Open Letter to Steelers Kicker Jeff Reed: It's TACKLE Football

John Adams wrote:

Leave him alone. He is still the best kicker we have had since Matt Bahr. With the convicts we have in the NFL today Jeff Reid is a fricking Saint! Be glad you don't live in Cincinatti or Detroit.

Rex J Steelman wrote:

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Agreed (mostly). I was pissed about the play, too, but it would be lunacy to get rid of a kicker who manages so well in the swirling winds of Heinz Field just because of one bonehead play. I dream of what would have happened if it had been Sepulveda back there instead. They'd still be trying to pry Harvin's helmet out of the visitor's bench.

Jopa-n wrote:

<quoted text>Not mad that he did not make the tackle. Angry as all He** he did not even throw his body down in front of him. Even Roy Gerela (Sp?), knew you have to try to save the TD.

Bob Roberts wrote:

pathetic? yes. game loser? didn't turn out to be. if the the coverage breaks down so much it's up to the kicker to tackle the return man then 10 other guys screwed up just as bad. raitliff sucks on kick coverage imo. we are missing anthony madison big time! also frazier i think wasn't in there. last season madison and davis were great on special teams and they are both gone. we miss those guys on kicks.

Biff 33 wrote:

Ratliff has been quite a dissapointment IMO. I was expecting much more from him since we acquired him, and would almost wonder if we'd been better off with Keenan Lewis or Burnett in there if they are available.
Madison was a gamer, much like Chidi Iwouma...a special teams demon.

Schmitty wrote:

Once again with the bengals, reed doesn't try to block the return....HORRIBLE! He didn't throw his body in front of the guy. 31 other kickers in the NFL would do that.

Jay wrote:

I couldn't believe it. I watched it in slow motion several times. Reed just jogs right in front of the Bengals player

Jopa-n wrote:

<quoted text>I say, if he is not going to participate in the kickoff coverage, then get off the field right after he kicks it. Or maybe this says how important having a deep kicker with some tackling skills is, even if another guy has to kick the field goals. Maybe they should have some defenders tryout to see if they can kick to the 15. That would be as good as Reed and an actual defender could be on coverage.

Rex J Steelman wrote:

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I wonder if Sepulveda could handle kickoffs. He is a devastating back-end tackler, but our punt coverage seems to be good enough that we never see it. Put him out there and I bet we would have saved at least two of those TDs.

Jopa-n wrote:

<quoted text>I'm with you on this one 100% if Sepulveda could do it. Think about it. Instead of 3 kickoffs for TD's, it would be 1 and just maybe the Steelers are winners yesterday and on cruise control for a division title. Now, it's in a dogfight for a wildcard.

Rex J Steelman wrote:

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I honestly hope they're thinking about this. They ought to at least trot Sepulveda out there in practice tomorrow and test him on kickoffs. It would be a nice wake-up slap in the head for Reed to even see that, and if it works, try it on Sundays and remember during contract negotiations that the kicker lost half of his job.