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View Full Version : Saints' Brees may find a vulnerable secondary



stillers4me
10-29-2010, 05:59 AM
By Scott Brown (sbrown@tribweb.com), PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, October 29, 2010

The contention by the Steelers players and coaches that the team's No. 24 ranking in passing defense is just a meaningless number will be tested Sunday night in New Orleans.

Drew Brees figures to fill the electric Superdome air with passes, and he is at a different level than any quarterback the Steelers have played against to this point.

What will go a long way toward determining which team wins the contest between last two Super Bowl champions is how several numbers games play out in the Big Easy.
Will Brees, who has completed just over 70 percent of his passes dating back to last season, riddle a defense that has allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete just over 66 percent of their throws?

Or will a defense that has allowed just four touchdown passes and is tied for seventh in the NFL with nine interceptions get the better of the quarterback that has already thrown 10 interceptions, one less than he did all of last season?.............

Read more....... http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_706639.html

fansince'76
10-29-2010, 06:44 AM
Despite Brees having a down year so far, I hope we put more pressure on him than we did on Henne and McCoy, or it could be a very long Halloween night.

Psycho Ward 86
10-29-2010, 10:09 AM
Yeah i think he will sadly. Hopefully not enough to rain on our parade though :(

salamander
10-29-2010, 10:29 AM
I don't have a very good feeling about this game. Drew Brees is still a very good QB. If McCoy and Henne can look good, it scares me what Brees can do. We're good at stopping the running game, something the Saints don't have so I guess we'll see. I really hope I'm wrong.

O'Malley
10-29-2010, 11:17 AM
I think the D will get up for this game and hit him hard and hit him often. If you fill the passing lanes on Brees he is ineffective at best. He is short and can't see with guys in his face with their hands up. Getting presssure is important but blockiing his vision is just as important. Their last three games have given the whole league a blue print of how to stop Brees. IMO if the Browns could do it so can the Steelers!

cold-hard-steel
10-29-2010, 11:43 AM
I look at this road game as a test for all involved. A kind of a barometer if you will,to test where we are in the whole scheme of things. By all, i mean players,and coaches. i don't feel bad going into this game. We are banged up to say the least,but this team has a lot to prove. Well,to some anyway. You have to believe if the running game gets going it will be a long night for the Saints. We will need a ball controlled offense to pull this game off. I'm not as concerned about the defense as some are. A ball controlled,eat up the clock offense could be the key in this one. Less time Brees is even on the field,the better.We should try to keep him on the sideline as much as possible.

steelpride12
10-29-2010, 12:41 PM
Not going to lie this game is going to be tough to win for our Steelers. Bree's doesn't have many off games and losing to the Browns in an embarrassing game IMO won't happen twice for the high powered Saints, and also seeing them losing twice in a row in NO's won't come commonly either. We have to bring the pressure hard and all night long, our secondary is the weakest part of our defense and Bree's will pick us apart if he has the time.

cold-hard-steel
10-29-2010, 01:39 PM
Not going to lie this game is going to be tough to win for our Steelers. Bree's doesn't have many off games and losing to the Browns in an embarrassing game IMO won't happen twice for the high powered Saints, and also seeing them losing twice in a row in NO's won't come commonly either. We have to bring the pressure hard and all night long, our secondary is the weakest part of our defense and Bree's will pick us apart if he has the time.

All good points you made. Thats why the key in thier preparation for this game is to keep Brees off of the field. If he ain't on the field,what can he do? Special teams has been strong for us so far,and that could have a hand in it too.

GitNoLuv
10-29-2010, 02:33 PM
I don't have a very good feeling about this game. Drew Brees is still a very good QB. If McCoy and Henne can look good, it scares me what Brees can do. We're good at stopping the running game, something the Saints don't have so I guess we'll see. I really hope I'm wrong.

Who do you try to stop when you play the Browns and Dolphins? The running backs. That's your primary focus as a defense. With the Saints, you will focus far more on the QB than you will on the RB...and it will show.

Burghfan58
10-29-2010, 04:21 PM
Hopefully with Flozell and Essex back they can run the ball more effectively than last week and eat some clock. Let Mr. Brees watch from the sideline.

CPanther95
10-29-2010, 04:26 PM
It's a BS statistic. Teams can't run against us, so they end up passing the entire game. Despite all that passing, we still rank 4th in total defense giving up only 299 yards a game.

Next we'll get slammed because teams accumulate far more punt yardage against us than we do.

X-Terminator
10-29-2010, 05:13 PM
I think the Steelers are going to get handed, actually, and the secondary is going to have a long, long night. Just don't have a good feeling about this game at all.

CPanther95
10-29-2010, 06:32 PM
I think the Steelers are going to get handed, actually, and the secondary is going to have a long, long night. Just don't have a good feeling about this game at all.

The Mountaineer fan in you has forced you to always anticipate the other shoe dropping.

SMR
10-29-2010, 06:41 PM
I think the Steelers are going to get handed, actually, and the secondary is going to have a long, long night. Just don't have a good feeling about this game at all.

I got a bad feeling as well. Ben can do all he can, but our secondary is...ahem...not too impressive. I wish Hall of Famer LeBeau would get off his lofty perch and wake up. He needs to stop having us do the prevent defense. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Duke
10-29-2010, 07:23 PM
I expect a high scoring game, but in no way do I expect brees to carve us up. No way lebeau allows that, one thing is for it to happen at the end of games/halves, another thing is for him to allow it all game

Still will be a high scoring game with both of the saints corners out (likely) and their top two runningbacks out. They will be forced to pass more than ever, ben will beat their secondary too, but we will have the successful running game. That will be the key in the game imo

ALLD
10-29-2010, 07:30 PM
Since the Saints have no running game now, expect the short passing game with a few long ones when they open up. Send everybody in the 1stQ to rattle Brees into a few picks. If we don't get him he will get us.

Count Steeler
10-29-2010, 07:39 PM
Beware the 3 step drop. No time to rush the QB in that scenario. If they decide to go all air, I'm sure Lebeau and Tomlin will make adjustments. Let's not forget, also, they have to try and stop Ben and Hines. Look for another big game from Wallace and Ward with a little bit of Heath for good measure. AND, we can run if we so choose.

It's Halloween night, let's go for a 45-41 affair. Sunday Night Football, with no hitting and the WRs running free. Thanks Roger.

HometownGal
10-29-2010, 07:47 PM
Though I think the world of Brees, the Steelers D is going to have to pressure the living shit out of him from the Saints first offensive series forward. None of this pressure the QB in the first quarter and then let up the other 3 quarters bullshit we've been seeing - that just aint gonna fly with Brees at the Saints helm. He's too good of a QB to take for granted and will smoke our secondary if he is given the time to do so. He has Colston and Moore who are both very capable of stretching the field and taking off with the bomb. The Saints D isn't anything to write home about so it just may be up to our O to put the W in our colum on Sunday night.

cold-hard-steel
10-29-2010, 11:52 PM
I still am convinced,that Mendanhal,and our running game can be a big factor in this game. If we can control the time of possession,and score when we have the chance to do so, the D-fence will take care of it's end of the bargain. The more time we eat off of the clock,the less time Brees is on the field. But we can't be taking 6 minutes off the clock on any given drive and come up empty on the scoreboard.I believe we have the advantage in the running phase,and we should take advantage of that. Turnovers could be a big factor as well in the outcome of this one.

Edman
10-30-2010, 12:13 AM
The Defense is not going to win this game for us. If we do that, we're going to lose badly. You aren't going to stop Drew Brees for long. Especially with the league cracking down on hard hits and aggressive play, cripping the defenses even more. Last week seen the highest weekly scoring average in over twenty years. Goodell wants Arena League.

I have a bad feeling the D is going to get shredded big in this game. The Offense has to take the reigns.

Ben has to be BIG in this game. I mean put the team on his back and win this. He hasn't been lighting it up lately and I chalk it up due to rust, but 2 TD, 1 INT statlines with red zone failures and the occasional deep bomb to Wallace aren't going to cut it. It just isn't.

X-Terminator
10-30-2010, 05:38 AM
The Defense is not going to win this game for us. If we do that, we're going to lose badly. You aren't going to stop Drew Brees for long. Especially with the league cracking down on hard hits and aggressive play, cripping the defenses even more. Last week seen the highest weekly scoring average in over twenty years. Goodell wants Arena League.

I have a bad feeling the D is going to get shredded big in this game. The Offense has to take the reigns.

Ben has to be BIG in this game. I mean put the team on his back and win this. He hasn't been lighting it up lately and I chalk it up due to rust, but 2 TD, 1 INT statlines with red zone failures and the occasional deep bomb to Wallace aren't going to cut it. It just isn't.

Ben hasn't been lighting it up? He's thrown for 581 yards and 5 TDs, 1 INT in his first 2 games back. He's on pace to throw 26 TD passes, after missing 4 full games. He''s going to have to be huge this game, yes, and he has shown some rust, but let's not make it look like he's stunk the last 2 games.

cold-hard-steel
10-30-2010, 06:27 AM
I ain't buyin into all the Ben wins the game stuff.Mendy and, after they warmed up Melwelde last week tells me we are gonna run for this win. I think it is simple,we don't run,then we don't win. Just me sayin.

SirHulka
10-30-2010, 06:49 AM
Putting a lot of pressure on Brees is one thing IF you have Smith and Keisel. But you don't. How much pressure do you think Eason and Hood can generate? And if you blitz Polamalu, what does that do to your secondary?

Steeldude
10-30-2010, 08:29 AM
I think the Steelers are going to get handed, actually, and the secondary is going to have a long, long night. Just don't have a good feeling about this game at all.

if lebeau keeps dialing up that passive defense the steelers will lose. rushing 3 just doesn't work. especially when those 3(D-linemen) aren't trying to get to the QB.

The Duke
10-30-2010, 09:08 AM
Putting a lot of pressure on Brees is one thing IF you have Smith and Keisel. But you don't. How much pressure do you think Eason and Hood can generate? And if you blitz Polamalu, what does that do to your secondary?

like steeldude above said, if we're only rushing hood and eason, we WILL lose

time for woodley and harrison to both have a huge game. But the interior of the saints oline is not playing very well, so I actually expect a bigger game out of timmons

and troy will blitz at some point. But it's not like he's ever blitzing all game long

cold-hard-steel
10-30-2010, 11:52 AM
This will definately be a good match-up between NFC and AFC opponents. I like the way we play on the road,though it is in a dome. If we have all hands on deck,and play like we are capable of playing in all phases of the game,we are clearly the better team. They are a little nicked up just as we are so i think that part equals out.However i can't back down from the fact that our running game must make itself a factor in this game.I'm thinking the team that controls the clock in this one will walk away winners.

SteelerFanInStl
10-30-2010, 01:22 PM
I still am convinced,that Mendanhal,and our running game can be a big factor in this game. If we can control the time of possession,and score when we have the chance to do so, the D-fence will take care of it's end of the bargain. The more time we eat off of the clock,the less time Brees is on the field. But we can't be taking 6 minutes off the clock on any given drive and come up empty on the scoreboard.I believe we have the advantage in the running phase,and we should take advantage of that. Turnovers could be a big factor as well in the outcome of this one.

Agreed. A good running game will be the best defense against Brees. Keep him off the field and he can't do anything.

cold-hard-steel
10-30-2010, 01:36 PM
You seem like a wise man. I think it's kind of black and white what we need to do down in La. They don't really scare me in the least. I hope our team feels the same way. If our running game gets clicking on all cylinders we can ride,fly,or even run or walk out of NewOrleans with the win in our back pocket.Don't get me wrong,i'm not taking this game lightly ,but if our running game is on,so is the clock running,and so is Brees off the field,and on the sideline where i hope he is for most of the game. If there was ever a reason to eat up clock,this is the game. Unless we fall behind of course.