Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I can't make up my mind who I want to start, so I just generally go with the last thing I read or hear

This guy sounds right!

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QB decision in Pittsburgh
I love watching preseason games, partly because it is like putting together a puzzle. What pieces fit in which places can indicate what element of a team can function effectively. Winning the game is not as important as playing well in certain areas.

The Steelers have to manage the first six games (maybe only the first four) without Ben Roethlisberger as he serves his suspension. Right now, Byron Leftwich is the starter, but based on his play last week, it would be hard for me to feel he can hold down the job. Not because he does not have the talent, but he is not the right piece in the Steelers' offensive puzzle.

Pittsburgh lacks talent on the offensive line, so the inability to pass protect becomes magnified when Leftwich is in the game. Whether you are talking about his release or moving in the pocket, Leftwich does nothing fast. So he does not have the ability to escape any rusher or buy a second look. I am sure he looks good in practice when the speed of the game is not as dramatic. As things speed up, having Leftwich in the game only highlights the Steelers' problems. He does not solve any of their issues.

I learned a long time ago, when your middle linebacker is slow, your defense appears slow. And when your quarterback is slow, so is your offense. The Steelers are too slow with Leftwich.

The Steelers really do not have a tough decision at quarterback -- they have to play Dennis Dixon. He gives them more speed, movement at the position and forces the opposing defensive coordinator to prepare differently. I can almost assure you that the defensive staff in Atlanta (Pittsburgh's first regular-season opponent) is preparing for Dixon and hoping for Leftwich, because the Falcons can freely attack the pocket when Leftwich is under center and cannot with Dixon.

Sometimes tough decisions are easier than one might expect and that's the case here. Dixon is the best piece to the puzzle for the Steelers.

» Follow me on Twitter @michaelombardi.

[Sugar]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

Makes sense to me.

[stlrz d]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

I can almost assure you that the defensive staff in Atlanta (Pittsburgh's first regular-season opponent) is preparing for Dixon and hoping for Leftwich, because the Falcons can freely attack the pocket when Leftwich is under center and cannot with Dixon.

And with Dixon they can lay back, play zone, disguise coverage and hope to capitalize on mistakes.

Potato, potahto.

[feltdizz]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

I can almost assure you that the defensive staff in Atlanta (Pittsburgh's first regular-season opponent) is preparing for Dixon and hoping for Leftwich, because the Falcons can freely attack the pocket when Leftwich is under center and cannot with Dixon.

And with Dixon they can lay back, play zone, disguise coverage and hope to capitalize on mistakes.

Potato, potahto.

Baltimore D vs Atlanta D

apple, orange

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

I can almost assure you that the defensive staff in Atlanta (Pittsburgh's first regular-season opponent) is preparing for Dixon and hoping for Leftwich, because the Falcons can freely attack the pocket when Leftwich is under center and cannot with Dixon.

And with Dixon they can lay back, play zone, disguise coverage and hope to capitalize on mistakes.

Potato, potahto.

Baltimore D vs Atlanta D

apple, orange

Experience, cannon for an arm, but baseball windup and concrete feet ... vs. skitterbug, quick release but little experience.

Banana vs. plantain.

[SteelStallion]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

Lombardi is right and the fans are right. Therefore the coaches will not allow Dixon to run with the first team, even though he's done everything possible to earn the right to show what he can do with the first team. There's clearly something going on here above and beyond fair competition and it's obvious to even the national media.

[calmkiller]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

If you play Contain on Dixon right now he will not beat you. All you have to do is turn him into a pocket passer and the game is over. Everyone was happy last week with his 32 rushing yards or 36 or whatever it was. The only problem with that is he would get 5 yards on a run when a wide reciever was open 10 to 20 yards down the field. If its a pass play and the reciever is wide open and you run for 5 yards that is not a win. It is a QB that is not running the offense correctly.

The coaches see this everyday in practice and know what he is doing right and wrong. The casual fan IE you and me don't see that. We see a 5 yard run which in our mind could have been a sack or something else doesn't mean hes the best option. Have a LB Mirror dixon and its over. IMO

[SteelStallion]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

I'll have to disagree. Baltimore didn't contain him, they never laid a hand on him, and they're Baltimore! He played great without even a full week of practice. He played great last week, more dynamic that anyone else I saw in preseason. And I don't get where this preemptive "Leftwich starts" comes from. On what basis? He played like a bum last week, and he was cut from Tampa Bay. The question here is with four preseason games to work with, and all of training camp, why not let him run with the first team so we have fact instead of opinion? So this doesn't sound very objective at all if your looking at it from a football standpoint.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

If it is 3rd and 2 or whatever, and a simple 5 yard run will move the chains, I'm fine with Dixon deciding to run with the ball. If he is out on the edge, and sees that there is a 100% change of reaching the chains and thereby moving the sticks, then I'd take that over the chance of throwing it to a guy 15-20 yards downfield, who may drop it. Even if the guy is reasonably surehanded and there is a 90% chance he doesn't drop it, I'd still prefer the sure thing 5 yards on 3rd and short than risking it at all by putting the ball in the air.

And by the way, I say no brainer...start Roethlisberger this week. So there.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

If you play Contain on Dixon right now he will not beat you. All you have to do is turn him into a pocket passer and the game is over. Everyone was happy last week with his 32 rushing yards or 36 or whatever it was. The only problem with that is he would get 5 yards on a run when a wide reciever was open 10 to 20 yards down the field. If its a pass play and the reciever is wide open and you run for 5 yards that is not a win. It is a QB that is not running the offense correctly.

The coaches see this everyday in practice and know what he is doing right and wrong. The casual fan IE you and me don't see that. We see a 5 yard run which in our mind could have been a sack or something else doesn't mean hes the best option. Have a LB Mirror dixon and its over. IMO

I agree with this . Saw at least one, maybe two or three, plays where he would do just that. There have been a lot of "running QBs" in the league over the years, and to my memory it seems that as soon as the opposition figures out they can't pass well, the game is over. Exceptions of course (didn't Vick hurt us real bad 4 or 5 years ago? ... We made him look like a combination of Joe Montana and Steve Young that day, IIRC).

[feltdizz]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

If you play Contain on Dixon right now he will not beat you. All you have to do is turn him into a pocket passer and the game is over. Everyone was happy last week with his 32 rushing yards or 36 or whatever it was. The only problem with that is he would get 5 yards on a run when a wide reciever was open 10 to 20 yards down the field. If its a pass play and the reciever is wide open and you run for 5 yards that is not a win. It is a QB that is not running the offense correctly.

The coaches see this everyday in practice and know what he is doing right and wrong. The casual fan IE you and me don't see that. We see a 5 yard run which in our mind could have been a sack or something else doesn't mean hes the best option. Have a LB Mirror dixon and its over. IMO

I agree with this . Saw at least one, maybe two or three, plays where he would do just that. There have been a lot of "running QBs" in the league over the years, and to my memory it seems that as soon as the opposition figures out they can't pass well, the game is over. Exceptions of course (didn't Vick hurt us real bad 4 or 5 years ago? ... We made him look like a combination of Joe Montana and Steve Young that day, IIRC).

I don't see why people are making such a big deal out of Dixon missing a few open WR's downfield. It's part of the learning curve and the only way for him to improve this is to let him play.

Lefty is better at going through his progressions but what I witnessed was a guy getting hit while making the correct read and the ball not getting out accurately.

Ben made us successful by breaking the pocket and making things happen. It wasn't always pretty and it wasn't always the "right WR" who he went to but he got the job done. I would much rather watch Dixon miss, scramble, keep plays alive given what I have seen from Lefty last year and thus far.

If Lefty comes out slinging and has a convincing outing or 2 then I'm all for him starting. I just want the best QB to play these first 4 games and not the "vet" because it's a safe choice.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

If you play Contain on Dixon right now he will not beat you. All you have to do is turn him into a pocket passer and the game is over. Everyone was happy last week with his 32 rushing yards or 36 or whatever it was. The only problem with that is he would get 5 yards on a run when a wide reciever was open 10 to 20 yards down the field. If its a pass play and the reciever is wide open and you run for 5 yards that is not a win. It is a QB that is not running the offense correctly.

The coaches see this everyday in practice and know what he is doing right and wrong. The casual fan IE you and me don't see that. We see a 5 yard run which in our mind could have been a sack or something else doesn't mean hes the best option. Have a LB Mirror dixon and its over. IMO

I agree with this . Saw at least one, maybe two or three, plays where he would do just that. There have been a lot of "running QBs" in the league over the years, and to my memory it seems that as soon as the opposition figures out they can't pass well, the game is over. Exceptions of course (didn't Vick hurt us real bad 4 or 5 years ago? ... We made him look like a combination of Joe Montana and Steve Young that day, IIRC).

I don't see why people are making such a big deal out of Dixon missing a few open WR's downfield. It's part of the learning curve and the only way for him to improve this is to let him play.

Lefty is better at going through his progressions but what I witnessed was a guy getting hit while making the correct read and the ball not getting out accurately.

Ben made us successful by breaking the pocket and making things happen. It wasn't always pretty and it wasn't always the "right WR" who he went to but he got the job done. I would much rather watch Dixon miss, scramble, keep plays alive given what I have seen from Lefty last year and thus far.

If Lefty comes out slinging and has a convincing outing or 2 then I'm all for him starting. I just want the best QB to play these first 4 games and not the "vet" because it's a safe choice.

Perfect. Common ground for all to rally around!

[calmkiller]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

I'll have to disagree. Baltimore didn't contain him, they never laid a hand on him, and they're Baltimore! He played great without even a full week of practice. He played great last week, more dynamic that anyone else I saw in preseason. And I don't get where this preemptive "Leftwich starts" comes from. On what basis? He played like a bum last week, and he was cut from Tampa Bay..

They had no real tape on him. They figured him out at the end of the game. Remember when we were in overtime and he was forced to stay in the pocket and he threw an interception for a TD to end the game?

And we traded for Leftwich, He wasn't cut.

If you play Contain on Dixon right now he will not beat you. All you have to do is turn him into a pocket passer and the game is over. Everyone was happy last week with his 32 rushing yards or 36 or whatever it was. The only problem with that is he would get 5 yards on a run when a wide reciever was open 10 to 20 yards down the field. If its a pass play and the reciever is wide open and you run for 5 yards that is not a win. It is a QB that is not running the offense correctly.

The coaches see this everyday in practice and know what he is doing right and wrong. The casual fan IE you and me don't see that. We see a 5 yard run which in our mind could have been a sack or something else doesn't mean hes the best option. Have a LB Mirror dixon and its over. IMO

I agree with this . Saw at least one, maybe two or three, plays where he would do just that. There have been a lot of "running QBs" in the league over the years, and to my memory it seems that as soon as the opposition figures out they can't pass well, the game is over. Exceptions of course (didn't Vick hurt us real bad 4 or 5 years ago? ... We made him look like a combination of Joe Montana and Steve Young that day, IIRC).

I don't see why people are making such a big deal out of Dixon missing a few open WR's downfield. It's part of the learning curve and the only way for him to improve this is to let him play.

I believe practice is also a good way for him to improve and the preseason. If he can't make it through his reads before he tucks it and runs then why would we want him to do that in a regular season game when it really counts?

[SteelStallion]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

Cut, draft day deal, same difference- he's a wash up that can't start anywhere in the league and he played poorly last week. And yes Dixon threw one interception in that game. So what? How many did Flacco throw? How about the guy in the Superbowl who threw one and people still think he's a little bit on the good side? Or the guy in purple who's thrown more than anyone in NFL history who people seem to make a fuss over? Is this really the excuse we're going with to supress him from playing? One int. in a game he played very well in without adequate practice? And I have a solution for not having tape on him- let him play with the first team in a preseason game- then you have tape.

[calmkiller]

Re: Lombardi says no brainer - Start Dixon this week

Cut, draft day deal, same difference- he's a wash up that can't start anywhere in the league and he played poorly last week. And yes Dixon threw one interception in that game. So what? How many did Flacco throw? How about the guy in the Superbowl who threw one and people still think he's a little bit on the good side? Or the guy in purple who's thrown more than anyone in NFL history who people seem to make a fuss over? Is this really the excuse we're going with to supress him from playing? One int. in a game he played very well in without adequate practice? And I have a solution for not having tape on him- let him play with the first team in a preseason game- then you have tape.

So my arguement was that he did well because they had no tape on him. Once they saw his tendancies they shut him down. Which they had to do on the fly instead of gameplanning for him. So your solution is more tape which is used to help shut down a player and gameplan for said player. Arguing my point. If you put him in the pocket the game is over at his current state. Watch the game tape that we have currently. You will see that...