Before the season started, I had this game penciled in as a win. The Jets were in shambles, they were starting a rookie at quarterback, Mark Sanchez was a huge distraction, and Rex Ryan looked like he was trying to get fired. As things stand now, I have a feeling that the New York Jets are looking at the Steelers and thinking, "Man, that team has some serious issues."
The defense can't tackle or make any big plays, the offensive line is in disarray, they just traded for a left tackle that the Arizona Cardinals were willing to pay $3 million to get rid of, there's some kind of issue with ping pong that I don't quite understand, the offensive coordinator is a colossal douche, they're 0-4, and Ryan Clark and Ben Roethlisberger have a mini-feud going. All that I honestly feel as though I'm forgetting something.
I had hoped that the bye week would give them a chance to sort a few things out and get a little bit more stable on all fronts, but the opposite seems to have happened. They appear to have gone further off the rails and I'm not sure how much further they're going to get off course. I would say that I don't think it's possible for things to get worse, but I thought that heading into the bye week... and they got worse.
I think that the defense will play better than they've shown the past two games. I think that they'll eventually register a sack and force a turnover. I think they won't give up a kajillion yards rushing and 34 points against New York.
I think that the offensive line will be in better shape with Mike Adams out of there and Kelvin Beacham or Levi Brown in. I think the receivers will continue to improve and mature and that the pass offense has the potential to be pretty explosive by the end of the season.
But, this is still a flawed team that has major talent holes at a number of positions. Demoting Ziggy Hood and Mike Adams sends a message and their replacements will be better, but it's doubtful that they'll be considerably better, or at least good enough that right end and left tackle won't be areas of weakness. Getting Le'Veon Bell and Heath back will help boost the offense and give Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley more options.
The issue is that all of these things are like having a kid to save a bad marriage: The dynamic changes, but the old problems are still there. In order to salvage the season and take big steps forward, they need to fundamentally change how they approach things.
They need to max protect more, take more shots down the field, and run more when they get into the red zone. They need to blitz more, play more man coverage, and take more chances on defense. They had been playing it safe thus far, only going all out -- at least on offense -- when they felt they had no other choice. They assumed that they had the talent and football savvy to win enough games to at least be competitive, but they overestimated the talent on hand by a lot and weren't anywhere near as savvy as they thought.
They're a quarter of the way through the season and doing things the same way they've always done them isn't working. They need to step outside their comfort zone, take some chances, and basically go big or go home. I have no idea if they'll succeed or not if they take that chance, but they haven't won any games playing it safe, so it's worth a shot.
Sure, the Jets have a rookie quarterback, a ton of injuries on offense, and they traded their best defensive player in the offseason. They're also 3-2, they're at home, they know who they are, and they know how to get where they want to go. They may be a mess, but they're not as big a mess as the Steelers right now.
Prediction:
Jets 17, Steelers 16
Showing posts with label ryan clark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ryan clark. Show all posts
Friday, October 11, 2013
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Homecoming for Palko: Steelers at Chiefs Preview
Well, so, the game is in Kansas City, which means it's not really a homecoming. But, Palko is from here and that counts for something, right?
I have a feeling that Tyler Palko will not like facing the team he grew up rooting for. If the Chiefs approach Sunday night's game with the same strategy on offense and defense that kept them competitive in the first half against the Patriots on Monday, the Steelers are going to destroy them. Kansas City "went big" on defense, using their heaviest defensive linemen and they kept everyone in tight, playing mostly man to man. They didn't blitz as much as the announcers let on, but they definitely brought pressure. If they do that against the Steelers, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown will get behind the coverage and Ben Roethlisberger will torch them.
Basically, Marcus Gilbert needs to keep Tamba Hali from killing Roethlisberger and everything will be fine. Kansas City's defense blows assignments, they don't tackle well, and they're not particularly fast. Hali is their only weapon. Double team him and you're good to go. You can run on them, you can throw on them, you can run through them, and you can run by them.
Palko hung in there for a little while against New England, but he's ultimately not talented enough to win a big game against a good team. He's a capable back-up, but the fact that the Chiefs signed Kyle Orton this week tells me that they don't see him as being the quarterback of the future. I don't think ol' neckbeard will have enough practice time in to start on Sunday night, but he should be able to help them for the final five games of the season.
With the depth they have at running back: Jackie Battle, Dexter McCluster, and Thomas Jones, it's not unusual to see them split carries, but Jones usually gets the bulk of them. None of these guys is going to bust the game wide open like Jamaal Charles. Steve Breaston's from here, too, but he's also not a game breaker. The only real weapon they have left on offense is Dwayne Bowe. Put Ike Taylor on him with Ryan Clark helping out over the top and try to shut him out. If the Steelers can do that, they'll stifle the Chiefs on offense.
On Monday night, the Chiefs varied formations, mixed in some wild cat, and had everyone shifting or in motion before the snap. This led to some pre-snap penalties, but it also led to some confusion for the Patriots on defense. They'll throw all the wrinkles and wacky formations they can think of at you, but it's ultimately just a gimmick and requires consistent execution to be sustainable.
Honestly, after watching them play on Monday night, I feel like an idiot for picking the Chiefs to win any games this year in Pick Em. They're a bad, bad team. Barring a special teams touchdown AND a defensive touchdown, I don't see them winning this game, or even keeping it close. The Steelers are too talented, too motivated, and too well rested to lose this game unless something goes catastrophically wrong.
Prediction:
Steelers 31, Chiefs 10
I have a feeling that Tyler Palko will not like facing the team he grew up rooting for. If the Chiefs approach Sunday night's game with the same strategy on offense and defense that kept them competitive in the first half against the Patriots on Monday, the Steelers are going to destroy them. Kansas City "went big" on defense, using their heaviest defensive linemen and they kept everyone in tight, playing mostly man to man. They didn't blitz as much as the announcers let on, but they definitely brought pressure. If they do that against the Steelers, Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown will get behind the coverage and Ben Roethlisberger will torch them.
Basically, Marcus Gilbert needs to keep Tamba Hali from killing Roethlisberger and everything will be fine. Kansas City's defense blows assignments, they don't tackle well, and they're not particularly fast. Hali is their only weapon. Double team him and you're good to go. You can run on them, you can throw on them, you can run through them, and you can run by them.
Palko hung in there for a little while against New England, but he's ultimately not talented enough to win a big game against a good team. He's a capable back-up, but the fact that the Chiefs signed Kyle Orton this week tells me that they don't see him as being the quarterback of the future. I don't think ol' neckbeard will have enough practice time in to start on Sunday night, but he should be able to help them for the final five games of the season.
With the depth they have at running back: Jackie Battle, Dexter McCluster, and Thomas Jones, it's not unusual to see them split carries, but Jones usually gets the bulk of them. None of these guys is going to bust the game wide open like Jamaal Charles. Steve Breaston's from here, too, but he's also not a game breaker. The only real weapon they have left on offense is Dwayne Bowe. Put Ike Taylor on him with Ryan Clark helping out over the top and try to shut him out. If the Steelers can do that, they'll stifle the Chiefs on offense.
On Monday night, the Chiefs varied formations, mixed in some wild cat, and had everyone shifting or in motion before the snap. This led to some pre-snap penalties, but it also led to some confusion for the Patriots on defense. They'll throw all the wrinkles and wacky formations they can think of at you, but it's ultimately just a gimmick and requires consistent execution to be sustainable.
Honestly, after watching them play on Monday night, I feel like an idiot for picking the Chiefs to win any games this year in Pick Em. They're a bad, bad team. Barring a special teams touchdown AND a defensive touchdown, I don't see them winning this game, or even keeping it close. The Steelers are too talented, too motivated, and too well rested to lose this game unless something goes catastrophically wrong.
Prediction:
Steelers 31, Chiefs 10
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