Home 2014 Season SCB Steelers Wrap-Up; Steelers Beat Jags 17-9

SCB Steelers Wrap-Up; Steelers Beat Jags 17-9

by Steeldad

In the National Football League, a win is a win. It doesn’t matter how or who it’s against. You take it and move on because the goal is making the playoffs and no one cares who you beat to get there.

The Steelers did not play well but they played well enough as they beat Jacksonville 17-9 and now head into a crucial AFC North game at Cleveland. The Browns came back to defeat Tennessee and will have great momentum.

-There is clearly an issue between Mike Tomlin and Lance Moore. I’m not excusing Moore for his spike following his first reception as a Steeler but it was obvious from the interaction between Tomlin and Moore following the play that something is going on there.

-I love me some Ben Roethlisberger but he has to do a better job of taking care of the football. Even if he just takes a sack there, the Steelers could have kicked a field goal to gain some distance from the Jags.

-That said, Roethlisberger proved why you need to let him win the game down the stretch as he completed his final ten passes and Todd Haley allowed Big Ben to throw to win the game.

-Only injury issue as of right now is Shamarko Thomas who left the game with a hamstring injury.

-It went down to Ben’s final pass but Antonio Brown extended his record of five receptions and 50 yards in a game to 21-straight.

-Was very surprised how little Heath Miller was involved considering the Jaguars have struggled with tight ends this season.

-Steelers won the turnover battle 2-1.

-With Baltimore losing to Indy, they drop to 3-2 along with the Steelers. Cincy plays Sunday night against New England.

-Special teams’ penalties continue to be an issue. ST captain Rob Golden had two more today on top of one he had last week. These just are not acceptable penalties and they often kill the offensive or defensive momentum.

-Mike Tomlin said he wasn’t surprised by Brice McCain’s pick-six because he had four interceptions in practice this week.

-The Dri Archer selection looks worse every week. Not giving up on the kid but it doesn’t look promising.

-Roethlisberger was sacked four more times today. Mike Munchak and his charges need to get the problem fixed because there are better defenses coming in the future.

-Can anyone tell me where the no-huddle offense has gone?

Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteelDad and the website @SCBlitz. Check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/steelcityblitz and on Fancred.com. You can hear him weekly during the season on Trib-Live Radio Steelers Pre-Game

photo courtesy news4jax.com

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22 comments

Vittorio Di Stazio October 5, 2014 - 10:16 pm

The No-Huddle Offense was there today just not as much as previous games. J.Brown is now playing good enough to start over Moore. I don’t think the Steelers are trying hard enough to find ways to use Archer. If they were smart put him in the slot and let him catch and run with provided blocking of course. Heath mad big catches at Big Times in the game to extend drives and was a contributor to there lone TD. The D needs more sacks but how can argue 2 Int’s and 1 of them was a pick-six. Kiesel had a big knockdown that ended the last chance for the Jags. The next game will be tough but here is the matchup everyone should watch: Browns RB’s vs Steelers Run Defense. If the Steelers stuff the run then they can go after Hoyer. I know you have said LeBeau needs to change how he runs the D but how? His scheme used to work now everyone is running the same type of D the Steelers typically would use. LeBeau is basically trying to keep things in front of him and that’s it. I don’t see much changing.

steeldad October 6, 2014 - 12:25 am

The Steelers went no-huddle on a few sporadic occasions but I still feel we were duped into thinking it was going to be a bigger part of the offense than it has been,,, I agree about Archer. Not sure why they don’t use him across the middle on three and five yard drags. Nobody can keep up with him. Not sure why they don’t try letting him go deep either… I give DLB credit for righting the ship in terms of getting the run defense under control but there are still some big time passers on the schedule. He’s got to create more pressure.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 6, 2014 - 1:31 am

Yeah I know what’s coming and you’re right they need more pressure if they are going to survive. Archer can be useful if done correctly it would mean explosive plays such as the one against the Giants in the 1st preseason game.

bob graff October 6, 2014 - 2:31 am

Ok i’m going to say it again here are the plays that work on offense slants , double move pass plays, bootlegs, miss direction runs and over the middle to the TE. Here’s what doesn’t work power O draw, bubble screens and short passes under the cover. But the Steelers continue to run these non productive plays. Granted some players stat sheets look nice but we aren’t pressuring defenses and are at best average on offense. I will give you that we did pressure and confuse Bortles. I would grade them out as a c- overall.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 6, 2014 - 3:48 am

Look we are just fans not Ben nor are we the OC even though I know most of you would believe your better than Haley and that I doubt that. The Bubble Screen can be effective when you have the right blocking. The offense as a whole can be very effective when they are clicking on all cylinders just like in the 1st half of the Browns game. My advice is to cool off on the Offense and focus more on the D.

bob graff October 6, 2014 - 12:29 pm

Well sir with 30+ years coaching experience i may have picked up a thing or two along the way. And it is obvious that Haley is running his offense and not running plays that would be effective for the team he has on the field. Every great coach plays towards his strengths. It goes something like this “don’t tell me what doesn’t work what’s important is what does” and i will say this one last time Haley was not a football player he was a golfer and the only reason he is where he is is daddy. We need real football people.

Donald October 6, 2014 - 3:52 pm

I know many will disagree, but Ben causes many of those sacks by holding on to the ball too damn long. It’s really frustrating to watch him stand there all day surveying the field instead of getting rid of the ball or taking off and running. Not to mention how many times they got in scoring position against the Jags only to end up settling for FGs. Ben just isn’t that great of a QB as far as producing TDs in the red zone.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 6, 2014 - 6:56 pm

Donald that is such BS. Ben is not Brady or Manning and throwing quick strikes to his targets. He can’t nor will he ever be those guys. Ben holds the ball to allow the WR’s more time to get open and it works. His redzone stats tell a very different story that what your saying. How many times have I said the OL just wants the money and does not care if Ben gets hurt or not. As far the rest of the Offense goes that blame goes squarely on ART II. He has never forgiven Ben for the 2010 Georgia situation and probably never will despite nothing came out of it. This team can’t throw long balls cause guys like Wheaton and Brown no matter how good they are or will be don’t fit the mold of Deep Threats. Those guys fit the mold of 10-15 yard catch guys with run after catch ability. Look Arians may not have been able to protect Ben but he got Ben to 4 playoff appearances, 2 AFC Championships and 2 Superbowls with his style of Offense with pretty much no run game. ART II wanted to keep Ben upright and healthy but at the same time you eliminate big plays potentially. You can’t ask Ben to be Brady or Manning cause he can’t be Molded like that. Ben is a mobile QB from his days at Miami(OH) to now as Steeler.

Donald October 6, 2014 - 9:05 pm

Well if that’s the case, then Big Ben must be full of BS himself. Read for yourself in the link below what he had to say following his performance against the Jags yesterday.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/10/06/Steelers-notebook-Roethlisberger-down-on-himself-but-happy-to-win/stories/201410060153

BTW, I never said he had to be ‘Brady’ or any other QB. I said he just needs to get rid of the damn ball quicker and stop putting more pressure on his linemen to hold their blocks. Everybody wants to fault the O-line for Ben’s sacks when many of them can be attributed to Ben himself.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 6, 2014 - 9:16 pm

You are only looking at the QB an not the WR’s. Ben scrambles to allow guys like AB, Wheaton, Miller and other more time to slip past the defender an get open. Ben will never be allowed to have the offense he wants cause ownership wants a run first team cause ART II does not believe in the passing league that is the NFL today. I’m not the only person who thinks that. Go talk guys like Stan Savran or how about asking the guys at 93.7 what they think. Ben wants to control the Offense but as I said before ownership won’t allow that. I wish it was different but how do you convince a guy like ART II to change his beliefs when he is stead fast in not changing them.

Donald October 6, 2014 - 9:38 pm

Oh, so now u can not only read my mind and tell who or what I’m watching during the game, but you also know exactly what Art II prefers in terms of the focus of the offense , eh? Wow, u’re truly gifted. LOL

I believe Ben holds the ball too long because he’s not that good at reading his progressions and gettin’ the ball to the open man consistently enough for my satisfaction and I’m sure there are other Steelers fans that agree with me. Not that that matters Fortunately for him, he’s often been able, because of his size and strength, to escape pressure. But, if he got rid of the ball quicker he wouldn’t be subject to many of those sacks he’s suffered. As to your ‘theory’ about the Steelers front office somehow mandating that the offense rely primarily on a ground attack as opposed to a passing attack is nothing more than mere conjecture on your part. Now, Haley may prefer more of a ground attack and perhaps Tomlin endorses that, but that has absolutely nothing to do with Ben holding the ball too damn long.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 6, 2014 - 11:08 pm

No that is not conjecture it’s fact and it’s 1 reason why Arians was fired and Haley was hired. Ben is not a quick throw QB. Ben is not a dummy as you say(not literally but in so many words you called Ben a dummy) he can read progression and the D as well as any QB does and I’ve seen more than enough games for that to be proven. Haley was brought in to run the ball better and get the ball out of Ben’s hands quicker but you can’t change what worked for him so well into something different it just won’t happen. If not for his scrambling and extension of plays the Steelers would have more losses in prior years then what they have now. Tomlin has okayed way to much of what Haley calls and not enough of what Ben wants to call and run. The No-Huddle is what Ben has said he would want as the offense. He would call most if not all of the plays at the line and go from there, but that is something ownership does not want. they still have the same old philosophy from the 70’s which can’t work in today’s NFL. If Ben was given control of the Offense I seriously doubt any of us would be on here talking about the Offesne.

Donald October 6, 2014 - 11:40 pm

Well it’s not like he thrived under Arians either IMO. Fortunately for him, he had a much stronger rush attack to back him up back then than he had up until this season. So bringing in Haley seems to have made lil, if any, difference in his performances. If you go back to that first SB he played in he almost cost them that game with a VERY dumb interception that no top QB would ever make in a game of that magnitude and I still see him make some of the same types of dumb mistakes now. Even in yesterday’s game he overthrew a WIDE OPEN Miller when all he had to do was toss the damn ball to him. His touch is very suspect at times from what I’ve observed over the course of his pro career. I’m glad the Steelers front office did not jump to soon to give him a contract extension, may have been the wisest move they’ve made so far this season. Still, I expect they’ll end up giving it to him, but it’s wise to see how he performs first before doing so.

BTW, I never called or referred to him as a ‘dummy’, that’s YOUR word. Please try to refrain from puttin’ words in my mouth. I’d actually be glad if they let him run the no-huddle and call his own plays all the time, that way he’ll have to take the blame for any boneheaded plays that are called. Of course, that would mean they wouldn’t even really need an OC and could just fire Haley and not hire a replacement, which I’d actually be ok with.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 7, 2014 - 1:30 am

No you did with certain words you used. By question his ability to read the D go through his progressions you have effectively called him a dummy. Not giving him the extension was stupid move cause without him they would be lucky to win at best 2-4 games per season. You care or dare to disagree with me by my guest cause you would lose the argument.

Donald October 7, 2014 - 3:35 am

We already had established that we don’t agree, so that’s a moot point. And again, u choose to continue to try to put words in my mouth. If u choose to call him a ‘dummy’ then that’s on u. As to ur assertion that they would only win 2-4 games without him, that’s a joke. All they would have to do is draft or trade for a QB that can make his reads and get rid of the ball quicker.

bob graff October 7, 2014 - 2:25 am

All right here it goes Haley sucks he truly sucks. We have some talent but he is a complete idiot and we will never go any where as long as he is running the offense. There i got it out and i feel better if you choose to disagree fine everyone is entitled to an opinion despite what some believe. I hate nepotism and that what this bull crap is. I mean look at the media guide they even hired Colbert kid as a scout. Everyone’s trying to figure out what’s wrong it’s right there look at at.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 7, 2014 - 3:19 am

Let me ask you this bob graff: when have I ever defended Haley? Nobody thinks he is answer but we can’t nothing about it. Arians was fired for a couple of reasons: 1.could not keep Ben upright. 2.Had no run game or one that was consistent and 3.he was friends with Ben and I have said many times along with any sports personalities feel that contributed to him being fired.

bob graff October 7, 2014 - 3:55 am

Hey, Vittorio i really wasn’t addressing that rant towards you. I just needed to say it, There are plenty of very good offensive coaches out there, just so happens none of them work for the Steelers. Yes at times you could make a case for him but he’s scheme doesn’t make any sense for this team or any other one i can think of. With the right play calling and the 2 talented backs we have plus Brown we could a better than average. And with great coaching we could be excellent. But we are what we are average joes right now.

Vittorio Di Stazio October 7, 2014 - 10:43 pm

Now my questions to all of you is this: What Offensive Coordinator is the right choice for the Steelers and where does that guy come from? You are all dead set against Haley so answer me who is the right man for the job?

steeldad October 9, 2014 - 11:13 am

I am Vittorio!

bob graff October 9, 2014 - 2:07 am

Mike Martz

Vittorio Di Stazio October 9, 2014 - 6:54 pm

Are you people nuts? If they had Mike Martz he would be doing the same thing Haley is doing and you know that. Martz would do the same thing Haley is doing and guess what you people will still complain about it.

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