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Send your postgame critiques, analysis, ranting and raving about the last game as well as your predictions, smak, & insults about our upcoming opponent. Whether your message is a simple, "These guys SUCK," or a detailed, in-depth analysis, tell us what you think.
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Key Stats & Facts
Steelers finished game with -5 yards passing, and ammased just 2 yards TOTAL offense in 1st half! Glad to see that a year in Gilbride's system has helped the passing game so much. Yoi! I don't think I've seen anything that pitiful in my entire life.
Stewart 0 of 6, 0 yds, 0.0%, 0 TD, 1 Int, 2 sacks. 0 for 6? Well, THIS performance oughta make the natives restless. Hey, at least it's still only preseason.
Graham 2 of 5, 19 yds, 40.0%, 0 TD, 0 Int, 4 sacks. Four sacks? Put lead feet behind a line that would be mediocre even if it was healthy and this is what you get.
Burress 0 rec, 0 yds, 0.0 avg, 0 TD. Not quite as bad as it seems... at least he drew an interference call, which was probably our longest play of the 1st half.
Fuamatu-maafala 15 att, 122 yds, 8.1 avg, 1 TD. MVP! I like Fu. Great 60-yard run, especially considering the patchwork O-line. Very nice effort.
The defense impressed throughout. Oh, there were a few breakdowns, but overall, you've gotta give the defense credit... they really did a good job.
Kick coverage was not good. Miami picked up WAY too much yardage on returns for my liking. Let's hope the coaches clean this up before the season, or we'll see some TD returns.
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Our Take on the Game
The Steelers have set a new standard for "winning ugly."
Any high hopes for the season buoyed by the July 30th whipping of the Cryboys surely sank and exploded like depth charge after Saturday's win (???) over the Dolphins. In what was quite possibly the most pitiful offensive output by an NFL team in my lifetime, the Steelers somehow eeked it out.
Talk about the pendulum swinging! The same offense that played well enough last week to cause some folks to actually start talking playoffs (how you people fool yourselves this way I can't understand) played so horrendously against Miami that you have to question whether the Steelers would be able to fight their way out of a wet paper bag.
Total net passing yardage: -5 yards.
Let me say it again: Total net passing yardage: -5 yards.
Total offensive output at halftime: 2 yards. It boggles the mind.
But before we all start heaving ourselves off of cliffs, keep this in mind: the Steelers are not THIS bad.
This much is clear: the ONLY way Kordell has ANY chance of success is with decent line protection. Obviously, none of the quarterbacks got the least bit of protection versus the Dolphins, who launch an outstanding pass rush. Our offensive line on Saturday was an experiment gone horribly wrong, and offensive production will be much better once Dirt Dawson & Wayne Gandy get in there and the other linemen can settle into their usual positions.
Unfortunately, who's to say these guys will EVER get healthy? Dawson, in particular, is still struggling with the hamstring that cost him the '99 season. I hate to be the harbinger of doom, but in my humble opinion, Demontti is likely to miss significant action again this season. This could be the beginning o the end of his Hall of Fame career. And as was the case last season, injuries on the offensive line (particularly to Dawson, who is the key) will KILL us.
Football has always been won in the trenches, folks... and it always will be. Our offensive line, even when healthy, is below average at best. Kordell Stewart with anything less than stellar line protection is a recipe for disaster. And for all of you Kent Graham disciples out there, wake up... he's not a savior. He's not even a reasonable replacement for Stewart. He's a backup, period. That's not to say he won't end up being our starter, obviously, but if and when he's under center, it means our season is already lost.
Again I'll say it... and I say this with absolute certainty: the Steelers are NOT as bad as they looked on Saturday. But they're also not as good as they looked versus the Cowboys. If this team somehow manages to reach .500 this year, we should all be dancing in the streets. But a bit of advice... don't start dusting off your dancing shoes just yet.
Tim McMillen
Webmaster, McMillen & Wife
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Fan Smak & Analysis
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The following articles are listed in the order they were received (with the most recent entries at the top). This isn't a "guestbook" format... I read and manually insert every message, so you may not see your submission show up immediately. Thanks a million for your comments, people!
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Submitted by Jim Grant
People are you serious... The coach said and I quote....."I THOUGHT THE
PROTECTION WAS PRETTY GOOD IN THE 1ST HALF". It seems he would know better
than anyone.... how many more excuses are we gonna make for the guy......
0-6.... he sucks...
Jim Grant
Submitted by Steeler Sean
I have been reading your site for a couple of years now and have it book marked as one of my premier Steeler sites.
A couple of comments concerning the Steelers. I am tired of hearing how bad the offensive line has been. Good quarterbacks make things happen. Yes, I believe the offensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers isn't the best. However, quarterbacks worth anything persevere with sub par lines. Steve Young (for instance) still completes passes, knows when to scramble, makes the most of the situations he has. The same CANNOT be said of Kordell.
Kordell Stewart misses open targets, scrambles at the wrong times and shows an inablility to throw accurately on the run. Let's face it, football has changed. No longer can a team wait a quarterback out for 3 years for a limited time of productivity. Injuries, age, and contract negotiations negate a teams strategy to develope a quarterback. Don't get me wrong. I've was a supporter of Kordell till last year. He doesn't have it. He won't have it. He's had ample time. This should be his last year as a Steeler.
The running game needs a change as well. Fu has been a favorite of mine since he was drafted. I realize this is easy to say since his game against Miami, but I've liked him before then. His injury last year erased his name from football headlines, but this guy has talent. I don't know why Pittsburgh is high on Richard Huntley (contract extention), but he's a journeyman and will always be journeyman. He excels in pre-season and vanishes during the real season.
Receivers are a mystery. Who knows how they'll respond facing marquee cornerbacks this year. Time will tell. I'm hopeful though. A lot of raw talent, but no consistency.
Our pride and joy is our defense. The black and gold hit hard and leave a team black and blue for their next opponent. Our "D" can dominate a game if the offense can keep from going 4 and out every series. I don't think any team enjoys 4 quarters of football against a punishing defense like ours. Passing teams are a concern though. How many times can a Steeler fan relax when the opposing quarterback let's one go. I don't. My first thought is "Oh no"!
Still, I'm a Steeler fan til I die and am excited for the upcoming season. Let's hope Cowher has the guts to make adjustments and changes as needed. I want the Cowher who rushes up to players as they come off the field and gets in their face. I want to see the old Cowher who coaches with emotion and wears his feelings on his sleeves. The last couple of years, Cowher reminds me of a scene in the movie, Animal House, where all hell is breaking loose and Kevin Bacon is standing calm yelling, "All is well"!
-Steeler Sean
Submitted by Carroll L. Martin
People, people, people. Know and understand that the line play on Saturday was absolutely abysmal. Cowher was trying different folks at different positions and it showed. Don't freak out, yet. At least Kordell didn't throw an easy interception. If you saw some of the replays, you would have seen some of the same problems that plagued the passing game last year: blitzes up the middle, dropped passes and receivers either not getting open or not getting off the line at all.
Now, not to say Kordell didn't goof at all. That pass in the endzone should have been made. Anyway, gang, I wouldn't be too critical just yet. At least they won, right. Ha-ha.
I am distressed by all the booing I hear when things don't go well. I hope you realize this affects the entire team. I hope we don't have Cleveland fans in our group. By this I mean those who are fans only when things are going well. Be a fan regardless of how the team is doing. You want to moan about the team, Tim and his wife have provided the perfect forum. Don't badmouth the team in public. Keep it in the family.
Alright, I'm off my soapbox now. Now and forever, GO STEELERS!!!
Carroll L. Martin
Submitted by Barry Fox
HEY, YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE LISTENING TO ALL OF THE KORDELL BASHING ABOUT THE
MIAMI GAME. THE FACT OF IT IS THAT NO QB IN THE NFL CAN GET IT DONE WITH NO
BLOCKING AND THE ONLY RUNNING BACK THAT I KNOW THAT COULD MAKE PLAYS WITHOUT
ANY BLOCKING IS BARRY SANDERS. HAD SLASH NOT RUN FOR HIS LIFE, HE WOULD HAVE
BEEN SACKED AS MANY TIMES AS GRAHAM (AKA TOMCZAK). ANOTHER MEDIOCRE QUARTERBACK
WHO WILL NOT LEAD OUR TEAM TO A WINNING DYNASTY.
LET'S FACE IT ,MY BROTHA'S AND
SISTA'S, IT HAS BEEN HAUNTING THE STEELERS FOR YEARS. WE DID NOT DRAFT DAN
MARINO IN 83! THE ONLY QB THAT CAN LEAD THE TEAM WITH NO BLOCKING IS JESUS! I'M
NOT TAKING UP FOR KORDELL BECAUSE IF HE DOESN'T GET IT DONE WE WILL NOT SEE HIM
NEXT YEAR IN THE BLACK AND GOLD! DON'T FORGET THAT BETTIS MAY NOT BE HERE NEXT
SEASON. I REALLY HOPE THAT HUNTLEY WILL BE ABLE TO CARRY THE BALL 25 TIMES IN A
GAME AND STILL RUN LIKE HE CARRIED THE BALL ON THIRD DOWN SITUATIONS.
I LOVE MY
BELOVED STEELERS BUT WE NEED HELP ON OFFENSE WHETHER IT'S KORDELL,KENT, ANTHONY
OR TEE AT QB. FREE AGENCY HAS JACKED UP THE STEELERS. THE ORGANIZTION IS MAKING
STEPS TO MAKE A FUTURE IN THIS FRANCHISE. NOW AS FANS WE HAVE TO GET BEHIND OUR
TEAM. SOMEWHERE THERE ARE RIVAL FANS (RAVENS, JAGUARS, TITANS, BROWNIES, BANGLES)
ENJOYING US GETTING DOWN ABOUT OUR TEAM ! THE THRILL IS NOT GONE! THE FANS WE
ARE THE STEEL CITY FIRE OF IRON CITY. WE ARE PART OF THE SIXTY MINUTE MEN!
LET'S GET IT TOGETHER MY BROTHAS AND SISTAS.
Submitted by "Diamond Dave" Bullock
Tim, you called it perfectly in your pre-season predictions. The games will be
won/lost in the trenches (offensive and defensive). If the quarterbacks get
time to throw the football, I think we have the skill at receiver to get open
and make some plays. If there is no time to throw/run the football, then we
will see a comedy of errors like last season.
We are going to need some strong performances from a cast of unknown/unproven
offensive lineman this season to have any success. Kordell Stewart is never
going to give you the quick decision making of a Dan Marino. Given time in the
pocket, I think he can succeed with the core of talent around him (if the
offensive line does their job). Most teams would love to have the core of
running backs and in time maybe even the receivers that Kordell has at his
disposal.
From what I have seen last year and early on this year, I am agreeing with one
of the columnists. Keep Kordell and Tee since these are the only two
quarterbacks who can escape for their lives in the crumbling pocket. If they
plan on playing Graham, I think he will end the season in a body bag.
By the way, what happened to our punt/kick coverage?
Keep up the good work.
Dave
Submitted by Richard Russell
Well, all I've got to say is Kordell had the big "L" on the forehead. Just shows me again that he needs to go... look at all the money they signed him for last year instead of getting rid of him. They could have used that money to get a real QB from free agency in the off season like Jeff George (which went to the Redskins), but NOOOO they keep the big "L". I love the Steelers and Cowher, but they have to get rid of Kordell. He is not a QB and never will be. The only highlight was the Defense... they had some breakdowns, but overall they did good. If Kordell or whoever the QB is going to be doesn't pull their head out, it is going to be another LONG season. Do you think Terry would come out of retirement to play again? :)
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