Stillers-Doncos AFC Wild Card Preview
The Stillers venture to Mile High
(whatever the stadium is now called) to face the lowly 8-8 Doncos,
who won their division only because everyone else in it sucks.�
�
Keys
for this game:
Keys when the Stillers
have the ball:
- Contain Dumervil and Miller.��� These
2 men keep me awake at night.�� Only a
rookie, Von Miller is fairly underrated but is already a solid �backer.� The former Aggie is a small LB by today�s
standards (6-3�, but only 240 lbs., which is about 40 pounds lighter than Big
LaMarr), but he packs a punch and has good quickness and can use his smallish
size to his advantage.� Miller was slowed
down the past few weeks by a cast on his hand, but presumably is fit and ready
to go.�� Dumervil
is a hybrid DE/OLB, and at only 5-11�, 260, he has used his smallish stature to
his advantage, much the way Freeney has for the Colts.� Dumervil can be a
terror when he�s attacking the QB, as he is extremely quick, has outstanding
leverage, can get underneath the reach of tall lineman, and is able to
avoid the titty-jousting matches that tie up rushers
like Big LaMarr Woodley.��
����� Max Starks struggles like a banshee
against speed rushers, as Max is unable to beat the speed rusher to the
corner-turning point where the rusher can veer and directly attack the QB.�� Marcus Gilbert had the absolute worst game
of his young career last week, getting eaten and ravaged alive by rookie Jabaal Sheard.�� At this point, it�s hard to know exactly
what to expect out of Gilbert, who may have hit the rookie wall.�� At any rate, Bruce Arians must be prepared
to offer help to either of these stumblebums, especially with a QB who has nary
an ounce of mobility.�� Arians, of
course, typically prefers to see his QB bludgeoned at least 9 times by an opposing
rusher before he decides to provide any assistance.��
- Limit stupidity and
assaholic turnovers.� This should go without saying, but it must be
said.�� Ben can�t be the John Wayne back
in the pocket, especially with his hobbled ankle severely limiting his
mobility.�� He has got to be mindful of
strips and be willing to simply throw the ball away.� He�s facing a shit offense that would have
trouble scoring against an FCS defense, so he need not be fretting about
putting up 49 points on the board.�� And,
of course, when the offense is in FG range, he cannot afford to be taking dumbfuk 13-yard sacks when a simple throw-away will
suffice.� �
- Don�t be timid with
Redman.��� Ever since Redman arrived with the Stillers
as an UDFA in 2009, he�s been treated like an arthritic leper by the coaching
staff.�� In �09, he rotted away on the
practice squad.� In �10, he made a tremendous
play late in Balt-2, in which he busted a tackle and charged into the EZ with a
late score that ultimately gave the Stillers a division title.� After that, however, he rotted.�� Even in �11, he saw plenty of bench
sitting.�� Yes, Redman did fumble twice
last week, but those were his first 2 fumbles of the season.� Unlike Mendenhall, Red is a very conscientious
ball-holder usually wrapping 2 hands (and arms) around the ball and almost
never bread-loafing it the way OJ used to and Mendy likes to carry it.��
- Go deep to Wally.� If Ben�s ankle allows him to drive
into his passes, then we must take at least 2 deep shots to Wally in this
game.� Wally�s YPC has plummeted, in
large part because Ben has been unable to hook up with him, and of course many
teams have been giving umbrella coverage to Wally�s side.� But, another factor is that the Stillers have
simply reduced the deep balls to Wally.��
Ya can�t catch the deep ball if it is not called and thrown.� With the NFL rules constructed as they are,
there is no CB, anywhere, who can run step for step with Wally.�� Deep stabs (at least 2 in the game) must be
tried.� Not only is this a high-reward
play for an offense that has struggled to locate the EZ, but it also opens up
the field for underneath routes for Brown, Sanders, Cotch,
Ward, and Miller.��
- Don�t forget
Miller.�� Heath Miller is often the most forgotten man
in this offense.� In the RZ, this man
should be a basic staple, but all to
often he�s the 4th option on any route.��
Espicially if the weather turns ugly, Miller
should be Ben�s security blanket with 6 or 7 routine 8-yard completions to move
the sticks and chew the clock.�
Keys when the Doncos have the ball:
- Push Tebow to his
right.��� This is obvious to
anyone who has watched at least 3 minutes of Tim Tebow, but when the defensive
coordinator is nearly as old as Joe Paterno, nothing
is obvious and nothing can be taken for granted.� The right DE and ROLB absolutely must hem
in Te-blow and force him to stutter in the pocket or move to his right,
where, as a southpaw, he is utterly horrific throwing on the move.���
- Additionally, limit
the WLR.��� Big LaMarr loves the Wide Loop Rush (WLR),
and Harrison is guilty of it on occasion as well.�� All this does is create a gargantuan
running lane for a big, agile QB who, oddly enough, hates passing but loves
to run the football.�� Even if he runs
for �only� 6 or 7 yards, it�s a crusher because that�s 6 yards more than Tebow
will gain on about 95% of any pass he throws.��
On this note, I would consider using Harrison from the LOLB spot -- as they have done here and
there this season -- much more in this game.� From the LOLB spot, Harrison can attack Tebow�s blind side and create a strip or a quail of a pass
for an easy INT.��� Meanwhile, Big
LaMarr, the titty-fighting bullrusher
that he is, can do just that from the ROLB spot, because as noted above,
all the ROLB needs to do is HEM IN Tebow.��
Worilds, too, can do that adequately enough from the ROLB spot.�
- Be prepared for the
read option and stretch plays.��
Denver decided mid-season to go with a limited read-option offense.� This is designed to take advantage of a
defense�s over-eagerness, over-slashing, over-committing, and lack of gap-sound
responsibility.��� In theory, the Stiller
D-line, both in concept and experience, should be the perfect D-line to
limit the read offense, because they play a sound, conservative 2-gap
style.�� The Stiller D-line should be
doing what it is designed to do -- hold the POA (point of attack) without taking
a �side� of the block, and allow the LB to spot and then kill their prey.�� Meanwhile, the stretch plays have given this
defense fits, particularly early in the year by Gay Rice and Adrian Foster.�� This was caused by legal cut-blocking, as
well as foolish, rabid over-pursuit, combined with backside laziness and sloth
from the likes of Big LaMarr Woodley.�� McGahee has never been a mammoth problem for this defense
to contain, as he isn�t capable of stopping and jump-cutting on a dime the way
Rice and Foster are.��
- Get Ike on D.
Thomas. ���The primary threat that keeps me awake
during sober evenings, is WR Demaryius
Thomas. He�s enormously big (6-3�, 235) and athletic.�� A 1st rounder in 2010 who
averaged over 17 yards per catch this season, this is the kind of big WR that
gives Will Gay fits.�� Gay is actually
competent and acceptable against most smaller and
average sized WRs, but against a big WR or any TE (see Gronkowski,
Rob), Gay shrivels and cowers like, well, a gay faggott.�� Quite clearly, Ike Taylor must take
Thomas.�� Ike is a big boy himself for a
CB, and Ike can handle a bigger, more physical WR like this.��
- Get Foote off the field
in obvious passing situations. �You
saw Foote on the field last week in a 3rd down situation, and before you knew
it, Seneca Wallace was scrambling up the gut and dashing right by a lumbering,
plodding Foote for a 27-yard scamper.� Foote
can�t cover; can�t rush; and is so short that he stands no chance to even bat a
pass.� He can give Farrior a breather now
and then on running downs, but get his sorry ass off the field in obvious
passing downs.�
- Don�t go soft in
the 4Q.�� This, of course, is diametrically opposed to
how The Great Dick likes to play the 4Q, but it must be stressed.�� Tebow is an utterly putrid, gawd-awful downfield passer, so why on earth would you be
afraid of this man hitting a receiver downfield ?�� In the 4Q, you absolutely must continue to
press his receivers and put some intelligent pressure in Te-blow�s face.�� If you play the Softee
Sitback that Dick so often loves to use in the 4Q, it
simply gives an erratic, off-target shitbag like
Tebow ample opportunity to play pitch n� catch, and find a rhythm, against the
defense.�� Don�t f---king
do The Softee Sitback.� ���
- Be prepared for
Quinn.��� Apparently, GayBoy
Quinn has been getting at least half the snaps in practive,
and TeBlow could be on a short leash.�� Of course, Quinn sucks every bit as much as
Tebow.� Still, Dick need
to be prepared for the switch, should Fox insert The Un-Mighty Quinn.� Of course, whether it be Tebow, Quinn....or a
popcorn vendor yanked out of the bleachers....no matter who it is, you can be
assured that Dick LeBeau will still find a way to struggle, much like a man
trying to swim the English Channel while clutching into a manhole cover
Spec teams.�� The� Stiller coverage teams have been
fairly solid and steady down the stretch.�
Eddie Royal is a crafty punt returner who isn�t flammably
dangerous, but is more than capable of taking it to the house if slop and lane
lapses occur.�
����� The Doncos �have a hefty
advantage in the kicking game.�� At
punter, they�ve got Britton Colquitt (a familiar last name in Stiller history),
who has the leg and reliability that make him one of the better punters in the
conference.�� Kapinos
has been so-so; on occasion, he can boot the 50-yarder, but on too many
occasions he�ll get off a weakling 36-yarder as well.� Pooch punting becomes immensely important in
the playoffs, particularly when facing an inept offense like Denver�s where
pinning them inside their own 5 should lead to appetizing opportunities soon
thereafter.��
���� Matt Prater does the PK duties for the Doncos, and has the leg to dial up long distance, having
made 3 of 4 over 50 yards. He was a bit erratic between 40-49 yards, hitting
only 3 of 7.� The Stiller coaching staff obviously
has zero confidence in Suisham, bypassing fairly
routine 46-yarders and the like and instead going for it on 4th & 5.�� In the thin Colorado air, you should expect
either kicker to have a solid chance at 50-55 yarders, but heavy winds could
play into this as well.�
���� Tonio Brown has been returning KOs and
punt with immense confidence, which is about 83% of what makes for success in
that job.�� �He�s been sure-handed and needs to be, as just
about the only way Denver can score is to get a short field off of easy
turnovers deep in PIT territory.� Brown has
been showing good vision and crisp running, and he should be able to give the Stillers
some nice FP during this tilt.�
Summary:�� This is a game that the Stillers should win,
and frankly, should dominate against a very mediocre Donkey team.�� The Donkeys barely won their division, and
won it only when the other contenders choked just as badly late in the
season.�� This will be Tebow virgin foray
in the playoffs, and it should be a fairly miserable, forgettable event for the
young lad.�� That said, this Stiller team has been utterly atrocious on the road the
entire season.� The Stillers generate
very, very few turnovers and their RZ offense smells like donkey dung, 2
factors that can very easily help the Doncos remain
within a single TD well into the 4Q.�� By
no means should anyone be planning for an easy, comfy, 20-point win.� This�ll be a nail-biter, with the Stillers
eking out a slim, uninspiring 6 point win.��
(Still
Mill and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the