WEEI.com Column & Blog Entries
Patriots Report Card: At Least the Running Backs Were Good by Michael Felger
Published on Tue, 2 Dec 2008 15:55:00 EST
Here's something that’s been lost in the wash of the Patriots' brutal second half Sunday night at Gillette Stadium. The Steelers did not come ready to play this game.
They fumbled the opening kickoff. They (Ben Roethlisberger) threw an interception right into the hands of Mike Vrabel on the third snap. They allowed the Pats an easy touchdown three plays later. They dropped passes. They were slow off the line (see Ike Taylor chucking and releasing Randy Moss on their second possession). They coached tentatively (see Mike Tomlin's call for a 20-yard field goal on fourth-and-short in the first quarter). They were soft defensively, allowing the Pats to reach or go beyond the 50-yard line on four of their six first-half possessions.
It was cold, wet and miserable -- and the Pittsburgh busses were warm and heated under the stands. The conditions were ripe for not just a Patriots win. They were ideal for a Patriots blowout.
Instead, they let the one of the league's most notorious street-yard bullies get in few a shots and stay in the fight. And once Pittsburgh got on top of them, it was all over -- as it usually is when it comes to that team.
If the Pats were a serious contender they would have seized the day, just like they would have against the Jets three weeks ago and, to a lesser extent, against the Colts last month. Instead, the Pats fell to yet another likely playoff team. And if you can't beat those teams in November and December, it's hard to have any confidence in your ability to beat them come January -- providing you even get there.
Send emails to mfelger@weei.com and we'll chat in the mailbag on Thursday.
QUARTERBACK -- D
We've all seen how Cassel can play when he gets going (just look at the Jets and Miami games), so it's reasonable to wonder what the second half would have looked like had Randy Moss come up with those two balls. The second drop was the one that cost the Pats points, but the first was every bit as debilitating, as Cassel made a great play to buy time in the pocket and find Moss over the deep middle. Had Moss made the easy catch, the Pats would have had the ball at the Steelers' 30-yard-line, with a first down and a 7-3 lead. Instead, the ball hit the ground and the game remained close. We all saw what happened thereafter.
On the next possession, Cassel threw a screen pass into the ground on first down, let the clock expire for a delay of game on second down and then overthrew Moss by about seven yards on a deep out on third-and-seven. Overall, Cassel was as inaccurate as he's been all season, and while some of that was certainly weather-related (counterpart Ben Roethlisberger completed just 51 percent of his passes, compared to 49 percent for Cassel), some of it wasn't. Cassel showed some old skittishness in the pocket on many plays and a lack of field vision on others. The final series of the second half was a good microcosm, as Cassel threw wildly behind Moss on an in-cut on first down, had a touchdown dropped on second down and then had what should have been a sure interception dropped on third down.
Speaking of interceptions, Cassel’s first pick was a bad decision going to a covered Ben Watson deep down the seam. His second was simply an atrocious ball into the arms of linebacker Lawrence Timmons in garbage time. The Steelers had just those two picks, but had their defensive backs hung on to some easy opportunities, they could have had five.
RUNNING BACKS -- A-
Kevin Faulk really has turned into Troy Brown, the one guy you can count on to produce no matter how badly things are going elsewhere. He basically WAS the Patriots offense, leading the rushing attack with 73 yards on six carries (for a 12.2-yard average) and the passing game with a team-high seven catches for a team-best 48 yards. He made people miss all night, most notably on a 41-yard gain at the end of the second quarter when he made a fabulous back-side cut at the line and then left Ryan Clark's jock lying in the middle of the field. Too bad he wasn't called on to take that third quarter kickoff Ellis Hobbs had to sit out. Sammy Morris also continued to show a good burst through the hole, especially on an eight-yard bolt up the middle on the Pats' third drive. He also went up high to pick up a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter and gained 14 yards in the final minute before halftime. These guys were the Pats' lone bright spot.
RECEIVERS -- D
You mean it's not all about the coverage when it comes to Moss? You mean he's just not catching the ball as consistently as he did a year ago? Really? That never would have occurred to me. I thought if he was single-covered it was story-over. Guess not.
In all seriousness, Moss worked hard to get open in the first half, taking a chuck from Taylor on the second series but still headed downfield to haul in a 27-yard ball from Cassel. And on the third series, he adjusted his route to break open over the middle on a play that ended on his bad drop. He was also working on all three of those fateful red zone chances but couldn't hang on to the ball when he had the opportunity. The second half was a different story, as he turtled along with the rest of the offense, gaining a grand total of one yard on two catches, including a sad loss of three yards on a fourth-quarter bubble screen. Wes Welker was a little better, but not by much. He had four catches at the time he was sent to la-la land by Clark's dirty hit in the third quarter, so he could have finished with his obligatory six grabs had he finished the game. But his impact was still limited by the aggressive Steelers' defense and Cassel's inability to get rid of the ball quickly. And after he went out, it became painfully obvious how thin the Pats are at the receiver position, as the Steelers focused a bit more on Moss and Cassel had nowhere to go.
Jabar Gaffney did get open at least once, but he suffered yet another brutal drop that could have gotten the Pats back in the game. Finally, Ben Watson again wowed us -- but not with his ability as a receiver. Instead, as he did famously in the 2005 divisional playoffs against Champ Bailey in Denver, Watson chased down a defensive player, Timmons, on a long interception return from clear across the field. He also did a good job blocking in the running game, notably blocking down on Morris' 14-yard gain in the second quarter. It's too bad his play in the passing game isn't nearly as impressive.
OFFENSIVE LINE -- D-
The run blocking was actually decent, with Faulk and Morris combining for 118 yards and a 7.4-yards-per-carry average, so that's what prevents the failing grade here. The pass protection was dreck. The coaches didn't see fit to give Matt Light help against Harrison in the third quarter, and Harrison made them pay for it with a pair of strip sacks. Those were two of the biggest plays of the game but hardly the only times “blitzberg” had their way with the Pats offense. The Steelers' first sack was credited to James Farrior and Aaron Smith, but it was caused by Harrison, who beat Logan Mankins around the outside to force Cassel up in the pocket. Mankins and Light then allowed Polamalu a clean lane on a second-quarter blitz, as the safety throttled Cassel just as he was releasing the ball for an incomplete.
Meanwhile, you’ve got to feel bad for Dan Koppen. He was just minding his own business on the opening drive of the third quarter when Casey Hampton was called for defensive holding, which incensed the former Pro Bowl nose tackle. Two plays later, Hampton demolished Koppen on the way to Cassel for a sack, his only one of the year so far and his first full sack since 2003.
DEFENSIVE LINE -- C-
Did you all hear Richard Seymour on Dale and Holley Monday? Seems there is some unhappiness in Happyland. Big Richard did not take well to being left out of the Pats' third-down packages to start the game, a topic he didn't even wait to be asked about in the interview before offering his commentary. The conversation didn't delve too deeply into motivation, so we don't know everything behind the story. Let's just say this: If Seymour, who is coming up on a contract year in 2009, was a bit paranoid over how he was being used and whether his stat line was being controlled by the coaches, he wouldn't be the first player to feel that way out in Foxboro. Seymour leads the team in sacks (7.5) and quarterback hits (16), so you'd figure the Pats would want him on the field in every single passing situation. Then again, Seymour has had durability problems since signing his big extension in 2005 and has been on the injury report recently with a knee problem, so the Pats certainly have a track record to point to if they want to protect their oft-injured defensive end. Stay tuned.
As for Sunday, Seymour was once again active, with a half-sack (which came after Ellis Hobbs set Roethlisberger up on a tee on a corner blitz) and three hits on the quarterback. Vince Wilfork did the job at times, too. But the Pats again missed Ty Warren in this one, as his replacement, Mike Wright, was run on badly. One occasion came on the Steelers' second snap of the game, when he couldn't get off the block of Willie Colon and Willie Parker went for 13 yards. Another came on the Steelers' first play of the third quarter, when Mewelde Moore took advantage of Wright's soft point of attack and gained 20 yards off tackle. Jarvis Green also had problems against the run, as he is wont to do. Overall, the Steelers gained 161 rushing yards as a team (4.7-yard average) and Roethlisberger was sacked just once. Not very good.
LINEBACKERS – C
If rookie Jerod Mayo was still in college this is just about the point where his season would be ending, so if his play starts to taper off no one should be surprised. Maybe it started in this game, as he got beat around the edge more than once in the running game. The soft middle of the Pats zone defense also falls partly to him, and once again there were plays to be made there. Still, the rookie registered six tackles (all solo) to go along with a hit on the quarterback and a tackle for a loss.
Fellow rookie Gary Guyton saw his playing time increase in the middle and his production (seven tackles, four solo, one for a loss) reflected it. Mike Vrabel continued to come on a bit, accepting Roethlisberger’s gift interception early in the first quarter and later batting down another pass attempt at the line. A banged-up Tedy Bruschi had his playing time decrease yet still wound up leading the team with 10 tackles (seven solo). He also came free on an inside blitz that forced an incomplete on third-and-three in the first quarter.
SECONDARY – D
If you saw Deltha O’Neal try and chuck Santonio Holmes at the line of scrimmage on a first-quarter corner route (which should have gone for a big gain but was dropped by Holmes at the five-yard line), then you realize why the coaches are reluctant to use him in press coverage. The attempt was, in a word, pathetic. That’s not a bad word to use for O’Neal’s play in general, as he gave up both of the Steelers’ touchdown passes and could have given up a few more scores had Pittsburgh hung on to the ball. His consistently gave up too much room to receivers in nearly all situations. The only time he closed and made a play on a ball was when he got back on Nate Washington in the second quarter and deflected it for an incomplete. Otherwise, O’Neal was brutal.
As for Ellis Hobbs, he may have been too ill to take that third quarter kickoff return, but it was heartening to see that he wasn’t too sick to point demonstrably at his crotch after making a few plays in the first half (a half-sack of Roethlisberger that would have been a no sack had Seymour not come along; and a pass deflection of a ball that was landing incomplete anyway). Good see Hobbs feeling at least partly like himself.
You don’t want to rip James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather too badly, because both guys are trying to play physically – and more often than not they are succeeding. Sanders blew up Moore after a long run in the second and Meriweather popped the pads on Moore for a loss of three yards in the third quarter. But Sanders seems to be a virtual non-factor in the passing game and Meriweather isn’t consistent enough in that regard either. The Pats stink defending the red zone (the Steelers scored touchdowns in 3-of-6 trips), and it’s hard to see how Sanders and Meriweather have been part of the solution and not the problem.
Finally, Lewis Sanders saw extended time as a nickel back and was Lewis Sanders, making no discernable difference in the passing game and getting run over by Moore on a 10-yard run in the second quarter.
SPECIAL TEAMS – F
That’s `F’ as in f-ing awful. It’s hard to miss an easier field goal attempt than the one Stephen Gostkowski pushed wide right at the end of the second quarter (27 yards). It’s hard to make a worse play on easy kickoff than the one that Matthew Slater made in the third quarter. Those were two huge plays in this game. Beyond that, though, the coverage units still stunk, as the Steelers got a 29-yard punt return from Holmes to set up a field goal and a 31-yard kickoff return to set up a touchdown. The best the Pats coverage unit could muster came on the opening kickoff, when Mike Richardson and Vince Redd separated the ball from returner Carey Davis. But that success was short-lived, as the Pats failed to come up with the loose ball. It was downhill from there.
COACHING – C-
It got lost in the final score and the second-half Pittsburgh deluge, but the Pats defensive coaches tried to play more aggressively in this one. It felt like they sent more pressure from their linebackers and defensive backs than they have in any game recently, and they actually got some positive results from it. They got a third-down stop on the Steelers’ second possession when they sent both Lewis Sanders and Meriweather around the edge to force Roethlisberger in to a bad throw. And the lone time the Pats got to Roethlisberger for a sack it was because of a corner blitz from Hobbs. Mayo and Bruschi also came on inside blitzes and created pressure. I know it sounds silly to say after a game in which you get just one sack, but it was actually a step in the right direction as far as applying pressure went.
On the other side of the ball, Josh McDaniels and his crew couldn’t figure out how to keep the pressure off of Cassel or the offense on the field. Again, the Moss drops really hurt momentum and confidence. If Moss hangs on to those two balls, the Pats would have had at least 10 more points at intermission and maybe 14 more, and you have to figure the second half would have been a different story.
THREE UP
Kevin Faulk -- Only reliable guy on the field.
Mike Vrabel -- Starting to make plays again.
Steelers Fans – Waving towels in the driving rain until every player was off the field.
THREE DOWN
Deltha O'Neal – Fast approaching Duane Starks-, Monty Beisel-, Donald Hayes-territory as the worst veteran acquisition of the Bill Belichick era.
Matt Light -- A hair-raising performance.
Randy Moss -- Can you remember one bad drop from Moss in 2007? Just one? So far in 2008 he’s had a handful of killers.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH
-- Why does referee Ed Hochuli insist on announcing over the field mike when there’s a missed field goal and that the ball will be spotted at the point of the kick, not the line of scrimmage? We get it, Ed. But aside from that minor annoyance, Hochuli and his crew weren’t the unmitigated disaster they usually are. The holding call that so enraged Hampton was actually a good one, and they also did the right thing with the Clark hit. Now the league should follow suit with a heavy fine of the Steelers’ safety.
-- I wish I gave a damn about the business of the NFL and the owners’ desire to grow revenue streams, but I don’t. I care about the teams on the field and wins and losses. And when it comes to that, it’s hard to look at the Patriots’ scheduled trip to London next year to face the Buccaneers, announced yesterday, as anything thing other than bad for the team. The only positive thing you can say is that at least it isn’t China.
Michael Felger can be seen nightly on Comcast Sportsnet. Contact him at mfelger@weei.com.
They fumbled the opening kickoff. They (Ben Roethlisberger) threw an interception right into the hands of Mike Vrabel on the third snap. They allowed the Pats an easy touchdown three plays later. They dropped passes. They were slow off the line (see Ike Taylor chucking and releasing Randy Moss on their second possession). They coached tentatively (see Mike Tomlin's call for a 20-yard field goal on fourth-and-short in the first quarter). They were soft defensively, allowing the Pats to reach or go beyond the 50-yard line on four of their six first-half possessions.
It was cold, wet and miserable -- and the Pittsburgh busses were warm and heated under the stands. The conditions were ripe for not just a Patriots win. They were ideal for a Patriots blowout.
Instead, they let the one of the league's most notorious street-yard bullies get in few a shots and stay in the fight. And once Pittsburgh got on top of them, it was all over -- as it usually is when it comes to that team.
If the Pats were a serious contender they would have seized the day, just like they would have against the Jets three weeks ago and, to a lesser extent, against the Colts last month. Instead, the Pats fell to yet another likely playoff team. And if you can't beat those teams in November and December, it's hard to have any confidence in your ability to beat them come January -- providing you even get there.
Send emails to mfelger@weei.com and we'll chat in the mailbag on Thursday.
QUARTERBACK -- D
We've all seen how Cassel can play when he gets going (just look at the Jets and Miami games), so it's reasonable to wonder what the second half would have looked like had Randy Moss come up with those two balls. The second drop was the one that cost the Pats points, but the first was every bit as debilitating, as Cassel made a great play to buy time in the pocket and find Moss over the deep middle. Had Moss made the easy catch, the Pats would have had the ball at the Steelers' 30-yard-line, with a first down and a 7-3 lead. Instead, the ball hit the ground and the game remained close. We all saw what happened thereafter.
On the next possession, Cassel threw a screen pass into the ground on first down, let the clock expire for a delay of game on second down and then overthrew Moss by about seven yards on a deep out on third-and-seven. Overall, Cassel was as inaccurate as he's been all season, and while some of that was certainly weather-related (counterpart Ben Roethlisberger completed just 51 percent of his passes, compared to 49 percent for Cassel), some of it wasn't. Cassel showed some old skittishness in the pocket on many plays and a lack of field vision on others. The final series of the second half was a good microcosm, as Cassel threw wildly behind Moss on an in-cut on first down, had a touchdown dropped on second down and then had what should have been a sure interception dropped on third down.
Speaking of interceptions, Cassel’s first pick was a bad decision going to a covered Ben Watson deep down the seam. His second was simply an atrocious ball into the arms of linebacker Lawrence Timmons in garbage time. The Steelers had just those two picks, but had their defensive backs hung on to some easy opportunities, they could have had five.
RUNNING BACKS -- A-
Kevin Faulk really has turned into Troy Brown, the one guy you can count on to produce no matter how badly things are going elsewhere. He basically WAS the Patriots offense, leading the rushing attack with 73 yards on six carries (for a 12.2-yard average) and the passing game with a team-high seven catches for a team-best 48 yards. He made people miss all night, most notably on a 41-yard gain at the end of the second quarter when he made a fabulous back-side cut at the line and then left Ryan Clark's jock lying in the middle of the field. Too bad he wasn't called on to take that third quarter kickoff Ellis Hobbs had to sit out. Sammy Morris also continued to show a good burst through the hole, especially on an eight-yard bolt up the middle on the Pats' third drive. He also went up high to pick up a fourth-and-1 in the second quarter and gained 14 yards in the final minute before halftime. These guys were the Pats' lone bright spot.
RECEIVERS -- D
You mean it's not all about the coverage when it comes to Moss? You mean he's just not catching the ball as consistently as he did a year ago? Really? That never would have occurred to me. I thought if he was single-covered it was story-over. Guess not.
In all seriousness, Moss worked hard to get open in the first half, taking a chuck from Taylor on the second series but still headed downfield to haul in a 27-yard ball from Cassel. And on the third series, he adjusted his route to break open over the middle on a play that ended on his bad drop. He was also working on all three of those fateful red zone chances but couldn't hang on to the ball when he had the opportunity. The second half was a different story, as he turtled along with the rest of the offense, gaining a grand total of one yard on two catches, including a sad loss of three yards on a fourth-quarter bubble screen. Wes Welker was a little better, but not by much. He had four catches at the time he was sent to la-la land by Clark's dirty hit in the third quarter, so he could have finished with his obligatory six grabs had he finished the game. But his impact was still limited by the aggressive Steelers' defense and Cassel's inability to get rid of the ball quickly. And after he went out, it became painfully obvious how thin the Pats are at the receiver position, as the Steelers focused a bit more on Moss and Cassel had nowhere to go.
Jabar Gaffney did get open at least once, but he suffered yet another brutal drop that could have gotten the Pats back in the game. Finally, Ben Watson again wowed us -- but not with his ability as a receiver. Instead, as he did famously in the 2005 divisional playoffs against Champ Bailey in Denver, Watson chased down a defensive player, Timmons, on a long interception return from clear across the field. He also did a good job blocking in the running game, notably blocking down on Morris' 14-yard gain in the second quarter. It's too bad his play in the passing game isn't nearly as impressive.
OFFENSIVE LINE -- D-
The run blocking was actually decent, with Faulk and Morris combining for 118 yards and a 7.4-yards-per-carry average, so that's what prevents the failing grade here. The pass protection was dreck. The coaches didn't see fit to give Matt Light help against Harrison in the third quarter, and Harrison made them pay for it with a pair of strip sacks. Those were two of the biggest plays of the game but hardly the only times “blitzberg” had their way with the Pats offense. The Steelers' first sack was credited to James Farrior and Aaron Smith, but it was caused by Harrison, who beat Logan Mankins around the outside to force Cassel up in the pocket. Mankins and Light then allowed Polamalu a clean lane on a second-quarter blitz, as the safety throttled Cassel just as he was releasing the ball for an incomplete.
Meanwhile, you’ve got to feel bad for Dan Koppen. He was just minding his own business on the opening drive of the third quarter when Casey Hampton was called for defensive holding, which incensed the former Pro Bowl nose tackle. Two plays later, Hampton demolished Koppen on the way to Cassel for a sack, his only one of the year so far and his first full sack since 2003.
DEFENSIVE LINE -- C-
Did you all hear Richard Seymour on Dale and Holley Monday? Seems there is some unhappiness in Happyland. Big Richard did not take well to being left out of the Pats' third-down packages to start the game, a topic he didn't even wait to be asked about in the interview before offering his commentary. The conversation didn't delve too deeply into motivation, so we don't know everything behind the story. Let's just say this: If Seymour, who is coming up on a contract year in 2009, was a bit paranoid over how he was being used and whether his stat line was being controlled by the coaches, he wouldn't be the first player to feel that way out in Foxboro. Seymour leads the team in sacks (7.5) and quarterback hits (16), so you'd figure the Pats would want him on the field in every single passing situation. Then again, Seymour has had durability problems since signing his big extension in 2005 and has been on the injury report recently with a knee problem, so the Pats certainly have a track record to point to if they want to protect their oft-injured defensive end. Stay tuned.
As for Sunday, Seymour was once again active, with a half-sack (which came after Ellis Hobbs set Roethlisberger up on a tee on a corner blitz) and three hits on the quarterback. Vince Wilfork did the job at times, too. But the Pats again missed Ty Warren in this one, as his replacement, Mike Wright, was run on badly. One occasion came on the Steelers' second snap of the game, when he couldn't get off the block of Willie Colon and Willie Parker went for 13 yards. Another came on the Steelers' first play of the third quarter, when Mewelde Moore took advantage of Wright's soft point of attack and gained 20 yards off tackle. Jarvis Green also had problems against the run, as he is wont to do. Overall, the Steelers gained 161 rushing yards as a team (4.7-yard average) and Roethlisberger was sacked just once. Not very good.
LINEBACKERS – C
If rookie Jerod Mayo was still in college this is just about the point where his season would be ending, so if his play starts to taper off no one should be surprised. Maybe it started in this game, as he got beat around the edge more than once in the running game. The soft middle of the Pats zone defense also falls partly to him, and once again there were plays to be made there. Still, the rookie registered six tackles (all solo) to go along with a hit on the quarterback and a tackle for a loss.
Fellow rookie Gary Guyton saw his playing time increase in the middle and his production (seven tackles, four solo, one for a loss) reflected it. Mike Vrabel continued to come on a bit, accepting Roethlisberger’s gift interception early in the first quarter and later batting down another pass attempt at the line. A banged-up Tedy Bruschi had his playing time decrease yet still wound up leading the team with 10 tackles (seven solo). He also came free on an inside blitz that forced an incomplete on third-and-three in the first quarter.
SECONDARY – D
If you saw Deltha O’Neal try and chuck Santonio Holmes at the line of scrimmage on a first-quarter corner route (which should have gone for a big gain but was dropped by Holmes at the five-yard line), then you realize why the coaches are reluctant to use him in press coverage. The attempt was, in a word, pathetic. That’s not a bad word to use for O’Neal’s play in general, as he gave up both of the Steelers’ touchdown passes and could have given up a few more scores had Pittsburgh hung on to the ball. His consistently gave up too much room to receivers in nearly all situations. The only time he closed and made a play on a ball was when he got back on Nate Washington in the second quarter and deflected it for an incomplete. Otherwise, O’Neal was brutal.
As for Ellis Hobbs, he may have been too ill to take that third quarter kickoff return, but it was heartening to see that he wasn’t too sick to point demonstrably at his crotch after making a few plays in the first half (a half-sack of Roethlisberger that would have been a no sack had Seymour not come along; and a pass deflection of a ball that was landing incomplete anyway). Good see Hobbs feeling at least partly like himself.
You don’t want to rip James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather too badly, because both guys are trying to play physically – and more often than not they are succeeding. Sanders blew up Moore after a long run in the second and Meriweather popped the pads on Moore for a loss of three yards in the third quarter. But Sanders seems to be a virtual non-factor in the passing game and Meriweather isn’t consistent enough in that regard either. The Pats stink defending the red zone (the Steelers scored touchdowns in 3-of-6 trips), and it’s hard to see how Sanders and Meriweather have been part of the solution and not the problem.
Finally, Lewis Sanders saw extended time as a nickel back and was Lewis Sanders, making no discernable difference in the passing game and getting run over by Moore on a 10-yard run in the second quarter.
SPECIAL TEAMS – F
That’s `F’ as in f-ing awful. It’s hard to miss an easier field goal attempt than the one Stephen Gostkowski pushed wide right at the end of the second quarter (27 yards). It’s hard to make a worse play on easy kickoff than the one that Matthew Slater made in the third quarter. Those were two huge plays in this game. Beyond that, though, the coverage units still stunk, as the Steelers got a 29-yard punt return from Holmes to set up a field goal and a 31-yard kickoff return to set up a touchdown. The best the Pats coverage unit could muster came on the opening kickoff, when Mike Richardson and Vince Redd separated the ball from returner Carey Davis. But that success was short-lived, as the Pats failed to come up with the loose ball. It was downhill from there.
COACHING – C-
It got lost in the final score and the second-half Pittsburgh deluge, but the Pats defensive coaches tried to play more aggressively in this one. It felt like they sent more pressure from their linebackers and defensive backs than they have in any game recently, and they actually got some positive results from it. They got a third-down stop on the Steelers’ second possession when they sent both Lewis Sanders and Meriweather around the edge to force Roethlisberger in to a bad throw. And the lone time the Pats got to Roethlisberger for a sack it was because of a corner blitz from Hobbs. Mayo and Bruschi also came on inside blitzes and created pressure. I know it sounds silly to say after a game in which you get just one sack, but it was actually a step in the right direction as far as applying pressure went.
On the other side of the ball, Josh McDaniels and his crew couldn’t figure out how to keep the pressure off of Cassel or the offense on the field. Again, the Moss drops really hurt momentum and confidence. If Moss hangs on to those two balls, the Pats would have had at least 10 more points at intermission and maybe 14 more, and you have to figure the second half would have been a different story.
THREE UP
Kevin Faulk -- Only reliable guy on the field.
Mike Vrabel -- Starting to make plays again.
Steelers Fans – Waving towels in the driving rain until every player was off the field.
THREE DOWN
Deltha O'Neal – Fast approaching Duane Starks-, Monty Beisel-, Donald Hayes-territory as the worst veteran acquisition of the Bill Belichick era.
Matt Light -- A hair-raising performance.
Randy Moss -- Can you remember one bad drop from Moss in 2007? Just one? So far in 2008 he’s had a handful of killers.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH
-- Why does referee Ed Hochuli insist on announcing over the field mike when there’s a missed field goal and that the ball will be spotted at the point of the kick, not the line of scrimmage? We get it, Ed. But aside from that minor annoyance, Hochuli and his crew weren’t the unmitigated disaster they usually are. The holding call that so enraged Hampton was actually a good one, and they also did the right thing with the Clark hit. Now the league should follow suit with a heavy fine of the Steelers’ safety.
-- I wish I gave a damn about the business of the NFL and the owners’ desire to grow revenue streams, but I don’t. I care about the teams on the field and wins and losses. And when it comes to that, it’s hard to look at the Patriots’ scheduled trip to London next year to face the Buccaneers, announced yesterday, as anything thing other than bad for the team. The only positive thing you can say is that at least it isn’t China.
Michael Felger can be seen nightly on Comcast Sportsnet. Contact him at mfelger@weei.com.
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