why is Shazier getting no snaps, but Jones seems to be getting alot?

[Coryea]

Jones has been out most of the season, Shazier opened the season as a starter, Tomlin himself said Shazier was healthy enough to play vs the saints. I don't understand why Jones would be given so many snaps, even though he was out for what eleven weeks, but Shazier is basically a spectator. I realize Spence and Williams are playing solid, but so is Moats.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

One is a rookie with little experience in the defense who has been hurt most of the year. The other is a second year player who started for long stretches of last year and has familiarity and experience with the defense.

 

[antdrewjosh]

What he said^^^^^

 

[Coryea]

Yeah, but why would he open the season as the starter if that were true? He knows the defense a lot more now than he did in August

 

[SteelerAl]

To me it says they like the combo of Vince Williams + Sean Spence playing 65 snaps more than they like the idea of Arthur Moats playing 65 snaps. And Worilds needs a breather every now and then too (so Moats shifts over and we need someone to play ROLB).

 

[Coryea]

Yeah I figured with Harrison out, Jones would have to play, but it seems like he was out there a ton, but in situations where Shaziers speed would help out, like second and third and long, he still didn't see the field. I'm thinking something happened in practice, or he's not working hard enough or something. Prior to the bengals game tomlin said Shazier was physically able to play vs the saints.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Yeah, but why would he open the season as the starter if that were true? He knows the defense a lot more now than he did in August

Knowing it mentally is a far cry from smoothly executing it on the field. Those two (Williams/Spence) know the defense and have been executing at a pretty good level. Do you take them out and replace them with Shazier right off the bat? Or do you make Shazier prove in practice that he not only knows the defense mentally but can execute it at a level higher than the Spence/Williams combo has. Because he has to execute it at a higher level than those two in order to get his job back. Otherwise, there is really no sense in possibly disrupting the trust/communication that was developed between the players while Shazier was hurt.

 

[Coryea]

No, I'm definitely not saying to just hand him his
job back, no way, but he's by far our fastest LB and even in situation where his skill set would contribute, he's still not on the field.

 

[SteelerAl]

No, I'm definitely not saying to just hand him his
job back, no way, but he's by far our fastest LB and even in situation where his skill set would contribute, he's still not on the field.

Well, they are already juggling 3 guys at ILB. Timmons switches from Buck to Mack based on whether Spence or Williams is in the game...do you really want to add another guy into the mix for a few plays here or there depending on game situation? Of course I'd like to see the guy with the most upside (Shazier) getting experience, but that would be too much musical chairs for my liking.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

No, I'm definitely not saying to just hand him his
job back, no way, but he's by far our fastest LB and even in situation where his skill set would contribute, he's still not on the field.

And I like that. Because Tomlin/Lebeau are finally making him invest in the process of becoming a better player. Handing him the starting position both when he first arrived and immediately after he returned from his first injury may have led to him being a little complacent and thinking he didn't have to work as hard to succeed at the NFL level. (Not saying that's the case, but it's a possibility). Now, Spence and Williams are playing decent football and they can afford to make him earn the starting spot and I think he'll be a better player for having to fight for his spot like anyone else.

 

[strat68]

Yeah, but why would he open the season as the starter if that were true? He knows the defense a lot more now than he did in August

Not really. Besides, Spence and especially Williams have been playing very well.

 

[stuntmanmike]

Vince Williams tackle on third down vs Atlanta yesterday at a critical time says a lot... Last year no way he's on the field on third down passing plays... He's really upped his game.

 

[Wingman]

Shazier maybe faster when he is running, but if the other guys are reacting faster it will negate a lot of that speed advantage. That was one of the things they liked about Spence, it was said he was always the first guy moving on defense so he was going to where he needed to be instead of waiting to see where to go.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Not worried about it. You can never have enough 3-4 linebackers. They have big decisions to make next year. They have too many inside backers and not enough good outsides. Either someone is switching or they can let one go and grab one in FA or maybe even a trade.

 

[pittbull]

We couldn't afford to not have J. Jones' ZERO tackle total for the Atl game not on the field

 

[Punxsutawney]

I'm somewhat worried, though not alarmed.

It could say more about Williams and Spence than it does about Shazier.

 

[Superman]

probably doing the dreaded "thinking instead of acting"

 

[POP]

Shazier has played so sparingly that I forgot who wore #50. I only remembered that Foote used to (and, once again, I saw him have another decent game for AZ, which usually surprises me). I was like "Who wears #50 again?" This season has mostly been a learning experience for Shazier this year; hopefully he will break out next year.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

We couldn't afford to not have J. Jones' ZERO tackle total for the Atl game not on the field

Different positions. Apples and Oranges. Now, if you had said something similar about Moats' playing time, that would have been relevant.

 

[Coryea]

I'm somewhat worried, though not alarmed.

It could say more about williams and Spence than it does about Shazier.

The strange part to me Shazier was a starter from day one, now he can't even get on the field and has been healthy for 3 weeks now. Not that I care who is playing as long as we are winning, I just think there is more to this than just the play of williams/spence

 

[slashsteel]

2 games home stretch, I am thinking unless you are making significant plays in practice, the more experienced is getting the nod.

Steelers know what losing one of those two games could cause...............

another year of sofa hugging during the playoffs...................

 

[bermudasteel]

One is a rookie with little experience in the defense who has been hurt most of the year. The other is a second year player who started for long stretches of last year and has familiarity and experience with the defense.

Exactly...Shazier's time will come. As a matter of fact, we have a good problem because 98 & 51 are both playing good ILB right now...

 

[pittbull]

Different positions. Apples and Oranges. Now, if you had said something similar about Moats' playing time, that would have been relevant.

Not comparing Shazier and Jones. I'm mearly pointing out that Jones had zero tackles. My point is...I think he has yet to live up to ANY expectations.

 

[Punxsutawney]

The strange part to me Shazier was a starter from day one, now he can't even get on the field and has been healthy for 3 weeks now. Not that I care who is playing as long as we are winning, I just think there is more to this than just the play of williams/spence

It's a bit odd to me too how he basically played every snap early in the season and now seems to be firmly behind no Williams and Spence on the depth chart.

If he's still unable to emerge as one of their top two ILBs by the start of next season, it would then be freak out time, but we're a long way from that point,

 

[slashsteel]

It's a bit odd to me too how he basically played every snap early in the season and now seems to be firmly behind no Williams and Spence on the depth chart.

If he's still unable to emerge as one of their top two ILBs by the start of next season, it would then be freak out time, but we're a long way from that point,

Not even then IMO. Many of time it takes a player till his third season to come on.