Parting Shots to the 2019 Season

[Saboteur]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

 

[gary2]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

Nice summary. Noticed the gloves, think he plays better with them.

 

[upj87]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall... Thanks for that as the word apropos does not even come close to covering it for me... I'm thinking, win or lose, I gotta go to work tomorrow and I'm not going to be able to get to sleep either way this turns out...

 

[oldpantherfan]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

How about just enjoy the darn win !
Narduzzi said the team will enjoy the win for more than 24 hours and he and the coaches won't meet to analyze the season until Jan 2 why not do the same ?

 

[mbe 34]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

This program is going nowhere without a commitment from the top. Don’t see that coming. 7-8 wins and a low level bowl is the norm. Duzz has not improved anything. He’s not a top 20 coach. Game last night was entertaining but overall the product on the field is very very average. Pitt is the forever top 30-45 team. I’ll always be a big fan but the decades of mediocrity have lessened my enthusiasm. It’s another “wait till next year” - and next year never comes.

 

[kma0043]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

Regarding point number 4: Wayne immediately reminds me of a Mike Shanahan (wr during wanny era). Not fast or flashy, but a good sized target with dependable hands.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

How about just enjoy the darn win !
Narduzzi said the team will enjoy the win for more than 24 hours and he and the coaches won't meet to analyze the season until Jan 2 why not do the same ?

That's the part that worries me....Narduzzi analyzing the season. I have very little confidence that he knows what he'll be looking at or how to fix it. Because it starts with him.

 

[gary2]

Regarding point number 4: Wayne immediately reminds me of a Mike Shanahan (wr during wanny era). Not fast or flashy, but a good sized target with dependable hands.

What I like about Wayne is that he gets open.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

Good post.

 

[Saboteur]

How about just enjoy the darn win !
Narduzzi said the team will enjoy the win for more than 24 hours and he and the coaches won't meet to analyze the season until Jan 2 why not do the same ?

Why don't I do the same as Narduzzi? That's easy to answer.
I don't make the millions of dollars he does.

 

[sonofabit]

Nice to see full scale DL subs like Green and Bentley but I don't believe they're in great shape to look at them...Disappointed not to see Kancey play given Duzz's remarks last week. Roster is full of 300 lb plus linemen who can at least compete a series here and there. Bodes well for future.

 

[Chescat]

Why don't I do the same as Narduzzi? That's easy to answer.
I don't make the millions of dollars he does.
What's your next question?[/QUOTE

You're wasting your time asking this guy a question calling for a logical
answer. He has a problem with anyone on here who dares question or
criticizes the program, the coaches, or the players.

 

[Pittisit4me]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

Nice post. I agree with all of it. That said, I do have a couple of comments.

On #2) This is huge. Narduzzi does need to learn from the mistakes. I am hoping he and the staff can get together and address the overall weaknesses of the team and get a plan in place to fix things. Tops on the list of fixing: 1) special teams specifically return team
2) Discipline/penalties - He doesn't have to make it so the kids can't have any fun, but, he has to get through to them so that celebrations like last night happen on the sideline, not out on the field.
3) Balance on offense - We went from a team that couldn't pass to a team that couldn't run in one season. I understand that you want to give attention to your weakness, but, you can't abandon a strength in order to right a wrong.

I think this staff can be better with more experience and better recruiting. The recruiting appears to be improved albeit a small class. If the coaches can make that same improvement and can come up with some solid in game adjustments we could win 9 or ten next year especially if we get all our injured kids back.

On #3) Kenny could be a pretty good QB. That said, he is still too quick to vacate the pocket even when there is one. He still holds the ball to long and takes drive killing sacks because of it. Also, he is a little to robotic, often sticking with the primary even if the play is diagnosed. Last night I saw him throw to ffrench on a 3rd and 4 i think, when the play was covered and our guy on the other side of the formation was being played at about 10 yards off. He needs to see that and see the entire field better.
He could be a very solid QB in a balanced offense. That is what we need to be and the number one priority for Whipple and the staff- we must be balanced.

Lastly, on #6) Our O-line has been bad and we have not been able to run the football. Other than Morrissey, the kids are all pretty young. Therefore, I am hoping that experience will mean growth. Any time you are talking about Pitt football you have to have hope. It has been 38 straight years of dashed hopes, so like many on here, I am reluctant to get excited about next year, however, as a diehard Pitt fan, do I really have a choice?

 

[DruidTM]

2019 is done and my day is a helluva lot better than I envisioned it being for the first 59 minutes and 13 seconds of last night's game.

A man in his 50s whose mood depends upon what a bunch of kids do the night before is a little strange, but not a bad vice overall.

My random thoughts.

1. Heather Lyke is a polished pro. Watch her press conference pre-game and juxtapose that to her predecessor. Night and day.

2. PN needs to learn from his mistakes. Being a HC means he has to manage first his staff and then his players. The thuggery of 2019 IMHO cost us 2 Ws in that it translated into stupid penalties such as the celebration penalty after the Hamlin INT. That stupid move cost us 4 points. PN needs to be tutored in leadership.

3. KP wore gloves last night and I think you'll see more of that. He is a good QB. He could be very good, but the receivers have to catch the ball.

4. Number 82 is an old soul and will be a star next year. Was I the only one who noticed him protect the football on his TD? Wise young man.

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

6. Whether I like it or not, our OLine is physically and mentally soft. I don't think we recruit Baby Huey types...can we get some bad ass back?

7. Stop now with on field celebrations. Now!

8. Any new OC is going to have transition issues so I am not as down on Whipple as are some.....BUT...he has some head scratching calls that need to end AND stop having the QB leave his team and run to the sidelines. Get a signal system in place.

9. We continue to be less than the sum of our parts. Recruiting well is a first step, but the bigger step is to make the most of what you have. We did that in only one phase in '19: our defense. You cannot underperform in 2 of 3 phases and hope to be better than mediocre.

10. Unless and until we overachieve, we will continue to be the butt of Pittsburgh media wisecracks. It is human nature when your older brother and roommate (Steelers) have that kind of pedigree and clout. I don't like 93.7 any more than you all, but I sure as hell can tolerate a buffoon with a headset more than I do losing games we COULD win.

11. H2P

#8...? Why?

Pitt in the past had delay of game penalties constantly

It wasn’t a problem this year

So I completely disagree

 

[California Panther]

5. 2019 was the year of the special teams collapse. Wishing and praying for better results won't work. We need to change our approach.

5.(A) Kickoff returns are now about the most worthless and waste of actual time, not game time, situations in the college game. Even if the KO doesn't make the end zone, you fair catch and take it at the 25, why not just give the ball at the 25 after every score and do away with the fraud of a kickoff? Of course then how do you do onsides kicks?
5.(B) Don't know if these stats are available anywhere, but let's talk about punt returns. Would you bet that we had more "let the punt bounce and roll and us lose 10-20 yards because of this" than we had positive yardage punt returns all year? We definitely did last night.

 

[sonofabit]

5.(A) Kickoff returns are now about the most worthless and waste of actual time, not game time, situations in the college game. Even if the KO doesn't make the end zone, you fair catch and take it at the 25, why not just give the ball at the 25 after every score and do away with the fraud of a kickoff? Of course then how do you do onsides kicks?
5.(B) Don't know if these stats are available anywhere, but let's talk about punt returns. Would you bet that we had more "let the punt bounce and roll and us lose 10-20 yards because of this" than we had positive yardage punt returns all year? We definitely did last night.

5B I'm thinking the staff orders the back-off approach in tight games. To them catching a punt is a risk. What else could it be?

 

[Saboteur]

5.(A) Kickoff returns are now about the most worthless and waste of actual time, not game time, situations in the college game. Even if the KO doesn't make the end zone, you fair catch and take it at the 25, why not just give the ball at the 25 after every score and do away with the fraud of a kickoff? Of course then how do you do onsides kicks?
5.(B) Don't know if these stats are available anywhere, but let's talk about punt returns. Would you bet that we had more "let the punt bounce and roll and us lose 10-20 yards because of this" than we had positive yardage punt returns all year? We definitely did last night.

Agree on kicks and YES, I will bet my left nut we let punts roll for more yards than any team.

 

[Saboteur]

5B I'm thinking the staff orders the back-off approach in tight games. To them catching a punt is a risk. What else could it be?

They need to change their approach.

 

[PittFathead87]

I am also in my 50s and agree with just about everything in OP.

I think we need to cut the undisciplined pre-snap penalties. Very annoying and are drive killers. Regarding DPI penalties and some of the personal fouls, I get the feeling Narduzzi is ok with SOME of those. It’s part of the toughness of his defense. But even he grew weary of the stupid personal fouls down the stretch. Some of these penalties extended drives and were totally unnecessary given the play.

I hope the OL can mature a lot next year, but it’s probably my greatest area of concern.

I think Kenny can be really good in this offense. Maybe some of these young WR make an impact and mature a bit. Love Wayne and Shocky can be a good one with more strength and maturity/experience. I do worry that Kenny fluctuates between not staying in the pocket long enough and taking really bad sacks. His awareness isn’t great sometimes. But he threw a few really strong passes as he was getting drilled last night. He’s a tough one.

Last thought I have that I need to research more. Seems we were gouged by the running game down the stretch. Obvious against BC and a lot last night. Need to look back at VA Tech and some of the other games. Not sure of the stats but it feels that way to me.

I am hopeful and will now have 4 season tickets next year. Can’t wait. Son coming back from school to join us at the games again.

Do i wish we would have had a win like UNC did today? Of course. But I sure will enjoy this win all offseason, especially how things have ended with our bowl performances this decade!!

Here’s to a new decade - H2P!!!

 

[303vND]

What thuggery?