Stillers-Iggles Postgame Analysis and Grades

Eagles 15, Stillers 6 ���. Sep 21, 2008 ����Game # 3

 

Stillers-Iggles Postgame Analysis and Grades

 

The Stillers ventured eastward to face their state rival, a team they hadn�t beaten in a road game since 1966.� That streak continues, as the Eggles issued a thorough assbeating that wasn�t nearly as close as the final score.�

 

Grades:

 

QB:� Ben was a quiet 13 of 25, with 1 INT and 2 fumbles.�� He took a literal and proverbial beating back in the pocket, as the Eagles brought 1 jailhouse blitz after another and Ben was a sitting duck back in the pocket.� A couple 1H sacks were the usual results of Benji holding the ball too long and refusing the either throw it away or flinging it to a receiver to make a play.� His fumble at 5:54 was entirely foolish and careless, but the other fumble was a tremendous vault and chop by Dawkins.� The lone INT was on an accurate deep ball to Nate, who failed to out-leap Samuel for the ball.�

 

Ben fell apart in the 3Q.� He had a foolish DOG penalty that should have been avoided.�� With the Philly secondary up in press coverage, he failed to audible out of a WR screen, which was so blanketed that Ben had no choice but to eat the ball.�� Soon later, in the 4Q, he simply dropped the ball as he went to cock for a pass, and then, to add insult to injury, he picked it up and flung a totally absurd pass that had no chance of completion but a 97% chance of being picked.�� �The safety was the correct call in the 4Q, as Ben�s knee was down before his feeble fling.� The key aspect of this play is that it serves as a prime example of BenRoth not having a clue in the world on how to throw the ball away when it is entirely prudent to do so.� Ben was well outside the tackles before the defender grabbed him.� At this point, he could have flung the ball toward a fat female in the 10th row of the bleachers, because once outside the tackles, it is impossible, according to the rule-book, to be called for intentional grounding.�� Instead, as is his wont, he held the ball and then was corralled.�� Benji has yet to show me that he understands this rule and this concept.��

 

With Ben�s hand hurt from being stepped on, Leftwich relived late in the 4Q and led the O�s deepest march into Philly territory, but the O came up empty.� �C+ �

 

RB:� Parker was swarmed right from the get-go, and never got untracked.� He finished with 13 rushes for 20 yards, and, of course, zero pass receptions.�� Mendenhall wasn�t permitted onto the field for an offensive play until 4:44 of the 4Q, when he dropped a rifled flare pass, but came back on the next play and grabbed a dump, then deftly juked a tackler and gained 11 yards and a 1st down.� Moore contributed nothing, and showed that his blocking is very, very suspect.�� In a 1-back set, Davis took a pitchout and gained 1 yard.�� C

 

FB:� On 1 of the few productive ground plays, Davis helped pave the way for Parker for a 6-yard gain.��� Inc.�

 

WR:� Not a glowing showing by any means.�� Nate broke the drought for #3/#4 WRs with 5 grabs, which led the team.�� He had a good RAC on a 1Q grab, and got 17.� But on a deep ball in the 2Q, Nate failed to explode after the ball, and allowed Lil� Asante to out jump him for the ball and get a key INT.� To be fair, Samuel is a superb gamer, but Nate showed poor determination and leaping on this ball.� �Nate continued that trend in the 4Q, when Lefty sent a decent pass to the EZ, but Nate gimpily failed to adjust and lazily just stuck up a single paw in a weak attempt to corral the ball.� On the very next play, Nate caught an out-curl and juked the 1st tackler, and had an eternity to step OOB with 1:21 remaining in the game.� Instead, he tried to juke for a few more yards, and was stopped in bounds like a complete idiot, forcing the burning of the final TO.�

 

Ward had 4 grabs for a paltry 8.5 YPC.� He had a drop on a touch chance in the 3Q.� Holmes had 3 grabs for 32 yards.� He was lazy after his 1st catch of the game, however, when he meekly stepped OOB rather than tightrope along the chalk for what would have been an easy additional 4 yards or more.� �Holmes also dropped a tough slant in the 3Q.�

 

Baker again contributed nothing.� Sweed did not dress.�� ���C

 

TE:� Miller led off the game with a 9-yard catch, and then wasn�t heard from until 6:23 3Q.� His blocking was poor.� On the first drive, on a simple 2nd & 1, Miller failed to sale the backside, and Parker was mauled for a 1-yard loss.� �He was slow off the snap and beaten to the inside on Parker�s 2-yard loss on the 1st down run from their own 6 in the 4Q.� He was tasked to chip block a lot in pass pro, and was marginally effective.� He did finish with 4 grabs for �63 yards.� Speath did very little.� �����B-

 

OL:� Everyone saw the 9 sacks, plus a plethora of near-sacks and punishment on the QB.�� The line wasn�t great by any means, but much of the problem was the algebraic issue of too many rushers with too few blockers.�� With a Neanderthal offense that did nothing to slow down the Philly rush, the O-line was left to fend for themselves, much as Custer did at Little Big Horn.�

 

Of course, there were a host of gaffes and weak-assed plays by this crew.� Colon had a wretched game, perhaps the very worst I�ve ever seen from him.� He was flagged twice, once for a false start and once for a hold on a 4Q 3d & 7 in which he glacially moved at the snap and was beaten badly to the corner.� He was also slow and feeble on the safety play in the 4Q.�

 

Hartwig struggled with giving help, all too often giving it where it wasn�t needed and then leaving a huge gap for a rusher to flash thru unfettered.� Kemo committed a false start, and on the next play a hold.� He had another false start in the 4Q.�

 

Simmons was abused late in the 2Q, causing an inc. pass.�� In the 4Q, Ben was chopped and a loose ball ensued.�� Simmons was initially in on that pile-up.� But then, apparently seeing that an Eagle had a good bit of the recovery, Simmons immediately detached himself from the on-going pile-up-- with no call yet made by the officials -- and literally got up and walked away.� What a gutless quitter and loser.�� On those type of pile-ups, the ball often changes hands 3 times before the final ruling is made, and in a tight game like this one, only a complete, gutless quitter gets up and walks away instead of continuing to scrap and grapple.��

 

The run blocking was poor, although a lot of that was caused by a devil-may-care Philly defense than run-blitzed continually and got a lot of backside pursuit. ��

 

The most disheartening aspect, to me, was that there was far too many instances of linemen �operating on their own island�; too much chasing, too many commo problems, and too much allowing free shots. �For a unit with this much veteran experience and collective experience, it is inexcusable for this group to not provide a more cohesive webbing of pass protection.� �����C-

 

DL:� Keisel sat this one out, and Hampton missed much of the game after getting nicked up.�� Fat Casey was mauled on an early 3d &1 plunge, getting shoved back and giving up 2 yards and the easy 1st down.�� Hoke filled in decently for Hampton, stuffing Buck for 0 yards in the 2Q and then blowing up a Buck ground play in the 3Q that was stopped for no gain.�

 

Roye saw a lot of PT in a platoon role in place of Keisel.�� He -- not Farrior -- had the forced fumble of Hunt in the 1Q, showing good hustle and determination to run to the sideline and deliver the lick on Hunt.�� Kirschke had a surprisingly active game, and had a majority of the hit & sack that drilled McNab into the ground on the blown-up flea flicker.�� This unit got a major reprieve when Westbrook went down in the 1Q, but overall they played ok.��� B

 

LB:� A rocky day for this group.�� Despite the enormous reprieve due to Westbrook�s injury, this crew had its struggles.�

 

On Philly�s 2nd play from scrimmage, Hunt caught a dump and Foote, as upright as a telephone pole, whiffed badly, allowing an extra 4 yards.�� On the 2nd drive, Buckhalter caught a dump, and Foote rabidly over-pursued and then was knocked onto his ass.� On a simple dive play in the 3Q, Foote -- totally unblocked -- filled the hole, but then was badly juked by Buck, allowing which should have been a no-gain to become a 7-yard gainer.� A short while later, Buck had his longest run of the game --12 yards -- while Foote was mauled and shoved a good 14 yards from the LOS.� �Foote was credited with 1.5 sacks, but don�t be fooled.�� He came in untouched on a run blitz for 1 sack, and he merely helped Kirschke after McNab had juked Foote back in the pocket after the blown flicker.��

 

Taunto Farrior, the Great Taunter, had his struggles, though not as many.� Known as �The Winged God of LB coverage�, he was slow and oafish on the 3rd & 17 in the 1Q, with Avant flashing right by him and then catching the crosser for a 19-yard gain.� On his blitzing, he did nothing more than titty-joust with the opposing blocker.�

 

Woodley whiffed on Booker after a 2Q flare pass, due to a simple failure to break down. He did have a legit sack on a 3d & 6 in the 3Q, bolting past Runyan and getting to the corner before dropping McNab.�

 

Timmons rotted the bench an awful lot, but did get some PT and made considerable impact in such a small amount of PT.� His pressure from around left end forced a hasty inc. pass in the 2Q, and on the next play he swam around a RB and created the pressure that caused McFadden�s INT.� He wasn�t abused, but he was slightly beaten by Smith on a skinny slant in the EZ, which was low and inc.�� To his credit, he didn�t pull a �Gildon� and quit on this play.� Timmons also drilled Buck near the chalk after a dumpoff late in the 3Q.� Timmons had a good read and was in position on a 4Q screen, but was held and the refs appropriately threw the flag.���

 

Harrison wasn�t weak, but this wasn�t one of his better days.� He was flagged for offsides in the 2Q, which negated his hustle-sack on a scrambling McNab.� He took a poor angle on Buck on the 2Q dumpoff, and Buck beat him to the sidelines and went in for the TD.�� A simple, better angle knocks Buck OOB.� Earlier, in the 1Q, Jamie had a good wrap and slam of Buck after a dumpoff, but that was about it in terms of his contributions.�� �����

 

It�s as obvious as the cockroach on a billiard table -- Timmons needs to be starting, period.�

 

Foote:� C-��������� Farrior:�� B-�������� Woodley:� B������ Harrison:� C-����� Timmons:��� B+�����

 

DB:� The secondary was rather pedestrian in the 1H, helping in getting carved up by McNab, who was 15 of 16.� They tightened it up a bit in the 2H.��

 

Leading the way was Troy Pola, who had a superb game.� In the 1Q, Pola pulled off something I�ve never, ever seen in an NFL game -- the �backhanded tackle�.�� With his back to the receiver (Jackson) a short reception, Troy reached backwards and somehow managed to corral the Eagle and bring him down after a 4-yard gain.�� Unbelievable.� Troy then made a highlight reel INT in the 3Q, vaulting and diving for the deflected pass and snaring it with 1-hand just before it hit the turf.�� If Nate had these kind of skills, he�d be something.�

 

Starting in place of Townsend, who did not dress, McFadden had a solid game; so solid, that it is an utter mystery why this younger, more athletic DB isn�t starting and allowing the veteran Townsend to play in the nickel role.� He made the bust-up for Troy�s INT, and he had good coverage on a deep ball to Brown in the 4Q.� He could use a few lessons in humility, however.� After he caught a Dong Interception off a horrible pass created by Timmons� pressure, McFadd went near the bleachers and preened and crowed like a complete jackass.� Never mind that the intended WR was WIDE open, and his team was down 10-3, at the time.�� After Troy�s INT, McFadd did a foolish, fagot-like celebration, again with his team down in the 3Q.�

��

Gay had a good bustup on a 3d & 8 crosser in the 4Q.�� Ike quietly had a couple solid plays.�� ���B

 

Spec teams:� The KO and punt cover teams had some small issues, but at least there were no long returns.�� The return teams did little.� Berger had a weak 33-yard punt that was FC at the 15 in the 3Q, but came back with a better punt later on.�� Reed booted a 37-yarder and then hit a career long 53-yarder late in the 2Q, which would have easily been good from 60.� �����B

 

OC:� Most of the chatter this week will revolve around the O-line and all the sacks.�� The root of the problem is Arians, who ran a dullardly, stale offense the ENTIRE day against a defense that was JAILHOUSE BLITZING on almost every down.� �Besides blandly packing in more blockers, there are generally 7 methods to counter a jailhouse blitz --

 

1.� draw plays

����������� 2.� RB Screen

����������� 3.� Quick flares to the RB

����������� 4.� Quick hitters to the TE

����������� 5.� Moving pocket and/or bootlegs/rollouts

����������� 6.� Reverses/end arounds�

����������� 7.� No-huddle offense to limit substitutions and speed up the offensive tempo

 

What did Airhead Arians do in this regard??��

 

1.� draw plays.�� NONE the entire game.�

����������� 2.� RB Screen.�� ONE attempted the entire game; not until 4Q.� �

����������� 3.� Quick flares or dumps to the RB.� NONE, until late 4Q.��

����������� 4.� Quick hitters to the TE.�� One occurred on the offense�s very 1st play of the game.��� The next didn�t occur until 6:23 3Q.�� Miller also snared a quick pop pass in the 4Q, which netted the O�s longest gain of the day of 21 yards.�

����������� 5.� Moving pocket and/or bootlegs/rollouts.� NONE

����������� 6.� Reverses/end arounds.���� NONE��� ��

����������� 7.� No-huddle offense to limit substitutions and speed up the offensive tempo.��� NONE�

 

What Arians did today -- besides getting his star QB pummeled and punished -- was run a new offense, called The Sitting Duck Offense.�� This offense is predicated upon the QB being ordered to stand directly in the center of the pocket and bravely endure an onslaught of 7 and even 8 rushers while the rest of the offense stands around and observes. �Philly teed off with the jailhouse blitz, and Arians -- as dumb as a box of rocks -- stood there, every bit as ossified as the French generals as WW2 began.��

 

By midway thru the 2Q, it became quite obvious that Philly was going to send the jailhouse blitz on a constant basis, yet Arians, as stupid as he is clumsy, never once countered this with anything except having Ben sit back in the pocket to absorb the brutal punishment.�� At 1 point of the 2Q, the previous 6 pass plays by the Stillers had netted 5 sacks.� None of this phased Arians, who stupidly made no adjustments, other than his feeble, Neanderthal idea of simply having his biggest receiver (Miller) remain in the pocket to pass protect.� Arians bland, lone solution of packing in more blockers in pass pro reminds me of a king having his castle hit with catapults.� Instead of sending men or return fire to quash the catapults, the king assigns more men to �catch� the incoming rocks and other men to perform more clean-up detail when the rocks make impact.�� Arians� did nothing but attempt to address the symptom, rather than the root problem.�

 

The Arians offense reached the height of absurdity on the final play of the 3Q, in which they lined up in a 1940�s style 3 TE set.�� The Eagles literally had 9 (NINE) men in the box, and Parker was dropped for a 1-yard loss.��

 

There were other malaises.�� Near the end of the 1H, the offense, coming off a TV timeout, hit Ward for 8 yards.� It took 23 seconds for the Bruce Arians SlowPoke Offense to snap the ball on the ensuring play, which is grossly unacceptable.�� TWO plays should have very easily been called during that TV timeout.� �

�

To show the casual fan just how lost Arians is, the Stillers were backed up on their own 4 in the 4Q, on a 2d & 12. ��What does Arians call ? ���He lines up Carey Davis -- THE SLOWEST RB on the team -- as the solo back, and then orders a toss sweep to Davis that nets 1 yard. �On the next play, Ben was safetied. ��The idiot will blame the O-line for the safety. �The analyst will see how the OC and things like his �Carey Davis toss sweep� allowed Philly to tee off on each and every play with no fear whatsoever of being burned. ���

 

Phil Simms asked at one point, �How did Dallas score 40 on this defense?��� How?� Easy.� Dallas has a clever, varied offense that exploits weaknesses with a vast array of quick weapons from all over the field.��

 

The good news is that fixes CAN be made.�� The bad news is that the person that would have to implement these fixes is one of the very worst, least imaginative OCs in all of pro football.��� If anyone is still defending this pile of crap, please step forward and make yourself known.��� F

 

DC:� LeBeau has made a living out of padding his stats while facing backups due to small injuries and the like.�� Today, he lucked out all over, with Westy injured in the 1Q when he stepped on his own man and McNabb missing a couple series when he took some punishment on a blown flea-flicker.�

 

The 1st half was pitiful.�� With Westbrook shelved most of the half, Dick�s mamby pamby defense allowed McNabb to look like a cross between Montana and Unitas, completing 15 of 16 passes.� On a 3d & 17 in the 1Q, Dick rushed a whopping 3 men, and McNabb easily completed the pass for 19 yards.�� Soon later, on a 3rd & 16, a feeble 5-man rush produced zero pressure, and McNabb passed for an easy 20 yards.� �

 

To show you the contrast --� Philly�s blitzes produces open opportunities where rushers flash through untouched and unfettered, for instant pressure.�� Dick�s idea of a blitz has blitzers locking horns with opposing blockers and producing minimal or zero pressure on the QB.�� ������C

 

HC:� Tomlin doesn�t have much to feel good about after this asswhipping.�� His challenge of Hunt�s 1Q fumble was pretty astute; at first blush it didn�t look like an obvious fumble.� After that, his day spiraled downhill, and fast. ��He is Arians� boss, and if Arians is too much of a stupidass to make adjustments to the jailhouse blitz, then Tomlin should have grabbed the situation by the throat (along with Arians) and gotten the adjustments made. ��

 

His failure to get the FG team on late in the 4Q, in lieu of going for a hopeless 4th & long, was utterly bizarre.� You almost wonder if Tomlin fell asleep at the wheel.�

�

Perhaps this loss will snap Tomlin out of the bench-rotting of Timmons and Mendenhall.�� Playing Parker almost exclusively, and starting Foote, is becoming more of a folly with each game.�� We all thought Tomlin learned LAST year about how long a season it is and how a coach needs experienced depth all over the field come Dec. and January.�� Apparently, he did not.��

 

I�m also disappointed in the aforementioned actions by Holmes, Simmons and McFadden.�� Holmes was lazy; Simmons simply quit like a loser; McFadden pranced like a clown.�� None is acceptable and it needs to be curtailed ASAP by the head coach, lest if festers and spreads.� ����C-

 

Synopsis:� A grisly, almost embarrassing whipping.� On the bright side, it�s better to get this kind of beating in early, so that the team can learn some lessons and make adjustments.�� And, with Balt. coming to town next Mon nite, we can only hope this type of whipping sinks in before that key divisional game.� You can better believe Balt. will mimic the Philly defensive tactics, so if no adjustments are made, it could be ugly again on Monday nite.�

 

 

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