OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Sneaking up onto training camp

[bigdaddyk88]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1701036208371945807

This was Jf week 1 last season

 

[Smoke]

It's weird watching a Detroit Lions team have an actual identity

 

[Empoleon8771]

What a terrific game for SNF, the Rams and Lions have such an underrated rivalry due to the Stafford-Goff trade.

 

[wheelz87]

When I saw the offensive line today I just shook my head in disgust. They actually didn't do too bad. Frazier makes a massive difference. Cole was atrocious.

I'm far from an expert - and who watches the line actively during games anyways - but they held up pretty damn well. Which is a bit unfortunate because I want Fautanu in there asap ha.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I was really pleasantly surprised by Fields. After that first drive he pretty much did what was asked of him even though it wasn't much. He's a good guy to have as an insurance policy for Wilson. His speed and deep ball at least keeps defenses honest.

I legit forgot what it was like to watch the Steelers offense operate without the defense going run commit on every 1st and 2nd down.

 

[Peat]

I feel like Smith's getting some faint praise all things considered. The offence was never that talented to begin with, then they get a bunch of injuries that change things over the last months. That was never a carve them up day, it was always a do enough day, and they did. They did a good job moving the chains by running on what was a tough run defence unit last year and they were able to take advantage of what that opened up deep with some smart plays.

Yeah, he wasn't perfect, and some of the calls were very conservative, but the game situations on the very conservative calls led me to believe the conservatism was mandated from above. Thou shalt not risk a field goal position in a close game.

I'd also give a nod to the much doubted Meyer. Even allowing for the commentators pointing out that Atlanta were not a good pass rush unit last year, that one could have been rough and wasn't.

I don't know those two are the answers and I don't know the team will handle things when the unit is more cohesive but I thought they did well for the day.

 

[WickedWrister]

I feel like Smith's getting some faint praise all things considered. The offence was never that talented to begin with, then they get a bunch of injuries that change things over the last months. That was never a carve them up day, it was always a do enough day, and they did. They did a good job moving the chains by running on what was a tough run defence unit last year and they were able to take advantage of what that opened up deep with some smart plays.

Yeah, he wasn't perfect, and some of the calls were very conservative, but the game situations on the very conservative calls led me to believe the conservatism was mandated from above. Thou shalt not risk a field goal position in a close game.

I'd also give a nod to the much doubted Meyer. Even allowing for the commentators pointing out that Atlanta were not a good pass rush unit last year, that one could have been rough and wasn't.

I don't know those two are the answers and I don't know the team will handle things when the unit is more cohesive but I thought they did well for the day.

I wonder what Connor Heyward's role is, or if he even has one in this offense without an injury. Only received 5 snaps which is his fewest in a game since his rookie year. I know there was some fan speculation about him getting a larger role but seems to be the odd man out right now.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1701036208371945807

This was Jf week 1 last season

You don't need to sell me on the problems being the Steelers coaching and not always the players.

The good right now is that Fields isn't just throwing for the sake of throwing, he's throwing smarter but the confidence to throw deep ball more often has to be the OC calling those plays to give him that opportunity rather than playing it safe. Fields can come out of Wilson being hurt right now with having a very good future on the Steelers if the OC trusts him more.

 

[Peat]

I wonder what Connor Heyward's role is, or if he even has one in this offense without an injury. Only received 5 snaps which is his fewest in a game since his rookie year. I know there was some fan speculation about him getting a larger role but seems to be the odd man out right now.

Yeah. I thought Smith would like Heyward as a multi-use tool who could block and contribute in the run game, but right now it looks like he prefers Washington and Pruitt as blockers and doesn't really care if they're not great route runners.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I was at a bar without sound so forgive me if I confused some details.

Another game that aligns with Tomlin’s philosophy: drag the other team into the back alley for a down and dirty fight. Hope that you land the last punch, but you still go home staggered and hurting for a few days. You can do that once in awhile, but to do it every weekend gets exhausting for everyone.

Offense/Art Smith – Hey, a modern NFL offense with bootlegs, QB draws, and plays that build on top of each other! Very novel. I haven’t seen an offense with a purpose since the Whisenhunt/Arians days. While they did not score a TD and sputtered frequently, the foundation is there and you can see the foundation being built instead of the grab bag offense of Canada, Haley, etc. You have to allow some grace for a backup QB taking snaps instead of the presumed starter. Art Smith was as advertised and I liked the concepts he’s implementing. He even got Washington involved catching a pass! On the downside he had Van Jefferson catch a backfield pass and the play required Austin making a block. Those roles should have been reversed.

Fields – This was not the Fields I saw play in Chicago: a wild stallion capable of big plays and big mistakes. He’s certainly received instruction to take the safe play. For instance, he had Washington wide open over the middle for a good 15-20 yard gain but instead selected Muth on his rollout to the left for a 8 yard gain. I saw Fields be methodical in going through his progressions too. Something that Fields either barely had time to do or he was merely a 1 side of the field read guy. He had some missfires in terms of leading the receiver and making his receivers be awkward in catching it, but overall fairly accurate.

RBs- Harris was his typical self: lots of carries with meager yards to show for it. Granted, there weren’t many holes to run through as Jarrett caused a ton of issues. Warren played sparingly and curious if it was injury related or game plan related. This bears watching.

WR- George Pickens has been my fav Steeler since they drafted him. The dude just wants to win and will kill anyone standing in his way. Notice what he did in that scrum when Harris got his helmet ripped off? He gave the defender a shoulder to the back. I love that shit when teammates stick up for each other. Tell me GP doesn’t care about catching every damn ball. That OPI was BS, I’ve seen way way worse not get called every Sunday. I bet GP could play CB and be damn good at it.

TE – I think the scouting report for the Falcons was: take away the running game. Once you do that, focus on Pickens and Muth. If you do that, you’ll win. Muth and others were just ok for my liking in an A Smith type offense.

Oline – mixed bag for sure. Jarrett is a stud and he’s hard to contain. Having Semu would have been a big boon for this line.

Defense- aligning with Tomlin’s philosophy is the star of the meal. How often does a team that gets a plus 3 turnover differential have to scratch and claw their way to victory? This is why I repeatedly say this approach isn’t sustainable and when you dance on the margins so often, you come out on the right side of it ~50% of the time.

Run Defense- maybe I could’nt see from the bar, but Benton was a bit quiet for my liking. Cam played well too. Occasionally leaky, but Robinson is a stud and he’s always going to get his yards
Pass Rush- For those of you who weren’t aware of guys like Lawrence Taylor/Reggie White/Charles Haley in the late 80’s/early 90’s that is what you are witnessing with Watt. He is a transcendent player and a game changer. OC’s piss their pants every night wondering how to slow him down. I can’t say enough about this dude.

Pass Defense – you pick off Cousins a couple of times and you’re doing something right. They had Cousins frazzled. CB’s made plays when they had to. Nice effort from this group. Note I’m very annoyed by Wilson’s blocking on the Jackson INT. Jackson scores if Wilson doesn’t just watch the ball. He only has to get in the Olineman’s way and it’s a much needed TD.

 

[pistolpete11]

When are we going to stop blaming the OC for being conservative? This is Tomlin.

 

[UnrealMachine]

I was at a bar without sound so forgive me if I confused some details.

Another game that aligns with Tomlin’s philosophy: drag the other team into the back alley for a down and dirty fight. Hope that you land the last punch, but you still go home staggered and hurting for a few days. You can do that once in awhile, but to do it every weekend gets exhausting for everyone.

Offense/Art Smith – Hey, a modern NFL offense with bootlegs, QB draws, and plays that build on top of each other! Very novel. I haven’t seen an offense with a purpose since the Whisenhunt/Arians days. While they did not score a TD and sputtered frequently, the foundation is there and you can see the foundation being built instead of the grab bag offense of Canada, Haley, etc. You have to allow some grace for a backup QB taking snaps instead of the presumed starter. Art Smith was as advertised and I liked the concepts he’s implementing. He even got Washington involved catching a pass! On the downside he had Van Jefferson catch a backfield pass and the play required Austin making a block. Those roles should have been reversed.

Fields – This was not the Fields I saw play in Chicago: a wild stallion capable of big plays and big mistakes. He’s certainly received instruction to take the safe play. For instance, he had Washington wide open over the middle for a good 15-20 yard gain but instead selected Muth on his rollout to the left for a 8 yard gain. I saw Fields be methodical in going through his progressions too. Something that Fields either barely had time to do or he was merely a 1 side of the field read guy. He had some missfires in terms of leading the receiver and making his receivers be awkward in catching it, but overall fairly accurate.

RBs- Harris was his typical self: lots of carries with meager yards to show for it. Granted, there weren’t many holes to run through as Jarrett caused a ton of issues. Warren played sparingly and curious if it was injury related or game plan related. This bears watching.

WR- George Pickens has been my fav Steeler since they drafted him. The dude just wants to win and will kill anyone standing in his way. Notice what he did in that scrum when Harris got his helmet ripped off? He gave the defender a shoulder to the back. I love that shit when teammates stick up for each other. Tell me GP doesn’t care about catching every damn ball. That OPI was BS, I’ve seen way way worse not get called every Sunday. I bet GP could play CB and be damn good at it.

TE – I think the scouting report for the Falcons was: take away the running game. Once you do that, focus on Pickens and Muth. If you do that, you’ll win. Muth and others were just ok for my liking in an A Smith type offense.

Oline – mixed bag for sure. Jarrett is a stud and he’s hard to contain. Having Semu would have been a big boon for this line.

Defense- aligning with Tomlin’s philosophy is the star of the meal. How often does a team that gets a plus 3 turnover differential have to scratch and claw their way to victory? This is why I repeatedly say this approach isn’t sustainable and when you dance on the margins so often, you come out on the right side of it ~50% of the time.

Run Defense- maybe I could’nt see from the bar, but Benton was a bit quiet for my liking. Cam played well too. Occasionally leaky, but Robinson is a stud and he’s always going to get his yards
Pass Rush- For those of you who weren’t aware of guys like Lawrence Taylor/Reggie White/Charles Haley in the late 80’s/early 90’s that is what you are witnessing with Watt. He is a transcendent player and a game changer. OC’s piss their pants every night wondering how to slow him down. I can’t say enough about this dude.

Pass Defense – you pick off Cousins a couple of times and you’re doing something right. They had Cousins frazzled. CB’s made plays when they had to. Nice effort from this group. Note I’m very annoyed by Wilson’s blocking on the Jackson INT. Jackson scores if Wilson doesn’t just watch the ball. He only has to get in the Olineman’s way and it’s a much needed TD.

Nice review, BB! I wish more people would acknowledge the passion that Pickens has for the game. Yes, he’s a bit weird (he admits as such), but people are way off in interpreting that as him being a diva or immature. And he’s one of the best contested catch receivers I’ve ever seen play the game.

I just can’t understand a world (Earth 3?) where GP gets called for that PI and Watt (clothesline held every time he beats the defender - which is often) doesn’t draw a single infraction?!

And wow how ordinary of a QB did they make Cousins look? He was performing at a marginal backup level against this D.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I had Red Zone Channel on my iPad so I saw bits and pieces of the Colts game. Was a quality game but Richardson missed a lot of throws and also hit some big plays down the field - he's a wild card. I do like the fact they basically get 2 rookie QB's the next 3 weeks, something this D generally fares well against.



New OC, new QB, but...

The U Shaped offense has been here since about 2018. But sure, let's place blame at all the QB's and Coordinators. Must be great to have scapegoats lined up...

 

[Night Shift]

The U Shaped offense has been here since about 2018. But sure, let's place blame at all the QB's and Coordinators. Must be great to have scapegoats lined up...

When you get to be in the presence of cool dude Tomlins great golden dome you can't help but blame everyone else.

 

[Ulf5]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1701036208371945807

This was Jf week 1 last season

So he just sucks?

 

[pistolpete11]

Nice review, BB! I wish more people would acknowledge the passion that Pickens has for the game. Yes, he’s a bit weird (he admits as such), but people are way off in interpreting that as him being a diva or immature. And he’s one of the best contested catch receivers I’ve ever seen play the game.

He can be a diva, immature, incredibly gifted, and passionate all at the same time.

I think Pickens is a top 10-ish WR in the NFL and would be able to show it more with a good QB and an offense that doesn't play for FG's. But to ignore the attitude stuff is being willfully ignorant.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

The U Shaped offense has been here since about 2018. But sure, let's place blame at all the QB's and Coordinators. Must be great to have scapegoats lined up...

That was the last we had a starter level Qb. If you don’t throw with anticipation you will struggle over the middle. KP can’t read zone neither him or fields are throwing people open

 

[bigdaddyk88]

So he just sucks?

Yes he has 1 300 yard passing game in his career
In Chicago he had DJ more or Moody run deep on the sidelines and kmet in the seem off of rpo we saw him throw it against Detroit to 81

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

That was the last we had a starter level Qb. If you don’t throw with anticipation you will struggle over the middle. KP can’t read zone neither him or fields are throwing people open

And the PR campaign in defense of Tomlin is full steam ahead...

You cannot tell me that over the course of 6 QBs or so and 3 coordinators and umpteen # of WR's that the same patterns exist, yet you'll still blame the QB?

There has literally only been 1 constant since 2018 and you know who that is. Hell, even the GM is new!

 

[Shaftception]

When are we going to stop blaming the OC for being conservative? This is Tomlin.

It's far too consistent at this point with different coaches and players to be anything other than a top down directive.

That said, and he's probably covering for Tomlin in some capacity for whatever reason or just repeats what he's told without any further introspection, but I was listening to DK's video on the game this morning and he said he was told that for instance avoiding the middle of the field entirely was a plan by Smith because of the Falcons two quality safeties.

I can see the logic in it since it worked in avoiding turnovers, but not every team has star coverage units, and I'll believe it when I see it if when next they play a team without said coverage units and they're all of a sudden hitting slants and digs across the middle like they're the Chiefs.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I only watched the 2nd half but thought Fields looked good. I would start him next week.

The front 4 of Watt, Highsmith, Hayward and Ogunjobi/Benton won us the game. That and Boswell of course.

 

[Pens1566]

Only watched a little bit of the game, but ... Fields looked just ok to me. His running is an extra dimension that we haven't had since early Ben years. Harris just looks meh. Lots of touches, not a lot of production. Maybe it's the O-line, maybe it's that he still has almost no vision. I have to think he's gone after this year.

 

[UnrealMachine]

He can be a diva, immature, incredibly gifted, and passionate all at the same time.

I think Pickens is a top 10-ish WR in the NFL and would be able to show it more with a good QB and an offense that doesn't play for FG's. But to ignore the attitude stuff is being willfully ignorant.

Can you please go into detail on the words and actions that Pickens has performed that could reasonably be interpreted as “diva”? I’m looking for things that would make him akin to someone like Deion Sanders, Terrell Owens, or of course the greatest diva of all-time in Tom Brady. If anything he’s maybe more like Chad Johnson - who ended up being pretty wrongly interpreted by most people.

Regarding immature, that’s in the eyes of the beholder. He’s a young black male athlete that can sometimes let the emotions get the best of him. What a tragic situation for us to endure.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

And the PR campaign in defense of Tomlin is full steam ahead...

You cannot tell me that over the course of 6 QBs or so and 3 coordinators and umpteen # of WR's that the same patterns exist, yet you'll still blame the QB?

There has literally only been 1 constant since 2018 and you know who that is. Hell, even the GM is new!

But every week there guys open over the mof when you watch the all 22. We have not had a nfl starting Qb since 2018
Against JF teams spy him and play zone to keep him from running

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

T.J. Watt: Official admitted he "messed up" offside penalty that negated "golden nugget" from film study

Watt's perfect jump at the snap was apparently a little too perfect.

www.nbcsports.com