Upon further review…
· Pittsburgh’s offensive line isn’t so strong. Oh, you already knew that? Well, now, so does Ben Roethlisberger. In a ridiculous stretch in the second quarter, Roethlisberger was sacked on four of six snaps. The Steelers then had a false start and Roethlisberger threw an interception on the very next play. Talk about offensive incompetence and defensive domination.
· Maybe Stewart Bradley and Omar Gaither should blitz more often. They lined up in the A-gap (between the center and the guard) on pretty much every play and rushed the passer. It worked. Most of the Eagles’ pressure was coming from the middle, forcing Roethlisberger to step up right into the arms of Juqua Parker. Gaither also finished with 1½ sacks, more than he had in his first two seasons combined.
· Why do the Eagles even bother having a fullback? They have now played the better parts of the last two games without one and nobody has even noticed. Tony Hunt was on the field for a whopping four plays before he suffered a concussion, the second straight game he left with an injury.
· Who is ready for the Kevin Kolb era? Nothing against Kolb, who looks like he’s going to be pretty good, but with an inexperienced quarterback comes growing pains. Teams just don’t win with young quarterbacks. Good luck, Green Bay!
· Who is coaching the Steelers? Andy Reid’s brother? Pittsburgh went for it on 4th-and-forever instead of kicking the field goal in the final moments and then going for the onside kick. No matter how you cut it, the Steelers needed two scores. They were very unlikely to get them, but even more unlikely to get a first-down or score a touchdown on that desperation play. Really, it was just an utterly ridiculous coaching move and late-game management.
· Don’t look at the replay of Tony Hunt getting knocked unconscious too closely. No, it’s not because the hit was gruesome or the injury grotesque, it’s just that Hunt had some plumber’s crack. (Google search that if you don’t know what it means.) Believe us, it’s not a pretty sight.
· Reggie Brown looked horrible. He looked unhealthy, unable to get any separation and unable to run fast. That’s not going to work. Either he’s healthy or he’s not. There is no use in putting him in there for five plays and having him make L.J. Smith look smooth and fast. Nobody should make L.J. look smooth or fast. Ever. Especially a wide receiver.
· It’s good to see a punter get some credit. Sav Rocca deserves it for his effort on Sunday afternoon. The punter is usually nothing more than the kicker’s wingman. And we know the wingman never gets noticed, especially when he his secondary job (holding) is like occupying the fat girl while the kicker gets the glory. Good for the wingman!
