Preseason Game 3 Colts @ Steelers GDT

[JLambert58]

50 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

I never called for him to be cut, but he has absolutely no business being more than a backup.   Our lack of talent will force him to be on the field far more than I am comfortable.   Thats not going to change.  He has always been mediocre at best and will continue to be so going forward.   

I wasn't specifically targeting you with that comment.  Just seems to be the sentiment from many people.  

Yes having him starting is less than ideal, but as you say, he will be there out of necessity.  I was hoping we would snag a top-tier CB in the first round and still get a very good OLB/pass rusher in the second.  Didn't work out that way and I'm pleased with Watt so far but it would sure be a good thing if this team had another top flight CB.  Really liked Sutton's debut.  I won't count out the possibility of him being that guy.  

[43M]

Just now, JLambert58 said:

I wasn't specifically targeting you with that comment.  Just seems to be the sentiment from many people.  

Yes having him starting is less than ideal, but as you say, he will be there out of necessity.  I was hoping we would snag a top-tier CB in the first round and still get a very good OLB/pass rusher in the second.  Didn't work out that way and I'm pleased with Watt so far but it would sure be a good thing if this team had another top flight CB.  Really liked Sutton's debut.  I won't count out the possibility of him being that guy.  

I know you werent calling me out and didnt mean to imply you were.....just saying that Im not a Cockrell hater, but I see that he really isnt that good and likely isnt going to improve much.    We need our pass rush to be fierce and we need our young CBs to step up.    Gay and Cockrell are what they are...mediocre CBs with no real upside, but they will both get more playing time than they have any real business getting.   

[JLambert58]

4 minutes ago, FourThreeMafia said:

I know you werent calling me out and didnt mean to imply you were.....just saying that Im not a Cockrell hater, but I see that he really isnt that good and likely isnt going to improve much.    We need our pass rush to be fierce and we need our young CBs to step up.    Gay and Cockrell are what they are...mediocre CBs with no real upside, but they will both get more playing time than they have any real business getting.   

I understand the sentiment.  All I'll say is that Cockrell looked like garbage against the Falcons and rather than shrink, ( ala Cortez) he came back for a fight.  He wasn't perfect but it looked like he saw some mistakes and corrected them.  He has brought more and better physicality this year,  (something he has been criticized for)  and he is adapting to a shifting scheme.  Guess what I'm saying is, I think he can and will improve this year.  Will he be a pro-bowl defender?  Probably not.  But I say give him a chance to see what he can do.  

[Magnus-Viktor]

Well I know one thing.  The 2nd and 3rd best RBs on the roster are clearly Conner and that monster #39, Terrell Watson.  I can't wait for Toussaint to be shown the door.  Conner is pretty impressive.  Watson is a load.  

 

It was nice to see Sutton doing something.  He looked solid.  

Landry Jones looked better than usual, with more pocket presence.  I'd like to know what the deal was with that INT.  

JuJu looks like a very injury prone player.  He is pretty decent after the catch due to his size.  

Brian Allen looked ok too.  I sure hope he turns into a stud.  

 

I wonder if they are keeping Watt from rushing the QB a lot on purpose now, just to see what he can do in coverage and off the ball more.  I wonder if his conditioning is really poor right now.  He was really huffing and puffing.  

 

I can't wait for the real games to get here!  Finally getting to see Big Ben and all the starters except Bell got me all excited and anxious!

[Magnus-Viktor]

As for the "loaded WRs corp", my observations from that game were that Brown is a stud of course.  Bryant is no good unless he's going deep.  They seem to be trying to get him short catches with YAC, but he gets tackled immediately and even loses yards on half of those plays.  Coates is the same thing, except they don't try to dump it short to him so much.  Hunter didn't have many looks, but the one long ball he did get a shot at he didn't adjust to well.  That was probably because the DB stepped on his heel and tore his shoe halfway off.  Eli Rogers looked quite good.  Shifty and going to be a good underneath guy with a little YAC type action.  JuJu will hopefully develop and turn into a physical WR with better hands than the other bigger WRs I mentioned.  Hamilton is just another dude.  The announcer no more than talks about how he started the AFCC and made some plays but also had some drops, and he proceeds to drop a pass lol.  I didn't notice that guy I said should be cut after that first game.  Severin.  Maybe they cut him already lol.  I just checked, and sure enough they cut the scrub right after that first game against the Giants, only for the Giants to turn around and sign him.  The guy played so poorly against a team I said he should be cut immediately.  He was.  That team that just saw him in action then turned around and signed him???  You can't make that stuff up!!

James and Grimble are solid receiving TEs IMO.  

Someone mentioned Feiler.  He looked good pulling from the left side on a run play.  (I read the thread after my first post so my post was not influenced by others' observations).

[warfelg]

4 hours ago, JLambert58 said:

My mixed up/down & reflections on the game:  

Rogers great game & AB looking pro-bowl caliber as always on limited playing

L. Jones very good game.  Many accurate passes & looked poised in pocket.  Not great on INT, not sure who that was on.  Someone was arguing with me at the draft that Dobbs would be the #2 QB over Jones, uh not so much.  (Looking at you, Ward)

AV not a great game, trouble getting good position, knowing who to block

Watt better game than #2, nice deflected pass & some pressure.

Those who want to run Cockrell out of town need to CTFO.  He played better imo.  PI penalty looked bogus.  Playing more physical and had good position but lacks awareness at times.  Not saying he's a great starter but he still belongs on the team.  I'll give him some breathing room to work out the kinks. 

Sensabaugh decent, think he lacks that top gear, again not long-term answer as starting outside CB imo.

Grimble had some big positives starting with TD and some good blocks, one especially good, but did have a missed block as well.

Feiler had a really good game from what I saw.  Think he could be the next swing guard when Finney takes over for Foster or Pouncey.

Shout out to Lavon Hooks for some nice pressure

Gay nice play in EZ, but often is just one step behind

Matakevich aggressive, made a couple good plays including a near sack up the middle.  Too often he's not getting to the spot he needs to be.

Gore gashed the starting run D in the 1st quarter - ugly

Sutton should be fitted for his HOF jacket.  Ha kidding, but he did make some nice plays and brought some high-level swagger

Gilbert is freaking good

Nice to see Shazier out there looking All-Pro on a couple plays

VW couple nice tackles, sack w Deebo

Hawkins, Milton & Mihalik below the line showings from what I saw

Holba, you rat bast....  watch those high snaps

Berry nice punt

Bryant promising in limited, short routes.  Glad he wasn't hurt when his leg was bent back

Nice to see JuJu back in the game after he dinged his lower leg

Hargrave good pressure.

 

Not a great performance but some positives to take away 

 

 

So some things on your comments:

AV not knowing who to block....the whole line looked out of sync.  I think Finny still needs some polishing in calling protections.

Disagree on Cockrell highly.  He's in need of replacement.  Burns is going to be a "forgotten" man out there as long as Cockrell is playing.  He's an easy target to pick on.

X Grimble is a second team star.  The kinda guy who will look great against second units, disappear against 1st units.

Disappointed with Gay not adjusting to the second half of his career here all that well.  He needs to learn how to jam and use some tricks to overcome the lack of speed.

[warfelg]

1 hour ago, Magnus-Viktor said:

JuJu looks like a very injury prone player.  He is pretty decent after the catch due to his size. 

He's actually been pretty healthy most his career.  Not taking too much away from two awkward tackles.

1 hour ago, Magnus-Viktor said:

As for the "loaded WRs corp", my observations from that game were that Brown is a stud of course.  Bryant is no good unless he's going deep.  They seem to be trying to get him short catches with YAC, but he gets tackled immediately and even loses yards on half of those plays.  Coates is the same thing, except they don't try to dump it short to him so much.  Hunter didn't have many looks, but the one long ball he did get a shot at he didn't adjust to well.  That was probably because the DB stepped on his heel and tore his shoe halfway off.  Eli Rogers looked quite good.  Shifty and going to be a good underneath guy with a little YAC type action.  JuJu will hopefully develop and turn into a physical WR with better hands than the other bigger WRs I mentioned.  Hamilton is just another dude.  The announcer no more than talks about how he started the AFCC and made some plays but also had some drops, and he proceeds to drop a pass lol.  I didn't notice that guy I said should be cut after that first game.  Severin.  Maybe they cut him already lol.  I just checked, and sure enough they cut the scrub right after that first game against the Giants, only for the Giants to turn around and sign him.  The guy played so poorly against a team I said he should be cut immediately.  He was.  That team that just saw him in action then turned around and signed him???  You can't make that stuff up!!

James and Grimble are solid receiving TEs IMO.  

Someone mentioned Feiler.  He looked good pulling from the left side on a run play.  (I read the thread after my first post so my post was not influenced by others' observations).

They're trying to grow Bryants games, and with him being out so long these short passes are more about getting him back into the game.  Your reading too much into something with a simple explanation IMO.

Coates, I would say similar things about.  Just trying to get him back into it with some easy plays.

I don't read too much into that play for Hunter.

Eli looked like Eli.  A little slot guy who's best in there but we will try to force outside.

JuJu is gonna be a taller Ward.

I called Hamilton a JAG last year and people were mad at me.

[JLambert58]

1 hour ago, warfelg said:

So some things on your comments:

AV not knowing who to block....the whole line looked out of sync.  I think Finny still needs some polishing in calling protections.

Disagree on Cockrell highly.  He's in need of replacement.  Burns is going to be a "forgotten" man out there as long as Cockrell is playing.  He's an easy target to pick on.

X Grimble is a second team star.  The kinda guy who will look great against second units, disappear against 1st units.

Disappointed with Gay not adjusting to the second half of his career here all that well.  He needs to learn how to jam and use some tricks to overcome the lack of speed.

I thought the OL looked pretty good on the whole, but there were some hiccups.  Finney is still a work in progress but I'm encouraged that he is improving.

Let's not forget that Cockrell was arguably the best outside CB on the team for a good chunk of the season last year on a team that won 9 games in a row.  Not coming after you specifically, but I think a lot of people forget that he did some good things last year.  The AFCC obviously left a real bad taste in the mouths of Steeler Nation.  I'm not saying we don't need to replace him, what I'm saying is, he's our best option at the present moment and I want to see the guy succeed.  I think he's a decent player who can be good on a limited basis.

Grimble is hot and cold for sure, but I'd rather see hot this time of year.

Gay has been a very solid contributor for the B&G, ESPECIALLY in the second half of his career.  The guy never misses a game.  Father time is breathing down his neck and his time is short but here's hoping he can push the sun back up into the sky for one more year.  I'd love to see one of the young guys come in and outplay him.  Much rather he be first man off the bench at this point, but semi-solid and smart is better than young, inconsistent and inexperienced apparently.  

[warfelg]

Cockrell being the best outside corner for most the year was kinda like being the world's tallest midget.  You're still coming up short compared to everyone else.

[Chieferific]

Cockrell isn't a decent player that can be good at times. He's a terrible player that can be decent at times.

[JLambert58]

59 minutes ago, Chieferific said:

Cockrell isn't a decent player that can be good at times. He's a terrible player that can be decent at times.

You guys need to get a grip.  

[warfelg]

21 minutes ago, JLambert58 said:

You guys need to get a grip.  

I mean he was tendered at one of the lowest rates and no one bit.  Does that not tell you something with all these corner deprived teams?

[JLambert58]

2 minutes ago, warfelg said:

I mean he was tendered at one of the lowest rates and no one bit.  Does that not tell you something with all these corner deprived teams?

True but the Steelers obviously didn't see it as a critical need when they waited until the 3rd round to get one.  If they thought he was "terrible" as the normally wise Chief is saying, they would have gotten his replacement.  But they didn't.  

[warfelg]

Maybe they feel like they did with Allen and/or Sutton.  You never know.

[Chieferific]

5 hours ago, JLambert58 said:

True but the Steelers obviously didn't see it as a critical need when they waited until the 3rd round to get one.  If they thought he was "terrible" as the normally wise Chief is saying, they would have gotten his replacement.  But they didn't.  

I (perhaps like you) was kinda of excited about getting a former 4th rdr with some upside on the roster. He showed some competitiveness and was scrappy early on but that was as a #4 CB and MAYBE a #3 CB. Now he's been thrust in as a starter and he just doesn't have that ability. At least as far as I've seen. He is routinely beaten by sub par WRs and torched by superior ones. Granted he's still young and to your point may still have some growth left in him but there is a lot of room for it and I'm not confident he can close that gap. And lets be honest, the Steelers have been known to keep some really bad players on the roster.