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Let Minkah be Minkah

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Blast Furnace, Oct 19, 2020.

  1. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Oct 16, 2011
    From Kabolys 10 Observations article. I’ll copy and paste the part about Minkah for those who can’t read the article. Good insight.

    It started at the Pro Bowl in January when Minkah Fitzpatrick suggested it would be beneficial to both himself and the defense that the Steelers move him around more in the secondary rather than put him simply as either a single-high or half safety.

    It took teams about a month into his Steelers career last year when they realized they probably shouldn’t throw the ball anywhere in the vicinity of Fitzpatrick, thus making it almost impossible for him to affect the game. He wasn’t targeted at all in four of the last seven games. You take away four times that Baker Mayfield tried him in Week 12 last year and Fitzpatrick had four targets over the second half of the year.

    This year it has been more of the same.

    Fitzpatrick was playing center field, not letting anybody get behind him, making the tackle when teams got through the front seven and then calling it a day, which is not very conducive to a playmaker to make plays in any defense.

    That was until early during Sunday’s showdown against the visiting Browns.

    With the Steelers leading by three points and the Browns facing a third-and-3 at their own 28-yard line, defensive coordinator Keith Butler allowed Minkah to be Minkah.

    Fitzpatrick stepped in front of Mayfield’s pass intended for Harrison Bryant and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown that greatly affected how both the Steelers and Browns played the rest of the game.

    The Steelers went on to a convincing 38-7 win to improve to 5-0 for only the second time in franchise history. They are tied atop the AFC North standings with the Ravens, who held on to beat the Eagles, 30-28.

    There is no doubt that you can point to the decision by Butler to allow some freelancing by Fitzpatrick early in the game to confuse Mayfield into a bad decision and a game-changing moment 14 plays into the contest.

    “It was a significant play,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s capable of delivering those types of plays and we’ll keep snapping the ball and watching him do it. That’s the type of player he is.”

    “Minkah is an All-Pro-level type of guy,” linebacker Bud Dupree said. “He gets schemed. Teams peek at where he is on the field and go the opposite way. They try to take advantage of places that he’s not. He makes so many splash plays that people aren’t going to be able to control that. Today, he got his hands on the ball.”

    It’s key to understanding how Fitzpatrick got into a position to make the interception.

    Butler called for Fitzpatrick to be the “robber,” a very common scheme in defensive football. In layman’s terms, Fitzpatrick was allowed to freelance and watch the eyes of the quarterback and make a play on the ball. This particular call was a man-1 robber in which the Steelers lined up with two high safeties and man underneath with their four cornerbacks on the field — Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, Cam Sutton and Mike Hilton.

    Right before the snap, Fitzpatrick dropped down into the hole (Terrell Edmunds rotated to the single-high safety) and read where the quarterback’s eyes were going. In this instance, and because of Fitzpatrick’s film study, he knew Mayfield’s pre-snap read was likely to Bryant because Sutton’s outside leverage was pushing the tight end into a middle-of-the-field route.

    “I was just reading Baker’s eyes,” Fitzpatrick said. “He was looking that way and I went that way and he threw it. We needed to set the tone on defense whether it was a sack or a three-and-out or whatever it may be. We needed to set the tone, and the pick six on the first drive of the game was the way to go.”


    Rest of the article can be found here. Good stuff.

     
    Blast Furnace, Oct 19, 2020
    Blast Furnace, Oct 19, 2020
    #1
    • Like Like x 4
    • Informative Informative x 2
  2. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Good read. I've had a feeling Minkah has been schemed out of the game, and his tackling has always been slightly suspect thus making him look like he was having a quiet year no the broadcast cameras.

    I think the only thing to add is to remember that this is all risk/reward. I think letting Minkah be Minkah will pay off in heaps, but we'll probably see some mistakes as par for the course (just like when Troy was around). But the reward definitely outweighs the risk.
     
    Thigpen82, Oct 19, 2020
    Thigpen82, Oct 19, 2020
    #2
    • Agree Agree x 2
  3. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    But.. but.. but.. but..



    MINKAH FITZPATRICK IS A BIG WEAKNESS!!




    [​IMG]
     
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 19, 2020
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 19, 2020
    #3
    • Like Like x 1
  4. Vox Ferrum

    Vox Ferrum Well-Known Member

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    With Bush out I think they will have to make that adjustment. I think more so when Vince goes off field in coverage schemes.
     
    Vox Ferrum, Oct 19, 2020
    Vox Ferrum, Oct 19, 2020
    #4
  5. Stone

    Stone Well-Known Member

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    1. Minkah sounds like a hot Russian chicks name.
    2. I'd kinda like to see what happens for a couple games if they let him do his thing.
     
    Stone, Oct 19, 2020
    Stone, Oct 19, 2020
    #5
    • Like Like x 1
  6. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    In all seriousness though, all Keith Butler had to do was simply ask Dick LeBeau about how he played Troy Polamalu. Much like Troy, Minkah is borderline reckless but with athleticism, instincts and Football IQ that more than makes up for its LeBeau's answer to that question will be pretty simple.



    “Yeah, I guided him all right, I stayed the hell out of his way and let him go out and play football.”



    Keith MUST LET GO of what he wants Minkah to do as attempting to pigeonhole a great Defensive Back; safety no less, leads to limiting your entire secondary. Just let your great Safety be great by trusting him. Nothing more to it than that.



    Why it took Butler this long to realize this is something I truly have not the foggiest!! :eek:
     
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 19, 2020
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 19, 2020
    #6
  7. SteelersFanCanada

    SteelersFanCanada Well-Known Member

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    I know it's a bit off topic, but what is "The dilemma with Spillane" ??
     
    SteelersFanCanada, Oct 19, 2020
    SteelersFanCanada, Oct 19, 2020
    #7
  8. SteelerGlenn

    SteelerGlenn

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    SteelerGlenn, Oct 19, 2020
    SteelerGlenn, Oct 19, 2020
    #8
  9. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 20, 2020
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 20, 2020
    #9
  10. PWP

    PWP Well-Known Member

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    Is why we need a single high Safety a guy with speed and range who can make open field tackles to free up Minkaw to be a robber..I still see no Safety in college fast enough to play a true single high in the NFL..The thing to do is to find that speed and range from another position don't waste a good cover guy as a single high or deep half player ...

    A fast WR who plays on the kickoff and punt Team in college can be converted to a deep Safety fairly easy ..Every skilled position on Offense is getting faster,the counter if for the D to get faster on both levels meaning at LB ,CB and Safety.. That 4.3 College Safety does not exist he is on Offense as a gadget player or on the bench as the 8th,9th, or 10th. WR ...
     
    PWP, Oct 20, 2020
    PWP, Oct 20, 2020
    #10
  11. Stone

    Stone Well-Known Member

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    I think it is yet to be seen if, in fact, Butler has realized this.
     
    Stone, Oct 20, 2020
    Stone, Oct 20, 2020
    #11
  12. steel machine

    steel machine Well-Known Member

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    To think we wasted a #1 pick on the bum.;)
     
    steel machine, Oct 20, 2020
    steel machine, Oct 20, 2020
    #12
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 1
  13. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    BUST!!!
     
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 20, 2020
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 20, 2020
    #13
  14. SteelCity_NB

    SteelCity_NB Staff Member Mod Team

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    Is the DHB argument all over again?
     
    SteelCity_NB, Oct 20, 2020
    SteelCity_NB, Oct 20, 2020
    #14
  15. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    Never ending!! :lolol:
     
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 21, 2020
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 21, 2020
    #15
    • Hilarious Hilarious x 2
  16. MojaveDesertPghFan

    MojaveDesertPghFan

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    Oct 19, 2011
    The article says, after Sundays games that the Steelers "are tied atop the AFC North standings with the Ravens, who held on to beat the Eagles, 30-28.s." Technically, the Steelers are 1/2 game in front, as in - if the season ended today.........". Or are they tied because Ravens are 2-0 in division while Steelers are only 1-0?
     
    MojaveDesertPghFan, Oct 21, 2020
    MojaveDesertPghFan, Oct 21, 2020
    #16
  17. The Glory Days

    The Glory Days Well-Known Member

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    Matchups and other factors only come in to play when the records are tied. Record trumps everything. I think they are placing them even, however, as the Steelers are only guaranteed a loss. That's not being funny, it's just that there is no guaranteed win. If that makes sense.
     
    The Glory Days, Oct 21, 2020
    The Glory Days, Oct 21, 2020
    #17
  18. PWP

    PWP Well-Known Member

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    Quinton Dunbar WR to CB ..https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...r-quinton-dunbar-to-contribute-at-cornerback/

    A recent convert that took multiple injuries to get his shot to switch he has made the switch very well..CB is much harder to play than FS , we don't have a good FS we didn't have one when DHB was here .. If we had anyone that was decent then no need to look outside the box..We use 1 of our best defensive weapons because we have no one else who can play Deep FS ..I contend we do ,but he is on offense..
     
    PWP, Oct 22, 2020
    PWP, Oct 22, 2020
    #18
  19. Franco

    Franco Active Member

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    Dumb
     
    Franco, Oct 22, 2020
    Franco, Oct 22, 2020
    #19
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  20. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    Minkah might be in for a big day again. Granted, Tannehill has been playing out of his mind for 15 games dating back to last season. Should the game get unfavorable for Tennessee though, Tannehill will likely have to press.



    Tennesee's favorite area is to press in the middle of the field. Given the fact that Devin Bush is not coming back, Jonnu Smith and AJ Brown are likely primed to do some damage if given the task. Having Minkah patrol that section would help. If those passes are short to intermediate though, I actually would give Terrell Edmunds a shot.



    His abilities in that area of the field have improved greatly.
     
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 23, 2020
    AskQuestionsLater, Oct 23, 2020
    #20

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