Where did you go right, where did you go wrong in 07?

[Mr Smartmonies]

here are my lists.

Where I went Right

1) Ignored the 23 Interceptions by Ben in O6. Refused to let it sway my opinion that he is the third Best QB in pro football. I was right.

2) Last October I spotted Running Game issues with the Steelers. Issues that were not easily identifiable to the regular eye. Steelers draft RB with first pick. Sign another in free agency. ANd Reports are their looking at Kevin Jones as well. Many articles have been wrote since October about the inconsistencies of the Running game. I was Right.

3) Packers were my play of the year. I was told that I was a jackass for thinking Favre was going to lead that team to a division title. And not many understood my love for the Packers or their defense before last season. I was right.

4) I felt the Ravens were frauds in 2006 and that would come home to roost in 2007. A team that wins because of Turnovers one year, often gets slammed the next year. I even predicted that the Ravens would not win another game last season before the 1st Steeler game. I was nearly right on that. But over all if you look at the stumbling Ravens last year, I was Right.

5) On my highly listened to Radio show I predicted an early collapse for the Saints. I was Right. (reruns at smartmoniesclub.com)

6) I said that Offensive Yards per pass was the most important stat in football. Turns out that last year, all teams except for 2 , either improved or declined their over all team records based on their Yards per pass average from 2006 to 2007. If their YPA went up, their record improved. If it went down, their record declined. All but two teams. I was Right.

where I went wrong

1) Didn't take the Giants seriously enough down the Stretch,. Just never saw that coming. I was wrong.

2) MY SB prediction from the beginning of Season with Patriots turned out to be wrong.

3) My prediction that the Jags would over take the colts in the South , was wrong. But Garrards injury didn't help.

4) My Pick that the Eagles would play the Cowboys in championship game was wrong.

[BIG FAN]

I never expected our D to give up so many yards to the run and points late in the year.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I incorrectly thought that our primary competition for the division title would come from the Ravens and Bengals, with the Browns in their usual spot at the bottom well below the other 3 teams in the division.

Jokingly, after that insane 51-45 game between the Browns and Bengals early in the season, I told my father that "wouldn't it be great if we were 6-0 in the division, the Browns were 4-2 in the division, and the Bengals and Ravens were both 1-5 in the division?" That came eerily close to coming true when it was said in jest.

[Mr Smartmonies]

I never expected our D to give up so many yards to the run and points late in the year.

i think we all found out just how important AAron Smith is last year.

[Jom112]

[quote=Mr Smartmonies]

I never expected our D to give up so many yards to the run and points late in the year.

i think we all found out just how important AAron Smith is last year.[/quote:3bawrfx3]

Smith and Farrior are probably your two most under-rated players.

Smith going down for you guys and Pryce going down for the Ravens, really hurt both teams...

[birtikidis]

i think most people would say our running game stunk last year. very few people would have said our OL was good by any stretch of the imagination. it's hard to run the ball when the d is in the backfield almost every play. just as it's hard to get time to throw the football when ol don't block...

[stlrz d]

MSM - Mendenhall was drafted because he was the BPA when the Steelers picked. Moore was brought in because we need a returner. Kevin Jones is not an adequate replacement for Parker by any stretch. If he's brought in it's because the Steelers don't feel that Russell is where they want him to be OR they want some competition in camp...or even just as another body.

You can get off your "slam Parker at every chance" kick anytime now and it won't be soon enough.

[Mr Smartmonies]

MSM - Mendenhall was drafted because he was the BPA when the Steelers picked. :

So they would drafted the Matt Ryan if he were available? or what about the Best Strong Safety? You see what I'm getting at?

The drafted Mendy to replace Parker. Might not happen in Sept. But when Parker goes down, he will never start again. And moore is the 3rd down back cause he catches Passes. Another thing fast willie doesn't do.

[stlrz d]

[quote=Mr Smartmonies][quote="stlrz d":1esi19v6]MSM - Mendenhall was drafted because he was the BPA when the Steelers picked. :[/quote]

So they would drafted the Matt Ryan if he were available? or what about the Best Strong Safety? You see what I'm getting at?

The drafted Mendy to replace Parker. Might not happen in Sept. But when Parker goes down, he will never start again. And moore is the 3rd down back cause he catches Passes. Another thing fast willie doesn't do. [/quote:1esi19v6]

Ben is a franchise QB so no, of course they wouldn't.

Now I'll give you a chance to rub one out before I start the next part.

Done? That didn't take long.

FWP may not be the best back in the league but he's much closer to the best than he is to the worst. At least to people who look at more than just stats. There's no doubt that Parker isn't a consistent inside runner...would a better line make him one? Maybe. But with things as they are and when a guy like Mendenhall drops they would have been foolish to pass on him.

As for Parker having hands of stone...that's flat-out untrue. Just as you say Ben doesn't check down because the offense doesn't have any 3 step drops and the TE and RB have to stay in to block I say that Parker doesn't have many pass catching opportunities because they don't throw his way much and/or he is kept in to block.

His receiving numbers over his career:
2004 - 8 games, 3 catches, 16 yards, 5.3 avg
2005 - 15 games, 18 catches, 218 yards, 12.1 avg
2006 - 16 games, 31 catches, 222 yards, 7.2 avg
2007 - 15 games, 23 catches, 164 yards, 7.1 avg

I don't recall seeing him drop many passes. The Steelers haven't thrown much to the running backs since Bettis was added to the roster. Take a look at his numbers for yourself: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=389"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... ayerId=389[/url]

Here's Fred Macafee: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=152"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... ayerId=152[/url]

Najeh Davenport: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=3663"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... yerId=3663[/url]

Amos Zereoue: [url="http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1848"]http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... yerId=1848[/url]

Tim Lester: [url="http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=LESTETIM01"]http://www.databasefootball.com/players ... LESTETIM01[/url]

Fu: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1567"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... yerId=1567[/url]

Erric Pegram: [url="http://www.nfl.com/players/erricpegram/careerstats?id=PEG358660"]http://www.nfl.com/players/erricpegram/ ... =PEG358660[/url]

Bam Morris: [url="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MorrBa00.htm?redir"]http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... .htm?redir[/url]

You have to go back to John L. Williams in '94 to find a season when the Steelers really threw to the RB: [url="http://www.nfl.com/players/johnl.williams/careerstats?id=WIL381258"]http://www.nfl.com/players/johnl.willia ... =WIL381258[/url]

That's all I can think for RBs of at the moment. I couldn't even find stats on Jon Whitman.

Shall I continue or can we put to rest the Parker can't catch myth?

Will Mendenhall change that? Who knows...every time the Steelers draft a TE they say they will throw to them more and it never seems to work out that way...so I have my doubts.

[Mr Smartmonies]

[quote=stlrz d][quote="Mr Smartmonies":2svqcv64][quote="stlrz d":2svqcv64]MSM - Mendenhall was drafted because he was the BPA when the Steelers picked. :[/quote]

So they would drafted the Matt Ryan if he were available? or what about the Best Strong Safety? You see what I'm getting at?

The drafted Mendy to replace Parker. Might not happen in Sept. But when Parker goes down, he will never start again. And moore is the 3rd down back cause he catches Passes. Another thing fast willie doesn't do. [/quote:2svqcv64]

Ben is a franchise QB so no, of course they wouldn't.

Now I'll give you a chance to rub one out before I start the next part.

Done? That didn't take long.

FWP may not be the best back in the league but he's much closer to the best than he is to the worst. At least to people who look at more than just stats. There's no doubt that Parker isn't a consistent inside runner...would a better line make him one? Maybe. But with things as they are and when a guy like Mendenhall drops they would have been foolish to pass on him.

As for Parker having hands of stone...that's flat-out untrue. Just as you say Ben doesn't check down because the offense doesn't have any 3 step drops and the TE and RB have to stay in to block I say that Parker doesn't have many pass catching opportunities because they don't throw his way much and/or he is kept in to block.

His receiving numbers over his career:
2004 - 8 games, 3 catches, 16 yards, 5.3 avg
2005 - 15 games, 18 catches, 218 yards, 12.1 avg
2006 - 16 games, 31 catches, 222 yards, 7.2 avg
2007 - 15 games, 23 catches, 164 yards, 7.1 avg

I don't recall seeing him drop many passes. The Steelers haven't thrown much to the running backs since Bettis was added to the roster. Take a look at his numbers for yourself: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=389"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... ayerId=389[/url]

Here's Fred Macafee: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=152"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... ayerId=152[/url]

Najeh Davenport: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=3663"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... yerId=3663[/url]

Amos Zereoue: [url="http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1848"]http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... yerId=1848[/url]

Tim Lester: [url="http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=LESTETIM01"]http://www.databasefootball.com/players ... LESTETIM01[/url]

Fu: [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1567"]http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/s ... yerId=1567[/url]

Erric Pegram: [url="http://www.nfl.com/players/erricpegram/careerstats?id=PEG358660"]http://www.nfl.com/players/erricpegram/ ... =PEG358660[/url]

Bam Morris: [url="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MorrBa00.htm?redir"]http://www.pro-football-reference.com/p ... .htm?redir[/url]

You have to go back to John L. Williams in '94 to find a season when the Steelers really threw to the RB: [url="http://www.nfl.com/players/johnl.williams/careerstats?id=WIL381258"]http://www.nfl.com/players/johnl.willia ... =WIL381258[/url]

That's all I can think for RBs of at the moment. I couldn't even find stats on Jon Whitman.

Shall I continue or can we put to rest the Parker can't catch myth?

Will Mendenhall change that? Who knows...every time the Steelers draft a TE they say they will throw to them more and it never seems to work out that way...so I have my doubts.[/quote:2svqcv64]

At least your using Stats to back up your Position this time instead of just eyeballing it.