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Disappearing act

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by JackAttack 5958, Oct 19, 2011.

  1. JackAttack 5958

    JackAttack 5958 Well-Known Member

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    Is it me or has Lawrence Timmons seemed to totally disappear from our defense this year? I realize that he's had to move over to OLB with the injury to Silverback, but before the season the Steelers signed him to a sizeable contract and everyone was raving about how exceptional he is. I haven't seen exceptional this year, at best I've seen acceptable but I think so much more was expected. Has he had any sacks? Has he been involved in any "splash" plays as Tomlin likes to call them? I'm sorry but I haven't seen anything spectacular from Timmons and that's a bit of a disappointment.
     
  2. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    I have been wondering the same thing.... What happened? I hope he doesn't fizzle like K. Bell...
     
  3. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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    Moving him out of position didn't help.

    He's fine.
     
  4. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Timmons was being given a more Troy-esque role last season, making use of his speed and reaction times. But that kind of role means basically taking gambles on plays, and from what I can see Timmons has been sitting back on plays a lot more this season. Playing safe, so to speak. I wonder if the lack of summer practice has much to do with it?

    Alternatively, he could just be playing badly.
     
  5. defva

    defva Well-Known Member

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    Timmons and most of the defense have been missing this season.
     
  6. CANTON STEEL

    CANTON STEEL Well-Known Member

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    I expected to see more from him by now. I still think he's going to be an excellent LB for us but I haven't seen any consistency from him when it comes to dominant performances yet.
     
  7. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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    Other than Troy and Ike Taylor, have we seen that from anyone this year yet?

    We haven't jelled for whatever reason. Give it time. I think they just haven't found their identity yet as they're focusing on different priorities this year.
     
  8. HugeSnack

    HugeSnack Well-Known Member

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    He's fine.

    He's been playing a position that's not his for the last two weeks. And no matter what position he plays, he hasn't been blitzing much at all. He's used a lot in pass coverage, and it's easy to understand why -- he's the best coverage linebacker the team has, and probably ever has had for as long as I've been watching. That kind of thing is easy to overlook. Patrick Willis, who many consider to be the best ILB in the game and is on a good defense, also hasn't been making tons of splash plays. But he's holding down the fort and covering tight ends well, and it's working for them.

    Timmons didn't get worse, and it's not a lack of effort. The contract was a great thing, and he's still a great player who still has some room to grow.
     
  9. CANTON STEEL

    CANTON STEEL Well-Known Member

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    Other than Troy and Ike Taylor, have we seen that from anyone this year yet?

    We haven't jelled for whatever reason. Give it time. I think they just haven't found their identity yet as they're focusing on different priorities this year.[/quote:1m47u0uj]

    I can agree with that
     
  10. Busman

    Busman

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    I see Timmons as a force and its the way they utilize him that makes a difference. Woodleys game has picked up since Harrison has been out. Is this purely a coincidence of merely the way Timmons is being used frees him up?

    Bman
     
  11. steel1031

    steel1031 Well-Known Member

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    I for one am tired of seeing timmons in coverage. use his speed and blitz him more. I think he is the second or third best player on the defense, but he is not used like he should be. lebeau has forgot more football than i will ever know but it seems like the past few years when we blitzed him he made things happen. I may be wrong
     
  12. Steeltrouble

    Steeltrouble Active Member

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    Other than Troy and Ike Taylor, have we seen that from anyone this year yet?

    We haven't jelled for whatever reason. Give it time. I think they just haven't found their identity yet as they're focusing on different priorities this year.[/quote:ieeqpy24]


    Uh, I would have to add BIG BAD BEARDED BRETT, and HOKE they have been great! Other than that it's definately nothing special. We we killing it last year forcing turnovers all over the place and I think we have maybe 3 so far. Last season we had like 13 or so at this point of the season!! What gives, is it lack of effort or the schemes. They were going after the ball last year on every tackle and I don't see that this season at all. Hopefully they will get it together and start attacking more.
     
  13. BurgherBoy7

    BurgherBoy7 Well-Known Member

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    You took the words right out of my mouth! Timmons has dropped back into coverage this year more, and we do have the #1 pass defense this year. Even filling in for Harrison at OLB, it seems they have not blitzed timmons as much. I think he's fine, and I think he has done a good job in pass coverage this season.
     
  14. Bleedsteel

    Bleedsteel

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    Yeah, this is something I haven`t been able to exactly put my finger on, but...
    It seems we have had a shift in focus/plan/tendencies, or whatever...
    Injuries, or not, it seems like we are playing a little different brand of defense this year...
    I panicked when we were giving up big runs, early in the year,
    But our pass defense( which has been our biggest complaint in the past ), seems to have improved considerably, even with Gay, etc, in there...
    Maybe LeBeau is just not dialing up the blitzes as frequently?
    Seems to be a bit more to it than that, to me, though...
    Mostly because I have seen a LOT of times, where ONE missed tackle led to a big play,
    instead of having more defenders there, to make up for the missed tackles that have happened in the past, but got covered up, because someone else was there to finish the job, if one of them missed...
    Maybe they are finally going with the "something different", that LeBeau said was coming a year or two ago?!
    If so, they are wise to not announce it, and let the rest of the league figure it out, as it happens...
    Something just feels different about how they are playing on defense.
    Not JUST the fact that they gave up big rushing yardage early in the season, which we have NEVER seen,
    MAYBE they were trying to adapt to doing differnt things schematically, having different responsibilites, than they were used to, when we had the whole defense healthy, and now they are starting to figure it out?
    I dunno, I just don`t ever remember seeing as many times, where if the first guy missed the tackle, he didn`t have a teammate(or 2), right there to back him up...
    Seems they have dropped more people back into coverage, or something, that we didn`t used to do, but got burned on the deep balls.
    Just the feeling I get from watching the games so far...
    It is also entirely possible that they are getting "out-physicalled", by better teams, and doing "ok" against weaker ones...
    I just find that hard to believe.
    Edit:...
    And as for the turnovers?
    Who knows, that could be a product of not having as many people attacking the ball...
    or...
    Sometimes the ball just doesn`t bounce your way.
    At least on tipped balls, fumbles,etc...
    In this game, you can help your "luck", with the way you play, but when that odd-shaped ball hits the ground, who knows which way it will bounce?
    Sure it helps your "luck", to have more people around the ball, and pressure the qb...
    But when we have tried that in the past, we seem to get burnt by the long ball far too frequently.
    We STILL seem to have a problem getting off the field on third and long, though...
    It`s like I am almost more comfortable when I see us come up against 3d and 3, than 3d and over 10. :confused:
     
  15. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    I forget who was saying the other day how the lockout has affected the more physical Ds.

    That said, the Ravens don't seem to struggling particularly, from what I've seen.
     
  16. SteelerD

    SteelerD Well-Known Member

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    It seems to me that a lot of the rushing yard for our opponents have come in big chunks. If you eliminate the longest run against us in each of the games, the rushing defense would look pretty good. Maybe it's just me but I will take a chance on a long run each game versus giving up 8 to 12 yd passes all game long. I am curious to see how the apparently different approach to our defense works out against an offense that is built to pass. Will the patriots be able to lean on their running game if we can slow their passing attack?
     

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