Giants and Eli - we're not playing the JV anymore

[feltdizz]

Yeah we saw one decent play by Cockrell, but overall he wasn't particularly stellar yesterday, or anytime this season. And yes, Mitchell's prime asset is the fact that he will intimidate some of the more chicken receivers with his wild hits. But he's not fast, and often not at the right place just in time. He did deliver a few good plays yesterday, though.

i watched Mitchell when he played for Carolina. He feasted on QB's who made bad reads due to pressure by the front 4. Last night we saw him do the same thing. If we get pressure, Mitchell isn't a bad player but if QB's have time to throw he will be late because he isn't a fast guy and he doesn't take the best angles.

I enjoy his hitting and find it hilarious how some fans criticize him over it. It's like they have been conditioned to hate hard hits due to Goodell.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

i watched Mitchell when he played for Carolina. He feasted on QB's who made bad reads due to pressure by the front 4. Last night we saw him do the same thing. If we get pressure, Mitchell isn't a bad player but if QB's have time to throw he will be late because he isn't a fast guy and he doesn't take the best angles.

I enjoy his hitting and find it hilarious how some fans criticize him over it. It's like they have been conditioned to hate hard hits due to Goodell.

I think legal hits are fine. My problem with him is that he's more likely to get a 15-yarder than our other guys, either because the refs suck and think a hard hit must probably be illegal "somehow", and also because all it takes is him to be off by a couple of inches and there'll be a H2H or "defenseless receiver" penalty, which they *love* to call.

Actually, if he could play the ball at least half-way better, I'd probably not have such a problem with him. As it is now, he has certain Burfect-like qualities that I don't like.

Just my 2c.

[steelers75]

The Steelers defense does well in close spaces but they are still truly awful defending the open field.

Seems to me that's pretty much by design league wide to cater to the fantasy football crowd. If a DB so much as sneezes near a WR, he gets a flag anymore. Unless, of course, their name is Richard Sherman, in which case they're allowed to mug receivers with impunity all over the field.

[Iron City Inc.]

Mitchell's timed speed today I do not know however on his pro day he ran a 4.43.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Mitchell has had a couple of good games this season, and a bunch of poor/mediocre ones. He's not lacking in speed, IMO, and he's really good at laying a big hit on a vulnerable player. But he's often slow to react, and too often takes bad angles or doesn't wrap up on tackles. He got two passes defensed in each of the last two games, but before that, he had only two in the previous nine games--including a 7-game stretch (nearly half a season) when he registered zero. Hopefully, he's turning the corner and will have a great final stretch, but for the first half of this season, he was one of the big problems on this D, IMO.

[NorthCoast]

i watched Mitchell when he played for Carolina. He feasted on QB's who made bad reads due to pressure by the front 4. Last night we saw him do the same thing. If we get pressure, Mitchell isn't a bad player but if QB's have time to throw he will be late because he isn't a fast guy and he doesn't take the best angles.

I enjoy his hitting and find it hilarious how some fans criticize him over it. It's like they have been conditioned to hate hard hits due to Goodell.

I agree. Seems he has poor football instincts. Plays so far off it is rare he can get to a guy to break up a pass, mostly relying on a big hit to separate the ball. And with the rules in place now he is more likely to get a penalty than a breakup.

[feltdizz]

I agree. Seems he has poor football instincts. Plays so far off it is rare he can get to a guy to break up a pass, mostly relying on a big hit to separate the ball. And with the rules in place now he is more likely to get a penalty than a breakup.

I'm old-school I played safety. I don't mind a big hit even if it draws a penalty every now and then.

Safeties grt get flagged for hits and CB's get flags for PI's. It's part of the game.

Not sure why Mitchell getting a penalty is so much worse than DD or Villanueva getting a holding call that nullifies a big gain.

[pittpete]

The play by Cockrell was great but he has been pretty bad this year IMO. I expected more from him this year. Mitchell fast? I don't think so... if he was fast he would have more pass defenses the last few years. He is usually a step late but delivers some big hits.

..and how is Mitchell one penalty away from losin a game? Thats a silly prediction. Every defender is one play away from losing a game if that's the case. one penalty doesn't lose a game. A penalty can extend a drive and plenty of players have done that over the years on defense and offensive players have nullified big plays with penalties.

Your mitchell prediction sounds crazy.

Do you watch the games?
Mitchell is pretty fast but he plays so far off he's never in position to make a play on the BALL.
The Bengals disagree with your a penalty cant lose a game statement.
Whats crazy about a loose cannon taking a needless 15 yarder and extending a drive?

Cockrell has 10 passes defensed this year and has been pretty solid so again i ask, do you watch the games?

[pittpete]

I'm old-school I played safety. I don't mind a big hit even if it draws a penalty every now and then.

Safeties grt get flagged for hits and CB's get flags for PI's. It's part of the game.

Not sure why Mitchell getting a penalty is so much worse than DD or Villanueva getting a holding call that nullifies a big gain.

I'd agree with you 10 years ago but today if you sniff a guy the wrong way, the flag comes out.
Ball hawking safety >big hitter in 2016's NFL

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Seems he has poor football instincts. Plays so far off it is rare he can get to a guy to break up a pass, mostly relying on a big hit to separate the ball. And with the rules in place now he is more likely to get a penalty than a breakup.

$$$$$$$.
I think he would be a good SS (if he was a little better at tackling), but I think the Steelers should try to upgrade at FS.

[steelsnis]

I'm old-school I played safety. I don't mind a big hit even if it draws a penalty every now and then.

Safeties grt get flagged for hits and CB's get flags for PI's. It's part of the game.

Not sure why Mitchell getting a penalty is so much worse than DD or Villanueva getting a holding call that nullifies a big gain.

Mitchell has 3 penalties this season. 3 penalties through 11 games. Decastro on the other hand has 8. Dizz is right on

[bostonsteeler]

Mitchell has 3 penalties this season. 3 penalties through 11 games. Decastro on the other hand has 8. Dizz is right on

Only two of MM's penalties are for unnecessary roughnes. The third was for some technicality -- block above the waist I think.
Timmons has the same number of roughness penalties as MM.

Our D as a unit has fewer penalties than the O.

[feltdizz]

Do you watch the games?
Mitchell is pretty fast but he plays so far off he's never in position to make a play on the BALL.
The Bengals disagree with your a penalty cant lose a game statement.
Whats crazy about a loose cannon taking a needless 15 yarder and extending a drive?

Cockrell has 10 passes defensed this year and has been pretty solid so again i ask, do you watch the games?

You might be right about Mitchell. Maybe the correct term is slow to react.

The bengals lost the game because of a cheap shot artist and another 15 yarder by a different player for attacking a coach. Do YOU watch the games? Seems like you see something totally different from reality due to some type of bias against certain Steelers.

Mitchell doesn't deliver cheap shots and he only has a few penalties this year.

Where is your anger for Decastro's 8 or 9 holding penalties? Decastro actually ended Pounceys season but here you are complaining about how Mitchell or AB "might" lose us a game in the future.

Do do you watch the games or just yell at Mitchell for what he might do and scream at AB when he scores TD's?

[feltdizz]

Mitchell has 3 penalties this season. 3 penalties through 11 games. Decastro on the other hand has 8. Dizz is right on

They are watching the game through yinzer goggles. Always waiting for players they don't like to mess up so they can go on a rant. Mitchell has been one play away from losing a game since he got off the plane in Pittsburgh. It's odd how analyst are praising Mitchell for a good hit and a few people in chat are screaming about how it will eventually cost us a game.

When it cost us a game then scream I told you so but until then it's pretty lame to constantly harp on it.

Illegal formations, pass interference, holding calls that nullify 1st downs... those have bigger impacts on the game than a hard hit.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

...
Illegal formations, pass interference, holding calls that nullify 1st downs... those have bigger impacts on the game than a hard hit.

It's not a binary thing! Bonehead penalties are bad, whether from holding, or illegal hits, (or dancing ).

I have no idea where this concept of a 15-yard penalty being acceptable in some circumstances came from. Totally bizarre.