LB'ers

are they good enough? are they up to our standard around here? why or why not?

 

That's a really complicated question. IF Timmons can't handle the signals and still keep his head in the game then I would say he's not good "enough" even though he might still be good. IF Woodley is gonna be a high paid lb and not be a sack machine then I would say he's not good "enough" based on what he is getting paid. I just think we are playing fundamentally bad. I was saying the other day I would love to see a stat, if there is one, that shows how much yards guys get after being contacted by our defenders. I would bet that it would be astronomically high.

 

to me they are good not great but payd like great

 

I say good. Woodley and Timmons are good but you have two rookies playing inside and one outside. And Worilds is average at best.

 

I'm sure they're good, just the D line isn't helping them out.

 

i cant remember where i heard it, but on one of the sports talk shows they were talking about the Steelers and their problems on defense. the guy said their biggest problem is the lb's.

he said that in order for their defense to work all 4 lb's need to good and all have to be a threat to get to the qb. if the other teams oline doesnt have to account for all 4 lbs possibly rushing and actually getting to the qb than blocking the dline is pretty easy and i thinks that exactly what we are seeing.

Woodley has had some success in getting to the qb this year, but thats about it. this has become a trend for this defense the last couple years and i think its a huge reason as to why we arent seeing the same great defenses we are used to.

if all 4 lb's arent a real threat to get pressure on the qb than it becomes pretty easy to beat them. we have seen it in every game this year. they are still blitzing and trying to get to the qb, but they just cant do it. the other teams oline picks up the blitzes pretty easily and the qb has all day to pick the secondary apart.

until they can get 2 more lb's to go along side Woodley and Timmons they are gonna continue to struggle on defense.

so far Jarvis Jones has been a huge let down. Worilds actually showed some life sunday with 2 sacks. Williams showed promise, but very inconsistent and now hes hurt. Wilson wasnt the answer and either is Sylvester.

i think lb has to be a priority this offseason.

 

I think it starts with the NT. He has to occupy blockers. That gives the ILB a chance to shoot the gaps and the OLB one on one assignments to rush the passer.

 

If our LB's aren't all that great, what's that say about Butler?
Should Tomlin be looking outside for DL's replacement (if he retires)?

 

i dont know if thats a direct reflection on Butler. the lb's are a small group of guys. Woodley and Timmons are above average, but the rest of the group are average and below average. if Butler was incharge of drafting those lb's then i would put more blame on him, but hes working with whats given to him.

 

I think this is the big problem, Hood and Heyward aren't beating or shedding blocks so 1 guy can handle them and that makes for other linemen getting to the second level, I think if the DL improves so do the LBers.

 

No offense Lovembig, but as the so called "DC in waiting" I'd think Butler would have a bit more say than just a regular run of the mill LB coach.

 

center blocks the NT. Two guards block two DE's. Two tackles block two OLB. why are we not getting to the QB? who's blocking the ILB's? a RB? a TE? could our LB'ers from the past or DE's be stopped one on one? that's what this is stacking up as and the reason i'm asking.

could porter be stopped by one blocker? could greene? could Harrison? could Lloyd? and so on down the line. are these guys up to the standard we are used to around here? if the LB'ers are terrorizing backfields, that also allows our DE's to make more plays as well. it does work both ways.

 

we need Woodley to be more of a complete LB. not just a designated sack guy. he is nowhere near where he was in his first 3 seasons.

Timmons needs to increase his ability to recognize where the play is going after his initial read. i'm not sure he has the brain to do this. against some teams he's great and against some he disappears.

there is just something missing with these two. consistency comes to mind.

 

I have been Timmons biggest critic this year, for not showing up in most games. He seems to take bad angles and has a hard time getting off blocks and not a great tackler.

But I keep forgetting that he is playing with a broken hand which may account for his tackling and getting off blocks.

 

It would be interesting to see how the LB's perform in a different system. The 3-4 Pittsburgh uses has run its course it seems.

 

as DLB said this week guys are not where they should be. I have mentioned Timmons out of position several times this year. this is a big part of what's happening. our LB'ers are not making stops that they should be. JJ takes bad angles, Timmons out of position, Woodley has never been very good against the run, Williams is also out of position a lot. it's not the D-line , it's the LB'ers.

DLB says we are going back to square one. recognition put's you in the right spot. I mentioned Timmons isn't good at reading a play as it's forming. tunch touched on missing larry foote because he put everyone in the right spots, not so much of him making tackles but getting in the right position with what the offense is doing. Timmons downfall, Woodley's downfall. how are they going to get the rookies into position if they can't?

on another note, sly is preparing to start for Williams. Williams has been practicing though after his concussion.

 

Your right on Mac, and I also read today that because of our play this year with our linebackers against the run, Troy has been playing more in the linebacker area to help against the run. This in turn is leaving him and Clark out of position against the pass, which is a direct result of the long passes against us this year.

We are so bad against the run that we are compensating players to help that and it is also effecting our poor play in the secondary, this along with us getting older and slower with our safeties.