Why does LeBeau ask the DL's to only stop the run?

it proves if you give any nfl qb enough time they will eat up a defense. alot last year and the year before qb's didn't just beat us with 3 step drops. they had alot of time to look around before any type of pressure was put on by the D-line. this has to change. we know they won't call holding against harrison so somebody better make some pressure.

 

The year befire we were second in sacks how is that giving qbs all day to throw. It was the three step drops that killed us. Look no farther then the pats and packers.

 

yes , you are right every pass that wasen't a 3 step drop we sacked the qb. :roll:

 

I would just like to nominate this for thread of the year!(or offseason/month/so far, or whatever...)!!!
Thanx to all who responded, for some great reading of an interesting, and civil debate!
I would have to agree with several of the points mentioned so far...
Injuries probably severely affected the sack totals this year, as a team, not just from a position.
Also, I agree, that even though our scheme is not necessarily conducive to, or focused on, our linemen getting pressure on the qb, our guys seem like they could give a lot better effort to beat their blockers, instead of just "occupying" them (Casey, in particular). Smith and Keisel get a pass from me on that point, unfortunately, we were without Smith for a good part of the season, and will have to offset his loss, from now on.
I was a big fan of Hampton`s, when he was younger, but even then, he wasn`t much of a threat to bring down the qb.
The older he got, it seemed the less of an effort he made. Like a previous poster mentioned, it was as if he was content to just take up his blockers, which he was big and strong enough to do, but I do recall seeing times when he would get mad, and could still push them into the backfield, just wish he would play with that kind of intensity every play. As is, after the surgery, I am not sure why we brought him back, unless they have almost no faith in McClendon.
Bottom line is, although I don`t have much of a complaint about our defense, overall, it would certainly help to bring more pressure from our starting front three.
Whether they have the talent and desire to do that... We will see...
I can`t believe it is entirely scheme, that is holding them back.
MacDaddyo did a good job of bringing up names from the past, who were successful at least penetrating into the backfield, if not necessarily being "sack machines", in the same(or at least VERY similar) system!
GO STEELERS! Bring back some "BIG NASTY D"!!!

 

thay is exactly what i said.

 

Here is this better......i know we win all the time but we should cut ziggy fire DL fire tomlin for keeping him around so long then fire colbert for drafting hood then rise up against the rooneys for hiring tomlin. Also ben may have been hurt but i still think he should have been throwing for 700
yards a game so cut him as well. We lost the super bowl amd its all mendys fualt so cut him everybody else played great its all his fualt. Did i forget anything.

 

Yes, super low point because Tebow still rushed 10 time for 50 yards and a touchdown.

 

Yeah, but like 8 of those carries, including the TD, were as a running back. How many successful scrambles did he have? I think like one, for 9 or 10 yards or something like that. That's what the spying was to prevent, and that's why they "rushed" the passer so scared. And it did ultimately prevent him from scrambling succesfully... at the expense of him completing long bombs and winning the game. Talk about winning the battle and losing the war. Shoot, talk about picking your battles! They shoulda switched battles after that second quarter and sent the dogs after him.

 

This is what kills me about these debates because everytime someone brings up the whole "in our scheme that is what DL are supposed to do" theory to help explain the scheme it works to a point. That point being when you have to look at 3rd down situations when they aren't blitzing more than can be blocked but rather dropping everyone and rushing four(3DL 1LB, or 1DL 3LB, or 2DL 2LB)then the job description changes. They have to get some kind of pressure on the pocket because they are all that is coming. So if you are a highly touted pass rusher(in training camp)such as Hood then when you get in a situation where you are one of the four putting pressure on a QB you need to consistently do it. Otherwise find someone else. Hood has a powerful bullrush but he has nothing beyond that. He pushes his man back to the QB but can't get around him once his has pushed him back and so it has little to no effect on the pocket. I really hope that all these young linemen start having things click for them so we will see more pressure from them on a 4-man rush

 

Is this sarcasm?

 

Yes

 

very nicely said thorn. that is exactly why i said move hood to NT. thats where his bull rush would be used to help the defensive line the best. that's what we need out of a NT to take the linemen back to the qb and let the outside rush do what it does. the DE's can get sacks and are not there just to keep blockers off of the LB'ers or stop the run. getting off their blocks does this also, even if they don't get the sack they bring that pocket in on the qb and cause him to throw it before he wants to. that alone frees up the olb'ers to do what they do. i like this defense DLB runs. we need the DE's to have the ability to do what they are there to do on passing downs to make it work right. each part has to work in tandum or it causes the other parts to not be as effective. i think we will see more pocket collapsing from keisel and heyward this year. those two will be key to the pass rush. they are harder to block and get off blocks better, then hood from the DE position. cam should be a much better player this year for us. does that clear it up for you 2188?

 

Smith/Hampton/ and Kimo/Keisel never were pass rushers.....They never tried to get a first step on a guy.

Basically their version of pass rush as a unit was to push their guy back to make the pocket smaller and smaller....like a noose around a QB's neck. Eventually they would get to the QB or it would lead to a protection breakdown where the OLB got the sack.

Basically the past 2 years the 3 DL's went from getting a decent push to only being able hold their ground and occupy blockers: which gets the job done, but doesn't result in any splash plays.

 

And that theory works to a point too. In today's NFL, almost every down is a passing down. For the Steelers, most of the sacks and most of the big plays (strip sacks) come from the linebackers. Not all, but most. So a DL with a good push who can stuff the run and collapse the pocket is not a bad thing - provided you have the outside talent to take advantage of it. For much of this year we didn't have our best guys on the field.

Having a guy like Smith or Keisel who get loose now and again for sacks is bonus material. Smith had a few big years but there's a reason that since the Steelers went to the 3-4 the sack leaders are all linebackers. Gildon, Porter, Greene, Lloyd, Harrison, Woodley. The system IS designed to turn these guys loose and that's still true even if there are only two down lineman.

For the most part you know where the DL rush is coming from. For the LBs it's different players from different gaps unless it's someone like Harrison and the only way to stop is him is hold on for the ride and hope the ball gets out before he gets there.