Not Scheme...

[Mojouw]

... but just a whipping?

Jags ran 30 rushes by RBs. The Steelers had 5 tackles by a DL.

NOT many ways to scheme around getting beat at the LOS.

[Craic]

Move to 4 down lineman or get a true NT.

Move to man and free up your LBs to drive hard into the hole without worrying about a pass going over their heads to a free receiver who's in the zone they just vacated.

Those are two I can come up with at the moment. I'm sure there's more. And, moreover, they did fix that part of the problem at halftime. Jags only got 37 yards of rushing on 14 attempts in the second half (not counting QB scrambles, and there was only 1 in the second half). That is an average of 2.64 yards. No, they stopped getting beat at the LOS and crushed the run game in the second half. So no, I don't buy that it's just the DL. Moreover, our scheme isn't supposed to see the DL getting all the RB tackles. They're supposed to eat up lineman so the LBs can get in and get the tackles. Sure, on pass plays, they're being asked to push up field more now. But that doesn't change the role of the LB on run plays in the 3-4. However, that scheme has also opened us up to getting eaten even worse on playaction. Ever since we've started pushing our DL to get sacks, a derivative has been this team being much worse against the run. That's all scheme.

[Mojouw]

Move to 4 down lineman or get a true NT.

Move to man and free up your LBs to drive hard into the hole without worrying about a pass going over their heads to a free receiver who's in the zone they just vacated.

Those are two I can come up with at the moment. I'm sure there's more. And, moreover, they did fix that part of the problem at halftime. Jags only got 37 yards of rushing on 14 attempts in the second half (not counting QB scrambles, and there was only 1 in the second half). That is an average of 2.64 yards. No, they stopped getting beat at the LOS and crushed the run game in the second half. So no, I don't buy that it's just the DL. Moreover, our scheme isn't supposed to see the DL getting all the RB tackles. They're supposed to eat up lineman so the LBs can get in and get the tackles. Sure, on pass plays, they're being asked to push up field more now. But that doesn't change the role of the LB on run plays in the 3-4. However, that scheme has also opened us up to getting eaten even worse on playaction. Ever since we've started pushing our DL to get sacks, a derivative has been this team being much worse against the run. That's all scheme.

You may be right but off the top of my head I'm not buying it.

The leading tacklers were all DBs and there were almost no plays made behind the line of scrimmage.

I will bow out to explanations by those that know more than me, but for me NO FRONT 7 player besides VW having more than 3 tackles means the Steelers defense got their ass kicked up front.

Like the Dolphins game last year, that's usually not scheme that's just getting flat out beat.

[SteelerFanInStl]

3rd down conversions were all coming via the pass. Wide open TEs and HBs. Soft zone coverage consistently with no pressure on the QB.

[Mojouw]

3rd down conversions were all coming via the pass. Wide open TEs and HBs. Soft zone coverage consistently with no pressure on the QB.

Because the absolutely sold out all 11 to stop the run. The pass rush never laid a finger on Bortles.

The JAGS o line absolutely dominated the game. Just stoned the front 7 on every single play.

How is that anything aside from just having your ass kicked up between your ears?

[SteelerFanInStl]

Because the absolutely sold out all 11 to stop the run. The pass rush never laid a finger on Bortles.

The JAGS o line absolutely dominated the game. Just stoned the front 7 on every single play.

How is that anything aside from just having your ass kicked up between your ears?

Then that's a problem with the scheme and the play calling. Why would they sell out to stop the run on 3rd and 8? Jags players were wide open the whole game.

[Mojouw]

Then that's a problem with the scheme and the play calling. Why would they sell out to stop the run on 3rd and 8? Jags players were wide open the whole game.

Because the pass rush got straight up stopped dead. Stoned. No hits, hurries, pressures, or sacks that I remember.

They got completely dominated up front.

Everything else is just symptomatic of that.

[SteelerFanInStl]

Because the pass rush got straight up stopped dead. Stoned. No hits, hurries, pressures, or sacks that I remember.

They got completely dominated up front.

Everything else is just symptomatic of that.

I agree. No pressure the whole game but you also can't just sit back in a soft zone on every 3rd down. 3rd and 8 and our DBs are sitting back with 10 yard cushions every time.

[pczach]

Because the pass rush got straight up stopped dead. Stoned. No hits, hurries, pressures, or sacks that I remember.

They got completely dominated up front.

Everything else is just symptomatic of that.


Watt got some pressure a few times. I think he hit Bortles a few times as he released the ball. He was held a few times with no calls as well. He and Dupree also dropped in coverage a fair amount. I know Dupree came down the line to make some good stops in the run game from the backside. He got near Bortles a few times, but can't remember if he hit him.

[Iron Steeler]

Move to 4 down lineman or get a true NT.

Move to man and free up your LBs to drive hard into the hole without worrying about a pass going over their heads to a free receiver who's in the zone they just vacated.

Those are two I can come up with at the moment. I'm sure there's more. And, moreover, they did fix that part of the problem at halftime. Jags only got 37 yards of rushing on 14 attempts in the second half (not counting QB scrambles, and there was only 1 in the second half). That is an average of 2.64 yards. No, they stopped getting beat at the LOS and crushed the run game in the second half. So no, I don't buy that it's just the DL. Moreover, our scheme isn't supposed to see the DL getting all the RB tackles. They're supposed to eat up lineman so the LBs can get in and get the tackles. Sure, on pass plays, they're being asked to push up field more now. But that doesn't change the role of the LB on run plays in the 3-4. However, that scheme has also opened us up to getting eaten even worse on playaction. Ever since we've started pushing our DL to get sacks, a derivative has been this team being much worse against the run. That's all scheme.



Yes, We need to realize that differnt teama we face call for different players om our side to defend them. We need to approach this concept over our guy is better then theirs all the time.

[Steelerchad]

Steelers led the league in sacks this year with 56. Got none today. They were dominated up front. How many times did you see a jags rb not get hit until 4 yards past the LOS and then get pushed forward for 3+ more yards. Physically manhandled today. It was embarrassing.

[steelreserve]

I think we have a couple problems, the most glaring if which is our speed at LB. Losing Shazier really had a cascading effect across the defense, but it's been most catastrophic in exactly the kind of situations that the Jags exploited to perfection today. VW is a solid player and an asset to the team - but you cannot have a player like that in this defense without also having a player like Shazier or Timmons. And all our other ILB depth were basically the same kind of players as Williams. That was a problem all throughout the end of the season and there was really nothing we could do about it. So we need to fix that in the offseason, whether it's through the draft, free agency, the scheme, or some of all three.

Also, you're absolutely right that we need to get our shit together with the DT situation. I don't know whether that's a personnel issue or it's time to change our approach, but that's been disappointing. Last year it looked like Hargrave was well on the way to being that run-stuffing/pass-rushing beast that we had sorely needed for years. Then suddenly he was hardly ever on the field, while we got a healthy dose of L.T. Walton and Tyson Alualu. Not to dump on those guys, because lord knows they're better than Dirty Dick and all the other failures we've had with DL depth. But they really are just pretty-good, not explosive. I have no idea what the hell is up with that, but I was perplexed all season.

Fix those, and probably try to improve over Dupree, and I think the rest falls into place so that the defense is good enough to still keep us a serious contender. This game was an excellent reminder of our shortcomings, I'll say that, and my hat goes off to Jacksonville for playing it the way they did.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Because the pass rush got straight up stopped dead. Stoned. No hits, hurries, pressures, or sacks that I remember.

They got completely dominated up front.

Everything else is just symptomatic of that.

I agree. I kept saying that I was waiting for the Pro Bowler Cam Heyward and Tuitt, or any of the D line to show up and they never did.

The Steelers O line showed up late in the 1st half and stopped getting dominated, but when you lose the battle up front, its tough to do anything.