Stillers-Doncos 1st half Commentary

Stillers-Doncos 1st half Commentary

 

With the final meaningful half of preseason football -- this, out in Denver -- the Stillers put on a pitiful display of slovenly football, combined with a plethora of poor discipline and stupid decision making run amok.�� A brief summary follows:�

 

 

QB:� Ben was 4 of 6 and looked solid.�� He started it off with a deft seamer to Wally, good for 47 yards.� Although the 4-week layoff will suck, Ben fully possesses the instincts and ability to come back in week 5 and play well enough.�

 

Dixon was inserted as soon as the 2nd half started, with nearly all of the starters still in the game.�� With how well he�d played at camp and preseason, this was Dixon�s test to see how he�d fare with the big boys and if he should start.�� Dixon failed the test rather miserably.�� He appeared timid at times.�� His 1st INT was utterly despicable.�� Facing a 2nd down deep in Donco territory, Dix rolled to his right, and had the 6-7� Spaeth open in the back of the EZ.� On 2nd down, you can either throw the ball away, or, with Spaeth, you throw the ball about 11 feet high and ensure NOBODY but Spaeth can catch the ball.� Not Dixon.�� He lollipopped a feeble pass that was never higher than 6� off the ground, and it was picked off for a crushing INT, taking at least 3 points off the board.�

 

Late in the 2Q, Dixon threw a timid out pass on 2d & 19, which was picked off and returned for 6.�� The WR, Emanuel Sanders, did a poor job of fighting for the ball, but it wasn�t a strong pass by Dix.��

 

RB:� Mendy had 5 rushes for 28, and seems well ready for the reg season.� Redman continues to impress, churning for extra yards on a couple plunges.��

 

�* Late note: Jon Dwyer, who�d �done nothing thus far, had 2 successive, superb carries in the 4Q.�� He carried of pile of 4 tacklers for extra yardage.� Then, he vaulted over a tackler near the LOS and then dashed 40 yards.�� This certainly buys Dwyer some time to avoid The Turk.��

 

FB: Redmon had a good plunge out of the FB set, good for 4 yards.�

 

WR:� Wally had some good grabs and appears ready.�� Ward had 3 grabs.�� Brown showed good speed on a short dumpoff.�

 

TE:� Johnson had a good grab on 3D and got the 1st.��

 

OL:� Poor.�� The run blocking was spotty and the pass blocking was often atrocious.�� Essex just stood there and allowed a sack late in the 2Q.� �Starks and then Adams committed false starts on successive plays late in the 2Q.�� With how porous this O-line is, I don�t know that Leftwich can be effective, much less survive, as a starter.� �The lone bright spot was rookie Mo Pouncey, who faced veteran NT Williams and fared allright.�

 

DL:� Decent.�� Lendale gashed them for some nice chunks.�� Little pocket push.�

 

LB:� Timmons led the way with 5 solos and was playing sideline to sideline with adroit speed and hustle.�� Very impressive.� He laid the wood onto Lendale a couple of times on short dive-plunges.�� Taunto Farrior had his helmet fly off on a plunge, and the resulting scrum caused a laceration to his head, forcing him from the game.� This minor injury could be a MASSIVE blessing in disguise, as it ensured Timmons was ON the field for ALL downs, something this assaholic coaching staff has refused to do.����

 

Jason Woodley did very, very little, aside from getting mauled on a wide Lendale run that gained 11 yards.�� Harrison recovered a fumble some 18 yards downfield, and then punished Orton at the end of the fumble return.�� (The play was then ruled incomplete.)��

 

DB:� The secondary got picked apart by Orton and Quinn, which is sickening in and of itself.�� Keenan Lewis started and looked like a complete, total pile of shit.�� Th8e guy is upright as a giraffe and has ZERO abiolity to break down on a receiver after the catch.�� Twice he got totally tooled after short receptions; the 2nd of which he was also flagged for un. roughness.� At this point, I wouldn�t consider this guy able enough to start for Pitt, much less the Stillers.��

 

Will Gay, who did nothing last season, had a sterling read and INT late in the 2Q.� Very nice.�� Pola was pretty active and looks to be his old self.��

 

Spec teams:� Dan Shitpulveda kicked off to start the game, and launched the ball OOB and well short of the EZ.�� Piss fuking poor.�� Later, he kicked off....all the way to the 12.� (Meanwhile, the Donco kickoffs continually sailed DEEP into the EZ.)��

 

Reed barely made a 33-yard FG.��� Barely.�� He needs to concentrate on kicking and stop whining to Ted Douchette.

 

Rookie Tonio Brown fielded a punt on his 2 (yes, his two !)� and was swarmed for a 2-yard return.�� Very, very stupid.��

 

OC:� Yes, it�s preseason, and Arians �doesn�t want to show his hand�....which is complete horseshit.�� The offense became mired in piss-ant 5-yard outs, which enabled Goodman to jump the route and take the pick 6 to the house.�� �I�ve yet to see a single shred of evidence that this offense has tactically improved one iota from last season.��

 

DC:� Dick picked up right where he let off in �09....getting shredded and tooled by a pile o� shit QB like Kyle Orton.�� 3rd & longs were, ONCE AGAIN, killers.�� And Troy Pola is back....so what�ll be Dick�s excuse this season?�� �

 

HC:� The total lack of discipline, combined with assaholic decision making, was very disturbing.�� Very unsettling.�� Not pleased at all.� �

 

Synopsis:� There�s a long way to go for this club before it starts the reg season versus Atlanta.� Who starts at QB is a minor issue; much larger kinks and issues must be worked out, and soon.��

 

 

(Still Mill and Stillers.com -- when it comes to the analysis of the Pittsburgh Stillers, no one else comes close�.)