SteelersWoman
11-24-2007, 02:25 PM
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?dept_id=468632&PAG=461&newsid=19049008
By Jim Wexell, For the Herald-Standard
11/23/2007
Willie Colon's mom warned him she'd change the locks at her Bronx apartment if he and the Steelers lost to the Jets. But mom never dreamed that her boy would be part of a protection unit that would yield seven sacks on the way to the loss.
"She's still talking to me," said Colon. "She's okay with it now."
So, too, is the coaching staff after films exonerated the offensive line for most of the damage caused by the sacks in Sunday's game.
Four of the sacks have been pinned on the quarterback/wide receivers and a fifth was the fault of a tight end. That left two sacks that were attributed directly to the offensive line.
"It wasn't all us," said guard Alan Faneca, "but at the same time we could've given him more time."
Faneca did agree that the quarterback held the ball too long at times.
"Sometimes that's required," he said. "Sometimes he's making big plays with that. That's part of just playing."
"When you live and die by the creativity, sometimes it bites you," said offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. "You can't take away the creativity, so those will happen sometimes."
It's the trade-off. When Ben Roethlisberger takes big, seven-step drops, he's looking for big plays down the field. On the other hand, Roethlisberger won't elude every rusher. He's on pace to be sacked 48 times this season. The team record is 51 by Cliff Stoudt in 1983. Roethlisberger was sacked 46 times last year.
Can anything be done to shorten Roethlisberger's drops? Perhaps throwing quick slants off three-step drops?
"We got rid of some of that stuff this year," Roethlisberger said. "But I think you'll start to see more of it come back. I think we feel we need to get the ball into the playmakers' hands quick. Our receivers are very good creating once they get the ball, but we need to get them the ball quick and let them make some plays."
No so fast my friend, says Arians.
"I've never been a big fan of three-step (drops)," Arians said. "I think corners read it and jump it. The quick five-step is much better and we've been really successful with it. You can get the ball out of your hand in relatively the same time."
One of the problems late Sunday was the loss of deep threat Santonio Holmes. He was injured with just over 12 minutes remaining and Roethlisberger managed to complete only one pass for six yards the rest of the game. He was sacked three times and fumbled twice down the stretch.
Wasn't anyone open?
"Yeah, but we kept getting sacked," said receiver Hines Ward. "By the time I'd get 10 yards, I'd look back and he was scrambling around and there was pressure in his face. We missed each other a couple times. I asked what happened and he said he had pressure in his face. We had opportunities."
Round and round it goes. Some say the pressure caused the pass-game breakdowns; some say the coverage caused the pressure.
"We just weren't clicking, no matter what it was," said Faneca. "Whether it be passing game or running game, it was us on one play blocking or other guys on other plays. It seemed like there was one guy that made one mistake on everything. There weren't too many plays that we were all doing what we were supposed to be doing."
And that's usually the bottom line in a loss.
By Jim Wexell, For the Herald-Standard
11/23/2007
Willie Colon's mom warned him she'd change the locks at her Bronx apartment if he and the Steelers lost to the Jets. But mom never dreamed that her boy would be part of a protection unit that would yield seven sacks on the way to the loss.
"She's still talking to me," said Colon. "She's okay with it now."
So, too, is the coaching staff after films exonerated the offensive line for most of the damage caused by the sacks in Sunday's game.
Four of the sacks have been pinned on the quarterback/wide receivers and a fifth was the fault of a tight end. That left two sacks that were attributed directly to the offensive line.
"It wasn't all us," said guard Alan Faneca, "but at the same time we could've given him more time."
Faneca did agree that the quarterback held the ball too long at times.
"Sometimes that's required," he said. "Sometimes he's making big plays with that. That's part of just playing."
"When you live and die by the creativity, sometimes it bites you," said offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. "You can't take away the creativity, so those will happen sometimes."
It's the trade-off. When Ben Roethlisberger takes big, seven-step drops, he's looking for big plays down the field. On the other hand, Roethlisberger won't elude every rusher. He's on pace to be sacked 48 times this season. The team record is 51 by Cliff Stoudt in 1983. Roethlisberger was sacked 46 times last year.
Can anything be done to shorten Roethlisberger's drops? Perhaps throwing quick slants off three-step drops?
"We got rid of some of that stuff this year," Roethlisberger said. "But I think you'll start to see more of it come back. I think we feel we need to get the ball into the playmakers' hands quick. Our receivers are very good creating once they get the ball, but we need to get them the ball quick and let them make some plays."
No so fast my friend, says Arians.
"I've never been a big fan of three-step (drops)," Arians said. "I think corners read it and jump it. The quick five-step is much better and we've been really successful with it. You can get the ball out of your hand in relatively the same time."
One of the problems late Sunday was the loss of deep threat Santonio Holmes. He was injured with just over 12 minutes remaining and Roethlisberger managed to complete only one pass for six yards the rest of the game. He was sacked three times and fumbled twice down the stretch.
Wasn't anyone open?
"Yeah, but we kept getting sacked," said receiver Hines Ward. "By the time I'd get 10 yards, I'd look back and he was scrambling around and there was pressure in his face. We missed each other a couple times. I asked what happened and he said he had pressure in his face. We had opportunities."
Round and round it goes. Some say the pressure caused the pass-game breakdowns; some say the coverage caused the pressure.
"We just weren't clicking, no matter what it was," said Faneca. "Whether it be passing game or running game, it was us on one play blocking or other guys on other plays. It seemed like there was one guy that made one mistake on everything. There weren't too many plays that we were all doing what we were supposed to be doing."
And that's usually the bottom line in a loss.