Tree of Life

27 Sep

What

published in category: Uncategorized on Thursday, September 27th, 2012 – 8:56 am

The Robert Morris University football team is looking forward to another Homecoming weekend, when the Colonials take on the Lafayette Leopards under the lights at Joe Walton Stadium. This will be the Colonials second night game ever played at Robert Morris.

Last week, the Colonials had a bye week after another loss against Dayton, Ohio. (14-20). Fortunately, Jeff Sinclair, the Colonials starting quarterback, finally joined the team on the field. He had a decent start and took his team to a close finish but came up short. Sinclair completed 10-of-27 attempts for 176 yards, and threw for two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. Donte Jeter (junior) and Paul Evans (senior) had the two touchdowns for Robert Morris. Jeter also broke his 113 receiving yards record.

The Lafayette Leopards are undefeated this season so far and they haven't started out 3-0 since the 2008 football season. They already pulled wins off against William & Tribe, the Pennsylvania Quakers, and the Bucknell Bisons.

The Colonials need to score when they have opportunities to do so if they want to beat the Leopards. Also, they need to catch passes and secure them. The last couple of games, the Colonials had a tough time doing that.

Last year's Robert Morris University's Homecoming game was very successful on the field and in the stands. The Colonials had the biggest crowd in RMU history. Robert Morris pulled out a win and the fireworks shot off in the celebration of an outstanding homecoming game. Hopefully, this Saturday night will have a similar outcome.

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27 Sep

Thirty Rocked

published in category: Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, September 27th, 2012 – 12:47 am

The Oakland Raiders 34.

What went wrong with the Steelers defense on Sunday at the Coliseum?

The Coaches Tape shot from the sky doesn't lie, of course, so I put a few hours into studying the 56 plays Dick Lebeau's defense was on the field in their loss to Oakland on 9/23/12.

Here were some observations:

-Oakland and QB Carson Palmer really did damage on 1st-downs, especially in the second half, and they were pass-heavy on those downs. Of the 22 1st-down plays the Raiders snapped in the game (not including three snaps inside the Pittsburgh 10-yard line), Palmer threw it 16 times. That includes 12 of the game's final 13 1st-downs that went as pass plays, with Carson going 7 of 11 for 71 yards plus a defensive pass interference penalty. Completions of 5, 18, 9, 6, 7, 9, and 17 carved up the Pittsburgh D, and for the most part facing very little in the way of blitz pressure from the Steelers' base 'Okie' 3-4 D scheme. Palmer mostly had all day to throw on first down and took advantage.

-Perhaps the biggest of these 1st-down gains came in the game's final drive, with Oakland 1st-and-10 at the Pittsburgh 44-yard line and about 40 seconds on the clock in a tie game. Ike Taylor's man, Derek Hagan, was the lone WR left of the formation, and would drag across the field while crossing with the Oakland TE. Lawrence Timmons picked up the tight end, but Taylor seemed slow to react to the cross and Hagan ran for a 17-yard dagger-in-the-heart gain. The rest of the coverage on the play looked terrific, but Palmer easily spotted his wide open target just 5-yards downfield.

-3rd downs against were a mess for the Pittsburgh' defense, too, as the Raiders converted 7 of 8 3rds in the second half. Let's examine the 6 that weren't inside the Steelers' 10-yard line:

3rd-and-9 at the Pittsburgh 31:
Denarius Moore beats Cortez Allen for 12-yards. The Steelers showed 6 men at the line of scrimmage, but blitzed just 4. Carson Palmer started in shotgun, took 3 more steps back, and unloaded. Allen's eyes seemed to leave Moore for a moment of indecision as the zone scheme had him wondering if he should leave his man. That's all that was need for Moore to spring free on the curl, in front of a dropping LB Larry Foote.

3rd-and-9 at the Pittsburgh 33:
Rookie Rod Streeter beats Cortez Allen for 17-yards. Again, Palmer was in the shotgun formation. This time the Steelers blitzed only 4, dropping 7 in coverage with two deep Cover-2 safeties. The outside Steelers CBs had press coverage at the line of scrimmage, but Streeter's out pattern drew just enough separation and Palmer's throw was on the money. Carson also had pressure in his face as LaMarr Woodley pushed the Oakland RT into the QB on the throw. As was the case for just about the whole game, the opposite OLB (in this case Jason Worilds) was no problem for LT Jared Veldheer.

3rd-and-8 at the Pittsburgh 14-yard line:
Oakland TE Marcel Reese beats Worilds on a 10-yard out route with help from what should have been offensive pass interference. The replacement refs missed it, as Reese put his hand in Worilds' chest and pushed off. The Steelers were blitzing 5 on the play, including a CB fire, but as was the case for much of the day they tipped their hand too soon and Carson Palmer knew it was coming from his RT side. This was an easy, clean throw from the shotgun.

3rd-and-2 at the Pittsburgh 23-yard line:
Hagan beats Ike Taylor on a 3-yard out route. Simple, 3 step drop from Palmer against a 7-yard cushion from Ike T.

3rd-and-8 at the Pittsburgh 18-yard line:
Moore almost gets loose for a TD on another quick release on 3rd-down, this a WR screen, but Lawrence Timmons makes a fantastic play to get him by the ankle. Oakland settled for a 32-yard field goal.

3rd-and-10 at the Oakland 25-yard line:
Raiders TE Brandon Myers beats Timmons on a 15-yard pass up the seam. Great throw. Timmons had pretty good coverage, but not good enough. The TE here was lined up split wide in a 4-WR set. Again, a 5-man blitz but no pressure at all from it, including negative pressure from Worilds as he looked like he wasn't even trying.

In summary, it seemed like there was a different Steelers defender to blame on every play.

It also was an excellent performance from Carson Palmer, who not only made impressive sideline and stick throws (a few facing pressure) but also manipulated the Pittsburgh D to show their cards too early on several occasions. Using no-huddle was a big part of it. I'm convinced now Palmer's knowledge of Lebeau played a major role in this Oakland win.

It's also pretty clear that Oakland knew they could pass on early downs while facing less exotic blitz pressure, and on third downs they made an emphasis on getting rid of the ball quickly. It'll be interesting to see if this trend continues from opposing teams as the weeks go on.

On the positive side, I though Timmons, Larry Foote, and Ryan Clark did some good things in the run game and really played hard. Woodley had one sack and a few pressures, but continued to drop into coverage quick a bit, as well, as he is always playing on the strong side against tight ends. This team missed James Harrison very badly, more-so than even Troy Polamalu in my opinion.

One thing is for sure, nobody is used to seeing 30+ points put up by opposing teams facing Pittsburgh. During the 5+ years of the Mike Tomlin era, the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense has rarely allowed an opponent to score 30 or more points.

Through Tomlin's first five seasons, it had happened just seven times:
-Twice in 2007, to New England in the regular season and to Jacksonville in the playoffs
-Once to Tennessee late in 2008
-Surprisingly, just once in 2009 and in a victory at that: a wacky 37-36 last second win at Heinz Field over Green Bay. Even in the infamous five-game losing streak that preceded the Packers game no opponent racked up a 30-Burger.
-Twice in the Super Bowl runner-up season of 2010, with 39 allowed to New England and 31 to Green Bay in SB45
-And just once in 2011, the bloody 35-7 season opener in Baltimore

Already here in 2012, the 30-point threshold has been crossed twice.

Admittedly, a Ben Roethlisberger INT for a TD contributed to the Broncos 31 points scored in the season opener in Denver. Two lost fumbles by the Steelers' offense in Oakland also gave the Raiders O a boost.

However, as the tape clearly shows from this past weekend, Pittsburgh's D has some significant things to figure out over the bye week.

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Posted in Ike Taylor, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

26 Sep

What's Wrong with the Steelers D? by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Wednesday, September 26th, 2012 – 9:47 am

Since returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers as the defensive coordinator in 2004, Dick Lebeau's defenses have dominated the NFL leading to three Super Bowl appearances and two championship rings. The father of the zone blitz, originally implemented in Cincinnati in the late 1980s, has been lauded by many in the NFL as one of the best defensive coaches in league history while simultaneously reaching legendary status with Pittsburghers.

However, despite his reputation of being a great coordinator, Lebeau's squad has been inconsistent the last 20 weeks of meaningful football; at least by Pittsburgh's standards.

A traditional Pittsburgh Steelers defense would never allow a washed up quarterback like Carson Palmer to put up 20 points in the second half, including the game tying and game winning field goals, three minutes apart.

A traditional Steelers defense would never have allowed a struggling running back, who came into the game with 64 yards combined in the first two weeks, to run for 113 yards on 18 carries.

What is the problem with the defense? Well, it stems from a multitude of issues from the top-down.

Is it safe to say the Dick Lebeau era is coming to an end? Not just because he is 75 years old, but also due to the fact that teams might have figured out how to stop his confusing zone blitz scheme. If you go back to the game against Oakland, the Steelers blitzed multiple times on the final drive yet barely touched Palmer. The 17 yard strike to a wide open Derek Hagan (setting the Raiders up for a game-winning field goal) came on a six-man rush that was perfectly picked up by the Raider offense.

The sack numbers tell the same story. The Steelers dropped Palmer once last Sunday bringing the season total up to five in three games. At this point, only six teams have fewer sacks than the Pittsburgh Steelers. Obviously, the season is still young and there is plenty of time to rack up sacks before January; however, this seems to be a trend dating back to last season when the Steelers were ranked 17th.

In the playoffs, the defense failed to register a sack against Tim Tebow who, in turn, torched them for 316 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 completions. Where was the pressure?

Where were the turnovers?

Last season, the Steelers were 17th in sacks and 24th in interceptions. It was the first time since 2007 the Steelers failed to rank in the top ten in either category. For a system that prides itself on confusing the quarterback and attacking the ball, that's not a good stat. With just five sacks and one interception through the first three games, the defense looks to be heading down that road again.

But it's not just the coordinator's fault. The players have to execute the system the way it's intended. Lawrence Timmons has been the biggest disappointment on the team over the last 20 weeks of meaningful football. Timmons signed a huge contract in the summer of 2011 and followed that up with a sub-par performance.

The $50 million linebacker is playing like a second year back up who is still trying to find his way. At times, Timmons has been out of position leading to quick scores by the opposition (see: McFadden touchdown). But even if he was making the typical plays, he would still be viewed as an overpaid player. A middle linebacker with a $50 million contract is paid to take the ball away from the other team and to dominate every time he steps on the field. That isn't happening.

Which brings me to my next point: since Mike Tomlin was hired, the Steelers have yet to draft an impact defensive player other than Lamarr Woodley. Ziggy Hood has been a bust, so far, and linebackers Jason Worilds and Stevenson Sylvestor are nothing more than backups. Chris Carter and Jason Heyward are only in their second season so it's hard to judge, but the overall youth on what has become an old defense is lacking playmakers.

The Steelers are missing James Harrison and Troy Polamalu which is a contributing factor to their struggles. That being said, they are not the same players from four years ago. Harrison is pushing 35 and has had knee and back issues for the last two seasons. He started to show his age late last season when he registered 1 sack in the final four months. Polamalu has had multiple muscle pulls to compliment five concussions and at the age of 31, that has to take a toll.

Before the season started, I predicted the Steelers would struggle on defense due to these very same reasons. Again, this may be an overreaction since there are still 13 games left in the season, but the defense has been turning in these types of performances more frequently in the last year and a half. This may be the season that starts the downswing on what was a borderline dynastic team just a few years ago.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

25 Sep

Dejan Kovacevic Show

published in category: College Sports, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 – 2:44 pm

Dejan talks Steelers issues, then he is joined by special guest Jack Wilson to talk Pirates and MLB. Plus Jerry DiPaola In-Studio to talk Pitt football and Dejan takes e-mails and calls from the listeners.

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Posted in College Sports, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers

 

24 Sep

McCutchen No Longer the MVP and It's Not His Fault by Jon Pennline

published in category: Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, September 24th, 2012 – 8:53 am

Barring a late-season win streak, the Pirates will surely clinch their 20th consecutive losing season. Just like last year, the season will end with an epic collapse to erase what was a competitive four months of baseball.

And yet, there is one major difference between last year's collapse and this year.

Andrew McCutchen is still playing at an All-star level. He hasn't put up the same numbers we saw in May and June but asking a player to hit 7-8 home runs while batting .370 is asking for the almost impossible.

Still, McCutchen has hit .304/.397/.488 since the break with 10 home runs and 33 RBI's. After a slump in August where he hit .252, McCutchen rebounded to hit .288 and six homers with his most recent bomb giving him 30 on the year.

Last year, McCutchen hit .291/.390/.505 in the first half of the season. That was followed by a tremendous second half slump where he hit .216/.330/.392. In an article published by ESPN earlier this season, Andrew McCutchen admitted he tried to do too much in 2011. The more the team struggled, the more he tried to overcompensate their deficiencies.

This season, McCutchen is hitting .336/.406/.564 with 30 home runs, 93 RBI's and 19 stolen bases. He leads the NL in OBP, runs and batting average while registering in the top ten in home runs, RBI's and OPS. At the end of July he was considered the runaway favorite to win the NL MVP Award.

Unfortunately, that is not the case and you know what? It's not entirely his fault.

The MVP award is usually handed to a player on a winning team and two months ago, that's exactly the team Andrew McCutchen was leading. Now, Ryan Braun seems to have taken over as the frontrunner. Braun's 40 home runs and 108 RBI's lead the NL as the Brewers continue to climb the standings for a Wild-Card spot.

With the Pirates heading in the opposite direction, McCutchen's spotlight is fading in the 2012 season. For the most part, he's done enough to win ballgames and he's certainly given the local fans an even bigger reason to be excited. But, he's not a starting pitcher, nor is he a reliever in a high pressure situation. His MVP resume is good enough on numbers, alone. But the Pirates have lacked the wins and as hard as McCutchen may try to will this team to victory, he cannot do it all by himself. He needed guys like James McDonald to stay consistent from start to start instead of folding like a cheap suit once the All-Star festivities ended. He needed the bullpen to stay sharp over the course of the year. He needed the $5 million dollar shortstop to make less than 16 errors.

That didn't happen and now the Pirates are a sinking ship with Andrew McCutchen and a select few stranded on an island of losing.

Maybe next season, the Pirates will finally be able to maintain winning from April-October. Maybe Andrew McCutchen will continue to get better and raise his game to the next stratosphere. Until then, McCutchen's MVP status will have to wait and unfortunately, some of the reasons are out of his control.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates

 

23 Sep

Raiders rally to down Steelers, 34-31

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, September 23rd, 2012 – 8:22 pm

OAKLAND, Calif. – Sebastien Janikowski kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play of game, and the Oakland Raiders, staring at an 0-3 start to the season, rallied from a 10-point deficit to stun the Steelers, 34-31, Sunday at O.co Coliseum.

Three Steelers fumbles proved costly, two of which led to Raiders scores.

The Steelers (1-2) led, 31-21, following Ben Roethlisberger's 11-yard scoring pass to Antonio Brown, who fumbled but recovered the ball himself.

But Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer, controlled most of the day, engineered an 80-yard drive capped by Denarius Moore's 6-yard touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter.

Brown then fumbled again on the Steelers' next drive, but this time the Raiders recovered, and Janikowski tied it with a 32-yarder with 6:34 to play.

The Steelers had to punt despite converting a fourth-and-1 at their own 29 on their final drive, and the Raiders (1-2) drove to within field goal range to pull off their third huge upset of the Steelers since the 2006 season despite Roethlisberger's four TD passes.
Read more Steelers coverage from Alan Robinson at Triblive.com.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

22 Sep

Preventing Home Runs Vital vs. Oakland Raiders by David Daniels

published in category: Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, September 22nd, 2012 – 5:36 pm

Oakland boasts the fastest offense in the NFL.

If each franchise formed a 4×100-meter dash team, the Raiders would smoke everyone. The average 40-time of its starting running backs and wide receivers-Darren McFadden, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Denarius Moore-is 4.33 seconds. That's insane.

But while the Pittsburgh Steelers, who'll face off against the Silver and Black in Week 3, must respect the Raiders' speed, they have no reason to fear their offensive attack as a whole. Through the first two weeks of the season, Oakland averaged 13.5 points per game-the second-worst mark in the league. And considering that the Steelers just held the New York Jets-a team that dropped 48 on the Buffalo Bills-to 13 points, Oakland's offense won't be able to march against them.

That doesn't mean the goose egg is in the bag, though-not even close. The Raiders' unique assortment of elite athletes makes them a threat to score on every single play. In the words of Gale Sayers, all they need is, "18 inches of daylight."

Now, despite the fact that Troy Polomalu and James Harrison haven't suited up yet this season, Lebeau's defense is ranked No. 7 in yards allowed. But Lebeau will be shorthanded with Polomalu and Harrison in street clothes once again at Oakland. And his shorthanded stop unit has struggled to prevent home runs in 2012 thus far.

Pittsburgh is one of only eight teams that have surrendered multiple runs of 40 yards or longer. They've also allowed a pass of 40-plus yards. Against an explosive Raiders offense, the Steelers must stiffen up.

While the Raiders' running game hasn't consistently produced this year, they'll continue to pound the rock. According to the Associated Press, Carson Palmer talked about Oakland's ground woes up to this point in the season. He said:

"You don't let it frustrate you. The saving grace is, you know McFadden is back there. One arm tackle away from breaking off a 40-, 50-yarder. He's got that potential, he's got that ability, he's done it before. We're going to stick with it. We're not frustrated. We're disappointed in ourselves for not executing it better but we're not going to let it frustrate us, we're not going to let it deter it from our goal."

And with Taiwon Jones still banged up and Moore coming off an injury, Pittsburgh will see plenty of D-Mac on Sunday. His 2.1 yards per carry average doesn't intimidate, but if he gets just a few more yards past his average and breaks into the second level, he's gone.

As long as the Steelers prevent that from happening, they'll manhandle Oakland.

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Posted in Pittsburgh Steelers

 

21 Sep

TribLIVE Radio High School Football of the Week

published in category: Uncategorized on Friday, September 21st, 2012 – 3:13 pm

Congratulations to Mars' Josh Shultheis who ran 22 times for 211 yards and 2 touchdowns to lead Mars to a 40-6 win over Indiana in the Greater Allegheny Conference. Mars is 3-0 on the season.

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Posted in Uncategorized

 



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