Observations Pre-Season Game 3 vs Lions....

[KStilley]

OMG those philly announcers were the worse.

Charlie Batch has got a rather thin & raspy voice to be an announcer...

It was hard to listen to Pompeani (I assume) and Batch. Neither seemed to identify a few Steeler players who made plays due to unfamiliarity, that's inexcusable for the home team if you have a roster in front of you. I watched the Raider game in LA on local feed and a female announcer for the Raiders seemed to do a much better job identifying first year players.

They weren't doing the homer job the Philadelphia guys were doing but it was bad.

 

[Tibs]

It was hard to listen to Pompeani (I assume) and Batch. Neither seemed to identify a few Steeler players who made plays due to unfamiliarity, that's inexcusable for the home team if you have a roster in front of you. I watched the Raider game in LA on local feed and a female announcer for the Raiders seemed to do a much better job identifying first year players.

They weren't doing the homer job the Philadelphia guys were doing but it was bad.

I agree the announcing crew seemed a bit off & hesitant the entire game, but hey, it's pre-season for them as well. During the summer, I really enjoyed the Craig Wolfley segments with Arthur Moats. Great chemistry between the two, Moats a much better announcer/color guy/commentator than you'd think, given this was his first swing at it. Lot's of energy there. That seems to be missing with Pompeani & Batch.. but in the end, who cares, what happens on the field is all that matters.

 

[Tibs]

Ebron just does not fit into Steelers style, he is lazy all about himself as laying on the ground rolling around look at me attitude. For a big guy he sure does not use it

Yeah, pretty much nailed it. Just seems like a drama queen on each and every play. Rolling on the ground, looking at his hands, making grimaces, taking waaay to long to get to his feet and back to the huddle, and on and on. I guess the older I get the more I notice this stuff. Really appreciate the lunchpail types, who go about their business, just focus on the team and the play in front of them and leave the hysterics to the teenie boy bands.

 

[KStilley]

Should there be any concern that the run blocking looked about the same as it was last year?

Yep, the one play Harris got stuffed was because the Detroit corner and olb crashed and caught him in the back field, not sure if Harris was slow at the snap or he hesitated because there was no hole off center where the play was designed to go.

He did have a couple nice runs, sometimes it takes the offensive line a while to figure out what the DL is doing and there wasn't a chance to wear the D down. It was also the OL first time together in a game situation but you are right Zona, last night didn't inspire confidence in our running game. I'm hoping the excuses I'm coming up with are the reason.

If they can't run against Buffalo who blitzes and plays allot of nickle, take Buffalo and whatever points they're giving.

 

[TDX27]

Funny all this Ebron hate. Sure he has had injury issues and some drop issues. Last year, sure, he had a few drops but he also had way more clutch catches for us and was by far our best TE. Muuuuth will get there but having both of them on the field together will be tough for opposing teams to deal with. I'll wait and see how the season goes before I start writing off Ebron.

 

[SCSteeler4life]

I didn't get to see the first half. How did Schobert play?

 

[KStilley]

I didn't get to see the first half. How did Schobert play?

I'm going to watch the game again but a couple plays stuck out, the bad is when Schobert got carried by the tight end (I think) for about 5 yards and a first down. The second play was he had his man covered extremely well, I believe the QB was looking at that reciever as the primary so he had to go elsewhere for an incompletion.

 

[Tibs]

I didn't get to see the first half. How did Schobert play?

Seemed a step slow but was in constant communication with teammates & coaches. Bush too seemed to be hesitant, holding back. I pray these two get up to speed and gel on the inside, so they're flying around making plays. For whatever it's worth Schobert definitely is a step up from Spillane or any other ILB we've had out there past few years, in terms of experience & competency.

Funny all this Ebron hate. Sure he has had injury issues and some drop issues. Last year, sure, he had a few drops but he also had way more clutch catches for us and was by far our best TE. Muuuuth will get there but having both of them on the field together will be tough for opposing teams to deal with. I'll wait and see how the season goes before I start writing off Ebron.

Yeah, I'm just nagging, whining and bitching at this stage. I pray Ebron sticks his head down and plays up to his talent level, each and every down. He's got plenty of tools to be a big play guy for us. They've been raving how his blocking got a lot better this offseason, a big focus with the new coaches. So we'll see how it pans out. And yes, as long as he's in a Steelers uniform, I'll be rooting for him 100%.

 

[Tibs]

The guy who stood out to me was Ballage. Didn't do too much stat wise, but love his sense of awareness and ability to quickly square his shoulders and head downfield with minimum hesitation. Just moves very well for a dude with his size & frame. I see Ballage making this team over Benny Snell. That pipe dream didn't last long, I though we had something in the kid... maybe he sticks on the PS, or is IR'd or something, may be worth keeping for down the road. Maybe not. Lot of hype with Snell coming in as a rook, maybe he's yet another in a long line of great college backs who never panned out in the big leagues.

 

[KStilley]

Funny all this Ebron hate. Sure he has had injury issues and some drop issues. Last year, sure, he had a few drops but he also had way more clutch catches for us and was by far our best TE. Muuuuth will get there but having both of them on the field together will be tough for opposing teams to deal with. I'll wait and see how the season goes before I start writing off Ebron.

I watched that drop last night and I couldn't tell if the DB got his hand in there or not even on the replay. Just turned it on again and still tough to tell due to the referee in the picture, watching it from another angle it almost looks like the db had Ebron's R arm pined to his side. Maybe someone saw it differently but I'll give him the benifit of the doubt since he's a steeler.

 

[bigben]

The guy who stood out to me was Ballage. Didn't do too much stat wise, but love his sense of awareness and ability to quickly square his shoulders and head downfield with minimum hesitation. Just moves very well for a dude with his size & frame. I see Ballage making this team over Benny Snell. That pipe dream didn't last long, I though we had something in the kid... maybe he sticks on the PS, or is IR'd or something, may be worth keeping for down the road. Maybe not. Lot of hype with Snell coming in as a rook, maybe he's yet another in a long line of great college backs who never panned out in the big leagues.

Would be great if Steelers could bring out what Ballage couldnt find in miami or san diego. He has looked better than anticipated. Atleast he has very low miles considering how long he has been in the league.
When the Steelers brought him in I thought he was just another bum but now im leaning towards him being rb2 from what ive seen so far. Kid has looked good

 

[KStilley]

One more observation but it doesn't have to do with the Steelers. Detroit's punter Jack Fox just booted the air out of the ball. Flipped the field twice and would have done it three times if not for Sexton's great return.

This kid was picked up as an undrafted free agent by KC in 2019. He was cut after his battle with Colquitt and eventually signed by Detroit at the end of that season. Colquitt was gone from KC at the end of that year as we all know. Fox made the pro bowl in 2020 with Detroit. Thank god KC cut him, can you imagine another weapon like that with the Chiefs. Old Andy has to be kicking himself.

 

[slashsteel]

Have you heard some of the other teams announcers? ThePhilly game was horrable. At least Batch knows the game. However my wife commented that Charlie didnt speak very well. My respons was BUT ITS CHARLIE BATCH!

He seems to make **** up here and there. And yeah sure there is worse announcers. I do get it who doesn't love some Charlie Batch. Just sometimes he is way out there with his commentary.

 

[Skott]

Ballage is playing like a guy that not only wants to make the roster, but who wants to play every week.

 

[madinsomniac]

Would be great if Steelers could bring out what Ballage couldnt find in miami or san diego. He has looked better than anticipated. Atleast he has very low miles considering how long he has been in the league.
When the Steelers brought him in I thought he was just another bum but now im leaning towards him being rb2 from what ive seen so far. Kid has looked good

That is why i am a little disappointed that Conner left and that Snell is hurt…. This Oline scheme is all about runblocking the right way… and id like to have seen the other two actually run behind a non passive line instead of the sieve we have had the past couple seasons

 

[slashsteel]

Why was he even bringing them up?

Beats me even ol girl was questioning it. Last thing Steeler fans want to hear during any game is comments about the ********* twins.

 

[topseed]

OFFENSE:
Ebron has had a lot of dropped passes overall as a Steeler, but (as KStilley mentioned) upon closer inspection, his "drop" on that beautiful scramble by Ben may have just been a good play by the defender, who definitely had a hand in there. Ebron also had the penalty, but I thought he played well (as a receiver, not so much a blocker) the rest of the game -- Freiermuth's touchdowns may have lit a fire under his ***. A little competition goes a long way.

Ben looked great except for one bad pass when he hung out Harris to dry. Very impressed with Ben's unexpected mobility on the Ebron play.

Ballage looks like a legitimate #2 back to me. Not sure why McFarland has been anointed that spot already.

DJ appears to have rectified his own problems with drops. I expect a huge season from him.

Green looked much better this week; he wasn't overpowered as was the case in the first two games. I know he didn't get that much stronger in 9 days, but maybe they worked on his technique. Banner was solid while he was in there, Dan Moore is a lock to make the final 53. Haeg and Leglue were steady in limited action.

DEFENSE:
Are they seriously considering Wormley as the third man in the d-line rotation? He does next to nothing. Ever. I don't understand the love for this guy. Ingram finally made a play. Highsmith has taken some strides forward, providing pressure often.

Bush looks pedestrian. Hopefully he gets better. Schobert did not impress me as I'd hoped, but he's only been with the team for a week, so I'll cut him some slack. It is remarkable that he's calling the defenses already. Marcus Allen took two bad angles through the middle on running plays in the fourth quarter...it's time to give up on him at linebacker and move him back to safety, where I see little depth.

Sutton is definitely better in the slot. Shakur Brown looked lost at cornerback; he was strong on ST against Dallas, but has not helped his cause in the last two games.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Harvin had excellent hang time on a 50-yard punt. Boswell had a couple of nice kickoffs to the one. Sexton had the nice return but is still a longshot.

 

[slashsteel]

OFFENSE:
Ebron has had a lot of dropped passes overall as a Steeler, but (as KStilley mentioned) upon closer inspection, his "drop" on that beautiful scramble by Ben may have just been a good play by the defender, who definitely had a hand in there. Ebron also had the penalty, but I thought he played well (as a receiver, not so much a blocker) the rest of the game -- Freiermuth's touchdowns may have lit a fire under his ***. A little competition goes a long way.

Ben looked great except for one bad pass when he hung out Harris to dry. Very impressed with Ben's unexpected mobility on the Ebron play.

Ballage looks like a legitimate #2 back to me. Not sure why McFarland has been anointed that spot already.

DJ appears to have rectified his own problems with drops. I expect a huge season from him.

Green looked much better this week; he wasn't overpowered as was the case in the first two games. I know he didn't get that much stronger in 9 days, but maybe they worked on his technique. Banner was solid while he was in there, Dan Moore is a lock to make the final 53. Haeg and Leglue were steady in limited action.

DEFENSE:
Are they seriously considering Wormley as the third man in the d-line rotation? He does next to nothing. Ever. I don't understand the love for this guy. Ingram finally made a play. Highsmith has taken some strides forward, providing pressure often.

Bush looks pedestrian. Hopefully he gets better. Schobert did not impress me as I'd hoped, but he's only been with the team for a week, so I'll cut him some slack. It is remarkable that he's calling the defenses already. Marcus Allen took two bad angles through the middle on running plays in the fourth quarter...it's time to give up on him at linebacker and move him back to safety, where I see little depth.

Sutton is definitely better in the slot. Shakur Brown looked lost at cornerback; he was strong on ST against Dallas, but has not helped his cause in the last two games.

SPECIAL TEAMS:
Harvin had excellent hang time on a 50-yard punt. Boswell had a couple of nice kickoffs to the one. Sexton had the nice return but is still a longshot.

Allen looked less impressive as a S. I think it might be time to cut the cord.Schooby Doo is just getting his feet wet. Ingram has been making plays in camp and has been a solid run defender. Really high on his addition. Sutton I agree looks more comfy inside. With two inside players injured it is probably best to stick Sutton there and see what Pierre can do outside in extended play.

 

[ZonaBurgh]

That is why i am a little disappointed that Conner left and that Snell is hurt…. This Oline scheme is all about runblocking the right way… and id like to have seen the other two actually run behind a non passive line instead of the sieve we have had the past couple seasons

Maybe, but being in AZ, I checked Conner's stats from this week, 2 carries for a net of 1 yard. He may not fit the Cards scheme and find himself looking for a team.

 

[Tibs]

Another player who stood out was CB James Pierre. Not as fast as Ike Taylor (who is?), but he has that same type of tall, lanky body who seems built for football, tough, hard-nosed, solid tackler. The contrast between him & Justin Layne couldn't be any starker.

I remember one play in particular, Layne whiffed on a Lions player out in the flat, flailing his arms in a weak attempt at a tackle and a second later Pierre arrived, textbook, wrap-your-arms tackle to make the play. And he's fast, agile & can make plays on the ball, I believe he's amongst the INT leaders in training camp. Pierre takes good angles, seems to know where he needs to be. The way he plays and carries himself on the field, you'd think he was a 4th year starter out there.

That's the thing with him. James Pierre looks like he belongs. Love his no nonsense, no frills approach. I'll bet he ends up starting outside, paired with Joe Haden, and they move Sutton to the slot. Whatever the case, he's cemented himself in this DB rotation. Pierre may be the most impressive player right now on the roster, given his UDFA status. What a fine job by him and the coaching staff to get him to this point in his young career. Very impressive, looking for big things out of him.

 

[TDX27]

I'm reading all over that Chuks sucked again at LT and people are thinking a change is imminent with the way Banner and Moore are playing. Anyone else having that thought?

 

[Tibs]

I'm reading all over that Chuks sucked again at LT and people are thinking a change is imminent with the way Banner and Moore are playing. Anyone else having that thought?

It seems is Moore is way ahead of what anyone was expecting of him. Looks like he's ready for prime time even at this early stage. Seems to me he should be the starter at LT and slide Chuks to swing tackle. We'll see.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I'm reading all over that Chuks sucked again at LT and people are thinking a change is imminent with the way Banner and Moore are playing. Anyone else having that thought?

The Steelers handed the job to Okorafor and I don't think they're changing it. They wanted their starting OL out there this past week so they'll stick with it for awhile, probably all season. Plus, Moore just started to practice and play at RT to prep him as the swing tackle for the season.

 

[Steelworth]

I'm reading all over that Chuks sucked again at LT and people are thinking a change is imminent with the way Banner and Moore are playing. Anyone else having that thought?

Chuks had a rough start but settled in okay I thought. Got bull rushed into the QB a time or two but wasn't beaten like a red-headed stepchild from what I saw.

Moore definitely continues to impress though. And they had him in there for good majority of the game. Looks like his conditioning is really good already.

Something that pissed me off though, Detroit got away with a ton of holds yesterday.

 

[slashsteel]

Chuks had a rough start but settled in okay I thought. Got bull rushed into the QB a time or two but wasn't beaten like a red-headed stepchild from what I saw.

Moore definitely continues to impress though. And they had him in there for good majority of the game. Looks like his conditioning is really good already.

Something that pissed me off though, Detroit got away with a ton of holds yesterday.

I read Moore hasn't given up one pressure ...yet. Yeah came away thinking was some good performances yesterday but not to forget it was against Detroit. Not exactly a juggernaut.