My Rare Comments About The Defense

I rarely comment on the defense as I think they are solid as always and keep us in games. I will make a few comments now about it.

-Teams like the Patriots are considered to have bad defenses, but their players attack and they make plays. They give up lots of yards and all, but I see playmakers all over their D. Many other teams have similar defenses. DL is perhaps the best defense schemer in the game today, but the players we have aren't attack players. Harrison was an attacking player who made Woodley look great (Woodley is still decent but not nearly as dominate as he was with JH). Polamalu is attacking and JJ might be one, but it is very limited outside of them.

-We have some bloated contracts on the defensive side. Woodley ($13 mil) and Taylor ($10 mil) are the two biggest bloated contracts. I would keep Timmons ($11 mil) because he is a very solid ILB, but with all the others, we are spending a lot for what we are getting in return. They are all great players and all, but their price-tag is very high. We can't do much about this though other than let their contracts run out. It was a mistake handing them big contracts.

-And we handed out these massive contracts during the uncapped year, and I remember people saying the Steelers did so well locking up all of their big names. Well... a few years later and we are on a massive losing streak.

-If our offense wasn't wretched, we wouldn't have to discuss the defense. Their job is to prevent points, and they year in and year out do a very good job doing just that. We should have to rely on them to create turnovers or score to make up for our offensive deficiencies.

 

We're not getting off the field. Period. We're not stopping teams on 3rd down. AND LONG. That's not a DL defense. We have two sacks. In three games. Get off the field. That is all.

 

Ehh they only really surrendered 17 points themselves to a 2-0 team. I think the biggest thing about it isn't the scheme or DL, but rather the players. Farrior/Smith/Hampton/Harrison/Foote >>>>> Hood/Heyward/McClendon/Wilson

 

Also, I distinctly remember bench players like Hoke and Eason and Kirschke coming in and making plays (like sacks).....but I don't see what from our benchers. I honestly don't even know if/when they are in the game (if they aren't they should be rotating to stay fresh).

 

We've given up too many 3rd and longs. We're not getting to the qb. They're staying on the field too long.

 

It's mind-boggling the lack of turn-overs!

Even when it looks like they generated a chance the damn ball bounces right back to the guy!

Did someone put a Voodoo hex on them? We need a Witchdoctor to get it off! Time to bring in the heavy artillery, JoBoo!

 

Cincy did that on D though. I was watching that game. Their D was getting turnovers and also scored on a fumble recovery. There was 8 turnovers in that game. Cincy's O didn't put up that many points. I don't think it's fine that we're not pressuring qb's consistently but very much agree that we need to get some turnovers. Sacks could be just as valuable though and we're not getting them either. Remember that famous footage of Cowher and Lloyd where Cowher just holds him and says "rush the quarterback. rush the quarterback." I don't see Tomlin doing something like that and I don't see Lebeau doing that either. Tomlin seems to go in with a gameplan and DL seems to go in with a gameplan and they won't deviate from that. I don't see how we are GONNA get turnovers when DL has our backs playing 3-5 yards off guys. I HATE the bend but don't break system. I mean I really hate it.

 

I have wondered about this for a while now. What gods did the Rooneys upset to take away all the turnovers? It has become ridiculous, and even a bad defense gets a break once in a while - a tipped ball, a fumblitis running back, just a bad pass on the part of the QB - they happen, but not to the Steelers recently. The turnover drought has reached epic proportions.

Maybe a smudging from an old Bessemer furnace?

 

We weren't generating a lot of turnovers last year either. It was most just straight up bend but don't break. I honestly don't think DL is stressing turnovers. I think it's more about just not giving up the "big play" but ironically on the Forte long run Willy Gay was actually "trying" to generate a turnover but in turn gave up a HUGE play! Seriously I'm sick of Tomlin complaining about people not playing good enough when he's the dang guy that put them on the roster!

 

They just look like they're playting the system too rigid. It used to flow and guys would make breaks when they read something the offense was doing.

Just seems like they've been coached "Play the defense, Play the defense", not "Play the defense, but if you see something jump on that crap!"

 

Yeah to me the whole thing of bend but don't break is basically just pretty much telling the other team that you will at LEAST let them get in fg range. I would like to go back and look at our d from 08 again and see if they were playing that far off their receivers. Troy doesn't try to jump routes anymore but he does try and blow it up off the snap count. He jumped that quick out in Cincy last week but it seems he's more trying to get up on the line of scrimmage and blow it up quick.

 

^^^^^This....... Except I think CB, not DL.....

We let one or 2 of them go, and sign, or draft the first available, big-time shutdown corner.

 

Cutler was getting rid of the ball after 2-3 seconds.. sometimes under 2 seconds.

That was instrumental in their win

Bman

 

We have three sacks. Woodley has two and Kiesel has one.

 

my gad golden, didn't james harrison teach you anything before he left? when you have a qb running at you and not sliding you take him out of the game and worry about the fine later. you should be embarressed. as should timmons by going around the backside of the block on that play. i have to question some intelligence on this team. or lack there of. of course we will watch the film, and own this game and work hard this week to correct mistakes, and keep working at it........... ahhhhhh, shut up.

 

Golden got knocked on his ass by Cutler Its not funny and shouldnt happen but how embarrassing!

 

The defense always gets off the field on third and long. Except when it counts during crucial times in the game or late in the game when they really need a stop or a turnover or a sack or ANYTHING!

Yeah, at least Gay was steamrolled by AP, no disgrace in that. But a safety getting steamrolled by a QB?? Come on, man!

 

We've had this problem for many years now though. This isn't anything new, except that "when it counts" is 100% of the time.

 

Funny thing is Briggs bounced off Christian Ponder along the sideline in last weeks Vikings game. Have these QB's been taking HGH on the side to beef them up.

 

They do rotate on the DL like they used to. Woods, Heyward, Keisel, McLendon, and Hood all rotate in and out at times.

 

This is no hate for DL or anything he's a great coach. But in reality it seems thats what his D is about (especially the last maybe 5 yrs or so)...don't give up the big play...especially when it comes to the DBs. Seems like anytime there is an INT by a DB...its on a tip, bad pass or by luck. Other teams DB's plan man and are aggressive and create turnovers and such themselves. Thats not how DL does it though it seems. While he may have the front 7 attack at times...he doesnt with the DBs.

 

So I texted Tomlin after the game last night and the conversation went like this....

BFT: What's up coach T? This is BFT. Why didn't you put Wheaton in more when you said you were gonna do it?
Tomlin: The standard is the standard.

BFT: Also Moye had a td last week but was inactive for this game. Why?
Tomlin: Next man up.
BFT: But coach T Moye is the lowest on the depth chart so who would be the "next man up"?
Tomlin: We own that.

BFT: In your presser you said the o-line play was "below the line". So when, IN YOUR WHOLE TENURE, has it been ABOVE or even AT "the line".
Tomlin: We'll watch the film and get back with you.

I'm still waiting on a text back with that answer. I'll keep you guys updated.

 

Would you consider the way our safeties leave the middle of the field open like a "soft prevent"? I don't know what else to call it. It's also the way our corners play too. Just too much dang cushion. Maybe we are doing this to compensate for age and the loss of the proverbial "step" ya know.