Offensive play calling

[RedsFan75]

OK, I've got to admit I don't understand a few things.

3rd and 8, late in the game, everyone knows a pass is coming, yet they come out in an offset I with 2 wr's?

Several times on obvious passing downs they came out in sometype of I-form. Your typical running set.

With 7 db's and 2 wr's advantage Defense.

Why on the obvious passing downs aren't they going spread, or at least put a slot guy in. Got to go 3 and 4 WR sets on these.

All that coverage forces them to dump short, or Carson to be sacked?

I admit. I just don't understand the logic around those formations.

[Stripes]

Why on 2nd and 17 from inside our own ten does Brat run it with Perry right up the middle? Why in the third quarter does Brat call two straight screens to Rudi? Why did we take no shots downfield until the shot to Chad in garbage time?

[greenday333]

why do we stop pounding rudi like we did on the first drive. he was killing them on that drive. yeah i also agree that with taking shots down the field. we didnt try once until then. just because we are down a score doesnt mean that we have to panic. wow, dissapointed to say the least. gotta and should bounce back next week.

[jonf45uk]

totally agree with greenday. rudi must have had 60 yards inthe first 2 drives and looked unstoppable. why did we suddenly have to throw on every down?? i know their secondary was hurt , but a running attack would have opened up a long pass, and we certainly struggled in the red zone.we shoulda kept pounding them like they did to us.

overall i thought the play calling was very poor and even i managed to guess most plays!!

as for perry running up the middle on 2nd and long... god only knows!!!

[CBin2k7]

We should have continued our 3 and 4 WR sets and running out of those, that is where the game turned. The Steelers can't match up with that, but when Brat became predicitable that is when the Steelers took control.

[HoosierCat]

Rudi was doing great early, so the Steelers started bringing an 8th man up into the box, so going to the air made perfect sense. I really can't fault the playcalling that much, it was the execution that stank. Pass to Henry in the end zone was the perfect call...he just has to catch it.

In the third they tried to mix up the playcalling again...only to be undone by turnovers...

1-10-PIT49 (14:08) C.Perry left end to CIN 48 for -3 yards (J.Harrison; J.Farrior).

2-13-CIN48 (13:12) R.Johnson up the middle to PIT 47 for 5 yards (L.Foote).

3-8-PIT47 (12:30) (Shotgun) C.Palmer pass intended for T.Houshmandzadeh INTERCEPTED by C.Hope at PIT 30. C.Hope to CIN 15 for 55 yards (W.Anderson).

next series...

1-10-CIN24 (10:02) C.Palmer pass to C.Johnson ran ob at CIN 39 for 15 yards (T.Polamalu).

1-10-CIN39 (9:36) R.Johnson right tackle pushed ob at 50 for 11 yards (T.Polamalu).

1-10-50 (9:07) C.Palmer pass intended for J.Johnson INTERCEPTED by A.Smith (K.von Oelhoffen) at CIN 47. A.Smith to CIN 47 for no gain (W.Anderson). {Tipped up at the line of scrimmage by K.von Oelhoffen (PIT#67)}

Palmer has to be on target. The o-line needs to protect him. These aren't playcalling isssues, these are execution issues.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I agree, not really a play calling issue or abandoning Rudi - the Bengals had to pass when they went down by two scores and the Steelers were eating up the clock with the running game in the 1st half.

The offense only had 2 possessions in the 2nd quarter because the defense could not get off the field.

Even Carson's 1st INT - while not the wisest throw - TJ did nothing to go after the ball and a defender just stepped right in front of him and took it away. On the 2nd INT - the pocket was collapasing per the norm yesterday and Carson just didn't use good judgement and did a Kitna.