AFC Championship Game: Goats & Gameballs

Well, the game was one of the worst performances I've seen in a long time.

List you GBs and GTs:

Gameballs:
Jesse James: made his catches, secured the ball
O-line: protected Ben well today


Goats:
Tomlin, Haley, Butler: didn't have any in-game changes to the game plan to impact the Patriots***** and didn't do anything but fall flat when it came to play calling.
1. First and goal from the foot line and you can't get the ball in the endzone, how about a QB sneak
2. History has proven get to Brady, hit him, rattle him, and yet we have a 3 man pass rush
3. No answer for anything the Patriots***** did
Terrible display today.

Gameballs: no one
Goats: Tomlin and Butler for not adjusting their defensive gameplan which was already a plan doomed to fail.

Game balls: Big Ben, Jesse James, DWil..

Goats: The entire coaching staff from top to bottom.

There are no gameballs in a blowout loss with the Super Bowl on the line.

Goats: Coaching and performance of all.

Game Balls:  Are you kidding me?

Goats:  Butler, Haley, Tomlin - piss poor game plan, schemes, and zero adjustments in game or at the half; how do you not go to press/jam coverage to change things up?

How the hell do you allow an ex lacrosse player (Hogan) to run around the field like Lance Alworth.

Poor/No game plan. No adjustments.

Goats: Haley (although it's hard to tell if the bonehead calls were his or Ben changing the call).
Butler ( go back and look at the last time we played them. We had the same coverage and Brady picked us apart)
Tomlin (over ride Butler's game plan at halftime while we still had a shot)

Good effort: JJ, DW and Ben

i see people blasting butler for not adjusting , but the way i see he should be blasted for even starting the game playing that D. the very same D brady shreds every time they play them. the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over the same way and expecting a different result.

i'm not surprised though. they usually do the same thing against baltimore. the games they do beat bmore they blitz the hell out of flacco , then the next time they play they try the 3 man rush the whole game and lose.

as for hailey... how many 1 yard rushing gains do you need to see before you abandon the run game ?
down 22 points in the 4th and STILL trying back to back running plays ?

Gameballs:

Ben Roethlisberger - Played a decent enough game overall, minimized mistakes except for one interception when the game was all but out of reach. Should've had a better stat line if it wasn't for dropped passes. All in all I think Ben played pretty well against a tough Patriots** defense.

DeAngelo Williams - Stepped right in and did his job. Didn't get many opportunities because we quickly got behind and had to throw the ball to keep pace. Never a particularly good situation for your running backs when that happens.

Jesse James - Kid just keeps getting better. Bright future ahead for him.

Goats:

Mike Tomlin and Keith Butler - Really have no idea why we continued to play zone against the Patriots** offense. It didn't work in this game, and it hasn't worked every other time we've played the Patriots**. Zone defense has allowed Tom Brady to accrue a ridiculous stat line against us to the tune of 19TDs, to 0 interceptions. That's unacceptable. The performance of the defense was abysmal, and the scheme never put them in a position to have any success defensively against the Patriots**. The zone blitzes that were being dialed up only made things even worse and allowed the Patriots** receivers to get wide open down the field for many big plays against our defense. Even after Brady and Co. tore our zone to shreds in the first half, Tomlin/Butler continued on with the zone scheme through the second half and it was even more unsuccessful than it was in the first half. This was one of the poorest defensive coaching jobs I've seen from the Steelers in a post-season game.

Todd Haley - Playcalling was abysmal, plain and simple. 3rd and 1 and you throw a deep ball to the unreliable Sammie Coates... Opportunities in the red zone. Pats** defense sticking everyone in the box and we run it right into the teeth of their defense. Unacceptable, inexcusable.

Cobi Hamilton - AKA David Copperfield. Guy just disappears for the longest times. Definitely doesn't have the chops to play consistently as a starter at the WR2 position. Was wildly inconsistent all season long, and was just as inconsistent last night. Dropped one TD pass that he should have caught. Not impressed and hope I never have to see him again.

Darrius Heyward Bey - Did he even catch a pass last night? If he did I don't remember. His career has been mired in inconsistency, and a failure to meet expectations and that didn't change last night. Might be an alright guy to keep around as a WR4 or WR5, but entirely too inconsistent to see a fair amount of playing time in the offense.

I agree with every Goat listed...Pathetic...time to start drafting for and playing more Man, With a mix of zone...this archaic defensive system needs to change..the league caught up years ago

I don't want to dwell on the negative and pick goats but Game Balls should go to Ben and Jesse. I am really liking James and glad we got him.

coates absolutely sucks and tomlin had zero business giving him a helemt

goat:

- too many to go around, but the biggest one is sammie coates. book it, i've officially lost all hope in him, he's limas sweed v2. His confidence is shot and he's playing as if he's afraid of the ball. He dropped one pass that would have been a huge gain / 3rd down conversion and another that was a sure TD. He literally alligator armed both catches that were well thrown balls. If I were the coach I'd cut him before his rookie contract was up, this guy is damaged goods mentally.

I am still bummed... fuck man this sucks!

IMO Ben is being given a game ball for an "OK" performance.

He wasn't bad....over 300 yds....1 TD, 1 pick...OK stats.  Game ball worthy in a championship game?

I take the ball away from him because of the repeated red zone failures and his inability to ignite the team like a franchise QB is expected to do.

So-so vs. KC.......So-so vs. NE

Today, he said the situation and environment might have been too big for some of the younger
players.  

Fire Arians wrote:

goat:

- too many to go around, but the biggest one is sammie coates. book it, i've officially lost all hope in him, he's limas sweed v2. His confidence is shot and he's playing as if he's afraid of the ball. He dropped one pass that would have been a huge gain / 3rd down conversion and another that was a sure TD. He literally alligator armed both catches that were well thrown balls. If I were the coach I'd cut him before his rookie contract was up, this guy is damaged goods mentally.

Coates hasn't lost any confidence. He misjudged footballs in the air in College and double catched because he isn't a natural hands catcher. I warned fans on the board when he was drafted that he is gonna drop balls and going to be vilified because of it. I thought it might be an eyesight thing, but he's a great athlete with suspect hands.

Hamilton too dropped a TD catch. Also, the first and goal from the 1/2 yard line I said before it is snapped..."just don't pull DeCastro left on a run, because that play is too slow developing on the 1 yard line". Poor call, should have just ran inside zone right.

I thought Eli Rogers, Jesse James and DeAngelo Williams stepped up on offense. I also thought that if Ben was going to make a statement as one of the great QB's of the era, that was his time and the O line gave him protection. He didn't generate TD's, but he cant make Coates and Hamilton catch the football.

Robert Golden and Mike Mitchell blew coverages that ended up as TD's and Will Gay jogged next to Hogan on some plays in the slot. I thought Tuitt, Hargrave, Shazier Timmons played well up front, but in the end most of the game the Steelers had only 9 points. Need to do better than that to win and I put that on #7, as he had the protection most of the night.

FrancoLambert wrote:

IMO Ben is being given a game ball for an "OK" performance.

He wasn't bad....over 300 yds....1 TD, 1 pick...OK stats.  Game ball worthy in a championship game?

I take the ball away from him because of the repeated red zone failures and his inability to ignite the team like a franchise QB is expected to do.

So-so vs. KC.......So-so vs. NE

Today, he said the situation and environment might have been too big for some of the younger
players.    

I saw the Pittsburgh writers are focusing on Ben's comments about the moment perhaps being too big for some younger players.

I had to go to The Washington Post of all places to read a more favorable quote from Ben on the season

Roethlisberger proud: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger fell short in his bid for a third career Super bowl triumph with the Steelers. But he said he remained proud of a season in which the Steelers reached the AFC title game after their record dipped at one point to 4-5.

“Only one team is going to end the season the way they want to,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s not us this year. But I told the guys afterward I was proud of them. We went from 4-5 to the championship game. If there’s going to be any silver lining, it’s that. But we’ll just have to evaluate this and the offseason and what we have coming back. I’m just really proud of the guys. There’s just a lot of love…. It’s disappointing that we couldn’t get this one for Mr. [owner Dan] Rooney. I really wanted to do it for him. But we’ll evaluate.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/01/22/looking-ahead-to-the-super-bowl-matchup/?utm_term=.205cb63a674c#1

Local writers might have seen that quote as pablum while Ben's true feelings came across in the statement about the situation being too big for some players but after reading the second quote Ben does not appear to have been as focused on shifting blame as I thought initially.   FWIW Coates and Hamilton in particular did underperform. Coates disappearing after he broke his fingers in the Jets game was a big blow to the offense.

In terms of disappearing Antonio Brown did not answer questions postgame.

In defense of Coates his hand still isn't healed and I might be wrong but I think they have said something about him having surgery on it in the offseason. He's doesn't have the best hands to begin with, but obviously his injury adversely effected his ability to catch the ball. He went from dominating through the first four games or so, to completely disappearing from the offense.

I'm excited to get Bryant back next season, and I hope that Coates gets healthy. The Steelers should draft another playmaker at the position as well if they can. If this season taught me one thing, it's that you cannot possibly have enough weapons at the WR position.

Gameball:D-Will, 2 td's and good yardage on the limited carries he was given

Goats:

refs, missed pi's and Brady's fumble which was not called. They easily helped tilt the game in the Pats* favor.

Defensive scheme: as has been beat to death around here, not nearly enough blitzing and coupled with that a soft zone served up like a thanksgiving turkey to Brady.

Horrible bomb to Coates on 3rd and 1. We needed to ram the ball down their throats or at least a safe short pass to the TE or Brown. But we did this long pass Coupled with Coates alligator arm act. You've got to stretch or even dive for that ball, it's the afcg

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

In defense of Coates his hand still isn't healed and I might be wrong but I think they have said something about him having surgery on it in the offseason. He's doesn't have the best hands to begin with, but obviously his injury adversely effected his ability to catch the ball. He went from dominating through the first four games or so, to completely disappearing from the offense.

I'm excited to get Bryant back next season, and I hope that Coates gets healthy. The Steelers should draft another playmaker at the position as well if they can. If this season taught me one thing, it's that you cannot possibly have enough weapons at the WR position.

Coates slowed down and misjudged the football. It has nothing to do with his hands, its an ongoing issue that he misjudges deep passes often. I don't really know that he was "dominating" ever this season.

Priority #1 and 2 will likely be a pass rushing OLB and another receiving weapon in the first 2 rounds of the draft. Bryant may be back and he may be suspended again in a hurry.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

In defense of Coates his hand still isn't healed and I might be wrong but I think they have said something about him having surgery on it in the offseason. He's doesn't have the best hands to begin with, but obviously his injury adversely effected his ability to catch the ball. He went from dominating through the first four games or so, to completely disappearing from the offense.

I'm excited to get Bryant back next season, and I hope that Coates gets healthy. The Steelers should draft another playmaker at the position as well if they can. If this season taught me one thing, it's that you cannot possibly have enough weapons at the WR position.

Coates slowed down and misjudged the football.  It has nothing to do with his hands, its an ongoing issue that he misjudges deep passes often.  I don't really know that he was "dominating" ever this season.  

Priority #1 and 2 will likely be a pass rushing OLB and another receiving weapon in the first 2 rounds of the draft.  Bryant may be back and he may be suspended again in a hurry.  

Dominating maybe wasn't the best word to describe it. Coates was putting up pretty decent stats in Weeks 1-5 though, and it was obvious he was having an impact on the offense. After Coates injured that hand, the passing game was never quite the same. His best game was Week 5 against the Jets, but his real impact on the offense was that defenses had to respect his size/speed and it was taking pressure off of Brown and the rest of the receiving corps.

I don't think he misjudged the ball on that 3rd and 1 play, if you watch that play the corner was beat, and he brings his arm down on Coates' right arm which kept him from extending to even make an attempt to catch the ball. Would Coates have caught it? Who knows? But he was hampered by the corner in trying to do so.

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

In defense of Coates his hand still isn't healed and I might be wrong but I think they have said something about him having surgery on it in the offseason. He's doesn't have the best hands to begin with, but obviously his injury adversely effected his ability to catch the ball. He went from dominating through the first four games or so, to completely disappearing from the offense.

I'm excited to get Bryant back next season, and I hope that Coates gets healthy. The Steelers should draft another playmaker at the position as well if they can. If this season taught me one thing, it's that you cannot possibly have enough weapons at the WR position.

Coates slowed down and misjudged the football.  It has nothing to do with his hands, its an ongoing issue that he misjudges deep passes often.  I don't really know that he was "dominating" ever this season.  

Priority #1 and 2 will likely be a pass rushing OLB and another receiving weapon in the first 2 rounds of the draft.  Bryant may be back and he may be suspended again in a hurry.  

Dominating maybe wasn't the best word to describe it. Coates was putting up pretty decent stats in Weeks 1-5 though, and it was obvious he was having an impact on the offense. After Coates injured that hand, the passing game was never quite the same. His best game was Week 5 against the Jets, but his real impact on the offense was that defenses had to respect his size/speed and it was taking pressure off of Brown and the rest of the receiving corps.

I don't think he misjudged the ball on that 3rd and 1 play, if you watch that play the corner was beat, and he brings his arm down on Coate's right arm which kept him from extending to even make an attempt to catch the ball. Would Coates have caught it? Who knows? But he was hampered by the corner in trying to do so.

I can look at it again, but to me he clearly slowed down instead of running thru the ball. I think he had Rowe or Chung on him, which he can outrun both and just didn't.

My hope of OJ Howard falling doesn't look good as he is impressing all in Mobile. Also weighed in at 249 Lbs, so a bit bulked up. Your Hawkeye King is showing well, but I think many still look at him as a FS in the draft.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

IowaSteeler927 wrote:

In defense of Coates his hand still isn't healed and I might be wrong but I think they have said something about him having surgery on it in the offseason. He's doesn't have the best hands to begin with, but obviously his injury adversely effected his ability to catch the ball. He went from dominating through the first four games or so, to completely disappearing from the offense.

I'm excited to get Bryant back next season, and I hope that Coates gets healthy. The Steelers should draft another playmaker at the position as well if they can. If this season taught me one thing, it's that you cannot possibly have enough weapons at the WR position.

Coates slowed down and misjudged the football.  It has nothing to do with his hands, its an ongoing issue that he misjudges deep passes often.  I don't really know that he was "dominating" ever this season.  

Priority #1 and 2 will likely be a pass rushing OLB and another receiving weapon in the first 2 rounds of the draft.  Bryant may be back and he may be suspended again in a hurry.  

Dominating maybe wasn't the best word to describe it. Coates was putting up pretty decent stats in Weeks 1-5 though, and it was obvious he was having an impact on the offense. After Coates injured that hand, the passing game was never quite the same. His best game was Week 5 against the Jets, but his real impact on the offense was that defenses had to respect his size/speed and it was taking pressure off of Brown and the rest of the receiving corps.

I don't think he misjudged the ball on that 3rd and 1 play, if you watch that play the corner was beat, and he brings his arm down on Coate's right arm which kept him from extending to even make an attempt to catch the ball. Would Coates have caught it? Who knows? But he was hampered by the corner in trying to do so.

I can look at it again, but to me he clearly slowed down instead of running thru the ball.  I think he had Rowe or Chung on him, which he can outrun both and just didn't.

My hope of OJ Howard falling doesn't look good as he is impressing all in Mobile.  Also weighed in at 249 Lbs, so a bit bulked up.  Your Hawkeye King is showing well, but I think many still look at him as a FS in the draft.

I was hoping King would somehow end up with the Steelers but I don't see it happening as he'll likely be a 1st or 2nd Round pick, and he doesn't really fit a position of dire need for us. Sucks. He's one of my favorite Hawks.

OJ Howard would be awesome, but like you said, probably going to go before we're on the ticker.