The elephant in the room...

[JupiterBnG]

So, I haven't seen much talk about this since Monday night, but....


What the **** was up with Suisham's kickoffs? One of them barely made it to the Tennessee 20. No height, no hang time. Was he saving his leg for the FG attempt, or what?

Pretty sure we recently signed him to a multi-year deal, but seriously, there isn't ANYONE available that can kick it just a little bit better?

 

[ark steel]

They initially were kicking with the seeming intention of making sure the ball hit the ground before it go to a returner. That direction, I think, was against the wind at the beginning so may have been the reason for those kickoffs rather than knowingly getting kicks that would get hung up and be even shorter?

 

[BAS]

One kick went out of the endzone, but it just barely made it across the goal line before going out of bounds. I think once that happened, it was probably a cautionary thing with the cold and wind of the night.

 

[Superman]

it was windy as hell. depending on which direction you're referring to, the kick could have either sailed out of the endzone entirely, somewhere around the 10 or by hedging bets to kick it low and under the wind coming off the river.

 

[bigtwnvin]

Tomlins "unleashing hell" game planning.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Sushi has a tendency to kick lower with distance kicks. These kind of kicks usually are fielded before the coverage team can get there. They give the returner a better chance of some kind of return. That said and with the wind, I think they said lower and slower, giving personal a better chance of coverage.



Salute the nation

 

[Steel Truckin]

How many times have you seen him kick it out of the end zone compared to the opponent's kicker? Not very many. Dude has a weak leg. That's why their opponents routinely get the ball on the 30+ after kickoffs.

 

[MT~Forged]

If i am the coach, I have someone who will put it through the EZ EVERY TIME. I don't care if it is 5 ft above the players heads on a line drive. make them go 80 yds EVERY TIME, as opposed to 60-70 80% of the time.

We have a "Special" Long snapper, why not a "Special" long kicker also? so what if we do not have that "game Changing" #53 player

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Tomlins "unleashing hell" game planning.

Must've worked because we eventually WON the game. So, I'll take that over the alternative.

 

[bermudasteel]

Tomlins "unleashing hell" game planning.

"Objection, Your Honor - relevance???"

 

[bermudasteel]

How many times have you seen him kick it out of the end zone compared to the opponent's kicker? Not very many. Dude has a weak leg. That's why their opponents routinely get the ball on the 30+ after kickoffs.

Did we win the game???

 

[Wingman]

Did we win the game???

I will have to invoke relevance as well, wining or not, has no bearing on the desire to improve an area of the team, either coaching or players deemed to be a weakness by members of the message board. Mt is in agreement with this as well or he would not constantly be making comments about trying to improve and fix things he considers faults.

 

[CoolieMan]

so was the titans kicker getting any touchbacks? I don't remember any...seems like our guy was attempting a return on every kickoff.....so the weather is the most likely culprit

 

[Ron Burgundy]

A couple teams use the punter to kick off. I think it's worth trying. Or hell, it's one position Deebo hasn't tried yet.

 

[Hineswardkickedurpanzyass]

I am almost always the debbie downer in the room. so with that said. Get a ******* grip dude. Sushi is the least of our problems. Dude is money on FGs and while he doesn't put it out of the endzone it isnt like we are giving up many tds on kickoffs. just my perspective. #therightperspective

 

[steelgumby]

I've always thought there should be a FG kicker and a long kicker. My son is a kicker in a youth league, he actually trains with a good friend of ours who is a kicker at a large college. Our friend explained why my son is great at kickoff and ok at FG. It has something to do with the "step over" during the kick, on the kick off you almost do a jump skip after the foot goes across. You do this on FG too, but on FG you are focused more on accuracy so it doesn't come off as well.

 

[JupiterBnG]

I've always thought there should be a FG kicker and a long kicker. My son is a kicker in a youth league, he actually trains with a good friend of ours who is a kicker at a large college. Our friend explained why my son is great at kickoff and ok at FG. It has something to do with the "step over" during the kick, on the kick off you almost do a jump skip after the foot goes across. You do this on FG too, but on FG you are focused more on accuracy so it doesn't come off as well.

It's certainly not the same thing kicking a FG and kicking off, but given that kickers don't really have a lot of other responsibilities, or plays to memorize and practice, it doesn't seem like it should be too much to ask that they can do both at least passably, and hopefully one or both exceptionally well.

Succop got 3 of 5 kickoffs into the end zone, with no touchbacks, Suisham had 2 of 6 in the endzone, with only his first kickoff being a touchback. Both teams returned 5 kicks, with the Steelers getting 123 return yards and the Titans getting 124 return yards. The more important thing is that the average starting field position after kickoffs was the 30 for Tennessee, and the 23 for the Steelers, although if you don't count the penalty assessed against the Steelers on the second TN kickoff, it would be the 26. But then, I don't think there's been a Steeler game in the last 10 years where the Steelers weren't penalized on at least ONE special teams play.

Bottom line is there's a direct correlation between kicking off deeper, and the opponent starting with poorer field position. Even if Suisham had kicked 6 touchbacks by kicking line drives, it would have been a 10-yard improvement on Tennessee's average starting position, and that might be the difference in a game.

 

[Steelerfan]

So, I haven't seen much talk about this since Monday night, but....


What the **** was up with Suisham's kickoffs? One of them barely made it to the Tennessee 20. No height, no hang time. Was he saving his leg for the FG attempt, or what?

Pretty sure we recently signed him to a multi-year deal, but seriously, there isn't ANYONE available that can kick it just a little bit better?

Suisham sucks! We should have Archer in there. Tomlin doesn't know how to use players effectively. Lack of planning for kick offs, balls barely making the end zone...fire Tomlin now!

 

[Ike Kelly]

Was at the game. Fundamentally it's physics 101. Temps were in the mid 20's, wind varied from 11-15 mph the entire night. Wind chill was listed mid teens. Distance dramatically reduced because of the cold. Whiz and Tomlin was wanting hang time rather than distance on the kick offs. Suisham's 49 yard FG (our first score) was at the warmest time of the game...and it was friggin snowing. One thing for sure. Wheaton should be the KR. He has no delay or hesitation during his run backs.

 

[Ike Kelly]

One more thing....no one would be kicking 8 yards deep in temps like that, not even Janikowski during his heyday.

 

[Drink IRON City]

A couple teams use the punter to kick off. I think it's worth trying. Or hell, it's one position Deebo hasn't tried yet.

You fuicktard, debo is NOT a kicker, he'll tell yaz that right up front. Don't you know he is a long snapper / TE . Anything else will cost yaz extra!!!!!! (sarcasm for the slower ones)



Salute the nation

 

[SteelerFan448]

Suisham's kicks were by design and if the coverage team was even average, the Titans would have started around the 20-22 yard line. No discipline or tackling ability on that end, but Suisham's kicks were well executed.

 

[Southern Burgh]

By design or not.. it's frustrating to constantly watch them get to or around the 30-40 yard line. Might as well just kick it 15 yards into the opposing players bench and see if you can peg a coach with it. They get a penalty and the ball is placed at the 40 and injury is averted. They practically got it at the 40 a couple times during the game anyway. It'd of been a hell of lot more entertaining to see someone get pegged in the face with a 15 degree football than to sit on the edge of my seat waiting for them to break away from the 1 person able to tackle on special teams.

 

[Wingman]

You fuicktard, debo is NOT a kicker, he'll tell yaz that right up front. Don't you know he is a long snapper / TE . Anything else will cost yaz extra!!!!!! (sarcasm for the slower ones)



Salute the nation

Since I have witnessed his one long snap in a game I would put the emphasis on LONG, the punter had that sucker go way over his head and could have likely caught it 10 or more yards to the rear of his location.

 

[Drink IRON City]

Since I have witnessed his one long snap in a game I would put the emphasis on LONG, the punter had that sucker go way over his head and could have likely caught it 10 or more yards to the rear of his location.

Not disputing his ability of good or bad, you just get what you pay for. Not a dis on Jamesy boy, as the money wasn't there !!!!!!!!!! LOL



Salute the nation