The Changes LeBeau Made After The NE Game

[SteelerEmpire]

"Good" Read...

Article:
Dick LeBeau does not like to get embarrassed, especially on prime time television, but that is exactly what happened on November 14. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots shredded LeBeau's defense like Mexican cheese. LeBeau remembered all too vividly the previous time the Steelers played against Brady. The Patriots came out with a megaphone and yelled to him that they were not going to run the ball and were still going to carve him up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Even with that declaration of being one dimensional, Brady had a field day while the Patriots ran the ball exactly once per quarter.

LINK: http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2011/1/5/1912967/the-day-dick-lebeau-turned-the-steelers-secondary-into-championship?ref=yahoo

[steeldevil]

I have been thinking for a while now that that ass whipping could have been the best thing that happened to us. The defense has been playing lights out since then. Lets hope it carries on through the playoffs.

[Dino 6 Rings]

great read, recommend for everyone

btw...I thought the only change he made was to not have Gay cover the Tight End :)

[polamalubeast]

amazing stats!

[LLT]

Very good read and great analysis!!!!

[Just George]

good read, interesting and makes me wonder what adjustments Peyton will make when we meet you in two weeks.

[Merchant]

Good read. I also have noticed that the D has drastically improved since getting their butts handed to them. Let's hope it continues into February!

[zulater]

You could tell they changed their approach by the way they limited T.O. the second time around.

If we can get a couple good early licks on Brady, we just might beat that team.

[Stlrs4Life]

We have played better defensively since, but still think we are poor in 3rd and long situations.

[tube517]

That comes with the LeBeau scheme. They are going to give up some but the goal is to pressure and get turnovers, something they didn't do against the *Pats. There is sacrifice in his scheme and it's not perfect but he has done some tinkering with it and combined with Arians' adjustments, I am more optimistic. After the Saints/Pats* games I was not optimistic.


We have played better defensively since, but still think we are poor in 3rd and long situations.

[HometownGal]

If we can get a couple good early licks on Brady, we just might beat that team.

This ^^. :thumbsup: Ass Chin HATES being pressured and if the Steelers can get to him early so he has to hurry his throws, I believe his success will be quite limited. That is, of course, IF we play the Cheats* and right now, it's just an IF.

Excellent read and I think most Steelers fans could clearly see our D completely turned itself around after the ass whoopin' the Cheats* laid on them. steeldevil said it best above - it's probably the best thing that could have happened as Lebeau and the D definitely needed a huge kick in the ass and it paid off. :thumbsup:

[The WH]

Let your front 3 worry about the run and just blitz the hell out of Brady.

[SteelGhost]

Nice read, thanks for sharing !

[steelpride12]

If we can make it to the AFCC Game and it is against NE we will be ready, it's not often Papa Lebeau get's embarrassed and it seems our secondary and defense overall has improved, we didn't pressure Homo Brady at all and that was our downfall from the beginning.

[Edman]

We'll see what happens if the Steelers get New England again. If there is a true improvement in the terms of the Defense. Against New England, DL ran his usual conservative 10 yard cushion 3-8 defense. Giving the ***** no pressure whatsoever. He was just asking Tom Brady to embarrass him.

[Steeldude]

seeing is believing. so until i do i doubt lebeau will make any changes against the patriots. he will run the 3-8 defense and run the usual bland blitzes that brady and the patriots will destroy with ease. i hope i am wrong.

[CPanther95]

If we can get a couple good early licks on Brady, we just might beat that team.

I'm hoping the Ravens get some serious hits on him the week before. :lol:

[HometownGal]

I'm hoping the Ravens get some serious hits on him the week before. :lol:

I hope so too, but because it's Ass Chin's team, Goodumbell will be sitting in Kraft's cushy little box with his calculator gripped firmly in his hand. :heh:

[Count Steeler]

The Steelers may get fined before the game, just for thinking about hitting Marcia.

I think Act II will be a much different affair, even when we have the ball. NE may not be able to keep pace with Ben and the boys, and I'm sure our D will be chomping at the bit to make amends for the fiasco at Heinz field. You know what they say Brady, payback is a bitch, and you are the bitchiest player in the NFL. See you in Foxboro.

[NCSteeler]

great read, recommend for everyone

btw...I thought the only change he made was to not have Gay cover the Tight End :)

Everyone, but Billicheat??

[Galax Steeler]

I still say they key to beating them is to get pressure on Brady.

[Austin87]

One of the best articles I've read all year.

[zulater]

I still say they key to beating them is to get pressure on Brady.



The thing is, when we played our corners so far off, there was no way the pressure could get to Brady in time. He'll just dink you and dunk you to death, because the majority of their routes are designed slants and short routes. Now with LeBeau's new approach of playing the corners closer to the receivers, and putting safeties and linebackers in the short passing lanes, he's going to be forced to look downfield more, and thus be vulnerable to the rush, if we can get someone loose.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you we'll shut the Patriots down next time ( if there is a next game this year), but the last time they spent the majority of the game looking like they ( Pats) were having a 7 on 7 practice against their taxi squad. I think it will be a lot more difficult for them.

If our offense shows up, and I think it will, we're much sharper offensively now than we were then, then I think it will be a whale of a game next time around with those guys.

[steelpride12]

I know our offense can torch NE's D, they played us well and actually shut us down early wen it mattered most, but next time around I feel our Steelers O will come out early and often on NE which in turn would have made the last game a closer call, now the D, I believe and it won't happen, but our corners need to play tighter on the receivers, remember NE's WR are not that good and only Gay would be bad enough to get beaten and when you play tight coverage and bring the pressure every play you force Brady to move out of the pocket and not be able to dink and dunk all over us.

[Texasteel]

I hope so too, but because it's Ass Chin's team, Goodumbell will be sitting in Kraft's cushy little box with his calculator gripped firmly in his hand. :heh:


Not to worried about his calculator in this game. It's his head set link to the refs I'm worried about. Hell he will probably just give it to Kraft by half time.

[SteelGhost]

I know our offense can torch NE's D, they played us well and actually shut us down early wen it mattered most, but next time around I feel our Steelers O will come out early and often on NE which in turn would have made the last game a closer call, now the D, I believe and it won't happen, but our corners need to play tighter on the receivers, remember NE's WR are not that good and only Gay and BMac would be bad enough to get beaten and when you play tight coverage and bring the pressure every play you force Brady to move out of the pocket and not be able to dink and dunk all over us.

Fixed for ya sp12 :chuckle:

[JayC]

it feels like forever ago since i was complaining all the time about gay and bmac. i'm not sure if it's just the teams we've been playing over the last 5-6 weeks or what or maybe lebeau did something. they definately deserve some kudos at least from me.

[3rivers]

They better play a different defense if they face Brady again. Blitz him non stop since he beat us with those 3 man rushes. I am just hoping that the Steelers were feeling out the patriots anticipating another game in the playoff. Then play the proper defense. That game was terrible.

[Craic]

But let's take a closer look at the numbers. Up through the New England game, the Steelers gave up 252 passing yards per game. That number would rank them 29th in the league if it were to continue through today. However, since the Patriots calamity, when LeBeau tightened the screws, the Steelers have given up 169 yards per game, a huge statistical difference. That number would rank them first in the league. The difference between pre and post November 14 is first or 29th; thus they end in the middle at #12.

Makes me very happy to hear this.