Lolley: Initial thoughts from the Colts game

[B]Initial thoughts from the Colts game[/B]

posted by Dale Lolley
MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 2012


The first-team offense and defense both looked pretty good against the Colts in their first extensive action.

Ben Roethlisberger threw a bad pick and Chris Rainey fumbled - he might be too small for the beating he'll take in the NFL - but, overall, it wasn't a bad showing.

The Steelers came into this game trying to work on their running game a little bit - they wanted to give Willie Colon an opportunity to pull - and were effective doing that.

The defense gave up a drive, but it also put seven points on the board. And remember, they weren't throwing a lot of different stuff at the Colts defensively, so even that one drive might have been avoided in the regular season with an exotic blitz or two.

@ It was a preseason game, so the main thing was to get out of it unscathed, which the Steelers did.

@ Rookie punter Drew Butler didn't have the kind of game he did against Philadelphia, but he was solid, averaging 44.8 yards per attempt.

@ How bout the hands on Ike Taylor?

I've covered Ike since his start here and don't remember him coming out of a break too many times and actually catching the ball.

[B]@ Guys who helped themselves:[/B]

David Gilreath led the team with four receptions for 78 yards working against a team that had him on its practice squad in 2011. (Point of interest, Gilreath is sharing a locker with some guy who wears No. 17. Didn't see that player here though).

Jerrod Johnson looked much more comfortable at QB, completing 4 of 5 passes for 65 yards and scrambling three times for 11 more yards. Was poised during the game-winning field goal drive.

Justin Peelle caught one pass for 21 yards and isn't Leonard Pope.

Jonathan Dwyer rushed eight times for 43 yards, including a 23 yarder. Didn't get hurt.

[B]Guys who didn't help themselves:[/B]

Kelvin Beachum had two more penalties. I know he's wearing 68, but that doesn't mean he has to play like Chris Kemoeatu as well.

Chris Rainey lost a fumble. That was the knock against him at Florida - too small to play in the NFL - and losing fumbles isn't going to help. He's not in danger of being cut, but he's not helping his cause to be a bigger part of the offense.

Marquis Maze averaged just 1.5 yards on a pair of punt returns. He really needed to do something special and failed to do so.

Leonard Pope completely whiffed on his block on Antonio Brown's touchdown catch and run. Don't know what he brings to the table other than being familiar with Todd Haley's offense.

[URL]http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sidelines/[/URL]

[QUOTE=hawaiiansteel;519597]Chris Rainey lost a fumble. That was the knock against him at Florida - too small to play in the NFL - and losing fumbles isn't going to help. He's not in danger of being cut, but he's not helping his cause to be a bigger part of the offense.
[/QUOTE]

He also got his bell rung on that play. A lot of guys would drop the ball taking that kind of hit to the head. I was surprised he was allowed back in the game after that.

[QUOTE=Eich;519610]He also got his bell rung on that play. A lot of guys would drop the ball taking that kind of hit to the head. I was surprised he was allowed back in the game after that.[/QUOTE]

But it just brought attention to the concern that he can't handle the punishment. I think it is dumb to be running him out of the backfield so much taking so much of a pounding. Just make him a slot receiver and get him into space.

I think Butler has won the punting job. He has proven he is just as good as Kapinos and he is cheaper.

TE is going to be the most interesting cut in camp. Other than Heath Miller being a sure thing, the final roster spots can go any number of ways to include the team picking up yet another TE when cuts start occurring. I'm not sure how that will play out but I hope they don't give up on Saunders.

[QUOTE=Eich;519610]He also got his bell rung on that play. A lot of guys would drop the ball taking that kind of hit to the head. I was surprised he was allowed back in the game after that.[/QUOTE]


Rainey had the ball punched out, then had his bell rung when he turned to look for the ball, came down awkwardly, and left himself vulnerable.

The hit did not cause the fumble.

How do we know he can't "handle the punishment"...because he fumbled after taking a hard hit? A hit that would have caused quite a few RBs to fumble over?

[QUOTE=Shawn;519621]How do we know he can't "handle the punishment"...because he fumbled after taking a hard hit? A hit that would have caused quite a few RBs to fumble over?[/QUOTE]

No one said he CAN'T however it isn't the fumble that is the concern it is the fact he left the game and had to go to the locker room for a hit that was not that devastating.

That's why I siggested maybe it would make more sense to have the bulk of his action as a receiver not runner. he is going to be a valuable asset but he needs to be put in positions where he can succeed...running up the middle isn't one. It wasn't his strength in college and it won't be in the NFL.

[QUOTE=Oviedo;519612]TE is going to be the most interesting cut in camp. Other than Heath Miller being a sure thing, the final roster spots can go any number of ways to include the team picking up yet another TE when cuts start occurring. I'm not sure how that will play out but I hope they don't give up on Saunders.[/QUOTE]

TE will be interesting. The Steelers seem to like Paulson, but I'm not sure if he has enough blocking ability. Saunders probably has the most upside. I could see Peelle getting a spot over somebody because of his blocking ability and versatility. Maybe a group of Miller-Peelle-Paulson to start the year, with Saunders on the inactive list b/c of suspension? Then again, it could just as easily be Miller, Pope and McCoy.

I agree, the ball popped out then Rainey had his bell rung. I also agree he is an open space player and that is where they need to deliver him at and not scooting out from the backfield. Maybe one or two times a game but, he shouldn't try to make a living at that.

Most players will go to the locker room after a hit like that... he got popped.

Yea Rainey will be fine if Haley uses him in the right situations. What's up with Curtis brown??? From my perspective he's been a pretty big disappointment so far this preseason. I'm still quite concerned about the safeties and the LB play... so far nothing to write home about... Hope they get this worked out... Different year same result???

In the comments to one of his earlier posts, Lolley provided some thoughts on the roster breakdown:

[QUOTE]
I'm going on what I'm not only seeing at camp, but what I'm hearing from people there as well on these cuts.

Sanders has an uphill battle. They're not pleased with him over the drug thing and he hasn't helped matters by not going full-tilt at training camp.

Paulson couldn't block a toilet. Has no strength whatsoever. He's probably ticketed for the practice squad.

I'll repeat again that there is no way Worilds gets cut. They like what Carter has done to this point, but Brandon Johnson isn't physical enough to play on the outside. Nor is Sylvester. Worilds and Carter will be the backups on the outside.
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]I was probably a little tough on Paulson there. He does have ability as a receiver. He just needs a year to get stronger.
In my eyes, he's a much better down the road prospect than Saunders.
I don't know if they trust Saunders at this point.
[/QUOTE]

[URL]http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=15287012&postID=5013196524143488499[/URL]

My thoughts of the game are this.

Luck is a good QB and will be a great QB someday but then again, Ryan Leaf had a good preseason too. Colts offense looked stoked and I give that credit to Arians. This was Arians personal Grudge Bowl against the Steelers, the Rooneys, Tomlin and the fans. He had his offense playing as if this was a real game. The Steelers acted as this was a time to experiment and learn. The Ravens coaches that are now Colt coaches also lived for this preseason game so, I put little stock into yesterdays game.
I wasn't happy that the defense gave up short yardage goal line points.
I kind of also think Haley is showing little stuff, running safe stuff since Ben is behind a young o-line or another mixed up o-lne.
One more thing, the Steelers will play their first real game againts Peyton in Denver and Peyton will be out to prove the Colts made a mistake. This will be a huge regular season game and the Steelers first game of the season and I'm sure they don't want to lose coming out o the gate so being soft with their play calls on top of not having Ryan Clark in Denver has a lot to do wih our preseason.

[QUOTE=fezziwig;519697]My thoughts of the game are this.
This was Arians personal Grudge Bowl against the Steelers, the Rooneys, Tomlin and the fans. He had his offense playing as if this was a real game. The Steelers acted as this was a time to experiment and learn. The Ravens coaches that are now Colt coaches also lived for this preseason game so, I put little stock into yesterdays game.[/QUOTE]
I agree completely...

[B]The Pittsburgh Steelers beat Indy: What Matters[/B]

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Syndicated Feeds

[IMG]http://www.mtrmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ike_taylor01.jpg[/IMG]

[B]Unlike the norm, Ike Taylor held onto an INT last night for a Pick-6 that propelled the Steelers to a win[/B].

The Steelers team that took the field last night in Pittsburgh against the Indianapolis Colts figures to look very little like the finished product it is hoped this team will become. Missing from the field were James Harrison, Rashard Mendenhall, Casey Hampton, Mike Wallace, Max Starks, Jason Worilds, and Isaac Redman, and those starters that did dress played very little after the first quarter. Under those circumstances, it is always difficult to read too much into what transpires, but here are several items that I took away from the Steelers 26-24 win over the Colts:

[B]1. David Gilreath is separating himself from the pack to be the #5 WR.[/B] Once Mike Wallace gets into the lineup, the Steelers’ top four WR will not only be set, they’ll be the best group in football. The battle that has been waging in camp is to determine who replaces Hines Ward as the #5 WR, and the battle figured to be between 7th round pick Toney Clemons and Derrick Williams, a local guy with a few years of NFL experience. Instead, David Gilreath, who spent 2011 bouncing around on the practice squads of the Colts, Rams, and Bills, has emerged as the leading candidate to open the year on the 53-man roster. Gilreath caught 4 passes for 78 yards last night, picking up first downs on all 4 receptions, and Gilreath was also an accomplished kickoff returner at Wisconsin, something that may prove valuable given that Antonio Brown will likely be relieved of those duties in 2012.

[B]2. The Steelers’ RB depth appears to be very solid.[/B] Rashard Mendenhall was taken off the PUP list last week, meaning that the team believes that he will be able to play sometime before Week 8 (he would have had to sit out the first 6 games had he remained on the list), and it appears that the team is targeting a return during Week 5 (the Steelers have a bye in Week 4). Isaac Redman missed last night’s game with a groin injury, but Jonathan Dwyer and Chris Rainey were both effective carrying the ball in the absence of Mendenhall and Redman. Dwyer looks much slimmer and quicker than he has in past seasons, and Rainey is electrifying in space. Baron Batch, the 2011 training camp phenom who missed the season with a torn ACL, failed to get untracked in the running game but still appears to be a lock to make the 53-man roster and battle with Rainey to be the 3rd down back, due largely to Batch’s ability to catch and pick up the blitz.

[B]3. Get well, Max Starks. [/B] Rookie 2nd round pick Mike Adams struggled again last night, and this time it was largely against backups for the Colts. Adams allowed two sacks and began receiving TE help after the second one; otherwise the figure may have been higher. It’s obviously too soon to give up on Adams, but he is clearly in no way ready to be a starting LT in the NFL. Max Starks is off the PUP list and is reportedly on track to be ready to start the opener in Denver. Starks is a pedestrian – at best – LT in the NFL, but throwing Adams into the mix against Elvis Dumerville and the Denver crowd would not end well. Or start well. The remainder of the offensive line looks to be in the best shape it has for years, with a Colon-Pouncey-DeCastro interior that will match up with anyone’s by mid-season, but the Steelers need Max Starks to man LT effectively while Mike Adams gets his feet under him at this level.

[B]4. Can Danny Hrapmann unseat Shaun Suisham?[/B] Danny Hrapmann, a rookie UDFA out of Southern Miss, continued his impressive performance in preseason by kicking 4 second half FG last night, including making the gamewinner despite it being largely blocked. Hrapmann is 5-for-5 on FG this preason and displays ample leg on kickoffs (something that is much less of a factor with kickoffs coming from the 35-yard-line). Suisham missed 8 FG’s during an erratic 2011 season, and it’s not like he was Adam Vinatieri to start with. The kicking job is probably still Suisham’s, but Hrapmann is making a case to replace him if Suisham falters during the final two weeks of the preseason.

[B]5. The LB corps is dinged up. [/B] Jason Worilds has yet to play a snap this preseason, and last week the Steelers lost both James Harrison and Stevenson Sylvester for at least the rest of the preseason, if not longer, with knee injuries. 2nd year man Chris Carter has replaced Harrison at ROLB and was better against Philadelphia than he was last night. The injuries open the door for other guys to make the team and/or increase their roles, and rookie UDFA Adrian Robinson has stood out far more than offseason acquisition Brandon Johnson or holdover Mortty Ivy thus far. The injury to Stevenson should create more playing time for rookie 3rd round pick Sean Spence, but in two games Spence has been largely unnoticeable on the field.

[B]6. Can Will Johnson be the FB? [/B] With David Johnson done for the season with a torn ACL and MCL, Will Johnson is the only FB on the roster. Johnson, who went undrafted out of West Virginia after 2011 and was out of football last season, has played well in his role as a lead blocker thus far and appears to be holding up well.

Up next are the Bills, and the opener in Denver is now 20 days away.

[URL]http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/the_pittsburgh_steelers_beat_indy_what_matters/11506714[/URL]

Some Asian observations-

1) Rainey needs to be used properly. Let the guy be our version of Kevin Faulk...running hum between tackles is just fruitless. Let him catch passes out in the flat where he can use the space to propel the speed he has in spades. I think that would be using his skillset more appropriately.

2) Pope is quite a physical specimen. His dimensions dictates he should be part of that defensive front four rotation of the Giants. Maybe he should because I saw nothing real productive from a TE standpoint. Hope I'm proven wrong, because the familiarity with Haley's system would be a boom.

3) Ike "hands of stone" Taylor....pick 6....holy &@$*£!

4) Our CB's looked decent. I'm not going to get all rah rah, but with the exception of one drive, I thought we actually looked comfortable.