possible 4-3 packages

[Vader]

With how they played last year, the Steelers' "base package" may not truly exist anymore. You need to show so many different looks, particularly with extra defensive backs.

Last year was a disaster because of bad planning. Foote getting hurt and not having a real backup put a wrench in the works. They didn't draft Tuitt and McCullers to ride the bench. So they are going to get back to a 3 man DL for a lot of snaps. Right now they have Heyward, Tuitt, Cam, McClendon, Arfelt, and Williams (off the top of my head) along the DL. I'm sure I'm missing some more. But anyway they are trying to keep 3 on the DL most of the time. If Shazier works out that allows them to move Troy back to his position.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Last year was a disaster because of bad planning. Foote getting hurt and not having a real backup put a wrench in the works. They didn't draft Tuitt and McCullers to ride the bench. So they are going to get back to a 3 man DL for a lot of snaps. Right now they have Heyward, Tuitt, Cam, McClendon, Arfelt, and Williams (off the top of my head) along the DL. I'm sure I'm missing some more. But anyway they are trying to keep 3 on the DL most of the time. If Shazier works out that allows them to move Troy back to his position.

They could have three-man fronts, but I'm talking more about an extra defensive back on the field.

 

[Vader]

They could have three-man fronts, but I'm talking more about an extra defensive back on the field.

What Lb are you going to take off the field? I think that is the reason they are now drafting faster LBs is because they don't want a bunch of DBs on the field. Right now they have to play Jones, Timmons, Shazier and Worilds. They aren't going to sit any of those guys to play another DB... or at least I hope they wouldn't. Jones, Timmons and Shazier are 1st round picks. Worilds is making 10 MILLION just for this year. Who exactly are you taking off the field to play one more DB?

 

[SteelChip]

What Lb are you going to take off the field? I think that is the reason they are now drafting faster LBs is because they don't want a bunch of DBs on the field.

I thought the whole reason for drafting Shazier was that they would have a run stopper that had enough speed to cover a receiver if need be. Losing Foote didn't help but he wasn't all that good in coverage himself for the last 2/3 years and the rookie duo that replaced him wasn't much better, at least at first. There are a bunch of ILBers in camp and the goal (I thought) was to be able to return to our base defense and not rely so much on all the change formations.

 

[Vader]

I thought the whole reason for drafting Shazier was that they would have a run stopper that had enough speed to cover a receiver if need be. Losing Foote didn't help but he wasn't all that good in coverage himself for the last 2/3 years and the rookie duo that replaced him wasn't much better, at least at first. There are a bunch of ILBers in camp and the goal (I thought) was to be able to return to our base defense and not rely so much on all the change formations.

That was my understanding as well. I believe they even discussed this while answering the question about why they didn't draft a CB early. They also drafted Spence a couple of years ago for this same reason. Going to a defense that has more DBs totally defeats the purpose of drafting faster LBers.

 

[Steel G]

with the talk that we will run some 4-3 and might be moving back to the 4-3 for the first time since 1992, I was just thinking of what players they can play where.

92? Try 82...or 81, somewhere in there. But really, how often are the Steelers in base anymore? Certainly not as much as they were back in the day.

 

[F83]

92? Try 82...or 81, somewhere in there. But really, how often are the Steelers in base anymore? Certainly not as much as they were back in the day.

until Hampton knees were still good at most first 2 downs were in base then the 2-4-5 and 1-5-5, once his knees and stamina went south (2012) we were forced to play subpackages mostly and did not have the CB or a capable MLB that had similar speed to Timmons, 2012 and 2011 DL should have tried using troy at MLB the way he used him this year, both 2011 @ 2012 Foote and Farrior speed made them easy to pick apart in coverage.

 

[insaniti]

until Hampton knees were still good at most first 2 downs were in base then the 2-4-5 and 1-5-5, once his knees and stamina went south (2012) we were forced to play subpackages mostly and did not have the CB or a capable MLB that had similar speed to Timmons, 2012 and 2011 DL should have tried using troy at MLB the way he used him this year, both 2011 @ 2012 Foote and Farrior speed made them easy to pick apart in coverage.

This is just hilariously wrong. 1-5-5? 2-4-5, you're just throwing out numbers now. We have never put 5 lbers on the field, anything else is called nickel and dime defenses.

As for the Foote debacle last year, he was not good in coverage, but he was good in the run game. Of all of the parts of the defense that fell short last year, the run defense was the biggest issue for us in the beginning of the year. We couldn't stop the run and that made the play action work for just about everyone. Cinci tore us apart with play action and screens to the RB's out of a base set.

 

[SteelChip]

That was my understanding as well. I believe they even discussed this while answering the question about why they didn't draft a CB early. They also drafted Spence a couple of years ago for this same reason. Going to a defense that has more DBs totally defeats the purpose of drafting faster LBers.

And putting Troy in as a ILBer wasn't what I would call, real successful. He helped with some of the coverages but he's just a little light in the *** for the middle. ( I'm sure you all remember Troy played linebacker for a significant part of the season last year after we lost Foote and figured out that we couldn't fill with what we had. Troy Polamalu, one of the greatest to ever play the game stepped up like so many of his predecessors to play a position that he was not designated to play (does the name Carnell Lake mean anything to you). http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2014/7/8/5880539/playing-the-hand-you-re-dealt-linebackers)

That quoted article is a pretty good summary of what is happening LBer wise.

 

[antdrewjosh]

The issue is teams lining up in three WR sets and double tight end sets and when we bring in a nickle defense they would run all over us. If we can cover some of these sets out of base and get teams into predictable nickle/dime passing situations we will be better.