2022 GDT Da Steelers 2-4 Visit the Miami Dolphins 3-3

[warfelg]

8 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

Fichtner spent 10 years as a College OC. Our offense was very what we do. 

I'll give Fichtner one little defense: Ben's a gun slinger and sees the field well after the snap, so the what we do worked "well" for that.

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A side note to the levers conversation: there was a really good Pod last week from The Athletic with Robert Mays and Nate Tice. Those are two of the best in the business at talking schematics. Conversation revolved around how there are ebbs and flows of the NFL schematics. Offenses have been up the last few years, but defenses are catching up and getting the edge this year. It's a fun talk about the ways the Shannahan offense exploited things on defense, was multiplied across the league, and now defenses are finding counters (like simulating pressures because the Shannahan rules say to throw hot, but now defenses have defenders ready). 

They're podcast is a lot of fun. I enjoyed their conversation on the defenses finally catching up.  I think a big part of the catch up was it took a while for those offensive 'gadget guys' to start to come out much more and for the NFL to learn how to use them; and now the NFL knows how to find those guys and not spend premium picks on them. Then it took a while for the NCAA to catch up on the offense, and for teams to find players who can defend it; and how it the NFL's turn to learn how to catch up, and next is finding those guys who can defend it easier.

As much as it is about scheme, it's about players like JOK, Hamilton, heck I'll even put Rell in this category.  SS's/LB's that are too small to be a pure in the box guy, but too big to be a MOF safety.  They are those 'wild card' defenders who can do it.  Took Rell some time but now the mental part of the game matches the physical ability.

It's fun to watch the X's and O's start to learn the personell much better and how to blend concepts.

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I'm with you with what you said about Canada though.  I was initially excited when Tomlin said rather than get the guys imitating the offense, get the guy who created it.  Especially in that he was a consultant to Fitchner.  I think keeping him in that role with someone who's good at game planning, the way guys have coopted his ideas, just having him in house to create some of those things.  

I feel like it's been a long standing tradition though of OC's in Pittsburgh to be stubborn and not include new ideas. Arians resistant to tuning back his deep pass attack; Haley not giving Ben some freedom; Fitchner not incorporating Canada's concepts; and now Canada unwilling to evolve the play calling.  

Would have been nice to have brought in a play caller who had their own structure that was willing to put new wrinkles in it.  I'm not sure who would have been down for that.  

Honestly, should have been better off keeping Fitchner one last year for Ben's final year then look after that.

[warfelg]

11 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

I wouldn't think too much of it yet, I would wait until the last minute too. I think Chris is wrong saying it makes no sense. What if someone rolls an ankle at practice today and you can use IR instead of cutting a player to get the roster spot for Austin (who won't play this week). 

The Steelers also follow this practice in camp -- players get another practice to show what they have and they make cuts after. 

Personally, I would put Sims on IR with his hammy. He and Gunner have the same role -- you don't need both active. Sucks he got hurt (I would rather see sims play), but I would rather not lose Austin for the entire year. 

Agreed and with our injury report looking this way, it's smart to do this.  What makes it harder is many of the injury replacements actually played well, meaning shifting them to the PS would be a challenge to do.  So if you let go of someone to for sure not dress Austin this week and hope to get him up to speed for the last 8 games of the year, it could be a waste of an active roster spot.

Then again I know someone who we can use to the open spot for: Kendrick Green.

[warfelg]

 

Edited October 26, 2022 by warfelg

[warfelg]

Sunday just got more fun:

 

[August4th]

next week could look like the buf game all over again...and we have a history of looking terrible in philly.

[warfelg]

1 minute ago, August4th said:

next week could look like the buf game all over again...and we have a history of looking terrible in philly.

[AFF]

18 minutes ago, warfelg said:

Sunday just got more fun:

 

Surprised they only had to give up a 4th…I know his contract is kinda bloated though but still.

[warfelg]

So @Dcash4might just have the answer to the Gentry/Watt TE run answer:

On Locked On they said Freiermuth has missed his block almost every time when they run zone split. 
 

RPO/Shovel pass Chucks is illegal down field every time too. (Not related but interesting as another “goes wrong every time” almost). 

Edited October 26, 2022 by warfelg

[August4th]

32 minutes ago, warfelg said:

bright side is not going into the game with any expectations in winning +  higher draft pick spot

if the offense scores 17-20 pts with kenny looking decent,  I'll look at the game as a moral victory 😐

Edited October 26, 2022 by August4th

[warfelg]

58 minutes ago, AFF said:

Surprised they only had to give up a 4th…I know his contract is kinda bloated though but still.

Wanna be more annoyed?

 

 

[warfelg]

 

[Dcash4]

2 hours ago, warfelg said:

On Locked On they said Freiermuth has missed his block almost every time when they run zone split.

They could have ended that sentence after the word “time”. He has been brutal rewatching these games.

They just need to find out how to play in the passing game with Watt and Gentry if they are going to use them. Without going back, I know I had watt at 100% run and Gentry at like 80%. Both of those dudes are capable of contributing.

Im sure Canada gets really confused, though, when he only has 2 wide receivers on the field and they both need to run verticals. 

[warfelg]

13 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

They could have ended that sentence after the word “time”. He has been brutal rewatching these games.

They just need to find out how to play in the passing game with Watt and Gentry if they are going to use them. Without going back, I know I had watt at 100% run and Gentry at like 80%. Both of those dudes are capable of contributing.

Im sure Canada gets really confused, though, when he only has 2 wide receivers on the field and they both need to run verticals. 

They were talking about a specific style play as just an example of what everyone is talking about with execution. Gentry is good enough to go out on routes. And Freiermuth can be used as a move blocker the way Jimmy Graham got used. I personally think some of his “block missing” issues come from the fact they push him to be a big receiving threat that the work and attention to detail on blocking isn’t there. 

[AFF]

4 hours ago, warfelg said:

Wanna be more annoyed?

 

 

I’m assuming that’s from the Saints for either the penning or olave trade up…can’t remember which.

Plus I think the Eagles also got a 2024 2nd out of it too.

[warfelg]

11 minutes ago, AFF said:

I’m assuming that’s from the Saints for either the penning or olave trade up…can’t remember which.

Plus I think the Eagles also got a 2024 2nd out of it too.

Correct.  Hopefully Weidl brings some of that draft movement moxie with him.