Does Butler get a pass?

Watching Seattle was interesting. In the second half, they seemed to set up their secondary at exactly the right distance that Ben was aiming for - the kind of 10-12 yard throw. The secondary was swarming in that zone. We were most productive when he threw over the top of that, or we had a screen underneath.

That's how the cushion works - the DBs were exactly where they knew the QB was wanting to throw. Because we were making absolutely no attempt to run (did I miss something early on there? Why did we never run the ball?), they could just sit back and crowd the receivers.

And, of course, as PI is never called on Seattle, their coverage can be pretty effective.

Our DBs, meanwhile, seem to sit back a few yards behind where the QB is throwing, let the catch get made, then tackle - a strategy which works a) when the QB is throwing 3-5 yards, not 10-20, and b) when you make the tackle.

 

Butler - yes
Colbert - no

Our GM's butt needs to be very warm right now. Look what Dave Gettleman has done in Carolina. Too bad Colbert can't pull off that same kind of magic.

 

if he gets a pass it would be the only person on defense that does.

it starts at the top.

 

upside is cheatriots lost wooot woot

 

Colbert definitely deserves criticism.


$ 24,627,000 of the 2015 salary cap is allocated to LaMarr Woodley, Troy Polamalu, Shaun Suisham, Josh Scobee and Cortez Allen.

That should never happen.

 

The house cleaning will come this off season, the whole secondary including
their coaches have to be looked at. The Steelers have failed miserably in this most
critical area. Player developement & talent evaluation has failed and we will see implosion.
I can count 4 players that may never/ shouldn't be back, Cortez, Will Allen, Shamarko, Blake.
plus more. We have got to get some talent back there.

 

Should Butler be given a pass, what a f'in joke..

If anyone is going to take credit for last nights lost it should be the following..

Coach T - incompetent play calling.
Ben - 2 t/o's
D- secondary with Colert written on their sleeves.

Butler can only work with what he's given, if this org. has no desire to set a priority in the draft, at least teach what we have the fundamentals in coverage and tackling.

 

It is the only plan than can work . We have free runners and we can't cover for 2.5 seconds. We are a CB,CB, and Safety away from having the best Team in the NFL...The blame has to be placed on Colbert and the guys who scout for him ...I have been watching this problem develop for the last 5 seasons or so and we simply have the worse secondary in all of Football and probably 1 of the best front 7's in all of Football . As I have always stated a quick passing game will tear a great front 7 up ...

We need recovery speed on Defense at the very least ... Our guys can't cover and then they can't catch the guys after they catch it ....It is time for the Coach to make a change . People can still call me crazy , but this Defense would be much better with some of our WR'S on it . At least they could run players down and stop the huge runs after the catch....

DHB looks good enough in the open field on ST'S , he is always one of the first guys down so he clearly has the speed....The speed that Bryant shows is also incredible ....We should play press man Cover 3 with DHB,MM, and Bryant as the Safeties . Mike would have the force all over the field and use the speed and size of the WR'S to chase down open field runners and to fight for deep balls .....I have zero doubt this D would be better with DHB and Bryant on it .....Heck it would probably be better with Vick on it......

The bottom line is we have players starting that should not even be playing swallow your pride and pull a Remember The Titans ...'We gonna put Sunshine,Alan,Glascoe,Davis...You gonna play both ways, the rest of the game....' Now just change the names and change the rest of the game to the rest of the season...

 

Here is the issue with the scheme, and Manziel and Tebow showed it: QBs are better schooled and more accurate than they were twenty years ago. Chalk it up to video. Chalk it up to plays on the wrist ban. Chalk it up to headsets in the helmets. Whatever. But the zone blitz relies on confusing the QB and forcing him to make an accurate throw. Guess what? They're not confused anymore and they're more accurate. Add to this that WRs can't be hit "hard" anymore which makes going across the middle a fearless endeavor.

I remember the 1994 AFC playoff vs Cleveland: the Steelers won that game but maybe wouldn't have if Testaverde had been more accurate and the Cleveland WRs didn't have alligator arms. Because there were wide open WRs all game long. Go back and review it, if you have that game on DVD.

 

That's the more interesting topic, I think Lake gets a pass this year because of the HORRIFIC players he has to work with, but than again, maybe not.

 

Heck yes he does. You can build the best scheme but you need players to be able to run it. The best gameplan is only as good as the worst player on the field. You can't cover up the holes in the secondary in the new passing NFL. That is why I think this team may not make the playoffs.

 

Man, that last touchdown reminded me of Broncos/Tebow/LeBeau/Ike Taylor. I just don't get it they won't press all game. 5 yard cushions. Except when the game is on the line and it's 3rd and long. I don't get it.

I won't blame them for this loss tho. They have been bend don't break all season. When the opposing team starts at your 40 all game that leaves no room to bend.

 

Great observation. Our cushion does not seem to work because our DBs never quite seem to be in the right place. It is not like these QBs are threading a needle and beating our guys - their receivers a often wide open and one of our DBs flies in from a distance and tries to tackle. And the receivers are big enough (tight ends especially) or elusive enough that open field tackles are difficult. So is it the scheme that has them so far out of position, or are they not where they are supposed to be?

Imagine what Antonio Brown and Ben would do to our defense. They'd put up 70 points. In a half.

 

You had me till the Bryant at safety part.

 

Okay you are probably right ...Bryant is to much of a weapon on the Offensive side to risk ,but as bad as our DB'S are there is really no way that DHB,Murphy, or Coates could do any worse ....Heck the Panthers have a great Defense and they just signed a CB out of retirement that is probably better than everyone that we have ....

Did you see the converted WR playing CB against Odell Beckham JR. on Sunday ? That kid played him very well ..What could it hurt to try DHB as a DB ? We know he has more speed than any of our other DB'S .He can jump higher , he likes contact , he understands routes . He is a Team guy he is willing to do whatever to help the Team ...

The problem is someone on the Steelers actually thinks these DB'S can get better and they can't we are to the point now we must try something , almost anything is better than what we are doing now...

 

maybe will allen could be our new go to wr.

 

Heck at 42 I am thinking of trying to walk on . I wouldn't really put Bryant back there, to much of a weapon ...The point being they need to go down the bench and find someone to help .At this point I would just line them up and have a 40 yard dash the fastest guys who don't have big roles would be the new Starting DB'S...

 

gay, boykin, cockrell, golden, mitchell would be and should be playing.

 

Heck another plan could be to just go Jumbo at CB . Get the biggest guys we have on the bench and line them up in bump and run. Put 2 on their best WR . At least this would force the WR to run around them this would buy the front 7 at least some time to get close to the QB ....

Really what difference would it make ,Blake and them can't catch anyone in the open field at least by making the big guys chase them they can get extra cardio....

 

Normally I totally dismiss the "we should sign this guy" ideas, but admittedly, when I saw that the Panthers signed Finnegan, it got me wondering why we didn't/wouldn't/couldn't have signed him. The guy may be a giant douchebag, but for a 9 game stretch I think we could live with his shenanigans in return for a probable upgrade to what really ails us. Or we could maybe just play Boykin. I'm sure he could use the extra cardio, too!

 

Agree with most of what you say. Except on the last Seattle touchdown, it was not soft coverage. It was actually a pretty tight man coverage and we got beat for a long touchdown. We don't have the DB talent to play tight. If we had been playing 10 yards off on that play, it would have been an easy catch but not a touchdown. With the talent we have, we are screwed either way.

 

f

I agree with you on DHB, he could be better then what we have now, and actually a better fit for him then being our 4th receiver. Bryant no way, too valuable.