GunnerBill

Clear flag.

I could imagine him going to a team that plays less zone and hitting. Just not sure it is every going to come for him in this scheme.

I think so.

Yea not sure what they were watching. This weakness was very clear on his college film.

No I don't think it is. I think it is physical. I think his long limbs hurt him. He just looks awkward each time he tries to transition he is often late not becauee he diagnosed late but because he couldn't transition from drop to close quickly enough.

Awww bless.

Cam was actually having a nice game replacing Rapp in dime packages. But when Taron Johnson went out and he had to play the nickel and cover Johnson out of the slot he was an accident waiting to happen. I haven't heard anything about Taron today but on the basis I think Bernard will be out Taron becomes the guy to watch IMO. If we get him back I feel much better about our chances on Sunday.

Sure, you have to tackle running backs. And sure, Kaiir isn't the best at it. But that is not really what is keeping him off the field. What is keeping him off the field is the fact that has given up over a 70% completion rate to Quarterbacks in both his seasons as a Bill. And that comes down to his transitions. Could he tackle better on the outside? Sure. But if he was playing better in coverage he would be on the field. Even a coach like McDermott who wants his corners to play in run support doesn't draft a 1st round corner looking at that first and foremost.

I agree. If they had got it to say 4th and 3 then my preference would be go for it, over punt. But at 4th and 7 I'd punt. Worst case scenario I am making Mason Rudolph dink and dunk 75 yards in 2 minutes and the first couple of plays they are going to be considering the risk of giving the ball back to the Bills and that makes them call plays differently than starting at the opponents 33 where your whole play book is open to you.

They scored in 35 seconds, 5 plays, but from the Bills 33 yard line. Also when you are starting deep in your own end inside two minutes your first couple of calls are going to be more conservative. I don't think they score a touchdown from a punt. They might have scored a FG. Being conservative is bad if you are playing a team who can score quickly. Pittsburgh couldn't. They should have played conservative. I wouldn't have hated going for 4th down the way I hated the FG. But personally I want to give the Steelers in that situation zero free field position. Even if I make them start at the 25 - worst case scenario - I am giving them nothing free. They have got to drive 75 yards and they are starting in their own end. Fans are encouraged to hate conservative play calling. But there are times when it is the right play. The situation called for conservatism.

Well there should be. If you are playing Kansas City you go for it. 100% of the time. But you are not. You are playing Mason Rudolph leading a dink and dunk offense that can't get deep on you and has 2 minutes to go the distance. I think the VERY best they would have done is score 3 points.

OOooo. Ooooo. I know the answer to that one.... is it "Kyle Shanahan"?

I said before they tried it "you punt here." You have to play the game situation. The punt was the right option.

THIS has always been his biggest issue. He isn't the best tackler, but you don't draft 1st round corners to tackle running backs you draft them to cover receivers and his transitions - from drop to close or from showing press to playing off - are the thing that are keeping him off the field and causing him problems when he is on the field.

Because pinning the Steelers back with Rudolph might well have meant a 21-0 half time lead. I wouldn't have hated going for it but if they were going to do that they should have run on 2nd or 3rd down for a couple.

Yep. He played the INT perfectly. That is a play Benford or Jackson can't make. They don't have the athelticism to stay with Johnson there and be in position to undercut it. He remains the most talented corner on the Bills (with the possible exception of Tre White if we ever see him healthy again). But on the flip side he just isn't a natural fit in this scheme and so he makes mistakes the other guys don't make and he can't be trusted to do the fundamentals that the scheme requires as consistently. There might be a moment where it all clicks for Elam and if it does he will be a high end NFL corner. But it might never click and he may become an Eli Apple type former 1st rounder who bounces around as a talented but unreliable short term depth piece.

How do you interview Bill Belichick? I mean what do you ask him about philosophy etc? Surely we know who Bill Belichick is and what he does or doesn't bring?

On the actual topic here is my view in summary: 1. Mike Tomlin is a really good football coach; 2. Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers have overachieved in the last 4 or 5 years since Ben fell apart. To have made the postseason 3 of the last 4 years is a hell of a job under the circumstances; 3. Mike Tomlin can be legitimately be criticised for underachieving in the period between his Superbowl team in 2010 and Ben's arm falling off in 2018. They missed the playoffs twice in that period and lost playoff games to Flacco, Tebow and Bortles plus the ghost of Peyton Manning in the year he couldn't throw. This despite a top 5 QB, the best receiver in football, a good running game and some talent on defense; 4. I would never have called Tomlin as a great Xs and Os coach. He isn't even a great defensive mind despite coming from that side of the ball. His asset is his leadership and ability to build a competitive culture that brings the best out of his guys while letting them be themselves; 5. Mike Tomlin is arguably too good of a coach for where the Steelers currently are. They tried the "draft a QB in the middle of the 1st where we normally draft" approach and that hasn't worked. They need to bottom out somewhat to try and find a guy I think and I don't see a Tomlin side ever bottoming out; 6. If Mike Tomlin were to part company with the Steelers this week he would be employed within a fortnight as a HC elsewhere. I know I wasn't saying that as a direct comparison to Tomlin. Possibly not. But I don't think Pickett should be considered at this stage as the Steelers "starter"

It is this for me. I like Rudolph coming out, I confess, but I'd totally given up on him and said there was no way the Steelers got to 10 wins when he took over and he was bound to collapse into a mess sooner or later. But he didn't. I think the thing that always surprised me watching him in the league was he seemed gun shy. Whereas in college he was a dealer who took chances with the ball. I wonder if the prospect of selling insurance rather than playing football which he really considered last spring triggered something in him and he just said "if I get another shot I am going to let it rip." He has outplayed Pickett in his brief run this year. 5 TDs in 4 games. Pickett had 6 in 13. agree with this. And it will allow him to kick around as a backup a few years

That is how they got here. But "here" is a position where at the end of year 2 the organisation went with a guy who started the year as 3rd string in a playoff game despite Pickett being healthy and refused publicly to commit to Pickett for next season as of last week. What they say in the end of year presser will be very interesting but I think they are going to have a competition for that job in camp. I do not think it is a given that Kenny Pickett ever plays another down for Pittsburgh in a competitive game.

I blame McDermott for that decision too. I often defend him when fans shout about being aggressive. This isn't Madden, sometimes the right decision is the conservative one. The right decision yesterday was to punt. Kickers were struggling going that way, Bass hasn't made one from 49 or longer in literally months, and you are 21-0 up with 2 minutes of the half to play against Mason Rudolph. Pooch punt, try and pin them. Do not give them a chance at a momentum changing play. I wouldn't have hated going on 4th down.... but if that was in their minds they had to run on 2nd or 3rd down and try and make it 4th and 4 or 5. The FG was the worst of the three options. Overall though, Bass is a concern. I don't think he has been fully healthy all year, I think it is now in his head and his confidence is low. Wouldn't want to rely on him.

And they are not committing to him as the starter for 2024. Or at least they weren't as of last week. We will see what they say in the end of year presser. But I expect them to try and re-sign Rudolph and have some form of competition. If Rudolph breaks free I would be interested in bringing him in to Buffalo and letting him compete for a backup job. I have been impressed with him the last month. Equally if they release Trubisky I'd be interested in kicking the tires on bringing him back too.

Had nothing to do with coaching decisions, but when McDermott arrived they straight away uncommitted to Tyrod Taylor and forced him into a paycut and ripping up guarantees. Then McDermott ran the draft where they traded back. Then his buddy arrived as GM and started stockpiling picks.... This was the first time in forever a regime landed in Buffalo and said "guys you gotta get a Quarterback" and then began doing things aimed at getting one. Buffalo for years under a series of regimes had found reasons not draft Quarterbacks until they were backed into a corner. McDermott and Beane said "that is the most important move and we need to set ourselves up to make it." In doing so McDermott traded out of the pick that became Mahomes. And you have to be balanced and say that was, and is, a questionable decision. But they definitely had a plan that involved getting a proper Quarterback in the building. Not coaching as such but it was a decision that the regime made.

Been a great one. Hope he has a long and happy retirement.

I also think there should be some props for Joe Brady. The playcalling wasn't perfect I felt like up 21 he got away from the run a bit and our offense looks better at the moment when we are balanced. But he is designing plays that give Josh single defender reads and put those defenders in a bind. Both of the two touchdowns to tight ends fitted that description. On the first one, if the defender comes up to play Cook throw Knox in the endzone, if he sits on Knox throw Cook who has one man to beat to probably score himself. On the second one if the safety bites down you have a one on one with your receiver having leverage outside if he stays wide you have Kincaid with the seam. This sort of really simple, clever design was missing earlier in the year when it almost felt like "we will run our plays and the defense will do what it does, but we will out execute" that is a hard place to live in the NFL.