The more things stay the same the less they change

[kluisi61]

5) We lost our number 1 RB last week -- but his undrafted FA backup appears to be a diamond in the rough. Had we won this game, everyone would be stoked by Redman's performance. It's possible that a player like Barron Batch will be able to help out next year, after getting a full season to rehab.

Yes. I am excited about Redman and thought he might have had the best game out of anyone on the team yesterday. He had 17 rushes for 121 yards. That's 7.1 yards per carry. Which brings up the question, why did he only have 17 rushes?

Until they show that they can stop it, keep feeding him the rock. It worked for Denver. We continued to show all night that the PA pass would work and that Ike couldn't cover Thomas, so they kept throwing PA passes to Thomas. Even though their entire offense was built around the running game. Good adjustments. Arians doesn't know the meaning of the phrase.

[kluisi61]

There's plenty of blame to go around, but it seems to me the coaching staff was set on trying to shut down Denver's running game and create 3rd-and-longs. And I don't think that was dumb thinking.

I completely agree, but I think that we could have shut down their running game without committing every player on defense to the task and continuously getting burned on the play action. Thomas averaged 50+ yards per catch (yes 50). For god's sake, Tebow averaged over 31 per completion.

People talk about bringing an 8th man into the box to sell out to stop the run and that would have been appropriate against this team. Even to occasionally blitz a 9th person would have been great. There were points in this game where there were 10 defenders within 4 yards of the LOS (I know because I paused my DVR to count). Ike Taylor was playing "Deep" at 7 yards off the ball. I don't care which NFL QB is playing, you are going to be able to throw against that defense. As a coach or QB, I would have audibled every time I saw that (maybe that's what happened and why they had more passing yards than any other game in Tebow's career).

We have played against McGahee many times and he's never had more than 100 yards, but we've never played him like that. Why should this game be any different. I guess my point is, it was a valid strategy to play the run to see if the pass could beat you, but it should never be an option to play the run and just not play the pass at all.

[kluisi61]

I'd add a third bullet: the Steelers HC must reign in Ben.

This year, I've come to appreciate Ben's toughness more than I ever have. That said, I think he's an egotistical idiot on the field who thinks he has no physical limitations. He needs to be  given a good system and play within it. If he can't, bench him. Severely injured, he's virtually worthless. More and more, his unwillingness to get rid of the ball is getting him severely injured.

Also, no more of Ben drinking tea or whatever with the OC on his porch. That "friends" shit is for the birds.

Completely agree with this.  Again, the things that make someone great can ultimately destroy them.  Time to start becoming less Farve-ish.  If Ben dumps the ball off to Redman when we are at the Denver 45 instead of post fumble/penalty, we have a chance to kick the FG and win it.

Yep...I just looked at the Play-by-play. That one play maybe costs us the game (ultimately - even though all of the plays before it were why it mattered in this case). Here's how it did happen.

1st and 10 at Denver 45 (0:29) - Sack...loss of 11 (Steelers call timeout)
2nd and 21 at Pittsburgh 44 (0:18) - Incomplete pass (hines ward)
3rd and 21 at Pittsburgh 44 (0:12) - Delay of game (5 yard loss)
3rd and 26 at Pittsburgh 39 (0:12) - Issac Redman Reception 12 yards (out of bounds)
4th and 14 at Denver 49 (0:01) - Sack...loss of 15 (Game over) (would have been about a 66 yard FG attempt - Sims still though we should have tried *eyeroll*)

If instead of the first sack, he throws it away, we're 2nd and 10 with an extra timeout and probably a few extra seconds. I see the rest of the drive maybe going something like this:

1st and 10 at Denver 45 (0:29) - Throw away
2nd and 10 at Denver 45 (0:25) - Incomplete pass (hines ward)
3rd and 10 at Denver 45 (0:19) - Timeout to avoid Delay of game
3rd and 10 at Denver 45 (0:19) - Issac Redman Reception 12 yards (out of bounds)
1st and 10 at Denver 33 (0:08) - Run quick slant + immediately down and timeout...Call it +5 yards.
2nd and 5 at Denver 28 (0:01) - 45 yard FG attempt in Denver (or 50 if the previous pass was incomplete)

I'm not saying that Swisham would have made the kick (I'm actually guessing he would have missed), but we would have at least been able to try to win the game in regulation.

Given that same scenario, there would even be another option if there's not the confidence in the kicker to go for the kick. On the quick slant play, fake it as they know the play has to be quick in order to get down and get the timeout for the FG try. So line up with two receivers stacked (to guarantee a clean release), Wallace or Brown take one step to the inside with a quick pump fake, then cut outside (off the pick of the other WR) to go deep and you go for it all on a hail mary and see if they can beat everyone to the endzone.

[msdmnr2002]

People talk about bringing an 8th man into the box to sell out to stop the run and that would have been appropriate against this team. Even to occasionally blitz a 9th person would have been great. There were points in this game where there were 10 defenders within 4 yards of the LOS (I know because I paused my DVR to count).

On the game winner 11 players were within 5 yards of the LOS at the snap.  That's inexcuseable in that situation.  I realize the OT rules are new, but even I can realize that the ONLY thing that can kill you is a TD.  Don't recommend prevent, but you must play a safety deep to avoid just what happened. 

Even if they get a FG, you get the ball back knowing you are in 4 down territory from the get-go.  Makes it easier IMO if you're willing to be patient and take 3-4 yard gains.  Then you have a chance to win it outright.

[jonzr]

Even if they get a FG, you get the ball back knowing you are in 4 down territory from the get-go.  Makes it easier IMO if you're willing to be patient and take 3-4 yard gains.  Then you have a chance to win it outright.

That's really the pisser in the whole thing.  They played into their hands, it's still unbelievable, inexcusable and inexplicable.  How the effing eff does it happen?

[Finnegans Wake]

Not sure if that was LeBeau's call or if Mundy was caught out of position.  But I do remember after giving up the first coupla grating long hitters from LBJC Tebow Hisself that LeBeau should have started cycling Pola back a bit to see if he could anticipate some throws and make a break for a pick.  But hey, why change the game plan in-game?