Steelers 3rd Down Defense

[GBMelBlount]

Our defense has been completely thrashed on 3rd downs today.

Is this because they are not playing 3rd downs tough enough or has Rivers really just been that good on 3rd down.

Either way, with our offense playing so terrible our defense has been on the field the entire game and must be exhausted.

As a side note, when I see Tomlin talking and smiling on the sideline while his team is being embarrassed, admittedly I lose respect for him.

Perhaps he is simply satisfied with where he is at in his career.

(I am not a Tomlin hater it is just that I would be pissed to the ends of the earth if my team was getting abused)

[st33lersguy]

"Uhhh, you mean we are actually supposed to cover on 3rd down?"
-Average Steelers defensive back

[Godfather]

I'm more concerned about how big a hole Ike left. He's not getting any younger and we're going to have to be learn to get off the field on 3rd down without him.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Terrible coverage and no pressure on the QB. How do we only get 1 sack (and that wasn't really a sack) against that OL?????

[Count Steeler]

The only explanation for our woeful display of football is lack of preparation.

ALL the coaches take a bow this week. Thank you for presenting such a piece of shit product. We are in a playoff run! INEXCUSABLE!

A loss is one thing, lack of effort and preparedness is NOT acceptable.

[steelreserve]

Curtis Brown could not cover #84, and it cost us first downs over and over. Why was he still out there instead of Cortez Allen? Or at least why didn't they give him more help after it became obvious he was in over his head? That did not take a rocket scientist to figure out.

[Count Steeler]

Curtis Brown could not cover #84, and it cost us first downs over and over. Why was he still out there instead of Cortez Allen? Or at least why didn't they give him more help after it became obvious he was in over his head? That did not take a rocket scientist to figure out.

Think they said it was about 5 conversions with basically the same play. LeBeau was drinking the same kool aid as Tomlin.

[I-Want-Troy's-Hair]

What 3rd down defense.

[SteelerFanInStl]

If we couldn't cover the lousy SD receivers today, how can we possibly expect to cover the much better Dallas receivers next week?

[Count Steeler]

If we couldn't cover the lousy SD receivers today, how can we possibly expect to cover the much better Dallas receivers next week?

Because they will actually practice this week. I don't know what it is with this team. The inconsistency has to lay at Tomlin's feet. He has to do something to get this team prepared, week in and week out. Whether it is the Jaguars or the Ravens, we should be playing STEELERS! football. How ever you want to classify today's game, it comes under the broad heading of SHITTY!

[st33lersguy]

It would have helped if senile Dick LeBeau would have done something other than rush 3-4 guys every 3rd down.
Phil Simms every 10 minutes "The patchwork OL has stood up real well". That's because the Steelers rushed only 3-4 guys every play. The steelers easily stopped San Diego when they blitzed Rivers and put pressure on him

[Psycho Ward 86]

That chargers o-line was bad enough as it is. But today they had 3 freakin backups starting at LT, RT, and LG. And even the starting center Hardwick couldnt play part of the game. Just embarassing. Where were the sacks and pressures? And i dont know why im the only one who ever talks about it, but where the hell are the turnovers. this defense is a paper tiger at times because it cant generate turnovers at all. Looks just like last year's defense to me.

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and how the hell did josh victorian end up on their best receiver, danario alexander?

[stillers4me]

It would have helped if senile Dick LeBeau would have done something other than rush 3-4 guys every 3rd down.
Phil Simms every 10 minutes "The patchwork OL has stood up real well". That's because the Steelers rushed only 3-4 guys every play. The steelers easily stopped San Diego when they blitzed Rivers and put pressure on him


He wasn't "senile" last week, was he? I get sick of people disrespecting this man.

[Count Steeler]

That chargers o-line was bad enough as it is. But today they had 3 freakin backups starting at LT, RT, and LG. And even the starting center Hardwick couldnt play part of the game. Just embarassing. Where were the sacks and pressures? And i dont know why im the only one who ever talks about it, but where the hell are the turnovers. this defense is a paper tiger at times because it cant generate turnovers at all. Looks just like last year's defense to me.

The thing is, they aren't even in the position to make an INT. I mean, the Chargers completed 5 3rd down plays with the same pass. Why was there no attempt to break one of them up or intercept it? It was always to the same receiver and a down and out and 1-2 yards beyond the first down line. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me. Burn me 5 times, WTF are the coaches doing?

[st33lersguy]

That chargers o-line was bad enough as it is. But today they had 3 freakin backups starting at LT, RT, and LG. And even the starting center Hardwick couldnt play part of the game. Just embarassing. Where were the sacks and pressures? And i dont know why im the only one who ever talks about it, but where the hell are the turnovers. this defense is a paper tiger at times because it cant generate turnovers at all. Looks just like last year's defense to me.

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and how the hell did josh victorian end up on their best receiver, danario alexander?


I think you are asking too much out of this turnover-intolerant defense to force a turnover a week after it forced 2 turnovers.
In all serious I totally agree with you, this defense needs to force more turnovers. I would have thought that after last week's game-changing fumble, they would have been so eager to force more turnovers, but that turned out to be just an aberration.

[BlastFurnace]

This defense is extremely overrated as is Dick LeBeau. A 17 play, 9 minute drive basically told us all we need to know about this bunch.

Not to mention, San Diego had 3 new starters on the O'line. No pressure whatsoever.

Over and over again...3rd and 5 or fewer and the Steelers CB's are playing 10 yards off the Line of Scrimmage. All Rivers had to do was have his receiver run a yard or two and throw a simple out pattern. But Dick is to nieve to understand that.

Please Dick LeBeau...retire or go to Arizona or Indianapolis.

[st33lersguy]

3rd and 13 and they allow Ronnie flippin Brown to go up th emiddle with ease and convert a 1st down. No semi-competent defense gives up a first down on a 3rd and 13 run up the middle, not even against Adrian Peterson

[FAB802]

That drive to start the second half was the end of this game. They got their first three points because Troy and Harrison can't stay onside, the offensive game plan looked like Arians was still there. They keep getting bailed out because every other team in the hunt chokes too. At some point someone important on this team has to become the leader. Who that is I couldn't tell you, but something is missing with this group.

[BlastFurnace]

He wasn't "senile" last week, was he? I get sick of people disrespecting this man.

Been saying it all year long. Been saying it for a couple of years now. How many end of half or 4th qtr leads do you have to watch to realize that this man's defense is done. They cannot shut anyone down when it matters most, generate no pass rush, and force no turnovers and haven't for quite some time. He may have a game or two, but his body of work is horrible this year. Oakland, Tennessee, and San Diego ripped this defense apart.

If he retires, the Steelers may actually improve on defense. I don't care about #1 rankings when Carson Palmer, Phillip Rivers, and Hasselbeck all tear this defense up. It's time for a change on defense. LeBeau is finished.

[steelreserve]

and how the hell did josh victorian end up on their best receiver, danario alexander?

Probably because Curtis Brown couldn't cover him all day and they finally got tired of it. Not the adjustment I would've made. I would've tried to cover with someone who was ... you know ... GOOD.

[Edman]

If we couldn't cover the lousy SD receivers today, how can we possibly expect to cover the much better Dallas receivers next week?

Because they will. Then they'll make the Cleveland Receivers look fantastic. It's just how this team is.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Because they will. Then they'll make the Cleveland Receivers look fantastic. It's just how this team is.

I have my doubts. Who's going to cover Witten? How about Bryant? Austin? Not sure if we even have someone to cover Ogletree the way that we're playing. Romo sucks WHEN HE GETS PRESSURED. We're not putting pressure on anyone.

[BlastFurnace]

I have my doubts. Who's going to cover Witten? How about Bryant? Austin? Not sure if we even have someone to cover Ogletree the way that we're playing. Romo sucks WHEN HE GETS PRESSURED. We're not putting pressure on anyone.

Witten will tear this defense up. He's Romo's security blanket, but he's extremely good. With the problems the Steelers have covering the TE and the middle of the field, Witten will have a field day.

[steelreserve]

If I was coaching the Cowboys, I'd come out 4 wide every play and throw at the nickel back ALL DAY until he proved he could stop me. Because ours weren't stopping FUCK today.

[86WARD]

Playing 10 yards off on a 3rd & 4...first problem...

[GBMelBlount]

That drive to start the second half was the end of this game. They got their first three points because Troy and Harrison can't stay onside, the offensive game plan looked like Arians was still there. They keep getting bailed out because every other team in the hunt chokes too.

At some point someone important on this team has to become the leader. Who that is I couldn't tell you, but something is missing with this group.

Tomlin...

[Carl1970]

Playing 10 yards off on a 3rd & 4...first problem...

Couldn't agree more with you.
The CUSHION has to go!
If your DB's cant play pressure D or bump and run D, then get rid of them and get some who can.
Same is true for the D line/LB's. Pressure is key to everything on defense. Look what the G-men did to the Cheaters in the Super Bowl. Pressure in Marsha Brady's face all day.

[Butch]

This D did pretty good early on when they had to stop san diego at point blank range, problem is the offense kept going 3 and out deep in their own territory. Sooner or later something on the D has to give and when it does it gets ugly. Yes they are old the offense needs to do more early on to help this team out otherwise we will be on the outside looking in on the playoffs.

[GBMelBlount]

This D did pretty good early on when they had to stop san diego at point blank range, problem is the offense kept going 3 and out deep in their own territory. Sooner or later something on the D has to give and when it does it gets ugly. Yes they are old the offense needs to do more early on to help this team out otherwise we will be on the outside looking in on the playoffs.

Our defense HAD to be exhausted....and our offense arguably only started playing well BECAUSE San Diego went into prevent knowing they had essentially won the game.

[Edman]

The worst thing about Steelers losses isn't the loss itself, it's the ridiculous hyperbole that comes from it.

[86WARD]

What ever happened to the Steelers 3rd down efficiency on offense...has that gone by the way side as well?

[Count Steeler]

What ever happened to the Steelers 3rd down efficiency on offense...has that gone by the way side as well?

Let's see how Ben performs next week. I would expect a fall off on this stat. What they should be working on is making sure that 3rd downs are more manageable. A running game would help here, but yesterday, we did not have a running game either.