Myron is as much a part of Steelers lore as any player or coach. He provided the soundtrack to the dynasty of the 70's that still resonates in Pittsburgh.
I remember my mom telling me the story of the terrible towel's inception. At the time the Houston Oilers passed out tiny white swaths of cloth, to be waved by the Oiler faithful at home games (the irony of Bud Grant's teams of the 70's waving the white flag is lost on no one, I'm sure.) Cope, in response produced an enormous yellow towel, not one of the hand-towel sized numbers you can find in any convenience store in Pittsburgh, but a parachute-esque beach towel that could apparently also be used for warmth during playoff games at Three Rivers.
I'd say the trend has passed the test of time.
I was lucky enough to listen to most of the last five years of Myron Cope's broadcasting career. Towards the end it was sad, and I imagine this effect was intensified in those who had listened to Cope since the 70's. Even those fans who found his voice less than melodic, respect his work as a journalist and sports writer.
Cope's color commentary during the 2004 season was like listening to Jerry Garcia in the early 90's. He couldn't do the job he did in the past, but there was still an almost mythical quality to his voice that made it acceptable, and enjoyable. In a way it was almost more special at the end because there was a palpable feeling that he was going to hang it up soon, one way or another, and we might as well enjoy it.
I saw the Rolling Stones play at PNC in 2005, Pearl Jam was the opening act, and I left wishing I could have seen the Stones in the 70's when they had the same energy Peal Jam has now. But it is the energy and passion of their early years that will define the Stones, not the last few tours where everything was played at a slower speed, because they were physically unable to kick up the tempo; Keith Richards played very deliberately, but it was still Richards.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Steelers Look Good in Their 1st Preseason Game
The Steelers first preseason game was against the Eagles on August 8th, 2008 at Heinz Field. I have been waiting patiently for this game so that I could see our rookie draft picks in action. I was pleased with the Steelers draft but now I want to see Mendenhall, Sweed, and Dixon in action. The 1st series for our offense and defense would be good tests because the Eagles are good on both sides of the ball.
Big Ben came out and executed a nice looking 80-yard drive that ended with a 19-yard td pass to Santonio Holmes. That first drive had me on the edge of my seat and it felt like it was a regular game! It was great to sell Willie Parker running the ball again. I was not pleased with the defense letting McNabb drive 70 yards for a field goal and later 65 yards for a td. I want to see our defense shutting down teams so our running game can take control of games.
I know it's only the 1st preseason game but man I am jacked up about Rashard Mendenhall. At 5'11 224 pounds, he is a mack truck that will help soften up defenses. The Steelers could be dangerous with the duo of Parker and Mendenall. Limas Sweed also played well and I was impressed with his 1st catch over the middle. With good hands and 6'5, Sweed should be a big impact player on offense. With the unfortunte injury to Charlie Batch, the drafting of Dixon in even more important. Dixon has a good arm and he can run. I'd like to see the Steelers design some offensive plays where Dixon comes in as QB and maybe even wr!
Big Ben came out and executed a nice looking 80-yard drive that ended with a 19-yard td pass to Santonio Holmes. That first drive had me on the edge of my seat and it felt like it was a regular game! It was great to sell Willie Parker running the ball again. I was not pleased with the defense letting McNabb drive 70 yards for a field goal and later 65 yards for a td. I want to see our defense shutting down teams so our running game can take control of games.
I know it's only the 1st preseason game but man I am jacked up about Rashard Mendenhall. At 5'11 224 pounds, he is a mack truck that will help soften up defenses. The Steelers could be dangerous with the duo of Parker and Mendenall. Limas Sweed also played well and I was impressed with his 1st catch over the middle. With good hands and 6'5, Sweed should be a big impact player on offense. With the unfortunte injury to Charlie Batch, the drafting of Dixon in even more important. Dixon has a good arm and he can run. I'd like to see the Steelers design some offensive plays where Dixon comes in as QB and maybe even wr!
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers Pull it Off This Time?
It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a big reputation to live up to. Not only are they the oldest team in the American Football Conference, they also have the most champion wins. They've played in no less than six Super Bowls and have won the Super Bowl not once but five times! Maybe the most memorable thing about the Steelers is that they are the only team in the NFL to go from a sixth seed position to a Super Bowl win. Today, the question on every football fan's mind is, 'Will the Steelers pull off a win this time too?
Ketchup And Mustard
You can't talk about Steelers football without mentioning Heinz Field. Affectionately referred to as the 'Big Ketchup Bottle and the Mustard Palace', Heinz Field has been the home turf for the Steelers since 2001. There has always been a lot of buzz about Heinz Field, and it hasn't always been good. For instance, in 2006 the field was voted as having the worst turf according to a survey by the NFL Players Association - in fact, it has gained a reputation for having one of the most difficult kicking surfaces. However the turf has been improved since then and Green Packers rookie Mason Crosby broke the NFL record for kicking at Heinz Field.
Today, Heinz Field is home to a team that is on the rebound. It's no secret that the Steelers have been working through some rough patches. 2006 was a tough year for the team, as it struggled to improve their 11-5 record and defend their Super Bowl title. The year before had been littered with player injuries, with Steelers Superstar Ben Roethlisberger being hospitalized after a motorcycle accident. But the team have definitely made a comeback; in 2007 they were able to bring their 11-5 record up to an impressive 8-8 tie.
Tomlin - Roethlisberger Magic
If there seems to be some magic in the Steelers, it might be because of two pieces of heavy-duty arsenal that the team has. One is Coach Mike Tomlin, the first ever African-American head coach for the team. Though Tomlin has never played in the NFL, he has been one of the best defensive coaches in the league. He was the defensive coordinator for the Vikings in 2006 and they had the distinction of having the best defense against the run. Expectations are high regarding how Tomlin will lead the Steelers in future games.
The second weapon that the Steelers have is a player called Ben Roethlisberger. Often referred to as Big Ben, he was named Rookie of the Year in 2005. But he's probably best remembered for leading the Steelers to a Super Bowl win, becoming the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl in NFL history. Roethlisberger is getting back into gear after his 2006 accident and seems to be in top-notch comeback form. In 2007, he was also named to his first Pro Bowl.
Ketchup And Mustard
You can't talk about Steelers football without mentioning Heinz Field. Affectionately referred to as the 'Big Ketchup Bottle and the Mustard Palace', Heinz Field has been the home turf for the Steelers since 2001. There has always been a lot of buzz about Heinz Field, and it hasn't always been good. For instance, in 2006 the field was voted as having the worst turf according to a survey by the NFL Players Association - in fact, it has gained a reputation for having one of the most difficult kicking surfaces. However the turf has been improved since then and Green Packers rookie Mason Crosby broke the NFL record for kicking at Heinz Field.
Today, Heinz Field is home to a team that is on the rebound. It's no secret that the Steelers have been working through some rough patches. 2006 was a tough year for the team, as it struggled to improve their 11-5 record and defend their Super Bowl title. The year before had been littered with player injuries, with Steelers Superstar Ben Roethlisberger being hospitalized after a motorcycle accident. But the team have definitely made a comeback; in 2007 they were able to bring their 11-5 record up to an impressive 8-8 tie.
Tomlin - Roethlisberger Magic
If there seems to be some magic in the Steelers, it might be because of two pieces of heavy-duty arsenal that the team has. One is Coach Mike Tomlin, the first ever African-American head coach for the team. Though Tomlin has never played in the NFL, he has been one of the best defensive coaches in the league. He was the defensive coordinator for the Vikings in 2006 and they had the distinction of having the best defense against the run. Expectations are high regarding how Tomlin will lead the Steelers in future games.
The second weapon that the Steelers have is a player called Ben Roethlisberger. Often referred to as Big Ben, he was named Rookie of the Year in 2005. But he's probably best remembered for leading the Steelers to a Super Bowl win, becoming the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl in NFL history. Roethlisberger is getting back into gear after his 2006 accident and seems to be in top-notch comeback form. In 2007, he was also named to his first Pro Bowl.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Angola World Cup 2006 National Football Team Profile
The Angola national football team, nicknamed Palancas Negras, ("Black Impalas") is the national team of Angola and is controlled by the Federação Angolana de Futebol. On October 8, 2005, Angola qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever, when they beat Rwanda 1-0 in Kigali. The team is coached by the nation's favourite Luis Oliveira Goncalves, who had earlier successes while managing the Angola Under-20 National Team. Goncalves took over the men's team in 2003. Angola entered the World Cup Qualifiers for the first time in 1986.
Angola finished top of Group 4 in the African Qualifying Zone. Group 4 was considered one of the toughest groups and Angola finished top of the group against teams such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Angola actually finished with the same points as Nigeria, but automatically qualified for the World Cup 2006, as it had a better record in the head-to-head matches.
Celebrations and festivities broke out over the entire nation after the team qualified for the first time, in a magnitude only having been experienced before, during the independence celebrations 30 years ago. Every Angolan, from the youngest to the country's president, José Eduardo dos Santos, has now football in their hearts. Upon arrival in Luanda, the Angolan capital city, after their win against Rwanda, the Angolans gave a "heroes" Welcome to the team with every household celebrating.
Captain Fabrice Akwa scored some crucial goals, including the winners against Rwanda in the last game, and in the game against Nigeria. Akwa is the fans' favourite having scored 31 goals in 67 international appearances. "This is the first time we are in the finals and we want to show off our football. We also want to show there is more to Angola than just war and oil," Akwa said.
Benfica's striker Pedro Mantorras (Pedro Manuel Torres) is the most famous player outside Angola. However, Mantorras was unfortunate after suffering an injury, thus missing Angola's last crucial matches. Pedro Mantorras has setup a local housing project in Angola for the kids who live on the streets, which he funds with a fat percentage from his salary.
Angola finished top of Group 4 in the African Qualifying Zone. Group 4 was considered one of the toughest groups and Angola finished top of the group against teams such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Angola actually finished with the same points as Nigeria, but automatically qualified for the World Cup 2006, as it had a better record in the head-to-head matches.
Celebrations and festivities broke out over the entire nation after the team qualified for the first time, in a magnitude only having been experienced before, during the independence celebrations 30 years ago. Every Angolan, from the youngest to the country's president, José Eduardo dos Santos, has now football in their hearts. Upon arrival in Luanda, the Angolan capital city, after their win against Rwanda, the Angolans gave a "heroes" Welcome to the team with every household celebrating.
Captain Fabrice Akwa scored some crucial goals, including the winners against Rwanda in the last game, and in the game against Nigeria. Akwa is the fans' favourite having scored 31 goals in 67 international appearances. "This is the first time we are in the finals and we want to show off our football. We also want to show there is more to Angola than just war and oil," Akwa said.
Benfica's striker Pedro Mantorras (Pedro Manuel Torres) is the most famous player outside Angola. However, Mantorras was unfortunate after suffering an injury, thus missing Angola's last crucial matches. Pedro Mantorras has setup a local housing project in Angola for the kids who live on the streets, which he funds with a fat percentage from his salary.
Triple Option Football Explained
Triple option football has all three elements of the different styles of running attacks - quickness, finesse and power.
Homer Rice is given credit for inventing triple option football. He retired as Georgia Tech's athletic director in 1997. Before that, he was head coach at Kentucky, Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Rice. Mr. Rice also worked as athletic director at Rice and North Carolina as well as a brief stint as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.
But it was when he was coaching high school in the 1950's that he came up with triple option football. The two usual triple option styles are the wishbone and veer.
The main idea behind this offensive set is to leave the defensive tackle and end unblocked in order to double-team the linebackers with extra offensive lineman. This brings an element of power to this basically finesse type of running attack.
The "Wishbone" style of triple option football gets its name from the alignment of the backs. You have a quarterback, a fullback directly behind him and then two halfbacks split behind the fullback. At the snap, the quarterback turns and puts the football in the fullback's gut as he reads the defensive tackle.
If the QB sees the tackle taking outside responsibility, he hands off to the fullback. If the tackle takes inside position, the QB keeps the ball and the fullback blocks the tackle. Now the quarterback's attention turns to the defensive end. If the end comes in to tackle him, he pitches out to the halfback who is trailing behind the play.
The quarterback has much responsibility in triple option football. He must first make sure there is no confusion with his first option (whether to handoff to the fullback or not) in order to prevent a fumble. He must also make a good pitchout to his halfback. Further complications can arise if the QB makes the wrong read on the defensive tackle or end.
Here's one way to teach the quarterback to read the end - If he can see the end's number, he should pitch the football as the end is probably coming in to tackle him. If he sees the end coming across the line of scrimmage focusing on the halfback, the QB should keep the ball. The quarterback should also keep an out for further pitch opportunities to his halfback even as he's making his way downfield.
The "Veer" style of triple option football adds a passing element. Bill Yeoman invented the veer in 1965 as coach of the Houston Cougars. That's why you'll hear it also called the "Houston Veer". Yeoman replaced the fullback with a wide receiver and split out an end.
Now the QB's first option is to a diving halfback (no fullback). The pitchout option then goes to the other halfback in the set. The tight end helps get the defensive end wide by taking a wide split. At the snap, the tight end arcs around the end (remember, the end is left unblocked) to block anyone trying to tackle the quarterback (usually a safety). The wide-out takes on the cornerback.
Homer Rice is given credit for inventing triple option football. He retired as Georgia Tech's athletic director in 1997. Before that, he was head coach at Kentucky, Oklahoma, Cincinnati and Rice. Mr. Rice also worked as athletic director at Rice and North Carolina as well as a brief stint as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.
But it was when he was coaching high school in the 1950's that he came up with triple option football. The two usual triple option styles are the wishbone and veer.
The main idea behind this offensive set is to leave the defensive tackle and end unblocked in order to double-team the linebackers with extra offensive lineman. This brings an element of power to this basically finesse type of running attack.
The "Wishbone" style of triple option football gets its name from the alignment of the backs. You have a quarterback, a fullback directly behind him and then two halfbacks split behind the fullback. At the snap, the quarterback turns and puts the football in the fullback's gut as he reads the defensive tackle.
If the QB sees the tackle taking outside responsibility, he hands off to the fullback. If the tackle takes inside position, the QB keeps the ball and the fullback blocks the tackle. Now the quarterback's attention turns to the defensive end. If the end comes in to tackle him, he pitches out to the halfback who is trailing behind the play.
The quarterback has much responsibility in triple option football. He must first make sure there is no confusion with his first option (whether to handoff to the fullback or not) in order to prevent a fumble. He must also make a good pitchout to his halfback. Further complications can arise if the QB makes the wrong read on the defensive tackle or end.
Here's one way to teach the quarterback to read the end - If he can see the end's number, he should pitch the football as the end is probably coming in to tackle him. If he sees the end coming across the line of scrimmage focusing on the halfback, the QB should keep the ball. The quarterback should also keep an out for further pitch opportunities to his halfback even as he's making his way downfield.
The "Veer" style of triple option football adds a passing element. Bill Yeoman invented the veer in 1965 as coach of the Houston Cougars. That's why you'll hear it also called the "Houston Veer". Yeoman replaced the fullback with a wide receiver and split out an end.
Now the QB's first option is to a diving halfback (no fullback). The pitchout option then goes to the other halfback in the set. The tight end helps get the defensive end wide by taking a wide split. At the snap, the tight end arcs around the end (remember, the end is left unblocked) to block anyone trying to tackle the quarterback (usually a safety). The wide-out takes on the cornerback.
The Sagarin College Football Ratings: What They Are, How to Read Them and What to Do With Them
While betting on sports is only legal in a few places in the United States, such as Las Vegas, millions of office workers are involved in sports pools every week now that the football season has arrived.
When you know that more than $700 million can be bet on one game—the Super Bowl—in only Las Vegas, then you understand that billions were bet illegally on the Super Bowl last year in the United States and in offshore sports books around the world.
Folks in the gaming business know that more than a billion dollars is wagered on every Monday Night Football game during the season.
For those who wager, it may be helpful to put some science on your side when you wager, and one of the best places to do that is with the Sagarin College Football Ratings.
Created by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate, these computer ratings are for Division I-A (what the NCAA now calls the Football Bowl (FB) Subdivision) and Division I-AA (what the NCAA now calls the Football Championship (FC) Subdivision) teams.
You will have to forgive the NCAA for taking titles that have been used for years and are perfectly clear, then renaming them and creating confusion in the process.
If there is a way for the NCAA to assert its superior power, it does so by making everything more difficult and confusing, similar to your United States government and its IRS tax code which could reduce a sane person to tears just reading it.
Anyway, the Sagarin rating is a numerical measure of a team's strength.
A hypothetical victory margin is determined by comparing the rating of the two teams after adding 2.93 points to the home team. The home edge will vary during the season.
Only Division I (both A and AA) are counted for rating and schedule strength during the season.
A diminishing-returns principle exists to prevent teams from building up ratings by running up large victory margins against weak teams. Instead, it rewards teams that do well against good opponents.
The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) does not factor in scoring margin. For Sagarin ratings and more detailed information go to: www.usatoday.com
USA Today, the largest circulation newspaper in the United States, is the nation's daily newspaper and carries the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The ratings are updated following each week's games and published in USA Today on Wednesdays.
Following the first week of college football action, here are some facts that interested me about Sagarin's first-week ratings:
1) Washington, one of the poor to mediocre teams in the country the last several years, was rated No. 31 after hammering Syracuse 42-14 in its home opener.
2) Michigan State, another short end of the stick team for far too long, was rated No. 36 after steamrolling over UAB 55-18 in its home opener.
3) Appalachian State, a AA school, was rated No. 38 following its upset of mighty Michigan 34-32 on Michigan's home field. The win was the biggest upset in college football history as no AA team had ever beaten a ranked team.
Michigan was ranked No. 5 by both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll going into the game. Following its horrendous loss, Michigan ended up being ranked No. 40 by Sagarin.
4) Wyoming, a small school and never among the nation's top teams, was ranked No. 41 by Sagarin following its 23-3 home victory over Virginia.
5) Notre Dame, beaten badly (33-3) by Georgia Tech, was rated No. 57 after the loss. Georgia Tech was rated No. 2. The Irish failed to score a touchdown for the first time ever in their home opener.
6) Temple (ranked No. 143 after its opening loss) and Buffalo (ranked No. 145 after its opening loss) face off in week two. Both teams are among the 7 worst Division I-A teams in the country, joining Louisiana-Monroe, Rice, Duke, Utah State and Florida International.
7) A total of 242 teams, 119 A schools and 123 AA schools, make up the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The worst-rated A school is Florida International at No. 174 (56 AA teams are rated better), and their play reflects their rating. The worst-rated AA school is the No. 242 La Salle Explorers. La Salle is a Catholic university located in Philadelphia.
La Salle lost its home opener to Ursinus 28-0. Ursinus is not a planet but a real liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.
Ursinus College is not a Division 1 school (which includes the 242 teams with La Salle), not a Division II team (which includes another 157 teams), but a Division III team. Now you can better understand why La Salle College is ranked last among 242 Division I schools.
The first job for La Salle this year will be to score a touchdown, or any points, including a field goal or touchback. The Explorers next job will be to actually win a game. Good luck, La Salle, and God speed.
When you know that more than $700 million can be bet on one game—the Super Bowl—in only Las Vegas, then you understand that billions were bet illegally on the Super Bowl last year in the United States and in offshore sports books around the world.
Folks in the gaming business know that more than a billion dollars is wagered on every Monday Night Football game during the season.
For those who wager, it may be helpful to put some science on your side when you wager, and one of the best places to do that is with the Sagarin College Football Ratings.
Created by Jeff Sagarin, a 1970 MIT mathematics graduate, these computer ratings are for Division I-A (what the NCAA now calls the Football Bowl (FB) Subdivision) and Division I-AA (what the NCAA now calls the Football Championship (FC) Subdivision) teams.
You will have to forgive the NCAA for taking titles that have been used for years and are perfectly clear, then renaming them and creating confusion in the process.
If there is a way for the NCAA to assert its superior power, it does so by making everything more difficult and confusing, similar to your United States government and its IRS tax code which could reduce a sane person to tears just reading it.
Anyway, the Sagarin rating is a numerical measure of a team's strength.
A hypothetical victory margin is determined by comparing the rating of the two teams after adding 2.93 points to the home team. The home edge will vary during the season.
Only Division I (both A and AA) are counted for rating and schedule strength during the season.
A diminishing-returns principle exists to prevent teams from building up ratings by running up large victory margins against weak teams. Instead, it rewards teams that do well against good opponents.
The BCS (Bowl Championship Series) does not factor in scoring margin. For Sagarin ratings and more detailed information go to: www.usatoday.com
USA Today, the largest circulation newspaper in the United States, is the nation's daily newspaper and carries the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The ratings are updated following each week's games and published in USA Today on Wednesdays.
Following the first week of college football action, here are some facts that interested me about Sagarin's first-week ratings:
1) Washington, one of the poor to mediocre teams in the country the last several years, was rated No. 31 after hammering Syracuse 42-14 in its home opener.
2) Michigan State, another short end of the stick team for far too long, was rated No. 36 after steamrolling over UAB 55-18 in its home opener.
3) Appalachian State, a AA school, was rated No. 38 following its upset of mighty Michigan 34-32 on Michigan's home field. The win was the biggest upset in college football history as no AA team had ever beaten a ranked team.
Michigan was ranked No. 5 by both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll going into the game. Following its horrendous loss, Michigan ended up being ranked No. 40 by Sagarin.
4) Wyoming, a small school and never among the nation's top teams, was ranked No. 41 by Sagarin following its 23-3 home victory over Virginia.
5) Notre Dame, beaten badly (33-3) by Georgia Tech, was rated No. 57 after the loss. Georgia Tech was rated No. 2. The Irish failed to score a touchdown for the first time ever in their home opener.
6) Temple (ranked No. 143 after its opening loss) and Buffalo (ranked No. 145 after its opening loss) face off in week two. Both teams are among the 7 worst Division I-A teams in the country, joining Louisiana-Monroe, Rice, Duke, Utah State and Florida International.
7) A total of 242 teams, 119 A schools and 123 AA schools, make up the Sagarin College Football Ratings. The worst-rated A school is Florida International at No. 174 (56 AA teams are rated better), and their play reflects their rating. The worst-rated AA school is the No. 242 La Salle Explorers. La Salle is a Catholic university located in Philadelphia.
La Salle lost its home opener to Ursinus 28-0. Ursinus is not a planet but a real liberal arts college in Pennsylvania.
Ursinus College is not a Division 1 school (which includes the 242 teams with La Salle), not a Division II team (which includes another 157 teams), but a Division III team. Now you can better understand why La Salle College is ranked last among 242 Division I schools.
The first job for La Salle this year will be to score a touchdown, or any points, including a field goal or touchback. The Explorers next job will be to actually win a game. Good luck, La Salle, and God speed.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Offensive Line, No Worries
Going into training camp every column I read by knowledgeable, and some semi-stupid, sports writers had the Steelers o-line as the biggest concern for 2008. I pondered on this for a while and when I had half a migraine I decided I'm just not buying it.
The loss of Alan Faneca will impact the run game to a degree but only for the start of the season. By week 4 or 5 Chris Kemoeatu will be, should be, able to gel with the rest of the unit. Although Faneca was a huge presence for the ground game he never excelled in the passing game and like it or not that is the direction the Steelers offense is headed in. In drafting Limas Sweed and Rashard Mendenhall the focus of the offense will shift squarely to the arm of Ben Roethlisberger. Last year Ben set the franchise record for touchdowns in a single season. I believe he can repeat or even exceed those numbers with the return of a healthy Marvel Smith.
Last season Marvel Smith played in a limited number of games due to a piece of broken vertebrae rubbing against his spinal chord. At times throughout the season the bone fragment would pinch the nerves and he would actually lose feeling in his right leg and foot for quarters at a time. Being that Smith plays the left tackle position it's no wonder Ben's sack totals went up last year. With the return of Marvel it should be a lock for those totals to go down.
Max Starks is said to be the most impressive lineman in camp. It's kind of hard to believe being that Max has never really wowed anyone. If Starks beats out Willie Colon for the right tackle spot it makes me wonder if Willie will get a crack at the right guard position. Kendall Simmons is good there so I don't necessarily see him losing the job, I just think it will be interesting to see if Mike Tomlin will make drastic changes or try to work with what he has.
The most important acquisition the Steelers made in the off-season could be Justin Hartwig. Last year Pittsburgh had virtually no push up the middle and Sean Mahan was the reason. Mahan did not transition well from a guard to a center and the line as a whole suffered for it. With the addition of Hartwig the o-line will immediately improve to some extent but until they have some reps in the regular season and start to move the pile as one unit it's all just hype and theory.
I can hear them talking about it on NFL Live in the background. It's kind of funny to me. They make it sound like the line is a wash, but somehow I'm still not worried.
The loss of Alan Faneca will impact the run game to a degree but only for the start of the season. By week 4 or 5 Chris Kemoeatu will be, should be, able to gel with the rest of the unit. Although Faneca was a huge presence for the ground game he never excelled in the passing game and like it or not that is the direction the Steelers offense is headed in. In drafting Limas Sweed and Rashard Mendenhall the focus of the offense will shift squarely to the arm of Ben Roethlisberger. Last year Ben set the franchise record for touchdowns in a single season. I believe he can repeat or even exceed those numbers with the return of a healthy Marvel Smith.
Last season Marvel Smith played in a limited number of games due to a piece of broken vertebrae rubbing against his spinal chord. At times throughout the season the bone fragment would pinch the nerves and he would actually lose feeling in his right leg and foot for quarters at a time. Being that Smith plays the left tackle position it's no wonder Ben's sack totals went up last year. With the return of Marvel it should be a lock for those totals to go down.
Max Starks is said to be the most impressive lineman in camp. It's kind of hard to believe being that Max has never really wowed anyone. If Starks beats out Willie Colon for the right tackle spot it makes me wonder if Willie will get a crack at the right guard position. Kendall Simmons is good there so I don't necessarily see him losing the job, I just think it will be interesting to see if Mike Tomlin will make drastic changes or try to work with what he has.
The most important acquisition the Steelers made in the off-season could be Justin Hartwig. Last year Pittsburgh had virtually no push up the middle and Sean Mahan was the reason. Mahan did not transition well from a guard to a center and the line as a whole suffered for it. With the addition of Hartwig the o-line will immediately improve to some extent but until they have some reps in the regular season and start to move the pile as one unit it's all just hype and theory.
I can hear them talking about it on NFL Live in the background. It's kind of funny to me. They make it sound like the line is a wash, but somehow I'm still not worried.
Passing in the Single Wing Offense
The next statements are the single most important factors in the success of your passing game. Develop, practice, then master protection schemes for each drop and sprint series. Linemen are the key to your team's success. It is an honor to be O-Line. Make sure everyone on the team knows it.
Passing is a symphony; comprised of good protection, route running, reads, and execution. This is why passing is challenging to implement well below the high school level. There just is not enough time.
Coaches your job is:
* Understand the different coverages. You need to be able to recognize cover 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Know the weaknesses of each coverage and the areas of the field that are easiest to exploit.
* Watch film. Even at the youth level. Film every opponent and trade film. Look for tendencies and tells. Most athletes are animals of habit. Studies have been completed on pre-performance rituals in sport. Use them to your advantage.
* Coach up the athletes. Give them a chance to work on fundamentals and drill the routes, reads, and adjustments. Passing requires more work than the running game. Demand good technique and proper decision-making.
* Simulate game conditions as close as possible when running drills. Work on the plays you plan to use in the game. Use the playbook, 7-on-7, chalk board, defensive recognition drills, and videotape.
The Single Wing Quarterback must:
* Learn to read defensive schemes. The method for reading the defense should be the same each time. Look to the middle of the field; locate the free safety, then the strong safety. Look left at the cornerback. Look right at the cornerback, then at the linebackers. This has to be done in 2-3 seconds. Expect the defense to move around and try to disguise the coverage.
* When looking for the safeties, determine if the middle of the field is open or closed. Do this by seeing if a safety is between the goal posts or center up on the formation. Check the depth, eyes, and leverage of the cornerbacks. These give you an indication of zone or man coverage.
* If the corners are off 6 or more yards, lined up on or outside of the receiver and looking at you, it is probably a zone. If they are closer, either in bump and run or under 6 yards and looking at the receiver, it is probably man coverage.
* If the middle of the field is closed, the defense is cover 1 or 3. If the depth, eyes, and leverage of the corners look like zone, then the coverage is cover 3. If they are in a man look, it is cover 1.
* If the middle of the field is open, the defense is in cover 0,2,4, or 5. It is cover 2 or 4, if the corners look to be playing zone. It is cover 0 or 5, if the corners are in man. If the safeties have cheated up to under 10 yards and have their eyes on a man, expect cover 0, and if they are back, it will be cover 2 press, dog, or cover 5 depending on what you call it.
One last point that I see most coaches below the college level fail to do is to diagram each of the passing concepts within the system against each of the defenses. This one exercise will immediately improve the decision making speed and accuracy of the quarterback.
Passing is a symphony; comprised of good protection, route running, reads, and execution. This is why passing is challenging to implement well below the high school level. There just is not enough time.
Coaches your job is:
* Understand the different coverages. You need to be able to recognize cover 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Know the weaknesses of each coverage and the areas of the field that are easiest to exploit.
* Watch film. Even at the youth level. Film every opponent and trade film. Look for tendencies and tells. Most athletes are animals of habit. Studies have been completed on pre-performance rituals in sport. Use them to your advantage.
* Coach up the athletes. Give them a chance to work on fundamentals and drill the routes, reads, and adjustments. Passing requires more work than the running game. Demand good technique and proper decision-making.
* Simulate game conditions as close as possible when running drills. Work on the plays you plan to use in the game. Use the playbook, 7-on-7, chalk board, defensive recognition drills, and videotape.
The Single Wing Quarterback must:
* Learn to read defensive schemes. The method for reading the defense should be the same each time. Look to the middle of the field; locate the free safety, then the strong safety. Look left at the cornerback. Look right at the cornerback, then at the linebackers. This has to be done in 2-3 seconds. Expect the defense to move around and try to disguise the coverage.
* When looking for the safeties, determine if the middle of the field is open or closed. Do this by seeing if a safety is between the goal posts or center up on the formation. Check the depth, eyes, and leverage of the cornerbacks. These give you an indication of zone or man coverage.
* If the corners are off 6 or more yards, lined up on or outside of the receiver and looking at you, it is probably a zone. If they are closer, either in bump and run or under 6 yards and looking at the receiver, it is probably man coverage.
* If the middle of the field is closed, the defense is cover 1 or 3. If the depth, eyes, and leverage of the corners look like zone, then the coverage is cover 3. If they are in a man look, it is cover 1.
* If the middle of the field is open, the defense is in cover 0,2,4, or 5. It is cover 2 or 4, if the corners look to be playing zone. It is cover 0 or 5, if the corners are in man. If the safeties have cheated up to under 10 yards and have their eyes on a man, expect cover 0, and if they are back, it will be cover 2 press, dog, or cover 5 depending on what you call it.
One last point that I see most coaches below the college level fail to do is to diagram each of the passing concepts within the system against each of the defenses. This one exercise will immediately improve the decision making speed and accuracy of the quarterback.
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