Steelers Draft Prospects: Part 2

Better late than never, its time for the Steelers Draft Prospects series. With the draft quickly approaching, there will just be 2 parts to this, comprised of only confirmed prospect visits. The player summaries all come from NFL.com

DE Dean Lowry (Northwestern): 6-6, 296lbs

combine: 4.87(40)/30reps/32.5in vert

'15: 2nd All-Big 10, 46tckls/3scks

Strengths: Comes off the snap with burst & good pad level. Great motor and good playspeed. Willing to pursue the ball with consistency or effort. Play frame to fit classic 3-4 DE spot. Always active. Tackle finisher. 

Weaknesses: Not as aware of the ball as he needs to be. Gets stood straight up at contact as a bull rusher. Pad level & narrow base rob him of bull-rush power when rushing from inside. Dull-straight ahead rusher with no pass-rush plan. Marginal playmaking change of direction. 

Grade: 5.2 (developmental/special teams potential)

S Trae Elston (Ole Miss): 5-11, 195lbs

Strengths: Physical hitting as a tackler. Will explode into and through ball catchers attempting to jar the ball lose. Leaper who challenges the catch aggressively at the high point. Soft hands to finish INTs. 

Weaknesses: Stiff-hipped. Recognition in coverage can be a step late. Doesn't consistently gets jumps necessary to range from center-field to challenge sideline throws. Lackadaisical pursuit. Lacking size/speed combination.

Grade: 4.99 (50/50 chance of making roster)

WR Pharoh Cooper (S.Carolina): 5-11, 203lbs

combine: 15reps/31in vert

'15: 66rec/973yds/9TDs, 1st All-SEC

Strengths: Especially fast with first 3 steps off the line. Reaches top speed almost instantly. Operates with excellent balance & body control. Seamless change of direction out of breaks opens early passing windows. Will break off routes and improvise to free space when route is compromised by coverage underneath. Strength to play through contact.

Weaknesses: Was unable to reach big-play throws downfield. Battled focus & concentration drops at one point. Hip tightness creates rounded routes and limited wiggle room after catch. Relies on straight line quickness over speed or agility in open field.

Comp: Josh Reed

Grade: 5.67 (backup/eventual starter)

S Karl Joseph (West Virginia): 5-10, 205lbs

'15: 5INTs

Strength: Play-making safety with man-cover ability and plus ball skills. Quick to get head around and find the ball, always opts to try & take the ball away rather than break up the pass. Leaper who challenges at high point. Plays run & pass with great urgency. Can pedal & shift from deep zone.

Weaknesses: ACL injury concerns. Play-making aspirations can lead him to vacate his area a step early. Some change of direction limitations. Desire to assail leads to occasional technique breakdowns as a tackler.

Comp: Antoine Bethea

Grade: 5.96 (Could become early starter)

DT Robert Nkemdiche (Ole Miss): 6-3, 294lbs

  combine: 4.87(40)/28reps/35in vert

'15: 2nd All-American, 7TFL/3scks

Strengths: Plus movement skills and runs like a DE. Has reactive explosiveness for expanded range as a tackler near line of scrimmage. Wrap up finisher. Good lateral quickness, can win race across face of blockers. Improvement as pass rusher. Has a decent spin move.

Weaknesses: Disappointing production. Ducks head off the snap, losing track of the ball. Tightly wound, straight-line athlete. Inconsistent effort after his initial pass rush move is thwarted. Was suspended for the Sugar Bowl, charged with marijuana possession. Personal character & work ethic concerns.

Comp: Sharrif Floyd

Grade: 6.32 (chance to become good starter)

CB Sean Davis (Maryland): 6-1, 201lbs

combine: 4.46(40)/21reps/37.5in vert

'15: Honorable All-Big 10, 88tckls/3INTs/5FFs

Strengths: Size to battle TEs. Leaps & challenges aggressively on 50/50 throws. Around the ball and in the mix. Comes firing downhill with purpose when it's time to get help against the run. Looks to lay the wood to receivers and make them feel it. 

Weaknesses: At times, disastrous in man coverage. Slow, upright backpedal and clunky when turning to run. Missed tackle numbers are troubling. Allows too much separation and can't click and close on throws.

Comp: Duke Ihenacho

Grade: 5.58 (backup/eventual starter)

FS Justin Simmons (Boston College): 6-2, 202lbs

combine: 4.61(40)/16reps/40in vert

'15: 2nd All-ACC, 5INTs

Strengths: Able to process layered routes in front of him and finds his fit. Consistent in coverage and reads play development quickly. Can handle man coverage against TEs and bigger slots. Will sprint from high to low as soon as he reads run & leverages well to the sideline. Rarely tries to initiate tackle early. Allowed no broken tackles, few missed tackles. Talent as a gunner, cover team experience.

Weaknesses: Can be dragged for a ride against size when tackling. Hip tightness creates some chunkiness when forced to change directions quickly. Will shut down deep cover responsibilities prematurely. Becomes spectator rather than participant if he feels like he can't range to deep balls outside the numbers. Can be fooled into over-committing to a side.

Grade: 5.59 (backup/eventual starter)

DE Dadi Nicolas (Virginia Tech): 6-3, 235lbs

combine: 4.74(40)/14reps/41in vert

'15: 7TFL/2.5scks, Honorable All-ACC

Strengths: Lightning quick inside moves. Plays with desired upfield burst. Experience at OLB. Bouncy athleticism in space and looks natural dropping into space. Good burst to make up ground quickly while chasing the ball. Runs through tackles with as much force as he can muster. 

Weaknesses: Lack of functional strength. Easily redirected as pass rusher & washed down against the run. Labors to disengage. Can be controlled by quality TEs at point of attack. Below average instincts against the run. Needs to eliminate false step from his get off. Below average body control in space overrunning plays that are there to be made. 

Grade: 5.28 (developmental/special teams potential)

CB Cyrus Jones (Alabama): 5-10, 197lbs

combine: 4.49(40)/10reps/33in vert

'15: 2INTs/7PBs

Strengths: Plus play strength. Able to reroute and maintain positioning on receivers. Willing to mix it up & likes to test receivers early in the game in an attempt to intimidate. Excellent in run support. Excellent return man.

Weaknesses: Run game awareness wanes when matched up in press coverage. Not able to run with pure man-cover speed. Plays with average balance. Inconsistent finding the ball in man coverage. Needs better awareness of receivers behind him in zone coverage. Big WRs can go up & over him in the redzone

Comp: Steven Nelson

Grade: 5.57 (backup/eventual starter)

CB Ken Crawley (Colorado): 6ft, 187lbs

combine: 4.43(40)/36.5in vert

'15: 46tckls/1INT/13PBs

Strengths: Shows patience out of back pedal. Won't open to one side or the other based on basic, first move by receivers. Has mirror & match ability on step and go routes. Consistent tackle production. Balanced approach and usually drives through RBs' legs in run support.

Weaknesses: Issues with discipline in coverage. Allows people over the top of him with go routes & double moves. Plays high in his backpedal. Doesn't trust his technique down the field. Needs more play strength and assertiveness to challenge blockers in run support.

Grade: 5.08 (back end of the roster)

WR Sterling Shepard (Oklahoma): 5-10, 194lbs

combine: 4.48(40)/20reps/41in vert

'15: 2nd All-American, 86rec/1,288yds/11TDs

Strengths: Terrific route quickness. Creates instant separation for anticipatory throws. Runs variety of routes from the slot. Clean with his double moves. Adjust routes to ball placement. Not afraid over the middle. Adjusts for difficult catches. Willing to jump into a CB and get after him as a blocker from the slot. 

Weaknesses: Lack of play strength shows up from time to time. Strong CBs with good feet can cause issues for him in press coverage. Can be redirected in his routes and will get trapped against the sideline at times. Reliant upon clever routes to get over the top against true speed. Not much of a catch radius.

Comp: Tyler Lockett

Grade: 5.91 (Could become early starter)

CB Brandon Williams (Texas A&M): 5-11, 197lbs

combine: 4.37(40)/18reps/30.5in vert

'15: 37tckls/7PBs

Strengths: Flashed a quality burst to the ball from his backpedal. Steady & sure tackler , enough mass to hit and stick to big receivers & RBs coming his way. Blazing straight-line recovery speed.

Weaknesses: New at the position. Slow to process combo routes and find shifting zone responsibilities. Allows too much separation. Stiff in his transition. 

Comp: Nick Marshall

Grade: 5.39 (backup/eventual starter)

RB Devontae Booker (Utah): 5-11, 219lbs

 combine: 22reps

'15: 2nd All-Pac 12, 1,261yds/11TDs

Strengths: Patient runner but decisive when he sees the crease. Flashes above-average feel for the way running lanes shift and change. Features excellent vision. Can maintain play speed when changing directions and cutting. Crisp footwork approaching line of scrimmage. Able to string together slew of moves in succession.Effective pass catcher with soft hands. Willing to do his part in pass protection.

Weaknesses: May not be able to add more weight without compromising quickness & average speed. Fumbles could be a concern. Average getaway speed.

Comp: Jeremy Langford

Grade: 5.7 (could become early starter)

S Jayron Kearse (Clemson): 6-4, 216lbs

combine: 4.62(40)/16reps/31.5in vert

'15: 2nd AP All-American

Strengths: Straight line athlete with long strides who is able to come from two-deep and close ground quickly on deep sideline throws. Will read QB's eyes and shade coverage accordingly while staying deeper than the deepest receiver. Able to contribute immediately on special teams.

Weaknesses: Play demeanor and effort level can best be described as blase. Slow to set presnap. Slow to diagnose counters at the line of scrimmage. Can be mismatched in man coverage by shifty slot receivers. Production levels should be much higher considering his build. Too many busts in coverage leading to free running receivers.

Grade: 5.39 (backup/eventual starter)

RB Tyler Ervin (San Jose St): 5-10, 192lbs

combine: 4.41(40)/17reps/39in vert

'15: 1,469yds/13TDs

Strengths: Short-strider in tight confines with ability to make sudden directional change. Combines smoothness with quick reaction time to avoid traffic. Plus lateral escapability. Quality hands, can function as a pass catcher with some matchup potential. Very good play speed and can punch the gas to top speed quickly. Return man experience.

Weaknesses: Runs come to a screeching halt against quality, bodied-up tackle attempts. Balance through contact is poor and has trouble grinding legs through arm tackles. Not a one-cut runner. Limited in his routes and times looked like he was going through the motions if he didn't expect to get the ball. 

Comp: Akeem Hunt

Grade: 5.38 (backup/eventual starter)  

Steelers Draft Prospects: Part 1

Better late than never, its time for the Steelers Draft Prospects series. With the draft quickly approaching, there will just be 2 parts to this, comprised of only confirmed prospect visits. The player summaries all come from NFL.com

SS Jeremy Cash (Duke): 6-2, 210lbs

'15: 101 tckls/2.5 scks/4 PB's (pass breakups)/3 FF's. ACC DPOY, Nagurski & Thorpe Finalist

Strengths: Very big & physical. Has long arms and big hands for the position. Comes diving off the edge to upend RBs before they hit the crease. Has a big closing burst. Runs through targets with force and can separate WRs from the catch.

Weaknesses: Struggles in space to match up in man coverage. Plays with tight, stiff hips that limit sudden movements and change of direction. Slow to drop into zone coverage with proper depth from the line of scrimmage. Scheme-limited. Dealt recently with surgery on a broken wrist

Comp: T.J Ward

Grade: 5.54 (Backup/eventual starter)

S Deon Bush (Miami): 6ft, 199lbs

combine: 4.64 (40)/ 17 reps/ 36in vert

'15: Honorable All-ACC

Strengths: Good size for the position. Comes downhill under control looking to mirror runners. Wraps-up as a tackler. Good leaper. Can disrupt at the high point. Comfortable in zone coverage underneath. Has blitz capabilities. Determined special teams effort.

Weaknesses: Lacks dynamic athleticism. Struggles to change direction in space. Doesn't always read development of play. Shows pre-snap confusion at times. Lack of instincts limit range & playmaking ability. Late to respond to throws in his area. 

Comp: Mo Alexander

Grade: 5.27 (Developmental/ST Potential) 

CB D.J White (Georgia Tech): 5-11, 193lbs

combine: 4.49 (40)/ 17reps/ 33.5in vert

'15: 41tckls/ 2INTs/ 8PBs

Strengths: Patient from press coverage and plays with balance. Disrupts receivers. Challenges catch without running through receivers. Good leaper. Instinctive & disciplined. Attacks catch point rather than man when in position.

Weaknesses: Little clunky hips and changing directions sharply. Recovery speed is very average. Waits on receiver after short catch giving away valuable yardage. Head decker in run support and finishes with arm tackles over a chest-up approach.

Comp: Justin Bethel

Grade: 5.59 (backup/eventual starter)

OT Jerald Hawkins (LSU): 6-6, 305lbs

combine: 5.23 (40)/ 23reps

Strengths: Slides feet & hips. Flashes power and maintains grip. Plays with balances pass sets. Possesses foot quickness and change of direction. Speedy snap off and search mechanism against twists. Uses upward blow with decent hip snap into initial contact in run game.

Weaknesses: Power in base blocks hindered by his narrow drive base. Doesn't always bring his feet through contact. Not a natural knee bender. Hands too wide in pass pro setup. Willing to wait bend when pass rusher  gets to edge.

Comp: Bobby Massie

Grade: 5.5 (backup/eventual starter)

DT A'Shawn Robinson (Alabama): 6-4, 307lbs

 combine: 5.2 (40)/ 22reps/ 26in vert

'15: All-American, Outland finalist. 46tckls/ 3.5scks

Strengths: Tough to move off the spot. Dislodges guards & centers if they try and wait. Athletic enough to give reasonable chase to the ball. Heavy tackler. Generates pocket push when he gets it cranked up as a pass rusher. Brute force to match NFL power immediately. 

Weaknesses: Plays too upright when asked to move. Should be more consistent against double teams. Straight-liner, stalls due to leverage loss. Needs to play with a wider base to improve balance & overall base. Rarely turns the corner. Doesn't play with the quickness or forward lean to threaten edges and win in the gaps.

Comp: John Henderson

Grade: 6.34 (Chance to become a good starter)

SS Keanu Neal (Florida): 6ft, 211lbs

combine: 4.62 (40)/ 17reps/ 38in vert

'15: 96tckls/ 2scks/ 1INT

Strengths: Cranks it up to top speed in a hurry. Explodes downhill in run support. Vicious hitter. Drives all the way through his contact with aggressive finishes. Close skill in coverage. On top of the receiver immediately  after the catch. Impact tackler around the line of scrimmage.

Weaknesses: Hard tackling style can lead to missed or broken tackles. Can be wild in space skating past his target. Field awareness can be hit or miss in coverage. Won't always turn and run early enough.

Comp: Kenny Vaccaro

Grade: 5.88 (Could become early starter) 

S Darian Thompson (Boise St): 6-2, 208lbs

combine: 4.69 (40)/ 12reps. 32.5in vert

'15: 5INTs/ 8.5TFL

Strengths: Soft hands can make difficult, diving INTs. Will run through receivers' catch point to disrupt. A ready hitter. Able to bob & weave around traffic and consistently choose the correct lane to find RBs.

Weaknesses: Undisciplined. Needs to play with more technique and less improv. Hip tightness hinders ability to open quickly and ruin with necessary speed to close separation. Needs to slow and gather himself when charging downhill to avoid missed tackles.

comp: Morgan Burnett

Grade: 5.52 (backup/eventual starter)




CB Tavon Young (Temple): 5-9, 183lbs

combine: 4.46 (40)/ 9reps/ 34.5in vert

'15: 41tckls/ 1sck/ 7PBs

Strengths: Plays bigger and more physically than his size. Drives through receivers with force at the point of the catch and can jar the ball free. Plays with winning ball skills. Crowds receivers upfield and gets his head around to find the ball. Comfortable in bail coverage.

Weaknesses: Gets grabby and starts to maul when running with big receivers. Doesn't have twitch or fluid change of direction in most small corners. Gets caught guessing in route recognition. Feet are clunky when opening up to run with WRs.

Grade: 5.49 (backup/eventual starter)

OT Caleb Benenoch (UCLA): 6-5, 305lbs

combine: 4.98 (40)

Strengths: Plays with good knee bend. Lateral quickness off the snap to put himself in position for difficult zone blocks. Has feet the mirror in space in pass protection. Aggressive worker with some recovery athleticism to work himself back into the play.

Weaknesses: Lacks core strength. Too much waist bending as a tackle. Leans into pass rushers opening up balance concerns. Needs to bring hands back inside with his punch. 

Grade: 5.3 (backup/eventual starter)

FS Vonn Bell (Ohio St): 5-11, 199lbs

combine: 16reps

'15: 65tckls/ 2INTs/ 9PBs  2nd All Big 10

Strengths: Man cover talent. Instincts and reaction time are big assets. Fires downhill as soon as he reads throw. Able to mirror targets and strike a centered blow when flowing downhill. Plays with excellent feel for his responsibilities in space. Rarely out of position.

Weaknesses: Hip tightness impedes fluid flip & go when beaten in space. Occasionally gets caught peeking in on QB for too long and will briefly lose track of the receiver. Drag down tackler without much thud.

Comp: Kurt Coleman

Grade: 5.68 (backup/eventual starter)

CB Jonathan Jones (Auburn): 5-9, 180lbs

combine: 4.33 (40)/ 19reps/ 36in vert

'15: 69tckls/ 1INT/ 13PBs

Strengths: Foot quickness and fluid hips for smooth transitions from press coverage. Looks to make plays out of his area. Able to carry long speed stride for stride. Man cover specialist. Finds the deep ball and gets his head around to challenge. Much better instincts underneath or in man coverage. 

Weaknesses: Miscast in zone and off coverage. Allows much cushion for pitch & catch throws. Unable to unhinge quickly from big receivers. Has injury history.

Grade: 5.35 (backup/eventual starter)

FS T.J Green (Clemson): 6-2, 209lbs

combine: 4.34 (40)/ 13reps/ 35.5in vert

'15: 95tckls/ 3PBs/ 2FFs

Strengths: Has exciting coverage range potential for defense that asks more of him. Flashes man cover ability with length, speed & ball skills. Lightning fast blitzer who can factor off the slot. 

Weaknesses: Open-field tackling issues are problematic. Not enough wrap-ups. Positioning and balance when tackling is below average. Limited experience. Hesitates to fire downhill after the run or catch, giving away valuable yardage.

Comp: Cedric Thompson

Grade: 5.64 (backup/eventual starter)

CB Ryan Smith (NC Central): 5-11, 189lbs

combine: 4.47 (40)/ 18reps/ 36in vert

'15: 2nd All-MEAC, 2INTs/9PBs

Strengths: Very smooth in his pedal and turn, does a nice job of reading a receiver's "tells" with his route. Quality footwork for mirror and match, sticks to the hip of his man. Plays with good ball skills. In zone, slides according to a QB's eyes restricting passing windows.

Weaknesses: Closing burst is marginal. Acceleration from change of direction is below average. Challenged by size.

Comp: Bill Bentley

Grade: 5.39 (backup/eventual starter)

OLB Jatavis Brown (Akron): 5-11, 227lbs

Strengths: Tremendous play speed & acceleration to cut off angles and catch RBs around the corner. Explosive athlete. Glides & mirrors. Can outrace blockers to the spot. Instinctive and sniffs out misdirection plays. Some cover ability and can disrupt TEs. Uses quickness and burst to the QB to rack up sacks as a blitzer. 

Weaknesses: More of a hybrid fit than a NFL LB. Lack of play strength and mechanics show up with his tackling. Redirect blocks can end his pursuit.

Grade: 5.5 (backup/eventual starter)

DT Javon Hargrave (SC St): 6-1, 309lbs

combine: 4.93 (40)/ 29reps/ 34.5in vert

'15: AP All-American

Strengths: Can play low and dip around the corner when playing in gaps. Surprising foot quickness with an adequate spin move. Plays with quick burst upfield and into blockers. Flashes playmaking ability.

Weaknesses: Very raw as a pass rusher relying on athleticism. Lacks instincts and feel for position. Doesn't anticipate down blocks and can be knocked around because of it. Doesn't play with enough of an anchor.

Grade: 5.5 (backup/eventual starter)

DT Quinton Jefferson (Maryland): 6-4, 291lbs

combine: 4.95 (40)/ 24reps/ 29in vert

'15: Honorable All Big 10,  12.5TFLs/6.5scks/1INT

Strengths: Can come off the snap with low pad level and make initial penetration with leverage into the gap. Shows some disruptive qualities when he commits to the attack. Can create uncertainty in blockers. Nifty swim move tied to a jump cut for go-to inside move. 

Weaknesses: Allows himself to be redirected. Doesn't fire-off the snap and into blockers with much juice. Rushes with a narrow base. Lack of power in his base prevents him from fighting back against wash down blocks on the move.

Grade: 5.13 (Back end of the roster)

SNL Season 41: Ep.18

SNL wrapped up a 3-week stretch. Would they close out April on a high note? Onto the review.

Cold Open (CNN Brooklyn Democratic Debate): Larry David made another appearance (he's gotten more screentime than newcomer Jon Rudnitsky) as Bernie Sanders. This opening didn't seem quite fleshed out. Julia made an appearance as her Seinfeld character Elaine. Elaine and Bernie then bantered back in forth in Seinfeld mannerisms, which I don't think a lot of people got, being about 20+ years later. And then Vanessa Bayer randomly appeared as Rachel to ask a question. Just random. (5.3)

Monologue: Julia made some mentions of her early post-SNL film work, including "Troll". Monologues have been pretty down as of late on SNL. There just wasn't much here. It was fine I guess. (5.8)

Heroin AM (ad): One of the more predictable ads for SNL, this for Heroin AM "with the side effects of Heroin). There was some good writing going on here, but it did feel a little "copy & paste" from some of their other drug parodies they've done. (6.9)

Huge Jewelry: Think "Bronx Beat", and the Scarlett Johnasson clock sketches, and you got this. It was basically just a Long Island accent driven skit about selling obscenely huge jewelry. Nick Jonas made an appearance, but like with the monologue, there just wasn't much here. (4.0)  

Pool Boy (Short): Pete Davidson played a pool boy to Julia in this short. She kept on trying to politely tell him that their fling was over, which Pete took nonchalantly. This was one of those pieces that got better as we kept on seeing Pete's reactions. The closing line was pretty great as well, when Julia saw Nick Jonas (hello again) mowing the lawn.....and lets just say she was going to get some of that. (7.5)

Cinema Classics: SNL brought back "cinema classics". Kenan Thompson continues to be great as the hose of this sketch. We saw clips of Taran Killam and Julia, as Julia staggered around the set looking for her lines...even a shell that just said "yes". There were some pacing issues to be sure, but Julia really sold this pretty well. (7.0)

New Mercedes (ad): This was shot so well that I thought it was real for a second. Julia was selling a car that ran on AA batteries. Overall it fell a little flat, but that last scene was pretty great when she opens the door, and hundreds or thousands of batteries just come pouring out of the car. (6.3)

(Nick Jonas ft/ Tove Lo) "Close": (7.4)

Weekend Update: Even with the lukewarm first half, Colin Jost and Michael Che were able to do a pretty good Update. They had a good riff on Ted Cruz and his "NY Values". 

The first guest saw Kenan and Jay Pharoah as Charles Barkely/Shaq. These two are quickly becoming one of the great Update duo guests. Jay's Shaq impression is just so good. 

Barkely/Shaq

We saw a new character, as Aidy Bryant played "Animal Annie", who connected animal knowledge with her personal life. She then brought a real iguana onto the set, as her new partner. 

Animal Annie

Lastly, we got Cecily Strong as the "One Dimensional Female Character In A Male Driven Comedy". This character has been pretty hit or miss, but I think this was the best iteration of it. (6.9)

One Dimensional Female Character 

Who Works Here?: Julia hosted a game show where contestants had to guess who actually worked at a CVS. This was a sketch that had all the elements there, but it just didn't quite click. The lightning round they had was really good, as a variety of characters danced around the aisle, but overall, it just didn't work out. (5.5)

(Nick Jonas) "Champagne Problems": (7.0)

Match.com Event: This was certainly a 10 to 1 sketch. A speed dating like event takes place at a bar.....and 2 aliens (Kate McKinnon/Julia) show up looking to mate. From the black eye contacts, to the voice distortion, this was just all sorts of bizarre. I mean, SNL has been known for some weird sketches (see "Space Pants" just 2 weeks ago), but man, was this one out there. I didn't know how to even rate this, it was just so odd. In any event, it was memorable at least, which can't be said for a majority of this episode. (7.0)

"God Is A Boob Man" trailer: Yeah, you read that title right. This was a parody trailer about a baker who refuses to make a wedding cake for a gay couple. Obviously quite topical given the recent situations out of Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi, but this really worked well. Without even knowing it, I thought to myself while this aired "There's probably a movie like this out there".....and lo & behold, there is. God's Not Dead 2, which means there was actually an original ":God's Not Dead"....fascinating. Some unintentional comedy right there. Anyway, this parody was pretty brilliant. (8.0) 

What a weird episode (and not necessarily good-weird like the Peter Dinklage episode). This sort of oddly went down the same path as last week with Russell Crowe where a lot of the material just fell flat. I honestly don't know quite what to make of it. A poor April stretch for SNL.

Overall Score - 6.51

Ariana Grande - 7.95
Tracy Morgan - 7.94

Larry David - 7.73
Elizabeth Banks - 7.53

Adam Driver - 7.22

Chris Hemsworth - 7.20
Amy Schumer - 7.18

Matthew McConaughey - 7.13

Tina Fey/Amy Poehler - 7.03
Ryan Gosling - 6.92

Peter Dinklage - 6.80

Melissa McCarthy - 6.78

Julia Louis Dreyfus - 6.51

Russell Crowe - 6.38
Miley Cyrus - 6.07

Ronda Rousey - 5.78

Jonah Hill - 5.13
Donald Trump - 4.92

SNL Season 41: Ep.17

Russell Crowe hosted this past week, trying his hand at comedy. So how did he go? Well........onto the review.

Hillary Clinton Addresses Losing Streak (Cold Open): Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton is quietly getting really good. It feels more natural than Amy Poehler's. Here, she discussed the upcoming NY primary, and tried her hand at the subway, but struggled with her metrocard. The cold open wasn't out of this world, but in terms of political cold opens, it was still pretty good. (6.6)

Monologue: Monologues recently seem to be getting shorter and shorter. Russell Crowe riffed on how he's actually done a lot of comedy, showing clips of "Gladiator" and "A Beautiful Mind". It wasn't Jonah Hill level bad, but another week, another sub-par monologue. (5.5)

Prep H Advanced Gel (ad): We haven't seem many mock ads recently, so this was a bit of a pleasant surprise. However, there wasn't really anything all that clever with this. A friend (Beck Bennett) kept on reminding Taran Killam about his Prep H, and if it was working. A bit predictable overall. (5.7)

Politics Nation: Voter ID Disaster: For some reason, we got this as the first post mono-sketch. Kenan Thompson does a good Al Sharpton, but this sort of sapped the energy out of the room. It truly slowed to a halt though when the actual Al Sharpton showed up for some reason. There were some good lines in there to be sure, as they judged presidential candidates favorability among the black community, but the sketch felt incredibly sluggish. (4.0)

Interactive Museum Exhibit: There was some impressive technology involved with this sketch, I'll give them that, but once again, it just fell flat. Crowe played a hologram of King Henry VIII, as he demanded museum-goers to "bear him a son", and that was pretty much the sketch, just Crowe repeating that over and over again. Maybe this worked in the writer's room, but it didn't work at all in practice. (3.6)

Match Finders: A theme of the characters Crowe played started to come up with this sketch, as on a dating game show, he played a horny professor who got very direct with this answers to Cecily Strong's questions. Kenan did his best as the host, but once again this just sort of fell flat. (4.5)

(Margo Price): (8.0)

Weekend Update: Even on a fairly bad 1st half of this week's show, Colin Jost and Michael Che were able to do a fairly good job with Update, which is always a big test.

The first guest saw Kate McKinnon as "someone mom's Deenie", as she ate leftovers and talked "The People v. OJ Simpson". For some reason, this character always seems to make Jost crack up, and that makes it work.

Next saw Kyle Mooney as comic Bruce Chandling, trying to discuss sports. Mooney is the king at awkward comedy. The basis of this character is that he's a bad comedian, who also has no confidence. You could tell no one in the audience was getting it, and that made it 10X greater. Bruce Chandling and Fred Armisen's Nicholas Fehn should go on tour. (7.2)

Bruce Chandling On Sports

100 Days In The Jungle: Things picked up a bit here. On a "Survivor" like show, contestants brought in family members, but Pete Davidson got another randy character played by Crowe. Among the sketches, this was an improvement, but was still fairly low-bar (5.8)

Pogie Pepperoni's (Short): Its been a while since we got a good Kyle Mooney/Beck Bennett short, but we got one, and just in the nick of time with how this show had been going. Mooney and Bennett played new employees at a Chuck-E-Cheese like place, which they had grown up with. It may have been a one-note joke, how excited they got, but something about this just worked. From their awe at the mascot getting ready for a smoke break, to their heads exploding when they met the CEO, and the subsequent in memoriam closing screen. (8.3)

(Margo Price): (7.6)


Shanice Goodwin: This sketch was fairly out there (and was the only one that was remotely amusing on the night). Leslie Jones played a ninja who had to save Vanessa Bayer from some mobsters (portrayed by Crowe). Kenan had an unplanned coughing fit, but it was Leslie who just sold the heck out of this. From her "hiding", to placing a ladder to climb up and attack someone. It was good to see this side of her. (8.0)

Shanice Goodwin

Oprah (Mike O'Brien short): What an odd, yet somehow fitting end to the show. In this short, Mike O'Brien plays Oprah (because why not?) His lack of enthusiasm yet general contentment as he gives away cars is just the best. "All you knuckleheads are getting cars". The pre-taped segments were really the best this week. (8.2)

Oprah

Russell Crowe was barely present for the show. You could probably count on one hand the amount of screen time he actually got. Comedy is definitely not his forte. If anything was able to save this show, it was Kyle Mooney and Mike O'Brien (along with some help from Leslie "Ninja" Jones),

Overall Score - 6.38

Ariana Grande - 7.95
Tracy Morgan - 7.94

Larry David - 7.73
Elizabeth Banks - 7.53

Adam Driver - 7.22

Chris Hemsworth - 7.20
Amy Schumer - 7.18

Matthew McConaughey - 7.13

Tina Fey/Amy Poehler - 7.03
Ryan Gosling - 6.92

Peter Dinklage - 6.80

Melissa McCarthy - 6.78

Russell Crowe - 6.38
Miley Cyrus - 6.07

Ronda Rousey - 5.78

Jonah Hill - 5.13
Donald Trump - 4.92