The Defense

[steelcan58]

They could be 4 and 0 if Watt didnt get hurt. last 3 games Steelers defense has been ran over in the 4th.

I'm unsure why most of the rest of the defense even collect a paycheck.

 

[BLITZ]

I'm unsure why most of the rest of the defense even collect a paycheck.

TJ is the Big Ben on defense. you still pay the oline, but if Ben Didnt play we probs didnt win

 

[steelcan58]

TJ is the Big Ben on defense. you still pay the oline, but if Ben Didnt play we probs didnt win

I realize you still need to fill the other helmets but besides Minkah and Heyward, who's understandably wearing down at age 32, there's nothing special about most of the rest. They're just filling uniforms.

 

[Chicoman]

I thought Robinson was an ILB

In the preseason he was lined up at OLB & ILB. Seemed to perform better at OLB from what I saw. He has a motor that is too explosive to keep him INACTIVE week after week...that much I know.

 

[jitter77]

How do we know he isn't? Maybe Flores isn't that good, just like McDaniel, Patricia, Joe Judge, etc. We think that just by sniffing the same air Belechick does they will be good. Also, we believe the lies the Steelers tell. They just don't have that much talent.

I thought Flores did alright w/ what he was given in Miami. I do not care what coaching tree he came from. Flores might not be that good, but I can pretty much guarantee he is better than Tomlin / Austin. I do agree out talent on D is lacking. Short of Watt, Heyward, and Minkah we dont have much. I would put Sutton and Highsmith on the next tier down, but after that it isnt too good. Still think we could do a much better job with what we got

 

[alancac98]

All I know is that 2dl and 2 olb with a zone behind it (or maybe cover 2 ****) keeps getting shredded in the middle of the field. That crap should never be in the D's playbook ever again! Either go to a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme, not that hybrid crap!

 

[stillwright]

Quit subbing so much. Way too many guys who are third stringers play in crucial situations. I just read an article about the Steelers using more defensive lineups than any other team in the league: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports...-austin-mike-tomlin-2022/stories/202209300041

When you have backups playing so often, the defense isn't going to play as well.

They probably lead the league in defensive snaps. At some point, they simply are gassed. You have to rotate players in. Heck. I remember people here bitching that we never rotate our OLBers at all. Then by the end of the game they are done. Highsmith was not doing anything late in the game. He would either just run into the tackle and push or try a spin move that looked sad. We didn't generate any pressure late in the game. Zack Wilson ate us alive in the fourth. Sad

 

[xjx]

Mike Tomlin football.

 

[TDX27]

The D is not very good and the O run by Canaduh sucks. Tomlin is definitely looking at his 1st losing season. They are 1-3. I'd be shocked if they can even win 1 of the next 4. That would be us a 1-7 or 2-6 with 9 to play. They could get back to .500 but this team sucks all the way around. Coaching may be the biggest issue of them all.

 

[diver]

I thought Flores did alright w/ what he was given in Miami. I do not care what coaching tree he came from. Flores might not be that good, but I can pretty much guarantee he is better than Tomlin / Austin. I do agree out talent on D is lacking. Short of Watt, Heyward, and Minkah we dont have much. I would put Sutton and Highsmith on the next tier down, but after that it isnt too good. Still think we could do a much better job with what we got

The coaching is awful, no question. Maybe Flores isn't being given too much of a say...who knows. Maybe just being attached to Belechick he has a better rep than deserved. I know what we are seeing is not good. The constant, however, as we all know, is Mike Tomlin. He has to go...and I like the guy. But he isn't getting it done. Same stuff over and over and over again.

But I think we overrate some of the players. Watt and Fitz are elite, but Heyward disappears too much. He has for for years in stretches. Elite guys don't do that.

They are a 1-3 football team. You are what your record says you are, both in coaching and talent.

 

[madinsomniac]

Run the 4-3 w/ Jack as the MLB. No point in having Bush or Spillane out there. Let some other guys get a shot. What we have now isnt working. Definitely agree w/ being more aggressive on 3rd and long. Give up way too many easy completions. Also agree w/ letting Flores run the D. Tomlin couldnt strategize his way out of a wet paper bag.

You do realize they basically are in the 4-3 most of the time… Watt and Highsmith would be DEs in most 4-3’s and they don’t really zone blitz very much anymore… its just semantics now… they really should just go back to a true lebeau 3/4… none of this cover two base crap… its too easy to pick that apart late in games with no blitzing

 

[Coryea]

middle of the field open all day long, at least someone got use out of the new sod there, and again, i'll sound like a broke record, but on short yardage/goal line situations, including the game winning td by the Jets we have only 2 ******* dlinemen in the game going against 6 olinemen, how are you going to get any push there consistently???

 

[jitter77]

cover 2 is really easy to beat now so i agree with that. I would not have Watt or High smith be DEs in a 4-3. A big issue is when we go to nickel or dime which i think was around 50% last year. They use 1 or 2 DL which just does not work in today's NFL. Just need to be more aggressive in general

 

[Steelr4evr]

middle of the field open all day long, at least someone got use out of the new sod there, and again, i'll sound like a broke record, but on short yardage/goal line situations, including the game winning td by the Jets we have only 2 ******* dlinemen in the game going against 6 olinemen, how are you going to get any push there consistently???

It's a dumb idea. Even if you had the best 2 DL in the league in their prime,it's still a stupid idea.

 

[Steeler Pride]

You do realize they basically are in the 4-3 most of the time… Watt and Highsmith would be DEs in most 4-3’s and they don’t really zone blitz very much anymore… its just semantics now… they really should just go back to a true lebeau 3/4… none of this cover two base crap… its too easy to pick that apart late in games with no blitzing

We can't run a traditional 3-4 because we do not have a DL or more specifically, a NT that can tie up enough OL to let the LB's rush the passer and bring the pressure. The problem is that we run the modified 4-3 using the OLB as your two defensive ends...but when we drop those 2 LB into zone coverage and leave us with 2 DL...we give the QB all day long to throw the ball, and if they run the ball it is a 6-8 yard gain before our ILB can make the tackle. This is the same old Tomlin defense we have seen for years. He can keep hiring and firing "DC's" but we still see the same defense. This is Tomlin's defense.

 

[slashsteel]

How do we know he isn't? Maybe Flores isn't that good, just like McDaniel, Patricia, Joe Judge, etc. We think that just by sniffing the same air Belechick does they will be good. Also, we believe the lies the Steelers tell. They just don't have that much talent.

He isn't right running the D. He has input that is it.

 

[Coryea]

You do realize they basically are in the 4-3 most of the time… Watt and Highsmith would be DEs in most 4-3’s and they don’t really zone blitz very much anymore… its just semantics now… they really should just go back to a true lebeau 3/4… none of this cover two base crap… its too easy to pick that apart late in games with no blitzing

the problem there is Watt and Highsmith are undersized to be DE's in a 4-3, which is why our run defense has been bad the past couple seasons. Guys like Cam and Watt are going to make plays because they're that good, but when you're consistently asking you 240lb lb's, whether it's your ILB's or OLB's, to take on 300+ linemen vs the run because you only have 2 DL on the field, well that's going to be and obviously is a problem

 

[Djfan]

I've never seen a team do so horrific on 3rd& long

For years now. It's to the point that I would rather see 3rd and 3 than 3rd and 13.

 

[TDX27]

Stop it! Don't you all know we do not need a NT? Teams don't use them. At least that is what the idiot pundits would say. Put Davis in the middle of our front 3 or someone similar to him. My guess is our run D and D, in general, would instantly be better. But, we've only been saying this since Big Snack retired and the pundits keep saying we don't need a NT because they won't play many snaps. Did you ever hear the chicken or the egg story?

 

[Hines57]

Really hard to fully judge the defense when they're missing TJ, by the way the team is 0-7 when TJ doesn't play; and played with both starting corners out. You also have to factor in all the ****** 3 and outs with Trubisky and the defense has played more snaps than any other defense in the league through 4 weeks. The injuries are going to pile up if we can't sustain drives and keep them off the field for any considerable length of time.

 

[madinsomniac]

the problem there is Watt and Highsmith are undersized to be DE's in a 4-3, which is why our run defense has been bad the past couple seasons. Guys like Cam and Watt are going to make plays because they're that good, but when you're consistently asking you 240lb lb's, whether it's your ILB's or OLB's, to take on 300+ linemen vs the run because you only have 2 DL on the field, well that's going to be and obviously is a problem

I just pulled up a bunch of top 4-3 DEs from other teams and they are mostly in the 250 lb range… melvin ingram was a 4-3 De for years before he came here.. the position dramatically changed about a decade ago… Watt is 250… I really don’t think that is the problem as much as it is tge current line scheme doesn’t play the run gaps well because they are trying to force pressure

 

[Coryea]

I just pulled up a bunch of top 4-3 DEs from other teams and they are mostly in the 250 lb range… melvin ingram was a 4-3 De for years before he came here.. the position dramatically changed about a decade ago… Watt is 250… I really don’t think that is the problem as much as it is tge current line scheme doesn’t play the run gaps well because they are trying to force pressure

that changed because the NFL went to more passing. My point is when you continually use this scheme vs running teams or on obvious running downs, you're going to get run on.
The Browns first 4 TD's in the playoff game came with only 2 DL on the field. Sure it'll work when the opponent is throwing the ball, but you're not going to consistently stop the run in this scheme. You have to be able to change your scheme to oppose what the other team is doing, although Tomlin does what he does and there's the problem.

Can anyone explain to me how just 2 DL, 4 LB's and 5 DB's is going to consistently stop anyone on short yardage and goal line situations when that team has their big personnel in the game???

 

[F83]

Cam cant play the amount of snaps he is playing rotate Adams with him use Wormley as a De on the edge on the side Reed is blitzing.
the way we are going we are a shoe in for a top 15 pick need to adress it on a D, we need a Jordan Davis Vita Vea type DT with or without the 3-4 you can easily flip to a 4-3 as both watt and High smith can rush plsay the run and drop back

 

[SteelerFan448]

They probably lead the league in defensive snaps. At some point, they simply are gassed. You have to rotate players in. Heck. I remember people here bitching that we never rotate our OLBers at all. Then by the end of the game they are done. Highsmith was not doing anything late in the game. He would either just run into the tackle and push or try a spin move that looked sad. We didn't generate any pressure late in the game. Zack Wilson ate us alive in the fourth. Sad

Again, you don't rotate your best guys out on crucial downs late in games or on third and short. It keeps the chains moving and keeps adding snaps for the defense. We didn't rotate defenders when dominating under LeBeau.

 

[stillwright]

Again, you don't rotate your best guys out on crucial downs late in games or on third and short. It keeps the chains moving and keeps adding snaps for the defense. We didn't rotate defenders when dominating under LeBeau.

All teams do. When a player is gassed he raises his arm and a replacement comes in. Highsmith was doing nothing in the fourth quarter. He should have been given a breather or two.