For years now, we keep hearing the D blaming "communication" or guys not in their "gap". For X's and O's guys on here, WTF does that really mean? We here it all the time. Can they truly be that bad with communication year in and year out? And, how about the gaps? They way they play, especially with 2 DL so often, you can drive a bus through the D and get to the 2nd level or beyond before even being touched. So many times we move the 2 DL to one side or toward the outside of the OL. Then they push the OLB's further out than that. There are gaping holes to run through and good running teams exploit it.
I have been saying for years that we need a true NT and 3 big uglies on the field to counter the 5 big uglies on the O. What am I missing? It seems pretty simple overall yet the Steelers can't stop the run at all.
And, now that they are running more man with JPJ, etc., good passing teams are picking us apart there. I know we cut way back on blitzing but if we can't cover in man, then don't do it. The pundits had been talking earlier about how we frustrate and stop Lamar using types of zone yet the last 2 losses, we were playing man and they passed at will. Burrows and the other good QB's do as well.
How do we fix all of this? I obviously have been saying we need to solidify the DL first and work out from there. The same on the O side. I see no way this gets fixed any time soon as Tomlin will keep running the same D. We need an entire new D philosophy. What Tomlin has been running hasn't worked in almost a decade especially in the playoffs against the best teams.
I know I am blabbering but help a man out here. Thoughts from our football Guru's?
The easiest part of your question to address is "guys not in their gaps" because that is either a) undicpilined players or b) improperly designed scheme.
Any defensive front scheme assigns specific gaps (between offensive linemen) to a specific player on defense. On a run play, that player should know and move to his assigned gap. Not much more complicated than putting your body into that space to plug the hole. If players are not in their "assigned gaps" then they either do not know where their assigned gap is, or they do not respect their assignment and prefer to freelance on their own. A bigger and more troubling asnwer is that the defense is so poorly schemed that it leaves gaps unassigned. In that case, any competent staff at the NFL level will discover that on film and exploit it.
"Communication" has been a problem with the Steelers defense, expecially the secondary, for quite some time. That probably requires more inside information to understand but it is the easiest to fix. Replace the defensive coaching staff in charge of playcalling, terminology and distribution. If these players don't know the plays, can't understand the plays, don't know their assignments within plays, etc after training camp and a full regular season then you either have the dumbest football players in the history of football or you have a coaching staff that has failed at its job. The OP is correct, we always hear about "communication" issues and the secondary especially leaving guys uncovered. That has to be on the defensive coaching staff at this point. If it's player-related then you teach him up or replace him. Since it keeps happening over and over, with different players, then it has to be coaching.
The defense is run by Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin. Nobody is trying to hire those two rocket scientists to run anything for anyone else.
Like you guys, I am frustrated, angry, disappointed, everything. But I think this falls on Art II's shoulders completely. The guy was born on 3rd base and seems intent on stealing 2nd.
The Steelers have become a mediocre franchise under his watch. Good enough is good enough. Same old, same old. If I'm giving letter grades, it goes like this:
Steelers Franchise = B-
Head Coach = C/C+
Offensive Coaching Staff = D
Offensive Player Personnel = B- (we have too many high draft pick on the O-Line to be playing as poorly as they are playing)
Defensive Coaching Staff = C-
Defensive Player Personnel = A- (there is a tremendous amount of talent on that defense and at times they play like it, need another corner and some youth on the D-Line but otherwise who would we replace?)
GM = B+/A- (I think Omar has upgraded this roster significantly in a short period of time with what picks and free agents he had available thus far.
Owner = D (Art permits this to continue without making the changes that need to be imposed.)
If Art is going to keep Tomlin which we all know he is then Art or Omar need to override Tomlin and make some staff changes.
First, hire a real DC and take that away from Tomlin. If he wants his job then be a CEO type and oversee the team and the player behavior - there's enough there to keep him busy.
Second, hire a real O-Line Coach because constantly using high draft picks who underperform once they reach Pittsburgh is not working. It cannot be that Pittsburgh has drafted every high round bust of talent. Everybody had these guys rated highly. Daniels and Seamalu have both regressed in Pittsburgh from their prior levels.
None of this will happen. Instead, Art II will cling dearly to that Rule named for his family and will not dare tread upon Mike Tomlin's fallacy standing as a top coach. Tomlin isn't and he isn't going to become one after 18 years.
Until Art II grows a set of his own stones, this is what the Steelers will be, a B- franchise working toward C+ status with Mediocre Mike at the helm.
