Fixing the Gronk problem

[DesertSteel]

Let’s face it. If the Gronk problem is not fixed the Steelers are getting out of Foxboro alive.

What do you change to fix it?

[SteelerFanInStl]

How about putting TJ on him? He's not exactly fast and gets most of his catches because he's simply bigger than the guy covering him.

[DesertSteel]

How about putting TJ on him? He's not exactly fast and gets most of his catches because he's simply bigger than the guy covering him.
I'm surprised they didn't try that tonight. For some reason they always think that doing the same thing that's always failed will suddenly work. I hope they try this.

[fansince'76]

I'm surprised they didn't try that tonight. For some reason they always think that doing the same thing that's always failed will suddenly work. I hope they try this.

Hey, for once Butler didn't stick exclusively with the patented LeBeau "tackle the catch" garbage that usually finds us losing by 3 TDs to them.

Baby steps.

[43Hitman]

Hey, for once Butler didn't stick exclusively with the patented LeBeau "tackle the catch" garbage that usually finds us losing by 3 TDs to them.

Baby steps.
Yep. We were in man coverage about 90% of the time tonight. I think having Haden back will definitely help, that would allow us to use Sutton more with Gronk. Davis needed help but we didn't really have anyone to do it. Mitchell was very quiet tonight and I saw a few instances where he was completely out of position.

[Shoes]

Hey, for once Butler didn't stick exclusively with the patented LeBeau "tackle the catch" garbage that usually finds us losing by 3 TDs to them.

Baby steps.

Agreed!

[RunNGun]

How about putting TJ on him? He's not exactly fast and gets most of his catches because he's simply bigger than the guy covering him.

I was thinking the same thing tonight. Davis obviously wasn't working. Maybe they throw Watt at him if there's a rematch. Watt's athleticism and physicality matches up well against Gronk.

[steelreserve]

Did you see how he had that big brace on his arm? Remember how our best offensive players just coincidentally happen to get injured early in the first half of the Patriots game every year? Maybe with some pretty serious quotes around "coincidentally?" Just sayin' ...

[pepsyman1]

Yep. We were in man coverage about 90% of the time tonight. I think having Haden back will definitely help, that would allow us to use Sutton more with Gronk. Davis needed help but we didn't really have anyone to do it. Mitchell was very quiet tonight and I saw a few instances where he was completely out of position.

I'm so ready to see Mitchell replaced by someone capable of making something happen at that position. Never seems to be around the ball, takes some absolutely HORRID angles to the ball carrier and is another one too lazy to wrap up when he attempts to tackle.

[steelcityboyz]

Gronk is Gronk probably one of the greatest TEs to play the game. I don't know the answer to stopping him. Even some of the best safeties have struggled to cover him. And if you can't get to Marcia in time to rattle him we all saw the results last night.

[86WARD]

They don’t have an answer for Gronk and never have. Even with Shazier here, they wouldn’t have stopped him. However, he was the least of their worries...they had the game won, not stopping Gronk and without AB...they had it won...or at the very least, a chip shot chance to tie it and they blew it.

[Steelermania]

Hey, for once Butler didn't stick exclusively with the patented LeBeau "tackle the catch" garbage that usually finds us losing by 3 TDs to them.

Baby steps.

Did you see Lebeau's defense in action last night against the 49ers? Just awful.

[teegre]

There were several plays where the Steelers defender (mostly Davis) had perfect coverage on Gronk, but Gronk still made thecatch... because, he is simply insanely good.

Sometimes you simply cannot stop a player (just ask anyone who has had to cover AB).

[tube517]

Nobody has stopped Gronk except his injuries.

[teegre]

Nobody has stopped Gronk except his injuries.

Exactly

Speaking of which, what are the odds that the Bills exact revenge on Gronk for the Tre White hit???

[fansince'76]

Did you see how he had that big brace on his arm? Remember how our best offensive players just coincidentally happen to get injured early in the first half of the Patriots game every year? Maybe with some pretty serious quotes around "coincidentally?" Just sayin' ...

Yep, I've noticed that "coincidence" myself. And it's been happening for years, actually - going all the way back to Duce Staley getting sucker-punched in the back of the leg while at the bottom of the pile (http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2004/11/23/Steelers-Notebook-Punch-was-source-of-Staley-s-problems/stories/200411230149).

It's also why I never cheer injuries, EXCEPT for when they happen to that team...

[SteelerFanInStl]

Hey, for once Butler didn't stick exclusively with the patented LeBeau "tackle the catch" garbage that usually finds us losing by 3 TDs to them.

Baby steps.

There was some zone on that last drive that left Gronk wide open for two big plays.

[fansince'76]

There was some zone on that last drive that left Gronk wide open for two big plays.

Yep. Funny how they got a big play EVERY TIME Butler couldn't help himself and fell back to the old "tackle the catch!" habit, isn't it? Same deal on the long reception by Cooks in the first quarter.

[Born2Steel]

You guys are squeaking the wheel instead of greasing it. IF, big IF, AB doesn't go out of this game, we win this one 40 -10 or somewhere in that ball park.

[stillers4me]

I dont think anyone has an answer to Gronk. Except breaking his freaking neck.



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[DesertSteel]

I dont think anyone has an answer to Gronk. Except breaking his freaking neck.



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He is injury prone. There's three games and lots of practices for something unfortunate to happen. Usually his back.

[Rotorhead]

I think our gameplan last night was fine, we are not going to stop Gronk, and honestly he didnt kill us, we killed ourselves by running the ball 2x in a row on 1 and 20 with 4m left. Once we didnt get the first I knew the Pats were going to score on the next drive. Honestly, it was better they scored so fast, we had enough time to drive right back down the field and put us in a position to win. I think we need TJ to jam Gronk at the LOS then either rush or do whatever, pass him off to Davis. That gives us the best chance against him, with someone that won't get pushed over by Gronk.

[DesertSteel]

To be clear, you can't fix what has already happened. My question is WHAT DO WE DO DIFFERENT IF WE MEET IN THE PLAYOFFS?

[Fire Goodell]

I think our gameplan last night was fine, we are not going to stop Gronk, and honestly he didnt kill us, we killed ourselves by running the ball 2x in a row on 1 and 20 with 4m left. Once we didnt get the first I knew the Pats were going to score on the next drive. Honestly, it was better they scored so fast, we had enough time to drive right back down the field and put us in a position to win. I think we need TJ to jam Gronk at the LOS then either rush or do whatever, pass him off to Davis. That gives us the best chance against him, with someone that won't get pushed over by Gronk.

That really pissed me off. 2nd and 23 and you give it to Fitzgerald Toussaint? Seriously? Way too conservative especially when you have Tom Brady quarterbacking the other team.

[steelreserve]

Yep, I've noticed that "coincidence" myself. And it's been happening for years, actually - going all the way back to Duce Staley getting sucker-punched in the back of the leg while at the bottom of the pile (http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2004/11/23/Steelers-Notebook-Punch-was-source-of-Staley-s-problems/stories/200411230149).

It's also why I never cheer injuries, EXCEPT for when they happen to that team...

It's kind of like a few years ago during the Deflategate cheating, when someone did a mathematical breakdown of all the fumbles in the league over the last decade and found that the Patriots were such statistical outliers that the odds of it happening naturally were like one in a billion.

I'd bet that if they did the same analysis of opponents' injuries correlated with the player's performance, the results would be similar.

Every game - so-and-so has been fighting through a nagging injury the last few games? Here come the Patriots ... out for the game in the first half.

[StillCurtains]

This is why I was saying they need to give Brian Allen a shot at him. He has a bigger and more physical frame. He's 6'3 with 4.4 speed and great atheletic abilty. They can also use different looks with having TJ hitting him at the line and releasing him to Allen.

This with the fact of Haden getting back in the mix gives Tomlin something to cook up. Tomlin made the right call by holding out Haden in this game. This is not only a plus for Haden's health long term, but now Belichick doesn't have on film how they would plan to utilize Haden against them had he played.

Adding in a wrinkle like Allen can play huge dividends and it's also a plus that Sutton has gotten his feet wet. Haden stated leading up to this game that if he and the team feel comfortable for him to play he would, but also said if not, they have other games to play. If you translate that it means; We have a much more IMPORTANT game to play and that's being at full health to knock them out the playoffs.

New England won the battle but not the war. We made them bleed, and now it's time to knock them out. Haden isn't here for no reason. Now we're about to find out the real reason he is here.

[86WARD]

If I remember and viewed correctly, Hilton did half decent on Gronk.

[DesertSteel]

The good ideas I'm hearing are TJ Watt and Brian Allen...............

[Rotorhead]

Surprisingly (based on size difference) he did do well, Hilton was one of our best off season adds for sure, that dude is a baller.