Watching it right now. Willie was making great yards outside in the 1st quarter. Briliant move by BA to run him up the middle the rest of the game.
As far the near FWP safety, IMO, it just looks like he could have followed Kemo outside. #58 Dansby is inside of Kemo ready to make the play. In order to bounce that, he would have had to go laterally 2-3 yards deep in the EZ. Pretty dam risky, and I think the LB Kemo didn't block, Dansby, gets him.
How Big Ben isn't the MVP, I will never know. The early slants to SH are all Ben, who is reading the D and getting out of the called running play. That 3rd down scramble and throw to Heat on the 1st TD drive is just flat out impossible. When he initially scambles left, Rolle comes up to cut it off, and when Ben runs back right, Rolle starts chasing after him from like 15 yards away, leaving the open space where Miller makes the catch. Unbelievable. On the winning drive, both big plays are the direct result of Ben pump faking. On the 40 yarder to SH, Ben fakes to MM in the flat on the sideline which brings Rodgers-Cromartie up off of SH. SH is then open and safety slips after coming up and trying to make the tackle, but its RC blown coverage due to Ben's pump, which was one of the best pumps ever. Basically the same thing happens on the TD. MM is on the sideline in the flat, Ben pumps to him bringing RC up a little, then Ben points to the middle of the field, delaying the safety help in the corner, and delivers the PERFECT pass in the window the Ben created for himself. I love you SH, but Ben is THE MAN.
FWIW- Steelers are 6-0 in the playoffs when FWP starts.
I will never understand why our #1 RB, who runs a 4.3 40, weighs 209 pounds, and runs behind a subpar offensive line continually was asked to run between the guards (shit not even between the tackles) on that consistent a basis. When he gets the corner on anyone in the past couple years, he's by them. By no means can BA run him outside exclusively, but how about once per QUARTER!
Early in the 2nd quarter of Super Bowl XLIII, Parker had 8 carries for 34 yards. He ended with 19 for 53. Who made adjustments and who didn't? The adjustment was he stopped running outside. Again, a 209 pound RB with 4.3 speed doesn't make a living exclusively between the tackles. The good news he isn't a pussy like Reggie Bush, who can't run inside well enough to set up his outside speed. Parker does run inside well enough to do that. He's just held back by a dumbass OC who can't figure out how to use him.
Looking forward, in an offense like BA's, how important is pass catching ability in a RB? Parker can't catch to save his life, yet Mendenhall is more than capable of doing that. Does he get a look next year as a 3rd down RB? Or is that job safely in the hands of Moore?
