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Game breakdown

Vader

Vader

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God where to start? Let's look at a few numbers:

Running: Something is wrong with the OL. Did losing Munchak that much of a difference. They can't run block at all. 81 total yards on the ground. Snell has 23 on one run and of course he never sees another carry. Yea, rookie take a seat. We can't have long runs on our offense. Conner looks ok at times but the OL isn't giving him much. He had 11 carries for 33 yards. Samuels only had 3 carries for 18 yards. Just not good enough. They aren't sticking to the running game.

Passing- Early it looks horrible. Ben is not comfortable with these WRs yet. Plus I think he was hurt before the game started. Moncrief? Please just take your stuff and go home. JuJu looked good at times but he needs help. Washington and Johnson have to do a better job of getting open and catching the ball. The best part is Rudolph. He made some really good throws and Johnson made a really good catch. I don't understand why McDonald wasn't used last week? WTF are they thinking? Why wait so long to use him today? I just don't understand this. This offense has no imagination. Everything is right in front of the defense. No miss direction and very little play action. The best was the goal line play with Rudolph. But you don't see it any other time. Of course you need a running game for that...

Defense: They are giving up about 30 PPG right now. I know Brady and Wilson are really good QBs but this is just ridiculous. Why is Dupree on this team? $9 million for this? This is why you don't believe all the hype during OTA's and pre-season. I forget he is out there until he misses a tackle. I'm not really bummed about the secondary. Wilson dotted some I's on a few of those passes. The one to Metcalf was just a bomb. Nothing anyone could do about that. The front 3 wore down. The Lbs are nothing special. Bush was bad today. He isn't going to be able to guard tall TEs. He just isn't big enough. If you watch him you'll see him getting pushed around by the OL. His tackles are all down field. Few of them were around the LOS. He also had 3 missed tackles. Yes, I know he is a rookie. But that's why you don't play rookies much. If he isn't ready sit him down.

Coaching: Pete out coached Mikey big time. Pete is playing chess and Mikey is playing Chutes and Ladders. This coaching staff needs a do over. How do you lose your home opener to a team that beat the bungles by 1 point at home? How do you let Wilson stay back there and not blitz him when you've had 4 sacks in the first half? How do you not shadow him on the last drive when you know they always do that every single game that Wilson has played in? Their OL is horrible and you're not rushing the house? Why? How do you not adjust to anything? How do you not have a safety on top of their only WR who goes deep? Notice how when Rudolph went deep they doubled the WR. Really his only bad read of the day. But the WR was doubled. How do you not double Metcalf on that play? Sorry Mikey but it's time. Cowher's players are gone and the time that Ben can bail you out is over with.
 
The offense is concerning. Munchak is one of the few coaches on offense any of us had confidence in, but is it really that much of a difference? I haven't seen much of Denver but did hear announcers saying that their OL is bad. I am guessing the lack of ground game right now is because there's no threat to throw the ball. Neither Ben or Mason seem confident enough to throw into any tight windows with the lack of separation from the receivers right now.
 
The OL is bad, can't run block at all. WRs dropping passes all over the place, play calling has zero rhythm. Way to many empty sets.

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Coryea said:
The OL is bad, can't run block at all. WRs dropping passes all over the place, play calling has zero rhythm. Way to many empty sets.

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They have no identity. They just run plays without reason. 1st down? Let's run right. 2nd and long? Let's pass it. They don't run plays that sets up other plays. That's why I said Tomlin plays Chutes and Ladders. This team is not coached well and the offensive game plans are college level simple.
 
Vader said:
They have no identity. They just run plays without reason. 1st down? Let's run right. 2nd and long? Let's pass it. They don't run plays that sets up other plays. That's why I said Tomlin plays Chutes and Ladders. This team is not coached well and the offensive game plans are college level simple.
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I couldn't agree more, we should rarely go empty set, yet we do it 24/7. Pass rushers have no worry about a run or even getting chipped or a RB catching it out of the backfield.

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They miss Brown more than any of us care to admit.

The guy had to go, but he opened things up throughout opposing secondaries.

We really took all that separation Steelers WRs used to get for granted.

Everything is a struggle now.
 
Punxsutawney said:
They miss Brown more than any of us care to admit.

The guy had to go, but he opened things up throughout opposing secondaries.

We really took all that separation Steelers WRs used to get for granted.

Everything is a struggle now.
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I’ll agree slightly, but I put more of that on playcalling. It’s like we hand out playbook to the team before the game
 
Punxsutawney said:
They miss Brown more than any of us care to admit.

The guy had to go, but he opened things up throughout opposing secondaries.

We really took all that separation Steelers WRs used to get for granted.

Everything is a struggle now.
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No doubt, but I wouldn’t want him back.
 
Punxsutawney said:
They miss Brown more than any of us care to admit.

The guy had to go, but he opened things up throughout opposing secondaries.

We really took all that separation Steelers WRs used to get for granted.

Everything is a struggle now.
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They didn't replace AB. Moncrief is horrible and the rest are just too young. Johnson and Washington aren't ready for prime time yet. But they are forced to play because they have no one else. Just like Bush isn't ready either but he has to play because they have no one else.
 
Coryea said:
I couldn't agree more, we should rarely go empty set, yet we do it 24/7. Pass rushers have no worry about a run or even getting chipped or a RB catching it out of the backfield.

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This is nothing new, it's just getting exposed now that AB is gone and we have Ike Taylor reincarnated at WR. We don't have the talent anymore to outmatch a D that knows what's coming. And God knows you don't have to be Ernie Adams to know whether a run or pass is coming.
 
We lost a once in a generation talent in Brown and replaced him with a mediocre journeyman in Moncrief, a mediocre talent in Mr. August, Washington and a cheap Brown imitator in Johnson. We have no WRs that scare defenses including the very good JuJu who is a great #2 but a poor #1 who lacks the quickness or speed to require double teams like AB did which makes it easier for the defense .
 
I have been going to training camp since I was a kid and I am 51. Plenty of seasons where they looked good and were good. And vice versa. Just about every scenario. The lack of reps in preseason is one big reason this team struggles out the gates. It has nothing to do with believing hype or not believing hype. The problem is the same long term problem this team has had. It lacks X and O adjustment capability on D. On O it has struggling youth and struggling aged players. Mixed in with the injury bug.

That game today was very winnable. But there was a lot of stupid that left the team with their second loss in a row.

Talent will help them win between 7 and 10 games.

Coaching will help them have another disappointing season.

Nothing wrong with fans wanting to have a good year. Not like we can get rid of a underachieving HC.

What is the alternative be miserable every ******* game every ******* thread? Every offseason?

No you hope for the best, and ultimately hope for change.

But obviously we don't ******* always get what we want.
 
I just finished watching the game for the first time. Vader says a few things that were running through my head about lack of creativity and purposeful play selection. I still believe the players are there to win with except for one spot - Moncrief. But, it is darn hard for players to have consistent success when the play selection doesn't seem to flow. Every play has a complimentary play (or more than one) that you call based upon how the defense handles it. And while the complementary play may not be called immediately, you continue to work to set it over time and then pull the trigger. For the life of me, I am having trouble understanding how the OC is putting his plays, counters, and complements together. It just isn't there.

That said, my hat is off to MR. I think we have our next QB. I know that is a lot to say on just one NFL game, but I am pretty enamored with his poise and command of the game at this stage. I think he has the right stuff given time to develop (and the right coaching which is suspect in my mind right now).

Ben's elbow concerns me. Hopefully it isn't major, but I can't help but fear a UCL tear.

But back to my first point. This is the second week in a row that play scheme and selection are ridiculous.

Defense...for yet another time, there appear to be "miscommunications" and some questionable tackling. There just seems to be a lack of basic fundamentals with these guys (especially on the backend). I had great hope for Edmunds coming out of preseason but I don't see it now. Pressure was there up front early in the game but seemed to fall off. Was that because we changed our approach to blitzing Hilton? I dunno till I watch tape (if I find time this week), but just like on offense, there is something schematically wrong here. Watt and Bud are just playing DE...Not even sure why we have Hargrave on the roster if he is going to get 5 or 7 snaps a game only. I am just going to stop calling it a base 34 because what they are running out there is a base Nickle. It is just awful.
 
Hoot said:
I just finished watching the game for the first time. Vader says a few things that were running through my head about lack of creativity and purposeful play selection. I still believe the players are there to win with except for one spot - Moncrief. But, it is darn hard for players to have consistent success when the play selection doesn't seem to flow. Every play has a complimentary play (or more than one) that you call based upon how the defense handles it. And while the complementary play may not be called immediately, you continue to work to set it over time and then pull the trigger. For the life of me, I am having trouble understanding how the OC is putting his plays, counters, and complements together. It just isn't there.

That said, my hat is off to MR. I think we have our next QB. I know that is a lot to say on just one NFL game, but I am pretty enamored with his poise and command of the game at this stage. I think he has the right stuff given time to develop (and the right coaching which is suspect in my mind right now).

Ben's elbow concerns me. Hopefully it isn't major, but I can't help but fear a UCL tear.

But back to my first point. This is the second week in a row that play scheme and selection are ridiculous.

Defense...for yet another time, there appear to be "miscommunications" and some questionable tackling. There just seems to be a lack of basic fundamentals with these guys (especially on the backend). I had great hope for Edmunds coming out of preseason but I don't see it now. Pressure was there up front early in the game but seemed to fall off. Was that because we changed our approach to blitzing Hilton? I dunno till I watch tape (if I find time this week), but just like on offense, there is something schematically wrong here. Watt and Bud are just playing DE...Not even sure why we have Hargrave on the roster if he is going to get 5 or 7 snaps a game only. I am just going to stop calling it a base 34 because what they are running out there is a base Nickle. It is just awful.
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Edmunds is a SS, he shouldn't be covering their number 1/2 WR. That is asking an awful lot. Nelson did a solid job on him and should have been covering him on that play. I really think they aren't putting these players in the best position to succeed.
 
slashsteel said:
I really think they aren't putting these players in the best position to succeed.
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They aren't. They aren't on either side of the ball. The scheme and play selection on both sides of the ball is awful. I believe MT is trying too hard to be innovative and creative rather than just starting with sound fundamentals. I
 
Hoot said:
Agreed. that is what LB's are for.
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Defense is still young, but they need to fix the miscommunications quick. They are fast and are being taken out of plays through overpersuit and are not playing as a unit.

Run O was averaging better yards per play than Seattle, we just abandoned the run.

Moncrief cost us the game. His INT led to their TD. Terrible to see. He's not coming back to the football. He's waiting for the ball and DBs are making the plays with ease at the catch point. He's making Steelers fans forget about how bad Sweed was...
 
Cope said:
Defense is still young, but they need to fix the miscommunications quick. They are fast and are being taken out of plays through overpersuit and are not playing as a unit.

Run O was averaging better yards per play than Seattle, we just abandoned the run.

Moncrief cost us the game. His INT led to their TD. Terrible to see. He's not coming back to the football. He's waiting for the ball and DBs are making the plays with ease at the catch point. He's making Steelers fans forget about how bad Sweed was...
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The defense was much better than it was last week, but there are still issues.

Big Dan also gave them 4 free points before Dropcrief happened. That said, Dropcrief needs replaced and so does Switz. Neither bring anything remotely useful. Sadly, replacement parts are hard to find this time of year.
 
Hoot said:
The defense was much better than it was last week, but there are still issues.

Big Dan also gave them 4 free points before Dropcrief happened. That said, Dropcrief needs replaced and so does Switz. Neither bring anything remotely useful. Sadly, replacement parts are hard to find this time of year.
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I would be bringing 5 WRs in for tryouts.... Perhaps resign Eli for starters...
 
Spencer is on the Broncos roster, we cut him for the worthless Hole Switzer.
 
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