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View Full Version : Time to start DeCastro!



zulater
12-10-2012, 10:41 AM
Willie Colon is out for the year. DeCastro was deemed healthy enough to dress yesterday. So why does the plan seem to be to start Pouncey at guard and Legurskey at center. Essentially weakening yourself at two positions. So you drafted this kid number one, he's been medically cleared. Why aren't you playing him? :noidea:

43Hitman
12-10-2012, 10:43 AM
He may not be ready for live action? Not really sure Zu.

zulater
12-10-2012, 10:44 AM
He may not be ready for live action? Not really sure Zu.

He was in uniform yesterday, not on the inactive list. So if he can wear the uniform he should be able to play.

Bluecoat96
12-10-2012, 10:45 AM
DeCastro's reps in preseason were all at right guard as well, so I'd imagine it would take a bit to get him acclimated to LG....although could they move Foster to LG and have DeCastro in at RG?

zulater
12-10-2012, 10:50 AM
DeCastro's reps in preseason were all at right guard as well, so I'd imagine it would take a bit to get him acclimated to LG....although could they move Foster to LG and have DeCastro in at RG?

Foster has experience at left guard. Move him then. That works for me.

HollywoodSteel
12-10-2012, 11:03 AM
The Pouncey/Legursky combo worked in the last game, and it was being hailed as a very smart move by everyone. Tomlin would have been foolish to try something else when Colon went out during the game. Now, as far as next week goes I'm sure all options are on the table.

steelreserve
12-10-2012, 12:17 PM
Probably because DeCastro hasn't played all year. Let's not forget, he wasn't exactly a world-beater in his first action at the start of the preseason, and if he came in cold now after not playing for 4 months, as likely as not it'd be the same.

zulater
12-10-2012, 12:25 PM
Probably because DeCastro hasn't played all year. Let's not forget, he wasn't exactly a world-beater in his first action at the start of the preseason, and if he came in cold now after not playing for 4 months, as likely as not it'd be the same.

If he has the upside they thought he had when they drafted him and he's healthy how long should it take to get his game up to Legurskey's level? They're starting Kevin Beachum for cripes sake! Yeah I realize that was a move brought on by attrition, but regardless, we're talking our number one draft pick. A guy that supposedly should have been drafted much higher. So if he's all that now that circumstances are what they are, you should play him.

steelreserve
12-10-2012, 12:31 PM
If he has the upside they thought he had when they drafted him and he's healthy how long should it take to get his game up to Legurskey's level? They're starting Kevin Beachum for cripes sake! Yeah I realize that was a move brought on by attrition, but regardless, we're talking our number one draft pick. A guy that supposedly should have been drafted much higher. So if he's all that now that circumstances are what they are, you should play him.

Fair enough. On the other hand, the Legursky/Pouncey thing worked pretty well against Baltimore. Not so sure about yesterday, but then again nothing worked yesterday.

Dwinsgames
12-10-2012, 12:46 PM
I do not know , I am not at practice , I can not see him perform nor have I seen him post injury perform at all ...

here is what I do know ...

Lego is a very good C ... not much drop in performance when he enters the game so putting him in to play is not a big deal as long as it is at C ....

if Lego was being used at guard then I may wonder long and hard on this ...

DeCastro was seen as a RT not a LT by the Steelers and they said as much when he was drafted ....

so knowing the level of success you have in Lego at C , the level of success Pouncey has at LG last week there is not reason to change that formula to go with another unknown by moving Foster out of his comfort zone and installing DeCastro ... I get it ...I understand the logic ... why change 2 players on a unit with unknown results when you can change the 2 with known past results ...

at this point however seeing you got no push from that line VS the Chargers who where down to 4 linemen and had nothing to install to give them a breather and you still could not get decent movement is concerning ...

I do not think Foster is as good on the left side of the line and they probably see that too , with Decastro being called a RT I have serous doubts he would be good on the left side either thus your back at square 1 and potentially weakening 2 spots yet again .... there just might not be a right answer with this group

Colon has proven to me to not be worth his cap hit and next year he should IMO be off the roster by whatever means necessary .... his body just does not hold up in this League ( Troy same thing ) both should be done in B&G ....

86WARD
12-10-2012, 12:49 PM
Pouncey wasn't anything spectacular at center yesterday...but then again, nothing was.

86WARD
12-10-2012, 12:50 PM
Well...except the Chargers rag tag O-Line

zulater
12-10-2012, 12:57 PM
Pouncey wasn't anything spectacular at center yesterday...but then again, nothing was.

The last two weeks he's practiced primarily at left guard. Colon's starting was a game time decision, one that probably wasn't totally expected. I don't know, but possibly that took away from his focus as a center? One thing I noticed yesterday that hadn't happened much recently with Pouncey was that I thought he did a bad job making line calls against the Chargers. On several plays I saw Chargers coming up the middle unnacounted for with a Steeler interior lineman not engaged with anyone or doubled up on someone already accounted for.

Again I think this failure was as much to do with poor preperation for the specific opponent as it was by poor execution by any one player.

Except curtis Brown. He really blew chunks!

Count Steeler
12-10-2012, 01:02 PM
Except curtis Brown. He really blew chunks!

To a point, yes. But how does LeBeau not make an adjustment? OK, they run the same play once or twice, oh well. But they ran that play all game long, converted at least 5 third downs, that is beyond just blaming 1 player. Besides, he was probably just following his assignment. But, how could you not, as a pro athlete, see the same play over and over and not say to yourself, "OK Phylis, this one is mine" and take him to the house?

zulater
12-10-2012, 01:09 PM
To a point, yes. But how does LeBeau not make an adjustment? OK, they run the same play once or twice, oh well. But they ran that play all game long, converted at least 5 third downs, that is beyond just blaming 1 player. Besides, he was probably just following his assignment. But, how could you not, as a pro athlete, see the same play over and over and not say to yourself, "OK Phylis, this one is mine" and take him to the house?

Fair point. LeBeau certainly had a bad game plan yesterday and as you said never made the right adjustments.

FAB802
12-10-2012, 01:28 PM
They should have left the unit as it was in the Ravens game going into Sunday. They got the job done so there was no reason to tinker with it. That is one unit that has to develop continuity, if DeCastro were one of the top five he'd be playing. They proved this week they'll fix what isn't broken.

zulater
12-10-2012, 01:30 PM
They should have left the unit as it was in the Ravens game going into Sunday. They got the job done so there was no reason to tinker with it. That is one unit that has to develop continuity, if DeCastro were one of the top five he'd be playing. They proved this week they'll fix what isn't broken.

If a healthy DeCastro isn't one of the top five, perhaps we wasted a draft pick?

FAB802
12-10-2012, 01:33 PM
You can't say that after he was injured before the season started. I don't get why everyone thinks a draft pick is going to just come in and be solid from day one regardless of where he was drafted. Dominating college kids is a different animal from blocking the likes of Ngata or even Hampton. I'd rather they be sure he's ready than get my 100 million dollar QB killed finding out he isn't.

Count Steeler
12-10-2012, 01:35 PM
They should have left the unit as it was in the Ravens game going into Sunday. They got the job done so there was no reason to tinker with it. That is one unit that has to develop continuity, if DeCastro were one of the top five he'd be playing. They proved this week they'll fix what isn't broken.

Well, the Raven's game was a stop gap because of the injury to Colon. A line with Pouncey at Center and Colon at LG with Foster at RG has been our best interior line up of the year. We did achieve 3 100 yard rushing games (hard to believe, eh?) earlier this year. And this trio is better than Pouncey, Lego, Foster when everyone is healthy.

What worries me is that we may have to use up another couple of draft picks for the O Line next year. The injury to Adams has slowed his progress. We know about DeCastro. Colon is down again. Gilbert is down and lost a lot of reps in his progress. Not sure who will step up to replace Papa Starks, but that day will soon be upon us.

zulater
12-10-2012, 01:40 PM
You can't say that after he was injured before the season started. I don't get why everyone thinks a draft pick is going to just come in and be solid from day one regardless of where he was drafted. Dominating college kids is a different animal from blocking the likes of Ngata or even Hampton. I'd rather they be sure he's ready than get my 100 million dollar QB killed finding out he isn't.

Legurskey is a capable reserve, but when he's a known starter and teams have a week to prepare for him he's below average. Do you think if Legurskey was a free agent any decent team would offer him a chance at a starters spot? He's at best Justin Hartwig redux.Which isn't good enough.

DeCastro on the other hand had won the starting spot in preseason, if only he had stayed healthy. To me, if the steelers in fact drafted right and David is healthy, he is without question one of your best 5 available linemen.

FAB802
12-10-2012, 01:49 PM
I get it, but to have Pouncey practice at guard all week and then spring center on him at the last minute was a bad decision. He was awful out there especially on the long snaps. He's a professional, but there's something to be said for having some kind of comfort level with where you're playing. As a side note, when the defense is ranked in the bottom seven in pass defense why even waste so many first downs running the ball up the gut. It reeked of Arians and his we will make them adjust garbage.

zulater
12-11-2012, 12:16 PM
http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/12/steelers-injury-report-adams-cornerbacks-allen-lewis-dealing-with-hip-flexors/

It looks as if DeCastro will start at right guard and Ramon Foster at left guard.

zulater
12-11-2012, 12:22 PM
https://twitter.com/arobinson_Trib

Tomlin: David DeCastro healthy enough to play if "we like what we see" in practice. That permits Pouncey to stay at center.

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With Colon out, Tomlin indicated it is possible that rookie No. 1 David DeCastro could play at right guard and Ramon Foster would switch to left guard against the Cowboys. The reason, Tomlin said, is because he might prefer to leave Maurkice Pouncey at center against Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff.
"We believe that his health is at level where, if we like what we see, he might have the opportunity to play," Tomlin said of DeCastro, who has dressed each of the past two games and played only on field-goal and extra-point units.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/tomlin-outlines-more-injuries-to-steelers-665884/#ixzz2ElmcNlnc

Psycho Ward 86
12-11-2012, 01:24 PM
cautiously excited about decastro possibly playing. Good to hear it looks like troy is going to be fine and we get woodley back!

of course it wouldnt be a steelers injury report without bad news. If allen is limited in action against the cowboys like the article suggests, its going to be a loooong sunday

zulater
12-11-2012, 01:29 PM
cautiously excited about decastro possibly playing. Good to hear it looks like troy is going to be fine and we get woodley back!

of course it wouldnt be a steelers injury report without bad news. If allen is limited in action against the cowboys like the article suggests, its going to be a loooong sunday

Not neccessarily. It's up to Tomlin and LeBeau to devise a defensive game plan that will limit the exposure of their weaknesses. I honestly think they made a vanity error last week in not acknowledging that you can't play the game the same without Ike Taylor.

Tomlin basically alluded to this in his press conference.


Tomlin said the Steelers might have to simplify their defense to make sure his inexperienced cornerbacks don't struggle as they did against the Chargers, who converted 12 of 22 third downs.
"It's not about what we call; it's about what they can execute,"


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/tomlin-outlines-more-injuries-to-steelers-665884/#ixzz2Em0bTvBM

Dwinsgames
12-11-2012, 01:33 PM
Not neccessarily. It's up to Tomlin and LeBeau to devise a defensive game plan that will limit the exposure of their weaknesses. I honestly think they made a vanity error last week in not acknowledging that you can't play the game the same without Ike Taylor.

Tomlin basically alluded to this in his press conference.




Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/tomlin-outlines-more-injuries-to-steelers-665884/#ixzz2Em0bTvBM


if I am honest this scares the hell out of me .... how do you simplify a system that is based on complexity in order to keep you're opponent guessing and still be successful ?

its mumbo-jumbo smoke -n- mirrors coach speak

zulater
12-11-2012, 01:40 PM
if I am honest this scares the hell out of me .... how do you simplify a system that is based on complexity in order to keep you're opponent guessing and still be successful ?

its mumbo-jumbo smoke -n- mirrors coach speak

It's called K.I.S.S. aka keep it simple stupid.

It's something the Patriots and other teams have done to account for injuries over the years successfully. Sometimes these coaches start thinking their farts don't stink. Football's still essentuially a game of running, throwing and tackling. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel sometimes your better off going with the original version or something close to it.

I honestly think LeBeau will come up with something diverse but uncomplicated that will put the available players in favorable situations more often than not this week.

I'm not telling you he'll pitch a shut out, but they'll hold up their end of the bargain and if the offense comes through I expect the Steelers to come out of big D with a win.

Dwinsgames
12-11-2012, 01:43 PM
It's called K.I.S.S. aka keep it simple stupid.

It's something the Patriots and other teams have done to account for injuries over the years successfully. Sometimes these coaches start thinking their farts don't stink. Football's still essentuially a game of running, throwing and tackling. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel sometimes your better off going with the original version or something close to it.

I honestly think LeBeau will come up with something diverse but uncomplicated that will put the available players in favorable situations more often than not this week.

I'm not telling you he'll pitch a shut out, but they'll hold up their end of the bargain and if the offense comes through I expect the Steelers to come out of big D with a win.

lets hope you are right ... but not gonna hold my breath as I fear we could get embarrassed again this week

Psycho Ward 86
12-11-2012, 01:50 PM
if I am honest this scares the hell out of me .... how do you simplify a system that is based on complexity in order to keep you're opponent guessing and still be successful ?

its mumbo-jumbo smoke -n- mirrors coach speak

not sure if theres a ton of reason to be worried. Sometimes keeping it simple is a good thing. After Mike Nolan got fired as head coach for the 49ers and singletary took over, he simplified the defense so that his younger players could play without thinking so much and the defense drastically improved. And ive heard it carried over with harbaugh and fangio running the defense.