giving credit where it's due.....

[Starlifter]

well known BA hater here BUT I gotta say I was pleased with the game plan today. I thought we were pretty unpredictable on first down. I thought the gadgets (other than the first with EL which was transparent) were well timed. I loved the Hines in motion and then pass to him underneath for the first. most importantly, i loved how we stayed on the gas till under a minute to play. I think we left some good stuff on the field but today was a day when I thought the scheme was sound and our offense was set up for success.

having said that, a broken clock is right twice a day. BA still sucks..........

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

as much as it pains me to say this, Arians was better than usual today although his run designs still suck...


Steelers-Raiders: Revenge of the Steelers’ D

Posted on November 21, 2010 by JJ


That was a fun way to put a Patriots’ loss in the rear-view mirror. Pittsburgh completely dominated the Raiders, and if it hadn’t been for the officials’ flag-happy tendencies, we may have seen a blowout of historic proportions.

We’ll have more analysis of the game on the podcast, but here are some thoughts during the game.

It’s nice to see the Steelers’ coaching staff respond to the problems we all saw in the loss to the Patriots. You read here how Trai Essex was the player who has serious problems in the running game — Pittsburgh replaced him with Ramon Foster.

There’s been a general consensus that the wide receivers for the Steelers have lacked enough quickness and explosiveness to make secondaries sweat — so Pittsburgh activated Anthony Brown and Emmanuel Sanders in the same week and played both of them in four wide receiver formations. It’s great to see guys who can get open against solid corners. Just as notably Antwaan Randle El has been reduced to a couple of gimmick snaps and the five-wide formations, but not much more than that. That said, Emmanuel Sanders needs to focus on catching this week — he had a couple of balls hit his hands that he didn’t snag.

Another young gun getting an opportunity was Keenan Lewis — he again seemed to play well when given a chance to serve as a gunner on punt coverage. The combination of him, Anthony Madison and Stevenson Sylvester is an impressive combination on punt coverage.

I know that Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians gets a lot of criticism, but give him credit when things work. Check out the third and two with 10:18 to go in the second quarter. Heath Miller lined up at fullback (a pretty unusual role for him, but not completely unprecedented), then flared out into the flat at the snap — he was left wide open for an 18-yard gain on a seemingly simple dump and run. It was the kind of matchup advantage that the Steelers had clearly seen on film, and waited to use in a key situation.

Seeing Richard Seymour and Chris Kemoeatu spar with each other early in the second quarter was awesome. It was the kind of thing you would have seen in a Steelers/Raiders game from the 1970s, and it was relatively clean, just two guys going at each other a little after the whistle. Seeing Seymour punch Roethlisberger later was not as awesome, but if there ever is an unnecessary roughness penalty you accept, it’s the one that Kemoeatu took for retaliating. As an offensive lineman, you can’t shrug off your quarterback being punched, and thankfully Kemoeatu didn’t.

As much as I love the memories of the 70s Steelers-Raiders games, in the second half we saw what would happen in the Steelers-Raiders from the 70s played now. It became a farce with penalties on every play.

[url="http://www.steelerslounge.com/2010/11/steelersraiders-game-notes/"]http://www.steelerslounge.com/2010/11/s ... ame-notes/[/url]

[LordVile]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

credit 2 Brucey on this one.. I too, liked the trick plays and what not. Keeping the defense honest with some surprises here and there. He should call more stuff like this and get even more creative. I doubt it will be more than 1 time deal, as others have said.

[Crash]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

Not as predictable, not in 3rd and long a lot. Got the young guys involved. Quick stuff to Heath, Ward, etc.

Just have to stay out of 3rd and longs.

[jj28west]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

This game was one of his best IMO. Even the last TD to Red which I would have not shown but a well executed disguised play when the Raiders were really selling out in pushing the line. Add the injuries to the Oline and it was a nice job by the O.

[Stewie]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

I liked the fact that Foster started over Essex as well as the diminished role for ARE. If we start both Brown and Sanders in 4 wide situations, we'll do well.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

I thought it was a really good gameplan on both sides of the ball. I tore both OC and DC a new one last week following the Pats, but will say they both showed up this week.

[Oviedo]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

Amazing how Arians becomes a good coordinator when the players execute!!!!

[msp26505]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

Amazing how Arians becomes a good coordinator when the players execute!!!!

Everyone has off weeks.

Arians just has them 13 times a year, excluding playoffs.

Welcome to one of the other three.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

Wel I was very critical of his design. I had long post in here somewhere that went into detail about what design faults he had. And what do you know, I saw many screens, an actual shuttle pass, and his route tree was full. Lots of intermediate crossing patterns and he attacked the middle of the field. It is only one game so I won't "crown him". But I could thank him for proving me right.

[papillon]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

It looked good because the Steelers won 35-3 and executed well. If they would have lost using the exact same plays Arians would have sucked and Lebeau would be an idiot. Winning and losing makes a game plan look good or bad, at least, to the fans of the team.

Pappy

[Starlifter]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

i disagree pappy. there was plenty of execution issues yesterday as well. I point to the variety on first down yesterday (for example) as opposed to the patsies. I point to the fact we changed our protection schemes often keeping a back in to help out scott at LT. We even lined up in obvious running situations and (shudder) had DJ in a 3point stance as a fullback! successful games ARE a combination of scheme and execution. Yes, the Steelers did a better job of running the plays but I think there was an obvious difference in how open the offense was yesterday as opposed to recent weeks.

as for the defense that may come down more heavily on the execution side. I'll have to watch the game again but it appeared to me that Ike more often than not was pressed up tight while Bmac was the usual 7-8 yards off the ball. I think they were trying to give the raiders only one place to go and using troy to jump some routes. that's just a first impression however, i'll wait till i break down the film to render final judgement............

[Oviedo]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

Wel I was very critical of his design. I had long post in here somewhere that went into detail about what design faults he had. And what do you know, I saw many screens, an actual shuttle pass, and his route tree was full. Lots of intermediate crossing patterns and he attacked the middle of the field. It is only one game so I won't "crown him". But I could thank him for proving me right.

I guess Arians reads this site too. Just like LeBeau read my posts and made his adjustments

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

Wel I was very critical of his design. I had long post in here somewhere that went into detail about what design faults he had. And what do you know, I saw many screens, an actual shuttle pass, and his route tree was full. Lots of intermediate crossing patterns and he attacked the middle of the field. It is only one game so I won't "crown him". But I could thank him for proving me right.

I guess Arians reads this site too. Just like LeBeau read my posts and made his adjustments

It seems that way doesn't it? The reality of it is, it was just simple x's & o's...It shouldn't be something that eluded either of them. Adjustments were made...That is the good thing. But Arians did it last year for a couple of games and went right back to his old self. It seems like he gets one game in where the defense can't stop the push downfield and he forgets the old "Any Given Sunday" the following wink and looks like he is stuck on stupid again. When I say that, I mean adjust in game if it isn't there. Don't wait to rack up a loss and make the adjustment next game.

Loved DL's gameplan. Just go get em!!! Don't let them dictate the playcalling. Rattle the QB...I don't care who it is. Those hits stay in their head.

[papillon]

Re: giving credit where it's due.....

i disagree pappy. there was plenty of execution issues yesterday as well. I point to the variety on first down yesterday (for example) as opposed to the patsies. I point to the fact we changed our protection schemes often keeping a back in to help out scott at LT. We even lined up in obvious running situations and (shudder) had DJ in a 3point stance as a fullback! successful games ARE a combination of scheme and execution. Yes, the Steelers did a better job of running the plays but I think there was an obvious difference in how open the offense was yesterday as opposed to recent weeks.

as for the defense that may come down more heavily on the execution side. I'll have to watch the game again but it appeared to me that Ike more often than not was pressed up tight while Bmac was the usual 7-8 yards off the ball. I think they were trying to give the raiders only one place to go and using troy to jump some routes. that's just a first impression however, i'll wait till i break down the film to render final judgement............

The Raiders are a different football team than the Patriots and, of course, causes the game plan to change. The formations, plays and players of the opponent determine what you think will work and what won't. The Raiders are a team on the rise they are not the Patriots or any top tier team and, so more things will work against them than against a top tier team.

The same plays today probably would have failed last week against the Patriots, because the Steelers weren't executing and the opponent was of a different caliber. A game plan is a coordinators opinion of what will work and what won't. The other team sets up a game plan as well; it comes down to which team can execute the game plan. The football acumen of the coordinators doesn't change from week to week, the execution by the players changes.

Pappy