT THE END.

Sometimes I feel like it's snowing outside trying to convince people it's really snow on this board. The obvious should be the obvious.

 

I guess a STs only player got beat by a STs only player except that one had him out weighed by 70 lbs and knew exactly where he was goin. It's not as easy as you think. Big Dan isn't a force because he is soft and doesn't have the required skill and technique and football IQ to be effective. Not to mention he is going against guys whose job it is to block. Not ST LBs. I'm pretty sure he would dominate them as well just based on his mass.
Clive already posted their size looks to me that they are most likely DL who are taught to knock people backward especially 230lb ST LBs

 

I dont care what Tomlin said or how he explained it or any other poster looking in the rearview mirror.. I thought then as I think now it was the right call. nuff said I hated it when Cowher played not to lose.

 

4th and three, maybe, 4th and 5? … no!!!

 

You don't think leaving the offense on the field would have been the right call in that situation?

 

No. I think he went for the throat and felt they needed to surprise them. If it worked he looks like a genius but it didn't..

 

I disagree with it being a good call. Yeah it was ballsy and yeah it was poor execution nice job on that you are so right there. My problem is this, you can't say it is a great call if it worked cause that is the risk with trying that. You are a hero or a zero....and he is a zero IMO.

Our defense had been playing well punt the ball and make Brees go all the way. We had the lead, on the road in a must win game(thanks Chargers) no need to hand the ball over to one of the best in the business half way there.

Nice job breaking the play down but work or not this was a dumb call and yeah a lot of people knew this was coming I called it on the couch.........my wife and son were like how did you know!!!!!!

 

Wow I knew that the blocking was bad on that play but man Matakevich got destroyed. This is a great look at how bad they really are.

 

The whole point of calling a fake punt is that you use the element of surprise, to catch the opposing team off guard, and pick up a first down. Once a man was sent in motion, the element of surprise was gone. As soon as I saw the motion I said out loud " Oh my God they are gonna fake". If I knew it, I highly doubt the Saints didn't.

The motion gave up the element of surprise. At that point, if you are going to go for it, the Steelers would have been better off just running their first team offense to attempt to get the first down. The percentages of Ben picking up the 5 yards were far greater than that of a horribly designed fake. Or you could always do what any other football coach on the planet would have done and just punt.

It was a bad call by Tomlin. It was one of a handful of plays that negatively affected the outcome of the game. Like @Blast Furnace said, this is not an alternate universe we are living in. The play didn't work and we are left with another questionable call by Tomlin that contributed to a loss.

 

So... Ridley put himself in on 3rd and 2, and called his own number? I see...

 

This. "Ballsy" does not always equal "good".

 

Isn't it obviously obvious that he did.

 

I respect your opinion but I hate when Tomlin plays to lose..........