Building the Perfect Defense in Todays NFL

I am a defensive guy first in football. I love how the Steelers identity for the last fifty plus years has been about the defense for the most part. We have had been fortunate to have so many dominate defenses and defensive players. With that being said I would love o hear peoples feed back on the following:

1. Are you satisfied with our current Defense?

2. What changes would you make to this Defense to make it better?

3. Do you like our Defensive Scheme? If not what changes would you make to it?

4. Where can we upgrade on the Defense to make it dominant?

5. What young Defensive coaches in the league would you desire if we were to bring in a new DC?

6. What free agents next year would be a desirable and practical upgrade for our Defense?

7. Are we close to be a dominating Defense?

8. What draft picks are you looking at for Steelers next year on Defense?

9. Top three CB’s in next years Draft?

10. Top 5 Steelers Defensive Players all time?

 

Honestly I like our scheme, and build of the D against certain teams, but people must understand.....You must build to beat Your division 1st, and foremost. I think some don't see this, and then get upset when We don't match up well against other teams, but if Some pay attention that's why You will see teams We lost to get beat by division foes we beat. It's kinda like when some say ....Hey We should run more man, and get only guys that play press man.....in saying that....You are basically saying....yes We want to compete against a Brady, but are willing to let a Lamar Jackson beat us twice a year, and You just can't do that.

 

Excellent points. I like aspects of our defense. In a perfect world you have the type of athletes on the back end that can transition between man and zone because you really need to be able to play both in todays NFL. I guess the thing that I would change is the way we play run defense. I feel like we don’t prioritize it enough. The question is can we prioritize it more without sacrificing putting pressure on the QB? I still am a big fan of the Big mammoth DT’s (two of them) and just let them eat up blockers, stuff the run and push the pocket back. Let the MLB’s and Edge players make all of the splash plays. It just seems like an easier way to build a team. To go out and get an uber talent 6’5” 300lb athletic DL that can stop the run and rush the passer is very difficult. To get a 6’2” 340 lb pocket pusher who is asked to two gap maintain and push the pocket or occupy multiple blockers seems to be an easier find and one you can find in the mid rounds. Maybe I am being naive. If you get one more run plugger and have him play alternate with Heyward, Ogunjobi and Benton and ask them to two gap instead of penetrate unless it is an absolute passing down ... I would be happy. The only thing our defense would need would be two addition CB’s (a slot and an outside cb) as Wallace, Peterson and Sullivan aren’t long term answers and add a SS next to Minkah that will allow Minkah to play the deep half instead of pounding his body coming up in the box. I think that would make our defense dominant and complete.

 

Different league nowadays. Defense should not be a priority anymore. Just look at some of the more recent Superbowl champs who have won and beat teams throughout the playoffs with a much better defenses.

 

I agree with a lot of this. It's just hard to be great at all aspects in today's NFL...with rules, and FA. It's kinda like You have to pick , and choose what will work for the team the best they can.

 

Very true. But I love defense at heart so I guess that’s probably why I don’t like the game today as much I used too. The other thing is the penalties significantly favor the offense in todays game so it certainly does make sense to put more effort into Offense.

 

Well its pretty obviously what our priority is.

 

I miss the defenses before the rule changes. IMO that was real football. Alas the people wanted more entertainment and the NFL had to move toward the dollars. That old NFL would have been to boring to this new culture. MLB had to do same thing. Had to speed up game. Will admit I agree with some of the changes but I'm against the DH. Changes baseball so much but the young want things fast.

 

There is a thread somewhere about all time greats. Probably a few about offence, defense, etc.

 

I liked football before the rule changes as well. I feel like the changes to the game were more about creating player safety albeit catering to the offenses to produce more scoring im sure was a focus as well.

I just get annoyed with how much a lot of these so called penalties are left up to the discretion of the refs. Taunting, pass intereference or unnecessary roughness. The worst part is they are always called at the most in opportune time in a game to what appears to be in many cases … game altering. Meanwhile Watt and Highsmith have Olineman clotheslining them right in front of the ref and no flag. I always felt like the Patriots and Brady would always get those calls in their favor if the game was close. Starting to see the same thing with the Chiefs and Mahomes. I get they want to protect their assets but it gets a little ridiculous sometimes. If they really cared they wouldn’t have added the extra game.

If they aren’t careful they run the risk of having to long if a season and the game being in too many nights a week to where they will oversaturate like the other major sports. They are already on the brink of having not every game matter in the regular season schedule. You add on too many games then a loss here and there doesn’t matter because their are enough games on teams schedules to make up for the early season losses.

The issue with the longer season I feel also waters down the game in a way in which injuries even more so have a bigger impact. Basically have the healthiest team towards the end of the year can overcome alot of superior talented teams. Had the s heckle been shorter their is less of chance for injuries to impact the game the way they do now.

 

I will always be a Defense side Guy. It's what made Me Love Football .

 

We shall find out today if #11 is hope

 

No #11 is Robinson.

 

Is he gonna become a db?

 

If STD or PWP get a chance