Carnell Lake in the hot seat?

Shaq was released at the start of the season. He is no longer with the team.

 

Lake like all position coaches is in a no win situation. Not that he can't succeed but that he can only coach his players up within the frame work of his Boss's over plan. Could he teach better man skills than zone? maybe but what does he say? really? He DL so and so showed some real jump in practice and during film study I think he could take his guy man to man. Sorry Carnell that just doesn't fit with what we want to do with our base defense against this opponent. End of story. It is kinda like, to me at least, how difficult it is for a QB coach on the one hand you have Ben who has his own style and all the awards and accolades that go with it and then you have Landry Jones who needs to learn the system even though a lot of the offense doesn't use the system because Ben doesn't use it. So hwo do you put a player in position to succeed when what you are training him isn't used by more than have the team? Got to be a tough job.

 

A carpenter is only as good as the tools he has to work with. Lake can only do so much with the motley crew he has now.

 

Lewis made it to FA because he wanted to go to the saints
he was not going to stay no matter what we thought Allen could or couldn't do

 

"That's the plan!"

-Mike Tomlin

 

To add to this, they wanted to put him on practice squad but he had a knee injury. They made a settlement. Gone, but maybe not forgotten.

 

So to sign the scrub corner for depth, they cut another guy that was all over the field in preseason making plays....Dangerfield.


Stand-by to see him get picked up when he clears waivers..

 

Exactly, wouldn't seem fair to evaluate the coach unless you gave him some talent.

 

Maybelline or Avon

 

The secondary has almost always been an issue. Except for that era in 1990-1994, when the defensive backfield was the best in the NFL (Woodson, Everett, Lake, Johnson, etc.), they have been a mish-mash unit ever since. Deon Figures got shot. Chad Scott hurt his knee. Donnell Woolford was a FA bust. DeWayne Washington wasn't much better. In fact, the CBs have been so bad over the years that Ike Taylor's value has been ridiculously inflated for the past decade. The safeties have been good, from Flowers to Troy. But overall, the unit has been mediocre at best.

 

I'm usually an optimist about our players, telling people to give them time and wait and see if they develop.

With Mitchell, it's just not the case. I don't agree that he's making up for Troy's mistakes. He's just flat out of position, poor in tackling, and a magnet for yellow flags. Which aren't even metal.

The Clark comparisons are reasonable to an extent, and maybe it's a case that with a better surrounding cast Mitchell improves. At the moment I can't see it, though.

 

DITTO I think Lake is fine. Get him a few players and we will be a lot stronger there. Blake for Ike made a world of difference in Cincituckey

 

Townesend?

 

Blake was having a good game. He has awareness where the ball is and makes plays. He is fast as witnessed in his special teams play . His only knock would be his size.

 

Yes, He did. I also agree, Lake is doing a fine job. We all agree that Ike isn't fulfilling his role well. That isn't Carnell's fault. I think it is safe to say that Lake isn't the one who does the recruiting, only the one coaching that spot. So for him to shape and mold a player, isn't going to happen in a game or two, and frankly it isn't going to happen in one year.

Lake is doing his part.

I do agree, Busman, that the secondary has always been an issue.

 

But the same could be said for DL!

 

Agree Bus but you gotta admit Blake was head and shoulders above Ike and Troy for that game. Bengals stopped answering our scores after he replaced Ike

 

Yup.. Totally agree Coastal. The change in personnel was pivotal

 

lol...well I'm glad SOMEBODY acknowledged what I said

 

Bus. The head and shoulders ref was not done on purpose. It hit me when I was reading your answer ha-ha

 

try to think this team if we hadn't wrong basically all the free agents signing on defense .....

 

My friends look for wholesale changes in the Steelers defense period. We are really not close to being a relevant playoff contender. This must be fixed. You may actually see a whole new set of safety's and cb's as the starters next year. If Mitchell didn't cost so much,I think he would be relegated to back up also.

 

Man, at least he could get the metal ones! Would be nice to see metal flags like Ninja Stars flying out there!