It really gets irritating listening to people over and over trying to pin the Pitt loss solely on Rosier's poor performance, as if the whole team didn't suck *** that day. Yes. Rosier only completed 44.9%, but he was not the only guy who played like *** and he wasn't inaccurate the entire day. On the very first series he threw 3 passes and all three hit a receiver in the hands, yet only 1 was caught, a 5 yard completion to Herndon
over the middle. Here are the other two:
1st and 10. Rosier notices our best WR, 6'3, 200 lb Ahmmon Richards locked up in press single coverage with 5'9", 175 lb, Avonte Maddox and checks to a quick slant. This is stealing. It's so unfair it should be illegal.
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Malik anticipates that Richards is going to get inside position on the smaller DB and fires.
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Here's another look from Rosier's perspective. It's a little blurry, so I've highlighted the football. From this angle, Richards clearly has his man beat.
NOTE: Take a look at that beautiful footwork by St.Louis.
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And there ain't a **** thing wrong with this ball placement. Richards lets it come to his body rather than catching it with his hands, and as a result, the vastly over-matched DB knocks it out from behind. He see's the safety loading up and short arms it. I'm not here to knock Richards, but to succeed against Cover 4/Quarters requires accurate passes in tight windows AND receivers catching the ball in those tight windows.
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On the next play, 2nd and 10, Darling gets absolutely befuddled by a simple stunt and decides to block nobody, and Rosier gets leveled by a free running DE.
Next up, 3rd and 16. You know, Pat Narduzzi believes that Quarters is the perfect defense for all occasions, and I've proven in other threads that contrary to the notion that Pitt put 8 and 9 guys in the box and that's why Travis Homer only had 12 yards rushing on the day, not a single down did Pitt play any defense besides Cover 4. They defended the run with their front 4. Now in this defense, the DBs are taught to check for the run before dropping into their shallow zones, but make no mistake, Base Cover 4 has 7 guys playing zone unless they read run.
So what's the best offense against DB's peeking into the backfield? Play-Action Pass, of course. So on 3rd and 16, that's just what Richt dials up.
Perfectly executed. Thomas has a step on his man. And...lets the ball drop right through his hands.
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Again. Not a **** thing wrong with the throw. Rosier steps up into the face of the blitz just 6 seconds after being creamed by a free-running DE and delivers a catchable ball 40 yards down field. The ball is placed over the shoulder opposite DB position, and there's no way in the world anybody catches JT if he makes the catch. Everybody played like **** that game. Trying to pin it on one guy is nonsense. How differently would that day have gone if JT4 catches that ball and we strike first with a 90 yard bomb?