Can anybody offer an explanation for the absolute refusal to pass over the middle of the field?

[slashsteel]

Oh **** a Rudy the red nosed third stringer sighting. You can just taste the love and admiration.


"That is why I gave him until next year to see if it clicks".

How noble that one of his biggest haters gives him to next year to see if he clicks.

Well we aren't in Kansas or Wisconsin so I am thankful the Steelers will take the appropriate time to travel down that yellow brick road, tinman.

 

[FordFairLane]

Holy cow! That's quite an in-depth analysis! You had to have been working on this all day!

I actually had watched the film last week and had already deciphered the film. I just had to illustrate it. Thanks tho!

 

[FordFairLane]

I could think of 3 answers that he does not dare say.

1. "It's the play calling" (That would put him in the doghouse)
2. "The pro game is much faster." (That would imply he's not an NFL caliber QB)
3. " I just need to be better". (He just helped the doubters doubt even more)

I don't know what his answer would be other than deflect to something else.

He’s already said #2. I think that is extremely common for kids going to the NFL from college.

 

[slashsteel]

If you deciphered the film anywhere near how you decipher QBs... I won't expect...much if anything.

I will take this time to again remind everyone that a fan deciphering film is nowhere in the same league as the Steelers deciphering film.

You don't know play calls, routes run correctly or incorrectly, nor will someone who highly dislikes a player can objectively analyze anything.

If this was TMC I would know he at least could look at the film objectively.


I remember the time cooch attempted to break down film. Everything tilted towards his viewpoint prior to watching.


I have absolutely no doubt it is the same scenario here.

 

[Steeltime]

In his last year at Pitt, Pickett was maybe the best QB in the nation working the middle of the field. Throwing to this area of the field was an issue for the Steelers the year before Pickett was drafted and it was thought his skillset could be the answer. Obviously it's a coaching decision to avoid this area of the field with so many of our QBs having the same issues.

https://steelersnow.com/analysis-middle-of-field-passing-ability-key-for-steelers-kenny-pickett/

Wow, that is interesting. Your point of course is not that the competition level is the same, but that Pickett was clearly willing to throw over the middle before being drafted and now seemingly is unwilling to do so. Why? That's the question.

The only thing that makes sense is instruction from those in charge to avoid throws over the middle. Not a winning strategy, but seems to be the one in play.

 

[slashsteel]

Wow, that is interesting. Your point of course is not that the competition level is the same, but that Pickett was clearly willing to throw over the middle before being drafted and now seemingly is unwilling to do so. Why? That's the question.

The only thing that makes sense is instruction from those in charge to avoid throws over the middle. Not a winning strategy, but seems to be the one in play.

This falls in line with what the reported scheme is.


If it looks like **** and smells like ****, it isn't the fly that landed on the steaming pile of ****.

 

[madinsomniac]

Ok… I’m going to say this exactly once more… Pickett does not have a weak or inaccurate arm.
He has some mechanical issues that occasionally occur when he is scrambling like most young qbs… That is what causes his inaccuracy at times… his physical traits were fine.

At the combine he threw 54 mph.. that is above average for a nfl qb… a great arm is in the 58 to 60 mph range, but most of those bust.

Purdy threw 51 or 52 mph. Lamar Jackson’s arm topped out at 49 mph
Mahomes threw 55 mph
Will Levis? 53 mph

Most guys who can’t top 50 don’t even throw.. but there are plenty.. Deshawn watson threw 45mph… the dirty secret is most NFL passes don’t need to be faster than 40 mph and even the tight sideline throws are usually just around 50 mph…

Josh allen has the best arm in at least a decade at 62 mph, but that is usually overkill… most big arms are busts.

People complaining about Picketts arm strength are not looking at physically measured traits or live action ball speed… they are regurgitating one unnamed scouts unscientific observation at the Senior bowl… (which, by the way any team can run film through a program to accurately determine actual velocity or player speeds… so the bullshit biased eye test can be confirmed or disproven really easily these days)

As for accuracy he had fine accuracy in all the drills, especially in deep passes.. he certainly didn’t have a problem in his last season at Pitt with accuracy … like I said before.. its an intermittent technique issue with his footwork that causes his bad passes.. this is common among young players… they don’t have to rebuild his throwing mechanics or anything like with Josh Allen… it’s mostly just footwork when he is scrambling

 

[SteveA]

Tomlin doesn’t play well with an early lead… so he doesn’t really want that…

But he sure has a knack for getting a late lead & holding onto it....He has won 96 career 1 score games...NINETY SIX...

 

[slashsteel]

Ok… I’m going to say this exactly once more… Pickett does not have a weak or inaccurate arm.
He has some mechanical issues that occasionally occur when he is scrambling like most young qbs… That is what causes his inaccuracy at times… his physical traits were fine.

At the combine he threw 54 mph.. that is above average for a nfl qb… a great arm is in the 58 to 60 mph range, but most of those bust.

Purdy threw 51 or 52 mph. Lamar Jackson’s arm topped out at 49 mph
Mahomes threw 55 mph
Will Levis? 53 mph

Most guys who can’t top 50 don’t even throw.. but there are plenty.. Deshawn watson threw 45mph… the dirty secret is most NFL passes don’t need to be faster than 40 mph and even the tight sideline throws are usually just around 50 mph…

Josh allen has the best arm in at least a decade at 62 mph, but that is usually overkill… most big arms are busts.

People complaining about Picketts arm strength are not looking at physically measured traits or live action ball speed… they are regurgitating one unnamed scouts unscientific observation at the Senior bowl… (which, by the way any team can run film through a program to accurately determine actual velocity or player speeds… so the bullshit biased eye test can be confirmed or disproven really easily these days)

As for accuracy he had fine accuracy in all the drills, especially in deep passes.. he certainly didn’t have a problem in his last season at Pitt with accuracy … like I said before.. its an intermittent technique issue with his footwork that causes his bad passes.. this is common among young players… they don’t have to rebuild his throwing mechanics or anything like with Josh Allen… it’s mostly just footwork when he is scrambling

So something correctable with the right tutor...

 

[madinsomniac]

But he sure has a knack for getting a late lead & holding onto it....He has won 96 career 1 score games...NINETY SIX...

Half of those were thanks to Bens 43 game winning drives in Tomlins era… the other half were mostly when we had a big lead and almost blew it but barely staved it off… cowher blew two double digit leads in his career, and one led to a tie… Tomlin has blown a bunch

 

[madinsomniac]

So something correctable with the right tutor...

Yes, something that will be corrected in year six when he is playing for some other team

 

[SteveA]

Half of those were thanks to Bens 43 game winning drives in Tomlins era… the other half were mostly when we had a big lead and almost blew it but barely staved it off… cowher blew two double digit leads in his career, and one led to a tie… Tomlin has blown a bunch

I just fact checked...The Steelers since 2007 have the League second best winning percentage of 6o% in one score games, only Bellichicks Patriots were better...

Only ONE TEAM has been better for 16 years...

 

[F83]

Matt is a moron, From being back for 2 years and a rnd 1 pick, GB is allowing Love to take shots with much less talented receivers, and a line if ours is 6.5/10 there is a 5.5 out of 10.
Just start drives And get Kenny into a Rythem 5 wide have Pickens Heyward Warren trio other side DJ Austin

Austin runs a veritical DJ slant Warren shorter slant than DJ Pickens 15 yard curl
Try winning with a pass game, some Pa boot would open up for the run game as well.
Really hope someone like Byron or another creative mind, can take Kenny if he has the tools to the next level.
We should draft a qb mid rnds to push Kenny so we can cut Trib

 

[F83]

Looking at PFF mock draft I would go CB King or the best ILB or if OLB if a 4-3 can he easily convert to a cover and run 3 down LB

 

[Steel G]

Lousy OC, crap QB, and clueless HC, that's why.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

i don't have the all 22. From what i see on TV, and from videos i see of all 22, it's not that there are no routes over the middle, it's that those routes are not the main read. It seems most of the middle routes are designed to clear out for the short outside throws.

going over the middle doesn't have to be a deep shot like the one to Austin. It can just be slants or crossers or the RB running an angle route out of the backfield. This offense just doesn't have much of that.

Probably 60% of Brady's career passing yards are hitting Troy Brown - Welker - Edelman, on short slants that they turn into run after catch. In college offenses, lots of these air raid teams have a QB with a noodle arm, but he's accurate and they live on middle throws.

 

[Greg Lloyd]

I don't get that. A long throw to the sideline is no safer than a throw over the middle. In fact, a good corner can easily jump the route and get a pick 6). To me that is more risky

The only logical reason that a throw to the middle of the field is that a tipped pass can more easily be picked off in the middle, where on the sideline not as much. Evben in the game last night there was an example of what I'm talking about: Allen whipped a pass and it bounced off a receiver's hands in the middle and got picked off. But that doesn't mean you should take away all passes to the middle just because you have a head coach who lives in his fears about it. Hypocrite Shades.

 

[pittbull]

I think you're missing MT's genius. Kenny Pickett sucks. Matt Canada sucks. The Oline sucks. Terrell Austin sucks. The only way the Steelers are 6-3 is because of Mike Tomlin's secret coaching decisions. One of those decisions is shutting down the middle of the field. How do you not see this?

 

[topseed]

Yep. Bingo. Tomlin isn't trying to build a championship team. He is just trying to win football games. Big big difference.

Awesome post by the way MT Forged

Non-losing seasons keep buttering Tomlin's bread. He's smarter than he looks.

 

[Greg Lloyd]

Plus I'm not going to ***** too much about route concepts when we dominated the LOS on O with 200+ yds rushing for the first time in 6 years. It's all about perspective for me. Finally won TOP the first time this season and the rushing game is starting to look like a strength. Let's see if we can continue this momentum against the Browns this week!

Don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but the Browns' D is a hell of a lot more stout than GB, by A LOT.

 

[steelreeling]

i don't have the all 22. From what i see on TV, and from videos i see of all 22, it's not that there are no routes over the middle, it's that those routes are not the main read. It seems most of the middle routes are designed to clear out for the short outside throws.

going over the middle doesn't have to be a deep shot like the one to Austin. It can just be slants or crossers or the RB running an angle route out of the backfield. This offense just doesn't have much of that.

Probably 60% of Brady's career passing yards are hitting Troy Brown - Welker - Edelman, on short slants that they turn into run after catch. In college offenses, lots of these air raid teams have a QB with a noodle arm, but he's accurate and they live on middle throws.

And not only all that, of course, but also the middle of the field gives you much more opportunity to "make a DB wrong". Meaning, if you run one guy behind, in-front of a moving receiver - or into a now-vacated spot then you put a DB in a situation where he's wrong either way. if the DB takes or trails one route he's wrong and also wrong if he takes the other guy, he's wrong.

Modern NFL playcallers have recognized exactly where and on which routes the DBs are fast enough to pivot and recover and maybe pick off a pass and where a DB just cannot make up time/space.
Canada's offense has been ridiculed by established coaches because of the fact that his strategy relies much more on spacing and clearing thru a zone/ DBs by a receiver's route alone than it does on putting DBs at a large disadvantage based on route angles and positioning.

 

[Greg Lloyd]

Pickett has an Aaron Rodgers arm. Can make all the throws but has to be mechanically sound.

I don't know bro, Rogers is a mythical beast with accuracy on throws, Kenny is an embarrassment on accuracy, so far.

 

[JMM]

I think you're missing MT's genius. Kenny Pickett sucks. Matt Canada sucks. The Oline sucks. Terrell Austin sucks. The only way the Steelers are 6-3 is because of Mike Tomlin's secret coaching decisions. One of those decisions is shutting down the middle of the field. How do you not see this?

 

[FordFairLane]

I don't know bro, Rogers is a mythical beast with accuracy on throws, Kenny is an embarrassment on accuracy, so far.

When Kenny is level and steps into his throws he’s accurate. Rodgers needed clean pockets too and he was accurate. Guys like Mahomes and Howell make throws from all different angles. Kenny is not going to be that type of QB.

Watch this on Howell.

https://x.com/nextgenstats/status/1722031729148399850?s=46&t=ZuxQqtEnM9ItmlxOIWOy9A

Watch this on Pickett.

https://x.com/nfl/status/1722350780030865603?s=46&t=ZuxQqtEnM9ItmlxOIWOy9A

You can just see the arm talent on Howell.

 

[Stewey]

When Kenny is level and steps into his throws he’s accurate. Rodgers needed clean pockets too and he was accurate. Guys like Mahomes and Howell make throws from all different angles. Kenny is not going to be that type of QB.

Watch this on Howell.

https://x.com/nextgenstats/status/1722031729148399850?s=46&t=ZuxQqtEnM9ItmlxOIWOy9A

Watch this on Pickett.

https://x.com/nfl/status/1722350780030865603?s=46&t=ZuxQqtEnM9ItmlxOIWOy9A

You can just see the arm talent on Howell.

You must have a keen eye for QB play. I can't see that much of a difference. Picketts throws looked pretty impressive to me.