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View Full Version : Harris: LeBeau made right call: listening to players



zulater
12-07-2010, 06:24 AM
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/print_712537.html

Players play and coaches coach, but Steelers defensive captain James Farrior and his teammates had seen enough Sunday night.

No more sitting back and taking it.

Enough with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco picking the secondary clean like a leftover Thanksgiving turkey. If the Steelers were going to win the AFC North, someone was going to have to take a bullet for the rest of the team.

Someone was going to have to tell defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to call more blitzes.

Who better than Farrior? He's one of four co-captains and old enough (35) not to care what people think.

It wasn't easy for a popular veteran like Farrior to make suggestions to his coach, especially during a game. To Farrior, though, the alternative of losing was too unflattering to consider.

"We definitely felt we could get some good pressure. We just had to get the right calls in,'' Farrior said in the afterglow of the Steelers' gritty 13-10 win.

"That's what our guys were preaching on the sideline to the coaches. If we were gonna go down, we were gonna go down blitzing. We definitely didn't want to sit back. Coach LeBeau listened to us.''

In the first half, Flacco had his way with the Steelers. He navigated the longest scoring drive of his NFL career -- 92 yards. He completed passes of 61 and 67 yards and was 9 of 14 for 179 yards and a touchdown with a 131.5 passer rating.

Other than a first-quarter sack by defensive end Ziggy Hood, Flacco was rarely under duress. He was on his way to another score and a career game when momentum shifted.

On third-and-15 from the Steelers 32 in the second quarter, cornerback Ike Taylor caught Baltimore with a surprise blitz and sacked Flacco for an 11-yard loss. The play knocked Baltimore out of scoring position. Instead of trailing 14-0 or even 10-0 at halftime, the Steelers faced only a 7-0 deficit.

In the second half, the tables turned. The Steelers had their way with Flacco, who was 8 of 19 for 87 yards with a 65.8 passer rating, mainly due to a better pass rush making it difficult for him to step into his throws. .........

HometownGal
12-07-2010, 06:42 AM
A lot of us were begging for more pressure in Flacco's face in the Game Day thread and the Steelers D came out in the 2nd half and pressured the living shit out of Flacid. :thumbsup: I'm happy to see that Papa Lebeau took the advice of his unit and released the wolves. :tt02: It paid off big time and was exactly what the Steelers needed to turn the momentum, and ultimately the game, around. :drink: Steelers D and Coach Lebeau.

SCSTILLER
12-07-2010, 07:07 AM
I was ecstatic when we were blitzing late with the lead. Don't give the qb time to expose Mcfadden and Gay

CPanther95
12-07-2010, 08:46 AM
Let's remember this if we face Brady again.

Steeldude
12-07-2010, 09:08 AM
if not for the players speaking up it would have been the same thing as the last meeting with the ravens.

i think it may be time for lebeau to retire. he has no killer instinct or so it seems.

BlastFurnace
12-07-2010, 09:22 AM
A lot of us were begging for more pressure in Flacco's face in the Game Day thread and the Steelers D came out in the 2nd half and pressured the living shit out of Flacid. :thumbsup: I'm happy to see that Papa Lebeau took the advice of his unit and released the wolves. :tt02: It paid off big time and was exactly what the Steelers needed to turn the momentum, and ultimately the game, around. :drink: Steelers D and Coach Lebeau.

I agree. You can't play scared of getting beat deep all the time. Sometimes, you just have to take risks and get after the QB.

Kudos to LeBeau for doing this.

BlastFurnace
12-07-2010, 09:23 AM
if not for the players speaking up it would have been the same thing as the last meeting with the ravens.

i think it may be time for lebeau to retire. he has no killer instinct or so it seems.

I think he realizes that he has pretty weak corners (Other than Ike) and tries to keep as many people as back as possible. Unfortunately, BMAC is not the same guy he was 2 years ago as a starter.

zulater
12-07-2010, 10:01 AM
I agree. You can't play scared of getting beat deep all the time. Sometimes, you just have to take risks and get after the QB.

Kudos to LeBeau for doing this.

Personally I think it might be better to risk getting beat deep, rather than allow the slow bleed. Plus the more you hit the qb, and or make him move his feet, the less accurate and confident he will be.

Dino 6 Rings
12-07-2010, 02:38 PM
ok, great, now apply the same type of pressure to EVERY SINGLE QB we play against the rest of the way. No more sitting back on our heals giving up the "underneath" crap.

Attack them full force, 100% all out killing people, if they beat us doing what we do best, blitzing, then so be eat. I never want to see another QB just sit back and pick us apart again.

Edman
12-07-2010, 02:43 PM
If only we utilized that strategy weeks ago against New England.

GodfatherofSoul
12-07-2010, 03:44 PM
Seems you're damned either way with the Pats. Blitz and Brady dinks over you. Drop in coverage, we don't have the pass rush to get to him and a receiver eventually gets open down field.

ALLD
12-07-2010, 04:29 PM
Don't forget to give the receiver a nice chip before he leaves the line of scrimmage. Then send everybody else after the qb. That will cool their asses off.

Count Steeler
12-07-2010, 05:08 PM
Let the Pats do their thing, it is our offense that has to win that game. The defense will be able to hold Brady scoring down, if we attack.

We need to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and we will do fine against the Patsies.

SMR
12-07-2010, 06:38 PM
Let's remember this if we face Brady again.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not just against Brady, but other notable qbs!!!!!!!

SMR
12-07-2010, 06:42 PM
Personally I think it might be better to risk getting beat deep, rather than allow the slow bleed. Plus the more you hit the qb, and or make him move his feet, the less accurate and confident he will be.

^^^^^^^
This

SMR
12-07-2010, 06:44 PM
Let the Pats do their thing, it is our offense that has to win that game. The defense will be able to hold Brady scoring down, if we attack.

We need to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and we will do fine against the Patsies.

Very well spoken. We DO need to upgrade our offensive attack. BIG time!

Chidi29
12-07-2010, 07:28 PM
if not for the players speaking up it would have been the same thing as the last meeting with the ravens.

i think it may be time for lebeau to retire. he has no killer instinct or so it seems.

I think what LeBeau did shows why he's such a great coach.

As the article touched on, I'm sure it isn't easy for a guy like LeBeau, hailed as a defensive mastermind, to have someone telling him what the defense should be doing. A lot of coaches would tune that out. Not LeBeau.

Texasteel
12-07-2010, 07:44 PM
I think what LeBeau did shows why he's such a great coach.

As the article touched on, I'm sure it isn't easy for a guy like LeBeau, hailed as a defensive mastermind, to have someone telling him what the defense should be doing. A lot of coaches would tune that out. Not LeBeau.

I started to post almost those exact words this morning Chidi. As far as I'm concerned this only makes him look even better. Most other coaches with his reputation, and ability, if there is one, would like bow up on his players, but LeBeau puts the team before his pride. I feel privileged to have been able to watch him work.

Psycho Ward 86
12-07-2010, 07:58 PM
Very well spoken. We DO need to upgrade our offensive attack. BIG time!

We just need a decent O-line. And a decent O-line that can stay healthy for that matter.

Godfather
12-07-2010, 09:12 PM
Butbutbut Tuesday Morning Quarterback always says you shouldn't blitz and brings up examples every week where it gets you burned.

tube517
12-07-2010, 09:41 PM
This also shows the respect LeBeau has for Potsie and for the rest of the defense. But, this is why they love playing for the guy. It's a 2 way street of respect.

steelreserve
12-08-2010, 12:00 AM
If only we utilized that strategy weeks ago against New England.

What, you mean instead of letting Brady have as much time as he wants and relying on William Gay to stop him? Come on, we totally had the right idea. It was BOUND to work.

Steeldude
12-08-2010, 12:15 AM
I think he realizes that he has pretty weak corners (Other than Ike) and tries to keep as many people as back as possible. Unfortunately, BMAC is not the same guy he was 2 years ago as a starter.

but the problem is the pass coverage is worse when he doesn't blitz, IMO.

i really don't see any difference in mcfadden from when he was last here.

Steeldude
12-08-2010, 12:18 AM
I think what LeBeau did shows why he's such a great coach.

As the article touched on, I'm sure it isn't easy for a guy like LeBeau, hailed as a defensive mastermind, to have someone telling him what the defense should be doing. A lot of coaches would tune that out. Not LeBeau.

it was a good thing, but in my opinion lebeau seems to be less interested then in years past. i don't see the fire in the play calling.

Galax Steeler
12-08-2010, 03:19 AM
Hopefully he will build off of this and keep the pressure a coming form here on out. I would get so mad just sitting there and watching teams pic us apart.