Ben and is INTs

While Ben said he was 'ashamed' of his performance, he also said that only one of the INTs was a 'really bad' one.... hhmmmm.  I know that the JAX db made a great play on the ball on the Santonio pick, but Ben makes it sound like that no mistake was made by throwing that pass?  Also, should Santonio come back to the ball to prevent being sideswiped?  I have not seen the replay, maybe he did make a move.  Didn't Tommy Maddox have a very similar play picked off for a TD by JAX a few years ago in OT?  While JAX had 2 great plays on 2 of the picks, these are plays you have to avoid like the best QBs in the league normally do... and like Ben normally did all year.  Of course, it would help not to be 2nd and 13 half the time due to trying to force the run game.

2pt Conversions

Going for 2 with over 10 minutes left when you down by 4 is iffy, but I was not that upset as you have a decent chance to convert (unless you call a really high lob fade route or something stupid like that).  Going for it from the 12 yard line... there is no excuse... this is a rookie mistake, and I hope Tomlin can admit that.... if not in public, then at least to his players and staff. 

Fade Rout-itis

I have no idea why Arians is so taken with this fade route play.. wasn't this tried in the Pats game with no success?  Has this play ever worked for us?  Oh yeah, once... when Hines made an amazing grab and just barely stayed in bounds, only to be called back on a 'no hold'.  Maybe if Ben throw the ball a bit higher, it would lessen the risk and work more often =).  I always thought the fade route play was a 1st or 2nd down play that you would throw to a tall WR, but still usually with a pretty low conversion rate (unless you got Randi Moss)??  Ugh.  That was painful to watch the last 2 pt attempt that had no chance and no other options.  I'd take a roll out or even a draw play if we were running the ball better.  Better yet... drop back and look for Hines and Heath... then run for it if they are not open... Don't overthink it!!

3rd & 6 SERIES

OK, so there is 3:43 left, and we are at our own 22 yard line, and JAX has all 3 of their time outs.  I can understand running the ball to burn some clock, but there is too much time and we are too deep in our own territory to place clock burning as a priority over a first down.  If you throw an incomplete pass, you keep 40 more seconds on the clock or one of their time outs.  If you don't throw, you chances of a first down decrease by some percentage.  I guess any throw over a certain yardage would be out of the question, and that's fine.  But the short passes have been working most of the night for Ben when they were used.  For me, I'm throwing or having the option to throw at least one play on that drive for the following reasons:

1) Our defense is obviously not at full strength and not playing at a high level, and therefore should not be trusted, so 'taking the air out of the ball' is not as safe an option as it was just 2 years ago.
2) Our special teams is not very good! Hello! So we cannot trust our punt coverage like we'd like.
3) We have had zero success running the ball against JAX, in any fashion, unless we passed a lot first.
4) Our offense was moving the ball so well through the air, even if JAX gets the ball and scores... make to to where they cannot burn the whole clock off (just like they did) so we can possible have another chance.
5) Ben had clearly gotten into a good zone the 2nd half... put the game in his hands/arm... or at least give him the OPTION the throw on some type of roll out. 

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Looking back to Super Bowl XL, I seem to remember a few series where we were burning the clock in the 4th quarter and on one 3rd and 6 play with 4:45, Ben throws a 'draw play' short pass (almost a handoff) to Randel El who dashed for the 1st down.  The next series, Ben ran with it for the 1st down, but it was 3rd and 3.  By that point, the Stillers were near midfield, so they ran three Bettis runs and got down near the 2 minute warning, then punted to Seattle's end zone.

So there is a 3rd and 6 from our own 24 with 4:45 left and Whiz calls a very short pass to El...  I think this is significant because if it was 3rd and 3, he probably would have called a run or a Ben keeper, but since they needed 6, he put the ball in the hands of someone with some speed.  In other words, he knew 6 yards was a bit out of Ben's range and played the percentages.

Fast forward to Saturday night....That first play by Najeh... getting 5 yards... that was one of his longest runs... You now have 2nd and 5.  I can understand running again just to get 2-3 yards and have a very manageable 3rd down, but they lost a yard... much like several other running plays that night... So at that point... why not at least give Ben some options? Call a play where Ben would only throw the ball if it was a very easy pitch and catch... otherwise he can run with it.  Remember that fake pitch to the left then roll to the right play a few weeks ago?  How much risk is in that play?  Just tell Ben before the call... don't throw it unless the guy is WIDE open... otherwise run with it and stay in bounds.   There are 2 options to make a play, and if not, you take a small loss or no gain and you burn more clock.

My main point....Give him ONE chance to make a play out of 3 plays... jeez!

I'm sorry, but a running play to the left with no option to throw it... with 6 yards to go.... there is no getting around it... that is a bad call....and even if it worked, I would have felt we got lucky.  This is not the practice squad, this is the JAX run defense!!

I like Tomlin and I'm not saying he had a bad year... but he had a bad quarter in my opinion.  I still give Tomlin an overall pass as he is a rookie... as for Arians, he has since come out and admitted he 'probably should have let Ben throw'.  OK, I'll take that... so Tomlin and Arians  'threw a few interceptions' themselves in their first playoff game in their respective positions.

I just hope they have the humility and intelligence to consider other options when put in the same situation as opposed to clinging to the good ol' 'we just didn't execute' refrain.

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Go Steelers!