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Dillweed interviews Dagger…
By Dillweed | October 31, 2008
OK, I’m going to make this real easy by simply asking Dagger the exact same questions he asked me yesterday. Right back at ya….
Dillweed: Are your Steelers better or worse than your 5-2 record indicates?
Dagger: We’re exactly what our record indicates. A good team, but our lack of offensive identity has kept us from being a great team. If the offense could find their 2005 form and the defense can continue their stellar play, this is an elite team. Unfortunately, the problems with the overall offensive scheme (offensive coordinator, playcalling, shaky offensive line play, no offensive identity, injuries, etc…) have kept us from realizing our true potential thus far. If the offense catches up to the defense by the time the playoffs come around…look out.
Dillweed: What makes you think you can beat the Redskins?
Dagger: Your team loves to run the ball. We eat offenses like yours for breakfast. Every time you run the ball, you’re doing us a favor. I know it’s not in your DNA but if you come out and short-pass us to death and bring a pass-first mentality, you’re more likely to move the ball than if you come out run, run, pass. You can beat the Saints by playing ball-control, you can beat Arizona that way, etc…….but against teams like the Steelers, no way. I just don’t think your passing offense will be able to do enough to beat us. Also, our LBs are fast enough to keep your short-passing game in check. You will burn us with a RB/WR screen or two, but against our defense, short slants and pop passes don’t turn into 50 yard TDs like they do against other teams. On the other side of the ball, your pass rush is 28th in the NFL, the only way to slow us down on offense is to get after Big Ben. Is our offensive line a trouble spot? Yes. Can every team in the NFL tee-off on Ben like it’s a given that he’s going to give up sacks like some rookie QB? No.
Dillweed: From an outsider’s POV, what do you think about the Redskins this season?
Dagger: I think you finally have a coach that is putting his players in a position to succeed. Gibbs was way too conservative and wasn’t suited for the new NFL. Zorn comes in and installs this offense and your new scheme seems to fit your personnel perfectly. You’re off to a great start but part of me still isn’t sold that you are a legit Super Bowl contender. Losing to the Rams, looking shaky vs the Lions, killed by the Giants. I want to see what happens to you when you can’t run the ball 26 times per game. What then? What happens to your QB and your offensive plan when you’re down 10-14 points to a good team?
Dillweed: What scares you the most about Monday’s game?
Dagger: The Steelers offense. One drive they look dominant, they next drive they can’t get out of their own way. To open the game, the Steelers could have a combo of Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Mewelde Moore, Willie Parker, Heath Miller, Nate Washington, and Ben Roethlisberger on the field yet still find some way to go 3 and out on their first 4 possessions. They have a lineup that (in terms of skill) rivals the best in the NFL….but they can’t put it all together. If they play solid, the Steelers win. If they shoot themselves in the foot and get too cute with the playcalling, this will turn into a tough game for them. The Steelers also tend to let other teams TE’s get off. Expect Cooley to haul in at least 5 or 6 catches on Monday. (free fantasy advice!)
Dillweed: Take one Redskin on Defense and put him on your team…who is it?
Dagger: It would have been Sean Taylor of course (rip) but…..I take Carlos Rogers I guess. He’s arguably your best corner right now and he’s a young guy. The Steelers blitz a ton and often leave their DBs one-on-one down field. Some teams realize very early in ballgames that the Steelers can’t be run on. Rather than waste their time with the running game, they come out and spread the Steelers out and pass-pass-pass their way down field. Having another solid CB for Nickel, Dime, and Base defense would be a nice addition.
Dillweed: Take one Redskin on Offense and put him on your team…who is it?
Dagger: Easy….Santana Moss. Put Moss on our team and we have arguably the best receiving corps in the NFL. Santonio Holmes is a real quick, athletic WR. Ward is the possession guy who can’t go deep but can work the middle. Nate Washington (little known fact) is the fastest WR on the team and can burn you deep. Put Moss on the roster and our 3WR sets look intimidating. Clinton Portis is one of my favorite backs in the NFL but we already have Parker. Cooley is solid but Heath Miller is just as good if not better.
Topics: Redskins, Steelers | 9 Comments »
October 31st, 2008 at 9:52 am
Heath Miller is just as god if not better than Cooley? That’s a bit of a stretch.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:04 am
It probably is somewhat of stretch, but I can see where Dillweed would make the case. The steelers do not use miller as much as they should, and waste him blocking far too often.
The stat lines for this year:
Miller – 21 recs, 11.4 avg, 1 TD, long 22
Cooley – 40 recs, 11.3 avg, 1 TD, long 28
2007:
Miller – 47 recs, 12 avg, 7 TD, long 29
Cooley – 66 recs, 11.9 avg, 8 TD, long 39
I don’t know what the dropped catches would be. I can remember 1 that heath has dropped this year, it wouldn’t be much more than that. If Miller were dropped into the redskins offense I have a hard time believing he wouldn’t have similar output to Cooley.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:08 am
What about taking someone on the Skins oline? Any one of them is likely better than our five.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Pshh… not only is the Miller to Cooley comparison a stretch statistically, it’s a stretch personality-wise, too. When’s the last time Heath Miller showed up to practice in booty shorts or posted a picture of his junk online?
October 31st, 2008 at 10:46 am
Heath miller definitely cannot represent personality-wise, but statistically you’d be hard pressed to say he’s not as good.
I’d suggest you stick with the booty-shorts argument – that and that Cooley is much more of a deep-threat and complete player.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:11 am
I disagree with Dagger that Portis wouldn’t have a spot on the Steelers because of Willie Parker. I mean, c’mon. Willie Parker vs. Portis, it’s not even close. Santana Moss and Hines Ward would be a great WR combination, but Holmes and Ward are already just as great if not better.
Anyway, my answer to the question would have been Chris Samuels, but that’s besides the point.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:34 am
“What happens to your QB and your offensive plan when you’re down 10-14 points to a good team?”
Uh…the skins did fall behind 14-0 to Philly in Philly. If we call that a ‘good team.’
October 31st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I think you guys were down 14 points in the first 5 seconds of that game. I want to see you down 14 points in the 3rd or 4th quarter. Down 14 pts in that game, you still had the entire game to run your scheme. I want to see you FORCED to throw the ball to win the game and catch up on the scoreboard….forced to come back in the 4th.
The philly game, yes you were down, but it was so quick you didnt have to adjust your gameplan. That was my point.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:34 pm
And Cooley vs Miller….just because Miller doesn’t get as many opportunities as Cooley doesn’t mean he’s not as good. Miller was the best TE in college his draft year, he was a 1st round pick, he’s a great blocker, great receiver….he just doesn’t get as many looks/targets as he should. Put Heath on the Skins and he’ll have just as many receptions as cooley, if that’s how we’re going to compare the two.