2023 GDT Week #7 Steelers Visit The Rams

[3rivers]

40 minutes ago, bigben07MVP said:

https://x.com/steelers_db/status/1716577276106535205?s=46&t=qcRuXjH2St1oLeP8Aph7Og
 

Not enough has been talked about Benton’s lack of snaps. Yet they are content with trotting JAGs like Montravious Adams and Watts out there.

win ugly for now if we can, preserve the better players for later.

no refunds on season tickets, sorry  

[Dcash4]

This made me laugh because as I went through the game and made notes I constantly just wrote the Michael scott Line:

It is absolutely insane how bad Matt Canada is at this. Innnnnnnsane. 

I might try to share more later, but it will be very interesting to see if this Rams game was an indication of how teams plan on playing us with DJ and Pickens together or a one off because of how they do things. A lot less loaded boxes this week. Couple wrinkles in the run game that were positives but overall the biggest advantage we had on Sunday running was math.

We did not run into 8/9 man boxes with 6/7 man blocking plans, but it's largely because they were not presented. Was that DJ/Pickens? Was that early passing down? Is this the Rams? Will teams fill the void left by the jet motion while we run behind it again? 

[jebrick]

24 minutes ago, Dcash4 said:

This made me laugh because as I went through the game and made notes I constantly just wrote the Michael scott Line:

It is absolutely insane how bad Matt Canada is at this. Innnnnnnsane. 

I might try to share more later, but it will be very interesting to see if this Rams game was an indication of how teams plan on playing us with DJ and Pickens together or a one off because of how they do things. A lot less loaded boxes this week. Couple wrinkles in the run game that were positives but overall the biggest advantage we had on Sunday running was math.

We did not run into 8/9 man boxes with 6/7 man blocking plans, but it's largely because they were not presented. Was that DJ/Pickens? Was that early passing down? Is this the Rams? Will teams fill the void left by the jet motion while we run behind it again? 

Everyone running to the middle of the field!!!!!!  NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!

 

Look how wide open some of those receivers are.  If we expanded the camera I would expect the CBs are still covering the sidelines.

[DR43]

https://twitter.com/ThePoniExpress/status/1716825534171320770

Filliponi has got to be kidding me!

[Dcash4]

Checking through my notes and rewatching the game again couple things I found interesting that popped up multiple times and worth keeping an eye on:

1) The Running game was better....or was it?

Loved seeing a few new variations to Canada's old favorites. Staple run play for the Steelers: Jet motion with a run back towards the vacating side. We got demolished on this play mostly. It never worked. This week, we saw them run a new variation off the same motion with a toss towards the jet. Warren scored on it once and had another opportunity earlier in the game where he made a weird decision to hammer inside rather than staying out where there was a lane.  Nice way to build off a tendency filled play you love to run. 

Another add this week was how many gosh darned times we pulled blockers! FINALLY. Saw multiple instances of Seamalu and Dan Moore on the move. Couple instances during the game where Najee rips 5 to 10 yards following blockers on the move. Love to see it rather than it only being accessed in PA to get a body in front of Kenny. 

But... this game also saw the Rams play us wildly different than any other teams. There were nice touches of variations to what we did pre-bye, but our biggest benefactor to a better run game was Math....and it had nothing to do with us. Often in this game we found ourselves in even or + boxes in terms of blockers to defenders. That's not been the case for the majority of the year. If I had to put a number on our run game whoas it's been 60-70% headset related and not the players on the field. The box lightened, our numbers were better....so were the results. 

There were a few new touches, but this was largely the same stuff we do week in and week out in the run game. Was it the Rams? Was it us? Did DJ being back open it up? Developing story at 11. 

2) Finding answers to pressure: Where's Waldo version (except, they forgot to put Waldo on the page)

We have zero answers to pressure. That's it. That's the note. 

If I am a team playing the Steelers and it's 3rd and 6+ I am heating you up. We NEVER have an answer to pressure and I am not even sure Kenny is aware that it's coming half the time. This is a full blown war on hots. Multiple times in my notes I have "nickel pressure with no numbers, receivers backs to the QB until 8-10 yards". They were pretty easily able to get numbers on us this game. 

Two of the first 3 plays of the game we saw issues. 2nd and 2 on the second play We have three guys lined up to the right of our line, but only have two blockers. Math isn't mathing = Kenny gets sacked. I don't know what I don't know, but we had 6 men blocking a 5 man rush and one came free. Najee chipped to the left to help Moore and Cole and Seamalu both doubled AD. I think Kenny needed to flip Najee, but that might not have been an option. I get doubling AD, but this is either a broken call, a broken design, or Kenny is mean to account for the extra guy and get rid of the ball (I would go in that order). 

The very next play, we have three people on AD and two blitzers coming on the other side (the OL issue was adjusted later in game by peeling the extra bodies off). Warren gets one, but no one picks up the Nickel (while Cole helps block Daniels who is blocking AD...). But my major issue here is the lack of a hot. This is the easiest 1st down if you instruct your receivers to just sit or turn off the nickel pressure. No receiver turns his head until past the first down marker. Would like to see Kenny play with more anticipation and urgency (point 3) as both rushers are coming directly into his face, but this is a known Canada problem. He isn't advanced enough to coach in the NFL and hasn't been able to figure it out over 3 years. 

3) Kenny lacks urgency and anticipation...but the 4th Q seems to solve that (kinda?)

Kenny needs to play faster. The whole process lacks urgency. This was by far his best game of the year, so maybe it sounds nitpicky, but the small things matter so much in a game that comes down to inches so often.

Big example where results outweigh process: Second possession 2nd and 7, we hit a slant to Pickens for 17. Pickens is the lone receiver opposite trips. He is 10 out of 10 the pick based on the look from the D. Kenny only needs to confirm the edge isn't dropping off and it's on. Kenny catches the snap, takes a lazy hitch, and takes his time to find George and throw it. This ball should be out on the break, but Pickens gets 3 steps in post break before the ball is leaving Picketts hand. Kenny's reward for the play, is getting blasted by the free rusher because we only had eyes for AD and Daniels is late getting back. I am sure this sounds like just hating, but these are the small things that break games. The rusher gets a slow jump. If he got a better one is this a sack, a strip, or an incompletion on a play that should be a 100% success rate? Cannot have that. 

Another example coming out after the half. Hank concept but Kenny goes right to the outside Curl to DJ based on the look. But DJ is fully turned around and drifting to the sideline before the ball is released. 

I point these two out specifically because Kenny knows exactly where he is going from the jump. There is no read. Just hurry the process. Kenny needs to see guys are open. He rarely plays with anticipation. I almost think that's why he plays better late because it brings a sort of "f it" mentality. I still wouldn't say he is good, but it seems better. 

We are not going to go no huddle much, but I do wonder if you did more muddle-huddle you could manufacture the pace and see better, earlier results. With the lack of options this team seems to have built into plays, I can't imagine we are working with a really difficult play vocabulary that couldn't be conveyed in a mess rather than a huddle. 

4) Canada sucks at designing or teaching

Mentioned it yesterday in a post because of a twitter screenshot of a funny example, but I have at least 3 notes for different plays asking "why are there 2 guys running a curl within 5 yards of each other?". It doesn't make sense. There was another play where both our TEs were running a post....from opposite sides of the ball...directly into each other. In that instance, my guess is the rookie is wrong, but then my question is how hard is it to teach the most basic of basic NFL offenses? We constantly see mistakes or receivers too close, or too shallow, or running a route that doesn't mesh with others. 

So does he suck at teaching or design? Maybe both? I don't know but it's absolutely wild how often it happens. 

Edited October 25, 2023 by Dcash4

[3rivers]

On 10/24/2023 at 4:54 PM, Dcash4 said:

It is absolutely insane how bad Matt Canada is at this. Innnnnnnsane. 

I am thinking it's more about the plan tomlin has him put in place. They want to win ugly and this is part of it - play properly in the 4th rather than the entire game.  We have to get used to this, it's going to be here for a while

[jebrick]

Tossing this out for anyone who has not seen it yet.  Short version, the scheme is not doing KP any favors.

Quote in the video- "I do not know who is at fault."

KP makes mistakes but the route schemes are not set up for success most of the time.

KP is still THROWING the ball rather than PASSING the ball.  A lot of his stuff is a .5 second+ to late.

Edited October 27, 2023 by jebrick

[Dcash4]

37 minutes ago, jebrick said:

Tossing this out for anyone who has not seen it yet.  Short version, the scheme is not doing KP any favors.

Quote in the video- "I do not know who is at fault."

KP makes mistakes but the route schemes are not set up for success most of the time.

KP is still THROWING the ball rather than PASSING the ball.  A lot of his stuff is a .5 second+ to late.

I watched this last night and a couple things I gathered from JT:

- He HATES Matt Canada 

- He LOVES George Pickens

- Kenny does fine, but is inconsistent 

- Did I mention that he HATES Matt Canada?

- Connor Heyward did not have a great game as a route runner

[warfelg]

1 hour ago, jebrick said:

Tossing this out for anyone who has not seen it yet.  Short version, the scheme is not doing KP any favors.

Quote in the video- "I do not know who is at fault."

KP makes mistakes but the route schemes are not set up for success most of the time.

KP is still THROWING the ball rather than PASSING the ball.  A lot of his stuff is a .5 second+ to late.

When the scheme does no favors I tend to lean to the playcallers fault. But it’s to an extent. 
 

But the pattern holds true still: When the QBs alter anything Canadas playcall it looks better. 
 

This isn’t saying Kenny’s great though. He still is a bit of a thrower. But I just can’t stop having this feeling that there’s so many bad concept calls that are messing with how Kenny sees the field. 

[JustPlainNasty]

Interesting to note on the go ahead TD run by Naj vs the Rams the key block was made by TE Rodney Williams pretty handily actually. 

[JustPlainNasty]

12 hours ago, warfelg said:

When the scheme does no favors I tend to lean to the playcallers fault. But it’s to an extent. 
 

But the pattern holds true still: When the QBs alter anything Canadas playcall it looks better. 
 

This isn’t saying Kenny’s great though. He still is a bit of a thrower. But I just can’t stop having this feeling that there’s so many bad concept calls that are messing with how Kenny sees the field. 

I keep being reminded this season of the 20 to 10 Loss to the Saints in 2010 on Halloween night with the lack of adjustments and issues with hot routes or lack there of. 

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/506666-pittsburgh-steelers-lose-to-the-saints-coaches-are-to-blame

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by JustPlainNasty

[August4th]

Canada and the offensive staff just skipped designing hot reads this off-season? they think blitzing was banned? even Madden has had hot reads on offense lol we're dealing with a system too basic for Madden 

[warfelg]

5 hours ago, JustPlainNasty said:

I keep being reminded this season of the 20 to 10 Loss to the Saints in 2010 on Halloween night with the lack of adjustments and issues with hot routes or lack there of. 

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/506666-pittsburgh-steelers-lose-to-the-saints-coaches-are-to-blame

 

 

5 minutes ago, August4th said:

Canada and the offensive staff just skipped designing hot reads this off-season? they think blitzing was banned? even Madden has had hot reads on offense lol we're dealing with a system too basic for Madden 

This is all why, even though I know Kenny is far from able to be top 5, I don’t get super upset about certain misses. I remember a play from pre-bye week where every receiver was in between the hashes 7 yards apart at the same time.  I just don’t believe he’s truly as bad as he’s looked at times. 

[3rivers]

FINES

• RB Jaylen Warren was fined $48,556 for unnecessary roughness last Sunday against the Rams, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
• WR George Pickens was fined $17,050 for two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, Pelissero reported.
• WR Diontae Johnson was fined $10,927 for a unsportsmanlike conduct foul, Pelissero reported.

 

[warfelg]

1 hour ago, 3rivers said:

FINES

• RB Jaylen Warren was fined $48,556 for unnecessary roughness last Sunday against the Rams, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
• WR George Pickens was fined $17,050 for two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls, Pelissero reported.
• WR Diontae Johnson was fined $10,927 for a unsportsmanlike conduct foul, Pelissero reported.

 

Warren has been fined 12% of his year salary.