RECAP RECAP RECAP RECAP RECAP
Since everyone thinks I'm this miserable negative nancy I'll start with the positives.
Positives:
••Pickett had a decent game. I hesitate to call it improvement yet, but I give him credit and congrats on a career yardage day.
••Defense. Pitt has a complete set of linebackers for the first time in over a decade. Kylan Johnson is an NFL player and Cam Bright is off to a great start to his career. Pitt has 3 or 4 Pros in its secondary right now. Jackson, Mathis, Pinnock are pros, Ford has that talent and I wouldn't be surprised to see him there. Alexandre, Haba, Twyman, and Danielson are good players and they are yooouuunnnngggg still. Pitt's DL should be loaded for the next 2-3 years at least.
••Randy Bates and the defensive staff and Narduzzi deserve a lot of credit for this D. For once the defense looks consistently prepared and active for all 4 quarters of a game. About time right. It is not a great defense. 30 points in that opener wasn't great. But its a good defense with the chance to be great late in the season and next year as the front 4 develops.
••Whipple has put together a really good scheme for these guys. They have to execute better and thats on him but the plays are there to be made. One of these days the players will actually make the plays and we'll see a massive game.
••The Davis' can be productive backs if given the holes. They both have varying degrees of wiggle and be used in the passing game as well
••OL cleaned up the pass pro a lot and finally got some push in the run game. HAVE to build on that.
Negatives:
••Slow start again.
••Where are the second half adjustments? Starting slow and being outplayed in second halves are no doubt indicators of being out coached. You can call me a hater for that, but its not dumb bad luck that these are recurring issues at this point in Narduzzi's tenure. And that declined penalty??
••Off the top of my head, I can think of 5 surefire no doubt touchdowns that were left on the field if a simple play is made that a p5 player should make. Ffrench had the edge on his one big punt return WIDE OPEN and he had a massive lane on the one screen, both plays he inexplicable decided to dance around instead of simply hitting the jets. Pickett had an overthrow deep where either Ffrench or Mack beat their guy by 10 yards. Gragg dropped a tud on that Pickett scramble and the dropped int. You can beat Ohio leaving those out there, but as we saw in week 1, you aren't beating a good p5 team like that.
••Special teams. Ffrench, just catch the damn ball. What happened to Kessman? This crap needs figured out ASAP.
Since everyone thinks I'm this miserable negative nancy I'll start with the positives.
Positives:
••Pickett had a decent game. I hesitate to call it improvement yet, but I give him credit and congrats on a career yardage day.
••Defense. Pitt has a complete set of linebackers for the first time in over a decade. Kylan Johnson is an NFL player and Cam Bright is off to a great start to his career. Pitt has 3 or 4 Pros in its secondary right now. Jackson, Mathis, Pinnock are pros, Ford has that talent and I wouldn't be surprised to see him there. Alexandre, Haba, Twyman, and Danielson are good players and they are yooouuunnnngggg still. Pitt's DL should be loaded for the next 2-3 years at least.
••Randy Bates and the defensive staff and Narduzzi deserve a lot of credit for this D. For once the defense looks consistently prepared and active for all 4 quarters of a game. About time right. It is not a great defense. 30 points in that opener wasn't great. But its a good defense with the chance to be great late in the season and next year as the front 4 develops.
••Whipple has put together a really good scheme for these guys. They have to execute better and thats on him but the plays are there to be made. One of these days the players will actually make the plays and we'll see a massive game.
••The Davis' can be productive backs if given the holes. They both have varying degrees of wiggle and be used in the passing game as well
••OL cleaned up the pass pro a lot and finally got some push in the run game. HAVE to build on that.
Negatives:
••Slow start again.
••Where are the second half adjustments? Starting slow and being outplayed in second halves are no doubt indicators of being out coached. You can call me a hater for that, but its not dumb bad luck that these are recurring issues at this point in Narduzzi's tenure. And that declined penalty??
••Off the top of my head, I can think of 5 surefire no doubt touchdowns that were left on the field if a simple play is made that a p5 player should make. Ffrench had the edge on his one big punt return WIDE OPEN and he had a massive lane on the one screen, both plays he inexplicable decided to dance around instead of simply hitting the jets. Pickett had an overthrow deep where either Ffrench or Mack beat their guy by 10 yards. Gragg dropped a tud on that Pickett scramble and the dropped int. You can beat Ohio leaving those out there, but as we saw in week 1, you aren't beating a good p5 team like that.
••Special teams. Ffrench, just catch the damn ball. What happened to Kessman? This crap needs figured out ASAP.
