Fourth and 1

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I don't feel like I've seen enough on this topic.

1. WHY were they going for it? A FG gets you to within 7. Kick the FG get to 9 points and a 16-9 score. Y'all, I'm often perceived as a Tomlin supporter, but this decision was horrible. It'd be one thing if we had an offense that got lots of yards during this game.

2. I know the commentator said, "advanced analytics says...", but that's generic. League-wide. It doesn't consider that you may well be the 32 ranked offense and therefore would be much lower than average. Advanced analytics are LEAGUE wide without consideration for what YOUR team is like.

3. What was that play call? Why is the team so determined to do 3rd/4th and 1 out of the shotgun? There wasn't even a play fake to Naj to make the defense consider the possibility that it might be a run. If you have him in instead of Warren, at least take advantage of the fact that teams seem to key on him as a runner when he's in - and I read that to that point, Naj was averaging 5.1 YPC; a pro defense would fully bite on 4th and 1 with a guy averaging 5.1 getting the play fake.

Note: That was Jones' man...

I'm hoping KP isn't out long (I did see not a tear at this point), but this decision changed the trajectory of the game.

[SidSmythe]

CANADA is a D3 College Coach obsessed w/ Shotgun regardless of the situation.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

I don't feel like I've seen enough on this topic.

1. WHY were they going for it? A FG gets you to within 7. Kick the FG get to 9 points and a 16-9 score. Y'all, I'm often perceived as a Tomlin supporter, but this decision was horrible. It'd be one thing if we had an offense that got lots of yards during this game.

2. I know the commentator said, "advanced analytics says...", but that's generic. League-wide. It doesn't consider that you may well be the 32 ranked offense and therefore would be much lower than average. Advanced analytics are LEAGUE wide without consideration for what YOUR team is like.

3. What was that play call? Why is the team so determined to do 3rd/4th and 1 out of the shotgun? There wasn't even a play fake to Naj to make the defense consider the possibility that it might be a run. If you have him in instead of Warren, at least take advantage of the fact that teams seem to key on him as a runner when he's in - and I read that to that point, Naj was averaging 5.1 YPC; a pro defense would fully bite on 4th and 1 with a guy averaging 5.1 getting the play fake.

Note: That was Jones' man...

I'm hoping KP isn't out long (I did see not a tear at this point), but this decision changed the trajectory of the game.

+ 3 Well it should have been. It was a Tomlin decsion. The man is tech blind as has bad football instincts. The worst combination for a modern day coach. We have all seen that over the years. PM me if you need examples.

[Chucktownsteeler]

I agree with all of this except blaming Jones. KP8 turned right into the pass rusher. He bails the other way he is still running.

Here are my concerns:

1.) Matt Canada - nothing needs to be said that hasn't already been said.

2.) KP8 pocket presence and seeing the field. Man, to date his pocket presence is worse than Mason )by 10 fold). His football instincts are as bad as I have ever seen. He is constantly bailing into the pass rushers arms. He is not seeing the field or is processing the progressions fast enough. My concern is these weakness I don't believe can be improved, even if we had coaches. I am starting to think KP8 may not have the "IT" factor for an NFL QB.

[Joel Buchsbaum]

I agree with all of this except blaming Jones. KP8 turned right into the pass rusher. He bails the other way he is still running.

Here are my concerns:

1.) Matt Canada - nothing needs to be said that hasn't already been said.

2.) KP8 pocket presence and seeing the field. Man, to date his pocket presence is worse than Mason )by 10 fold). His football instincts are as bad as I have ever seen. He is constantly bailing into the pass rushers arms. He is not seeing the field or is processing the progressions fast enough. My concern is these weakness I don't believe can be improved, even if we had coaches. I am starting to think KP8 may not have the "IT" factor for an NFL QB.

+1 again. He KP8 lacks " football IQ "

[feltdizz]

Jones wasn’t responsible for that sack.

Yes, Kenny ran into that sack but its because WR’s were 15 yards downfield and he had already been sacked a few times.

Dumb ass decision and even worse play call AFTER a timeout.

This is why I hate analytics too. Go for it!!! Its what they say. Man, screw that nonsense and kick the FG if you aren’t going to let it hang and get 1 yard with your big back who was running angry that game.

[NorthCoast]

I don't feel like I've seen enough on this topic.

1. WHY were they going for it? A FG gets you to within 7. Kick the FG get to 9 points and a 16-9 score. Y'all, I'm often perceived as a Tomlin supporter, but this decision was horrible. It'd be one thing if we had an offense that got lots of yards during this game.

2. I know the commentator said, "advanced analytics says...", but that's generic. League-wide. It doesn't consider that you may well be the 32 ranked offense and therefore would be much lower than average. Advanced analytics are LEAGUE wide without consideration for what YOUR team is like.

3. What was that play call? Why is the team so determined to do 3rd/4th and 1 out of the shotgun? There wasn't even a play fake to Naj to make the defense consider the possibility that it might be a run. If you have him in instead of Warren, at least take advantage of the fact that teams seem to key on him as a runner when he's in - and I read that to that point, Naj was averaging 5.1 YPC; a pro defense would fully bite on 4th and 1 with a guy averaging 5.1 getting the play fake.

Note: That was Jones' man...

I'm hoping KP isn't out long (I did see not a tear at this point), but this decision changed the trajectory of the game.

Help me understand the mentality of snapping a ball backward 5 yards on a 4th and 1 play. At least put KP under center where there is some semblance of a possible run/pass (although, we already know they run 90% of the time from under center).

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I agree with all of this except blaming Jones. KP8 turned right into the pass rusher. He bails the other way he is still running.

Here are my concerns:

1.) Matt Canada - nothing needs to be said that hasn't already been said.

2.) KP8 pocket presence and seeing the field. Man, to date his pocket presence is worse than Mason )by 10 fold). His football instincts are as bad as I have ever seen. He is constantly bailing into the pass rushers arms. He is not seeing the field or is processing the progressions fast enough. My concern is these weakness I don't believe can be improved, even if we had coaches. I am starting to think KP8 may not have the "IT" factor for an NFL QB.

That wasn't a "blame". I simply stated a fact. It was, in fact, Jones' man.

I was so traumatized by the decision, formation and result, I didn't even back it up to see how we got there.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Help me understand the mentality of snapping a ball backward 5 yards on a 4th and 1 play. At least put KP under center where there is some semblance of a possible run/pass (although, we already know they run 90% of the time from under center).

I honestly think they were all, "we'll line up with Najee on 4th and 1, THEN we'll pass - THAT will fool 'em... wait, we're passing, go shotgun - they'll never know what hit 'em, muahahaha".

["BuzzNuter"]

Bill Cowher used to say, "You can't beat em by fooling them".
Bill Cowher also would have kicked the FG there.

I thought that if we didn't want to put Kenny under center and run Najee on a dive play, then we should have kicked the FG. That one play was the game.

That was the stupidest play call I have seen the Steelers make in 50 years. For that reason alone Matt Canada should have been given his walking papers last night. Somebody's head has got to roll. Art II has got to come out kickin a** and taking names.

In closing , if we don't get Kenny a new OC we are going to lose him. He is not as bad as he is playing. Get the kid an OC that can build his confidence or he will fall into the perpetual backup roll and we will be looking for a new QB for the next 20 years.

[Prowler]

Here is my assessment of the situation.

Tomlin is a fool and should have kicked the field goal to get within 7 points.

Canada is crap and he is the resident retard on the team. He and Tomlin must go!

I love Kenny but he is playing terrible and ran into the sack. No QB in the NFL would be successful in this garbage offense.

I think Jones will be great, but he was a floundering fat ass on that play helping getting Pickett injured.

Right now everything about the team stinks. I can't imagine being subjected to another 13 games of this bs!

[papillon]

I didn't see the game. What was the down, distance, field position, and quarter of the game? Here's my reasoning.

If its in the 1st or 2nd quarter, yup, bad decision in my opinion, take the points make it a 7 point game.
If the game is in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter and the offense has proven that it can't move the ball and you're inside the 40 yard line, I go for it figuring this is probably the only chance we get at a TD today and get the game to within 3 points, maybe the defense stiffens and you only have to move 30-40 yards for the game tying FG at some point. In this scenario I'm ok with the decision to go for it but it sounds like a bad play was called but that's irrelevant to the decision to go for it.

Pappy

[feltdizz]

I didn't see the game. What was the down, distance, field position, and quarter of the game? Here's my reasoning.

If its in the 1st or 2nd quarter, yup, bad decision in my opinion, take the points make it a 7 point game.
If the game is in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter and the offense has proven that it can't move the ball and you're inside the 40 yard line, I go for it figuring this is probably the only chance we get at a TD today and get the game to within 3 points, maybe the defense stiffens and you only have to move 30-40 yards for the game tying FG at some point. In this scenario I'm ok with the decision to go for it but it sounds like a bad play was called but that's irrelevant to the decision to go for it.

Pappy

it was late in the 3rd or early in the 4th.l if I recall. I didn’t get to see the whole game tho due to family business.

Given the way we were playing I think points would’ve given us more momentum. Of course its hindsight and if we make it, its a great call but the play call was so bad it was clearly the wrong decision.

[Chucktownsteeler]

Regardless, the play call is indefensible, especially when it failed a few weeks ago.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

I didn't see the game. What was the down, distance, field position, and quarter of the game? Here's my reasoning.

If its in the 1st or 2nd quarter, yup, bad decision in my opinion, take the points make it a 7 point game.
If the game is in the 3rd quarter or 4th quarter and the offense has proven that it can't move the ball and you're inside the 40 yard line, I go for it figuring this is probably the only chance we get at a TD today and get the game to within 3 points, maybe the defense stiffens and you only have to move 30-40 yards for the game tying FG at some point. In this scenario I'm ok with the decision to go for it but it sounds like a bad play was called but that's irrelevant to the decision to go for it.

Pappy

Game Situation
After trailing 16-0 at halftime, the Steelers got momentum in the 3rd quarter. They had back-to-back successful drives that ended in FG, cutting the score to 16-6. To that point in the 3rd, the defense had stops and is why the texans were still at 16 points.

The ball was roughly at the 30 yard line. If you kick the FG the score is 16-9, a 7 point game with more than a quarter to play.