4-6-1 Works

The 4-6-1 did exactly what I thought it would do. It stuffed the run ,but we couldn't stop the pass from it . Just like I have been saying even our sorry DL can play if we get enough guys with their hand in the dirt.

Now if the Team will wise up and draft some CB'S then we can play multiple 4 or even 5 man fronts , heck if your good enough on the back you can go to 6 against a true run 1st. Team if there is such a thing?

The point is the front is not as important as the back.. More guys up front can make a scheme more effective more guys in the back who can't cover just gives WR'S and RB'S people to use as screens to get open.

 

Build 2 solid units , but build them in a way where you can win as you build ,that's my point . IF you could ask any Defensive Coach in the NFL what it takes to make a solid scheme they all would say being able to take something away...

So with that said it takes at least 3 or 4 good players up front to take away a true running game 1 shut down CB can take away basically half the field...Nothing to do with which one comes first , but more to do with which 1 should come 1st.

Unlike the Chicken and the Egg as a Team you get to choose..To me it's like saying here is a great OG and a Franchise QB we have neither one , but let's draft the Guard. Come on man get the guy who helps the most first,,,,, simple math to me..

Basically we could play better D right now if we had drafted Fuller and the 4-6-1 all but proves that.....That is the premise of my post....

 

A good defensive front makes CBs all but irrelevant. An uncomfortable QB is an inaccurate QB, and a QB flat on his back can't complete a pass at all.

 

it's only works on the goal line. You can't play it any other part on the field. And even then it lost the TE in coverage.

The next problem is we only draft CBs that can play zone rather than shutdown, man on man cornerbacks. I definitely don't agree with this but you have to find players that fit your scheme. God forbid we draft a corner that can play both zone and man to man.

 

OK if the QB is in the gun which most are , which is 7 yards deep ,LB'S are 5 yards from the LOS that's a total of 12 yards so even if the LB is not touched and the QB throws it in 1.5 seconds how many sacks can the LB get ?? The answer is a big fat 0. Yes that's right even unblocked he gets 0.

The only chance he has to get there is for CB'S to press and make the QB hold the ball.... All the Front 7's in the World mean completely nothing if a Team can't play press....

Guess what it takes to play press coverage ????I know a NT,,,no that's not it. A LB,,,,no that's not it.A DE no that's not it. And there you have the Colbert draft strategy....

 

You don't need talent at CB to press. You just have to be willing to live with risk. There is no such thing as a shutdown CB. They are a mythical animal like unicorns. The best cover guy I ever saw was Deion Sanders, and he got beat plenty. For all the hype about Revis Island ... Ted Ginn Jr of all people owns prime beach front real estate on it.

 

Hope so. We've been hearing just that for, at least, the last 5 pre-draft offseason discussions.

 

OK you Love front 7 ,but it's quickly becoming less important than in years past .Just keep watching the #'s of CB'S and WR'S coming off the board in round 1 compared to Front 7 guys ..

We should have moved and got Fuller and should have been looking for top CB'S 3 or 4 drafts ago....

The game is turning into flag Football and the value of the front 7 will be less and less each and every year..

 

Our defense still has holes, and after this year it will get even younger IMO.

Right now I think this is where we stand....position by position.

NT - McLendon and McCullers are fine at NT. I think McLendon may be DE capable, and if he is, then I think McCullers needs to get a helmet.

DE - Heyward and Tuitt may be answers here....eventually, but even if they are, unless N. Williams and Mauro step up, we are going to be short on the Dline once again next year. Keisel will probably retire and I would probably cut Thomas right now based on lack of performance alone.

OLB - We have 3 on the roster. 1 is clearly a backup, and the other 2 aren't generating pressure on the QB. THAT to me is the most major issue with this current D. We don't generate any pressure...ever. Worilds has not...at this point...earned a new contract, and Jones still has work to do. Moats...fine for a backup. If we find a special talent in the draft, it would be my #1 priority at the moment.

ILB - Truly I think it may be our best position overall even if Timmons has played horrible so far. He will get better, or else we will be getting a special player cause we will be drafting in the top 5.

CB - Allen must be a slow starter. He looked bad early last year as well. Ike is going to retire. The young guys, since we are carrying 6 total CBs plus one on the PS, we need to look to draft here.

S - Mitchell hasn't been bad, but hasn't been a playmaker either. Most of that IMO, is that our CB play has been so bad they haven't needed to attack the S yet.

I still do not think we have a system issue, we have a performance issue. Guys just aren't doing their jobs or they are missing tackles or are in the wrong places. It can be fixed, but the guys must fix it.

 

Fair enough and the crazy thing is I agree with you about the pressure ,but in my experience you must be able to cover first that's all I am saying.

Plus I played CB in College and I remember telling my Fat Boys to get to the QB I can't guard this kid all day long ,,,I also remember my NT saying just don't let him have the quick stuff I will get to the QB....

I guess as a former player and as a Former Coach I am to old to change ..The bottom line is I can't stand giving guys free releases off the LOS it's just not Football hell it ain't even American..lol

 

^^ This

 

I absolutely agree w/this and I think it is far too often overlooked. LeBeau is so afraid of getting beat deep that he basically gives 5-10 yard passes for free. I was listening to a SteelerDepot podcast and they said Joe Flacco threw the ball 29 times last Thursday and had 21 completions. Only 2 of those completions traveled over 10 yards and only 4 passes in total were over 10 yards.

In addition - if you have your CB and safeties further up and they can help support the run better....something I always thought that was an important responsibility for a Steeler corner.

 

Think you meant Vince

 

lol @ the last comment.

Out of curiosity (as I'm no student much less scholar of the game)... in your opinion when it comes to a short-passing game (it seems that's what Brady employs against us anyway... don't recall what he used against the Giants) wouldn't a fast LB core be just as important for coverage in the middle of the field as the deeper cover guys? or do you expect the safeties to take more responsibility for that kind of stuff?

 

They could've traded down and drafted Bradley Roby CB.

 

Guess I just answered my own question with a little research... conventional wisdom is it's the safeties' job.

 

No...

I was talking about DEs and Nick Williams in still on our PS along with Mauro.

 

My apologies. Yes of course your correct.

 

Those numbers are very telling... Only 2 completions traveled over 10 yards? Wow. This has always bothered me as well. I'm not saying we should run a press man every down, but we need to mix it in a lot more. How is the pass rush ever supposed to get home if the quick passes are always available?

I'm sure the coaches are aware of these numbers... Let's see if changes are made.

 

Better defensive line and more pressure will fix this. Disrupt the QB and his timing. We have seen this in seasons pass where LBs are swarming around the QB. This is not happening right now. I could care less whether we have shutdown corners so long as we can attack the QB..