Steelers vs. Packers Game Balls & Goats

Fire away ...

In no order:

Game Balls
1. Wheaton - looked very good in the slot.
2. O-Line - much maligned over the last few years, but was stout today. Let's hope they can continue without Pouncey.
3. Dupree looks much more comfortable out there. Hope he continues to develop.

Goats
1. D in general - looked awful against GB 1st string for the first series. No pressure and coverage looked lost at times
2. J. Jones - He was completely locked up on the first series against the GB Tackle and didn't get any pressure.
2. Injury bug - probably the biggest goat today.

Game Ball
1. Oline and Kody Wallace ( I think he did a good job) Hope he holds up
2. Dupree looked like he was displaying the motor we hoped he'd have.
3. Harrison for the safety. Got the D fired up.

Special mention to Landry Jones for his 4th quarter performance.

Goats
1. 1st team D looked out of sync. Poor coverage and tackling.
2. Landry played his best game and still Coates drops passes. Along with the other 3-4 passes dropped.
3. #82 I can't even remember his name but what the hell was he doing back there on punts besides dancing in a circle?

Here's an idea. Let's see if Coates can catch punts. maybehe can get some TAC yards.

GAME BALLS
I wasn't able to pay as much attention to the game as I normally would (particularly in the second half), but from what I was able to catch, the two guys who jumped out at me were Wheaton and Dupree.

GOATS
The starting defense. Yeah, it's preseason and it's a vanilla defense ... but YOI!.

I'd give the game ball to Landry Jones. He still makes some pretty boneheaded throws but some throws are lasers on point.

Wallace blew a snap which led to a turnover & getting our second string quarterback injured. Definitely goat material

Landry Jones who now looks like he may be QB #2.

With the extra reps he's looking better.

Posters giving mention to Landry Jones in a positive manner??

I thought this was his last season and he was going to be cut so Mike Vick could be added

Landry Jones looked the best ive ever seen him look, this year. If his targets would just catch the damn ball! Those throws were spot on.

Secondary still looks suspect.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Posters giving mention to Landry Jones in a positive manner??    

I thought this was his last season and he was going to be cut so Mike Vick could be added

CUT GRADKOWSKI... SIGN VICK!!!

Blake is Digest Player of the Week

Bob Labriola
Steelers.com

Antwon Blake made plays on defense and special teams in the Steelers' victory over Green Bay.

In the days leading up to the game, Coach Mike Tomlin made it known that he planned to get some extended looks at his front-line players, not only on offense and defense, but on special teams as well.

In the Steelers’ 24-19 victory over the Green Bay Packers today at Heinz Field, a lot of players were provided that opportunity, and one of those who took advantage was Antwon Blake. The fourth-year cornerback from UTEP finished the game with six tackles, two passes defensed, and he also made a great play as a gunner on a punt that led directly to the Steelers’ first points of the game – a safety resulting from James Harrison’s sack of Aaron Rodgers.

On the punt, Blake beat the man assigned to block him, and when Jordan Berry’s punt hit inside the 5-yard line and didn’t bounce into the end zone, he showed a combination of awareness and athletic ability to get the ball downed at the Green Bay 1-yard line.

Blake is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.

Also considered were Landry Jones, who completed 10-of-19 for 172 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a rating of 96.8 on the way to bringing the Steelers back from a 16-9 halftime deficit; Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 11-of-14 for 100 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions, and a rating of 120.2; Shamarko Thomas, who had five tackles, one sack, and one tackle on special teams; Bud Dupree, who had two tackles, including one for loss, plus a sack; Tyler Murphy, who caught four passes for 61 yards and a touchdown; and Shakim Phillips, who caught three passes for 47 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown.

http://www.steelers.com/news/article-1/Blake-is-Digest-Player-of-the-Week/db0e5e71-221e-4330-927a-776d90e87ece

Game Balls

1. Murphy who surprised me as a WR
2. Landry Jones playing like a 2nd string QB
3. Dupree: maybe he isn't a bust after all

Goats

1. Our 1st team D, that was a nightmare. If they keep playing like this, we'll need to score 40+ points to win games.
2. The short time our 1st Oline was on the field without Pouncey against Packers' 1st Dline, coverage was blown up everywhere.
3. Doe, he's more running backwards than forwards. AB will still need to return punts I'm afraid.

Oh, and what the hell was Shamarko Thomas thinking and doing at the end of the half that costed us a TD???

Landry Jones has played well enough to earn the #2 QB spot if Gradkowski can't go. I never understood the hate for Jones. The hatred for Jones reminds me of the hatred for Kordell Stewart years ago.

jak341 wrote:

In no order:

Game Balls
1. Wheaton - looked very good in the slot.
2. O-Line - much maligned over the last few years, but was stout today. Let's hope they can continue without Pouncey.
3. Dupree looks much more comfortable out there. Hope he continues to develop.

Goats
1. D in general - looked awful against GB 1st string for the first series. No pressure and coverage looked lost at times
2. J. Jones - He was completely locked up on the first series against the GB Tackle and didn't get any pressure.
2. Injury bug - probably the biggest goat today.

I thought Jarvis Jones played well after the first Green Bay drive.

Wheaton.

AB, Bryant, Wheaton... defensive backs are going to be shitting themselves all season long.

HeinzMustard wrote:

jak341 wrote:

In no order:

Game Balls
1. Wheaton - looked very good in the slot.
2. O-Line - much maligned over the last few years, but was stout today. Let's hope they can continue without Pouncey.
3. Dupree looks much more comfortable out there. Hope he continues to develop.

Goats
1. D in general - looked awful against GB 1st string for the first series. No pressure and coverage looked lost at times
2. J. Jones - He was completely locked up on the first series against the GB Tackle and didn't get any pressure.
2. Injury bug - probably the biggest goat today.

I thought Jarvis Jones played well after the first Green Bay drive.

He didn't play in the 2nd GB drive where the safety was.

He did get a sack in the next GB drive where Tolzien was QB'ing. What I don't know is if GB pulled the 1st string LT or not.

What I did see on the 1st drive was the GB LT had Jones blocked for most plays and he wasn't getting around him at all. The one time I saw Jones get around, the LT got his hands high and slowed him just down enough for Rogers to step up in the pocket and complete the pass (I think it was completion to Cobb, but I would need to go back and check.) To be fair, the entire D looked awful that series and not just Jones.

jak341 wrote:

HeinzMustard wrote:

jak341 wrote:

In no order:

Game Balls
1. Wheaton - looked very good in the slot.
2. O-Line - much maligned over the last few years, but was stout today. Let's hope they can continue without Pouncey.
3. Dupree looks much more comfortable out there. Hope he continues to develop.

Goats
1. D in general - looked awful against GB 1st string for the first series. No pressure and coverage looked lost at times
2. J. Jones - He was completely locked up on the first series against the GB Tackle and didn't get any pressure.
2. Injury bug - probably the biggest goat today.

I thought Jarvis Jones played well after the first Green Bay drive.

He didn't play in the 2nd GB drive where the safety was.

He did get a sack in the next GB drive where Tolzien was QB'ing. What I don't know is if GB pulled the 1st string LT or not.

.

Don Barclay struggles filling in at left tackle

A trying week continued in Pittsburgh for Don Barclay, the No. 6 offensive lineman for the Packers who missed all of last season with a torn ACL. Barclay earned the start at left tackle in place of Bakhtiari, who continues rehabbing an injured knee, and for the second consecutive game his performance yielded more questions than answers. On Sunday, he allowed two more sacks and was flagged once for a holding penalty.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/don-barclay-struggles-filling-in-at-left-tackle-b99561695z1-322644741.html