Who is supposed to be the defensive playmaker?

Without using the excuse "well they are young still so they can develop into a solid player", who actually is the playmaker on our defense? One of our biggest issues over the past like 6 years is our ability to create turnovers or pressure the QB in critical situations. I have a bad feeling that this year will be more of that.

We have been doing better with sack totals recently, but turnovers seem to be very elusive.

Also, if you look around at other teams from week 1, teams are throwing the ball a lot and scoring a lot of points. I know Steeler fans are always going to prefer the power run/physical/manly style of football, but this league isn't suited for that. If we can't throw, we can't score, and we couldn't throw tonight.

 

It will be Bush, but not for another year or 2 ... he is just a rookie now.

They really need another ILB to pair with him though that is actually good. Barron and Williams are bleh.

I don’t want to hear our talented our D line is, when they seem to disappear in games like this.

 

Devin Bush Jr. will be. Pittsburgh does not like to trade up for nothing.


Personally, despite his fairly decent performance overall, 11 total tackles is nothing to scoff at. Given Seattle's rushing tendencies, look for him to have more tackling opportunities. I still believe this defense will go as far as his performance goes. Tonight sure was horrible but needed all the same. Marcus Mariota is not Tom Brady and vise versa.


For that matter, look for him to begin to showcase glimpses of that playmaking capability. Not saying he will suddenly make plays against Seattle. I am stating that the potential will begin to show up in microbursts.




I want to BADLY say Terrell Edmunds. I do for I still believe he can be an impact player. His potential did flash tonight; one pick almost being his. That said though and, unlike Bush, time for Terrell to transform potential into production. Russel Wilson is not any easier to best either.

 

TJ Watt

 

Bud Dupree lol

 

He asked playmaker not moneymaker

 

So pathetic that he was handled by their tackle so easily. I laughed when Collinsworth was lauding how well the tackle did and that NE no longer had to worry about that spot. I told my son "it is Bud Dupree", wait until he faces a real NFL OL.

 

D Line is mediocre

 

Key to beating Brady is pressure without blitzing. He was perfect (puke) against our blitz last night. It also helps to not play 85 yards off the ball and allow him to throw it out quickly to avoid it.

 

Patriots game plan was simple. Take out TJ Watt... and the defense will fold. And it worked.

 

... and this. I've been saying it for years, but Heyward and Tuitt are untouchable and can not be criticized by most Steelers fans.

 

Well to be fair...Heyward speaks like a leader ,so he’s got that going for him. Tuitt give him credit for realizing how good he can be and for him to acknowledge that his teammates know how good he can be. All that’s left is s for these guys to actually do it when it counts....some day.

 

supposedly your first round picks( Edmunds, Burns, Dupree), have to be playmakers, they aint getting it done. they stink like balls

 

Screw that half the plays they showed he had a fist of jersey and pads..now you can say he needs to not let the guy get his hands on him and I'll agree though...

 

I’m so tired of seeing big linebackers 20 yards downfield trying to cover.

Doesn’t matter who the D Coordinator is, it still happens.

 

Need to go back to the 4-3 for that to happen

 

TJ Watt, and this is backed up by how the Patriots game planned to stop him. And hoodies comments about Watt after the game.

 

He needs some help

 

Joe Haden is the Steelers best secondary player. I don't think Joe Haden is a great cornerback. But I do believe he is good. The other guys in that secondary (Artie Burns, Sean Davis, etc) are average until further notice. T.J. Watt is really good. He can be a great player. I like his burst of the edge when it comes to applying pressure. I want him to get better at covering receivers. When it comes to the Steelers linebackers covering wide receivers, that has been one of the Steelers defensive problems. They suck at that. I think T.J. Watt will be double teamed ALOT going further against other teams. So Cameron Hayward and Stephon Tuitt have to be great. And hopefully Devin Bush can be a game changer. But I think it will take probably a season to see him fully turn into that type of player. So to answer the question, I think Joe Haden and T.J. Watt are the Steelers best defensive playmakers.

 

Badly is how Edmunds played last night. He was terrible. That near interception was actually one of his more glaring errors. The ball was thrown right to him, but he didn't seem ready for it. He got his hands up late.

Safety play in general was awful last night. I expected Kelly to be a problem, but even as critical as I have been of Edmunds, I didn't think he would play that badly.

To answer the original question, Watt is the best playmaker on that defense. The Patriots dared just about anybody else to make a play and none of them could do it. Heyward and Tuitt were nearly invisible, with the exception of Tuitt whiffing badly on a tackle in the backfield. Those two will have to be much better.

 

TJ, and Bush once he's had more experience in the NFL.

 

TJ Watt is about as close as we got. Bush? maybe we shall see. Playing for
real now, no exhibition games anymore.

 

Definitely not one of our well payed studs on the DL. Davis needs to be back.

 

He is worse than what you saw out their Sunday.

 

Davis is not worse than Kelly. I get the frustration with him, but he at least has some clue what he is doing out there and he is a better athlete.