1. We said it throughout the last week: If you keep playing these games close, eventually it will catch up with you. There will be a week when the opponent scores 28 or 30, and you'll need to answer or it will bite you. Yesterday, it bit Pitt.
2. Discipline means different things but when you have 5 offsides pens (& they lead to 17 pts) you're lacking in that department. It's right up there with the offensive procedure pens: focus/discipline. The other guy may be more talented but you can't lose because of discipline
3. We keep saying the offense looks too much like 2019; yesterday the defense looked too much like 2016, especially on the final drive. I don't think they were exposed, but they did show that they're mortal. And they have plenty to clean up.
4. I also don't think the defense was overrated. Louisville had a very good offense & they shut the Cardinals down. I won't be surprised in the least if/when they bounce back this week against Boston College.
5. Kenny Pickett played a great game yesterday. I said during the week that he needed to be better in the pocket, and he was. He stood tall and found receivers downfield. Pickett didn't make every pass, but he made a lot of them and looked as good as he has in his career.
6. Pickett threw for 411 yards but it should have been more. Pro Football Focus credited Pitt's WRs w/4 drops but I count more than that. Taysir Mack had at least 3 on his own. This offense can't afford to waste plays like that. It's not good enough to overcome that.
7. Pitt doesn't have Barry Sanders and Walter Payton at running back, but even those guys would have struggled to run consistently yesterday. There just weren't many openings, and this OL's inability to run-block doesn't seem like it's going to get better.
8. That's especially true in those goal line situations. "Why did Whipple call that play?" Because he doesn't believe his offense can line up & run forward for a yard. Do you blame him? They haven't shown that they can do it. The QB sneaks were the best they could do in those spots
9. In the big picture, the concern is about losing games you should win - and how that has been happening more recently. you don't find many losses like that in 2015, 2016, 2017. But UNC/Stanford in 2018, Miami/BC 2019 & now this - it's a troubling trend.
10. And if that trend & those losses are tied to matters of discipline, not just talent, then there are some real issues that will dog this team all year. They're good enough to win games, but not good enough to play that sloppy and get away with it. Coaching staff has to clean it up
2. Discipline means different things but when you have 5 offsides pens (& they lead to 17 pts) you're lacking in that department. It's right up there with the offensive procedure pens: focus/discipline. The other guy may be more talented but you can't lose because of discipline
3. We keep saying the offense looks too much like 2019; yesterday the defense looked too much like 2016, especially on the final drive. I don't think they were exposed, but they did show that they're mortal. And they have plenty to clean up.
4. I also don't think the defense was overrated. Louisville had a very good offense & they shut the Cardinals down. I won't be surprised in the least if/when they bounce back this week against Boston College.
5. Kenny Pickett played a great game yesterday. I said during the week that he needed to be better in the pocket, and he was. He stood tall and found receivers downfield. Pickett didn't make every pass, but he made a lot of them and looked as good as he has in his career.
6. Pickett threw for 411 yards but it should have been more. Pro Football Focus credited Pitt's WRs w/4 drops but I count more than that. Taysir Mack had at least 3 on his own. This offense can't afford to waste plays like that. It's not good enough to overcome that.
7. Pitt doesn't have Barry Sanders and Walter Payton at running back, but even those guys would have struggled to run consistently yesterday. There just weren't many openings, and this OL's inability to run-block doesn't seem like it's going to get better.
8. That's especially true in those goal line situations. "Why did Whipple call that play?" Because he doesn't believe his offense can line up & run forward for a yard. Do you blame him? They haven't shown that they can do it. The QB sneaks were the best they could do in those spots
9. In the big picture, the concern is about losing games you should win - and how that has been happening more recently. you don't find many losses like that in 2015, 2016, 2017. But UNC/Stanford in 2018, Miami/BC 2019 & now this - it's a troubling trend.
10. And if that trend & those losses are tied to matters of discipline, not just talent, then there are some real issues that will dog this team all year. They're good enough to win games, but not good enough to play that sloppy and get away with it. Coaching staff has to clean it up
