Weekly Hard Hat Award (game #18, @ Tennessee)

January 14, 2003 by Still Crazy

O-Line and Casey Hampton Win Weekly Hard Hat Award (Game #18, @ Tennessee)

The entire Stiller offensive line and DT Casey Hampton are the co-winners of our weekly Hard Hat Award, given to the Stiller player who best embodies the iron-tough, hard-as-steel attitude of the steel workers inside the blast furnace of a still mill.

It is the sad duty of this writer to compile the last weekly Hard Hat column for the 2002 season, which unfortunately ended all too soon for Stiller fans. This week's choice reflects a desire by the committee to recognize both side of the ball for their efforts in nearly beating the toughest (physically at least) team in the AFC. Few intelligent Stiller fans anywhere expected that we would win this game, and sadly, we got what we expected. However, at least some of the men in Black and Gold came to play in Tennessee and, unlike a certain "defensive captain", these men gave their all in a valiant but losing effort.

On the defensive side of the ball, Casey Hampton was the consensus pick for HH status. "Fat" Casey earned his first HH of the year by schooling Tennessee center Gennarro DiNapoli in wrecking ball fashion. On the stat sheet, it may appear that Casey had average day, what with only 3 solos and an assist. But out on the field, Casey was a monster. Here's a look at his 4 stops in chronological order:

assist (w/L. Foote) on a 1^st quarter Eddie George run off right tackle for 1 yard;

solo stop of Eddie George for -2 yards on the first play from scrimmage of the 3^rd quarter, fumble forced (This was the play that put EG out of the game. Casey literally bulldozed his way through the Titan O-line to lay a wicked hit on EG, knocking him out before he hit the ground. If you taped the game, watch the slow-motion replay a couple of times and you will see George go completely limp at the moment of impact. His arms go instantly slack and the ball drops to the turf as EG collapses like a sack of wet noodles. Casey had to slide a couple yards down the line, as it was a run off left tackle, then plow through two linemen to get to George on this play, meeting him 2 yards deep in the Titan backfield. That, Stiller fans, is defensive football at its finest.);

next was a -3 yard stop of backup RB Holcombe on a gut plunge late in the 3^rd quarter;

finally on the last play in OT before the Titan FG attempt, Casey stopped Holcombe for 3 yards on another gut plunge.

Casey, though not given credit for it, also caused the other Eddie George fumble that occurred early in the 2^nd quarter. Casey shoved Titan LG Ackerman so far into the backfield that EG literally knocked the ball out of his own hands with Ackerman's butt when he tried to cut back to find some running room. Casey also batted down a pass intended for EG late in the 2^nd quarter. Finally totals for the day for Hampton: 3 solos and 1 assist for a total of -1 yards, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass defended, repeated schooling of Titan O-linemen and a knockout blow on Fragile (Fr)Eddie George. For a NT in a 3-4 defensive scheme, that�s a superb game.

On the O side, there was some dissention within the committee as to whom to recognize this week. Hines Ward was an obvious candidate with his 7 catches for 82 yards and 2 TDs, and the 2 point conversion pass to Plax. Hines also hung on to the ball on that vicious hit by Schulters that drew the personal foul. While the legality of that hit is perhaps questionable, what is not is that Schulters plastered Ward with everything he had. Hines retained possession of the ball and his wits, and continued to play on. But what ultimately lead to Hines not getting yet another HH nod this week was the two dropped passes late in the game that could have allowed the Stillers to seal the victory. Also, as mentioned above, the committee has for some time wanted to give some props to the unsung heroes of the Stillers, the O-linemen whose names usually only get called by the TV announcers when they screw up.

The Stiller O-line (LT Wayne Gandy, LG Alan Faneca, C Jeff Hartings, RG Kendall Simmons, RT Marvel Smith, as well as backups Keydrick Vincent and Oliver Ross) has been masterful in pass protection pretty much all season long and were again exceptional this Saturday. Maddox for the most part had lots of time to find his receivers all game long. The Titans only registered one sack all afternoon and only got pressure on the QB by bringing the house on all out blitzes. Even then the O-line, albeit with some help from the FB/RB position, rarely allowed significant harassment on Maddox. The run blocking by this group was also decent, although given the deficit we started with, there was little call for it most of the game. Amos' 31 yard TD run was a fine example, however, of opening up just enough of a hole to allow a good back to make a play. Sure, Amos made the most of it by shedding would-be tacklers and plowing through two defenders into the end-zone, but that play doesn�t happen if the O-line doesn�t create the fissure for him to get cleanly through before first contact by a defender. In short, the O-line play in this game, facing one of the top 3 or 4 defensive fronts in the NFL, was better than anyone could have hoped. As Mill stated in his post-game report, against "that good of a front 7, you can't ask for much more". This sentiment was echoed by all on the committee and thus we felt that some recognition of their contribution (both Saturday and for the entire season) was deserved.

Kudos to the O-line and Casey for winning the weekly Hard Hat Award. Wear it proudly, fellas!!

(note: all stats used in this report come from careful reading of the official play-by-play at NFL.com. We here at Stillers.com NEVER rely on the notoriously inaccurate box scores posted on that site or any other.)

(note: all stats noted in this report come from careful perusal of the official play-by-play from NFL.com. We on the committee never rely on the notoriously inaccurate box scores for stats.)

Previous Winners in 2002:

2002 Regular Season Award: WR Hines Ward

Gams #17, vs. Cleveland (AFC Playoffs Wild Card Game): QB Tommy Maddox

Game #16, vs. Baltimore: RB Amos Zeroue and QB Tommy Maddox

Game #15, at Tampa Bay: LB Kendrell Bell

Game #14, vs. Carolina: DE Aaron Smith

Game #13, vs. Houston: No winner

Game #12, @ Jacksonville: K Jeff Reed and RB Jerome Bettis

Game #11, vs. Cincinnati: K Jeff Reed and QB Kordell Stewart

Game #10, @ Tennessee: WR Hines Ward

Game #9, vs. Atlanta: LB Joey Porter

Game #8, @ Cleveland: RB Amos Zeroue