Steelers need to get SMARTER!

As the Steelers are evaluating players both at the college level to draft and at the NFL level to sign as free agents, I really hope that Colbert and Tomlin take football intelligence, and not just physical ability, into consideration. I believe that over the last few years the Steelers have been lacking in overall football intelligence and I think the most important positions where football intelligence is required is at the QB position and in the offensive line. Take a look at most of the QBs playing in the post-season (Manning, Brady, Luck, RG3, Russell Wilson, Rodgers, etc.) and they are known for their intelligence and their ability to utilize that in their preparation for the upcoming defensive schemes they'll be confronted with. Look at the Patriots offensive line. I think all of those guys are smart players with off the charts football IQs. The Steelers used to have an offensive line like that when we had Alan Faneca and Jeff Hartings anchoring the line, but over the last few years we've had guys like Kemoeatu, Colon, Scott and others who didn't seem to understand what they were supposed to be doing at times. Hopefully Pouncey, DeCastro and others can reverse that trend. I think we're also lacking football intelligence at the important skill positions like RB and WR as is evidenced by some of the boneheaded mistakes that group has made this year.

Does this stem from the coach? When Tomlin was hired he said "I am a fundamentalist as opposed to scheme" which means that we will out-block and out-tackle our opponent and wear them down physically, winning the war of attrition. I don't think that works in today's NFL. Every team is loaded with physical talent but it's the players and coaches who know how to get the most out of their physical ability by mental preparation and having a strong football IQ that are the most successful in today's league.

Anyway, just a thought I've been having most of this season and in the past couple of seasons. We just don't seem to play smart football and more often than it should, it costs us. Interested in your thoughts.

 

That was one of the areas I was critical of Haley in as well Jack. In my opinion they weren't coaching why they were doing certain things to everyone on offense. They weren't trying to show each and every player what they are seeing, how they should communicate what they are seeing to Ben and then to the coaching staff. Look at some of the Oline blocking problems. You will have a guy like Pouncey who understands the zone blocking scheme, he knows to chip in on a double team and while pushing that player back slide off him and into the next level. Yet defenses wait till that happens and then flow to the hole created by him moving to the next level and stuff the run. Not Pouncey's fault he was doing as he is instructed, it should be the coaches that realize it and move to correct it, namely telling Pouncey to hold the block and look for the delayed blitzer coming into make the play. Same thing with the WR's if you are getting press coverage communicate that to Ben, try to run a pick play and rub one guy off, If you are seeing cover-2 then tell Ben. They should all be communicating and should know what they are seeing.

 

Thanks, Thorn, for a nuts and bolts explanation of what getting smarter should actually look like. I agree, it just seems that offensively, especailly along the line, is where most of the communication breaks down thereby compromising the play call. I can't do the job you just did in giving a more technical exposition, but from my perspective the team just doesn't look smart. Dumb penalties and mental errors certainly don't help and we saw enough of those this year to do us a lifetime.

 

Been saying it for years.

 

And when you think about it we have lost a number of players over the last couple of years with a boatload of football intelligence. Aaron Smith, James Farrior, Hines Ward, Chris Hoke to name a few.

 

We've been bringing a knife to a gunfight. Tomlin needs to take a long hard look at his approach,more attention to detail is required,from coaches down to the players. STOP! Leaving everything to chance,the players need to be better prepared. In his postseason press conference h said something to the effect that the good teams make the necessary plays at the end to come away with a victory. WRONG! The good teams put bad team out of their misery early and it doesn't have to come down to making or not making one or two plays at the end. This philosophy has to go or we can expect more of the same. If we want to be in the upper echelon we better start acting like it.

 

All guys Tomlin got rid of. Perhaps we should have kept 1 or 2 of those guys around for the time being. Aaron Smith couldn't stay healthy, but when he was on the field he was the best DL we had

 

tomlin has a tampa bay standards , he has no idea what the stealers one suppose to be

 

I think our guys definitely lack some football smarts. I mean how is it that we can all be infuriated at the fact that Mendy stayed in bounds in a game where time was of the essence? How is it we can all predict our offensive gameplan over and over but yet they think other teams aren't gonna catch on? I really am with Jack that it's Tomlin's philosophy to not mind showing our hand because even though they might know what's coming we are gonna execute it in spite of the other team knowing it just based on sheer willpower. We just don't seem to be aware of situations. There have been times where Ben has taken sacks that knocked us out of position. As much as Haley tried to protect Ben with his system it seems that he forgot to tell him that it's also ok to throw the ball away too. I would love to see a stat showing which qb throws it away the most. I bet Ben would almost HAVE to be at the bottom of that list over the last 5 years probably!

 

Good points, BFT. It just seems that we make way too many mental errors. As for Ben not throwing the ball away, that's one thing he must learn to do in order to prolong his career. Sure his holding onto the ball has resulted in some memorable plays, but it's also resulted in mistakes, interceptions, sacks taking us out of FG range, etc. Ben must improve his football IQ to get us back to the SUPER BOWL. Sheer physical determination will no longer do it.

 

If all this is true, it would seem to point back to the HC. Tomlin has been in over his head for years.

 

I do think Tomlin's biggest need for improvement is situational football. I mean if he's gonna make Suisham kick out of his range in TN to start with why in the CRAP would you call a timeout while he is on the field? I mean you gotta know better than that. I'm not saying he would've made it anyway but you know how kickers are about mental things.