Kovacevic: Fichtner looks increasingly clueless ?

[DKPittsburghSports]

"House money" was what David DeCastro called it in our conversation a couple weeks ago in Cincinnati, and I'll be damned if he didn't nail it.
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[Hines57]

They forgot to run the ball and they forgot what the middle of the field looks like in the passing game.

 

[xjx]

Fichner play calls and scheme is a failure. He is predictable and he lacks ingenuity. There has to be plays that could be schemed up to get a reciever in single coverage.......but no.....Fichner calls only canned plays that opponents have seen before.

 

[thesteelcity]

Fichtner without Ben exposed his short comings. Add Duck to the mix and they become glaring.

 

[xjx]

They can send Fichner to be oc on the Bengals next year.

 

[Spike]

They ran the ball when everybody knew they were running and threw the ball when everyone knew it was gonna be a pass, whata plan

Conner had 8 carries, but yeah, that wildcat....

 

[bmoritz]

So........................once again it falls on a coordinator alone? The head guy escapes culpability? Gotcha.

 

[thesteelcity]

They ran the ball when everybody knew they were running and threw the ball when everyone knew it was gonna be a pass, whata plan

Conner had 8 carries, but yeah, that wildcat....

the wildcat was stupid but throwing it up to their corners was just as asinine. We don't have the WRs or arm to pull that off against one of the best Ds in the NFL. Their gameplan was ****.

I feel bad for the D. They played great and was put in some bad positions.

 

[mightyguru]

So........................once again it falls on a coordinator alone? The head guy escapes culpability? Gotcha.

Did you read the article? Tomlin does not escape criticism.

 

[Muddler]

Well, that Wildcat call was worse than clueless. Connor ( after sitting for weeks and to my knowledge having no game day experience with the play) handing it to fumble prone DJ? In the redzone? Whoever came up with that gem and called it at that time deserves a public flogging.

 

[Coryea]

Well, that Wildcat call was worse than clueless. Connor ( after sitting for weeks and to my knowledge having no game day experience with the play) handing it to fumble prone DJ? In the redzone? Whoever came up with that gem and called it at that time deserves a public flogging.

That came after the two minute warning, so Tomlin had final say that play. Coming off a 2 minute warning timeout, in the red zone, they had time to decide what they wanted to do, Tomlin has the final say there for sure.

 

[Roy92040]

He's looking more and more like Todd Haley.

 

[mdk2]

He's looking more and more like Todd Haley.

Fichtner makes me miss Haley.

 

[Steelworth]

They forgot to run the ball and they forgot what the middle of the field looks like in the passing game.

And with a QB who's arm strength is questionable, they're running longer-developing go and out routes. What happened to slants/crossing routes?

 

[Coryea]

Hmmmm it's funny we want the OC constantly run out of town since Tomlin has gotten here, first BA, then Haley, now Fichtner, who is the one constant, hmmmmmm?

Tomlin has a lot of say in the offense, go back 3 or 4 seasons in Baltimore, the game is close going into the second half, we're being ultra conservative, Baltimore is up by 3 and not doing a whole lot either, then Baltimore got hot and scored on two straight drives, we finally open it up in the 4th and Ben throws for almost 200 yards in the 4th, but it's to late and we lose.
After the game Tomlin was asked about playing so conservative, his response, "well they weren't doing much either so we were content in our play" Ben was asked about the offense opening it up, and he said "I would've liked to have opened it up earlier"

So the 100 million dollar Franchise QB wasn't allowed to open the offense up, that means the OC wasn't allowed to open it.
Mike Tomlin had final say.

 

[Hines57]

And with a QB who's arm strength is questionable, they're running longer-developing go and out routes. What happened to slants/crossing routes?

These are the routes we need to run. The more Duck has to think the more room he has to make mistakes. We saw the same thing with Rudolph when he was dropping and waiting for a receiver to get open. They need to drop and pass. The game plan may work with Ben as QB, but Ben isn't playing.

 

[Steeltime]

These are the routes we need to run. The more Duck has to think the more room he has to make mistakes. We saw the same thing with Rudolph when he was dropping and waiting for a receiver to get open. They need to drop and pass. The game plan may work with Ben as QB, but Ben isn't playing.

Agreed. The gif with the Kovacevic article shows four Steelers receivers running routes. Three run out about 5 yards and stop 3 yard short of the 1st down. Holton does that WR screen thing with no blocking and that is who Hodges throws the ball to.

How about having receivers on the move and challenging for a first down? Just a thought ...

 

[Coryea]

Agreed. The gif with the Kovacevic article shows four Steelers receivers running routes. Three run out about 5 yards and stop 3 yard short of the 1st down. Holton does that WR screen thing with no blocking and that is who Hodges throws the ball to.

How about having receivers on the move and challenging for a first down? Just a thought ...

If I remember correctly, if anyone has the game recorded, I think Hodges audibles to that, i'm pretty sure that was that play, unless he was killing the original play, not sure.

 

[MT~Forged]

I have said this for years, MT is not a cerebral coach. Meaning that he is not truly an X’s and O’s Guy. I believe HE THINKS HE IS, but history is not on his side. When you have this type of management personality, you tend to not hire those who are obviously smarter than yourself. If you do have those assistants that are smarter, they tend to leave when they get tired of putting up with the ineptitude, example LeBeau and Munch. The HC doesn’t have to be the best coach at EVERY position, but his EGO has to be able to accept that and help those that are better excel at their jobs.

 

[Steeler Pride]

I have said this for years, MT is not a cerebral coach. Meaning that he is not truly an X’s and O’s Guy. I believe HE THINKS HE IS, but history is not on his side. When you have this type of management personality, you tend to not hire those who are obviously smarter than yourself. If you do have those assistants that are smarter, they tend to leave when they get tired of putting up with the ineptitude, example LeBeau and Munch. The HC doesn’t have to be the best coach at EVERY position, but his EGO has to be able to accept that and help those that are better excel at their jobs.

There is a reason that almost any successful business owner says that if you want to be successful you hire people that are better and smarter than you. If Butler and Fichtner are smarter or better than Tomlin, God help him.

 

[str8liner]

At this point I am afraid we are going to be stuck with Tomlin for awhile again so I will take the next best thing and say fire Fichtner.

 

[madinsomniac]

He's looking more and more like Todd Haley.

Nope... not even close... haley understood blocking schemes... he is mike malarkey... doesn’t get the full intricacies of an offensive scheme and enamored with random gimmicks... there is no cohesion to the offense... and the QB isn’t the root cause

 

[madinsomniac]

There is a reason that almost any successful business owner says that if you want to be successful you hire people that are better and smarter than you. If Butler and Fichtner are smarter or better than Tomlin, God help him.

Butler is a heck of a LB coach... he might be out of his depth calling defensive plays though...
Fitchner is an average position coach... both are probably nepotism hires...

 

[stuntmanmike]

there is a reason no one has ever inquired about hiring these jack ***** to coach elsewhere they suck!!!

 

[madinsomniac]

So do a wiki search for coaching trees of every head coach in the league a decade or more and then compare it to HCMT... like his coaching tree is bruce arians... a guy forced off his staff for failing to construct a useful oline for years...