Game Balls: Week 2

[SteelTorch]

Today marks the return of the unofficial game ball thread! Tada!!!

OFFENSE:

Ben Roethlisberger. The running game was good, but Ben helped keep drives alive and had an all-around amazing game. Most importantly: NO TURNOVERS!!!

DEFENSE:

It's hard to single out anyone in a shutout. No major screw ups, everyone did a good job. I'd say the game ball goes to the D as a whole. However, Troy P was a force today despite not having a pick. Dude looked like he was shot out of a cannon on some plays!



Lame balls go to Bruce Arians. I know, I know. Far be it from me to be picky after a game like this, but once the second half rolled around, BA started resorting to his usual RUTFM on first down. Run, run, pass. Run, run, pass. I know he was trying to run out the clock, yadda yadda, but he's also done that on close games and ended up costing us. I'll say it again: he does nothing for this offense. Also, Tomlin made a bonehead move challenging that non-TD.

O-line looked better, but still needs work. Pass protection needs to get better, but I'm not holding my breath.


Nitpicking aside, an overall great game by everyone! Just what this team needed after last week! Now if we can do that to the OTHER bird team, we'll be good!

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

besides Ben and the defense, I would also give an offensive game ball to Mike Wallace who caught 8 balls for 126 yards and a TD which included a spectacular 53 yard fingertip grab that a lot of NFL WRs would not have hung onto.

and my special teams game ball would go to Sep who booted 3 punts for a 58.3 yard average and continued to show everyone why the Steelers chose him over Kapinos.

as for my lame ball, I'll just go ahead and give that to the Baltimore Ravens who followed up last week's performance by laying an egg against the Titans.

[insanesteelersfan]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

Any win is good. But we shut them out ONLY cause they had a bad QB. In fact Jackson was doing well when the field was not shortened, and was taking the quick little passes. We still aren't getting up close on them. Another better QB would have finished off alot of those drives. And, as good as we moved the ball at times, I still wanted to see more no huddle...where was it ?


Great the Ravens lost Great we won. But I still think our pass protection is weak. Arians did a great job of calling alot of short, quick reads for Ben cause even the Hawks defense was in on Ben really fast alot of the time today. Wallace is proving he is more then just a go long WR. He ran and caught alot of short, quick patterns today. I would say HE gets the number 1 Game ball for today.

[chiken]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

I must have seen a different game. yes there was some o'line breakdowns - but It did seem as though this was as good as we have seen the line play - Ben had quite a few pockets especially after he was injured.

Good showing From the young receivers today. All of them made big 3rd down plays. (umm Hines errrr, had some problems getting open)

[D Rock]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

I must have seen a different game. yes there was some o'line breakdowns - but It did seem as though this was as good as we have seen the line play - Ben had quite a few pockets especially after he was injured.

Good showing From the young receivers today. All of them made big 3rd down plays. (umm Hines errrr, had some problems getting open)

I was very disappointed in the run blocking today, especially in short yardage situations. I lost count of how many times I saw Mendenhall have to stop in the backfield because no holes at all had been opened up.

[feltdizz]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

I must have seen a different game. yes there was some o'line breakdowns - but It did seem as though this was as good as we have seen the line play - Ben had quite a few pockets especially after he was injured.

Good showing From the young receivers today. All of them made big 3rd down plays. (umm Hines errrr, had some problems getting open)

I was very disappointed in the run blocking today, especially in short yardage situations. I lost count of how many times I saw Mendenhall have to stop in the backfield because no holes at all had been opened up.

I think Redman is better at getting the tough yards. Mendenhall dances too much instead of getting a tough 3, some of those holes close quick and I think Redman is a better north south runner. There were a few breakdowns but there were other times when there was a hole and Mend didn't hit it hard. The GL blocking was atrocious but I like Redman in those situations.

[winwithd]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

Offense - Wallace - 8 - 126 - 1 TD He is only just a little off the pace for 2000 yds for the season and he is about on pace to match Rice's record for yards. Ben missed too many open players and nearly gave the Seattle a gift INT. Mendy had a few nice runs but he still dances around too much.

Defense - Polamalu - Keisel had his moments, as did Harrison, but Polamalu would have had it easy if he would have held onto the INT and returned it for a TD. I think he had 3 stops on Seattle's first 3-and-out and with a couple other nice plays I think I have to go with Troy.

ST - Sepulveda - Sep was Sep. I expect booming punts like that, no surprise. 45.6 net (I think). And I also noticed 31, Curtis Brown around the ball a lot in coverage. Yeah he had a bonehead penalty, but otherwise showed up to me. I would not be too surprised to see him replace Gay at some point.

[flippy]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

I'm reluctant to give out game balls.

Seattle is a very bad team. And our OLine was having difficulty blocking 3 guys and our D was having problems getting pressure with 3-4 guys against an inexperienced line.

We're just bad in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Ben wasn't in a rhythm and just isn't running the offense well at this point.

And the D looks like a bit of a train wreck.

Yet we still won 24-0.

I've never felt so mediocre after such a decisive win.

[insanesteelersfan]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

I'm reluctant to give out game balls.

Seattle is a very bad team. And our OLine was having difficulty blocking 3 guys and our D was having problems getting pressure with 3-4 guys against an inexperienced line.

We're just bad in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Ben wasn't in a rhythm and just isn't running the offense well at this point.

And the D looks like a bit of a train wreck.

Yet we still won 24-0.

I've never felt so mediocre after such a decisive win.

Ben wasn't in Rhythm ?...He completed over 74 %, and that was with at least 3 FOR SURE Drops by our WR's. And with a O-Line giving him less then 2 seconds before he felt the heat! Like I said, Arains did a good job today by countering that quick pressure with quick outlet passes to protect Ben. But
at 74 % completion rate, and you call that OUT of Rhythm ?????

[winwithd]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

I dont remember any drops. I remember several that the receivers couldn't get because they were (usually) too high. Ben seemed a little off to me. A lot more check down's though. He had a Marsha Brady type of game. Dink and dump. Although Brock would have been flagged on the hit to the QBs legs if it were Marsha.

The line can do better. I think it was Jonston who commented when Mendy was stopped on the goalline that DJohnson and Legursky didn't block anyone on the play. Early on it seemed to me that Johnson blocked very poorly. I noticed Saunders in the game second half. I dont know if the two are related or not.

[insanesteelersfan]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

Brown had one hit his hands on a 20 Yd pass that I could have cought easily. And Heath had that one, it was a little on his opposite side, but all the radio guys it should have been caught easily. That's two right there. Ben was in NO WAY off his game today,,,especially with our O-Line.


The TRUE game Ball should go to B.Mcfadden! Anyone notice that with him out,,,we SHUT OUT a team That's because with BMac out, he wasn't giving his usual 20 yard cusion on defense.

[NJ-STEELER]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

miller's ball was a little high but catchable.

he's not as agile as these smaller TE/big WR types

[chiken]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

Ben wasn't "off" his game - in fact he was pretty good.. Far from Great but very good. He made plenty of throws and missed a hand full.

And those goal line stops - I guess its been so damn long since I remember those plays being easy for us that I am totally shocked now when we do run it in from close.

We played good week 2 football.

One thing that I thought was really puzzling was not sending Saunders out on a route at least once. (at least I didn't see him out on the route) Thought it would at least give our opponents something to think about even if he is just a decoy.

*after typing this I realized that we don't even target Heath so what the heck... never mind.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

No Game Ball to Tomlin, at least for 1st qrtr clock management.

Two time outs in the 1st two minutes. One of them was on a stupid challenge.

Didn't we wind up using all 3 in the 1st half?

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Game Balls: Week 2

Steelers Report Card: Game 2 vs. Seattle

Monday, September 19, 2011
By Gerry Dulac


QUARTERBACKS A

After throwing three picks and fumbling twice in Baltimore, Ben Roethlisberger came back with the type of patient, efficient performance the offense needed. He completed 22 of 30 passes, many on quick throws, and passed for 298 yards. What's more, he was 7 for 7 for 77 yards and ran the no-huddle to perfection on a drive that ended with a deft 2-yard TD pass to Mike Wallace.

RUNNING BACKS C+

Isaac Redman continues to make big plays, scoring on a 20-yard run, and Rashard Mendenhall carried five times for 33 yards on the first scoring drive. But those were the bright spots. The Steelers stalled twice at the goal line, managing 1 yard on four running plays -- three by Mendenhall. And they didn't do a good job trying to run out the clock in the fourth quarter.

WIDE RECEIVERS A

Mike Wallace is developing into a multidimensional receiver who is just as dangerous with a short quick throw as he is a deep pass. He had his fifth 100-yard receiving game and caught eight passes for the second game in a row, including a 2-yard TD. Emmanuel Sanders added two catches for 44 yards, but how about that throw to Hines Ward on a gadget play?

OFFENSIVE LINE C+

Considering the unit had new starters at left guard (Ramon Foster) and right tackle (Marcus Gilbert), it wasn't all that bad. Gilbert failed to pick up blitzing CB Alan Bigby on a goal-line sack, but played very well after that. Still, the line could not generate any push on four goal-line runs. And Roethlisberger was under too much pressure off the left edge.

DEFENSIVE LINE A

After allowing 170 yards rushing in Baltimore, the unit responded by holding Seattle to 31 yards on 13 carries, with no run longer than 8 yards. DE Brett Keisel had a quarterback hit and batted a pass and DE Aaron Smith got good pressure and forced plays inside. Even backup Steve McClendon got in on the action with a half-sack.

LINEBACKERS A

They were certainly more active and more involved than the game in Baltimore, when tight ends and running backs were flashing free in the middle of the field. They did a good job taking away short passes and combined for 3 1/2 of the five sacks on Seattle QB Tarvaris Jackson. RB Marshawn Lynch had only 11 yards on six carries and rarely got to the second tier.

DEFENSIVE BACKS A

Jackson's numbers looked solid -- 20 of 29 for 159 yards and no interceptions -- but he never challenged the secondary and didn't complete a pass longer than 17 yards. CB William Gay started for injured Bryant McFadden and had a couple of big pass breakups. CB Ike Taylor allowed just one harmless completion for 9 yards, his first in two games. And Troy Polamalu didn't look old and slow.

SPECIAL TEAMS A-

Daniel Sepulveda didn't have to punt much, but when he did he was outstanding. He averaged 58.3 yards on three punts, including a 66-yarder. Antonio Brown had a 41-yard punt return to averaged 13.5 yards on four returns. And the coverage units held Leon Washington to 39 yards on two returns. But there was a dumb personal foul penalty after a play by rookie Curtis Brown.

COACHING A

The Steelers didn't try to play with a vengeance after what happened in Baltimore; they just tried to play the way they know how. And they did that with their first shutout in 34 games and an efficient ball-control performance by the offense, led by Roethlisberger. The only gaffe was challenging Mendenhall's failed goal-line attempt on the opening series when it was apparent he was down.

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