Time is up on the 3-4 defense?

It may be time going forward for Coach T to seriously think
about switching defensive philosophy. I am tired of no pressure on the opposing teams Qb's
and I am not so sure counting on LB's is the way to get presuure on the QB.
We need big DL that can rush the passer. Thoughts?

 

Remember what Kevin Greene said earlier this year. LeBeau's defense hasn't changed and he could step right in and know the scheme.

No doubt in my mind that the rest of the NFL knows what he's doing and knows exactly how to attack it.

Beating the Steelers' D is so easy that Painter, McCoy, and Palko all drove on them late in games, and Tebow scorched them.

 

We've got nothing to answer the long ball with two bad corners and an aging back line. In a league where we're now up to our necks in QBs with effective long balls and lines that protect them, we need to figure it out or we're going to keep struggling.

 

one of the best statements I have read in a long time. I have been preaching this for 4 years now.

2 straight years in the playoffs our pass defense has cost us a game.

the time for the 4-3 is now

 

isn't Mike Tomlin a defensive genius? I say give him the job since he doesn't do anything anyway.

 

Mike Tomlin actually prefers a 4-3 but since he kept Lebeau when he took over as head coach he let Lebeau keep that system in place. I think when Dick is gone the next guy to come in will be a 4-3 guy.

 

I've been saying this for a couple years now. We just can't get at the QB anymore, and I don't think it's the players.

 

Ah yeah lets change. Going into the Broncos game we were the #1 D in the NFL.We got beat trying to stuff the run on a 1st and 10 from their 20.They ran the ball 24 out of 24 times on first down during the game.Lebeau had all hands on deck to stop the run(which I also would have done) they ran a skinny post and burned us.

Yeah I think we should realign our whole D next year because of one play.

 

Time will be up on LeBeau's version of the 3-4 when we start slipping down into the high teens for scoring allowed, kind of like where our offense has been in recent memory.

Our sacks and turnovers were low this year, but one can easily attribute that to injuries that took out key personnel on our defensive front-7. With our young CB's gaining more experience and a healthy dose of DL and OLB's, I think next year we'll see a return to form of our defensive "splash" plays and a normal top-5 points allowed ranking.

 

If Im not mistaken LeBeaus D was 1ST In points allowed this year.You have many seasons to wait for a LeBeau lead D to be in the high teens in scoring allowed!!!!!!

 

Exactly my point.

 

I disagree with switching to a 4-3. For one we don't have the personnel. If you use the same people you are not going to get any more pressure then you did with the 3-4.

In the 4-3 you need defensive linemen that can rush the passer. What have Ziggy, Heyward, Keisel, Hampton, McClendon shown that they can effective rush the passer. They all actually suck at it. Did you watch the game? Tittle tack and hand checking with the offensive linemen.

We are one good ILB away from being great again. This is what needs to be done:

1. Someone need to teach our current DL how to rush the passer.
2. Dick Lebeau the genius of the zone blitz needs to dust off the playbook he used when he had Greg Lloyd, Kevin Green, Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown.
3. Hire Bruce SMith ( the old Buffalo Bill to do number one.
4. Hire Greg Lloyd to teach Woodley and Harrison that the bull rush is not the only way to rush the passer.
5. Draft a "thumper" for the ILB position.
6. Any defensive linemen drafted should have some pass rush ability.

 

Sorry GB.....I now see what you are saying....My mistake!

 

It's the same playbook. It's the players and the times that have changed.

 

Hang on a minute the Ravens defence is 3/4, look at how they get pressure on the QB and stacks of takeaways. As much as I hate to admit it the Ravens defence is dam good and a number of times I have felt that I wish our D was that good. Do you think the Ravens would be where they are now because of there O.
Injuries and personel have alot to do with it.
Taking another angle do you think our O would beat our D.
I think Big Bens face would look like this if he had to face our D. :o

 

There were very few games where Harrison and Woodley were playing at full strength. Timmons was a bit disappointing for me this year as well.

The peoblem is in the defensive line. They don't have linemen that make plays other than Keisel. Ziggy Hood has started essentially every game the past three year but you would never know, because he never makes plays. Hampton is only useful if linebackers blitz up the middle. He isnt going to be knocking the Center back into the QB anytime soon.

I saw more base package this yea, and not as much exotic blitzes, perhaps because the fillins for the injured starters werent intelligent enough to know the system.

Last thing, Worlids started most of the season, yet he made no plays. Outside linebackers who cant make plays dont work with Pittsburgh. He is not good and shouldnt be on the team in my opinion.

So, we need to replace Ziggy/Hampton and find better backup pass rushers for next year and the issue is solved.

I would also like to see a brute inside linebacker. Perhaps move Harrison to the inside since he can legally be held on each play and gets flagged for looking at the QB the wrong way, and let him eat up runningbacks. We would then need to find good pass rushers, which there arent many right now on the team. I want pass rushers like Tamba Hali, but they are expensive.

 

All i know is something needs to change with the secondary. Watching that WR from denver run free through our secondary was just like watching Fitzgerald run through us for a TD near the end of superbowl 43. If not for a brilliant drive by our offense, our pass defense almost cost us that win, it pretty much cost us superbowl 45, and it did cost us the wildcard game vs denver. Kind of disturbing how breakdowns on d lead to big scores in big games

 

I agree that there is a need for change or at least the element of surprise. I always say if you don't keep a head you become a behind. Of course you can have a greater element of surprise when everyone thinks you are predictable. 3/4 4/3 or whatever, who cares. Let it look like a 3/4 or a 4/3 but switch when it is not expected and you catch the other team off-guard.

I know everyone will say that you need particular types of guys for one and other types for the other, but if you have a couple of tweener type guys that have some flexibility, you can switch things up. I think we have at least one of those now.

The Broncos set the expectation for a run on first down all through the game and then you saw how we bit on it and got beat by it. Set up expectations and when you know what the other guy is going to do as a result of his expectation, take advantage of it. I think we were out coached in that regard by the Broncos throughout the game. They knew Ike's tendencies, for example, and took advnatage of them. Good coaching.

 

I disagree.

SB43 - Pass defense resulted in the longest play in SB history. Harrison 100 yard pick-6. That was just a good game. Both teams are in the SB for a reason.

SB45 - What cost us this game was turnovers.

Debacle in Denver - This was caused by the entire team not being in sync. I broke this down in either "Our O Allowed Tebow to Win" or "Ben's Game on Sunday" thread.

I think the pass defense is doing just fine. They had a bad game on Sunday. That's all. The sky is not falling. It just feels like it, sometimes.

 

I'm not a propoenent of the 3-4 defense,you get very little pass rush w/o blitzing,but we have made it work for a many of years.We need some younger,healthier,hungrier studs on the D line.We went through most of the seaon with backup players,they did a good job,but they are backups for a reason.........they weren't as good as the staters.Plus we don't have the personnel to run another D.We've drafted players for the for few years for one particular defense,the 3-4.Changing horses in the middle of a race isn't a good move.

:FBAI!:

 

The 3-4 scheme is fine....the players running it...not so much.

 

There is no way that it is the same playbook. I remember when we sent blitzes from our based look and you did not know it was coming.

What happen to sending people from one side and covering with the other. HAVE NOT SEEN IT THIS YEAR.

Where is sending the ILB from the weak side and dropping the NT. HAVE NOT SEEN IT THIS YEAR.

What happen to the double corner blitz from the outside with the outside linebackers dropping into coverage on WRs and the Safeties over the top. HAVE NOT SEEN IT THIS YEAR.

Lebeau use to use so different blitzes by week 14 he would start over to week 1 blitzes and you think they were new. WE have not seen any creativity or innovation this year from our defensive coord. Plus, I believe our secondary is better than it was back then.

 

The problem this year was harrison woodley and worilds all missed time and timmons showed he cant play olb except for covering tes. I dont know if harrisons back was ever right. He was very streaky telling me that some games his back was good and sometimes it wasnt. We were first in sacks last year.

 

Makes sense. The sad part about what you say is that it indicates another two high round draft busts. Throw in Sweed and Bruce Davis and it makes me think that maybe Colbert has lost his touch.