Pre-season Game #2 Notes:
Quarterbacks:� Tommy Maddox made a couple great throws, hitting Ward in the deep seam between CB and safety (probably the most difficult pass to throw what with no angle to work); however, Maddox did misfire badly on an easy flat route to Reimersma.� Still, a creditable effort in leading the ones to 2 TD in 3 possessions.� Big Ben was sharp in one possession but ineffective running the two-minute show.� Late, Frenchy was limited to handing off and kneeling down.
RB:��� Four Steeler RB packed it 39 times for 187 yards; each scored once (Note: this excludes Staley 2/5, 0TD who was limited to 3rd down duty in this tilt).� However, it�s worth noting that Houston did finish up 2003 #31 against the run.� That year, both G-Funk Walker and Seth Payne went down early leaving the 3-4 Texans with Corey Sears, Jerry DeLoach and Terrence Martin across the front.� From possession 3, that was the set the Steelers� abused last night.� That aside:
- Jerome Bettis scored once and averaged 4.8 YPC.� That�s good; the fact that he was brought down (solo) 3 times by CB Dunta Robinson is not.� Robinson is listed as 5-10, 174#; he�s exactly the kind of DB that, once, wouldn�t have functioned as a speed bump for the Bus, in his prime.� Bettis didn�t get much after initial contact but he was in for 3 possessions, each behind the Steelers� starting O-line.
- Verron Haynes had two possessions; Ross and Vincent stayed in but Okobi, Jim Jones and Barrett Brooks were at OC to LT respectively.� Houston had subbed out much of their #1 front so it�s tough to appraise how Haynes would have done against top competition.� Still, Verron did look quicker and faster than I�d remembered; he ran inside and out, generally got some yards after initial contact and tacked on a reception for 21 yards to his rushing total for 52 total yards on 9 touches.
- Dante Brown continued his impressive scoring skein against scrub competition.� Brown had two possessions in Q3 with Fordham at RG and Starks at RT along with Okobi, Jones and Brooks.
- Willie Parker flashed against scrubs too.� Parker has superior speed, certainly sufficient to bounce out and beat the Derrick Vaughan types of the NFL world; it�s questionable whether that would fly at real game speed.�� Like Haynes and Brown, Parker got two possessions; at this point though, the Texans had their 2s and 3s on.�
TE:� Matt Cushing had one grab for 11 yards: Steeler TE have combined for 3 receptions in 2 pre-season games.
WR:� Camp phenom Zamir Cobb had a rough night: he tipped a pass from Ben creating a Texan INT, was penalized once, ran away from his blocking on one PR effort and, reportedly, received a fractured ankle for his troubles.� Now, Cobb may get stashed on the practice squad but IMO he�s done for this season. In the race for #5 and #6 WR, Lee Mays had two catches and one drop; Big Huey Whitaker had one grab and gets my Hard Hat vote for his crackback on Parker�s TD run.�
O-line:� Hard to fault the starters who, with Simmons or without, have paved the way for +4YPC over 5 possessions while yielding no sacks and little, if any, pressure.� The numbers for the 2nd unit are even better but the competition was far worse.� Of note:
- Steeler RB had (5) runs of >10 yards.� Of those, (4) went left.� Otherwise, Bettis had 10 yards up the gut and Haynes 9.� It is noteworthy that each RB had at least one of those big runs.�
- On the other hand, both Steeler 1st half TD went over Vincent and Ross.�
- The Steelers didn�t get much running right in the 1st half but behind Fordham and Starks in the 2nd, Brown was 3/12 and Parker 2/11 in that direction.�
Vincent was not asked to pull across the center (leading runs left) but he did okay on same-side pulls, was solid in pass protection and reasonably effective driving.� IMO, the PS run game figures to be the same or better with Vincent rather than Simmons.� On the downside, Simmons� injury appears to install Todd Fordham as #3 at both OG and OT.
Barrett Brooks has been in the league since 1995.� It�s tough to imagine why he would draw a pre-snap for lining up illegally; still tougher to guess how this could happen on consecutive plays.� Somewhere in there may be the reason why Brooks had 45 of 62 career starts from 1995-1997, and none from 2001.����
D-line:� Aaron Smith absolutely dominated FA prize RT Todd Wade.�� Kirschke continues to impress; IMO, he�s a far better option to backup KVO in the base OKIE than was Rodney Bailey, the man he replaced.� Keisel showed some energy upfront and very good open field ability covering kicks.� Chris Hoke chipped in a coverage sack while David Upchurch flat beat his guy to get another sack that was overturned off a holding call on Rico Colclough.�
LB:� Larry Foote has come a long way from his 2002 debut.� Foote subbed for Bell in the first group, got great penetration on a couple run plays.� On the downside, James Harrison was the most impressive of the OLB reserves and, if history is our guide, Harrison is not going to make the club.� As for the others well:
- Presumably testing whether their LT Seth Ward could get anything done, the Houston starters generally ran at the PS right side.� Unsurprisingly Porter held up; unfortunately, Zo didn�t get much of a test.� Still, Zo didn�t show much in the way of instinct: on one run left, Carr carried out a (fake) bootleg right.� Zo, was coming down the line, noted Carr just after he went by and scrambled to get back in position.� Evidently, Zo didn�t know where the ball was; obviously, if the Carr was on a boot, he had the edge.� Jackson sure wasn�t going to get it back.
- Dedrick Roper got bounced around a lot.
- Nate Adibi got on the field late; he was saved some embarrassment on one play where, after he lost contain on lead-footed QB Dave Ragone, presumably shocked, Ragone dropped the pig.�� Adibi is an athlete but he�s not a LB just now.
- In Q4, James Harrison got a big hit in PD, jarring the ball loose; had an effective delay blitz from the inside.� Harrison is an athlete and he is a killer too.� However, he�s not an OKIE OLB; he hasn�t got the frame and, in a down position on the LOS, he�d just get steered.��
DB:�� A quiet night for this group as the Steeler O-side dominated TOP.� One disturbing note: in limited duty, Texan starting QB David Carr was 7/10.�� On the downside, that �s 6.7 YPA, which is pretty good; on the upside, that�s 9.57 YPC, which is fairly feeble.� Carr was going short but it�s worth noting that he was victimized by two drops.� The PS ones really didn�t make any plays, although Ike did have a superb force on one screen.�
Next
time:
Scott v. Terrell Owens, the rematch.� The Freak v. Oliver Ross, briefly.
First
roster projection:�
(3) QB:� The Steelers generally carry (3); barring injury Maddox, Ben and Frenchy each have made the club.
(5-6) RB/FB:� The Steelers generally carry (5); barring injury Staley, Bettis, Haynes and Kreider have made the club.� That leaves Brown, Parker and Walls battling for (probably) one spot.� Both Brown and Parker look to be good ST candidates; I�d keep them and send the Bus on his way but that is never, ever going to happen.
(5-6) WR:� Ward, Spike and ARE have made the team.� Mays will stick to play on the coverage units leaving Doering, Big Huey and Freddie Milons competing for (probably) 2 spots.� On the vet factor, Doering figures to make it so�
(3-4) TE:� Reimersma and Tuman; if the PS carries 4 RB, then Cushing will make it as a 2nd FB/3rd TE.�� No one thinks Kranchick is ready so, chances are, the PS will send him to the PS where he may actually help the active LB practice against TE.
(9) O-line:� Barring injury, starters as last night (Smith, Faneca, Hartings, Vincent and Ross).� Okobi and Fordham appear to be the top backups.� Starks will stick; the PS can�t stash him in the practice group because, more than likely, he�d be nabbed.� That leaves Brooks v. Jones for #9 and it�s Brooks, I guess.� Lacy has gotten no time in pre-season, Caylor hasn�t done anything but long snap; presumably both are taxis.
(6-7) D-line:� Top 3, Kirschke and Keisel.� Hoke, Taylor and Upchurch are competing for #6.� Given the poor play at OLB to date, I�d be inclined to carry (7) D-linemen and adjust the packages accordingly.� Taylor and Upchurch would be my picks but probably Hoke will be #6 next season.� IMO, Clancy is a sure cut.�
(4) ILB:� No surprises.
(4) OLB:� Porter and Haggans, the rest are suspects.� Shocking for a 3-4 team, this is looking to be the weakest unit on this side of the ball.�
(4-5) CB:� Scott, DT, Ike, Colclough and Chidi have made the club.� Considering Coach LeBeau�s penchant for multiple coverage schemes, the PS could carry up to 6 CB.� In that case, Willie Williams will make it except as he may battle the #5 S for #10 DB.
(4) Safeties:� Troy, Hope and Logan have it made; Battles appears to be ahead of Stuviants for #4; therefore, Stuviants vs. Williams for #10 DB.�
The PS will carry (3) specialists; the remaining (50) actives are likely to be (26) O-side and (24) D-side.� So: 3 QB, 5 RB, 3 TE, 6 WR and 9 OL and 6 D-line, 8 LB and 10 DB.� Too bad since the 8th D-lineman, say Upchurch, is looking more productive than the 3rd OLB, but there it is.�
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