Steeler's complicated defense.

[tdub88]

It seems our defense is so complicated that the only people that can figure it out is the offense we are playing.

Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of respect for DL, but really? A rookie has to sit for a couple years to figure it out? I know Shazier is in there, but shouldn't we field a defense that can stop some people on the field and not 'legend' them into thinking they can't score against us?

I know, 24hrs.......

 

[STEELERS R GR8]

I agree and I am not saying DL needs to go cause he has done great things for us but lets look at the last few seasons. We can't get to the QB and our DB's play 10 yards off the receiver. We don't hit the QB and we don't get turnovers two things that use to be a staple in our defense. When you think about the defense of the past you think about the pressure and the sack, now is it cause we don't have the talent or is it that the NFL has come down hard on us for hitting the QB? I know everyone has their guys they like and guys they hate JJ is one of them guys that we all love to hate. I think we have enough talent at LB but our NT has to improve and eat up some blocking and free the LB's up to make some plays. JMO, but since Big Snack has been gone we have had a bad pass rush. Was he a sack master not but he did eat up blockers and that is more then Thomas or McClendon are doing. Our Dline is a big problem and it is making the rest look bad, everyone can say Ike and Troy have lost a step but let's face it no matter who you have back there if we can't pressure the QB someone will be open at some point. Can some please teach Cam Thomas that when the ball is snapped the first step is not backward?????????

 

[Xc944]

I agree and I am not saying DL needs to go cause he has done great things for us but lets look at the last few seasons. We can't get to the QB and our DB's play 10 yards off the receiver. We don't hit the QB and we don't get turnovers two things that use to be a staple in our defense. When you think about the defense of the past you think about the pressure and the sack, now is it cause we don't have the talent or is it that the NFL has come down hard on us for hitting the QB? I know everyone has their guys they like and guys they hate JJ is one of them guys that we all love to hate. I think we have enough talent at LB but our NT has to improve and eat up some blocking and free the LB's up to make some plays. JMO, but since Big Snack has been gone we have had a bad pass rush. Was he a sack master not but he did eat up blockers and that is more then Thomas or McClendon are doing. Our Dline is a big problem and it is making the rest look bad, everyone can say Ike and Troy have lost a step but let's face it no matter who you have back there if we can't pressure the QB someone will be open at some point. Can some please teach Cam Thomas that when the ball is snapped the first step is not backward?????????

So our jj not getting pressure is because of the nt. worilds sucking is because of the nose tackle. Timmons being the most overrated player on this team is because of the nt? Sorry the linebackers suck because they suck

 

[Super Dave]

Three1st round picks and a 2nd at LB.........Two first round picks 2 second round picks and a 7th rd pick on the OL, and the 7th rd pick is the one we are least concerned about, and we still cannot get a push.

I would really be interested to see how much our scouting department has changed in the last 7 years.....

 

[fogdoctor]

I would really be interested to see how much our scouting department has changed in the last 7 years.....

This. It is not just the drafting but the evaluation of what we "need".

 

[TDX27]

I know it has a lot to do with personnel also but the Rats 3-4 D last night looked a heck of a lot better than ours. They put constant pressure on the QB with 3 or 4 rushing. We haven't done that or been able to do that in many years.

 

[SteelerSask2]

I don't see where our defense is so complicated. We used to play an amoeba with a bunch of people crowding the line of scrimmage. Now we don't even bring pressure. Its like these idiots looked at the first half of last year and said, this is the way we should play. First off Troy must be near the line of scrimmage. He isn't even average if he is standing ina traditional safety role.

 

[TDX27]

We tagged Worilds and based on the first 2 games, he has shown he isn't worth half that money. Let him walk next year unless he's willing to take much less than the offer they already made him.

Why did we sign Cortez? He sucks *** too. Definitely not worth $5 million per year.

The D looks so bad right now. If they don't improve significantly the rest of the year, big changes need to come. We need to just bite the bullet on letting players walk and even picking up a free agent or two. If Worilds isn't drastically better, let him walk and use his money on a top free agent for the secondary. Put McCullers in and let him take some lumps so his is ready to play next year. He can't be any worse than what we have on the line now.

 

[SteelChip]

Three1st round picks and a 2nd at LB.........Two first round picks 2 second round picks and a 7th rd pick on the OL, and the 7th rd pick is the one we are least concerned about, and we still cannot get a push.

I would really be interested to see how much our scouting department has changed in the last 7 years.....

The drum beats outta da 'Burgh sound menacing, sticks are being sharpened to mount heads, tar is being boiled and the chickens are now nekked. Tomlin seems to be the immediate target of the malcontents but LeBeau & Haley and now Colbert & Art2 are also gettin' time in the barrel.

When you crazy Yinzers aren't bashing Tomlin direct you're grumbling about the personnel dept and Colbert in particular. "The personnel people in the Steeler organization have destroyed this team." you say and I for one am moreso in this camp than the ones with the hot tar. If we take a real good look at some of our decisions, the target of my anger would be either Colbert or even AR2 before the coaches..even though I have had to go to the alter and ask forgiveness for blasphemes thoughts about coach Dick.

If we take a good look at what this current gang has assembled, there are some real promising youngin's in there but at the same time there are some real question marks. We have some high round draftees that suck, Adams and Gilbert jump off the page there. Then there are the money decisions, Worilds for instance has yet to show anybody why he deserves to be makin' $9m this year and the Troy/Ike money is like pissing in your boot.

Now let's look at the FA signees and their contributions. We've got Cam " blocking sled" Thomas, Mike "penalty flag" Mitchell, Darius Heywood "do I really have to block" Bay and Lance "whirlpool" Moore. Really, we have released better players than all three of those guys. I honestly don't believe we have enough talent on this team to play good football..and that gets split evenly between the organization and the players, with a few exceptions...but mostly second tier material.

I'm gunna hold out some hope that Munchak will turn the OL into something halfway productive, LeBeau will find a way to slow opposing teams down at least a little bit, Haley will learn how to adjust at least a little bit and Tomlin will find the missing team that played the 'stains' the first half last week.

Or not, either way I already paid for my "ticket" so.....

GO STILLERS
Chip

 

[Coryea]

Colbert and Lebeau weren't an issue pre 2007, just saying. What significant thing happened in 2007?

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Whatever the D is doing isn't working anymore, but a lot of good players aged out (or are aging out - see Polamalu and Taylor) plus the NFL and the refs took their game away.

 

[fogdoctor]

Colbert and Lebeau weren't an issue pre 2007, just saying. What significant thing happened in 2007?

Our drafts started to suck. Our evaluation of need started to suck.

 

[Super Dave]

Our drafts started to suck. Our evaluation of need started to suck.

Boom......There it is.....

 

[Super Dave]

Our drafts started to suck. Our evaluation of need started to suck.

Boom......There it is.....

 

[SteelBuckeye]

I know it has a lot to do with personnel also but the Rats 3-4 D last night looked a heck of a lot better than ours. They put constant pressure on the QB with 3 or 4 rushing. We haven't done that or been able to do that in many years.

Our OL sucks consistently. That'll keep constant pressure on the QB. Dumervil ate Gilbert for dinner and crapped out Mike Adams.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Colbert and Lebeau weren't an issue pre 2007, just saying. What significant thing happened in 2007?

Major rules changes and "emphasis" that favored the offenses that Lebeau has still not come up with a successful counter to?

 

[Steeltime]

Dumervil ate Gilbert for dinner and crapped out Mike Adams.

Karma.

The play where Dumervil rolled Gilbert onto his back and then sacked Ben was an embarrassment - a freaking embarrassment. Gilbert looked like a fat kid doing his "Free Willie" impersonation.

 

[MT~Forged]

Major rules changes and "emphasis" that favored the offenses that Lebeau has still not come up with a successful counter to?

Correct sir. They took away DL's game and replaced it with a game he never played. Sometimes you can not teach an old dog new tricks. DL is the best at what he USED TO BE ALLOWED TO DO.

 

[Atlsteelers]

We definitely need a changing of the guard on the defensive side of the ball. LeBeau will go down as one of the greats but this defense is becoming predictable. Plus we don't have anything close to the talent we had even 3-5 years ago. Poor drafting is catching up.

 

[STEELERS R GR8]

So our jj not getting pressure is because of the nt. worilds sucking is because of the nose tackle. Timmons being the most overrated player on this team is because of the nt? Sorry the linebackers suck because they suck

No that is not what I am saying but it is harder for a LB to make a play when the NT is a waste of space. The NT job in a 3-4 is to take on the double team from the center and guard while opening up lanes for the LB's to make plays. This is not happening and hasn't happened since Casey has been gone. Also add that he does not let the offense run up the middle which is also been happening. Here is the thing there is plenty of blame to go around but it all starts up front. If we have pass rush then our DB's look great but if we don't we talk about how they suck. Same thing with the LB's, I agree the LB's also need to step up but I don't put it all on them. Our defense is built for a total team effort now more then ever, jmo!

 

[Vader]

No that is not what I am saying but it is harder for a LB to make a play when the NT is a waste of space. The NT job in a 3-4 is to take on the double team from the center and guard while opening up lanes for the LB's to make plays. This is not happening and hasn't happened since Casey has been gone. Also add that he does not let the offense run up the middle which is also been happening. Here is the thing there is plenty of blame to go around but it all starts up front. If we have pass rush then our DB's look great but if we don't we talk about how they suck. Same thing with the LB's, I agree the LB's also need to step up but I don't put it all on them. Our defense is built for a total team effort now more then ever, jmo!

Sorry but Worilds and Jones are getting stuffed by single blocking. The Rats blocked Jones many times with their TE Pita. No matter how good the DL if you can't win one on one matchups against TEs then there is nothing that can be done. Hampton won't help Worilds or Jones if they can beat the guy in front of them. And right now neither of them can beat anyone.

 

[SteelerFan448]

We definitely need a changing of the guard on the defensive side of the ball. LeBeau will go down as one of the greats but this defense is becoming predictable. Plus we don't have anything close to the talent we had even 3-5 years ago. Poor drafting is catching up.

Is the drafting poor because they are selecting bad players or because they are selecting players who are not a fit for the system that they want to run?

 

[Steeltime]

Is the drafting poor because they are selecting bad players or because they are selecting players who are not a fit for the system that they want to run?

Yes .......

 

[Fiji Mariner]

Our D is so complicated...learn to tackle, rush the passer and cover and the problem to the complexity will be solved. Too bad we suck at all 3! As long as we reward draft picks with second contracts that means we were successful in iur assessment in this front office's eyes, no matter how bad the player sucks on the field.