You know what bothers me? When announcers/coaches/etc say you need to protect a rookie QB with the run.
Er, here are our 1st and 2nd downs so far:
-15-MIA 30 (10:30) 28-J.Chatman left guard to MIA 29 for -1 yards (50-L.Foote).
2-16-MIA 29 (9:53) 28-J.Chatman up the middle to MIA 29 for no gain (99-B.Keisel).
1-10-MIA 14 (3:01) 28-J.Chatman right guard to MIA 12 for -2 yards (50-L.Foote).
2-12-MIA 12 (2:23) 9-J.Beck pass short left to 19-T.Ginn to MIA 20 for 8 yards (23-T.Carter).
1-10-MIA 25 (1:03) 34-R.Williams up the middle to MIA 26 for 1 yard (51-J.Farrior; 99-B.Keisel).
2-9-MIA 26 (:17) 34-R.Williams right end to MIA 26 for no gain (97-A.Harrison, 24-I.Taylor).
Hmmm....yeah, put Beck in a 3rd and 15, 3rd and 9...that's really "protecting" him, only letting him throw in obvious passing downs when the steelers will be in nickel and dime packages and bringing pressure.
Not coincidentally I don't think our only 1st down came on a drive when we threw on 2nd down. With that series just now, 8 1st or 2nd downs, only 1 pass, and 7 runs, letting the Pitt D load up on the run early and never have to guess whether a run or pass is coming. Run on 1st, run on 2nd, pass on 3rd.
Its like Dave Wannstedt is our offensive coordinator again.
Ooh, a run on 3rd down. Awesome.
That gives us 3 drives, 4 sets of downs, 1 1st down. 3 times we run on 1st and 2nd down, no 1st downs. 1 time we pass on 2nd down, we get a 1st down out of a 3rd and short (our only 3rd and short so far).
Telegraphing what's coming to the defense is no way to "protect" a QB.
