I think it is a strength thing, not Butler, Scheme, or talent problem

Butler showed some mixed fronts against Dallas, finally. We also shifted very well, and disguised coverage especially well. It wasn't the same old predictable stuff.
Our defensive talent might have been a tad slow in the scheme, or 2 tads slow, but some guys are slow to pick up complex execution.
Butler, and Haley, has a scheme and plan in place to win that game against, arguably, the leagues top team.

The problem I saw is the same problem I have been seeing for the last couple of years. STRENGTH.

We have good team speed, average talent, bright coaches and simple schemes, but we have TERRIBLE TEAM STRENGTH.

Our linemen get handles at the point of attack, our LB's can't shed blocks, and our DB's get pushed around by taller and stronger WR's.

I remember a few years back when Denver had a team strength problem, they resorted to chop blocks, trap blocking, line stunts, soft coverage, and wraparound blitzes, and delay gap blitz. Until they drafted some strength and found some on the FA wire.

I think that before you can solve a problem, or get a handle on it, you have to know what the problem is.

Just by observing the team i can see a lack of muscle, and in locker room camera shots they look more like soccer players than NFL players.

You can see that the entire NFL has gotten away from a strength oriented league to make it a less brutal game, and they have focused on team speed instead.

Every photo of the team weight room that the team posts on their website over the past number of years has only had a couple guys in there working the iron. Photos like that used to show a dozen or so players working out.

Fixin what ails us could be as simple as that.

 

I'm no expert, and could be very wrong. But I have a hard time believing that weight training is night/day different around the league.

The apparent 'strengh' problem could be this. In pursuit of speed, speed, speed, the Steeler have accumulated smaller, lighter guys who get pushed around (Shazier, J Jones). It looks like lack of strength, but it isn't really.

 

A lot of teams look weak, the whole NFL went to speed, and you have to keep up. But I don't think you have to sacrifice strength for speed.
Some teams you can tell just by looking that they are stronger, and the play bears that out. Oakland, KC, New England, Buffalo, Miami and Philly look strong to me. Gym rats appear to be a rare breed anymore.

 

I'd hoped they'd fixed the strength issue when they got rid of the duct tape in the weight room.

 

you are not off about this. we have also added speed which we needed but you are right about team wide strength. lots of guys dropping weight to get quicker over the years too, and not putting it back on in pure muscle strength while keeping the speed.

 

A lot of guys did drop 15 lbs. this season, that was reported.

We definitely switched over to speed. Look at Hargrave, he is celebrated for his lightening quick first step.... For a NT???? Really? We dont have any 2 gap space eaters on the line anymore.