2011年1月7日星期五

Grading The O-Line: Pray For large Ben's Safety

Each month I go back again and rewatch the Steelers meet to hold a appears at which offensive linemen starred and who left Willie Parker and Ben Roethlisberger on their back. You can see the reports from all through the season here.

Quick Summary
Hide the children. This was the meet once the Steelers offensive collection issues stopped being the subject subject of internet cranks like me and diehard fans and started to be the Steelers apparent No. one problem. The Steelers offensive collection has failed to produce holes within the operating meet for practically a month, plus they gave up 7 sacks. include it up and issues should alter for the Steelers to hold out something arrive the playoffs. even although a massive amount of concentrate is becoming concentrated for the pass safety issues, however the insufficient holes within the operating meet are even a complete lot more disconcerting. once the Steelers could work the ball, the pass safety issues would lessen since defenses would should be worried about stopping the run.

But here's the loony thing, this wasn't the Steelers offensive line's worst meet in the season. I'd argue how the Steelers complete collapse in opposition to the Cardinals was worse. in opposition to the Jets the pass blocking wasn't that poor until the fourth quarter--the sacks arrived in opposition to , it absolutely was just the work blocking that fell apart in opposition to a defense which has verified fairly vulnerable past to beating the Steelers.

Jim Wexell pointed out the Grading the Offensive collection sequence over at metal city Insider. But since the combination of Thanksgiving and getting a wife who's nine weeks pregnant meant that this week's breakdown is coming out only a tiny late, Wexell do his own review in the game. I can concur with a massive amount of what Wexell said: he believed how the offensive collection wasn't completely responsible for the pass safety problems, which I can concur with completely. He mentioned that Kendall Simmons performed just one of his much better games, and I would agree.

But what I can't concur with is his assertion that Sean Mahan experienced an awesome game. a complete lot more on how awful Mahan in an astonishingly separate article focusing on his troubles.

Sacks
There experienced been 7 sacks, but there experienced been a massive amount of blame to distribute around. Sean Mahan and Matt Spaeth experienced been the only two to blow assignments poor adequate to provide about sacks that occurred quickly--the other 5 arrived both since of poor schemes/play calls or Ben Roethlisberger holding onto the ball since he couldn't arrive throughout an available receiver. Here's the complete breakdown, sack by sack.

Under Pressure
Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 7 instances and he scrambled away from difficulty on a number of other pass plays. however the huge majority of those scrambles arrived when he bought time on plays in which he wasn't in imminent danger of being sacked. When it absolutely was all mentioned and finished I counted only four demands in which a lineman/tight finish was beaten for quick stress (I didn't count it if a rusher obtained certainly free quickly after four seconds, by then the ball ought for being coming out). Mahan gave up one, Willie Colon gave up two and Heath Miller gave up one.

On The Run
The Steelers' work meet was stuffed with a Jets defense that looked fairly bendable past to last Sunday. It's the 3rd directly meet in which the Steelers have struggled to consistently proceed the ball for the ground. The conventional wisdom may nicely say how the Steelers have an offensive collection which could grind out drives, however the details show a thing else. Pittsburgh ranks 20th in work blocking according in the direction of Football Outsiders' rankings (and 31st in pass protection). Willie Parker experienced most very likely his worst meet as he struggled to arrive throughout his footing and occasionally missed apparent holes, however the Steelers offensive collection is even now the root of most in the problems.

Individual Reports
In seeing Sunday's meet it started to be obvious that it's difficult to pick among Kendall Simmons and Sean Mahan for the title of worst Steelers lineman. But if you're supplied just one product of information you can predict with a massive amount of do it yourself confidence who will be the worst lineman for that week's game. once the Steelers are facing a 4-3 defense, Simmons will struggle since he doesn't have the durability to drive a defensive tackle away the line. Mahan will do much better since he'll play devoid of a defensive lineman lined up on him. once the Steelers confront a 3-4 defense, the roles will be reversed.

Player + - Alan Faneca 6 three Heath Miller
5 5 Marvel Smith
4 three Kendall Simmons
3 4 Willie Colon
3 7 Dan Kreider
2 two Hines Ward
1 0 Sean Mahan
1 10 Santonio Holmes
1 0 Max Starks
0 one Matt Spaeth
0 4 This was Mahan's turn for being abused. Wexell is appropriate that only just one of Dewayne Robertson's 2.5 sacks arrived even although lined up in opposition to him, but Mahan's struggles within the work meet experienced been fairly apparent. All of his struggles are worth a weblog article of the own, but include it all up and Mahan's struggles continue to revolve near to his insufficient strength.

It was a much better evening for Kendall Simmons. If he doesn't should be worried about a man lined up directly over him he does a complete lot better. Simmons meet is dependent near to angles, athleticism and agility, which signifies he's a complete lot much better when he's inquired to obstruct linebackers, pull and support out on double teams.

Alan Faneca after once more was a pillar of strength, which tends to make him standout even more. there is tiny to complain about Faneca's day.

Marvel Smith should do a much better job of supplying draw plays--his make an effort to induce a Jets defensive finish to operate on by ended up with a tackle for a loss, but otherwise it absolutely was a sturdy meet for Smith.

Willie Colon experienced some struggles in work and pass blocking, partly since the Jets plan with linebackers split fairly broad seemed to catch the Steelers by surprise. It wasn't as poor a meet as Mahan's, but Colon's play has slipped in current weeks.

Of the non-linemen Matt Spaeth's struggles deserve for being pointed out. Spaeth's blocking is not getting better, and it's getting in the direction of place in which the Steelers may should adjust some of the play calling to account for the reality that Spaeth can't be counted on to gain one-on-one battles.

没有评论:

发表评论