Batch Slapped
September 27th, 2010
This dude Charlie Batch is an old man by NFL standards (35). He was the No. 4 quarterback on the Steelers’ depth chart entering the season.
Now, as a starter until horny Ben Roethlisberger, who gets way too handsy with college chicks, returns from suspension, the Steelers are relying on the former MAC quarterback. And he responded Sunday with three touchdown passes, the first of the season for Pittsburgh, and slapped around the Bucs like a UFL team in handing Tampa Bay its first loss of the season.
Anwar Richardson, of the Tampa Tribune, documented just how difficult Batch made life for the Bucs defensive backs.
Pittsburgh faced second-and-7 on Tampa Bay’s 41-yard line when Batch noticed Wallace matched up against Talib and unloaded. Talib tried to grab his second interception, but the ball bounced off his hands into the waiting arms of Wallace, who hauled in his second touchdown of the game.
“That’s why he plays cornerback. They can’t catch,” Wallace said. “I always got to play the ball. He made a good play on it, but he dropped it and I caught it.”
There were not many balls for Steelers receivers to grab in the second half.
If Joe was an uncaring arse, he’d point a finger at safety Cody Grimm for getting roasted twice. But Grimm is a rookie seventh round draft pick, what do you expect? He’s still learning.
No, if Tanard Jackson had just kept the bowl down, Grimm wouldn’t have been out there. If any fingers are to be pointed at the Bucs’ secondary, it should be at the selfish clod Jackson, not Grimm, who let his team, and Tampa Bay fans, down. Again.
September 27th, 2010 at 7:32 am
Heh.
“Batch Slapped”
Very funny title, Joe, lol 🙂
September 27th, 2010 at 7:40 am
On a positive note, we have climbed up to 28th in the league against the run.
September 27th, 2010 at 7:52 am
I know certain people are going to jump on this for an opportunity to bash the Bucs, but as for the rest of us, the real fans, I would encourage you not to get discouraged because of this loss.
Simply put, the Steelers are one of the best teams…in the AFC…heck in the entire league. These are guys even the Colts and Pats dread playing.
And while our team is young with little experience, we still had some great moments yesterday. In fact, if this game were played in say, week 14, then the result may well have turned out as a win for the Bucs.
The thing to remember is that because we are young, we’re going to continue to get better. And the Bucs I saw yesterday? They could have beaten most NFC teams.
It seemed like the refs were calling everything against the Bucs, but we also had several game changing plays that just didn’t work out in our favor. For example, if Talib had turned to look at the ball on the first Steelers toss for a touchdown, he may well have picked it off.
There’s no telling how this would have affected Charlie Batch…especially if Talib had also intercepted his next opportunity. Would we have won? Maybe, maybe not, but we would have certainly gotten beaten by less if we had not won.
Let’s face it…deep down, we knew our very young team (half rookies) were not ready for a game against a team like this. I knew going into it that there was a good chance we would not win it.
And in hte first quarter, the Bucs looked like the dominant team until the Steelers scored. We were beating them on the line. We were beating them on the ground (Blount). And I remember on one play, one of our blocking WRs kept knocking down their defensive guy.
On those plays, we owned the Steelers. It was blind luck that scored their first TDs…deflected balls and all. If they did not get those lucky scores in the beginning, we could have seen a very different result.
But, there is a silver lining.
Now we have tape our Bucs players can review and say, “THIS is something we really need to fix.”
It’s tape against an elite team. Lead by Charlie Batch, yes, but the Steelers are undefeated for a reason. By the end of the year, it is entirely possible they will end up in the superbowl. And if that’s the case, this loss seems much less painful, don’t you think?
So I, for one, am not bothered by this loss. I would have liked a win, but since we didn’t get it, we at least got some adversity to look back and see how the Bucs come back from it in the next game.
And let’s face it, Raheem is not the type to pat their arses and say it’s okay. He’ll yank them into the taperoom, go over their mistakes, tell them how to fix them, then put it into practice.
This loss may strangthen the Bucs more than the two wins before did.
September 27th, 2010 at 7:53 am
People forget the Steelers let Santanio Holmes go for Wallace. Tampa sold all out to stop the run, and it left our secondary exposed. Wallace and Batch broke our backs.
September 27th, 2010 at 7:57 am
I agree with Joe on this one. Tanard’s problems cost his team big-time this week.
I also don’t understand why Olsen was so quick to abandon the run to start the second half.
There were a lot of mistakes made in this game, but this is a young team and if they learn form it, it will be worth it.
Finally, I am originally from NY and cannot believe how fair weathered the fans here are. I thought fans in NY were negative, but the market here is unbelievable.
September 27th, 2010 at 8:04 am
Pete posted at the same time I was posting, I just wanted to say I totally agree with all he said. I was at the game, and we WERE in this game. Tampa WAS playing with these guys, until the two TD passes broke our backs. Remember too, this was like a home game for the Steelers ? You could see the Pittsburgh Defense calling for the crowd support in TAMPA STADIUM ! There were bright spots, especially Legarette Blount! Gentelmen, I think Tampa found our Power Back yesterday, and let me tell you, he is one mean MoFo. He runs hard, with attitude. Like Pete just said, the Steelers are an elite team, and we will learn from this.
September 27th, 2010 at 8:07 am
@ Pete
Well said. A lot of fluke plays in the first half turned the tide. Some offensive penalties cost us some good momentum in the run game. But every time we slipped up, the Steelers made us pay and that’s what good teams do.
We went away from the run the the second half because we were down by five scores. the Steelers knew that and took away our passing game. That is what good teams do.
Until we get our youngsters to play smart as well as fast and violent, this will be what we can expect. We are young and we had better learn from this.
September 27th, 2010 at 8:12 am
As usual, Pete, spot on! It proved we aren’t a superBowl contender Yet. We already knew that. What it really does is shine on our flaws, and that’s a good thing
September 27th, 2010 at 8:13 am
You can talk about the “improvement” but the stats don’t lie. Settling in after three games and the Bucs rank near the bottom of the team and individual rankings. The lone bright spot is the 18th ranked overall defense.
Otherwise, looks very similar to 2009, after playing two winless teams in first three weeks.
Our best wideout, MW, is ranked 48th. Offense overall 27th. Run defense 28th. We have no one close to top ten in any offensive position. Its a passing league and our franchise Qb is currently 23rd with a below medocre QB rating.
The two wins are nice, but peel the onion back a bit and it aint a whole lot diferent than 09.
September 27th, 2010 at 8:27 am
@eric
Anyone with sense realizes that this early in the year, stats are skewed.
I never said there were not bad spots. Heck, for every completion Batch threw, he averaged 10.9 yards…that’s a first down each time. For every 2 times they ran the ball, it was a first down. Yes, there are some negatives.
However, there are also a LOT of positives that can be taken from the game.
And as far as the difference between last year and this, last year we had 0% win rate by the 3rd game, this year we have a 66% win rate. That’s what I call improvement. You say our wins came against two winless teams…the Bucs helped make them winless…which you over look.
In both of those games, the Bucs were not the favored team. Yet, they won.
That’s a positive, and an improvement, friend.
September 27th, 2010 at 8:52 am
Pete Dutcher is right in every post on this thread. Eric will continue to say there is no improvement until the Buics match the last year of Gruden’s tenure. I have been a Bucs fan for as long as the team has been here, and we rarely have offensive players in the top ten, so individual stats do not mean much to me. The Bucs young team got a reality check this weekend, and as long as they grow from it so be it. It is rare that any team wins every game, so Tampa lost one this weekend. The world goes on. Eric, I find it hard to believe you keep this stance of “they have not improved”, but I think it stems more from your dislike of the coaching choice. I saw your post earlier about BM, but he is on a different team. Do you really think he would put those numbers up on the Bucs playing the Steelers? If so, you are more naive than I thought.
September 27th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Peter Dutcher your comments is one ALL BUC fans should read. Lets remove the negative feelings and become more positive.
September 27th, 2010 at 9:07 am
“Batch Slapped”
I actually laughed out loud at that one.
September 27th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Joe, I know you hate Sabby, but I believe that on that first badly thrown td Sabby would have got the int. and that could have changed the whole game. Sabby sucks no doubt about it but Grimm had no business starting such a crucial game.
September 27th, 2010 at 9:16 am
Here’s why (for me) this isn’t anything like 2009: In 2009 I watched games never thinking the Bucs could win. This year, so far, I feel like they have a chance every time they step on the field. PLUS Blount looks like he is going to punish people and compete for a starting job.
September 27th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Any game where we find another player who can really contribute is a positive one. This loss is exactly what this team needs right now, I hope they come out next week with a whole new attitude.
September 27th, 2010 at 9:44 am
@Andrew
Youare right. Another thing from last year is the feeling of dread leading up to watching most of the games. It just was not fun football.
This year is different. We may not be a superbowl contender yet, but I think we are definately turning a corner.
September 27th, 2010 at 9:46 am
@ Pete Dutcher,
Well three games isn’t a season, that is true, but the statistical trends are putting the bucs just about where they were last season.
Here’s a trivia question, who are the number five and seven wide receivers in the league?
Hint, they could both be wearing pewter helping our young QB out.
Missing in Action:
Sammie Stroughter
6 catches 42 yards
Running Game
Pass rush
Run Defense
Pass Offense
What is it we are doing well again?
September 27th, 2010 at 10:06 am
I think it’s important to bear in mind that we didn’t single handedly get our asses handed to us by Charlie Batch and Charlie Batch alone. Let’s not forget the Steelers’ running game, pass rush, linebacking corps, safeties, etc. They are a practically the complete team. We are not. Whether Batch was in at QB is somewhat irrelevant.
September 27th, 2010 at 10:09 am
JOe here,
Eric – You’re not wrong on this post above, but what we’re doing well is winning, which is the whole point of the season. As its own entity, this season has go to prove that Raheem can lead a team lacking in talent to victories and individual development. They got a ways to go, but if he can squeeze seven out of this talent, it’s a heck of a job. Then it’s up to him and the GM to stick the Bucs in the playoffs next season.
September 27th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Joe,
Ok, fair enough, if Raheem squeezes out 7 I agree. He would earn another year for that.
But were not playing the Browns and Panthers every week. We shall see.
I will disagree on lack of talent only to the extent that it didn’t have to be that way.
September 27th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Joe here,
Eric – No, the lack of talent and depth didn’t have to happen. We spent all offseason on that. 😉 But if this is the plan, then the thought over here is they have to get a shot to execute it and then, if successful, add the bigger pieces next year.
September 27th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Joe,
I am fully in support of their execution.
September 27th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Not catching is the exact reason we should have tried Clayton out at the defensive secondary. I think he would have been a monster in very little time. He’s big and gets to the ball. Who knows maybe he would have caught a few intended for other guys.
September 27th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Joe- exactly right. The average fan here isn’t saying anything but give it a chance. We all have seen positive signs of improvement. 2-1 with this young team is terriffic! No one is saying we stay this road blindly. If it’s not showing improvement, make whatever changes are required. But give it a chance! Everyone(except Eric) deserves a chance, lol. Your responses here Joe remind us why you OWN this site. Exactly the right perspective
September 27th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Captain Tim,
They have their chance.
Mr. Palmer is in the batters box with Mr. Brees on deck.
Let the unleashing begin.