Some advice for Jeff Reed
After failing to make a critical tackle on Cincinnati return man Bernard Scott’s 96-yard touchdown run, Jeff Reed took a lot of criticism from Steelers fans. Reed apparently disagrees with the criticism, and had this to say in his own defense.
“I just look at those people like they don’t know what they’re talking about. I’m coached to do certain things, and the No. 1 reason I’m here is to kick kickoffs the best I can and make field goals. When it comes to making a tackle, people like [punter] Dan [Sepulveda] kind of ruin it for me because he’s so athletic.”
Ummm, is it just me, or does that statement sound completely ludicrous. Yes Jeff, you are here to kick field goals, but you also have to make a potential game-winning tackle when the opportunity presents itself.
Do you remember that play a few years ago when Jerome Bettis fumbled the ball near the goal line and the opposing player was sprinting for a potential touchdown that would have ended the Steelers’ season? Ben Roethlisberger was the last line of defense. So guess what he did? He made the tackle. It was an ugly tackle for sure, but he made the tackle. He didn’t say, “I’m paid to pass the ball, not tackle people”. He didn’t make excuses about how James Farrior and Troy Polamalu are better at tackling than he is. Nope, he just made the play that needed to be made.
You, on the other hand, were within a few feet of the kick returner on kicks that were returned for touchdowns by the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals. In the Vikings game, you did tap the runner with your hand, but against the Bengals, you just looked at Bernard Scott as he came so close that you could probably smell his breath. You didn’t reach out your hand towards him. You didn’t dive at his legs. You didn’t do anything except watch him run for a touchdown.
Excuse me for disagreeing with you, but I think you could have done just a bit more. Moreover, I think most of Steeler Nation agrees with me.
But apparently Reed feels that he did exactly what he was coached to do. He went on to express further disagreement with the fans’ perception.
“That was about a 50-yard sprint for me, and my job is to make him cut back inside and he went inside of me. Looking back at the play, if I’d have slowed down a little bit I maybe could have dove in his path a little better. For me, that was fast, and I was cutting him off. I thought we had a chance to get him, and we didn’t get him down.”
It’s great to know that you have a specific assignment on that play, Jeff. But there are times when you just have to do a little bit more than your assignment.
When Big Ben made that tackle, he was doing just a little more than was expected. When Hines Ward continues to block until the whistle blows, he is doing just a little more than is expected. When 6 Steelers escorted James Harrison into the endzone during Super Bowl XLIII and made sure that no Cardinals players touched him, they were doing just a little more than is expected.
You see, that’s the point that you’re missing. We EXPECT you to do more than is expected. Pittsburgh is a tough town, and Steeler Nation is a tough audience. We expect excellence from you, even when it’s not your job. Do it anyway.
We expect Steelers players to be tough. That’s why we don’t like it when Steelers running backs make half-hearted attempts to block pass rushers. You’re all football players. More importantly, you’re Pittsburgh Steelers football players. We expect you to be tough. Every one of you. Even the kicker.
But of course you disagree with all of this. Your toughness only comes out when you are in a drunken stupor. And it is reserved for towel dispensers, and police officers.
Jeff Reed
According to you, we fans “don’t know what we’re talking about”. Okay, maybe we don’t. But next time make the #$^%& tackle, even if it’s not your assignment.
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Maybe they should threating to fire reed maybe that will motivate him!!!!!!!
1I agree with what you have stated here!! Is Jeff turning into Joey Porter? His mouth is over loading his ass-this is not the type of ego we need on our team! I am a HUGE Jeff Reed fan-even meet him but here lately NOT so much!! What Jeff should be saying is I am so sorry I let my team mates and fans down its MY fault that play was not stopped as do so many of the GREAT players on our team do now. Take Big Ben he lets everyone know that its his fault 99% of the time he get tackled. Hines Ward after the game says we won the game but I know better then to try to make a touch down at that point but I got caught up in the moment, I am very sorry I fumbled on the one yard line and thanks to my team mates we won.
Jeff heres a HUGE piece of HUMBLE pie! Chew on it whenever you are asked questions then answer them before you talk out of your ass because your mouth knows better one more time!
2Is it just me? Or is it time for the Steelers to get a new kicker? A tougher kicker. A kicker who plays in the Pittsburgh tradition of staying out of the news for stupid stuff and doing his damn job. One that goes above and beyond the call of duty. Someone in the mold of Philadelphia’s David Akers for example.
Or am I just on the pipe?
3I remember when Reed was sitting on his couch and got a call from the Steelers, because we needed a kicker. He tried out and landed the job. He was so pumped and excited to be playing for the Steelers. He gave his all, plus 20%. He forgets where he came from and if he isn’t careful he may be watching the Steelers from his couch
4I would fire his As$ and get another kicker. What kind of BS excuses is he making. It is your TEAM vs the other team. If your team needs help tackling someone, you should go all out.
Tomlin needs to keep him after practice for some tackling drills. All kickers do at practice is kick balls then head to the golf course. That is why all the ex-kickers are great golfers. Screw him.
5EXACTLY!! BOTTOM LINE AT LEAST DIVE AND ATTEMPT TO STOP THE RUN-BACK. BOTH CRUCIAL PLAYS YOU WERE ON YOUR FEET, WHAT THE F*&K! ARE YOU SCARED?
6I think Reed could easily be replaced by a Soccer player. There are plenty of soccer plaeyrs to chose from and they would probably be much more atlethic (and cheaper). He is an embarrassment. Assulting an paper towel despenser, does he get paid for that. How about assulting a police officer, which play call is that?
7Move to Napa if you want to whine.
8I just went to a high school game where there was a kicker whose family moved here from Argentina. The kid kicked the ball off 20 yards past the end zone every time, and kicked a 52-yd field goal like it was nothing. It would have been good from 62. There have to be dozens of kickers out there who don’t mind making a tackle once in a while. I too love Jeff Reed, but if he refuses to be a factor on special teams, I think he just fired himself. Could you imagine telling your boss, “Sorry, I can’t do anything that’s not in my job description.”
9donald,
did i write this and forgot i sent it to you?
10Tony,
11Didn’t you see your name on the article? Thanks for writing it for me.
Always a weak division and you backed into most Super Bowl’s. Now a little competion and THE PARTY’S OVER!!! Bunch of WHINNERS!!
12Hey Jeff, one touchback all year! Are you kidding me? Have you ever thought that kicking it past the fifteen yard line might help? Your a punk that doesn’t even realize how lucky you are to be playing for the Steelers. Hopefully, they get a real kicker next year. That would give you more time to punch paper towel dispensers and assault police officers.
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