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I am pleasantly surprised to see so much more on the "like" side than the "not like" side after this one. There wasn't too much not to like, but here's the lists:
What I liked:
--Run defense. Aside from a couple plays the Steelers got a little loose (and that's being picky), the front-7 did a great job of stuffing the field between the tackles and on the edge. I especially liked the way the big guys up front moved down the line to collapse the holes.
--Pass Rush Pressure. No sacks (see below), but Big Ben was feeling heat and had to get the heck out of the pocket several times.
--Turk throwing on 1st down! Throwing was nice enough, but completing passes was fabulous. If this offesne can complete 1st down passes (again, Schonert has to be willing to throw the ball) it will absolutely help the running game, as well, and keep defenses off balance.
--Run blocking/Lynch/Jackson: The run game was terrific. Remember when I wrote after I watched practice that Lynch was great at cutting and still hitting the hole really hard? Well, it looks like Schonert recognizes that, too, because I saw a lot of designed cut-back runs. The line did a good job with that....And Marshawn nailed 'em for big yardage.
--Pass protection: Aside from a poor play by Langston Walker near his own goalline, the o-line mostly gave Trent a ton of time to throw the ball. His quick release probably made it look even better than it was, but I'll take that kind of protection every Sunday. It makes it a lot easier to call plays and take chances.
--Trent Edwards: He more than made up for a sub-par performance last week. He threw the ball well to all parts of the field. The outside, middle, intermediate, and short routes. From his own end, between the 20s, and even the red zone. I hope takes more chances this season like he did on the TD pass to Royal. Running for a long first down was an added bonus.
What I didn't like:
--No sacks: Pressure is great to get, and the Bills got a lot (see above). But at some point, you have to start putting the quarterback on his butt. They allowed too many escapes. Close doesn't count on sacks and it cost the Bills a couple first downs.
--Man-to-man defense: Ugh! I saw way too many defenders chasing receivers all over the field as they were catching passes. If the front-7 isn't going to get sacks, the secondary better be able to stay with their men for a little while longer. A lot to ask, but even when Roethlisberger didn't have a lot of time, the DBs didn't hold up their end of the bargain. They were bad.
--Darian Barnes as the only RB in the backfield: Of course I love splitting Marshawn Lynch out as a WR, especially if there is a matchup with a linebacker. But, doing this and leaving Darian Barnes as the only RB in the backfoeld is counter-productive. All it does is tell the entire stadium, "we're throwing the football." If defensive coordinators and defenders see Barnes as the lone back, they won't be threatened by a pass at all and either blitz, blanket the receivers, or a combination of both. And don't say, "but we can surprise them by handing the ball to Barnes," either. What's the surprise? A 2-yard gain instead of one? Good teams don't have to trick their oppponents to beat them. They beat them by doing what they do very well.
What I liked:
--Run defense. Aside from a couple plays the Steelers got a little loose (and that's being picky), the front-7 did a great job of stuffing the field between the tackles and on the edge. I especially liked the way the big guys up front moved down the line to collapse the holes.
--Pass Rush Pressure. No sacks (see below), but Big Ben was feeling heat and had to get the heck out of the pocket several times.
--Turk throwing on 1st down! Throwing was nice enough, but completing passes was fabulous. If this offesne can complete 1st down passes (again, Schonert has to be willing to throw the ball) it will absolutely help the running game, as well, and keep defenses off balance.
--Run blocking/Lynch/Jackson: The run game was terrific. Remember when I wrote after I watched practice that Lynch was great at cutting and still hitting the hole really hard? Well, it looks like Schonert recognizes that, too, because I saw a lot of designed cut-back runs. The line did a good job with that....And Marshawn nailed 'em for big yardage.
--Pass protection: Aside from a poor play by Langston Walker near his own goalline, the o-line mostly gave Trent a ton of time to throw the ball. His quick release probably made it look even better than it was, but I'll take that kind of protection every Sunday. It makes it a lot easier to call plays and take chances.
--Trent Edwards: He more than made up for a sub-par performance last week. He threw the ball well to all parts of the field. The outside, middle, intermediate, and short routes. From his own end, between the 20s, and even the red zone. I hope takes more chances this season like he did on the TD pass to Royal. Running for a long first down was an added bonus.
What I didn't like:
--No sacks: Pressure is great to get, and the Bills got a lot (see above). But at some point, you have to start putting the quarterback on his butt. They allowed too many escapes. Close doesn't count on sacks and it cost the Bills a couple first downs.
--Man-to-man defense: Ugh! I saw way too many defenders chasing receivers all over the field as they were catching passes. If the front-7 isn't going to get sacks, the secondary better be able to stay with their men for a little while longer. A lot to ask, but even when Roethlisberger didn't have a lot of time, the DBs didn't hold up their end of the bargain. They were bad.
--Darian Barnes as the only RB in the backfield: Of course I love splitting Marshawn Lynch out as a WR, especially if there is a matchup with a linebacker. But, doing this and leaving Darian Barnes as the only RB in the backfoeld is counter-productive. All it does is tell the entire stadium, "we're throwing the football." If defensive coordinators and defenders see Barnes as the lone back, they won't be threatened by a pass at all and either blitz, blanket the receivers, or a combination of both. And don't say, "but we can surprise them by handing the ball to Barnes," either. What's the surprise? A 2-yard gain instead of one? Good teams don't have to trick their oppponents to beat them. They beat them by doing what they do very well.
" ~ yordad
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