yagersports

Against aggressive defenses with loud crowds our receivers have to run the route called no matter what. When was the last time you saw Joe throw short and a WR break off deep? It doesn't happen on this team. WRs and QB are not trusted to adjust their routes based on the defense being played. All the good offenses do this to keep overly aggressive defenses honest. Flacco is certainly capable of executing this part of an offense and I'm sure Boldin and Smith are capable as well. Caldwell doesn't design the offense, Cam does. At home Joe and the WRs can audible better and make adjustments due to the quieter crowd. Away they're not as productive. They should also practice coming back to the QB. Joe can make the throws but whenever he's outside of the pocket nobody comes back to him.

I think we know Joe's capabilities. He can make the throws. I think the vanilla receiver route scheme is to blame for the inconsistencies. We all know Cam is abysmal at making in game adjustments. If he made worthwhile adjustments he would have been talking to Joe about throwing to Dickson against the Steelers. He's had drops but he was open all night. The Steelers sold out against the wideouts. I think a new coordinator with the ability to adjust midgame would do wonders for Flacco. Maybe some routes that are contingent on what the defense is giving us. I don't think we have any routes where the QB and WR have to be on the same page. Our routes are what they are and it allows the defense to key in on them. It's a big reason our receivers are never open. This is at Cam's feet. Also, can we for the love of god go man up on short yardage situations? The zone blocking gets blown out of the water every time we need a yard or two. Truthfully I was yelling at the TV to sneak Flacco again.

The defense has been playing very very good. Very pleased with the D. Joe has got to pop his head out. His contract is going down the toilet. I wonder if it is affecting his play.

Coming to Bmore loaded. Rusty Troy and over the hill LBs. Yeah def loaded. Im sure Ben is gonna hurtin. The Steelers are not ready. We knock them out of playoffs next week.

Ben isnt ready to play. This is silly. Btw Suggs had a good day today. That will be good news for Ben.

Hines was dirty any way you slice it. Watched that guy geab a guy by the facemask yank him to the ground and catch a TD pass. Is what it is. Hines had a long productive career taking cheap shots etc. There is a reason he doesnt have many player friends. Is what it is. Reed doesnt have even close to Hines' history of questionable plays. Regardless I agree the rules need to be changed. Mandate no hits at the head like Rugby. Elite athletes can be taught to tackle differently. Im confident in theor ability to do that lol. They are elite for a reason arent they? One more thing.....saying Hines wasnt a dirty player is like saying Goose didnt questionably lay on and hit QBs lol. Ask Gannon. Hines was routinely voted one of the dirtiest players in NFL. So was Goose. Doesnt make me like Goose any less.

I think a dom ILB or DE is a highe priority at this point. However BPA is prob the best decision late in the first round. Loved it when Heap and Reed fell to us two years in a row at the end of the first round.

That's more or less where I was going with that. I knew there was a rule that forced the players to make tackles rather than just smash together. I didn't know the rules well enough however. That's a very good take. Even still, the NFL fines players for hits where the offensive player is ducking to avoid the hit. It's so hard for a defensive player to avoid that. However I bet if the player was forced to wrap up that wouldn't be so out of control towards the offensive player. It's no secret the game has to change, we can't have these guys ending up like they're ending up. However I think fining players for an inexact and poorly written rule I don't agree with. If your rule was instituted, I would understand if fines came down. Fines are preventing concussions. Goodell is an ass.

It's a poor argument by Reed. Rugby is a violent agressive contact sport. They're required to hit low in that sport and they do it routinely. I understand Ed was taught one way to play. However.......Ed, you're one of the most elite players to EVER play the game. I'm sure you're capable of adapting a new technique to your game. A good argument is how you account for initially setting up a hit below the helmet and the receiver ducking. How in less than 1 second are you supposed to redirect your motion? Even that argument is weak because in Rugby like 90% of the hits are at the waist or below. It's an adjustment. These are superb athletes, they can make the adjustment. In any case it's also weak to give Ed a fine for a questionable call, 1 call this year, and 1 call 2 years ago. Weak.

I don't even know why he got fined. Ed attempted to go lower on the hit, but the receiver ducked. How do you account for that?

Good article. I do like that we're achieving despite our flaws. That says something about character. (A little about timing too, Ben's injury was like chicken soup lol) Suggs is going to come on stronger as the season progresses. Freddy Kruger seems to be hitting his stride as well as he's been making plays. We desperately need an effective pass rush to take pressure off our weakened secondary. On offense our offensive staff and Joe need to make better in game adjustments. If the opposing team as taken the primary receiver away, make the secondary receiver the hot route. And Joe needs to get on the same page with Dickson. Working Pitta and Dickson together is going to wear down and tire those LBs.

Joe did take one good hit and I think that may have put him off his game a little. It's tough to keep throwing good passes when you're hurting. The high passes I thought came after the big hit, what do you think?

Just as stated above, Pitt was disguising the coverage and running the safety under at the last minute. This is an in game read and react that Joe has to recognize. It's Cam's (and the offensive staff) job to let Joe know this is happening and to disregard his first read. Make the other routes the hot and routes and first read routes. They need to move away from first reads that are taken away by a good defense. Joe is on the phone all the damn time, this stuff has to either be relayed or if it is relayed......Joe it needs to sink in.

Absolutely they were, Joe needs to recognize immediately that Torrey is doubled and go to his 2nd and 3rd progression. Also, if the underneath is covered can't we run the out and up? Doesn't that mean there is not deep safety help? I just think there were numerous ways to attack Pitt and we just kept trying the same ole same ole. Cam's in game ability to adapt to what the defense is throwing at him is perplexing.

The problem is, the defensive performance was an illusion. Leftwich flat out could not get the ball to the open receivers. I'm disappointed that Joe was not making the right reads in the passing game. I'm also disappointed that our running plays aren't more creative. Is what it is I suppose.

That's not true Dickson was open at 4 times and Joe missed him. Joe also overthrew at least 3 WRs.

The game was alot closer than I expected. However Flacco missed Dickson on alot of passes. Flacco and Cam have got to adapt when a team adjusts to take away Torrey. There was no reason Dickson shouldn't have eaten Pitt up. And......where was the pitch to Rice last night? We also didn't run a cutback or a screen. Last time I checked when playing an aggressive defense a well disguised screen to the RB and cut back runs are very effective.

Flacco needs to get on the same page with Dickson. He was open alot on 3rd down. Flacco did avoid the turnover, but if Ben plays, we do not win. He spent most of the night forcing throws to a well covered Torrey Smith. If two people are covering smith, isn't someone else open? I'm no mathematician.

Cmon man. KC, the Jets and Tennesee??? Whats their combined record? All three of those teams lost because they're one dimensional teams that are not even awesome at that one dimension. We've played Houston and New England. And you cant include the Giants, they just got trounced by Cinci.

For crying out loud, Leftwich is your QB. He hasn't won a game he's started in 6 consecutive starts. He's got the slowest delivery in the NFL and he's played sparingly the past few years. He's not going to be ready to QB against an NFL team. On the defensive front, this Pitt team hasn't shut down any great offense. They've played against subpar talent and they've been hurt in the run. They're a great team with Ben and I was concerned about this game with him available. However, a one dimensional team (defense) with half an offense just isn't going to beat the Ravens no matter how many stats are thrown out there. It's not going to happen. I'm not saying the Steelers aren't a good team. I'm saying without Ben they're just not good enough to beat the Ravens.

I'll agree that the season doesn't start until November. However your running back by committee was successful because Ben was such a threat throwing the ball. The Steelers are a one dimensional team without Ben, period. The Ravens would be in the same boat without Flacco. You are not going to beat the Ravens with a one dimensional team. Not in November when the Ravens are starting to hit their stride. I don't think this game is going to be traditional Ravens Steelers football. That's my opinion and it's out in left field like Papa's the sky if falling predictions. I think we will be very successful at Pitt Sunday. If Ben was playing it would be an entirely different matter.

No, I'm comparing last year's team and this year's team for both. You asked when the last time there was a blow-out. I simply answered. In any case, this year's Steeler team is really struggling. They're lost to Denver, the Raiders, and Tennesee. The teams they've beaten aren't much to write home about. I think this year's Steelers team is very flawed. Pitt would get walloped by Houston. We beat the Pats. We walloped the Bengals and Raiders. Had a few close ones, but all in all, we've dealth with injuries and we're still rollin. I think we win this one easy. Maybe not a blowout, but we'll control the game.

The last time Big Ben was laid out by Bart Scott. Dixon pushed us, I'll agree. However, Leftwich does not have an X factor that is going to push the Ravens. He doesn't. He's slow and his delivery is pitiful. Seriously, this dude is awful.

Highly doubt the game is real close. This is a team we know. Last year's Pitt teams were far stronger and they had Ben. We won both games. Just don't see this one being close without Ben.

For Suggs :-)