2020 GDT Week #14 Steelers at Bills

[August4th]

watching Browns vs Ravens has me envious as hell at their run games

[Dcash4]

I keep re-watching the last interception -- it's the perfect play to describe the reason that I believe, while execution of the players is a major flaw, the scheme driving these calls is absolutely disgusting. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0eIKWFgIT0

Go to 9:32 for the non-NFL Pass review. 

At the snap, its 6 across on the line. Disguising blitz or bluffing? Okay, so we don't know who is coming, but judging by the DB alignment and the S dropping -- its single high man. So, someone has to have Samuels. I gotta imagine as a QB, someone is dropping out because of Jaylen, but I don't know who. But that's alright, I got everyone else figured out. 

So what are we doing on offense? I have a bunch that will help disrupt man, I have a single receiver against press down below, and a TE and a running back. So scheme the top, win the bottom. This is a great set up for us to win this play. 

So what's the call? Well, for the life of me, this is the part I don't understand. We have a 0 yard out(?) by JuJu, and a jailbreak drag by DJ at the line of scrimmage, and a go by Washington. Situationally? This is trash. As a man beater against the bunch? This is trash. As for reads? This is trash. 

We end up in max protect (whether that's by design or a check) with a one man route/read. They drop their DE's (as the last 2 games have shown them to do) and bring 4. The first read, which, as a reminder is 4 yards short of the first down marker, is gone because of the 2 LB's dropping and now a safety that creeped down with no one to cover because Ebron is blocking. Second read? Well, there wasn't a second read and you can tell by Ben and JuJu's reaction and the lack of other options. JuJu is standing towards the sideline because he didn't get the ball immediately and Ben "oh S***'s" a late throw to Washington because he is the only other place to go with the ball. 

My guess on what they were thinking: Ben is reading the press corner against the bunch and the ball is coming out hot to JuJu who can turn the corner and fight for a 1st or its quick to DJ with space to let him cross the field. The Bills need to communicate who takes who here one will break with JuJu the other with DJ. Problem there is that we make that choice extremely easy for them by breaking into routes immediately. JuJu goes out, #1 stays with him. DJ immediately breaks in, the #2 drives on the route. Now the extra problem. With Max protect...there's no one to take away an extra defender, so DJ was never going to be there early. Even if they bring the house, the S creeping down is there to make a play. Now, I trust DJ one on one against pretty much any one, but its gonna be bang bang and if their team "executes" (because, remember its their job to execute too) this play is dead at a 1 yard gain. So Ben reads the #1 who takes JuJu, that means his go is DJ....until he see's the DE dropped (which, if you are playing along at home, is what the last 2 weeks tell us teams will do). 

So play design flaws: 1) This play isn't designed to be at the sticks 2) the routes you run give away disruption of the CB's before it puts them at a choice - they just react 3) Ebron and Samuels needed to be involved in the route. The way the Ends play it seemed to me its whichever way the back goes, that end has him man. By Samuels blocking, both ends drop and are in the path of DJ's drag, which because of the poor route concept at the snap, is the only read. Ebron has to have some form of release. If they are bringing 6, he and DJ are your hots, if they are not, the S is right in the path of DJ's crosser anyway. 

What I would have liked to see here: A better game with the CB's at the top. Have DJ and JuJu's release press to the sticks and then break. Have JuJu curl and find green moving inside at the 4 and have DJ break outside sharply or at a 7 after JuJu's stop. Or have JuJu Press a bang 8/ or 5-7 yard out and DJ break sharply inside on a short 6. Both of those can either have Samuel break to the flat or an angle. On the backside, cool with Washington's go -- its there from the jump, but it's also the perfect time to check to a slant with that side cleared and a possession, downfield, strong handed receiver. Press up, swim in, catch before the S gets there. I don't know, Ben's gotta have a check with these receivers. Grab your shorts, twister your wrist, just yell -- I don't know. 

TLDR: Biggest play of the must have drive and we call an extremely flawed play where the best look is a go route on 3rd and 4. Steelers: Its the first read or 🤷‍♂️. This play is dead against man, this play is dead against zone, this play is dead against the blitz, this play is dead against coverage. This is a dead play, on the biggest play of the game. 

Its rookie stuff with a 17 year vet at the helm. Its a play as a HC, you just run it back and forth on Monday at fil with coaches, over and over again, and say "the hell are we doing here?"

[3rivers]

17 hours ago, August4th said:

watching Browns vs Ravens has me envious as hell at their run games

probably a reason I could only watch parts of the game. It really bothers me how bad our OL and run game is to the point I don' think I will watch much more as long as ben fichner faction is ruling this team.  Hunt would be perfect for the throwback steelers, but a waste i the ben fichner era. This is an era too, I expect fichner and ben to be here as long as ben wants to stay