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View Full Version : It's time for the Steelers to turn over -- no, not a new leaf -- but some turnovers



LLT
08-02-2012, 04:54 AM
Thursday, August 02, 2012
post-gazette.com


You don't have to spend even an hour on the verdant hillsides of Saint Vincent's natural amphitheater to realize that the 2012 Steelers will be improved substantially in at least one area, mostly because there's at least one area in which it's virtually impossible for them to be worse.

Recovering fumbles.

It's a somewhat arcane football skill partially related to the inevitably capricious bounces of an inflated prolate spheroid, but somebody should be able to fall on the thing once in a great while, don't you think?

Particularly large athletic people trained in the defensive arts.

But no.

The Steelers recovered four fumbles last year.

All year.

Four.

Secondary coach Carnell Lake once recovered five in a season by himself. Jack Lambert seven. Rod Woodson recovered three in one game as did 14 others throughout NFL history.


Read more: http://old.post-gazette.com/pg/12215/1251081-150-0.stm#ixzz22NhBWjmZ

GBMelBlount
08-02-2012, 06:19 AM
"We looked at that [minus-13 turnover ratio] during the offseason, and in most cases it was just a play here or a play there. When you bring pressure the way we do, you're always hoping the offensive is going to make a mistake where someone will come free and pop the ball loose, but our schemes aren't designed for someone to come scott free. You've got to beat somebody.

One thing that should help us in the turnover department is the natural regression towards the mean.

Teams that have very high or low turnover differentials one year usually have a smaller turnover differential the next.