Home Quick Hitters SCB Steelers’ Quick Hitters: The “Morning After Vol. 3” Edition

SCB Steelers’ Quick Hitters: The “Morning After Vol. 3” Edition

by Steeldad
The Bus

Good day Steelers’ Fans. For the first time we wake up on Monday with a loss and there’s a lot to get to so let’s get started.

Football is often a game of inches and yesterday proved that. If not for a few inches, Martavis Bryant hauls in that opening pass. Think of how different that game looks with the Steelers having a 7-0 lead against a Bears’ team that clearly wanted to run the ball all day.

The missed ya likes yesterday…. I just don’t get it. The effort is often there but is the technique? The technique is often there but is the effort? The only player I thought I had solid game on D yesterday was Javon Hargrave.

Last year thru the first three games the Steelers were 2-1 and were averaging 21.6 points per game. This year thru the first three games they are 2-1 and are averaging 21.3 points per game.

Defensively thru the first three games last year the team was giving up 22 points per game. This year they are surrendering 16.6 points per game.

Credit Ben Roethlisberger for taking a great deal of the blame for the loss. He flat out said “I have to play better.”

The empty-back sets are being used way too much in my opinion. If Ben can’t go to one of his first two options the play breaks down and he’s either sacked or pressured into poor throws.

As part of that issue, the lack of a true safety valve for him right now is worrisome. Since Heath Miller retired no one has been able to fill that void.

I thought the idea of bringing in Terrell Watson on short yardage was one that needs to be repeated. He is not going to be held short the way he runs.

Tweet of the Day… We all had this face yesterday Charlie!

Anthony Chickillo has to get better at setting the edge from his Outside Linebacker position. If he wasn’t getting locked inside he was being driven downfield and that just can’t happen. I remain surprised that James Harrison wasn’t given a shot especially on early running downs. It does no good to “save him” for the later season if you aren’t in position to need him then.

This is all I’m going to say about Alejandro Villanueva’s decision to come out and stand for the National Anthem. You haven’t heard the last of this issue.

Keith Butler brought a lot of different run blitzes yesterday and as is always the case, some you win and some you lose. Unfortunately, when he chose the wrong areas to blitz, the tackling on the back end let him down. The run defense in general is something that has worried us since the beginning of the preseason and the Bears clearly saw some things they could take advantage of. I expect very much the same from Baltimore next week.

Speaking of the Ravens, I couldn’t help but laugh when the Jaguars ran a fake punt up by more than four touchdowns. The reason? John Harbaugh once ran a fake point after touchdown against the Steelers up by several scores and the outcome of the game not in doubt.

The penalties for the Steelers were down again. Six for 40 yards this week but again there were some costly, mental mistakes.

The red zone woes continued. Two of four isn’t going to beat good teams. Third down efficiency wasn’t any better either as they went 4 for 11.

Two of the top four tacklers yesterday for the Steelers were from the secondary (Mike Mitchell and J.J. Wilcox) and that’s not usually a good sign. Especially as often as the Bears ran the ball.

Could someone explain what happened to the no-huddle offense?

While Vance McDonald has been disappointing as a tight end, I can say enough about his hustle on the final play of the first half. That’s true leadership and should stand as an example for all players to never quit on a play.

Have a good week Steeler Nation! On to Baltimore!!

 

 

 

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