1.) Let's start with the positivity since there isn't much to be positive about: the defense. Every week, I read on here about how Pitt is going to "need 40" to win because they won't be able to stop Tennessee, or Malik Cunningham, or so on... and they just keep performing really well. The VT performance was a bit iffy in the 1st half, and I guess Rhode Island (I never watched the full game), but overall, the defense has been good enough to be 7-0 frankly. A pretty impressive performance to mostly shut down Cunningham and give up 17 points. You'd think you'd win every game in modern college football if you only give up 17.
2.) Okay.... Cignetti. Here's where it gets a little complicated IMO. As a starting point, everybody wants to just take the easy route and complain that it's a "pro-style" "running" offense because Narduzzi is a "Big 10 gym coach" blah blah blah. These takes are a bit lazy. Pitt's best offensive players are Izzy, Hammond, and Bartholomew. I don't really think that's a debate. So what does any good OC do? He designs and installs an offense to get his best players the ball as much as possible. We currently have like 3 scholarship WRs even ready to play and they aren't anything special so.... hard for me to think we'd benefit from primarily playing out of 4 WR sets and throwing 40 times a game. Given our current personnel, I think we are probably best served being a "running" team and using the pass game to complement this.
3.) The issue is that the passing game is terrible. Slovis seems to make the wrong read almost every time. Guy open in the flat? Throws it deep into double coverage. Guys wide open downfield? Checkdown for a 2 yard gain. WRs don't know where to lineup. What reads to make. Etc. Just really bad. We don't even need to be overly explosive in the pass game with how good Izzy/Hammond are to win the Coastal. A purely functional passing game and we're likely 10-2.
4.) So I don't really know if it's the play calling that's the issue. We're running a lot to get the ball in our best players hands. We're running some play action to give some easy reads to Slovis, etc.
5.) The absolute biggest issue with Cignetti right now is two things: QB play and the fact that everybody looks lost.
6.) QB play: A bad game here or there falls on the players. When you consistently look bad, it falls on the coach. There either has to be another option that can be better OR you have to put him in positions to succeed. Either way, you can't keep trotting him out there looking lost. That ultimately falls on the OC (and then eventually the HC).
7.) The disorganization is what really drives me nuts. I mean we come out and it seems at least 1 player is in the wrong spot every play. We break the huddle with like 11 seconds on the play clock. Have to use TOs to avoid delay of games. False starts. Just a mess. "Coaching" is an easy but lame excuse for a lot but those issues are direct coaching issues... and something that absolutely need to be cleaned up before the end of the season or I'd be looking for a new OC in a couple months.
8.) With that said, the players do need to execute. I mean the 1H gameplay was honestly pretty good. If Hammond doesn't fumble and Slovis doesn't force terrible throws, we're up at least 9 at the half. Even if we get FGs on all those possessions we likely still win pretty easily. Same with V Davis in the GT game.
9.) Unless you have an absolute gunslinger who's willing to stand in the pocket and take hits and toss it around, it's almost a necessity to have a QB who can pick up a first down with his legs. We DESPERATELY miss that this year. So many times there's a wide open lane on 3rd and short/mid and Slovis either forces something or checks it down and we don't get it. You don't need Lamar speed but you have to have someone who can get you a first. Kenny did that so often. Actually heard this was something OCFC was frustrated with, the lack of scrambling ability of Slovis.
10.) The wildcat was a nice wrinkle I guess.... but it begs the question of if we need to run it that much... we're basically saying our QB is useless. After a few plays, the defense catches on without any threat of pass. If we have that little trust in Slovis but still feel he's our best QB, why not add in a few "wildcat" like packages with Patti in at QB... I know he's not fast or anything but he's at least scrappy and can run or throw. Slovis is a better passer but if we're just going to run rollout playactions and quick throws, can't Patti do that? With him in there you at least have a few more play call options. I'd like to see a package with Patti at QB and Izzy on one side of him and Hammond on the other.
11.) Kenny deserves some criticism for some of his decisions last night but I actually came away pretty impressed. I thought he handled the blitz really well which can be tough for young QBs. Seemed comfortable knowing where to go with the football. It's a lot easier to fix a few dumb decisions which will lessen as the game slows down for him than it is to teach to handle a blitz and progressions. Just remains to be seen how he'll be in the intermediate/deep passing game at the next level once the Steelers finally get a new OC.
12.) Our offensive staff could definitely use a refresh at this point. Defensive staff is really solid and.... gets really good results. It's easy to sit back and point at Powell and Borbs as the obvious targets and maybe it indeed should be them... but either way, just seems stale. Need a change even if it's just for change sake.
13.) Narduzzi develops players, builds a strong culture, and has a good defense. Those things keep the floor of a program relatively high and tend to keep you away from the 3-9 type seasons that schools similar to us like GT, UNC, Arizona St, Nebraska, VT, etc. have. Which is why the talk of firing him after every loss is so silly. He's a good coach and fits in well with this job. Instead of trying to replace him after every loss with the 5% chance we find the next hot ticket who will be out of town ASAP, we already have evidence we have an above average coach. Just keep working with him to ensure he has the resources necessary to succeed and ADHL can be sure to evaluate the program each offseason and ensure he's making the best choices for the program (ex - offense moving forward).
14.) If this season really does collapse and the offensive players continue to look disinterested and lost and we go 5-7 or 6-6 - does Narduzzi have it in him to make Cig 1 and done? Not sure it gets that bad but that is something the big time programs would do. Something to think about although not sure we'll get to that point. Next year just seems like a rebuilding year so I'd rather have our OC be the guy we're planning on having around through the rebuild - instead of wasting another year with Cignetti and then firing him after next season.
15.) It's crazy how things feel so hopeless and terrible - and in some ways they are. But it's really simple. As bad as Pitt has looked, if they just didn't turn the ball over the way they are, they'd be 6-1. Or maybe even 7-0. Frustrating for me because we're so close - yet this will probably be a wasted year. Just a shame. Injuries, turnovers, and coaching. Blah.
16.) With that said, we're heading the UNC as 4 point underdogs next week. I've read now for a couple weeks that that game can be chalked up as a loss, we'll lose by 21, etc. etc. Well, Vegas says we're basically equal on a neutral field. So.... if you feel that confident, put your $ where your mouth is and bet on UNC. The thing is, Vegas isn't emotional and doesn't have the Pitt pity that we all have. They think this game is pretty equal and they are probably right. Will be interesting as we will likely score more than we did this week... but so will UNC.
17.) Weird part of our season as there's a pretty reasonable path to 5-7... but we win this game and the Coastal is back as a possibility. Our defense is good enough to win every game - will the offense figure it out, even a little bit? Strangely enough, Narduzzi seems to do best in these spots where it looks like he's down and out.
18.). I won't hold my breath though. Seems like just when one part of the offense gets a rhythm, another lets it down. OC gets in a groove... fumble. Slovis gets in a groove... drop. Running the ball at will... interception. Until the offense can get their head out of their ass and "man up", hard to have much confidence in any particular game being a win.
19.) Beyond just Slovis 's play, he just seems off. Spooked. Maybe this is unfair and/or piling on since he is playing so bad but... we just desperately miss that alpha/confidence that Kenny had. Slovis seems like he's likely a great kid but a little mental.
20.) Will be interesting to see where this team goes next week. At least for me I'm now at the point where I no longer have expectations so the let down won't be quite as bad.... although I have this strange feeling we may win a game or 2 in a row just to get us all back on boards before breaking our hearts against Duke or UVA.
21.) And speaking of Syracuse.... Anae is talked about here as this genius... and he got his best player the ball 10 total times in their biggest game of the year. 5 rushes and 5 catches. And the best part of it is, Tucker's weekly tweet included that he was healthy and ready for more. Not sure what my exact point is here other than being a "couch OC" seems a lot easier than being an actual OC, even for the really good ones. Once again, we notice only the good from other coaches and the bad from our own.
2.) Okay.... Cignetti. Here's where it gets a little complicated IMO. As a starting point, everybody wants to just take the easy route and complain that it's a "pro-style" "running" offense because Narduzzi is a "Big 10 gym coach" blah blah blah. These takes are a bit lazy. Pitt's best offensive players are Izzy, Hammond, and Bartholomew. I don't really think that's a debate. So what does any good OC do? He designs and installs an offense to get his best players the ball as much as possible. We currently have like 3 scholarship WRs even ready to play and they aren't anything special so.... hard for me to think we'd benefit from primarily playing out of 4 WR sets and throwing 40 times a game. Given our current personnel, I think we are probably best served being a "running" team and using the pass game to complement this.
3.) The issue is that the passing game is terrible. Slovis seems to make the wrong read almost every time. Guy open in the flat? Throws it deep into double coverage. Guys wide open downfield? Checkdown for a 2 yard gain. WRs don't know where to lineup. What reads to make. Etc. Just really bad. We don't even need to be overly explosive in the pass game with how good Izzy/Hammond are to win the Coastal. A purely functional passing game and we're likely 10-2.
4.) So I don't really know if it's the play calling that's the issue. We're running a lot to get the ball in our best players hands. We're running some play action to give some easy reads to Slovis, etc.
5.) The absolute biggest issue with Cignetti right now is two things: QB play and the fact that everybody looks lost.
6.) QB play: A bad game here or there falls on the players. When you consistently look bad, it falls on the coach. There either has to be another option that can be better OR you have to put him in positions to succeed. Either way, you can't keep trotting him out there looking lost. That ultimately falls on the OC (and then eventually the HC).
7.) The disorganization is what really drives me nuts. I mean we come out and it seems at least 1 player is in the wrong spot every play. We break the huddle with like 11 seconds on the play clock. Have to use TOs to avoid delay of games. False starts. Just a mess. "Coaching" is an easy but lame excuse for a lot but those issues are direct coaching issues... and something that absolutely need to be cleaned up before the end of the season or I'd be looking for a new OC in a couple months.
8.) With that said, the players do need to execute. I mean the 1H gameplay was honestly pretty good. If Hammond doesn't fumble and Slovis doesn't force terrible throws, we're up at least 9 at the half. Even if we get FGs on all those possessions we likely still win pretty easily. Same with V Davis in the GT game.
9.) Unless you have an absolute gunslinger who's willing to stand in the pocket and take hits and toss it around, it's almost a necessity to have a QB who can pick up a first down with his legs. We DESPERATELY miss that this year. So many times there's a wide open lane on 3rd and short/mid and Slovis either forces something or checks it down and we don't get it. You don't need Lamar speed but you have to have someone who can get you a first. Kenny did that so often. Actually heard this was something OCFC was frustrated with, the lack of scrambling ability of Slovis.
10.) The wildcat was a nice wrinkle I guess.... but it begs the question of if we need to run it that much... we're basically saying our QB is useless. After a few plays, the defense catches on without any threat of pass. If we have that little trust in Slovis but still feel he's our best QB, why not add in a few "wildcat" like packages with Patti in at QB... I know he's not fast or anything but he's at least scrappy and can run or throw. Slovis is a better passer but if we're just going to run rollout playactions and quick throws, can't Patti do that? With him in there you at least have a few more play call options. I'd like to see a package with Patti at QB and Izzy on one side of him and Hammond on the other.
11.) Kenny deserves some criticism for some of his decisions last night but I actually came away pretty impressed. I thought he handled the blitz really well which can be tough for young QBs. Seemed comfortable knowing where to go with the football. It's a lot easier to fix a few dumb decisions which will lessen as the game slows down for him than it is to teach to handle a blitz and progressions. Just remains to be seen how he'll be in the intermediate/deep passing game at the next level once the Steelers finally get a new OC.
12.) Our offensive staff could definitely use a refresh at this point. Defensive staff is really solid and.... gets really good results. It's easy to sit back and point at Powell and Borbs as the obvious targets and maybe it indeed should be them... but either way, just seems stale. Need a change even if it's just for change sake.
13.) Narduzzi develops players, builds a strong culture, and has a good defense. Those things keep the floor of a program relatively high and tend to keep you away from the 3-9 type seasons that schools similar to us like GT, UNC, Arizona St, Nebraska, VT, etc. have. Which is why the talk of firing him after every loss is so silly. He's a good coach and fits in well with this job. Instead of trying to replace him after every loss with the 5% chance we find the next hot ticket who will be out of town ASAP, we already have evidence we have an above average coach. Just keep working with him to ensure he has the resources necessary to succeed and ADHL can be sure to evaluate the program each offseason and ensure he's making the best choices for the program (ex - offense moving forward).
14.) If this season really does collapse and the offensive players continue to look disinterested and lost and we go 5-7 or 6-6 - does Narduzzi have it in him to make Cig 1 and done? Not sure it gets that bad but that is something the big time programs would do. Something to think about although not sure we'll get to that point. Next year just seems like a rebuilding year so I'd rather have our OC be the guy we're planning on having around through the rebuild - instead of wasting another year with Cignetti and then firing him after next season.
15.) It's crazy how things feel so hopeless and terrible - and in some ways they are. But it's really simple. As bad as Pitt has looked, if they just didn't turn the ball over the way they are, they'd be 6-1. Or maybe even 7-0. Frustrating for me because we're so close - yet this will probably be a wasted year. Just a shame. Injuries, turnovers, and coaching. Blah.
16.) With that said, we're heading the UNC as 4 point underdogs next week. I've read now for a couple weeks that that game can be chalked up as a loss, we'll lose by 21, etc. etc. Well, Vegas says we're basically equal on a neutral field. So.... if you feel that confident, put your $ where your mouth is and bet on UNC. The thing is, Vegas isn't emotional and doesn't have the Pitt pity that we all have. They think this game is pretty equal and they are probably right. Will be interesting as we will likely score more than we did this week... but so will UNC.
17.) Weird part of our season as there's a pretty reasonable path to 5-7... but we win this game and the Coastal is back as a possibility. Our defense is good enough to win every game - will the offense figure it out, even a little bit? Strangely enough, Narduzzi seems to do best in these spots where it looks like he's down and out.
18.). I won't hold my breath though. Seems like just when one part of the offense gets a rhythm, another lets it down. OC gets in a groove... fumble. Slovis gets in a groove... drop. Running the ball at will... interception. Until the offense can get their head out of their ass and "man up", hard to have much confidence in any particular game being a win.
19.) Beyond just Slovis 's play, he just seems off. Spooked. Maybe this is unfair and/or piling on since he is playing so bad but... we just desperately miss that alpha/confidence that Kenny had. Slovis seems like he's likely a great kid but a little mental.
20.) Will be interesting to see where this team goes next week. At least for me I'm now at the point where I no longer have expectations so the let down won't be quite as bad.... although I have this strange feeling we may win a game or 2 in a row just to get us all back on boards before breaking our hearts against Duke or UVA.
21.) And speaking of Syracuse.... Anae is talked about here as this genius... and he got his best player the ball 10 total times in their biggest game of the year. 5 rushes and 5 catches. And the best part of it is, Tucker's weekly tweet included that he was healthy and ready for more. Not sure what my exact point is here other than being a "couch OC" seems a lot easier than being an actual OC, even for the really good ones. Once again, we notice only the good from other coaches and the bad from our own.
