Steelers' 'D' coming up with big stops

By John Harris, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, November 12, 2010

Surviving early turnovers and coming up with timely defensive stops has been key for the 6-2 Steelers this season.

Last Monday at Cincinnati, the Steelers' defense thwarted the Bengals in the final minute of a 27-21 win. And in the first quarter of road wins against the Titans, Buccaneers and Dolphins, the defense rebuffed early touchdown threats that could have swayed momentum.

After struggling to hold leads in several games last season, the NFL's fourth-ranked defense has gained confidence this season that it can stop teams when it matters most...........

Read more: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_708950.html

I'm going to say what I've been saying since last season - the D needs to play with the same intensity when the team has a lead in the second half, particularly the 4Q. In several games this season, along with at least 6 games last season, our D has gone soft in the 4Q and either blew leads or came dangerously close to doing so. This is an extremely talented unit and all I ask of them at this point is to play consistently tough from start to finish whether they have a 1 point lead or a 50 point lead.

I think the game's dynamics change more than the Steelers defense in the 4th quarter. If you're the trailing team in the 4th quarter you play with a different urgency, and at a different tempo ( hurry up, no huddle etc...) also you often play with an additional down, it's obviously more difficult to stop a team for 4 downs than 3. Also let's face it, the Steelers main vulnerability on defense is stopping the pass, and when teams drop all pretense of establishing the run against us that's usually when they start to have their greatest success.

I remember the 70s defense. They played with the same intensity all game not matter what the score was. They just wanted to punish the offense for having the nerve to come back onto the field with them.

I was pretty please and a little surprise at how well line played. We were able to put pressure on Palmer, but even with that pressure the secondary still does not seem to be able to play at a consistent high level. That does bother me some. I'm about ready to spend that high draft pick on a CB and see if we can't get a stopper in here. I also wonder about the defensive calls sometimes. I notice and so did the TV crew, that the middle of the field was left open the last game. An area the TO has been very good at working over his career.

Still, we won, and I'm looking forward to even better days to come.

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Originally Posted by HometownGal

I'm going to say what I've been saying since last season - the D needs to play with the same intensity when the team has a lead in the second half, particularly the 4Q. In several games this season, along with at least 6 games last season, our D has gone soft in the 4Q and either blew leads or came dangerously close to doing so. This is an extremely talented unit and all I ask of them at this point is to play consistently tough from start to finish whether they have a 1 point lead or a 50 point lead.

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:applaudit::applaudit::applaudit::applaudit::appla udit::applaudit::applaudit:

You know what the difference is between these teams and Cowher's teams that almost never blew a lead in the 4th quarter? Cowher's teams took the "air out of the ball" when we had the lead. When we had an offensive possession with the lead we had the ability to run the ball and sustain drives, play keep away from opposing offenses. Yeah those defenses in the mid 90's were great, but the fact that they usually got to be specatators for the majority of the 4th quarter of most of those games also had a great deal to do with their effectiveness.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/40088639/ns/sports-nfl


The pain of containment: Once opponents take to the air, they expose their quarterbacks to a defense that has already recorded 20 sacks and 10 interceptions. But opponents also complete 67.2 percent of their passes against the Steelers and average 240 passing yards per game, the ninth highest figure in the NFL. Are these signs of vulnerability?

Not really. When the Steelers blitz they usually assign their cornerbacks and a safety (usually Ryan Clark, so Polamalu can blitz or do something crafty) to three-deep zone coverage. That means each defender is expected to drop back and keep the receiver in front of him. Pittsburgh fans are sometimes frustrated when Ike Taylor or William Gay allows an easy 10-yard completion, but those completions are residue of the team philosophy. If they give up a few 10-yarders, so be it. Just don't allow a bomb, because the blitz will eventually get to the quarterback if he keeps dropping to throw short passes.

The containment policy has worked for the Steelers for years, and it has been business as usual this season. Opponents have thrown for 20 or more yards just 23 times this year. Even that total is inflated: it includes seven 20-yard gains in the fourth quarters of blowouts against the Titans, Browns, Bengals and Buccaneers. That leaves 16 long gains in meaningful situations — remarkable, considering that the Steelers have faced Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, the Terrell Owens-Chad Ochocinco experience, and the bomb-hurling Joe Flacco.


I just pasted the part of the article that had to do with our pass defense for the purpose of this thread, but the article also goes into good detail about our run defense, well worth the click to read it in it's entirety.

the NBCSports breakdown is a really good read.

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Originally Posted by zulater

You know what the difference is between these teams and Cowher's teams that almost never blew a lead in the 4th quarter? Cowher's teams took the "air out of the ball" when we had the lead. When we had an offensive possession with the lead we had the ability to run the ball and sustain drives, play keep away from opposing offenses. Yeah those defenses in the mid 90's were great, but the fact that they usually got to be specatators for the majority of the 4th quarter of most of those games also had a great deal to do with their effectiveness.

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I hope your not saying that we have a great defense as long as they are not on the field. The big difference I see between this D and the defense of the past is that the old defenses seemed to get tougher in the 4th Qu. Particularly when they had a lead. I can remember many times the the coach turned to game over to the defense and none of us thought a thing about it. The game was in the bank. Hell Chuck even when for it on 4th down because he trusted the defense more that the kicking game. Now when our D take the field in the 4th Qu, in the back of all our minds is " OH My God." Don't know if it is conditioning, age, or coaching, but there is a very real difference. Are they totally to blame? Hell no. How ever they do need shoulder their part of the blame. The main difference between this game and last years game was the last play, and that is enough to put a smile on my face. Still, I am still not happy with the secondary right now, and I can see a couple unusual soft points in the coaching.

Different era Tex when you're talking about the Noll team's, even the Cowher teams. The game's rules have been slanted more and more to the offense, with the limitations we have with our corners I really don't see how we could do much better on defense than we are doing now?


I really do wish we had the ability to take the air out of the ball with the lead, like we did as recently as 2004, even 2005 to an extent. Having an offense that could impose it's will late in games was always a key part in sustaining leads nearly as long as I could remember. As great as that 76 defense was you don't think it helped having one of the greatest rushing years in league history too?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zulater

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/40088639/ns/sports-nfl


The pain of containment: Once opponents take to the air, they expose their quarterbacks to a defense that has already recorded 20 sacks and 10 interceptions. But opponents also complete 67.2 percent of their passes against the Steelers and average 240 passing yards per game, the ninth highest figure in the NFL. Are these signs of vulnerability?

Not really. When the Steelers blitz they usually assign their cornerbacks and a safety (usually Ryan Clark, so Polamalu can blitz or do something crafty) to three-deep zone coverage. That means each defender is expected to drop back and keep the receiver in front of him. Pittsburgh fans are sometimes frustrated when Ike Taylor or William Gay allows an easy 10-yard completion, but those completions are residue of the team philosophy. If they give up a few 10-yarders, so be it. Just don't allow a bomb, because the blitz will eventually get to the quarterback if he keeps dropping to throw short passes.

The containment policy has worked for the Steelers for years, and it has been business as usual this season. Opponents have thrown for 20 or more yards just 23 times this year. Even that total is inflated: it includes seven 20-yard gains in the fourth quarters of blowouts against the Titans, Browns, Bengals and Buccaneers. That leaves 16 long gains in meaningful situations — remarkable, considering that the Steelers have faced Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, the Terrell Owens-Chad Ochocinco experience, and the bomb-hurling Joe Flacco.


I just pasted the part of the article that had to do with our pass defense for the purpose of this thread, but the article also goes into good detail about our run defense, well worth the click to read it in it's entirety.

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Everything the article says is true, EXCEPT when we go passive and use the same coverage scheme and NOT blitz, which has happened in quite a few 4th quarters this season and last. If they aren't going to use the zone blitz (or at least fake it to cause confusion for the QB) then our corners have to play a little tighter.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by zulater

Different era Tex when you're talking about the Noll team's, even the Cowher teams. The game's rules have been slanted more and more to the offense, with the limitations we have with our corners I really don't see how we could do much better on defense than we are doing now?


I really do wish we had the ability to take the air out of the ball with the lead, like we did as recently as 2004, even 2005 to an extent. Having an offense that could impose it's will late in games was always a key part in sustaining leads nearly as long as I could remember. As great as that 76 defense was you don't think it helped having one of the greatest rushing years in league history too?

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It may be a different era, but there are several teams the don't seem to have the same problem as often as we do. Defenses still work to make an offense one dimensional, but when we do get that done it works against us. True, the rules have change in favor of the passing game, but the offense can still be stopped with got defensive calls and players that can preform on the field. Our defense does simply have a problem preforming in the 4th Qu. If other teams can do it. why can't we.

Still I have faith in the coaches and the player, and think we can and will set this straight. I still am very concerned with our defensive backfield.