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Steelers have grown too soft

Spike

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I understand the league is in a tough situation. They don't want youth football to deteriorate so they overlegislate head safety. For that reason, the game is different from boxing or MMA. But at some point the league needs to realize there are protocols in place now. Just like boxing and MMA, guys know what you sign up for. If you take the physical out of what's designed to be a physical game, well then you don't have the game anymore. The field and uniforms look the same, but the product is fraudulent. And those penalties were a debacle Thursday night.

While I'm on the topic of soft football, where did my Steelers go? I used to wear Being A Steelers Fan like a badge of honor. "We're going to play tough, physical football!" Well, that's gone, too. Watching the Steelers get pushed around on defense again was demoralizing.

I had a friend who asked me if the Ray Rice distraction was good for their chances on Thursday. I said that Ray Rice won't change the fact that Cam Thomas and Steve McLendon can't hold the point or draw double teams. God, I missed Casey Hampton when watching Thomas get manhandled on third or fourth-and-short.

I'm seriously beginning to question the coaching staff's ability to evaluate talent. How is it that they believed Thomas was worth a roster spot, let alone a stating spot along the line? I'm beginning to think the Steelers' Defensive MVP the second half of last season was Al Woods. I bet they wished they gave him that extra million over two years now.

And how is it that in two years they came up with the determination that Cortez Allen was better than Keenan Lewis? Allen looks slow and vulnerable in coverage, but he makes up for it with poor tackling.

Marcus Gilbert was awful, too. Seeing him getting planted on his back while giving up a sack is part of the demoralizing lack of physicality along both Steelers lines. The two most recent contract extensions seem ridiculous. They look like panic fire: "We'll sign them and hope they develop into what we want them to be." They told Ben they wanted to keep the pieces together, and I guess they made sure they stuck to their commitment.

Against Cleveland, I thought the offense looked dynamic. Against Baltimore, watching their line get pushed around in pass protection without being able to open any major holes in the run game made me to realize this is just a smoke-and-mirrors offense.

The great Le'Veon Bell seemed to create most of his yardage on his own in the run game. Most runs up the middle had no lanes. Choose a longer developing pass play, and Ben was in trouble. They can have all the well-designed underneath routes they want. It will allow them to score points during the season. But at some point in this league, you have to be able to line up and run it to convert a third-and-2. They don't have the line to do it.

What have David DeCastro and Cameron Heyward done the last two weeks? Two guys I thought would take significant jumps have been average at best. I'm not ready to pile on Jarvis Jones and Jason Worilds. When you have a front that consistently gives the offense second or third-and-short, combined with a coordinator that hands out free curls, hitches, and outs, there isn't a whole lot of opportunity to get to the quarterback.

Who on the first Ravens drive felt they weren't going to score a touchdown? After starting the game in typical soft coverage on the initial completion to Steve Smith in front of Allen, and then handing the Ravens a third-and-4 conversion to Pitta, I texted a friend at that moment with this: "They won't get any turnovers this game either." Phil Simms, on the Pitta conversion, talked about how soft the coverage was.

At halftime they broke down the soft coverage that led to the Ravens' 10 first-half points. Simms during the game also mentioned how the Steelers fire X blitz has been less effective because so many teams run those blitzes now. It all led me to think how this team likely needs a new voice and new direction on defense. And that pains me to say because of the love and admiration I have for Dick LeBeau.

It seems like the directions Mike Tomlin have taken this team over the last few years has been the wrong ones. For years, all I've ever heard is how the nose tackle is the key to the 3-4. The nose tackle has to take on double teams, or the defense doesn't work. How is it that he thought this defense would be OK with hybrids who can't hold the point even when single-blocked? He thought he could outsmart the current trends and get fast in the middle with run-and-chase guys? Yet if you're weak at the nose and slow at the corners, it doesn't matter who can get anywhere quickly in the middle of the defense.

I'm not saying the Steelers should run for three yards and a cloud of dust, but you can still be a physical offense and be dynamic. The reality is they haven't been able to acquire the talent necessary on both sides of the line. Certainly the head coach has to be accountable for the talent on the roster and the direction of the team.

The Steelers' identity was that they were physical on both sides of the ball. "We're going to beat you up on both sides of the ball." Now they're the ones taking the whooping. As a Steelers follower, I can handle losses. But watching them get their *** kicked is something that is too demoralizing to watch, and just flat out unacceptable.

http://pit.scout.com/story/1450935-...0935-league-steelers-have-grown-too-soft?s=68

------------------

Telling it like it is.
 
Yep. I only pray that within the next 3 yrs, ownership will finally wake up, find their sacks and get new leadership for this club; its already overdue
 
I don't want to wait three years. I don't want to wait three games. We have seen enough of Tomlin. His team gets worse as time goes on. He cannot handle the head coach position. His decision s are poor.
 
I think getting Louis Nix in the draft would have been clutch, but you can't disagree with the selection of Tuitt instead. It all goes back to not having that 3rd rounder. Had they used their own 4th in 2013 to take Shamarko, and simply ignored Landry Jones as they should have...both Tuitt and Nix might be Steelers today...
 
Is Wheaton ever going to score a TD?
 
We have a pretty big dude at NT that we haven't dressed yet, and spare me the "he's not ready ****" if he just laid in front of the oline it'd be an upgrade over McClendon/Thomas.
 
Tom, there is very little in the way of correct evaluation and direction with this team. I too think Big Dan should be playing, at least plug him in for a few series. What the hell can it hurt since the other two get pushed around like rag dolls. But look whose making the decisions so don't hold your breath. Unfortunately things will be getting much worse before they get better. We're going to have to go through a couple losing seasons before Art hopefully sees the light and make the changes needed.
 
This is one thing the salary cap has brought. It is very difficult to make big changes in a team with the way contracts are structured now dead money can kill a team for three or four seasons. When it involves most of the players on a team not being worth what they are paid you have guaranteed mediocrity. That's what we have now. When Chuck Noll arrived he had a plan that was different from his predecessors and began to implement it. It did not include most of the existing roster of his first year as coach. Our present coach was supposed to learn the plan and execute it and was put in a good situation to be able to do that. It appears that he has been unsuccessful in doing that. The team is now mired in a mess and will likely take 3 or 4 years to get back to what it once was if the plan can be executed from this point on.

It remains to be seen if MT is the guy to lead that movement or if another will be chosen to take over. If MT is not the guy it will not be because of the color of his skin, it will be because he is a coach that did not develop the way the owners had hoped he would. Just as players fail to make the jump to greatness and do not live up to their perceived potential the same holds true with coaches. The steelers may replace him from with in or as they have in the past try to hire away one of the coordinators from the super bowl teams this year or bring back a coach they are familiar with from their past. At this point it is anybody's guess as to what will happen. One thing to keep in mind though, this team will not turn into the physical hard hitting lovable loosers of old, they will become the Bengals of the nineties if this is allowed to continue.
 
This is one thing the salary cap has brought. It is very difficult to make big changes in a team with the way contracts are structured now dead money can kill a team for three or four seasons. When it involves most of the players on a team not being worth what they are paid you have guaranteed mediocrity. That's what we have now. When Chuck Noll arrived he had a plan that was different from his predecessors and began to implement it. It did not include most of the existing roster of his first year as coach. Our present coach was supposed to learn the plan and execute it and was put in a good situation to be able to do that. It appears that he has been unsuccessful in doing that. The team is now mired in a mess and will likely take 3 or 4 years to get back to what it once was if the plan can be executed from this point on.

I doubt there are any 3-4 year plans in pro football. I think the average player lasts 3 years or so. Noll coached when they could stock pile talent and they had no salary cap. The Steelers are a mess because they wasted years of drafts trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. Namely trying to fit Tomlin's Tampa 2 glory day players into LeBeau's 3-4. I'm also concerned that they now have smaller faster LBs and DL but can't stop anything. I don't see a plan other than keep doing what they are doing. I don't see a shift into anything. They draft luxury picks like Archer when they need help all over the team. But hell at least he is fast. **** the CBs, OL, WRs, DL etc... we got the fastest guy in the draft. They draft like they are stocked with talent and they aren't.
 
I doubt there are any 3-4 year plans in pro football. I think the average player lasts 3 years or so. Noll coached when they could stock pile talent and they had no salary cap. The Steelers are a mess because they wasted years of drafts trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. Namely trying to fit Tomlin's Tampa 2 glory day players into LeBeau's 3-4. I'm also concerned that they now have smaller faster LBs and DL but can't stop anything. I don't see a plan other than keep doing what they are doing. I don't see a shift into anything. They draft luxury picks like Archer when they need help all over the team. But hell at least he is fast. **** the CBs, OL, WRs, DL etc... we got the fastest guy in the draft. They draft like they are stocked with talent and they aren't.

How else can you rebuild a team if not for a 3 or 4 year plan? Typically you have 2 or 3 top prospects every year. To build a good team you will need close to a dozen good players and the rest role players on the team. Using the draft it will likely take 3 to 4 years to build that core that is your team. Getting high priced help ala snyder is not the answer. We are in this shape because we don't have a 3 to 4 year plan. I agree with your point about the average but many last for a second contract so they get into the 5 to seven year range. The real good ones can go ten or a bit more depending on the position. That is your core the 5 year and under guys are your role players.
 
"We'll sign them and hope they develop into what we want them to be"

Fantasy Football
 
"We'll sign them and hope they develop into what we want them to be"

Fantasy Football

don't agree, case in point a running back free agent acquisition year prior to signing had about 600 yards on the season no longer the primary back for another team= Jerome Bettis. Another case an undrafted free agent running back developed into what they wanted Fast Willie Parker. Another not top draft pick rode the bench and developed into what they wanted DE Aaron Smith, same can be said for Da Beard. The difference is it ain't happening now.
 
don't agree, case in point a running back free agent acquisition year prior to signing had about 600 yards on the season no longer the primary back for another team= Jerome Bettis. Another case an undrafted free agent running back developed into what they wanted Fast Willie Parker. Another not top draft pick rode the bench and developed into what they wanted DE Aaron Smith, same can be said for Da Beard. The difference is it ain't happening now.

Don't agree. Case in point Antonio Brown taken in the sixth. An UDFA they drafted has developed into a serviceable starter; Ramon Foster. Another castoff that developed into what they wanted was Ryan Clark. A low round talent that developed into a serviceable starter last year was Kelvin Beachum. I'd say it is happening now as far as developing the low round guys/UDFA and FA. What's missing is that the top draft picks are not being developed for some reason and you aren't going to win if you don't develop that top end talent. Interestingly,most of the first round talent was drafted in areas that we are still seeking improvement in (OL, LB, DL). And, you could argue that if Mendenhall had been developed, drafting Bell in the second last year wouldn't have been necessary.

What does that tell us? I have no idea other than that for some reason, they have not seen a return on investment in first round (and arguably second round) talent drafted. Some will say it's Tomlin. Others Colbert, the scouting department, the Coordinators or the position coaches. I tend to think there has been a failing on all levels and if you're going to fire Tomlin, you shouldn't stop there.
 
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How any fan of this team who is paying attention can STILL be a supporter of MT, I have no idea

The trends are ALARMING, and CONSISTENT. It's no longer a one off. I've been saying for two years that Tomlin has far too relaxed an attitude to coach this team, and I am proven right over and over. We only play hard with our backs against the wall. Given a lead in a game, or a hot start to a season, we take the foot off the gas. Given a perceived weak opponent, we don't even show up. I've said it for a year, and we saw it AGAIN in both games this year.Against the Browns - two different halves. Play the Ravens, a team mired in controversy, you can just hear MT's internal dialog "we got this, they're distracted, we'll go in and play our game and **** will just work out". Uh no, this is the NFL.

Mikey, you are on your 4th consecutive season of being the team that can't generate sacks and turnovers and you have done NOTHING to correct it. The more the league changes, the worse you get because you have done NOTHING to adapt and are still the poster boys for illegal hits. The more the older players from your winning teams move on, and you have to rely on guys YOU are responsible for developing, the worse this team gets.

I know the talent on the field is lacking, especially in the trenches. But at this point, almost every guy we are relying upon is someone MIKE TOMLIN is supposed to be developing. He can't rely on taking a group of veteran, finished products and just guiding them to victory. I will say this is a skill and I do give him credit for his SB appearances and victory. But right now, we need someone who can build and obviously Mike has absolutely zero skill whatsoever in developing young guys. I refuse to believe Jason Worilds, Jarvis Jones, Cam Heyward, Steve McClendon, Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, etc etc are all a bunch of talentless bums as they have been playing like lately. What I do believe is that they have a coach who brings no urgency to practice, no urgency to games, is far too relaxed, and therefore the need to improve is not instilled in these guys. These guys make the same mistakes over and over, Tomlin-drafted guys always plateau and never get blossom into superstars unless they are entirely self-motivated (ie Antonio Brown). The team has the same problems it had in 2011 and simply drafting players and hoping **** changes never works because it's the leadership, the attitude, and the culture that needs to change, NOT the players.

Mike Tomlin is a ******* cancer to this team and I am probably the least racist person on this board - it just is what it is and I'm tired of this coach who is all talk, has no urgency, and "prepares" his players as if he thinks things will just work out without actively making the effort to do so. I'm sorry but I am DONE with this coach and seeing the same bullshit on the field every year just magnified and more obvious with each passing season.

Tell me ONE god damn thing this head coach brings to the table.
 
How any fan of this team who is paying attention can STILL be a supporter of MT, I have no idea

The trends are ALARMING, and CONSISTENT. It's no longer a one off. I've been saying for two years that Tomlin has far too relaxed an attitude to coach this team, and I am proven right over and over. We only play hard with our backs against the wall. Given a lead in a game, or a hot start to a season, we take the foot off the gas. Given a perceived weak opponent, we don't even show up. I've said it for a year, and we saw it AGAIN in both games this year.Against the Browns - two different halves. Play the Ravens, a team mired in controversy, you can just hear MT's internal dialog "we got this, they're distracted, we'll go in and play our game and **** will just work out". Uh no, this is the NFL.

Mikey, you are on your 4th consecutive season of being the team that can't generate sacks and turnovers and you have done NOTHING to correct it. The more the league changes, the worse you get because you have done NOTHING to adapt and are still the poster boys for illegal hits. The more the older players from your winning teams move on, and you have to rely on guys YOU are responsible for developing, the worse this team gets.

I know the talent on the field is lacking, especially in the trenches. But at this point, almost every guy we are relying upon is someone MIKE TOMLIN is supposed to be developing. He can't rely on taking a group of veteran, finished products and just guiding them to victory. I will say this is a skill and I do give him credit for his SB appearances and victory. But right now, we need someone who can build and obviously Mike has absolutely zero skill whatsoever in developing young guys. I refuse to believe Jason Worilds, Jarvis Jones, Cam Heyward, Steve McClendon, Maurkice Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert, Mike Adams, etc etc are all a bunch of talentless bums as they have been playing like lately. What I do believe is that they have a coach who brings no urgency to practice, no urgency to games, is far too relaxed, and therefore the need to improve is not instilled in these guys. These guys make the same mistakes over and over, Tomlin-drafted guys always plateau and never get blossom into superstars unless they are entirely self-motivated (ie Antonio Brown). The team has the same problems it had in 2011 and simply drafting players and hoping **** changes never works because it's the leadership, the attitude, and the culture that needs to change, NOT the players.

Mike Tomlin is a ******* cancer to this team and I am probably the least racist person on this board - it just is what it is and I'm tired of this coach who is all talk, has no urgency, and "prepares" his players as if he thinks things will just work out without actively making the effort to do so. I'm sorry but I am DONE with this coach and seeing the same bullshit on the field every year just magnified and more obvious with each passing season.

Tell me ONE god damn thing this head coach brings to the table.


obviously a pedigree
 
How else can you rebuild a team if not for a 3 or 4 year plan? Typically you have 2 or 3 top prospects every year. To build a good team you will need close to a dozen good players and the rest role players on the team. Using the draft it will likely take 3 to 4 years to build that core that is your team. Getting high priced help ala snyder is not the answer. We are in this shape because we don't have a 3 to 4 year plan. I agree with your point about the average but many last for a second contract so they get into the 5 to seven year range. The real good ones can go ten or a bit more depending on the position. That is your core the 5 year and under guys are your role players.

The Steelers don't rebuild. They sign their own players, sign a few FA, and draft the rest. They try to put together a squad to win every year. They have individual plans for players but they have no 3-4 year rebuilding plan.
 
Nice post, SPIKE.....

STEELERS have officially become liberals....lol

ok they are just *******...
 
1387995.jpg


I understand the league is in a tough situation. They don't want youth football to deteriorate so they overlegislate head safety. For that reason, the game is different from boxing or MMA. But at some point the league needs to realize there are protocols in place now. Just like boxing and MMA, guys know what you sign up for. If you take the physical out of what's designed to be a physical game, well then you don't have the game anymore. The field and uniforms look the same, but the product is fraudulent. And those penalties were a debacle Thursday night.

While I'm on the topic of soft football, where did my Steelers go? I used to wear Being A Steelers Fan like a badge of honor. "We're going to play tough, physical football!" Well, that's gone, too. Watching the Steelers get pushed around on defense again was demoralizing.

I had a friend who asked me if the Ray Rice distraction was good for their chances on Thursday. I said that Ray Rice won't change the fact that Cam Thomas and Steve McLendon can't hold the point or draw double teams. God, I missed Casey Hampton when watching Thomas get manhandled on third or fourth-and-short.

I'm seriously beginning to question the coaching staff's ability to evaluate talent. How is it that they believed Thomas was worth a roster spot, let alone a stating spot along the line? I'm beginning to think the Steelers' Defensive MVP the second half of last season was Al Woods. I bet they wished they gave him that extra million over two years now.

And how is it that in two years they came up with the determination that Cortez Allen was better than Keenan Lewis? Allen looks slow and vulnerable in coverage, but he makes up for it with poor tackling.

Marcus Gilbert was awful, too. Seeing him getting planted on his back while giving up a sack is part of the demoralizing lack of physicality along both Steelers lines. The two most recent contract extensions seem ridiculous. They look like panic fire: "We'll sign them and hope they develop into what we want them to be." They told Ben they wanted to keep the pieces together, and I guess they made sure they stuck to their commitment.

Against Cleveland, I thought the offense looked dynamic. Against Baltimore, watching their line get pushed around in pass protection without being able to open any major holes in the run game made me to realize this is just a smoke-and-mirrors offense.

The great Le'Veon Bell seemed to create most of his yardage on his own in the run game. Most runs up the middle had no lanes. Choose a longer developing pass play, and Ben was in trouble. They can have all the well-designed underneath routes they want. It will allow them to score points during the season. But at some point in this league, you have to be able to line up and run it to convert a third-and-2. They don't have the line to do it.

What have David DeCastro and Cameron Heyward done the last two weeks? Two guys I thought would take significant jumps have been average at best. I'm not ready to pile on Jarvis Jones and Jason Worilds. When you have a front that consistently gives the offense second or third-and-short, combined with a coordinator that hands out free curls, hitches, and outs, there isn't a whole lot of opportunity to get to the quarterback.

Who on the first Ravens drive felt they weren't going to score a touchdown? After starting the game in typical soft coverage on the initial completion to Steve Smith in front of Allen, and then handing the Ravens a third-and-4 conversion to Pitta, I texted a friend at that moment with this: "They won't get any turnovers this game either." Phil Simms, on the Pitta conversion, talked about how soft the coverage was.

At halftime they broke down the soft coverage that led to the Ravens' 10 first-half points. Simms during the game also mentioned how the Steelers fire X blitz has been less effective because so many teams run those blitzes now. It all led me to think how this team likely needs a new voice and new direction on defense. And that pains me to say because of the love and admiration I have for Dick LeBeau.

It seems like the directions Mike Tomlin have taken this team over the last few years has been the wrong ones. For years, all I've ever heard is how the nose tackle is the key to the 3-4. The nose tackle has to take on double teams, or the defense doesn't work. How is it that he thought this defense would be OK with hybrids who can't hold the point even when single-blocked? He thought he could outsmart the current trends and get fast in the middle with run-and-chase guys? Yet if you're weak at the nose and slow at the corners, it doesn't matter who can get anywhere quickly in the middle of the defense.

I'm not saying the Steelers should run for three yards and a cloud of dust, but you can still be a physical offense and be dynamic. The reality is they haven't been able to acquire the talent necessary on both sides of the line. Certainly the head coach has to be accountable for the talent on the roster and the direction of the team.

The Steelers' identity was that they were physical on both sides of the ball. "We're going to beat you up on both sides of the ball." Now they're the ones taking the whooping. As a Steelers follower, I can handle losses. But watching them get their *** kicked is something that is too demoralizing to watch, and just flat out unacceptable.

http://pit.scout.com/story/1450935-...0935-league-steelers-have-grown-too-soft?s=68

------------------

Telling it like it is.

This is the post of the year so far. I have been a Steeler fan for everyday of my life. I eat it, bleed it and breathe it. After the loss last Thursday Night, it just didn't feel the same. Its like what it is that the Steelers have been in the past is gone. This team was built on muscle, attitude and a refusal to be second best. Now the Steelers are just another soft club. Where is the leadership? Where is the fire? It used to mean something to the guys that wore the Black and Gold. Now its like a business, out to get mine attitude that these guys portray.

Give me the Jack Lambert that kills for his kicker. Give me the Hines Ward that cries in front of the world of ESPN for a teammate. Give me Greg Lloyds Nasty Disposition. Give me Joey Porters refusal to lose regardless what people thought of him.

Sometimes I feel the fans care more than todays Steeler players. I guess it cuz we do. Spike, thanks for the post, its nice to see an honest perspective and know that I am not alone in what we should expect as a fan of the greatest sports organization of all time.
 
1387995.jpg


I understand the league is in a tough situation. They don't want youth football to deteriorate so they overlegislate head safety. For that reason, the game is different from boxing or MMA. But at some point the league needs to realize there are protocols in place now. Just like boxing and MMA, guys know what you sign up for. If you take the physical out of what's designed to be a physical game, well then you don't have the game anymore. The field and uniforms look the same, but the product is fraudulent. And those penalties were a debacle Thursday night.

While I'm on the topic of soft football, where did my Steelers go? I used to wear Being A Steelers Fan like a badge of honor. "We're going to play tough, physical football!" Well, that's gone, too. Watching the Steelers get pushed around on defense again was demoralizing.

I had a friend who asked me if the Ray Rice distraction was good for their chances on Thursday. I said that Ray Rice won't change the fact that Cam Thomas and Steve McLendon can't hold the point or draw double teams. God, I missed Casey Hampton when watching Thomas get manhandled on third or fourth-and-short.

I'm seriously beginning to question the coaching staff's ability to evaluate talent. How is it that they believed Thomas was worth a roster spot, let alone a stating spot along the line? I'm beginning to think the Steelers' Defensive MVP the second half of last season was Al Woods. I bet they wished they gave him that extra million over two years now.

And how is it that in two years they came up with the determination that Cortez Allen was better than Keenan Lewis? Allen looks slow and vulnerable in coverage, but he makes up for it with poor tackling.

Marcus Gilbert was awful, too. Seeing him getting planted on his back while giving up a sack is part of the demoralizing lack of physicality along both Steelers lines. The two most recent contract extensions seem ridiculous. They look like panic fire: "We'll sign them and hope they develop into what we want them to be." They told Ben they wanted to keep the pieces together, and I guess they made sure they stuck to their commitment.

Against Cleveland, I thought the offense looked dynamic. Against Baltimore, watching their line get pushed around in pass protection without being able to open any major holes in the run game made me to realize this is just a smoke-and-mirrors offense.

The great Le'Veon Bell seemed to create most of his yardage on his own in the run game. Most runs up the middle had no lanes. Choose a longer developing pass play, and Ben was in trouble. They can have all the well-designed underneath routes they want. It will allow them to score points during the season. But at some point in this league, you have to be able to line up and run it to convert a third-and-2. They don't have the line to do it.

What have David DeCastro and Cameron Heyward done the last two weeks? Two guys I thought would take significant jumps have been average at best. I'm not ready to pile on Jarvis Jones and Jason Worilds. When you have a front that consistently gives the offense second or third-and-short, combined with a coordinator that hands out free curls, hitches, and outs, there isn't a whole lot of opportunity to get to the quarterback.

Who on the first Ravens drive felt they weren't going to score a touchdown? After starting the game in typical soft coverage on the initial completion to Steve Smith in front of Allen, and then handing the Ravens a third-and-4 conversion to Pitta, I texted a friend at that moment with this: "They won't get any turnovers this game either." Phil Simms, on the Pitta conversion, talked about how soft the coverage was.

At halftime they broke down the soft coverage that led to the Ravens' 10 first-half points. Simms during the game also mentioned how the Steelers fire X blitz has been less effective because so many teams run those blitzes now. It all led me to think how this team likely needs a new voice and new direction on defense. And that pains me to say because of the love and admiration I have for Dick LeBeau.

It seems like the directions Mike Tomlin have taken this team over the last few years has been the wrong ones. For years, all I've ever heard is how the nose tackle is the key to the 3-4. The nose tackle has to take on double teams, or the defense doesn't work. How is it that he thought this defense would be OK with hybrids who can't hold the point even when single-blocked? He thought he could outsmart the current trends and get fast in the middle with run-and-chase guys? Yet if you're weak at the nose and slow at the corners, it doesn't matter who can get anywhere quickly in the middle of the defense.

I'm not saying the Steelers should run for three yards and a cloud of dust, but you can still be a physical offense and be dynamic. The reality is they haven't been able to acquire the talent necessary on both sides of the line. Certainly the head coach has to be accountable for the talent on the roster and the direction of the team.

The Steelers' identity was that they were physical on both sides of the ball. "We're going to beat you up on both sides of the ball." Now they're the ones taking the whooping. As a Steelers follower, I can handle losses. But watching them get their *** kicked is something that is too demoralizing to watch, and just flat out unacceptable.

http://pit.scout.com/story/1450935-...0935-league-steelers-have-grown-too-soft?s=68

------------------

Telling it like it is.
This is the post of the year so far. I have been a Steeler fan for everyday of my life. I eat it, bleed it and breathe it. After the loss last Thursday Night, it just didn't feel the same. Its like what it is that the Steelers have been in the past is gone. This team was built on muscle, attitude and a refusal to be second best. Now the Steelers are just another soft club. Where is the leadership? Where is the fire? It used to mean something to the guys that wore the Black and Gold. Now its like a business, out to get mine attitude that these guys portray.

Give me the Jack Lambert that kills for his kicker. Give me the Hines Ward that cries in front of the world of ESPN for a teammate. Give me Greg Lloyds Nasty Disposition. Give me Joey Porters refusal to lose regardless what people thought of him.

Sometimes I feel the fans care more than todays Steeler players. I guess it cuz we do. Spike, thanks for the post, its nice to see an honest perspective and know that I am not alone in what we should expect as a fan of the greatest sports organization of all time.
 
We'll sign them and hope they develop into what we want them to be"

Fantasy Football



The difference is it ain't happening now.

well, duh

you have to waste 3 years of top round picks on the defense to prove that?
 
The Steelers have the same problems year after year. Poor offensive line play. No pass rush. No turnovers. Now they can't stop the run game. It doesn't get better after they try to fix it either. They have changed players and changed position coaches and coordinators, meaning there is only one constant when it comes to the offense. The defensive staff was together for years and perennially had one of the best defenses in the entire league, then they shifted their drafting strategy and look at the personnel we have on the field now. Some of the guys wouldn't cut it as backups for the teams of the 2000s.

Look at the first round draft picks:

2000 - Plaxico Burress - Solid receiver with a productive career, though most outside of Pittsburgh
2001 - Casey Hampton - Foundation of the defense for a decade
2002 - Kendall Simmons - Health took his career right when he appeared to be poised for breakout season
2003 - Troy Polamalu - One of the top safeties of his era and still one of the best players on the team
2004 - Ben Roethlisberger - One of the best players in franchise history
2005 - Heath Miller - One of the top all-around tight ends in the league
2006 - Santonio Holmes - Playmaker and Super Bowl MVP

2007 - Lawrence Timmons - Slow development track, one of best defenders but not an elite playmaker
2008 - Rashard Mendenhall - Disappointment. Never seemed to have the passion for the game
2009 - Ziggy Hood - Never a fit for the defense
2010 - Maurkice Pouncey - Never lived up to his rookie season, but not the awful center some think he is IMO
2011 - Cameron Heyward - Long development track, disappointing in what was supposed to be his big year
2012 - David DeCastro - Looked to be on verge of Pro Bowl year, but hasn't been dominant yet this year
2013 - Jarvis Jones - Struggled as a rookie, has looked better than Worilds year two (which is not saying much)
2014 - Ryan Shazier - Too early to tell, but was a relatively surprising pick
 
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