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Would You Believe Our Defense...

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by TerribleTowelFlying, Oct 17, 2011.

  1. TerribleTowelFlying

    TerribleTowelFlying Staff Member Site Admin Mod Team

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  2. CANTON STEEL

    CANTON STEEL Well-Known Member

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    I knew we were #1 vs the pass (which I was really shocked to read) but did not know we were overall league leaders in D. :clapping:
     
  3. BurgherBoy7

    BurgherBoy7 Well-Known Member

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    AFC North representing in the yards per game category! Cant believe the Bengals are #2! Glad we are number 1 in D but hard to believe we are ranked 15th in the league against the run! Usually we are #1 in the run and alot lower against the pass!
     
  4. HugeSnack

    HugeSnack Well-Known Member

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    Didn't the Jaguars throw for something like 36 yards?

    Our defense had one bad game in which the offense turned it over 7 times, 4 in Steeler territory and 3 DEEP in Steeler territory. They didn't play well, but the truth is they still played well enough to win the game, if only the offense had shown up. The defense allowed 0 points against Seattle, 7 points against Indy, and 17 against a high-powered Houston team. Then 3 + 14 garbage points against Tennessee and 13 against Jacksonville.

    Our problems -- ALL YEAR -- have been our offense. Yeah, our run D isn't what it normally is, but it will get better, and 15th isn't terrible. What we need is a consistent OL, a flexible OC and a consistent QB. I know Ben is great and I'm not trying to bash him, but he has played poorly in stretches this season. We need him to step it up.
     
  5. CaBurghfan

    CaBurghfan Well-Known Member

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    We haven't played the Pats yet........ ;)
     
  6. TerribleTowelFlying

    TerribleTowelFlying Staff Member Site Admin Mod Team

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    You couldn't just let me have my moment, huh? :-D
    You're right though, I'm sure that stat will change after the Patsies game.
     
  7. Rush2seven

    Rush2seven Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, I would have thought we were worse than that. Hopefully we can get some guys healthy and that will make a big improvement.

    Of course, if the offense could get a big lead, and then continue to put points on the board, the other team's offense would abandon the run and pass. This would also help the run numbers.

    Then again, despite the offense's poor performance against the Jags in the 2nd half, on the one touchdown drive the Jags did have, in addition to the terrible penalties, most of their yards were gained on the ground.
     
  8. ScottChab

    ScottChab Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, I think YPG allowed is a horrible way to determine the best defense. Yards don't win games, points do.

    Yes, the Steelers are #1 against the pass but look at the offenses we've played. 2 of the teams we barely beat are #28 and #32 in passing yards per game.
     
  9. truckin9999

    truckin9999 Well-Known Member

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  10. shamyhay

    shamyhay Member

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    You know, maybe the Steelers have changed gameplans since that air show put on by the Packers in the Super Bowl. Seems like they are leaning more toward stopping the pass than leading the league every year in rush defense. IMO, it is a good move, the league is more of a passing league these days.
     
  11. Steel Acorn

    Steel Acorn Well-Known Member

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    You make a good point. One of the reasons our run D was so good is that teams knew that the Steelers' weakness was five wide and dink and dunk passes, and they exploited that rather than running the ball. In a pass happy league, it is a much better plan to have a good pass defense.
     
  12. TerribleTowelFlying

    TerribleTowelFlying Staff Member Site Admin Mod Team

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    Oh definitely. It's like a 'paper champ' type stat. It was still surprising to see even considering the schedule we've had and how our pass defense is.
     
  13. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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    At this point in the season, I don't put much weight in stats like that.

    Now if they're still there in December, we can talk. Especially if they're in the top 5-10 for points allowed on top of that.

    Or...

    If we somehow keep the Patriots at bay, I'll really be a believer. I'm not saying we're overrated. But I'm not so confident like I usually am. Facing mostly weak competition doesn't help.
     
  14. ScottChab

    ScottChab Well-Known Member

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    Just look at points per game and you don't have to worry about teams that have played 5 or 6 games.
     
  15. numbah58

    numbah58 Staff Member Mod Team

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    Pretty darn good considering that I think we're much better than what we've shown. I expect this team to play better going forward.
     
  16. rutan74

    rutan74 Well-Known Member

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    As some others have said, this is truely a misleading stat.

    The two "good" teams we have played, have basically had their way with us. Baltimore ran all over us, and the Texans despite shooting themselves in the foot, not once but twice while attempting to hand the game over to the Steelers, were still able to run at will against us.

    Heck, even the Jags managed over 100 yards on the ground and we almost gave up our 3rd 100 yard game in the first six.

    That is just the rushing defense. Let's look at the passing defense.

    Flacco? Hardly a top 10 QB when we are talking passing. Seattle? Are we sure we want to count High School here? Titans? I can give an O.K. to Hasselbeck but again, he is not really a top tier QB. Then we have the Colts. No QB there. On to Houston. Schaub is coming on, but again, is not really in the top 10 just yet. How about the Jags? Woops, a rookie QB there and he is not Dan Marino.

    So, out of the first 6 games, we really haven't seen a top five or even a top 10 QB. Another factor skewing this is that teams have been able to run the ball on the Steelers which means they are not throwing it on every down. So, passing stats here are skewed.

    The jury is still out and it looks like we will really see what this D is all about when Marsha comes to town in 2 weeks. I'm afraid it will not be pretty. Remember, this is the exact same team that was shredded in the SB just 8 months ago.

    rutan
     
  17. Busman

    Busman

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    I know is it not always the way . Very rarely are all phases of the team firing on all cylinders ( sorry could not help using Tomlin speak lol)

    We are usually as you say stout against the run and the secondary is suspect. This year coverage seems to be better then in previous years and special teams is questionable again which seems to be consistently a problem

    IF they can tighten up their run defense and utilize all of our offensive weapons effectively we have a shot at another SB return .

    Bman

     
  18. numbah58

    numbah58 Staff Member Mod Team

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    So I guess it's a good thing that Defenses around the league don't have to face New England or Green Bay every week?

    That's a ridiculous barometer to use when evaluating a Defense. :roll:
     
  19. rutan74

    rutan74 Well-Known Member

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    No it is not.

    The point is that the Steelers have not played a good team yet with the exception of the Ravens.

    The Steelers have one of the easiest schedules in the entire league. Beating up on old women only proves you can beat up old women.

    Tomlin even admits this is so when he himself states that the jury is still out on this team.

    Right now, the only tests the Steelers have had have been two and in both, they lost and lost convincingly.

    So, the gauge is not against the likes of the Colts, Titans, Seahawks, and Jags who are all without a top flight offense and QB but against the top tier teams. This week, they go to Phoenix and have to fear ther QB, another awful QB so far this year.

    Kinda reminds me of the heavyweight fighter who fights a bunch of bums to build his record up and then when he fights a real contender or the champ he gets knocked out with one punch and everyone is in disbelief. In case you missed it, you might want to read up on Jerry Cooney the poster boy for overhyped and phoney record.

    Until the Steelers beat a top tier team, the jury as Tomlin says, is still out.....

    rutan
     
  20. numbah58

    numbah58 Staff Member Mod Team

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    Marcia and the Patsies have routinely beaten our "D" like a drum. Even when our "D" has been hands down in the top 3 of the NFL. Also, since the Pack went on their run last year nobody has stopped their Offense. You sited the two best Offensive teams in football. That's not a fair judgment against any teams Defense.
    I guarantee that nobody in the FO or coaching staff of the Steelers expects the "D" to stop the Pats. A victory would be holding them to 24-28 points. Then it's up to the Offense to do their job. Against teams like the Pats and Pack you need to contain them and your Offense needs to keep applying pressure. The best Defense against those teams are to control the ball and finish with TD's. If you don't do that, you simply won't beat them.
    Our "D" with the exception of a few drives has been stellar. They're not perfect but I bet there's about 28 teams that would trade their "D" for ours.
     
  21. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    I honestly think the only way we beat New England is by creating turnovers.

    The "bend but don't break" strategy is fine, so long as players can make the first tackle, and stop short passes turning into long plays. So far this season, we've not been great at that, at least not consistently. The Pats have too many players who can turn a 3 yard reception into a 15 yard one if they're not pummelled immediately.

    The optimistic part of me says this is a case of certain players just stepping it up a notch or two - we've had a lot of chances this season where players were only a yard or two (or, in the case of Troy, inches) away from making an interception.

    :swordsman:
    (^^I have no idea what this means, but I like it)
     
  22. Ray D

    Ray D Staff Member Mod Team

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    Rallying the troops.

    Think "Braveheart."

    "They may take our lives, but they'll never take... our FREEDOM!!!!!"
     
  23. Thigpen82

    Thigpen82 Bitter optimist

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    Awesome!

    Perhaps "They may take out lives, but we'll never take.... the ball away from them!" is more appropriate here.

    :hello:

    Loving your sig, as well, btw.
     
  24. defva

    defva Well-Known Member

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    We finally started stopping the run so that helped out,but once we play the pats and ravens we will be back in the middle of the pack again.
     
  25. Busman

    Busman

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    You said "even" as though MJD was not #4 in rushing

    Bman
     

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