Just to summarize the first half..Lost all my detailed notes again.. Henning should of been fired at halftime.. Henne, despite having a clown of a coordinator and 0 run game, played once again, very very well. Check this, start of the game, we force the turnover on special teams recover at their 25.. 1st down, off tackle no gain.. 2nd down, for some reason, Henning has 1 player/marshall go out in route..one.., he's double covered, Henne has no outlet, he throws it away. Dierdorf is perplexed by Henning.. 3rd down, Blitz to ronnies side, hot read play, Henne throws it over the defender to ronnie, who forgets that its a hot read, and keeps running...putz..Dierdorf is perplexed at the vet ronnie brown. Field goal.. After we get the ball back on forcing consecutive turnovers, we have it at their 15 this time.check it. 1st down, off tackle ricky, 0 gain. 2nd down..off tackle ricky for 6.. 3rd down..off tackle ricky for 0 gain..,,,field goal.. Did the moron Henning forget how good Henne has played up until this point..That was the most bizzarre display, or should I say gross display of Professional coaching I have seen, since Ricky throwing an option pass after dominating the bills on the ground last year. The kid came back time after time, and drove us down the field despite 0 run game, 2 drives where he went 6 for 8 and 6 of 7, 1 td to bess on a beautiful throw, the other just missing Marshall for 6...The 2 drives were beautiful on his part displaying all the throws.. Let me tell ya this, lets hope our Pouncey, can handle our franchise player better than his brother,cause Solai was throwing that probowl center around like he was a rag doll..no bs. This is how good our defense is...Steelers couldn't do anything, first 4 drives they were suffocated, they had to resort to no huddle, made a few first downs, picked up a field goal.. Addition by subtraction..Jason Allen loses his bowels on the football field to Mike wallace...not the defenses fault, that cat sucks. So This is really how good they are... after beating the sh$3 out of the steelers all first half, Henne drives the ball down the field ending in a beautiful pass to bess for 6, crowd is hyped, we kick off, they get their usual 40 yard return, berger comes out and throws a jump ball for hines where he snatches it out Benny Sapperpusses hands...Addition by subtraction, welcome back Will Allen...anyways, after all the hype they have their ball at our 25 in 2 plays..we settle down, Dansby blows up the middle of the backfield takes on three players and a double reverse..8 yard loss, on 3rd down, MCD takes Pouncy's Jock strap throws it at Berger, and stuffs the strap in Bergers mouth for the sack..One on one with the pro bowl center and he was left hanging, pun intended. Thats how the 1st half ended...This game with a monkey calling the plays and Mewelde Moore running the ball for us, and it would of been over.. Ronnie brown..5 carries 4 yards..ricky 6 carries 20 yards.....nice that they continued their streak of sucking thru game 6 of the season.. Lets see how the 2nd half abortion goes.. OHHH, the vernon carey futility drive..no exaggeration here.. after we picked up 1 first down, here is the sequence.. 1st down.. They stunt, foote comes clean, runs right by vernon who has noone to block, he cant move to his fat *** quick enough to his left so carey doesn't even try, just tosses his hands out there...dierdorf comments on the futility.. 2nd down, Jason Worilds beats Carey on the outside solo, Henne has zero time, throws a checkdown to bess for 6.. 3rd..Jason worilds beats carey cleanly, Henne has no time, checks down to bess for 6..punt...nice job vernon..lose some friggin weight.. Wallace has made 3 very nice special teams tackles in this game. Check this matchup out..Sapp was our nickel in this game covering hines ward...3rd quarter, hines is 6/129....lol...If it wasn't for sapp and Jason allen, trust me when I tell you this, The steelers were being dominated by our defense. Henne in the third quarter played exactly how the offensive playcalling dictated, he drove the field, looked off 1st options, threw the ball accurately, its the end of the 3rd quarter and he has yet to make a mistake.You wanna talk about earning every stinkin yard, nobody but bess has made a play after the catch, 1 play...jesus. ''That davis kid is some football player''...Mike tomlin quote.. Our defense is punking the sh$# out of the world champs.. Henne gets the ball at our 20, drops back nice pocket fires a strike for 18 to Hartline on a deep curl, Then to fasano on an out pattern, beautiful drive all the way down to their 25, great rhythm, were picking up their blitzes and henne is picking them apart.. then it's redzone time, 1st down run for 2, 2nd down, run for 2, 3 rd down, I swear to you, a designed quick out for a 2 yard gain...Henne had the fu%$ing ball completely taken out of his hands, and I cant believe it, Henning totally played for a field goal..That just really happened, this after the guy was just shredding the world champs...I cant believe what I just saw. Of course when you play like that its not good for your defense...once again, sanders returns the following kickoff for about 50 yards.. You know what happens after that... That last drive, the 2 minute warning..ronnie runs up the middle for no gain...then fasano drops the the pass for the first down.....dropped..steelers than sent the house, game over with Henne getting hit from behind.. I can see where the swell of negative energy fall's onto Henne on the last drive...totally undeserved.. That kid played a hella of a game, and if there is anyone out there who says after 6 games of the season, that this 2nd year starting QB should take any blame whatsoever, with that senile bastard calling the plays, and that weak *** running game, I'd like to hear your reasoning, I really would ..no way imo, should anyone be anything but excited as hell from his performance, up until that point, and 6 games worth of data is 6 games worth of data, thats not chump change. We kicked that teams ***..No Bs. Hope from analysis is starting to fill me up with joy for the upcoming season.. Keep underestimating us, I like that kinda party..were beating the sh%4 out of people, but morons are disrupting our game, Ricly, Ronnie, Benny, Jason, Henning, special teams..addition by subtraction, if they shoe fits, wear it.. This rewind sh%4 pisses me off to know end, but, gets me hyped at the same time, were a good football team, that is gonna get better, not worse.. After 6 games, Henne has shown great resiliency, poise, a golden arm, and a skin that is thicker than shark. I cant even conceptualize how the benching comes so quickly...shame on me... I have a feeling it is a big crock of sh$#.
Deej, perhaps now one really "gets" why I have banged the ST drum for months now? That Sanders 50 yd return was fully 2 games into Darren Rizzi's tenure as ST coordinator, we still sucked at ST and in very very real ways, not stat monkey stuff but in allowing the other team to answer back quickly after the offense did good work. And when the Defense did good work, the ST would trot out there and hand Uncle Mo right back to the opponent. Read some good things about the latest CFL import Resetilli as in comparisons to Brandon Adenyabejo.
we need more @ QB, be it from Henne or the competition. I think the offensive line fix is in... if so, no more excuses. as the QB steps up, so will the entire team. the key to the step-up will be competition.
The special teams play is tearing apart this football team, they, henning, allen, and the backs are guilty for the 3 losses at home... When free agency starts Pods I'am goin after some special teams demons, I am no doubt going to spend resources on that unit for 2 reasons, to protect our defense and let the opponent play against a long field against those studs {good luck with that btw}, and to give Henne a shorter field to work with, poor kid had the worst starting field position in the NFL. I know you know that but these variables are so disturbing.
So what if it was 3rd & 2 instead of 3rd & 4? Did the 3rd down run net a 1st down? No, it didn't which is the main point. 3 ineffective runs and out giving Henne zero opportunity to put points on the board against a great team, yet people wonder why he didn't throw many TDs.
Lol..''shutup richard''...in a hotel where once the 24 hour period ran out it disconnected me..I was so pissed off man, lol..two weeks in a row for me...Iam really bad at computers bro. really bad..
Its really true, I didn't want to believe it...the moron completely plays for field goals, ive never seen anything like it..WITH A HOT QB FOR CHRISTS SAKES..AND MOMENTUM ON YOUR SIDE... Have we ever heard of that theory of right after a turnover you should go for the throat?....yeah, him neither..
Well, if they do not bring R+R back you will know why. Recall in TP's excellent thread yesterday he mentioned how good Atlanta's ST has been since Ryan was drafted? I do have an eye on Resetilli Deej, he is no Wake, but Abendayo is a multi pro bowl ST gunner, and he came from the CFL at 6'2 225, Resetilli is 6'1 and change and 215 but much quicker.
I'm serious when I say this: I would be all for trading for some STers. Montell Owens would be a guy in particular I would trade for. If Corey Graham becomes an UFA, I hope we do everything we can to bring him in. Even if it means paying him extra money to be a #5 CB/strictly STer. Bringing in those two guys would instantly improve our STs. But, we all know we aren't going to go after either.
That is a huge difference. Running on 3rd and 2 is completely credible. The main point doesn't make good football sense. Especially since one of the runs was very effective. 8 yards is a great run on 2nd down. Even the drive before had two incomplete passes to end in field goal. This, imo, shows how ridiculous people can be when discussing football. When they call a run on 3rd and 2 not a good play.
Awesome post by the way Deej. Enjoyable and insightful. You had me chuckling a few times again. The same stuff that infuriated you did the same for me when I rewatched the game. I wanted to ring Henning's neck multiple times for that ridiculous crap. You can really see his philosophy about not allowing QBs to make mistakes shine through once we get in FG range and he takes the ball out of our QBs hands. Even when Penny had a tremendous statistical 08 season, he only threw 19 TDs which seems sub par for what his success would've indicated. It's almost like Henning has a hatred of the position---- especially when he gives a majority of the snaps to a ground game that has proven thus far to be grossly ineffective, especially inside the 35. We probably passed over 60% of the time from the 20 to the 35, and then it went to like 75% runs as soon as we hit Carpenter's leg range. You're gonna love the next game..... orrrr maybe not.
The incomplete passes were more on Henning and the run for 0 yards on first down. I understand your point about the gain of 8 yards, but regardless, it was 3 runs in a row against a team that's tough to run on. Bottom line is we all know it was Henning playing for a FG rather than going for the throat like most successful teams will do while the momentum is in their corner. Settling for 2 FGs is deflating.
I do agree that settling for 2 FGs is deflating, however I do not put the blame on Henning. A run on 3rd and 2 isn't "settling for a field goal." next time Miami is on the 5 yard line, Miami goes for 1 run, and then two passes. Still got a field goal.
Hot as in playing a very good game the week before in a victory over the SB champs. To this point, Henne had been more effective than the ground game, so if one aspect (run vs pass) had any "hotness" to them, it was Henne, not the ground game. I see you completely ignored what led to the first 2 incompletions> Henning's conservatism to his pass play calling and Ronnie's mistake. None of that was on Henne.
Wait, so Henne can keep up the hottness over an entire week, however take him out of one play for a wildcat and then everything is destroyed. I do not see a run on first down being conservative. The pass on third down, it is not Henne's mistake that Ronnie Brown doesn't make the right read.
IIRC I believe Hartline couldn't make a play on a fade that a true redzone threat would've come down with. Again, what good is a run for 1 yard when you need 5 for a TD? That's a wasted down. I also don't agree with the previous 3rd down run after 2 of the 3 previous runs went for no gain, while also taking into account our opponent and previous utter lack of success running the ball inside the 35. Great teams would've gone for the Steelers throat; we didn't. 6 plays within scoring reach and Henning took no real shot at the endzone. That's unforgivable.... and again-- how is a QB supposed to develop or appear successful stat-wise if he's not given the opportunity to do so? Honestly, how is Henne supposed to become the QB we all want if he's not afforded these critical opportunities that lead to player growth? Matt Ryan sure as s#it hasn't had the ball taken out of his hands the past 3 years inside the 35. The Falcons have done a great job of giving him the opportunity to improve his game and develop as a QB in this regard.
You say that like the Steelers are easy to pass on. How is 1 yard on a run less of a wasted down than an incomplete pass? Now you are saying the Falcons wouldn't have run the ball on third and 2?
Things are destroyed when you don't allow someone to get into a rhythm. Even Peyton Manning at times takes a few throws to get into a rhythm. It's not just Henne being taken out. It's being taken out and then coming into a 2nd and long or 3rd and long because the WC was unsuccessful. I posted the success rates of 2nd and long. It's less than 20%..... which is massively less than the sucess rate of 1st & 10. you're entitled to that opinion. When we have the momentum and we're running with the intention of "preventing" potential mistakes in the passing game, then IMO it's "conservative". I'll just have to disagree. watching the 2 series live (back to back), IMO it has conservatism stamped all over it. I saw nothing about the play calling that even remotely whimpered "let's go for the throat; let's take it to them". I saw an OC who flopped over on his back into the submissive position and was content with FGs. I saw an OC who's philosophy shouted "3 points are better than no points"..... and it ended up costing us the game IMO.
I remember watching it live and thinking on the second drive, "man dolphin fans are going to lose their ****. They can be so silly." I will never agree that a run on 3rd and 2 is conservative or a run on 1st and 10 is conservative. It doesn't make any logical sense. I can see the run on 2nd and 10 being conservative, yet it did gain 8 yards, which is pretty successful. I still blame the execution on both of those drives. Including the execution of Henne on the pass to hartline.
I rewatched 6 Falcon games. They were night and day more aggressive inside the 35 to the point where they passed up the easy 3 points for the hopes of 7. On numerous occasions they went for it on 4th down inside the 35 and gave Ryan the opportunity to punch it in. And yes, the Falcons would probably run occasionally on 3rd and 2.... and they'd do so with the intention of picking up a first down rather than attempting to make sure your QB doesn't make a mistake that costs you 3 points in the process. Falcons also have more of a reason to run on 3rd & 2 because their ground game is MUCH more effective at picking up a consistent 3-4 yards. We were not; nothing about our run game during the first 5 games (outside of playing an injured Packer D) hinted at an ability to run it on the Steelers of all teams.
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I agree, the runs on 1st & 10 and 3rd & 2 might not normally be treated as "conservative"; however in the context of the situation, IMO they were conservative b/c those 2 times were during situations that could've caused a serious momentum shift. After rewatching the first 5 games in a short period of time, things stood out that I didn't notice while the season was happening live. This culminated in the first 2 drives of the Steelers game. I'm not trying to convince you; I just perceive those 2 drives differently based on how our season had gone thus far. If we had a successful running game during our 1st 5 games, then running the ball 4 of 6 times in Steeler territory would be in proper context IMO; however, I don't believe it was in context, and I believe that Henning knew it wasn't in context but just didn't care because he perfers 3 points rather than his QB potentially turning the ball over. He's stated such in the past, so I'm not sure why his philosophy whould change here.
the prior 5 weeks before he has played very well, those 2 incompletions were not his fault and you know it, I explained at the top what he did, that right there, goes to show everyone, that you are not looking at this objectively.
You can't really say it's an incomplete pass when no pass was even attempted. I'm inclined to believe that 3 pass attempts have a better chance of resulting in a TD than 2 attempts and a run of 1 yard. What did Henning do to get Marshall involved or attempt to mismatch him for a potential TD?
Thanks for all the work to produce your OP here DJ. Much respect for your efforts and even more for your astute observations!
I can't say a run is a waste when it gets a touchdown. I am not inclined to believe that, I have watched enough football to not believe that. Unless the quarterback is Marino or Favre.
hotter than anything else on our offense to that point. So technically speaking, it would be considered as "sticking with our hot hand".
oh man, you dont blame henning for walking away with 2 field goals after punking the world champs on the first 2 drives of the game? on forced generated turnovers?, while the whole fuc$Ing place is going crazy?, 2 turnovers, in THEIR red zone?, and you don't take one shot?, not one aggressive play?, and you think thats ok?..Your losing credibility on this topic the more you talk, if you think that scenario was ok to do that, AT HOME, AGAINST THE CHAMPS, whooooo buddy, I am not sure who you are anymore Mr. Dupree.
We finished 29th in run TDs. Remind me when all these excessive run calls resulted in TDs or gave the impression that a future run call would actually result in one. Any passing attempt inside the 35 had a greater chance of success than our ground game. If you break down Henne's redzone stats, they're much better than us running the ball, and they lead to more points than settling for FGs (even when accounting for INTs). 10 TDs to every 1 INT inside the redzone, and a TD pass something like every 4 attempts. That's virtually identical to Drew Brees.
It was game 5. The season before Miami didn't haven as much problem. Also a 50/50 pass to run ratio is not excessive running
No I think blamming Henning is the easy way out. The type of people who look for scapegoats. Previous season Henning was not a moron, last season, he suddenly becomes a moron. I only lose credibility because I do not agree with your blame everything on Henning mentality.
The dude was playing at a high level for 5 weeks strait for a 2nd year starter..use the position, don't neuter it..The play calling for that scenario was stupid, you have got to be aggressive in that scenario at home..The guy lost his nerve..no question about it... attack the opponent in the red zone, especially if you get 2 gifts neatly wrapped in pretty paper..
The season before it was obvious that Ricky and Ronnie were better runners..... and the season before our Oline was obviously blocking better. 5 games is 5 games. I'm not sure how that's not enough of a time line to lead to a conclusion that the ground game isn't working, especially inside the 35. I'm not sure where you're getting a 50-50 pass run ratio from. It was obvious that Henning reverted to shut down mode inside the 35 and become much more run oriented after using the passing game to drive the field.
We have a different take on "high level." I appreciate you going back, watching the game and giving a report. I do not agree with some of your conclusions.
