5 Best ...5 Worst Preseason Wk 1 vs Seahawks

[JustPlainNasty]

Top 5 things you like best about Game 1 vs Seahawks and 5 things that concerned you the most about Game 1.

Best

1.  Kenny Pickett - obviously it was the headline story of the game and probably the thing that conjures up the biggest emotion if recalling this game. Kenny looked smooth and comfortable and that matters a lot. He executed and got the ball out in a timely and decisive manner and thats easier said than done. 

2. George Pickens - easy choice #2 . There isn't much that needs to be said, but his confidence, presence and game maturity beyond his athletic ability appears to be special. 

3. Gunner Oslweski & Steven Sims - Im gonna cheat and put these two guys here. At first I just had Gunner in my head for how good and effective his start stop/ shiftiness was in the game and how effective it could be in combination with all the other pieces they have. Then you see the replays of how explosive and accelerative (if thats a word) Steven Sims was with the ball in his hands, not to mention his headiness and game awareness influencing the coverage teams with his fair catch signals etc . Hell, he even had the owner taking notice and calling it out on national tv. 

4. Matt Canada - First I really like how he got Connor Heyward involved and I have believed all along that Heyward could be a special chess piece that if utilized correctly could cause all kinds of problems. Add in Oslweski and the effectiveness that they got out of Anthony McFarland and Jaylen Warren. Then top it off with what seemed like setting up all of the qbs for success especially Kenny and Mitch, kudos definitely seem deserved. 

5. Connor Heyward - that 1st snag he had was outstanding, in any other normal preseason game he wouldve probably garnered more attention during and afterwards but in that fireworks show that was Preseason Week 1 of the 22 season he kind of slid under the radar. Anyway I was very happy to see the performance. 

 

Worst 

1.  Devin Bush - I havent gone back to break it down , but at the very least there was nothing really good or exciting to say about his performance He did not step up in any way, especially vs the run and it seemed like more of same ole same old. 

2. Robert Spillane - his coverage and athletic deficiency showed up again. I didnt really even see anything exceptional in straight up  run defense. The play on the sidline where Homer ran by him was really discouraging. 

3. Overall Inside Linebacker depth - This is gonna be the blotch on this team if they dont do anything to address it. Buddy Johnson looks kind of fat if you ask me. I think hes probably a decent player but I think he needs to be in better shape if he has any chance of catching up to things, always seemed like a step behind, but I actually think his instincts, understanding and awareness have improved.

4. Interior Dline depth - Perhaps its not as big of an issue if Adams and Alu Alu are healthy but especially with this LB corps we need some studs up there that can eat up blocks and or push that pocket.

5. OLB depth  - It will be pretty sketchy if one of those starters goes down for any time. Tuska or whatever is the #3 ? Not even sure there really is a 4, maybe Mark Robinson is better suited outside, even though he didnt actually have to get by anybody that burst was pretty good.  

[jebrick]

The 2nd string Dline looked like crap vs the run.  With the exception of Loudermilk, they were moved easily or got no penetration or just failed badly.

[MOSteelers56]

One down is that the fans booed Rudolph. I'm usually not one of those pearl clutching types, but that was a pretty stupid call. Mason has done nothing worth being booed over. I'm going to sound really old on this one, but I'm actually going to blame this one on Pat Mcafee's show. Tone Diggs craps on Mason all the time. That show has a massive following. 

[bigben07MVP]

2 hours ago, jebrick said:

The 2nd string Dline looked like crap vs the run.  With the exception of Loudermilk, they were moved easily or got no penetration or just failed badly.

Personally I thought the LBs were more at fault when we were getting gashed on the ground, but I haven’t re-watched yet.

I think Leal deserves to be mentioned in the “Up” column. He showed some flashes as a pass rusher, he will have an impact year 1 imo.

[warfelg]

2 hours ago, MOSteelers56 said:

One down is that the fans booed Rudolph. I'm usually not one of those pearl clutching types, but that was a pretty stupid call. Mason has done nothing worth being booed over. I'm going to sound really old on this one, but I'm actually going to blame this one on Pat Mcafee's show. Tone Diggs craps on Mason all the time. That show has a massive following. 

I don’t think it’s big enough to do that. I think Trubs and Pickett are new enough that they are exciting. We know what Mason is so extended time and him starting isn’t all that interesting. 

[warfelg]

53 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

Personally I thought the LBs were more at fault when we were getting gashed on the ground, but I haven’t re-watched yet.

I think Leal deserves to be mentioned in the “Up” column. He showed some flashes as a pass rusher, he will have an impact year 1 imo.

It was both. Wormley and Adams got manhandled 1v1 allowing the OL to get hands on the ILBs. 

[bigben07MVP]

19 minutes ago, warfelg said:

It was both. Wormley and Adams got manhandled 1v1 allowing the OL to get hands on the ILBs. 

Adams was not on the field, you might be confusing him for one of the Davis brothers.

I think Wormley is expendable with the Ogunjobi addition and quick progression of Leal. With 7 sacks last year maybe we could get something for him and he’s proven to be a liability in the run game.

[warfelg]

5 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

Adams was not on the field, you might be confusing him for one of the Davis brothers.

I think Wormley is expendable with the Ogunjobi addition and quick progression of Leal. With 7 sacks last year maybe we could get something for him and he’s proven to be a liability in the run game.

I might have been. I couldn’t make out who was at NT. But they were getting manhandled. 

[Dcash4]

I really don't have anything to change about your list @JustPlainNasty.

I enjoyed watching the QBs. I don't think they are ever going to be asked to do much within the structure of the offense this year, so doing your job is a big, big step towards success (and Matt Canada actually being okay). All three QBs checked the boxes you want to see if doing their jobs. 

I would love to see Kenny get some 1st team run though. I am picking nits and completely happy with how his first NFL action went, but I would like to see him play with a little more urgency from snap to throw as I am not sure we like the result on a couple of throws against first string CBs. The throw at the end of the game was later than you want and the 2pt to Heyward likely needs to be slightly quicker. There were also a couple times everything seemed predetermined (see above paragraph) and that he could have had a better option....but if you are a rookie completing passes for successful plays....who cares?

But that's the perfect baseline to see how much he grows now over the next few weeks. His ability to play well when the chips were in the center on a game winning drive was a big, big plus. I was someone who liked to make fun of Ben's "King of the Fourth" thing, but it's tremendously important to be able to play like you have a pair in the biggest moments. 

Good first showing for Kenny. Let's see what he comes back with in week 2. 

[bigben07MVP]

14 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

I really don't have anything to change about your list @JustPlainNasty.

I enjoyed watching the QBs. I don't think they are ever going to be asked to do much within the structure of the offense this year, so doing your job is a big, big step towards success (and Matt Canada actually being okay). All three QBs checked the boxes you want to see if doing their jobs. 

I would love to see Kenny get some 1st team run though. I am picking nits and completely happy with how his first NFL action went, but I would like to see him play with a little more urgency from snap to throw as I am not sure we like the result on a couple of throws against first string CBs. The throw at the end of the game was later than you want and the 2pt to Heyward likely needs to be slightly quicker. There were also a couple times everything seemed predetermined (see above paragraph) and that he could have had a better option....but if you are a rookie completing passes for successful plays....who cares?

But that's the perfect baseline to see how much he grows now over the next few weeks. His ability to play well when the chips were in the center on a game winning drive was a big, big plus. I was someone who liked to make fun of Ben's "King of the Fourth" thing, but it's tremendously important to be able to play like you have a pair in the biggest moments. 

Good first showing for Kenny. Let's see what he comes back with in week 2. 

I am not pushing back on you saying he should have threw the ball quicker on those specific plays, but overall he was much more decisive and got rid of the ball quicker than he has been in TC and last year at Pitt. Like you alluded to, I’m sure that was part of Canada’s gameplan so kudos to him. Worthwhile read on this topic if you haven’t came across it yet. 

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by bigben07MVP

[bigben07MVP]

4 hours ago, MOSteelers56 said:

One down is that the fans booed Rudolph. I'm usually not one of those pearl clutching types, but that was a pretty stupid call. Mason has done nothing worth being booed over. I'm going to sound really old on this one, but I'm actually going to blame this one on Pat Mcafee's show. Tone Diggs craps on Mason all the time. That show has a massive following. 

Were the fans booing as soon as he came on the field? I thought they only started booing after his first play, which was the ugly sack fumble. If that’s the case, I don’t really blame them for booing. The game had been all positives up to that point and you derail it on your first play? He can handle some boos in that situation. 

I do not think Pat Mcafee is to blame here lol, Yinzers gonna yinz.

Edited August 15, 2022 by bigben07MVP

[JustPlainNasty]

I could add some insight from the 1st qtr as I got a chance to go back and look.

Mason Cole - played pretty well actually. No issue physically at all in this one. He handled all his one on one pass pro very well. He was also decent moving around.

James Daniels - Good and some concerning here.

The good - he looked very nice in the run game moving to the 2nd level etc

The concerning

#1 issue was there definitely was a few communication / assignment issues at least two maybe 3 times. 

His pass pro. He uses his hands kind of like Pouncey machine work , but no great punch. Kind of the same with his footwork, his feet are moving a good bit but it seemed like he never really set or could just set up and sustain. 

Kendrick Green - this is just for the 1st qtr. 

Good - he is aggressive. In the run game he looks for people to hit. 

Concerning - he puts himself on an island in pass pro. He actually attacks rather than dropping, not unlike Rodney Hudson when he played at Florida State, just that Rodney was a rock when he did it. Also he was dropping his head and reaching at times. those are not great combos. I liked Greene coming out of Illinois as 4th round value / steal so i was happy we got him, but needs some work. 

Devin Bush - Just the 1st qtr . He started out trying, but lost his confidence or want to half way thru. There was a play where he did his typical play like a safety and read or hide behind the Dfront and it ended up a 6 or 8yd run. Flores wasnt happy after that play and it seemed like maybe the kid got upset with his father getting mad and then he just started to quit after that. He tried one or two times after that but then would relapse to his reading and catching technique. 

Myles Jack - Jack played fine. It was almost like they got scolded and then he aggressively made up for it by attacking the ball. Hes and instinctive linebacker , hes not big but he should be good in coverage and and he will find the ball when needed. 

Robert Spillane - Im not sure if his first play was the beginning of 2nd qtr or not, but the play definitely stood out and Seattle knew he was on the field. If it wasnt a design play then Geno audibled to it and they went right after Spillane with a toss to the RB Homer. Its not that Spillane didnt cover him, its not that Homer gained yards, its that when Spillane decided his angle he wasnt even close and Homer blew right by him for a 19yd gain , it was easily and additional 8 or 9 yds he shouldnt have had. Thats scary. There was another play where he read or run blitzed from the back side edge and I would say he should have at least caught or had a chance at the RBs feet (i think Homer again) and he couldnt catch up, on the opposite side, Bush did take on the blocker/TE but didnt get off at all and actually ended up inside instead of even seeing the ball go outside. Just an awful combo, it might not be bad if it was an exception but just more of the same instinctually. Guys like Farrior take on that block and have their head up and at the very least attempt to pursue outside. 

 

To go back in the time machine a bit, the Steelers drafted a little linebacker out of Miami in Sean Spence, the big concern about him was getting off blocks at his size. Spence did a better job at his stature than Bush seems to come close to. Spence was instinctual and actually ended up playing decent  but got injured and didnt really come back after that. Inside Linebacker is a collision position and to stay and be safe you actually need to anticipate and be proactive in initiating the contact. If you are catching, A. you are no good and not doing your team any good. B. theres a high probability you will get hurt and C. you can get others hurt. I seems to really be a heart /want to issue with Bush. Even if he flashes you have to really ask yourself is this guy all in or even half in, seems a lot more like hes got one foot in the water and one foot out. We need something to happen at ILB so im not rooting against his improvement but it at the very least is still an issue and Spillane is a definite target in space for defenses. 

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2022 by JustPlainNasty

[Dcash4]

38 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

I am not pushing back on you saying he should have threw the ball quicker on those specific plays, but overall he was much more decisive and got rid of the ball quicker than he has been in TC and last year at Pitt. Like you alluded to, I’m sure that was part of Canada’s gameplan so kudos to him. Worthwhile read on this topic if you haven’t came across it yet. 

Oh for sure. I was (am?) very worried about the time he took to throw and whether he is slow to recognize things or slow to the trigger -- or if all his off-schedule improvisation really messed with the clock. 

That last ball for the TD to win it. He just kinda meanders through his footwork on his drop when it seemed obvious where he was going to go from the snap. Against 1s, that ball needs to be out before that receiver hits his break. But that's something I expect to see him grow with more reps and as he gets more comfortable in the NFL. I checked out the screen grab Alex had on that page you shared, I just wouldn't agree there with him on the anticipation part. I think Kenny is late. If you look at the two CBs on the outside both playing the same route -- the one going against Vaughn is way out of position to play that out cut and the other is ready to make a play on any break. 

Kenny will be going against much better corners who will be in better position and better at anticipating situationally. But all in all, really good night for KP. 

And a side note of that play for Canada: A miracle happened..... a passing play with more than just a single option of route. If That CB plays the out better, Kenny's checkdown to the RB on the might walk into the endzone. There were breakdowns like this all across the defense, largely because of the "who"....but the idea that our offense this year might force defenses to communicate (leading to breakdowns) is rocket science compared to the last 3 years. 

[MOSteelers56]

1 hour ago, bigben07MVP said:

Were the fans booing as soon as he came on the field? I thought they only started booing after his first play, which was the ugly sack fumble. If that’s the case, I don’t really blame them for booing. The game had been all positives up to that point and you derail it on your first play? He can handle some boos in that situation. 

I do not think Pat Mcafee is to blame here lol, Yinzers gonna yinz.

I didn’t realize that yinzers had such hatred of some QBs. Pretty much my entire fandom has been Ben. I vaguely remember watching Kordell and Tommy Maddox, but I couldn’t watch a lot of games in Missouri. Actually come to think of it, I hated Tommy Maddox with all my soul. 12 year old me would have booed the crap out of him. I think they booed Mason when when they announced he’d entered the game, before the sack. 

[warfelg]

I’m starting to think we carry 6 WR. DJ, Pickens, Claypool, Gunner, Austin, Boykin. Maybe 4 RB with Snells ST coverage. Not many DBs that should give ST/D double down ability jumped out enough to me.