The Defensive Front-7

Hey Everyone.

Some here may recall in a post I put up a few weeks ago that we may need the Defense and/or the Special Teams to “chip-in” with a score while the Offense finds its way.

Sure enough both units delivered spectacular performances in the Bills’ game. The Defense stymied the Bill’s offense for most of the game and the Special Teams came up with that timely punt block for a touchdown.

The way I see it, the Defensive Front-7 is the strongest “Unit” on our team. They set the tone for just about everything. One glaring “Unit” that “NEEDS” them is our Secondary. We saw this in the Raiders’ game. No, Watt, Tuitt, Bush and Alualu (and Tuitt) had devastating consequences. No upfront pressure on Carr led to him having a field day as we all know.

As I have stated time and time again, and history shows this, the Tomlin Regime is absolutely dreadful when it comes to “home-growing” Secondary talent. It is utterly pathetic and disgusting and continues to be a liability with the “new” pieces out there. The only two worth their salt are Fitzpatrick and Haden and we all know that they were not Steelers’ drafts. Losing Steve Nelson was devastating. Maybe Witherspoon can help out with Nelson’s departure. He fits the bill; a Non-Tomlin era draftee.

Bottom Line:

The Defensive Front-7 cannot afford injuries, and honestly, I do not know if the loss of Alualu can be overcome. I hope so. In addition, we need Tuitt back as soon as possible. For right now, The Defensive Front-7 is the main cog of this team. The majority of any real hope of winning, IMO, lies with them.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

No Watt, No Tuitt, No Alualu = Opposing offenses, No Problem.

 

Hey 86WardsWay.

It is starting to look that way. If the Front-7 on Defense cannot apply pressure, then I am not optimistic that the back four can hold their own. If Haden is back that is a plus. I still wish that the Steelers found a way to retain Steve Nelson. Big loss IMO.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Injuries ruin seasons

 

Hey steel machine.

For the most part, injuries are inevitable. However, from where we were at after the Bill's game, and then the start of the Raiders' game, was a dramatic drop-off in Defensive talent. As we all know, we lost Haden, Watt, Alualu and Bush for the Raiders' game and again had no Tuitt. That was the glaring difference between the two games. What Carr did to our Defense was totally unacceptable.

The Back-4 of our Defense was only 1-Strong for that game. That being Fitzpatrick. Now compare it to last season's Back-4: Haden, Fitzpatrick, Nelson and a "decent" Edmunds. That Back-4 could hold their own. Not the version that was out there for the Raiders' game. And in all honesty even if Haden was there but the injuries to the Front-7 were what they were, I am not sure if we could have stopped Carr.

Two things that we need which are obvious: (1) The Front-7 to get back to where they were in the Bills' game. And now, that is a major problem with no Alualu. Who is going to step up and fill his shoes? He is a force, a critical loss to say the least. His position has to be filled and immediately. That is why for years I have been clamoring on this Board for a Casey Hampton-Type Nose Tackle. An "Immovable Force" per se. (2) We also need someone to fill Steve Nelson's shoes. Here is hoping that Witherspoon can. Because, and again, from what I seen in the Raiders' game, the Back-4, minus Fitzpatrick, are all below the line and guess what? They are all Tomlin Regime picks. Enough said (broken record).



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

I actually think a bunch of Us(including Myself) have Been wanting a C. Hampton type NT, but the the way We run the 3-4 now, and with all the sub packages...I don't know it We will actually ever get another.

 

Hey steelersrule6.

Which part has you angry. Oh let me guess. Anything that does not show love for your man Tomlin. Get off of it already. The pattern for you defending him has been seen here time and time again. I, on the other hand, have been objective over the years here on The Board about assessing Coach Tomlin as well as any member of the Steelers' Organization. I have fairly given Coach Tomlin credit when and where it is due as I have equally acknowledged his shortcomings. However, when it comes to you, the words objectively assess do not seem to be in your vocabulary when it comes to fairly evaluating, once again, your man Tomlin.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Hey S.T.D

Yes, I have heard the argument time and time again about how much usage we would get out of a "traditional" Nose Tackle (3-4 Defense); especially one in the prototype of Casey Hampton. I have listed my stance and rationale numerous times here so I will not get into it again. In short, I think it can work. I tell you what. I watched some of the Buccaneers game the other week and their NT, Vita Vea is a monster. He (or someone similar) would be perfect for our system IMO. They run a Base 3-4. If you get a chance, watch some film on this this guy. The game I watched (cannot remember which one) he was basically unstoppable.

Again the name of the game for us is to get pressure on the quarterback on first and second downs and set up those third and longs. Then we have various options on how to proceed. The traditional NT can do this. Alualu is a very strong man. That is why we have been successful with him creating "pressure". He is critical to getting that quarterback pressure as is the entire Front-7. He is going to be difficult to replace. Hopefully, our Coaching Staff will figure this out.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Nothing has me angry, get some new material and repeating the same crap over and over, always going on about getting another Casey Hampton type NT. Tomlin isn't my man, get a clue. In every thread going on and on about drafting in the secondary, Colbert has a say in who gets drafted too .

 

How can any defense suffer those amount of losses and have an acceptable performance? The defense kept the game from becoming a blowout in the early stages.

No back 4 or 5 secondary is holding their own consistently without pressure on the QB.

Casey Hampton was a great run defender/anchor. He was not a great pass rusher. Hampton types of players are from an era when teams in the league probably ran the ball slightly more or were closer to 50/50 run pass balance. I believe in today's NFL most teams pass slightly more. As a result, Hampton type players are not as coveted as they were in the past.

Even when the Steelers had Hampton offenses would simply spread the Steelers front 7 because of their ability to get after the QB. I believe the Bills and Raiders spread the defense at times.

It's difficult for teams to overcome extensive injuries and be expected to deliver the same type of performance.

It could be a long season if the injury trend continues for this team.

 

Alualu filled the NT role superbly. Didn't Vita Vea go in the top 10? Steelers don't have this luxury.

 

My Friend...I'm not arguing with You .
I totally agree.

 

Hey S.T.D

No, no my friend it was just a term (My Quote: "I have heard the argument time and time.....). It was not directed at you in any personal manner. It was along the same context as: "Making the case for". That is is all S.T.D. We are absolutely 100% cool (smile). You and I are on the same page with the get a True Nose Tackle. I have made my point here numerous times here over the years of how such a Casey Hampton prototype NT is not "obsolete" IMO. He could fit into our Defense in sub-packages (A.K.A. "Situational Football") very nicely if used appropriately.

Have you seen Vita Vea from the Buccaneers? He is awesome in a typical 3-4. He is who I want in that NT position. When i watched him the other day it looked as if not even two blockers could handle him. What a freakin' monster.

Take care S.T.D



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Hey BURGH43STEL.

Pull-up a chair and crack a cold one my friend (smile).

Agreed. The Defenses that we fielded when comparing the Bills’ and Raiders’ games were night and day. Yes, you are right in that it is hard to overcome the injuries that we sustained and expect a better result in the Raiders’ game. So, my comment: “What Carr did to our Defense was totally unacceptable.” really was based mostly on frustration due to the injuries.

For me, or anyone else, to expect a similar performance to that from the Bills game is unrealistic given the injuries and the Defense that we fielded in the Raiders’ game. We saw all of this the last five games or so last season and that was just with the losing of two Defensive starters (Bush and Dupree). That alone, was enough for a major drop-off per se. Ugh!

Our guys are dropping off like flies and given that our Offense cannot currently go toe-toe right now with opposing offenses we need the Defense that we brought onto the field for the Bills’ game to stay intact. Even now, that is impossible with the loss of Alualu for the rest of the year. There is no one comparable on this team that can fill his shoes that I know of. The Alualu loss may be enough to derail our Defense more than anyone thinks.

Speaking of Nose Tackles, I have written numerous times about how a Big Stout Nose Tackle, that can take up two blockers, can be effective against a passing oriented team. I understand that Casey was a “run stuffer NT” per se. I also understand that the game has changed since his time here with a bigger emphasis on the passing game since Casey was here.

My point is whether the Nose Tackle that I want can get to the quarterback or not may not be so relevant if such NT can take up two blockers to “free up” other defenders that have to be accounted for when rushing the quarterback. I guess what I am saying Burgh is that it is a mathematical advantage to have such NT take up two players to block him thus “freeing up” one defender that that now has to be accounted for who can rush the quarterback.

I understand what you are saying to counteract that by lining up an extra receiver. Again though from a purely mathematical standpoint it is 11 vs. 11. Right? Now with that stout NT that I want, would mean two of theirs dealing with just one of ours thus freeing up an extra rusher from who knows which direction.

Burgh. What do you think about Vita Vea from Tampa Bay? The man is a monster. I watched him a few weeks back. He was too much for even two players to manage. His prototype and multiple blocker consuming talent is what I am referring too. Any thoughts about him?

Take care.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Hey steelersrule6

Wow. I did not know that you were keeping tabs on all of my posts over the years. Good to know. I will try not to repeat myself to appease you. If you can, will you please list for me all of the topics that I have written about over the years so I will not be so redundant. Or, you could just not read/respond to my posts at all since this is the second time this season you hit me with the "beathorse" emoji. So, something must be upsetting you that I am posting.

Take care.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Front 7 is good, might be better than last year... Secondary is not as good.

 

Hey Roonatic.

I do not think we have chatted in awhile. I hope all is good. Vita Vea went #12. The man is simply a monster. I watched him the other day. He could not be stopped. The man has some awesome brute strength I tell you. I would love to see him in Black and Gold. Two blockers were struggling with him. He is a freakin' wrecking ball. I usually do not get too caught up with other teams' players but I tell you Roonatic when I watched him play the other day he was dismantling the opposing teams' blockers.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Hey Da Stellars.

Yes, I agree. Given the Secondary, I was not happy that Steve Nelson left. We are going to pay for it IMO with the current players on this roster. Haden can handle his own as can Fitzpatrick. However, Edmunds "satisfactory" play could be tolerated IF we had that other cornerback. That was the recipe for success last season.

The horrendous track record of trying to draft, and groom, Secondary Personnel within the Tomlin era is beyond disgusting. As I have stated numerous times, just fill those spots with free agents because this Organization obviously is incapable of doing it. It must be near twenty or so Secondary "busts" during the Tomlin era. Whomever the fingers can be pointed at I do not even care anymore. Just fill the freakin' Secondary with proven players.

The success of our Secondary is so highly dependent right now on the Front-7 creating pressure. Now, we are without Alualu for the rest of the season. Who is going to fill his shoes? I stated this in another post and that is, until the Offense can start carrying its share of the load and scoring points we are going to need the Defense and Special Teams to chip in with big-time plays that lead to scores. The Bills' game was an example of this as that blocked punt/score was exactly what we needed to help win that game. The offense has the "skilled-position" players in place but how quickly can the Offensive Line get it together is the biggest issue as we all know.

I get this feeling that Ben has minimal confidence in this Offensive Line. I can't blame him. They are going to have to up their game faster now than ever. Each game that we could win as they gel is a major plus. The Raiders' game set us back in a sense. Again, this thread circulates around one unit/segment of this team, The Front-7 on Defense. IMO, they are going to be the pillar of stability as well as the catalyst for us at this very moment. This Team, IMO, is heavily dependent on their performances.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

Hey STEELWINDS,

I hope that life has been treating you good. I was happy to wake up today. Nothing wrong with me other than my big head from time to time. Yes, Vita is a beast. I miss the Big Snack myself.

 

The defense just needs to stay healthy to the point where they don't lose key players or have to dip into the 3rd and 4th string players or the FA pool. The defense can overcome the loss of Tyson. The loss of Bush, Haden, Watt, and Tuitt can be overcome for short periods of time. The team had an opportunity to win vs the Raiders. The team didn't execute well enough to win in situational football.

Penalties hurt both sides of the ball. The penalties probably hurt a struggling offense more but also have an impact on the defense. The offense has less room for error. Most of the offensive players are young and it's almost expected that offensive players will have growing pains.

The season is still young and anything can happen. I believe the Steelers have the coaching and enough quality players to have a winning season. Have a winning season and anything can happen come playoff time. We'll see.

 

I'm talking about the Casey Hampton topic for example, the Steelers aren't going back to that type of NT, they had a good one Hargrave and he only played about 40% of the snaps.

 

Vita Vea might actually be an argument against getting that type of NT.

He may have looked unstoppable against the Falcons, but in the Dallas game that TB almost lost, he was a complete non factor.
In his first two seasons, the TB defense ranked in the bottom third of the league.
Last year, when their defense was top-10, he only played in 5 games. (They had more success without him than with him.)

He is is a talented player, drafted 12th. But there is little evidence that getting someone like Vea would improve the pass defense.

 

Hey MeanJoeBlue.

Fair enough my friend. Good read from you.

Admittedly, I did not know who he was when I saw him for the first time in that Falcons' game. And admittedly, again (smile), maybe I just became too quickly enamored with him given such a small work sample that I viewed. However, I tell you MJB, from what I saw in that Falcons' game, he was playing with such intensity and was just "overwhelming" against their offensive line. He just was having his way with them from what I saw. Even the game announcers made similar comments/observations for what that is worth.

Given all of this, we are now down a key cog in that Front-7 with Alualu gone for the year. I just do not see any current player on our roster filling his shoes. He is/was so critical to the success of that Front-7. I am trying to convince myself that when Tuitt gets back things will be better even though they play different positions. "The Defensive Game" that we played against the Bills' was superb. However, we are now without two of the "Front-3" on Defense. Sometimes a team is capable of adjusting with one starter gone but now we have two. This is starting to remind me abit of last year when first we lost Bush and we were seemingly still performing at a high level Defensively. However, when Dupree went next it just became too much for the Defense to play at that pre-injury level when we had both healthy.

Again, looking at the overarching gist of this thread, our Defensive Front-7 is the backbone of our team right now. At least until: (1) The Offense can get on track and (2) We can get a solid replacement for Steve Nelson.



STEELWINDS The East Side Kid

 

On both sides of the ball, games are won or lost up front..... This is one of the absolute truths of football....
Sometimes I want to travel to the team facility and give Tomlin and Colbert shaken baby syndrome