Next week's "Wallce and Mendy pack their sh!7" bowl

[SteelBobbleHead]

Aside from not utilizing the strength of the wide receivers, there we no plays designed to utilize Chris Rainey's speed. During the preseason they kept running the kid between the tackles. I feared for the kids health. I figured either A.) They are trying to set the tone for the Oline to be physical or B.) Trying to show Rainey how tough the NFL will be. Once the regular season rolled around they would surely try to get him in space right? Haley did great things with Jamaal Charles.
I don't remember any carries he got the hand off for outside runs. I also thought with the speed of the wide receiver core that some plays would be designed to get him matched up against a LB. There is not a LB in the league who could cover Rainey man to man on a wheel route or a seam route after Wallace drawed the safety out of the middle.I did not see any of these plays either.

[Darkstorm05]

Originally Posted by SteelBobbleHead

Aside from not utilizing the strength of the wide receivers, there we no plays designed to utilize Chris Rainey's speed. During the preseason they kept running the kid between the tackles. I feared for the kids health. I figured either A.) They are trying to set the tone for the Oline to be physical or B.) Trying to show Rainey how tough the NFL will be. Once the regular season rolled around they would surely try to get him in space right? Haley did great things with Jamaal Charles.
I don't remember any carries he got the hand off for outside runs. I also thought with the speed of the wide receiver core that some plays would be designed to get him matched up against a LB. There is not a LB in the league who could cover Rainey man to man on a wheel route or a seam route after Wallace drawed the safety out of the middle.I did not see any of these plays either.

His usage fell off after he got obliterated on that play that injured him. I think that hammered home the point that every time he runs he risks an injury and a fumble. I mean seriously, the hit that blew him up looked like he just had a Mortal Kombat style fatality performed on him. I was surprised his wasn't dead.

[FrancoLambert]

The failure to utilize Rainey more effectively and creatively is my biggest gripe with Haley.
I thought he would have tried to create more matchup problems like getting him 1 on 1 with a LB in space coming out of the backfield.
Way too many inside runs for his stature and skill set.

[Steel Peon]

Originally Posted by SteelBobbleHead

there we no plays designed to utilize Chris Rainey's speed.

On this I will have to disagree. On STs it cannot be helped that every damn time Rainey (or anyone) breaks a big one, some knucklehead commits an illegal block, or a hold, and his yardage is negated, which has happened enough times to become infuriating. Our STs has been an abortion from minute 1, and Rainey is not to blame for any failings on the kick-off returns.

However, on offense it is very clear that Haley really likes Rainey, and has tried inserting him into many offensive plays, that to me, look very much designed for him, or some speedster. Mainly because a friend of mine was a fairly big Rainey supporter when we drafted him, and I was skeptical of having a fast back with our porous O-Line, I had made a point of gauging his running ability. At that point, I was of the opinion that he was not going to work out for us, and now after seeing him in action I am even more so convinced.

Even on the plays where he does manage to get running room, he either A) runs the wrong way, such as in the Cowpokes game when he had an acre of room to run but instead cut back towards the LB and was promptly 1 hand tackled, or B) he gets victimized when tackled and the ball is easily swatted out his diminutive arms. Rainey is fast and agile enough, but he's too small and (most crucially) too stupid to be of any use to us. I don't hate him, but I don't like him at all, and I really don't think any of it's Haley's fault.

[OX1947]

Say good bye to Wallace, see if AZ does a trade for Fitz. I would actually give them a 2nd rounder for Fitz. Let Mendy go and go get Ben Tate. You would upgrade your team 2 fold and have two players that know how to play well game in and game out and are team players.

[pete74]

Originally Posted by OX1947

Say good bye to Wallace, see if AZ does a trade for Fitz. I would actually give them a 2nd rounder for Fitz. Let Mendy go and go get Ben Tate. You would upgrade your team 2 fold and have two players that know how to play well game in and game out and are team players.

Wallace is good but he's far from being on Fitzgeralds level. LF is way better and Wallace will never be as good because he doesn't have the size. The with that said I would love the trade but Arizona won't

[Steel Peon]

Originally Posted by pete74

Wallace will never be as good *(as Fitz)* because he doesn't have the size.

Or the ability to catch........or jump.......or tackle.......could anyone see Wallace chasing down James Harrison after a pick? I can't......gotta give Fitz credit, he tried (and succeeded in the EZ nearly saving a TD) to chase down and tackle JAMES FUCKING HARRISON!

Edit: Let's compare shall we?

Fitz: http://www.nfl.com/videos/pittsburgh...son-in-a-hurry

Wallace: http://www.nfl.com/videos/dallas-cow...ys-defense-INT

Plus NFL.com now has a front page article listing Wallace as the #4 biggest failure this year: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...ggest-scrooges

And I quote:

But I go back to Wallace's offseason absence as a turning point. It took the receiver awhile to get comfortable in Haley's offense after missing time due to a contract dispute. He never matched his productivity from last season, failing to give the Steelers the jolt they needed. And he had to know that he was never going to get paid.

In the end, Wallace didn't fatten his wallet, but he did hurt the team. Attaboy, Mike.

[Justp94]

I believe that they both deserve another chance to prove why they deserve to be Steelers. Mendenhall never truly got 100% healthy this year and Wallace never truly adjusted to the playbook and also had uncharacteristic drops. I think with each of them taking a one year contract to see them 100% healthy and used to the playbook they should be like the Wallace and Mendy of old.

[Gnutella]

Rashard Mendenhall and Mike Wallace are the embodiment of the lack of dedication and focus that the Steelers suffered from this season. Don't even put another contract on the table for either of them.

[OX1947]

Originally Posted by pete74

Wallace is good but he's far from being on Fitzgeralds level. LF is way better and Wallace will never be as good because he doesn't have the size. The with that said I would love the trade but Arizona won't

Where the hell did I say in my post that Wallace was as good as Fitz? Wallace couldnt hold Fitz boxers with a crane.