R. Rich Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Not the prettiest of games, but it had its moments. Culpepper looked pretty good, for the most part. Yeah, he threw 2 INTs, but both times the Steelers made excellent plays to come up w/ the turnover. Polamalu just closed as few safeties can to get the first one, and Porter dropped back beautifully to get the second one. Neither looked to be "stupid throws" when they left his hand. All in all, the Miami fans should be happy w/ Daunte's debut. Just not the results. Miami's offensive line looked pretty bad. L.J. Shelton was used and abused all evening by Porter and company. Vernon Carey got beat for a sack by Haggans (I think it was Haggans) once, and their interior guys had more than their share of problems dealing w/ Casey Hampton, the best NT and arguably the best interior DL in the league. Brett Keisel looked pretty good for Pittsburgh in his first start. His lead blocking on the INT allowed Porter to score the TD. The Steeler secondary, a huge weakness a few seasons ago, looked very good last night. Ike Taylor held his own against Chambers, and Bryant McFadden showed some good cover skills and big hitting ability. Polamalu was all over the place, as usual. Ryan Clark had a couple big hits as well, and didn't embarrass himself in coverage. Still, I wonder how long it will be before rookie Anthony Smith gets into the lineup. Santonio Holmes? Needs work on the fair catching. Wes Welker did to the Steelers what he does to a lot of teams. The guy is a difference maker on special teams, and really helped their sluggish offense get going also. Speaking of, has anyone seen Randy McMichael? My fantasy football team (well, one of them) has put out an APB for him. I hope he's okay, wherever he is. Jason Taylor was a handful too, but I thought it was funny how they were praising Zach Thomas (the little LB that could, blah blah blah...) right before he whiffed on yet another tackle, this time when Willie Parker broke through for that 35 yarder. The guy is good, but not legendary. Someone once compared him to Mike Singletary in passing conversation. I told the guy he should take his act on the road. I thought it was funny; I'm sure others would, too. Saban's "controversy" w/ the flag? Forget about it. Not much controversy in throwing a flag behind an official just seconds before the PAT try. Blame your staff for not relaying the information to you earlier, but please, let's not go into hysterics and spout off conspiracy theories. The ref didn't see it, you threw it ridiculously late, you didn't do anything to get their attention (you can leave the coaches' box to make them aware of the flag), so basically, you blew that one. Get over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamsBuffetTable Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Why did you pick a TE in a Mularkey offense for your fantasy team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CosmicBills Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Culpepper looked pretty good, for the most part. Yeah, he threw 2 INTs, but both times the Steelers made excellent plays to come up w/ the turnover. 764809[/snapback] Do you really believe that? Both those throws not only were off target, but terrible reads. Daunte did not throw the ball well throughout the game, but he got monumentally worse in the fourth quarter. In fact, he did exactly what he has always done in big spots...got nervous, misread the coverage and lost all his accuracy. This condition was only seen in spots when he had Moss to bail him out...but it was clear as day last season before the injury where he constantly made poor throws and too many mistakes. He did a nice job of throwing his receivers and his O-Line under the bus last year to take the blame, but what he should have done is look in the mirror. Especially since Johnson came in and in nearly the same amount of games and behind the same line put up great numbers. And, Daunte I got news for ya...this line you have in Miami is worse than the Minny line you left. Watch that fourth quarter again. He made 2 good throws. One nearly got his receiver killed and the other was after the game was put away by the Steelers. The Steelers are good on D, but Daunte made them look like the Steel Curtain of the 70s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Culpepper "should" have had 3 INTs...no excuse for the poor throw at the goal line, or the drop by Taylor. That was a horrible, horrible throw. I don't think he looked good at all. Under 50% completion percentage, brain farts at inopportune moments. It's what many of us have predicted for him; minus Randy Moss he has been a very pedestrian (and at times awful) QB. Think Mularkey was looking for Kelly Holcomb on the sideline? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Psycho must be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 I don't think he looked good at all. Under 50% completion percentage, brain farts at inopportune moments. It's what many of us have predicted for him; minus Randy Moss he has been a very pedestrian (and at times awful) QB. 764847[/snapback] I guess thats the respect you get when you get to throw to Randy Moss for the first couple years of your career. if JP had a game like that, people would be calling for Holcomb by halftime and trying to prove how he is not an NFL QB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 The Steeler secondary, a huge weakness a few seasons ago, looked very good last night. Ike Taylor held his own against Chambers, .. 764809[/snapback] You sure about that? I thought that Chambers got the better of the matchup, and Taylor 's wussiness in run support was appalling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Dave Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 I keep hearing how good the Dolphins looked last night, despite the loss. Let's see....they lost to a team using Charlie Batch as their starting quarterback. Their quarterback completed less than 50 percent of his passes, their stud running back gained two yards per carry, and the offense managed to control the clock for less than 25 minutes. Defensively, they allowed Pittsburgh to convert better than 50 percent of their third downs. Batch completed 60 percent of his passes, with three TDs and no picks. Parker averaged four yards a carry and wore them down. Zach Thomas got toasted on the game's decisive touchdown, and Jason Taylor showed up for about two plays. Their best player on the field was Wes Welker. Let that soak in for a minute or two. Yeah, they looked real good. Are they better than us? Probably. Will they beat us next week? Well, they should, seeing how they have been annointed a playoff team thanks to that six-game winning streak at the end of last season. Mind you, the streak included wins over us (a game we dominated for 50 minutes on their home field), Oakland, the Jets, Tennessee, the Chargers (the lone decent win in the streak, although they didn't make the playoffs), and a Matt Cassell/Patrick Pass-led Patriots team that took the game so seriously that they had some midget out there doing drop kicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 Do you really believe that? Both those throws not only were off target, but terrible reads. Daunte did not throw the ball well throughout the game, but he got monumentally worse in the fourth quarter. In fact, he did exactly what he has always done in big spots...got nervous, misread the coverage and lost all his accuracy. This condition was only seen in spots when he had Moss to bail him out...but it was clear as day last season before the injury where he constantly made poor throws and too many mistakes. He did a nice job of throwing his receivers and his O-Line under the bus last year to take the blame, but what he should have done is look in the mirror. Especially since Johnson came in and in nearly the same amount of games and behind the same line put up great numbers. And, Daunte I got news for ya...this line you have in Miami is worse than the Minny line you left. Watch that fourth quarter again. He made 2 good throws. One nearly got his receiver killed and the other was after the game was put away by the Steelers. The Steelers are good on D, but Daunte made them look like the Steel Curtain of the 70s. 764845[/snapback] I guess the things I saw that I liked were his willingness to take what they gave him (admittedly, moreso in the first half than the 2nd) and he did change up his throws a bit (didn't rely solely on his deep pass; put great touch on the one pass he completed early on, just over the reach of the defenders). He didn't look as good later on, but the fact that he's learning to live w/ the dink and dunk passes shows he's on the way to becoming a really good QB again. I agree w/ this statement, though: w/out Moss, he's average. That's true. Witness his 6 TDs against 12 picks last year before his injury. I just think they have to be encouraged by how he's going to 2nd and 3rd targets. Rome wasn't built in a day. Once he picks this stuff up, maybe he'll be what everyone thought he was in Minnesota. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 Psycho must be happy. 764850[/snapback] Kinda. She didn't like how their OL let Batch get pummelled in the 2nd half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 You sure about that? I thought that Chambers got the better of the matchup, and Taylor 's wussiness in run support was appalling 764860[/snapback] Considering the cushion the Steeler DBs were giving them, I do think Taylor did well. Chambers' completions were simple short routes where he undercut the coverage. Tough to stop that, unless you press, which Pittsburgh did little of. He did nothing to change the game, or to jump start their passing game. Taylor is still a work in progress, but I think he handled the assignment well last night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 I keep hearing how good the Dolphins looked last night, despite the loss. Let's see....they lost to a team using Charlie Batch as their starting quarterback. Their quarterback completed less than 50 percent of his passes, their stud running back gained two yards per carry, and the offense managed to control the clock for less than 25 minutes. Defensively, they allowed Pittsburgh to convert better than 50 percent of their third downs. Batch completed 60 percent of his passes, with three TDs and no picks. Parker averaged four yards a carry and wore them down. Zach Thomas got toasted on the game's decisive touchdown, and Jason Taylor showed up for about two plays. Their best player on the field was Wes Welker. Let that soak in for a minute or two. Yeah, they looked real good. Are they better than us? Probably. Will they beat us next week? Well, they should, seeing how they have been annointed a playoff team thanks to that six-game winning streak at the end of last season. Mind you, the streak included wins over us (a game we dominated for 50 minutes on their home field), Oakland, the Jets, Tennessee, the Chargers (the lone decent win in the streak, although they didn't make the playoffs), and a Matt Cassell/Patrick Pass-led Patriots team that took the game so seriously that they had some midget out there doing drop kicks. 764861[/snapback] I agree w/ you about Miami being overhyped. It happens just about every year. Jason Taylor didn't pick up stats, but he was a guy they had to account for every play by the way he was used all over the front 7. Disguising where he was, I'm sure, had something to do w/ the pressure they were able to generate on Batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 I keep hearing how good the Dolphins looked last night, despite the loss. Let's see....they lost to a team using Charlie Batch as their starting quarterback. Their quarterback completed less than 50 percent of his passes, their stud running back gained two yards per carry, and the offense managed to control the clock for less than 25 minutes..............................................Are they better than us? Probably. Will they beat us next week? Well, they should, seeing how they have been annointed a playoff team thanks to that six-game winning streak at the end of last season. Mind you, the streak included wins over us (a game we dominated for 50 minutes on their home field), Oakland, the Jets, Tennessee, the Chargers (the lone decent win in the streak, although they didn't make the playoffs), and a Matt Cassell/Patrick Pass-led Patriots team that took the game so seriously that they had some midget out there doing drop kicks. 764861[/snapback] Of course they are still looked at as a great team and their poor (make that very poor) performance last night was looked at last night as being a good performance but they "Lost to a better team" is because all the experts expected them to be great, this would make them look wrong. If the Bills put up a performance just like that and one the game, they would be going on about how the other team gave the game away and Buffalo still is not a good team, because they predicted them to be bad. I guess it is true that the media doesn't follow Buffalo at all, if they did, they would know that bringing in bennie ANderson and Mike Mularky to "Improve your offence" is a sign of trouble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Dave Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Jason Taylor didn't pick up stats, but he was a guy they had to account for every play by the way he was used all over the front 7. Disguising where he was, I'm sure, had something to do w/ the pressure they were able to generate on Batch. 764880[/snapback] No argument there. Taylor is a very good player, as is Thomas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 No argument there. Taylor is a very good player, as is Thomas. 764896[/snapback] Well, you did say he showed up for a couple plays. The way I saw it, he was there for quite a few more. Thomas is good too. I just wish they'd chill about how "great" he is. The guy misses a ton of tackles by overpursuing so much. His aggressiveness is what makes him good, but also is a weakness when he takes himself out of position so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Don't know how you can be impressed w/ Dante. Could've had more int's; Welker was singlehandily responsible for their first 10 points. Ike Taylor I thought was awful: he can't cover he can't catch and he can't tackle. Jason Taylor didn't do much either: Had a coverage sack when Batch held onto the ball for 10 minutes to take his team out of FG range circa RJ. Otherwise was pretty ineffective. The Saban challenge thing isn't even worth discussing. A "should've been" 1st & goal on the 2 for a defense that didn't make a stop the entire 2nd half....who the [censored] cares? There will be a half dozen bad calls in every game this weekend that will have a bigger impact on the game than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Rich Posted September 8, 2006 Author Share Posted September 8, 2006 Don't know how you can be impressed w/ Dante. Could've had more int's; Welker was singlehandily responsible for their first 10 points. Ike Taylor I thought was awful: he can't cover he can't catch and he can't tackle. Jason Taylor didn't do much either: Had a coverage sack when Batch held onto the ball for 10 minutes to take his team out of FG range circa RJ. Otherwise was pretty ineffective. The Saban challenge thing isn't even worth discussing. A "should've been" 1st & goal on the 2 for a defense that didn't make a stop the entire 2nd half....who the [censored] cares? There will be a half dozen bad calls in every game this weekend that will have a bigger impact on the game than that. 764907[/snapback] To each his own, I guess. I wouldn't say I was "impressed" by Daunte. I just think that by going to his check downs and taking lesser gains, he's learning the little things needed to become an elite QB. Everyone knows you have a gun, Daunte. Now learn the other stuff. Ike Taylor can't cover? I'll bet Chad Johnson would beg to differ......though not in public. As I mentioned, by moving Taylor around, the entire OL had to be ready for him. Seeing Batch get hammered during the 2nd half, I'm willing to bet that using Taylor all over the front 7 in some way contributed. Agreed on the Saban stuff. Like I said, get over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Dave Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Well, you did say he showed up for a couple plays. The way I saw it, he was there for quite a few more. Thomas is good too. I just wish they'd chill about how "great" he is. The guy misses a ton of tackles by overpursuing so much. His aggressiveness is what makes him good, but also is a weakness when he takes himself out of position so much. 764906[/snapback] Yep, Thomas is good. And that's it. To say he is great is a major reach. Your assessment of him is right on the money. His flaws get overlooked because of his underdog background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Dave Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Ike Taylor I thought was awful: he can't cover he can't catch and he can't tackle. 764907[/snapback] I thought Ike Taylor was unbelievable in the first half. Chambers got the best of him in the second half. But he was far from awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Who is the other Steelers CB? Maybe I'm confusing them. In any case, it's not as if Chambers is this consistent dominating force who hasn't been known to disappear for halves at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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