Observations after 2 games

The entire D-line is getting pushed around, and can't get off blocks the LBs aren't much better. LeBeau needs to retire after the season his schemes aren't fooling anybody, in fact they're predictable. When playing a immobile QB like Flacco and he doesn't get hit once that's unacceptable, what happened to overload blitzes? When you don't have dominant OLBs like Woodley and Harrison you need to find other people to get after the QB. Troy needs to retire after the season the splash plays are gone and he's whiffing on too many tackles. Fans got too hyped up over the hiring of Joey Porter, Jarvis Jones still isn't a good pass rusher he played the run decent at times. The free agent signings have been disappointing so far, I expected more from Mitchell and Cam Thomas. The 2014 draft class haven't done much half of them are injured or not producing. Come on Shazier the 4.3 forty LB where's the big plays that's why they drafted you. Justin Brown you got your chance and blew it fumble and dropped passes doesn't cut it, give more opportunities to DHB or bring up Moye to the 53 and send Brown to the PS.

 

I wouldn't be inducting any rookie into the HOF after 2 games.

 

There's nothing to disagree about it's all fact, the tape don't lie.

 

Did anyone see Flacco's interview with NFL network last night? He was actually talking about how glad he was that Harrison and Woodley are gone. I'm sure he is. He still said he thinks this defense is gonna wind up being good though. He wasn't trying to say we suck. He was just trying to say that we're not as good as we used to be. I guess he figures he doesn't need to criticize us because we all do a really good job of that. LOL.

 

I 100% agree with what I marked in red.

Coach LeBeau: You just can't fire a Coach like him, and that's why I assume you don't say "Fire him now", and instead let him retire. Yes, he's not being as creative as he was, let's say... 10 years ago? Has it been really that long since we were a dominant defense? I've been debating this issue with a couple of friends who are also Steelers fans, and college coaches. While we all love Coach LeBeau, your thinking is widely popular right now, as everybody seems to say it's time for him to retire. I have a great deal of respect for him, but recently I've been tempted to think his time may be coming to an end with our D. Each time I think of that, a Patterno flashback of what happened to him after football comes to my mind. Football is his life.
Agree: if you're not able to pressure or sack consistently an immobile QB, what can we expect facing, for example, Newton in 9 days? Yes, he also hasn't been creative using blitzes.
Injuries: yes, but we shouldn't be expecting a gamechanger performance from them
I would give J Brown another shot (probably 2 more games), even though IMO Coach T will lose his patience earlier than me.

Clearly, J Jones isn't as good as Harrison in his prime, as neither Worley as Woodley from 5 years ago. If that's the measuring stick, I agree with what he said.

JJ is far from being a finished product. 2nd season, clearly not NFL star caliber a year ago, but I'd wait at least this season to see if he's star-caliber, or just a decent starter. Hasn't excelled, but hasn't been a problem.

Troy: Isn't the problem when evaluating him that we're expecting from Troy the plays he used to make a couple of years before? Yes, he's aging. And his abilities are not as sharp as they were. Time to retire? Not so fast, he still has that playmaker instinct, and can make some game changing plays this season.

JB has dressed for exactly 2 games (4 receptions /44 yds, 1 fumble). Lance Moore will be ahead of him when healthy. I'd give him at least a couple more games before judging, but not so sure Coach T will be patient enough. He didn't help his cause with that fumble.

 

If this d continues to look so deflated and just flat out passionless I could see Troy walking away from the game earlier than he might have if we had stayed competitive.

 

Hope this situation rebounds, and Coach LeBeau finds a way to turn it around.

That said: I Agree with what you say. And with a bit of pain, I'd be glad to see him retire before becoming part of a shameful defense.

 

I honestly felt like last night that it just seemed that he had almost "come to terms" with things or something. I mean he is surrounded by guys that can't/don't make plays(don't really see a difference between the two) and then even when he DOES make one it is more than likely gonna get flagged. It is true that there's "no country for old men".

 

Richardson, Zumwalt, Bryant, Archer all injured and no contributions. Are you kidding me JB sucks he can't be dropping passes, he will be phased out soon once Moore is healthy. Shazier has been getting beat over the middle of the field by TEs, I expect him to be a good player though. I would like to see more of the type of game he had against the Bills in preseason. JJ is still a weakling not enough pass rush from him, like I said he was good against the run. That's the fact Jack

 

Shazier had 13 tackles in that Bills game. Since then I don't think the whole TEAM has that many! LOL! That play against the TE down the middle where he carried Shazier for about 5yds on his back is why I was mad when we drafted him. I just felt he was undersized. I love the pick now though. I'm just saying that was my main concern with him. I just don't think Woodley or Harrison would get piggy backed down the field by a TE. I can't remember them doing it anyway. I'm sure someone will pull up an obscure youtube clip of Harrison AND Woodley getting carried together and then say "SEE I TOLD YOU IT HAPPENED!!" LOL! But until then I'm gonna stand by the fact that a Steeler LB shouldn't get carried by a TE.

 

JJ isn't strong enough right now. I wonder if gaining weight/muscle would affect his condition with his back. His second year in the scheme.

Shazier is a rookie and is very light in the pants. If he doesn't have a DLine to keep blocks off of him he will continue to struggle. I didn't like the pick either. We needed a Thumper like Kirkland.

Jason Worilds has been in this system for 4 years and haven't shown much except for the last part of last year

Timmons is in a new position and is struggle because the DLine is not very good.

Cam Heyward, McCleandon and Cam Thomas are not getting it done and it is affecting the entire defense.

 

Shazier might be light but he is not undersized for an ILB .. Farriors weight was very close to Shaziers is now. We liked Farrior did we not?

Shazier 6' 1" 237lbs Farrior 6' 2" 242lbs

 

I'm pretty sure the people screaming for DL's head(and Tomlin's) are the exact same people that spent years screaming for BA's head.

 

JJ in his second year and has only 2 sacks as a first round pick, there's no disputing the lack of production. Shazier got exposed against the Eagles over the middle and against the Ravens, and Shazier got carried a extra 15 yards by the Ravens TE. JB dropped more than one pass keep ignoring the facts though, DHB should be getting his snaps. Sanders dropped 5 passes, and they were at crucial times like 3rd down and 2pt conversion.

 

There isn't a coach a live that's been successful when players don't execute. It's only two games into the season. The offense and defense have shown the ability to play well. Most of the players have shown the ability to play well. Playing with more consistency will be the key going forward.

 

I play a game called Counterstrike (military stuff) on weekends, and you do a 5 man team vs a 5 man team. I've been playing for a decade and I'm currently playing with guys that have been playing for 2 years. I come out with a kill score of 37-40 kills and 5-6 mvps while my team-mates are all 8 kills, 11, kills, 13 kills, no mvps, bad strategy, and even though we all work through the week on strategy, game-plan, etc a lot of it just doesn't sink in for the majority of them. I imagine that's how Troy has to feel. He's giving 200% but he's the only guy out there doing it. He used to play with an elite team where everyone "Got it" and "Had it" and now he's playing with guys that he can't even hammer the ideology into their heads. There isn't much natural talent on the team right now. No one is out there using their head. They're just doing whatever they are told to do and usually even messing that up.

 

Yeah it's irritating for sure. I went back and watched some highlights of our 08 defense and even our '10 defense to see if we were giving that much cushion back then and on pretty much all of our highlight plays you had guys running right with dudes and covering them like white on rice. Not anymore. Also consoles forever over pc's!!! LOL! I had a buddy that was a diehard Counterstrike fan back in the day. My shooter of choice is Gears of War but Epic destroyed that franchise starting with 3 when they basically made it Call of Duty lite.

 

Oh I play PS3, PS4, and PC. I just don't bother with shooters on consoles. Keyboard\Mouse for CounterStrike:GO and I get to play with 30+ year olds in 90 minute competitive matches.

 

Oh that's cool. I'm a console nut myself but more of a Microsoft/Nintendo fanboy. I like Sony ok but just like Live better than PSN.