The nickel defense

How come they don't go Big Mac and Thomas in the middle? Yeah the pass rush would suffer and I'm not even sure that is a correct statement. Teams are killing us running up the middle and this would help defend that. They have to do something and we all know they won't. We are going to keep the light guys in the middle and our corners 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. I'm a huge DL supporter and greatly appreciate everything he has done for the Steelers but the game simply passed him by. It has taken forever to happen but it has happened. At this point we to hope the offense can average 30+ points a game. Something has to change.

 

Did Shamarko play D last night? I saw him on special teams but not in the secondary. Maybe he played in the second half after I shut it off.

 

I honestly didn't notice him.

 

I don't think McCullers is making this team.

 

Heyward and Tuitt will play in the nickel packages, you don't want fat slow D-lineman on the field in the nickle defense.

 

it doesn't matter if it's

nickel
dime
packages

they'll be smoked

 

yes lets put to light guys that get pushed out of the way and opens up the middle. McCLendon can get pressure as can Thomas. Teams know when we go into the nickel they can easily average 4+ yards a carry. So either you deal with it, stay in the 3-4, or adjust and try something else. It's the same thing that happened last year. Also it would be a big nickel which a lot of teams run.

 

We don't play the nickel package well at all. We either need to play 4 down lineman or go with our base defense of three lineman and 4 lbs. Because that 2-4-5 is killing us. It killed us last year and with one preseason game it hasn't changed.

 

I know I am late on the reply for this but I think the Steeler's nickel defense has been a problem for years.

The 2-4 Nickel that they run requires two lineman that have range and require double teams. Steelers have 1 now. It also requires two stellar ends/olb's that also have edge speed and power. Steelers have 1 now, kinda. It also helps to have physical mlb's due to the lack of size in front of them. Steelers have 1 now.

Basically I am saying that the 2-4 nickel requires 6 players that are absolutely special to work. I think that if you have that personnel the 2-4 has more confusion potential, but that personnel is difficult to obtain with a salary cap.

The point of a nickel package is to take one of the big front seven guys off the field and put a cover guy/d-back on the field.

The problem the Steelers have now is that teams can easily run on their nickel and pass as well due to no pass rush and a sub par nickel back.

I say the solution is to compose a nickel package based on your personnel. IMO the Steelers should either use Shazier as the nickel back keeping the 3-4 base or take Jones off the field for the nickel back to come in as he is the weakest link IMO. The nose tackle may also be replaced with a guy that has more range. This would be a big nickel package. Maybe multiple variations should be utilized.

I like a 3-3 nickel but that requires either Timmons or Shazier to come off the field, which I do not like.

My solutions:

- Take Jones off of the field and have your 3-4 d-end with the most range play the end: Hayward, Arnfelt, ?. Maybe also replace the nose tackle with an end that has more range: Kiesel, Arnfelt, ?.

- Keep 3-4 base and change Shazier's role from mlb to nickel back

- 2-5 nickel having Shazier and Spence in possible coverage

- Switch to a 4-3, which I think transitions to nickel and dime better

*Any linebacker will struggle covering a wide receiver down the field so my proposed solutions lacking a d-back as the nickel back has ultimate fail potential without a sack with 3 wide receivers on the field.

The Steelers do not have the personnel for the 2-4 nickel. Their 2-4 nickel has not worked for years. If this problem is not solved for the regular season it will knock the teams success down at least a notch:

- Play-off team to not a play-off team
- Winning or .500 team to a losing team
- Super-bowl team to a play-off team
- Super-bowl winner to super-bowl loser

 

My solution is similar to yours. I mentioned it in another post. I would not have JJ on the field. My front four would be: Heyward, McCleandon, McCullers and Tuitt in the nickel. Or Heyward, Keisel, McCullers and Worilds. with Timmons and Shazier as the linebackers or Spence. Secondary will remain the same.

We need our front 7 to shut down the run so our corners can play a little better.