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The GilDong Report (Game #5, @ Tampa)

October 24, 2001 by Still Mill

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The GilDong Report (Game #5, @ Tampa)

In light of many a fan being bamboozled and ga-ga over Jason Gildong�s 11 sacks in �98 --- despite only 2 being anywhere near "earned sacks" --- I�ve devoted considerable time the past 2 seasons to monitor the work of the exceptionally average Jason Gildon. Gildon, as you may recall, hoodwinked enough voters in �00 to be voted in to a reserve spot in the Pro Bowl. Jason has been famous enough with his coverage sacks, flop sacks, the QB-slipped-on-the-wet-turf sacks, the OT totally forgot his blocking assignment sacks, and so on, that the NFL designated a new statistic, called the "Dong Sack™", in honor of Jason Gildong. (Some fantasy football leagues are incorporating this into their point systems.) Again in '01, I'll take time to expose Jason Gildon for the fraud that he truly is.

Gildon, coming off an adequate but hardly "pro bowl" effort against KC, resumed his typical, sub-par play with a meek, half-hearted effort against the Tampa Bay Bucs. Gildon, despite being on the field for every single offensive play run by Tampa (59 in all), finished with a piddly-assed 1 solo tackle. ONE. This heroic tackle came at 7:06 of the 1st quarter, when Keyshawn ran a short 6-yard curl from the slot while Big Jason was out on zone coverage against him. Jason came up and made the cake-easy stop of the stationary Keyshawn. That was it for the entire game. To his credit, Big Jason did have 3 batted passes. However, upon further review, 2 of them (the 1st and the 3rd) occurred as Jason was getting punched, bullied, and stymied on his pass rush. In fact, on bat #3, Jason had just been punched backwards off his feet by RT Jerry Wunsch, and as he re-grouped himself, he jumped up and got the bat. The 2nd bat was the one and only good pass rush Jason had the entire day. Jason got some good push upfield against Wunsch (who himself is hardly a pro bowler, by the way), and stuck his paw up as he was surging toward the QB. Yes, batted passes are nice to get, but getting a lucky bat after getting stymied and rocked at the LOS is something that is acceptable from a pudgy nose tackle or a run-stuffing DE �. not from an OLB who has free reign to attack the QB from the corner.

Of course, as always, there was a host of plays in which Jason looked clumsy, foolish, incompetent, or a combination thereof.

On the 2nd play of the game for Tampa, Dunn ran the ball up RT. Big Jason slanted in, and then was literally buried by Wunsch as Holmes slid over to make the stop. This was a trend that occurred all day, in which Jason was buried in a similar manner no less than 4 other times. At 1:44 of the 1st quarter, Dunn again ran up RT/RG, and Big Jason was once again buried. See the two pics below, in which you can clearly see Big Jason getting absolutely buried by Wunsch. (in the 2nd photo, Wunsch has arisen while Jason is still prone on the grass.)

 

Later in the 1st period, on a 1st & 10 from the Pit 35, Dunn ran up RG/RT . Gildon was literally mauled on this play by TE Dave Moore, who manhandled Gildon without even a hint of resistance from The Dong. In fact, like the puss that he is, Gildon ended up turning his back to Moore after getting bullied for a few seconds. Dunn easily cruised thru this gaping fissure for a 9-yard gain.

Two plays later, Alstott ran the ball up RT. Moore easily shield-blocked Gildon, who simply accepted the shield block and did nothing to ward it off. (See the first photo, below.) Jason then eluded Moore, and went to tackle Alstott from the side, as Alstott also had to contend with another tackler to his front and a tackler from behind. (See second photo.) But instead of laying the wood into Alstott, a man he outweighs by 10 pounds, Big Jason Gildong literally got repelled and sent back onto his ass like the feeble, sorry simpleton that he is. See the third photo, which clearly shows Jason falling backwards after being staggered onto his ass by Alstott as though he'd been hit with a shotgun blast.

 

 

 

At 3:40 of the 2nd quarter, Jason was once again buried into the turf on a Dunn run.

On the first series of the 3rd quarter, on a 3d & 10, Jason stunted inside, and came in nearly untouched (was barely love-tapped by the RG) on QB Brad Johnson. Jason then whiffed badly on Johnson, who scooted ahead a lil' before being sacked by Porter.

On a 1st and 10 at 1:50 of the 3rd qtr, Gildon was solo blocked by only the TE, Moore. Jason managed to beat the bumbling Moore, but then was easily blasted by Alstott, who came over after seeing Gildon slip by Moore. Despite being the smaller man, Alstott again got the far better of Big Jason.

Last, but certainly not least, was the lone Tampa TD at 0:37 of the 4th qtr. This was a play in which Big Jason was the primary culprit for giving up the TD. On the play, Johnson faded back, and had plenty of time, while Big Jason was once again getting stymied at the LOS. (see 1st row of two pics, below.) Like a no-brained moron, Big Jason takes the path of least resistance and starts heading down the LOS, while QB B. Johnson starts to scramble the opposite direction. (see 2nd row of pics, below). Johnson ended up with an acre of open, unfettered space to easily complete the TD pass, while Jason Gildon, the man who should have been over there to knock Johnson onto his can, was aimlessly meandering around like a drunken stooge along Wood Street in Dahntahn Pittsburgh. (see 3rd row of Pics, below.)

 

 

 

This is precisely the kind of play that won't show up in any stat book, but is a pitiful, shameful, boneheaded play that should have never come from a player with 7 prior seasons in the NFL.

Finally, it's worthwhile to use this column to address the ludicrous claims by the Pittsburgh media and Tim Lewis that the Buccaneers were "overloading" to their right to stop Big Jason. Among the ribald lies, was: "Joey got more opportunities," Lewis said. "They were sliding everything to Jason to stop him." And "Almost every third down we came after them," Lewis said. "I was bringing everybody. I brought everybody but Coach Cowher." And the writer of the article, Gerry Dulac, claimed, "All the sacks came from the same side -- the left."

In a Stillers.com exclusive, here's a breakdown of all 10 sacks this past Sunday:

#1. 1st series of game. Porter abused LT Kenyatta Walker and sliced inside. Kimo looped & came around the LT. In the meantime, Big Jason was solo blocked by one man, TE Dave Moore.

#2. On a 3rd & goal from the 5, Deshea came blitzing in from the Stiller right side. What was unique about this defense, was that 5 defenders who were crowded near the LOS were to the right of the football. Only Gildon, who was lined up over the Tampa RT, was on "our left" of the ball. See photo, below. Ergo, because of this formation, there was no overload on Tampa's part to block Big Jason. One man -- the right tackle- blocked him, while Townsend and Porter and company overloaded the Tampa LT.

#3. At 14:31 of the 3rd, Gildon whiffed on an easy Dong Sack, and Porter corralled the QB for the sack. 4-men initially rushed on this play, although Mike Logan came in on a very delayed blitz from outside the LOLB spot.

#4. On 4th & 5 at 2:10 of the 3rd, Logan again looped wide from outside the LOLB spot, and sacked Johnson. In other words, he did NOT come from the Tampa "left", as was suggested by Dulac. This was a 7-man rush, so there wasn't any sort of "overload" on Tampa's part to block Big Jason�.they simply got over-run by the 7-man rush.

#5. On the first play of the 4th qtr, Porter whipped by Moore from the ROLB spot and got the sack on a play in which 5 men rushed the QB. On this play, Big Jason was actually in short zone coverage near the flat, so obviously there was no "overload" performed by Tampa to protect against Jason's vaunted rush.

#6. DeWayne came around the Stiller right end and sacked the QB. Gildon was again in coverage near the flats, while only 5 men rushed the QB. Again, no overload by Tampa�.the Stillers simply massed more rushers from their right side than Tampa could handle.

#7. On the 1st play after the Amoz fumble, the Stillers lined up with a 3-man line, with Gildon at LDE and Porter as a "MLB". At the snap, Porter dashed around the Stiller left end, and bowled over RT Jerry Wunsch, the same man who spent the entire day beating Gildon about like a red-headed stepchild. This was a 4-man rush; there was no overload by Tampa; and Porter came from the Tampa right, not the left.

#8. On the very next play, with a 4-man rush, Kimo came up the middle and got a coverage-sack. No overload by Tampa.

#9. On a 2nd & 9 at 2:49 of the 4th qtr, the Stillers rushed 4 men. Porter dashed in from a down RDE spot, and sacked Johnson. Again, no overload from Tampa to protect against Big Jason. In fact, the center, LG, and LT all attempted to block Kimo, who was lined up as the RT, and Big Jason was solo-blocked.

#10. At 1:51 of the 4th, on 2nd & 10, a 4-man rush got the QB. Porter abused LT K. Walker and got the sack. Jason was solo-blocked, and simply titty-fought while Porter was hungrily pursuing the QB like a rabid lion.

The 3 pics below depict a typical play from Sunday. As you'll see, not only is there no overload to block Jason (he's being blocked by one man), but there's actually more blockers fending off Porter's side.

 


Did Porter have some envious situations for an OLB? Yes. But unlike Jason, who also had a host of envious situations, Porter actually took advantage of situations and made the most of his opportunities. This is what differentiates the good player from the mediocre one, regardless of position. The good player takes advantage of good opportunities (ie, 1-on-1 opportunities), and makes big plays. The mediocre player does nothing but titty-fight or wide-loop-rush when presented with the same opportunities.

All in all, yet another weakassed, no-impact, no-hit game by Big Jason Gildon, thereby further cementing his place as the 4th best starting LB on this team, and quite possibly the 6th best overall LB on the club.  

Season to date totals for Jason, in 5 games:

Earned Sacks: 1
Dong Sacks™: 1
Strips, Jars, fumbles caused: 0

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