The Steelers secondary woes

Yes, I agree.

This is not to say that our current DBs are doing the cushion well, of course, but it's not like it's a completely unviable strategy. They just need to execute it better.

 

Here's an excellent article appearing on the Steelers Wire. I've never read anything by Rebecca Rollett, but her work with this article is very impressive so I'll have to look for more of her stuff. She does a great job (I think) summing everything up and being very pragmatic about the state of the secondary. A longer read, but I think it's worth it.

I still think Blake needs to see less time on the field because his tackling has been an issue all year, but this article helps put things into perspective much more eloquently than I have attempted to do.

 

making a simple tackle has nothing to do with being at the right spot or cohesion. what i see from blake and the lack of sheer will and effort to make a tackle lends itself to trying someone different. maybe it will be worse but just thinking that without seeing it first hand is only speculation. golden played better and better the longer he played but when allen came back, allen played over him. he was clearly not the better player. when boykin has played he has made plays. blake has too but way many more lack of effort plays. fundamental lack of effort plays. cohesion has nothing to do with that, talent and effort do.

 

Cushion? It's more like a Sleep Number Bed , the opposing team just has to dial up down and distance and their WRs get comfortable real quick. So Gay says it's not much difference playing outside or slot and Tomlin believes it's like trying to solve algorithms......Boykin can't tackle? and Blake can? He certainly has no trouble holding his guy on STs but he can't grab someone to make a tackle. I understand we don't have pure cover corners but that doesn't mean that you just give QBs open windows to throw in all day. The key is to mix it up press and zone to at least make the QB have to think for a second where the ball is going. If we are only gonna ask our guys to stand 12 yards back and tackle the catch we might as well just use undersized LBs, maybe we'll just start drafting more of those.

The whole philosophy of letting a faster,most times bigger and certainly more athletic WR get open field and a 10 yard cushion to do his damage is mind boggling. Like I said the key is to mix it up and not give the QB the same look on every play. The scheme is so far outdated it hasn't worked in years....there is no more stop the run on 1st and 2nd create a 3rd and long ,bring pressure and tackle the catch. Teams are throwing early and often especially at 12 yard cushions,our D is constantly playing on its heels. How can you generate a pass rush when teams are just playing pitch and catch? I realize our talent is pretty weak in the secondary but it's the coaches jobs to put them in a better position to succeed....I've seen plenty of teams do more with less or maybe we need a first rounder at every position besides WR. You would think our secondary would be better because of the WRs they have to match up with in practice. It must be like lambs to the slaughter. Just so frustrating

 

Colbert isn't going anywhere. Yeah, it's frustrating they won't draft a DB but teams wish they could draft half as good as the Steelers. I hate to say it but maybe Carnell Lake needs to go. New o-line coach has done wonders.

 

Maybe the cushion is needed I don't know, but my eyes tell me when we've mixed it up and jammed receivers Over the years it's paid off a bit. And we haven't had the ponies according to some in years to justify that approach. But we have taken said approach sparingly and it's worked.

It simply comes down to mathematics. Chip the TE's, jam the receivers don't play your safeties like we did tebow, etc... This 10-12 yd pitch and catch is maddening. Leaving TE's open up the seam is maddening. If our guys can't cover, atleast disturb routes and buy the front an extra tick or two. At this point (a seemingly yearly suggestive point) what does it hurt?

 

Right back at ya! Actually I think I might have answered my own ? about how our secondary fairs in practice.....maybe they are so shell shocked that about time game day rolls around they figure they would just give up trying to cover anybody.....hmmm. Cover 2-Cover 3 ? we play cover 0.