It’s taken nearly two years but this blog has officially reached uncharted territory. I’m about to focus an entire entry on a kicker. More specifically, a former kicker, given the abrupt ending to Jeff Reed’s Steeler career this week.
Reed’s career in black and gold veered wide right this season through a perfect storm of bad performance, bad attitude and bad behavior. Before 2010, he had solid standing in the Steeler Nation, notwithstanding his eccentric tendencies and his well established position on the Pittsburgh party scene. His rapid fire decent is thus nothing short of stunning.
I counted myself a solid Jeff Reef fan before 2010. Good kickers are hard to find and Reed was a consistently good, especially working in the place kicker’s graveyard that is Heinz Field.
Well, consistently good with some caveats. Reed’s range was five or so yards shorter than most NFL kickers and his kick offs rarely reached the goal line. It’s also fair to say that he lacked Daniel Sepulveda’s affinity for making special teams’ tackles. The Steelers accepted these flaws because Reed was remarkably accurate inside of 48 yards. Before this season.
And therein lies the rub.
Jeff Reed is unemployed today primarily because he stopped making field goals. No matter how obnoxious and ignorant he’s acted in the last 12 months (or seven days), he would still be wearing number 3 for the Steelers today if he were making his kicks. His petulant whining and excuses, not to mention his various off season escapades simply greased the skids.
Reed’s limitations, which became more apparent in 2009, reduced his collateral with the Steelers’ organization. His moronic behavior over the last year or so burned up whatever he had left. Reed could have learned a thing or two from his good buddy Marc-Andre Fleury about how to handle a slump with grace. Clearly he did not.
That being said, I maintain that on the field performance, or lack thereof, is what did in Reed.
NFL teams do not keep back-up kickers. There is no Brent Johnson in reserve when the kicker struggles. When kickers stop making kicks they lose their jobs, even under the best of circumstances. And to state the obvious, Jeff Reed circa 2010 has hardly been the best of circumstances.
Under the NFL’s unofficial code of conduct, kickers are to be seen and not heard. It is an odd idiosyncrasy that this vicious, hard hitting game, played by large angry men, puts so much emphasis on kickers. They are a necessary evil in the sport, tolerated when they succeed and hated when they fail.
When kickers open their mouth or make a spectacle of themselves, bad things happen. See Vanderjagt, Mike, aka “the idiot kicker” who got liquored up and ran his mouth about how Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy were not clutch performers. We last saw him choking a game tying field goal about ten yards wide right against the Steelers in the 2006 playoffs.
Clearly Reed did not learn any lessons from the man affectionately known as VanderJerk in Indianapolis. Clearly he did not see how fast Vanderjagt was run out of the NFL when his game slumped. And he clearly did not learn from his former teammate Tommy Maddox who prior to Reed was standard bearer for fastest alienation of the Steeler Nation in 2005.
Over three seasons, Maddox became immensely popular in Pittsburgh. He resurrected a failed NFL career and for a brief period looked like the star QB Steeler fans were waiting on for two decades He blew it all in one game against Jacksonville, Maddox might have survived his horrendous performance on the field had he not gone Roger Clemens in the post game press conference, throwing everyone and everything under the bus.
Pittsburgh fans demand accountability from their athletes. We can live with a bad game or two if you are willing to take responsibility for it. Just don’t insult our intelligence by blaming the wind, the turf, your wife, or Bruce Arians for your failure. In summary, don’t blame the bad turf when you miss a chip shot 26 yard field goal; the same bad turf you’ve been kicking on for nine years.
Getting beyond the obvious issue of poor performance, I think there are three fatal blows to the relationship between an athlete and a fan base. Lack of accountability is at the top of the list. The other two are publically complaining about your salary and ripping the fans. Given that Reed is a well known Penguin fan, its fair to say he’s had a hat trick of moronic behavior in about four months.
My issues with Reed started when he spouted off in training camp about his contract. I have no idea if the Rooney’s promised Reed a long-term deal or not. I suspect they said something like, we’ll discuss it in the future. Regardless, I don’t care. The guy was getting paid $2 Million, to kick a football. We should all have such problems.
Look, I am generally not one who complains about the exorbitant salaries of athletes. Yes they are outrageous and ridiculously disproportionate to the rest of society. Yes I think a good teacher provides more value than a good offensive linemen. Regardless, it’s irrelevant. Athlete salaries are what they are and I’ve accepted it.
All I ask is don’t complain about it. Modern athletes love the term “disrespect.” Do not disrespect me by complaining about your seven or eight figure salaries. Maybe I can’t kick a football in an NFL game but I’m pretty sure Jeff Reed can’t debit and credit. And he makes a heck of a lot more money than I do.
Seriously, does Reed expect sympathy from hard working fans because the Steelers are making him earn his next contract? Did he sleep through Sports Center the day they explained that NFL teams focus on other positions before they lock down kickers who can’t get kickoffs inside the ten yard line?
So that’s two grievous violations of the athlete/fan covenant. And to complete the trifecta, Reed blasted the fans. Showing a frighteningly ignorant and exaggerated view of his own importance, Reed suggested that Steeler fans come to games just to boo him. Newsflash Jeff, nobody and I mean nobody pays $200 for an NFL ticket to jeer you and Sepulveda (who to my knowledge was not being jeered anyway). If we boo you Jeff, it’s because you keeping missing kicks.
Ok, let me expand on that. We also boo you after you say, “I’m not one to complain to the media,” right before you complain to the media about your contract. We boo you because you say, “I’m not one to make excuses,” right before you make ridiculous excuses. But I covered that already.
I’m not even bringing Mr. Reed’s various drunken escapades in to the equation (a google search on him is quite enlightening), because it’s not relevant. Jeff Reed is not the first person, athlete or not, to get soused and take out his aggressions on an inanimate object. Just the same, I’m not bringing Reed’s charitable work in to the equation. All are irrelevant to me if he produces on the field and keeps his mouth shut.
That’s not to say these things are not important to his employers. If the Steelers were willing to Blue Light Special Santonio Holmes for bad behavior, they would certainly jettison a non performing kicker for the same reasons. I know the Steelers held on to Big Ben after his less than stellar offseason. Rest assured they would not have done that if Ben were Derek Anderson. And whatever you think of Ben as a person, he has always demonstrated accountability on the field.
In summary, Reed’s poor performance is why he was cut. His bad attitude and moronic behavior is why we are so happy about it. At least most of us.
I know some Steeler fans are upset about this. They see cutting Reed as a knee “jerk” reaction by the organization. I’ve heard credible arguments that Jeff Reed has a far better track record than Shaun Suisham. Those arguments may be true but they are also irrelevant. Suisham may or may not be good enough this season, Reed definitely was not.
I’m sure there will be plenty of second guessing if Suisham misses a key field goal. Such second guessing is based on the flawed assumption that Reed would have made the kick. Nothing about his performance this season suggests that to be true.
Combine a season’s worth of poor performance with embarrassing and mocking the entire Steeler Nation and I simply say this. Goodbye Jeff Reed, and good riddance.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Time to Close Down the Wanny Era
There are times in life when you are right, you know with certainty that you are right, and yet you do not really want to be.
I had such a moment when the University of Pittsburgh hired Dave Wannstedt as their head football coach. I knew then, with almost shocking clarity that Pitt was making a huge mistake. I hoped to be wrong. Deep down, I knew I was not.
When you live in a city, watch many of a team’s games, and hear all the post game analysis, you get to know the team pretty well. So I learned quite a bit about Wanny my first four years in Chicago. And one thing I could tell you with absolute certainty was that Dave Wannstedt is not a good head coach.
The Bears went were a 500 team in Wanny’s first four years although they never won more than 9 games. Then came the collapse to 8 and 24 the next two years and Wanny’s inevitable firing. They ran what I lovingly called the three yards and a cloud of dust offense; and a straight 4-3 vanilla defense. They seemed to always lose close games and were frequently out played in the second half of games. Sound familiar Pitt fans?
Every time the Bears lost, Wanny would say, “we’re gonna coach harder.” The best quote I ever heard was from a Chicago sports radio host who said (paraphrasing), I don’t care how hard you coach. I want you to win games.
For the second time, sounding familiar Pitt fans?
Ever watch the 4th line grinders on an NHL hockey team? They are important role players but you don’t build a team around them. You build around star players who see the entire ice surface and adapt to all different situations. Grinders dump and chase.
Dave Wannstedt is a grinder. A good guy and a hard worker but a grinder none the less.
I simply do not believe Wanny can see and think the game at the same level as better coaches. He tries to compensate with excessive preparation and hard work. That might work for a coordinator; it does not work for a head coach. Great coaches understand that game plans are fluid. They evolve and adjust within the game, based on the talent and scheme of the opponent.
Wanny never adjusts in game. I believe it’s because he can’t. What’s worse, the schemes he’s trying so hard to win with were popular in the 1970s. He’s about 25 years behind the curve on both sides of the ball.
Another interesting trend that I noted about Wanny in those first four years was this; the national media loved him. It used to drive the Chicago media crazy when the national folks would blindly say, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach.”
The same radio personality mentioned above was doing a weekly segment with Craig James, then of CBS during Wanny’s last year in Chicago. At some point James said, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach; he will turn this thing around.” So the interviewer asked him point blank, tell me one thing about Wanny that makes him a good coach. Give me one example of something he does as well or better than other great coaches?
James had no answer. He was just another national media guy who bought in to the Wanny façade.
I will not say Wanny was handed a Super Bowl team by Jimmy Johnson in Miami but he was definitely handed a playoff team. In his first two years, they made the playoffs twice and won once. In that one win Wanny ran journeyman running back Lamar Smith over 40 times. Smith was completely useless the next week when Miami lost. Sound familiar Pitt fans? Here’s a hint, Deion Lewis, Cincinnati, 2009.
In year three, Miami was 9 and 6 and needed to beat New England to make the playoffs. The Pats had nothing to play for. Miami had a huge lead in the game and ended up losing. Any chance Bill Belicheat made adjustments at the half, Wanny did not. That was the year he ran Ricky Williams in to the ground. The next year Miami started 1 and 8 and Wanny bailed.
See where this is headed Pitt fans?
Pitt hired Wanny because they fell for that same Wanny façade. They looked at his record in Miami and deemed it successful. In reality they should have looked at how the franchise regressed during his tenure. They figured they were getting a proven NFL head coach and a Pitt man. It looked like the perfect combination. Sadly it was a mirage.
I know many Pitt fans do not like Walt Harris but the reality is he was the most successful Pitt coach since Jackie Sherrill. I realize that’s not exactly launching the bar but it is what it is. They went to five straight bowl games and deserved or not, the Fiesta Bowl in his last year. Wanny took that Fiesta Bowl team and went 16-20 over the next three years. You know, while he was implementing his “system.”
And what is that system? Lining up in the I formation and running the tailback 40 times off right tackle? This in an era of unprecedented offensive creativity in college offenses. For heaven’s sake, even Penn State runs a spread offense from time to time. It’s no better on defense where Pitt lives in a vanilla 4-3 and rarely adapts (see UConn, Thursday night).
Does anybody find it interesting that Wanny is always pegged as a defensive genius from his time in Dallas and yet he has never had a signature great defense in 16 years as head coach?
Pitt has one signature win in the Wannstedt era. They knocked WVU out of the national title game in a season where Pitt was already guaranteed a losing record. I watched that game;. WVU lost it more than Pitt won it. Wanny has lost every other big game at Pitt since he took over. That includes his team blowing a 31-10 lead at home against Cincy last year when apparently Brian Kelly figured out how to deal with all Deion all the time at halftime.
In spite of all this, I initially hoped Wanny might succeed in college based solely on his recruiting ability. I hoped he could provide stability to the Pitt coaching job that has never before existed. There are plenty of guys who can not coach a lick in the NFL but succeed in college as great recruiters. Alas, even Wanny’s recruiting ability appears over blown.
Such coaches usually hire great assistants to help them. Wanny hired Matt Cavanaugh who later admitted he did not really understand college offenses. I’m not sure I understand that since I’m fairly sure Cavanaugh played college football. That being said, he was Wanny’s offensive coordinator in Chicago and I’m not sure he understood pro offenses either. In either case, he was a known commodity to Wannstedt. So much for hiring good assistants.
It’s amazing that in year six I still hear excuses for Wannstedt. Are you really willing to accept that in six years, the pinnacle of his success was beating North Carolina in some second rate December bowl game? After blowing two chances to win the Big Least? That’s the North Carolina game where Pitt got to first down on the 31 yard line with one minute left and ran up the middle three straight plays. I mean nothing says game winning strategy like, set the kicker up for a 47 yard field goal.
I’m assuming Pitt ends up 7-5 this year. If that’s the case, here is Wanny’s record in 16 years of coaching. Eight seasons of 500 or worse. Three seasons total with 10 wins. Two playoff wins. No championships at any level, not even a conference championship game. No Big Least championships or possibly one championship this year backed in to in the worst season by a conference in BCS history.
That’s a 16 year track record of futility folks. If you don’t want to buy my in depth analysis of Wanny’s weaknesses, just look at that. Wins and losses are the ultimate measuring stick in sports. You can’t hide from them, at least not over 16 years.
I’ve entertained the idea that Pitt could do worse than a coach who wins 8 to 10 games every year, recruits well, and remains loyal to the program. That assumes these things can actually happen. Pitt is on its way to a 7 win season in the worst conference in college football. That would be four of six seasons Wanny has not hit 8 wins.
Honestly, do you believe Pitt is better off today then they were in September 2005? Wanny was supposed to take the program to the next level. At the absolute best, it’s a break even.
One final thought; how much disrespect for Wanny’s defense did the UConn coach show Thursday night? Going for it on 4th and 1 from his own 25 yard line with two minutes left? And please explain to me why Pitt did not put ten in the box and sell out to stop the run when there was absolutely no way UConn was going to pass?
Simple answer, that’s Wanny football. Unchanged and without adaptation since 1992. If Pitt is smart, they will adapt next year…with a new coach.
I had such a moment when the University of Pittsburgh hired Dave Wannstedt as their head football coach. I knew then, with almost shocking clarity that Pitt was making a huge mistake. I hoped to be wrong. Deep down, I knew I was not.
When you live in a city, watch many of a team’s games, and hear all the post game analysis, you get to know the team pretty well. So I learned quite a bit about Wanny my first four years in Chicago. And one thing I could tell you with absolute certainty was that Dave Wannstedt is not a good head coach.
The Bears went were a 500 team in Wanny’s first four years although they never won more than 9 games. Then came the collapse to 8 and 24 the next two years and Wanny’s inevitable firing. They ran what I lovingly called the three yards and a cloud of dust offense; and a straight 4-3 vanilla defense. They seemed to always lose close games and were frequently out played in the second half of games. Sound familiar Pitt fans?
Every time the Bears lost, Wanny would say, “we’re gonna coach harder.” The best quote I ever heard was from a Chicago sports radio host who said (paraphrasing), I don’t care how hard you coach. I want you to win games.
For the second time, sounding familiar Pitt fans?
Ever watch the 4th line grinders on an NHL hockey team? They are important role players but you don’t build a team around them. You build around star players who see the entire ice surface and adapt to all different situations. Grinders dump and chase.
Dave Wannstedt is a grinder. A good guy and a hard worker but a grinder none the less.
I simply do not believe Wanny can see and think the game at the same level as better coaches. He tries to compensate with excessive preparation and hard work. That might work for a coordinator; it does not work for a head coach. Great coaches understand that game plans are fluid. They evolve and adjust within the game, based on the talent and scheme of the opponent.
Wanny never adjusts in game. I believe it’s because he can’t. What’s worse, the schemes he’s trying so hard to win with were popular in the 1970s. He’s about 25 years behind the curve on both sides of the ball.
Another interesting trend that I noted about Wanny in those first four years was this; the national media loved him. It used to drive the Chicago media crazy when the national folks would blindly say, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach.”
The same radio personality mentioned above was doing a weekly segment with Craig James, then of CBS during Wanny’s last year in Chicago. At some point James said, “Dave Wannstedt is a good football coach; he will turn this thing around.” So the interviewer asked him point blank, tell me one thing about Wanny that makes him a good coach. Give me one example of something he does as well or better than other great coaches?
James had no answer. He was just another national media guy who bought in to the Wanny façade.
I will not say Wanny was handed a Super Bowl team by Jimmy Johnson in Miami but he was definitely handed a playoff team. In his first two years, they made the playoffs twice and won once. In that one win Wanny ran journeyman running back Lamar Smith over 40 times. Smith was completely useless the next week when Miami lost. Sound familiar Pitt fans? Here’s a hint, Deion Lewis, Cincinnati, 2009.
In year three, Miami was 9 and 6 and needed to beat New England to make the playoffs. The Pats had nothing to play for. Miami had a huge lead in the game and ended up losing. Any chance Bill Belicheat made adjustments at the half, Wanny did not. That was the year he ran Ricky Williams in to the ground. The next year Miami started 1 and 8 and Wanny bailed.
See where this is headed Pitt fans?
Pitt hired Wanny because they fell for that same Wanny façade. They looked at his record in Miami and deemed it successful. In reality they should have looked at how the franchise regressed during his tenure. They figured they were getting a proven NFL head coach and a Pitt man. It looked like the perfect combination. Sadly it was a mirage.
I know many Pitt fans do not like Walt Harris but the reality is he was the most successful Pitt coach since Jackie Sherrill. I realize that’s not exactly launching the bar but it is what it is. They went to five straight bowl games and deserved or not, the Fiesta Bowl in his last year. Wanny took that Fiesta Bowl team and went 16-20 over the next three years. You know, while he was implementing his “system.”
And what is that system? Lining up in the I formation and running the tailback 40 times off right tackle? This in an era of unprecedented offensive creativity in college offenses. For heaven’s sake, even Penn State runs a spread offense from time to time. It’s no better on defense where Pitt lives in a vanilla 4-3 and rarely adapts (see UConn, Thursday night).
Does anybody find it interesting that Wanny is always pegged as a defensive genius from his time in Dallas and yet he has never had a signature great defense in 16 years as head coach?
Pitt has one signature win in the Wannstedt era. They knocked WVU out of the national title game in a season where Pitt was already guaranteed a losing record. I watched that game;. WVU lost it more than Pitt won it. Wanny has lost every other big game at Pitt since he took over. That includes his team blowing a 31-10 lead at home against Cincy last year when apparently Brian Kelly figured out how to deal with all Deion all the time at halftime.
In spite of all this, I initially hoped Wanny might succeed in college based solely on his recruiting ability. I hoped he could provide stability to the Pitt coaching job that has never before existed. There are plenty of guys who can not coach a lick in the NFL but succeed in college as great recruiters. Alas, even Wanny’s recruiting ability appears over blown.
Such coaches usually hire great assistants to help them. Wanny hired Matt Cavanaugh who later admitted he did not really understand college offenses. I’m not sure I understand that since I’m fairly sure Cavanaugh played college football. That being said, he was Wanny’s offensive coordinator in Chicago and I’m not sure he understood pro offenses either. In either case, he was a known commodity to Wannstedt. So much for hiring good assistants.
It’s amazing that in year six I still hear excuses for Wannstedt. Are you really willing to accept that in six years, the pinnacle of his success was beating North Carolina in some second rate December bowl game? After blowing two chances to win the Big Least? That’s the North Carolina game where Pitt got to first down on the 31 yard line with one minute left and ran up the middle three straight plays. I mean nothing says game winning strategy like, set the kicker up for a 47 yard field goal.
I’m assuming Pitt ends up 7-5 this year. If that’s the case, here is Wanny’s record in 16 years of coaching. Eight seasons of 500 or worse. Three seasons total with 10 wins. Two playoff wins. No championships at any level, not even a conference championship game. No Big Least championships or possibly one championship this year backed in to in the worst season by a conference in BCS history.
That’s a 16 year track record of futility folks. If you don’t want to buy my in depth analysis of Wanny’s weaknesses, just look at that. Wins and losses are the ultimate measuring stick in sports. You can’t hide from them, at least not over 16 years.
I’ve entertained the idea that Pitt could do worse than a coach who wins 8 to 10 games every year, recruits well, and remains loyal to the program. That assumes these things can actually happen. Pitt is on its way to a 7 win season in the worst conference in college football. That would be four of six seasons Wanny has not hit 8 wins.
Honestly, do you believe Pitt is better off today then they were in September 2005? Wanny was supposed to take the program to the next level. At the absolute best, it’s a break even.
One final thought; how much disrespect for Wanny’s defense did the UConn coach show Thursday night? Going for it on 4th and 1 from his own 25 yard line with two minutes left? And please explain to me why Pitt did not put ten in the box and sell out to stop the run when there was absolutely no way UConn was going to pass?
Simple answer, that’s Wanny football. Unchanged and without adaptation since 1992. If Pitt is smart, they will adapt next year…with a new coach.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A Simple Tribute to the Great Joe Paterno
When I arrived at Penn State in 1991, Joe Paterno was 65 years old and entering his 26th year as head coach. Even for the truly elite college coaches, that’s a career.
I remember feeling fortunate that Joe was still on the sidelines when I graduated 4 years later. I truly thought he might retire before I left.
That was 16 years ago.
I wonder how many Big 10 coaches have recruited players away from Penn State in those 16 years by telling them, “The old man will leave before you do.” I’m sure that many have and still do today. So think about this, JoePa is the only Big Ten head coach today who held the same title when I left Penn State.
There are certain accomplishments in sports that defy rationale explanation. I can say without hesitance that 400 wins in college football is one of them. It’s an accomplishment beyond comprehension. And it needs to be celebrated as such.
We can argue forever whether Joe has stuck around too long. Personally, I believe he has and said so last year. Alas, that’s an argument for another day. Today is a day to recognize and celebrate one of the truly great men in the history of sports.
As a Penn State alumnus, I feel a personal connection to Paterno. That makes me one of about half a million people who can say that same thing. As silly as it seems, Joe Paterno is Penn State.
I only met him once, a meeting that lasted about five seconds. I was walking south on campus on game day, Joe was walking north to the stadium. Think about that in and of itself. The legendary head coach was walking through the center of campus on game day just like every other student. I can’t imagine bumping in to Rich Rodriguez like that at Michigan.
Joe saw me, made eye contact and said “hello.” I said “good luck today coach.” He said “thank you.” It was a silly nothing moment; one that young freshmen will never forget.
When you see Joe Paterno on campus, you don’t feel like you met a legend. He’s just a nice guy from State College who happens to have coached the football team for 45 years. I’m not naïve enough to think that Joe does not have plenty of power; or that he does not use it to his advantage from time to time. So do most of the tenured professors
Again, this man has coached 45 years at Penn State won 400 games. I take great pride in my ability to express myself through words; yet I find my words are wholly inadequate to express the magnitude of this accomplishment.
I have actually read comments where people suggest he’s won that many games only because he hung around so long. Let’s consider the absurdity of that premise.
First, if it was so easy to last 45 years in coaching…at one school…there would be more than one man in the history of Division 1 football who has done it. Most coaches are happy to last five to ten years. In my lifetime, Pitt has never had a coach reach ten years on the job. If they don’t win enough they get fired. If they win too much they run to greener pastures or retire. We celebrate the likes of Nick Saban; even as he has bailed on three other programs.
Second, even if you argue that Joe has unparalleled job security, he earned it by averaging over 9 wins per season, for 45 years! That includes four undefeated seasons, two national champions (officially) and not a single losing season until the late 80s. And remember, this was not Bill Guthrie taking over a legendary North Carolina program from Dean Smith. Penn State was pretty much irrelevant in college football before JoePa arrived.
You could say that Joe built the Penn State program. I would say that Joe is the Penn State program.
I ate in the same dining hall as many of the football players. Everyone knew who they were. You could not miss Kyle Brady or Ki-Jana Carter on campus. They never acted like football stars; they acted like regular Penn State students. That’s what Joe demands of them. His players graduate at rates amongst the highest in division 1 football and for the most part comport themselves as good citizens. In comparison to the cesspool that often is major college football, the Nittany Lions are angels.
Again, I’m not naïve enough to pretend there have been no off the field issues. Joe can set and enforce rules but he can not force 95 college men to act perfectly all the time. No coach can, just as no parent can. That’s life.
And I’m sure that from time to time, Joe has allowed a star player more latitude than a back-up or regular student would get. I say that even though I remember Bobby Engram being suspended for his entire freshmen season and Curtis Enis and Joe Jeruvicious being suspended from a bowl game.
Joe Paterno is not perfect, as a person or coach. And we don’t ask him to be.
Still, how does Joe compare to Urban Meyer, whose players continually end up on the police blotter and then right back on the field. How does he compare to Tom Osborne who sold out all of his principles and beliefs to win a national championship, a championship that he stole from Paterno? How does he compare to Rodriguez or Pete Carroll?
This is a man who has never sold out his core principles, a man who never made football more than what it is. Yes I’m frustrated by what I consider the relative mediocrity of the program the last decade. And yet I’ll take that in a second over selling out Penn State principles to try and win another national championship.
Think again about those astonishing 400 wins. Now add 6 national championships. Joe has two but he could just as easily have six. This is a man who has presided over four undefeated teams that were denied a national title in college football’s mythical sham of a championship system. And people wonder why I hate the BCS so much?
The funny part is, I think the 1994 debacle bothers me more than it does Joe. I’m still bitter and angry about it to this day. I get the feeling Joe dealt with it and moved on. That may have been the greatest offense in college football history. They would have put up 50 on the Thug Huskers if given the chance. Sadly they never were.
Such is life I guess.
I’ve spent the last 16 years lamenting the national championship that was stolen from us my senior year. Joe Paterno has spent the last 16 years molding kids in to men. I wonder how many kids he’s effected; I wonder how many he’s been a father figure to. Honestly, the numbers are likely too staggering to contemplate.
Just like 400 wins.
Joe Paterno has spent his entire adult life at Penn State. He never left for more money, his dream job or the NFL. He has worked for far less money than most division 1 star coaches, and donated a great deal of it to the University. There are countless stories from regular students about some way Joe impacted their lives.
He does not brag about this; does not act holier than thou. He just lives his life the same way he has for nearly 60 years in Happy Valley.
He has two black marks against him; staying on a bit too long and playing some role in ending the Pitt and Penn State rivalry. If those are the two worst things we can say about this man in 45 years of coaching, that’s not too bad. It’s a lot better than, “reinstated a player who dragged his girlfriend down the steps by her hair.” Strictly hypothetical of course.
I know I’m biased here. I can’t help it. I’m a Nittany Lion through and through. I have no reservations in saying that Joe Paterno is one of the most remarkable human beings in the history of sports.
I’m not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes as I watched the man we affectionately call JoePa celebrate his 400th victory on Saturday. I’m guessing I was not alone in the Nittany Nation. It was an emotional day, the magnitude of which we may never fully appreciate.
I fervently believe that it is time for JoePa to retire. I know that its time for the program to move forward, that it needs an infusion of youth, vigor and new ideas. And yet even as I say that I can not imagine Penn State without him. Not just Penn State football, Penn State University. There are so few constants in this world. For 45 years, Joe Paterno on the Penn State sideline has been one of them.
I offer my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Joseph Vincent Paterno on a remarkable accomplishment and a remarkable career. For the Glory….
I remember feeling fortunate that Joe was still on the sidelines when I graduated 4 years later. I truly thought he might retire before I left.
That was 16 years ago.
I wonder how many Big 10 coaches have recruited players away from Penn State in those 16 years by telling them, “The old man will leave before you do.” I’m sure that many have and still do today. So think about this, JoePa is the only Big Ten head coach today who held the same title when I left Penn State.
There are certain accomplishments in sports that defy rationale explanation. I can say without hesitance that 400 wins in college football is one of them. It’s an accomplishment beyond comprehension. And it needs to be celebrated as such.
We can argue forever whether Joe has stuck around too long. Personally, I believe he has and said so last year. Alas, that’s an argument for another day. Today is a day to recognize and celebrate one of the truly great men in the history of sports.
As a Penn State alumnus, I feel a personal connection to Paterno. That makes me one of about half a million people who can say that same thing. As silly as it seems, Joe Paterno is Penn State.
I only met him once, a meeting that lasted about five seconds. I was walking south on campus on game day, Joe was walking north to the stadium. Think about that in and of itself. The legendary head coach was walking through the center of campus on game day just like every other student. I can’t imagine bumping in to Rich Rodriguez like that at Michigan.
Joe saw me, made eye contact and said “hello.” I said “good luck today coach.” He said “thank you.” It was a silly nothing moment; one that young freshmen will never forget.
When you see Joe Paterno on campus, you don’t feel like you met a legend. He’s just a nice guy from State College who happens to have coached the football team for 45 years. I’m not naïve enough to think that Joe does not have plenty of power; or that he does not use it to his advantage from time to time. So do most of the tenured professors
Again, this man has coached 45 years at Penn State won 400 games. I take great pride in my ability to express myself through words; yet I find my words are wholly inadequate to express the magnitude of this accomplishment.
I have actually read comments where people suggest he’s won that many games only because he hung around so long. Let’s consider the absurdity of that premise.
First, if it was so easy to last 45 years in coaching…at one school…there would be more than one man in the history of Division 1 football who has done it. Most coaches are happy to last five to ten years. In my lifetime, Pitt has never had a coach reach ten years on the job. If they don’t win enough they get fired. If they win too much they run to greener pastures or retire. We celebrate the likes of Nick Saban; even as he has bailed on three other programs.
Second, even if you argue that Joe has unparalleled job security, he earned it by averaging over 9 wins per season, for 45 years! That includes four undefeated seasons, two national champions (officially) and not a single losing season until the late 80s. And remember, this was not Bill Guthrie taking over a legendary North Carolina program from Dean Smith. Penn State was pretty much irrelevant in college football before JoePa arrived.
You could say that Joe built the Penn State program. I would say that Joe is the Penn State program.
I ate in the same dining hall as many of the football players. Everyone knew who they were. You could not miss Kyle Brady or Ki-Jana Carter on campus. They never acted like football stars; they acted like regular Penn State students. That’s what Joe demands of them. His players graduate at rates amongst the highest in division 1 football and for the most part comport themselves as good citizens. In comparison to the cesspool that often is major college football, the Nittany Lions are angels.
Again, I’m not naïve enough to pretend there have been no off the field issues. Joe can set and enforce rules but he can not force 95 college men to act perfectly all the time. No coach can, just as no parent can. That’s life.
And I’m sure that from time to time, Joe has allowed a star player more latitude than a back-up or regular student would get. I say that even though I remember Bobby Engram being suspended for his entire freshmen season and Curtis Enis and Joe Jeruvicious being suspended from a bowl game.
Joe Paterno is not perfect, as a person or coach. And we don’t ask him to be.
Still, how does Joe compare to Urban Meyer, whose players continually end up on the police blotter and then right back on the field. How does he compare to Tom Osborne who sold out all of his principles and beliefs to win a national championship, a championship that he stole from Paterno? How does he compare to Rodriguez or Pete Carroll?
This is a man who has never sold out his core principles, a man who never made football more than what it is. Yes I’m frustrated by what I consider the relative mediocrity of the program the last decade. And yet I’ll take that in a second over selling out Penn State principles to try and win another national championship.
Think again about those astonishing 400 wins. Now add 6 national championships. Joe has two but he could just as easily have six. This is a man who has presided over four undefeated teams that were denied a national title in college football’s mythical sham of a championship system. And people wonder why I hate the BCS so much?
The funny part is, I think the 1994 debacle bothers me more than it does Joe. I’m still bitter and angry about it to this day. I get the feeling Joe dealt with it and moved on. That may have been the greatest offense in college football history. They would have put up 50 on the Thug Huskers if given the chance. Sadly they never were.
Such is life I guess.
I’ve spent the last 16 years lamenting the national championship that was stolen from us my senior year. Joe Paterno has spent the last 16 years molding kids in to men. I wonder how many kids he’s effected; I wonder how many he’s been a father figure to. Honestly, the numbers are likely too staggering to contemplate.
Just like 400 wins.
Joe Paterno has spent his entire adult life at Penn State. He never left for more money, his dream job or the NFL. He has worked for far less money than most division 1 star coaches, and donated a great deal of it to the University. There are countless stories from regular students about some way Joe impacted their lives.
He does not brag about this; does not act holier than thou. He just lives his life the same way he has for nearly 60 years in Happy Valley.
He has two black marks against him; staying on a bit too long and playing some role in ending the Pitt and Penn State rivalry. If those are the two worst things we can say about this man in 45 years of coaching, that’s not too bad. It’s a lot better than, “reinstated a player who dragged his girlfriend down the steps by her hair.” Strictly hypothetical of course.
I know I’m biased here. I can’t help it. I’m a Nittany Lion through and through. I have no reservations in saying that Joe Paterno is one of the most remarkable human beings in the history of sports.
I’m not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes as I watched the man we affectionately call JoePa celebrate his 400th victory on Saturday. I’m guessing I was not alone in the Nittany Nation. It was an emotional day, the magnitude of which we may never fully appreciate.
I fervently believe that it is time for JoePa to retire. I know that its time for the program to move forward, that it needs an infusion of youth, vigor and new ideas. And yet even as I say that I can not imagine Penn State without him. Not just Penn State football, Penn State University. There are so few constants in this world. For 45 years, Joe Paterno on the Penn State sideline has been one of them.
I offer my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to Joseph Vincent Paterno on a remarkable accomplishment and a remarkable career. For the Glory….
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Good Rex, Bad Rex, and Really Bad Shanahan
Every once in awhile I see something in an NFL game that leaves me shaking my head in utter disbelief. It’s something that for the life of me I can not explain or comprehend on any level.
You would think after three decades of watching football I could say I’ve seen it all. Clearly that is not the case based on what occurred last Sunday in Detroit.
The Washington Redskins got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, trailing the Lions by 6. When you think of great moments in NFL history, you often think of this scenario. Just two years ago, we watched Big Ben take the Steelers to victory in a comparable situation in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana, John Elway, and Dan Marino were famous for winning games on the final drive. It requires a mix of talent, composure and veteran savvy to win in these circumstances. This situation is the reason that a perennially losing team trades for a quarterback like Donovan McNabb.
So you’ll excuse me if I thought I had taken leave of my faculties when I saw Rex Grossman trotting on to the field for Washington. Fortunately, it was not me who had taken leave; it was Skins coach Mike Shanahan.
Let’s forget about the Grossman part for a moment and just consider this. What team would bench its starting QB in the final two minutes of a game down by one score?
We’re not talking about benching him at halftime or even after three quarters. We’re talking about pulling the plug with two minutes left, down by one score…AGAINST DETROIT. It’s akin to the Lakers getting the ball down by two with 20 seconds left and putting Kobe Bryant on the bench, for somebody who had not played the entire regular season…AGAINST THE CLIPPERS.
And that’s before we get to the Grossman part.
About the only thing more baffling than the decision was the explanation offered by Shanahan after the game and then his offensive coordinator (and son) the next day. I’ve heard more coherent and logical explanations from U.S. Congressmen. They vaguely mentioned injuries and something about “cardiovascular fitness” but the one that really got me was this…we thought Rex gave us the better chance to win in that situation.
HUH ?
Look I lived the Grossman experience in Chicago for five years so I can make the following statement without any pause or concern. They have not yet invented a situation in football where Rex Grossman gives you a better chance to win.
At some point in his career, Grossman was a reasonably competent NFL QB, saddled with a Jay Cutler like penchant for throwing the ball to the wrong team. Bear fans pondered weekly whether they would get "Good Rex" or "Bad Rex." That ended right after Super Bowl XLI. Be it due to loss of confidence or the entire NFL simply figuring him out, "Bad Rex" took over and never left. Now, Grossman is one of those guys that exists somewhere between carrying a clipboard and the Canadian Football League.
Maybe if you spend a week devising the right game plan, Grossman can be your starter…for a game or two. The idea that he can drive a team to a game winning touchdown in the final two minutes is ridiculous. The idea that he could do if coming in to a game cold and having not played all season, is incomprehensible. I’m pretty sure that even Lovie Smith would not have done that, though admittedly I’m not positive.
I’ve heard numerous explanations for this over the past few days. The most interesting is that Shanahan is unhappy with McNabb and used this situation to call out his star QB. I have a better explanation, he’s lost his mind.
I give Shanahan credit for how he’s dealt with the Albert Haynesworth debacAL. And I get the Skins are really not that good. I’m also aware that there are mixed feelings about McNabb around the league. There are some who think he’s one of the great QBs of this era. Others think he’s a great athlete who stumbled in to the perfect system in Philly and can’t win the big game. As always, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.
That being said, there is absolutely no plausible reason for Shanahan to do what he did on Sunday. What he ultimately did was cost his football team any chance to win the game. As it played out, Grossman did what he usually does. He did not feel the pass rush, took a hard hit and fumbled the game away. Maybe the exact same thing happens with McNabb behind center. We’ll never know.
Let’s get beyond the fact that Shanahan just called out and embarrassed his (supposed) franchise QB on national television. McNabb has demonstrated remarkably thick skin over the years so maybe he can handle this. How do you explain to a locker room full of warriors that you sold out any chance to win the game just to send McNabb a message? And that’s assuming that is really what happened here. It’s far worse to think that maybe they really believed Grossman gave them the best chance to win.
I would not bring Joe Montana off the bench cold with two minutes left in a game. It’s a completely unfair position to put any QB in. That being said, I could possibly understand if the Skins had a stud back-up or maybe if the situation were reversed and McNabb was coming in. The idea of bringing in Grossman, well coaches have been fired for a lot less.
Shanahan is a fascinating fellow. He is universally lauded for being a great coach and yet if you look at his pre and post John Elway resume its not very good. Yes he won two Super Bowls and you can not take that away from anybody. At the same time, Elway retired after the 1998 season. Since that time, Shanahan has coached ten years. In that decade, he made the AFC Championship team once where his team got blasted by the Steelers. And as my old buddy Porky Pig used to lament, that’s all folks.
Many of Shanahan’s teams missed the playoffs. At least two others served as launching pads for Peyton Manning’s most impressive playoff showings. In short, this guy has done nothing in his last ten years accept repeatedly cut 1,000 yard running backs and introduce the football world to Jay Cutler (coaches have been fired for less than that as well).
I was shocked at the indignation that took place when Shanahan was fired in Denver. How many other coaches would survive more than ten years where they did not even sniff a Super Bowl? Unless you’re Barry Trotz, constantly missing or losing in the first round of the playoffs gets you canned.
Even with that, I’m not suggesting Shanahan was a terrible coach, just a tad overrated. Again, the man did win two Super Bowls. I had absolutely no issue with him, until last Sunday. After that, I’m not sure the man is any more qualified to coach in our nation’s capital than Steve Spurrier or Jim Zorn.
Week after week I listen to angry Steeler fans bash Mike Tomlin. I continue to be astounded by this. Not because Tomlin is a perfect coach, he certainly is not. I’m astounded because on the whole, Tomlin has done what was expected in the Burgh. He’s posted a 39-20 record and won a Super Bowl in his first 3 ½ seasons, all before the age of 40. That’s pretty impressive.
And yet I’m told he’s not as good a coach as a guy like Jeff Fisher, who has somehow lasted 15 years in spite making just one Super Bowl, and losing (what is it with Nashville coaches) and now taking on the locker room disaster that is Randy Moss. And I’m pretty sure that most neutral footballs fans would call Shanahan a better coach than Tomlin.
So I ask you this, do you think Tomlin would have pulled Big Ben if the Steelers got the ball down one score with two minutes left…for Byron Leftwich. Keep in mind that Leftwich, along with being just as mediocre as Grossman, has not played all season. The answer is obvious, of course he would not. And if he did, I can’t even fathom the backlash he would face from the Steeler Nation.
Again, I’m not trying to evaluate McNabb or what’s going on in Washington. Maybe the Skins really don’t think he’s the good. That’s their call. I’ll just say this; regardless of what anybody thinks of Donovan McNabb, he’s a heck of a lot better than Grossman. Maybe Shanahan thought there was little chance of winning with McNabb. Whatever it was, it was 100% greater than his chance of winning with Rex; good, bad, or indifferent.
You would think after three decades of watching football I could say I’ve seen it all. Clearly that is not the case based on what occurred last Sunday in Detroit.
The Washington Redskins got the ball back with less than two minutes remaining, trailing the Lions by 6. When you think of great moments in NFL history, you often think of this scenario. Just two years ago, we watched Big Ben take the Steelers to victory in a comparable situation in the Super Bowl. Joe Montana, John Elway, and Dan Marino were famous for winning games on the final drive. It requires a mix of talent, composure and veteran savvy to win in these circumstances. This situation is the reason that a perennially losing team trades for a quarterback like Donovan McNabb.
So you’ll excuse me if I thought I had taken leave of my faculties when I saw Rex Grossman trotting on to the field for Washington. Fortunately, it was not me who had taken leave; it was Skins coach Mike Shanahan.
Let’s forget about the Grossman part for a moment and just consider this. What team would bench its starting QB in the final two minutes of a game down by one score?
We’re not talking about benching him at halftime or even after three quarters. We’re talking about pulling the plug with two minutes left, down by one score…AGAINST DETROIT. It’s akin to the Lakers getting the ball down by two with 20 seconds left and putting Kobe Bryant on the bench, for somebody who had not played the entire regular season…AGAINST THE CLIPPERS.
And that’s before we get to the Grossman part.
About the only thing more baffling than the decision was the explanation offered by Shanahan after the game and then his offensive coordinator (and son) the next day. I’ve heard more coherent and logical explanations from U.S. Congressmen. They vaguely mentioned injuries and something about “cardiovascular fitness” but the one that really got me was this…we thought Rex gave us the better chance to win in that situation.
HUH ?
Look I lived the Grossman experience in Chicago for five years so I can make the following statement without any pause or concern. They have not yet invented a situation in football where Rex Grossman gives you a better chance to win.
At some point in his career, Grossman was a reasonably competent NFL QB, saddled with a Jay Cutler like penchant for throwing the ball to the wrong team. Bear fans pondered weekly whether they would get "Good Rex" or "Bad Rex." That ended right after Super Bowl XLI. Be it due to loss of confidence or the entire NFL simply figuring him out, "Bad Rex" took over and never left. Now, Grossman is one of those guys that exists somewhere between carrying a clipboard and the Canadian Football League.
Maybe if you spend a week devising the right game plan, Grossman can be your starter…for a game or two. The idea that he can drive a team to a game winning touchdown in the final two minutes is ridiculous. The idea that he could do if coming in to a game cold and having not played all season, is incomprehensible. I’m pretty sure that even Lovie Smith would not have done that, though admittedly I’m not positive.
I’ve heard numerous explanations for this over the past few days. The most interesting is that Shanahan is unhappy with McNabb and used this situation to call out his star QB. I have a better explanation, he’s lost his mind.
I give Shanahan credit for how he’s dealt with the Albert Haynesworth debacAL. And I get the Skins are really not that good. I’m also aware that there are mixed feelings about McNabb around the league. There are some who think he’s one of the great QBs of this era. Others think he’s a great athlete who stumbled in to the perfect system in Philly and can’t win the big game. As always, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.
That being said, there is absolutely no plausible reason for Shanahan to do what he did on Sunday. What he ultimately did was cost his football team any chance to win the game. As it played out, Grossman did what he usually does. He did not feel the pass rush, took a hard hit and fumbled the game away. Maybe the exact same thing happens with McNabb behind center. We’ll never know.
Let’s get beyond the fact that Shanahan just called out and embarrassed his (supposed) franchise QB on national television. McNabb has demonstrated remarkably thick skin over the years so maybe he can handle this. How do you explain to a locker room full of warriors that you sold out any chance to win the game just to send McNabb a message? And that’s assuming that is really what happened here. It’s far worse to think that maybe they really believed Grossman gave them the best chance to win.
I would not bring Joe Montana off the bench cold with two minutes left in a game. It’s a completely unfair position to put any QB in. That being said, I could possibly understand if the Skins had a stud back-up or maybe if the situation were reversed and McNabb was coming in. The idea of bringing in Grossman, well coaches have been fired for a lot less.
Shanahan is a fascinating fellow. He is universally lauded for being a great coach and yet if you look at his pre and post John Elway resume its not very good. Yes he won two Super Bowls and you can not take that away from anybody. At the same time, Elway retired after the 1998 season. Since that time, Shanahan has coached ten years. In that decade, he made the AFC Championship team once where his team got blasted by the Steelers. And as my old buddy Porky Pig used to lament, that’s all folks.
Many of Shanahan’s teams missed the playoffs. At least two others served as launching pads for Peyton Manning’s most impressive playoff showings. In short, this guy has done nothing in his last ten years accept repeatedly cut 1,000 yard running backs and introduce the football world to Jay Cutler (coaches have been fired for less than that as well).
I was shocked at the indignation that took place when Shanahan was fired in Denver. How many other coaches would survive more than ten years where they did not even sniff a Super Bowl? Unless you’re Barry Trotz, constantly missing or losing in the first round of the playoffs gets you canned.
Even with that, I’m not suggesting Shanahan was a terrible coach, just a tad overrated. Again, the man did win two Super Bowls. I had absolutely no issue with him, until last Sunday. After that, I’m not sure the man is any more qualified to coach in our nation’s capital than Steve Spurrier or Jim Zorn.
Week after week I listen to angry Steeler fans bash Mike Tomlin. I continue to be astounded by this. Not because Tomlin is a perfect coach, he certainly is not. I’m astounded because on the whole, Tomlin has done what was expected in the Burgh. He’s posted a 39-20 record and won a Super Bowl in his first 3 ½ seasons, all before the age of 40. That’s pretty impressive.
And yet I’m told he’s not as good a coach as a guy like Jeff Fisher, who has somehow lasted 15 years in spite making just one Super Bowl, and losing (what is it with Nashville coaches) and now taking on the locker room disaster that is Randy Moss. And I’m pretty sure that most neutral footballs fans would call Shanahan a better coach than Tomlin.
So I ask you this, do you think Tomlin would have pulled Big Ben if the Steelers got the ball down one score with two minutes left…for Byron Leftwich. Keep in mind that Leftwich, along with being just as mediocre as Grossman, has not played all season. The answer is obvious, of course he would not. And if he did, I can’t even fathom the backlash he would face from the Steeler Nation.
Again, I’m not trying to evaluate McNabb or what’s going on in Washington. Maybe the Skins really don’t think he’s the good. That’s their call. I’ll just say this; regardless of what anybody thinks of Donovan McNabb, he’s a heck of a lot better than Grossman. Maybe Shanahan thought there was little chance of winning with McNabb. Whatever it was, it was 100% greater than his chance of winning with Rex; good, bad, or indifferent.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Coaches Coach, Players Play, Fans Complain
Sometimes I wonder who has the tougher job, Barack Obama or Bruce Arians. Yes Obama has to deal with the daily challenges of being leader of the free world. Is that any harder than dealing with the angry Steeler Nation that blames Arians for every play that does not result in a Steeler touchdown?
Okay, that might be a bit over the top but I think the point has been made. I have to go all the way to the White House to find a high ranking executive getting more criticism than Arians. Thankfully there are no midterm elections for NFL assistant coaches.
As I often do, let me clarify a few points here before I go any further.
First, this blog is not and will not be Arians’ personal advocate. My position on him remains that he is neither the best nor the worst offensive coordinator in the NFL. I would not put him in the top ten or the bottom ten. He’s somewhere in that middle 22 of guys that were good enough to earn these rare positions but are effectively interchangeable.
Second, I’m not suggesting Arians is alone in this plight. Quite the contrary. I’m not sure there is a worse job in sports than being an offensive coordinator in the NFL. That includes being a head coach in the NFL (a subject for another blog), although just barely. Take a read through blogs in Chicago, Green Bay, Miami, and Dallas if you don’t believe me. Their OC’s take the same beat down. The only difference of course is that the Steelers tend to win more than those teams.
There are three reasons that plays fail in the NFL; the offense does not execute, the defense flat out stops it, or it was a bad call. I will not attempt to assign arbitrary percentages to this but I’m guessing choice number three is the least frequent reason; and the number one choice of most fans. It’s just so easy to look at any play that fails and say a different call would have worked better.
Keep this in mind. If it were so easy to move the ball in the NFL, they would not give you three plays to go just ten yards. It’s the NFL, not the Arena league.
Here is a question that Bob Smizik often poses in his blog. Why is it that when Dick Lebeau’s Steeler defense smoothers an offense, fans call it great defense, but whenever the Steeler offense scores less than 24 points its because Arians is an idiot?
I don’t agree with every call Arians’ makes. In fact, I disagree with a lot of them. That being said, I try to look at it logically. First, I don’t think I would agree with every call that any offensive coordinator would make. And second, much as I would like to believe otherwise, I doubt I would do any better.
Keep in mind that the Steelers biggest problem offensively is not Arians, it’s a mediocre offensive line. That’s been the problem for the last three years. Football games are won in the trenches and the Steelers are just not good enough in that area. The problem is that it’s hard for fans to see that. Anyone can tell that Arizona’s offense went in the tank after Kurt Warner started his dancing career. Offensive line play is far more subtle, and just as critical.
But I digress.
The age old question in football is what is more important, play calling or execution. Both are important. That being said if you accept the notion that the Steelers’ play calling is at least competent by NFL standards, and I believe it is, then you have to take a look at the players on the field. That’s ultimately what determines the success or failure of an offense no matter how much the arm chair QB nation thinks otherwise.
Let’s take a look at Sunday night’s loss to New Orleans. The Steelers lost and scored less than 24 points so Arian’s is being annihilated by a large contingent of the fan base. Here’s my take on the situation.
1) Failure to score on first and down from the 1 yard line
This is abysmal. The idea that an NFL team can not move the football ½ yard in three plays is unacceptable. In case you have not noticed, this has been going on for three years. I remain amazed that the Steelers won the Super Bowl a few years back in spite of being completely inept in short yardage offense. Say goodbye to four points right there.
This problem is directly attributable to the offensive line. Keep in mind that five plus running backs have struggled in short yardage behind this line. Last year Arians tried to compensate by throwing more in these situations. He got blasted for it by fans, media, and Art Rooney Jr. This year they’ve gone back to trying to run. And again he’s being blasted.
I personally would like to see the Steelers consider a play action pass or QB sneak on at least one play. That being said, there is no guarantee those plays would have succeeded. What is guaranteed is that whatever way the Steelers offense failed in that situation, Arians would get most of the blame. Keep in mind that the Saints also failed in goal line and they did pass on several plays.
2) Jeff Reed Misses a FG
In other news, Tuesday was a bad day for democrats, Jordan Staal is having a rough year and Cookie Monster likes..oh you get it.
Look, I don’t expect Reed to make every kick and 51 yards is a long attempt. In a vacuum, I could handle one miss. The problem is that Reed has been missing from all over the place this year. And this was in a dome.
Mike Tomlin has been criticized a lot this year for trying long kicks with Reed right before half time. The argument is that if (or when) he misses those kicks it puts the defense in a bad position. That’s a loser’s lament. Reed is supposed to be one of the best kickers in football. Not withstanding his warped perspective on his measly $2 Million contract, Reed is paid to make those kicks. It’s not Tomlin’s fault he continues to fail. My guess is that Tomlin is at the end of his rope with Reed which means he may very well start bailing on him beyond 45 yards.
3) Emmanuel Sanders Converts to Defensive Back
I realize the Steelers defensive backs have been shaky the last two years. Maybe Sanders figures he has a better shot to play there than at WR. I’m not sure William Gay has made a defensive play all year as good as the one Sanders made on Heinz Ward on 4th and 4.
Tomlin is taking a lot of abuse for going for it in that situation. Not from me. It’s good aggressive coaching. It’s a coach who believes in his defense and his quarterback and is taking a calculated risk. If you want a coach who never takes chances or always goes by the book, I assure you Dave Wannstedt will be available in a few years.
Is Tomlin at fault for the decision? Is Arians at fault for the call? Or is Sanders at fault for stepping in front of a well thrown ball that Ward probably would have taken for a touchdown? I say the latter and there goes another 3 to 7 points.
4) Heath Miller fumbles
I’m not bagging on Miller who is one of the Steelers most reliable players. That being said, ball security is paramount when you are driving late in the game. I said the same thing about Ben’s fumble in Miami, you just can’t let that happen there. I’m guessing Heath agrees with me since he James Harrisoned himself in the cranium after the play. Notwithstanding all my Reed criticism above, that’s at least 3 and maybe 7 points lost, at a very key time in the game.
If the Steelers execute those four situations above, they likely pick up somewhere between 13 and 21 points...and win the game. All of those plays were there to be made, as were many others the offense failed to execute.
I’m not blindly absolving the Arians and the coaches; they play their part in any loss. Successful teams win because of a combination of three factors; 1) The organization brings in the right personnel 2) The coaches put players in a position to succeed and 3) The players execute properly. Bad teams usually lose for the same three reasons. And while I admit that any one phase if bad enough can destroy the other two, I just don’t see it on a team that’s gone 39 and 20 and won a Super Bowl with this coaching staff.
If you really hate Arian’s, ask yourself who would be better. Bear fans hailed Mike Martz as a genius when he arrived. Instead his offense has proved a poor fit for a team with a bad offensive line and a head case QB. No matter how much Steeler fans don’t want to believe it, Arians’ offense works to the talent of the players we have. Alan Faneca is gone and Jerome Bettis retired.
To repeat, I neither love nor hate Arians. In the long run, I don’t care if he stays or goes. All I know is this, I would not want to be his replacement.
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