"0" zero sacks through first 3 games. 3-4 Defense has to go - no edge rusher

I have been saying it for awhile, the Steelers don't have the horses for a 3-4 defense. The young secondary could use a break.
Zero sacks through 3 games is a shame.

Seems to me we have the 4 horses for a 4-3, and 3 good 4-3 LB's that have the speed to be good on the blitz, or drop one into coverage.
Nowadays you really do have to concentrate on defending the pass, and the Steelers could do that better by getting 4 guys after the QB.

I'd rather get 4 studs after the QB, instead of 3 studs and a subpar edge rushing LB after the QB.

If you have a excellent edge rushing LB getting after the QB, then a 3-4 works. But we have no Merriweather, Lloyd, or Porter at edge LB.

I know that it takes some time to switch to a 4-3, but you don't have to do it in one week, just break it in slowly week after week, it would keep offenses of balance.
Basically all you are doing is sitting an OLB and bringing in a down lineman - on either side.

 

They aren't playing the 3-4. Playing the 3-4 there is a lot of blitzing. They are using the nickel as their base defense and dropping everyone into coverage.

 

Actually we have 1 sack (Moats)

 

Yup they aren't in the base. Today they were in a 2-4-5 most of the day.

 

I'm pretty sure that if we played every one of our defensive players at the same time we'd still get pretty much the same result. We just can not get to the qb anymore. It's super annoying to watch.

 

Base defenses are seldom used anymore.


Nowadays.. sub package sets like Nickel and dime based defenses are the new normal..

 

Yes, it's not the 3-4. It's, also, not our base defense.
That's how D is played in today's NFL. Your base defense is a series of packages: Nickel, Dime, some 3-4 and even 4-3, Quarter...

However, teams are still creating pressure with their new base defense. But we can't.
Not to blame Heyward / Tuitt's ability to win their matchups. We need creative defensive playcalling.
Look at the 8 sacks the Vikings took on Cam today. Those were both matchup wins AND creative playcalling, confusing a SB veteran & mobile QB.

 

Dick Lebeau was once asked in an interview while he was here what his defense was based on and he said one thing. "Pressure". We just don't seem to generate any of that anymore and in today's NFL ESPECIALLY you have to be able to at least disrupt the passer. We don't even seem to do that. It's like we dare teams to beat us with their qb by letting them sling it all over the yard and just try to tackle the catch. Think about how many scrub qb's have carved us up over the last few years. Lebeau didn't say "sacks" or "picks" or "fumbles" are what makes it work. He said "pressure" was what made it work. If we don't figure out a way to bring that back we are gonna suffer a lot more losses like today's.

 

We don't have good edge players and we continue to draft 34 OLB types and play them at Nickel DE.

I expect that to change.

 

Yeah, but it wasn't even for negative yards...

 

It was a sack though right?

 

It's all zone coverage and we're getting picked apart. We're not even a threat for disruption to the QB anymore.

 

What the hell happend? 3rd in sacks last year, 3rd in takeaways. Supposed to have a stout D line but it looks like butt. We are on pace for 5 sacks in the season. We are tied for last, unacceptable

 

3-4 or 4-3 you still need one elite speed rusher on the team,

The way the 3-4 is played now on steelers ... We need Heyward and Tuitt to show up every game and dominate ... So far hasn't happened.

 

I think the problem is we have transformed into a team that relies heavily on the offense. If the offense breaks down, we got next to nothing. It`s just the way it is. What happened today was something of an aberration. Our offense can score on anybody, just not today.

I think a lot of our guys on offense did not give their best and were just going through the motions. When the defense saw that, they took the day off too.

It`s just one game. I think after stinking up the joint we will play hard next game.

 

Lebeau's D counted on players winning one-on-one matchups. We don't have the athletes to do that now.

 

Yes, the Defense was pitiful yesterday. No sacks, no pressure(sans Chickello)the shelling of the secondary, watching Glass Shazier and Creampuff Jarvis in form again. The kid Wentz is for real. Made Ben look like the rookie.

This is what to expect if this Defense plays this way and the Offense was still on the plane.

Bend don't Break? Joke. I had high hopes for this Defense coming into the season. They played well between the 20's the first two contests. The dam broke yesterday. The lack of pressure on the QB reared it's head. And a tough contest coming up.

My two sense is Chickello needs more snaps as well as well as Harrison. To RUSH the passer. Sending the backers into coverage sure the hell hasn't helped. Jarvis Jones is worthless.

And it's nice to know that Moats has that lone sack .And almost didn't...Makes ya feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn't it? I think Ben was just sacked again...

Ugly in every sense of the word...Best to get some pressure cookin Coach Butler...

 

A 3-4 defense can work, you just have to have the personnel. At outside linebacker, it's pretty sad that a 38 year old James Harrison brings the best pressure. That injury to Dupree is hurting big time. Moates and Chickillo aren't close to getting it done, and Jarvis is on his way out.

 

I find that hard to believe. We have a lot of high draft picks on the D and a lot of highly touted prospects. I'm tired of hearing we don't have the talent. Just a week ago some on here were saying we have one of the best Dlines in the league. We have the talent, but the coaching is killing us. We are constantly being outcoaches and we're not prepared

 

LeBeaus defense counted on 3 DL studs occupying 5 OL. It allowed 1or 2 stud OLB to pressure and sack the QB. This allowed the secondary to sit back and bend but not break.

We just can't do what we did with what we have. Butler has attempted to change things up a little.......... Just not enough

Cajun

 

We could make teams much more one dimensional back then too when we had a big nose tackle demanding double teams and clogging the middle. We had that crazy streak of not letting a team rush for 100 on us. Now it seems teams can do whatever they want against us.

 

I said this when it happened. Losing Bud is huge. He was our only legit pass rusher. Having him would make the other LB's lives easier.

 

We basically run a 4-3 with the 2DL and OLBs playing like ends. I don't think we have the horses to run a 4-3, at least the DEs to get after the quarter back. Who do you suggest play end?

Tuitt and Heyward? McCullers and Hargraves at DT? Tuitt and Heyward doesn't have the speed to play DE in my opinion.

 

Yes, I'll give you that, but 1) is was more a coverage sack, allowing Dalton to almost scramble for positive yards, as opposed to a good edge rush which is the subject of the OP and 2) it didn't have the impact of a sack providing negative yards.

 

aaron smith, hampton, kiesel> tuitt hargrave heyward lol but man those teams were stacked, pick your poison on D.