09/16/2012 Jets Game

The Steelers returned to Heinz field for their home opener against the New York Jets.  I was okay with the Jets jumping out to an early lead because our team rarely comes out of the gate fast.  I was really glad to see Haley become less predictable in his play calling particularly as the game moved into the second half.  However, too much of the offense is still driven by big Ben's ability to make plays after eluding the rush.  I would really like for the Steelers to get consistent "screen game" going to offset some of the pass rush Ben faces.  It still never ceases to amaze me that Ben is "never" mentioned in the circles of discussions of elite QB's in the NFL.

Defenses fear him outside the pocket

Overall, all DB's in the NFL will grab and hold beyond the guidelines.  However, once you get "flagged" one time, (..."Ike Taylor"), it would seem you would learn from your mistakes.  I know Ike has the physical talents to be a quote on quote "shut-down corner" but I'm just not convinced the title is appropriate.  To his credit, Ike Taylor did play the Jets Santonio Holmes much better in the second half.  I also feel Ike's tackling (...as with other Steeler defenders) leaves a lot to be desired.  Another thing that rubs me about our DB's is when they actuall make play and break up a pass, they immediately go into a celebration taunt with their arms flailing as if to indicate, "Not on my watch".  I think really good DB's don't display such "flauntings" and a fine example is you never see Polamalu go into such a display when he makes a play causing an incomplete pass.

The Steelers defense played with great effort but we are still taking some poor pursuit angles which lead to missed tackles and additional yards gained.  I'm not sure if Dick Labeau is seeing this, but fortunately the overall talent can make up for some of these poor pursuit angles by compensating with their recovery speed.   However, when the Steelers play better teams, these poor pursuit angles will cost us points and possible loses.

I am still waiting for Chris Rainey to begin to play like a pro.  Yesterday, he almost broke clear on a put return and almost caught a pass on a screen play that would likely have him still running had he caught the ball.  He is a rookie so I know he is still adjusting to the speed of the game.  I think once he gets his feet(...the guy slips "alot"!), and understands his role, Chris Rainey could bring a speed factor out of the backfield in Pittsburgh we have not experienced in a long time.

Redman effect!

It was really nice to see this Dwyer come in and get some positive run yards for the Steelers offense.  However, the most reliable and productive running back I saw yesterday was Redman!  Redman ran extremely hard even to the fault of making the ball vulnerable to take-a-ways like when the Jets defender was a "knee-touch" away from taking the ball away from him on one of those extended effort attempts.  However, it was great to see Redman "seal the deal" in the fourth quarter when he ripped through those arm tackles down there at the goal line to end that extended 10 minute drive.  You know a 10 minute drive is just about an entire quarter!

Well next week we play the Raiders in Oakland and I hope we don't give their season the spark they need by playing poorly and giving up turnovers.  I also hope the team has the right shoes to play on that "baseball" field. I am very proud of the Steelers play today, but am always looking for areas of improvement.