Official running NFL Week 2 thread

[outofplace]

And there goes the only Steeler who can tackle. As bad as that defense has been, it gets a lot uglier if Lawrence Timmons is out for any length of time.

 

[outofplace]

No wonder the quarterback sneak didn't work this time. McClendon wasn't on the field to get blown off the ball that time.

One bit of good news for Pittsburgh. Timmons is fine. Right back in the game.

 

[DanOregon]

Extra point. 4 minute commercial time out. Kickoff touchback. 3 minute time out. 2yard pass play. End of quarter. 4 minute time out.

1 play for 4 seconds. 11. minutes of commercials.

Last Thursday for ****s and giggles I switched back-and-forth from watching U.S. Open tennis to the Seahawks-Packers opener.

On the eighth switch I actually saw players on a field. Other seven times were in the middle of commercials.

The odd thing was it was a pretty quick game, under three hours.

I don't understand why the hit on Miller that led to the fumble and pretty much was the last gasp for Pittsburgh wasn't flagged for hitting a defenseless player.

 

[outofplace]

Extra point. 4 minute commercial time out. Kickoff touchback. 3 minute time out. 2yard pass play. End of quarter. 4 minute time out.

1 play for 4 seconds. 11. minutes of commercials.

Last Thursday for ****s and giggles I switched back-and-forth from watching U.S. Open tennis to the Seahawks-Packers opener.

On the eighth switch I actually saw players on a field. Other seven times were in the middle of commercials.

The odd thing was it was a pretty quick game, under three hours.

I don't understand why the hit on Miller that led to the fumble and pretty much was the last gasp for Pittsburgh wasn't flagged for hitting a defenseless player.

Because the rule is not enforced consistently. It was not a well-officiated game. Not that it mattered. The Ravens were much sharper than the Steelers.

Pittsburgh plays sloppy football. Too many penalties. Too many missed tackles. Too many turnovers. Too many dropped interceptions This has been a problem for a while. In the past, the Steelers had overcome it with strong defenses and Roethlisberger making enough plays on offense. Now they can't stop the run and they don't get much pressure on the quarterback, so the mistakes are even more glaring.

I think the pass rush will get better, but the run defense is all about personnel. They still haven't replaced Casey Hampton at nose tackle. The coaches go on and on about how strong McClendon is, but he gets pushed around far too easily. Add in two guys who struggle at the point of attack at linebacker in Jones and Shazier and Polamalu no longer able to cover up the flaws by running things down as often as he used to and that defense doesn't figure to get much better. Maybe **** LeBeau has some magic left to fix it, but I doubt it.

More realistically, the offense has to be better. Bell is outstanding. Brown is an elite receiver and Wheaton is emerging as a dangerous second option. They have the weapons to score plenty of points, but not the consistency. It doesn't help that Marcus Gilbert sucks. The Steelers' offseason spending has not paid off at all. Mitchell has done very little at safety. Gilbert just got a new deal, but he has been terrible. Cortez Allen had a lousy game last night. Not a good start to the season at all.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Extra point. 4 minute commercial time out. Kickoff touchback. 3 minute time out. 2yard pass play. End of quarter. 4 minute time out.

1 play for 4 seconds. 11. minutes of commercials.

Last Thursday for ****s and giggles I switched back-and-forth from watching U.S. Open tennis to the Seahawks-Packers opener.

On the eighth switch I actually saw players on a field. Other seven times were in the middle of commercials.

The odd thing was it was a pretty quick game, under three hours.

I don't understand why the hit on Miller that led to the fumble and pretty much was the last gasp for Pittsburgh wasn't flagged for hitting a defenseless player.

Because the rule is not enforced consistently. It was not a well-officiated game. Not that it mattered. The Ravens were much sharper than the Steelers.

Pittsburgh plays sloppy football. Too many penalties. Too many missed tackles. Too many turnovers. Too many dropped interceptions This has been a problem for a while. In the past, the Steelers had overcome it with strong defenses and Roethlisberger making enough plays on offense. Now they can't stop the run and they don't get much pressure on the quarterback, so the mistakes are even more glaring.

I think the pass rush will get better, but the run defense is all about personnel. They still haven't replaced Casey Hampton at nose tackle. The coaches go on and on about how strong McClendon is, but he gets pushed around far too easily. Add in two guys who struggle at the point of attack at linebacker in Jones and Shazier and Polamalu no longer able to cover up the flaws by running things down as often as he used to and that defense doesn't figure to get much better. Maybe **** LeBeau has some magic left to fix it, but I doubt it.

More realistically, the offense has to be better. Bell is outstanding. Brown is an elite receiver and Wheaton is emerging as a dangerous second option. They have the weapons to score plenty of points, but not the consistency. It doesn't help that Marcus Gilbert sucks. The Steelers' offseason spending has not paid off at all. Mitchell has done very little at safety. Gilbert just got a new deal, but he has been terrible. Cortez Allen had a lousy game last night. Not a good start to the season at all.

Pretty spot on, BUT they are 1-1, which is a lot of people thought they would be at this point.
Next week is a key game in the schedule.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

You know, I didn't watch any of this game last night. Not in protest or anything like that, just didn't care. I doubt I represent a trend, but I wonder if eventually Thursday could be a prime time too far for the NFL. I especially wonder since next week is Bucs at Falcons.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

It's hard to justify giving the NFL three nights of your week.
I do like the MNF doubleheader as a weekly staple.

 

[dreunc1542]

I probably won't watch any of the Thursday night games unless I'm with friends at a bar and it's on. The games last year were poorly played and just not worth the time.

 

[Boom_70]

I'm pretty much locked in to watching college game on Thursday's. Usually
some pretty good match ups. Was not overwhelmed by BYU / Houston
last night but it turned out to be a pretty good game.

 

[ryanb]

I missed the beginning of the game last night and did not see the Upshaw's hit on Roethlisberger until this morning. There is no way that should have been a roughing the passer penalty.

That was a perfect tackle, the type of tackle coaches should be showing young players. Upshaw had his head up. He did not lead with it. He made contact below the shoulders. Roethlisberger's head only snapped back because Upshaw hit him so hard. I am all for protecting the players as much as possible, but it has gone too far and that was just the latest example.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

I'm the opposite on Thursday night. I like it better than MNF.

I watch a lot of college football and I watch all day Sunday.

Now that the MNF game has taken a considerable dip in quality, I will skip it more often than not.

 

[Steak Snabler]

I'm the opposite on Thursday night. I like it better than MNF.

I watch a lot of college football and I watch all day Sunday.

Now that the MNF game has taken a considerable dip in quality, I will skip it more often than not.

Same here. Unless my team is playing, I'm totally burned out on football by Monday night.

 

[LongTimeListener]

I almost never watch either Thursday or Monday unless I have a rooting interest.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

I almost never watch either Thursday or Monday unless I have a rooting interest.

That's the way I am with MNF. If the local team or the Niners are playing, I'm watching. Beyond that, it would have to be a great matchup or some other factor would have to come into play. Monday is also my busiest night of the week from a kids' activities standpoint, so I'm rarely home before 9 anyway.

 

[exmediahack]

I watched Steelers-Ravens but not with high expectations. These two usually play close games but they're often games that bore me to tears because of all the field goals and incompletions.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I'll flip between wrestling and football on Mondays. Thursdays, I'll pay attention if it's my team or if it has one of my fantasy players.

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

Why does ESPN get worse matchups than the other networks?

 

[da man]

Why does ESPN get worse matchups than the other networks?

They pay less money for the games?

 

[3_Octave_Fart]

There are rumors it's over a series of other slights, such as the ill-fated Playmakers.
The NFL does not drop grudges.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Why does ESPN get worse matchups than the other networks?

They pay less money for the games?

ESPN pays more money by quite a good margin.