What have we learned?

Okay, we're to the point in the season where we are no longer relevant (not sure we ever were) and it's time to learn a few lessons so we can avoid making the same mistakes that have haunted us for the better part of two and a half seasons now. Here are my observations of lessons learned with 3 games left in the 2014 season:

• Cam Heyward came to play this year! He's a beast and the way he threw the RB down by his jersey a couple of times yesterday was impressive. He's a definite bright spot in a dark season.
• As is Jason Worilds. The Steelers need to bite the bullet and find a way to keep him. We let a star in the making in Keenan Lewis walk last year. If we do that two years in a row that would be disastrous.
• Vince Williams has had a nice season, but I don't think he's the long term solution at ILB.
• Jarvis Jones? He went from seemingly being a man among boys in the SEC to being a boy among men in the NFL. He's just getting molested every single week, usually by a single blocker. One sack through week 13 is not what I expected. I know he's a rookie and it's too early to give up on him, but I really thought he would flash more potential by this point. I guess there is a reason he dropped to us.
• LeVeon Bell has been solid, if unspectacular. I'd like to see him get at least one 100 yard game in the last three.
• I believe our OL may be closer to being set for 2014 than we realize. Beachum has done a great job at LT and we seem to have some surprisingly good backups. Kudos to Cody Wallace yesterday! I thought he played a solid game (okay, you guys throw your PFF stats out there to dispel that) and loved his aggressiveness. He was trying to protect Ben with the late hit so I don't fault him too much for that. If we can resign Velasco and move Pouncey to LG, I think we'll be in pretty good shape. At least we won't feel the pressure of having to hit a homerun in the draft with yet another highly drafted OL.
• Maybe we should try Marcus Gilbert at TE. He showed pretty soft hands in catching that pass/lateral from Bell yesterday.
• Remember when it was pretty much a given if the Steelers were down by a touchdown or less in the 4th quarter, Ben was goint to bring us back? Yeah, I do too.
• Speaking of Ben, I do believe we need to extend his contract in the off-season. He's still a franchise QB and there aren't many of those around. If we want to have a reasonable chance of competing in the next 3-4 years, he needs to be the guy we commit to.
• Da Beard. Goodbye. It's been a nice run. Wish everyone on the team had your heart and passion.
• Ryan Clark. Enjoy your next gig at ESPN.
• Shamarko, get your butt ready!
• Cortez Allen, nice game yesterday, but a pretty disappointing season overall. I mean, you couldn't even hold off Willie Gay? C'mon man. You blew a golden opportunity this year!
• Ike has never had any ball skills and this year his biggest strength, his coverage ability, has come into question. Uh oh. A playmaking CB has to be a priority, if not THE priority, in the 2014 NFL draft.
• It's good to see Heath back and getting healthier. Would like to see a big, athletic playmaking TE drafted to complement Heath.
• Looks like Troy may make it through an entire season healthy. GREAT news! But our safety tandem of Troy and Clark have given up more big plays this year than I can ever remember them giving up before. I hope we retain Troy for another season or two to help mentor Shamarko.
• Not sure Mike Tomlin is the guy that can help the Steelers crawl out of this hole they've dug for themselves. The fact that he's a "fundamentalist as opposed to scheme" has resulted in him being out-schemed by smarter, better prepared coaches for the better part of 3 seasons now.

What are some of the other lessons we hope the Steelers have learned this year?

 

We should have let NE sign Sanders. He is just too inconsistent for me. Drops too many passes especially in big situations.

I am not willing to give up on any of the rookies yet. The NFL is a big jump especially into a DL ran defense.

OL has gotten better but still need to address LT at some point in the draft. But CB is a bigger priority in my opinion.

I agree on the cuts. All the older guys on D I love your dedication and what you brought to the Steelers but we need to go younger. The only one I might keep would be Troy.

 

The best plays of last night's game were the last two plays of each half. Let's do that more often.
In the absence of that, let's build an offense around no-huddle.
On both sides of the ball, we need to be a bit more creative. Using Adams at TE worked really well. Let's do some more inventive stuff with blockers and positionality like that. Let's get some more creative blitz schemes.

 

h

 

Good summary JackAttack, curious as to what your top 3 draft pick positions might be?

 

I would have like to see Moye more, my guess is if Sanders had walked we might have. Then again, if we knew we were going to be 5-8 it sure would have been nice to see Moye and some other youngsters out there. Just to see what they have, to better evaluate the team.

 

Playmaking CB
Athletic TE
OL

 

Great summary. We also need Dline help. I think McCleadon should try DE. Need a big body in the middle. But I wouldn't waste a top pick on one. Because with the today's NFL he would never see the field. I think if we draft a DE we need someone in the mode of JJ Watt. Or Bruce Smith. Someone with some pass rush ability.

That alignment of J. Jones, Heyward, Hood and Worilds rushing the passer is getting us gashed on running plays. Or maybe we need another ILB instead of Troy playing linebacker. That has been a failure to use him in that way.

Those hugh running plays we have given up has come in that alignment.

 

I have Learned:

Tomlin is not the answer, he can not solve problems only talk about them each year.

Tomlin escapes any and all accountability from the Rooney's, fans and media. WHY? Fans have wanted fired every coach under Tomlin, yet Tomlin seems to stay under the radar.

Under Tomlin, the Steelers are a team in decline.

The current coaching staff needs to be given an apple and a bus ticket out of town.

Players on the old, sick, lame and lazy list need to be on the same bus as the coaching staff.

Those who had or have Tomlin as a great coach after the SB victory, need to ask themselves. If Tomlin is such a great coach, why are we seeing what we are seeing?

It took a couple years but the Cowher influences are gone.

Teams take on the same personality as their coach.

Take Tomlin away from a microphone, he is an average coach or coordinator at best.

The Rooney's have painted themselves in a corner, if they fire Tomlin, they will be looked at as have failed the Rooney Rule principal.

The only way out is behind closed doors, Tomlin submit a letter of resignation and be released.

The Rooney's reputation for how they have had coaches on staff for years has possibly created the problem of lack of accountability within the organization.

 

The Rooneys were in a corner, right up to the time Tomlin gave them their "Sideline Christmas Present". I'm not saying they will let him go, but they do now have an "out".

 

You may be right, I don't think the Rooney's have responded publicly to Tomlingate or to any words of support for this years pitiful season.

 

I can't honestly remember how the Rooneys have handled things like this in past.
Anyone have any history on how they have or haven't addressed similar issues in the past??

 

Nice post JA5958. Pretty much agree with everything,but willing to give V. Williams some time. It's a shock to see our rookies playing at all. I do think ILB is in need of a upgrade though,for sure. The most worrisome part is if Tomlin is a self proclaimed fundamentalist above scheme we are really in some deep ****. Fundamentals are maybe the biggest reasons why we are struggling so mightily. Like I said in a different post we really need to look at how we go about practicing and preparing for games. I think that is the area where we could use the most improvement. Remember the 7 Ps.

 

Troy needs to wrap up his tackles (i.e. see Clay score replay). Come on Troy, you lay a lot of hits and expect guys to just fall down and give up too many times... wrap them up, this happens way way too much.

 

I think we've learned that we don't really have enough "playmakers". I mean look at how long we went without a turnover on defense or even a SACK! Used to we knew that we were gonna pretty much kill whatever qb we went against. Now that's just not the case and most qbs kill us instead. Plays like Troy's pick 6 used to be par for the course but yesterday it was like an anomaly for our defense because the same Troy that made that great play was also the same Troy that blew a tackle along with Cortez that was pretty much the killer. We just don't seem to have that guy that can take over a game anymore. Troy USED to be that guy. James Harrison could do it. Even going back to Joey Porter we know that he could do it. But now we just don't have "that" guy anymore. I know Troy was always taking risks but the stakes weren't as high then because we knew our other guys on d had his back. Now it just doesn't feel that way and the rewards aren't worth the risks he's taking anymore because they're costing the team. As far as drafting I would take a corner first because I think it's pretty obvious that we can't develop linemen and I don't wanna waste another early pick on a probable liability. Not that we don't NEED a good linemen but I just don't think we can afford the risk on another one. I say use FA for that.

 

How are you going to sign linemen through FA with no money under the salary cap. They need to do a better job of scouting and drafting linemen that's all.

 

Thought of another lesson learned:

We need to re-sign Jerricho Cotchery! He's proven himself to be an invaluable slot receiver.

 

Also need to re-sign Velasaco and Worilds.

 

See bullet points 2 and 7 in my original post. AGREED 100%.

 

i have lerned that a lot of changes every where as to be took in consideration and the decline could be faster than everybody is thinking

 

this is the only way out ,i was thinking yesterday night and i came at the same conclusion

 

I just meant going forward that's what I would do. I know that we are living in a seemingly perpetual salary cap nightmare.