Joe Starkey: Steelers' special teams are a hideous disaster

NOT SO SPECIAL

Bad special teams can ruin a season.

Ask the 2009 Steelers about that. Jeff Reed attacking a Sheetz towel dispenser was good news compared to the way the rest of the year went.

That was the infamous “unleash hell” season, when Mike Tomlin vowed his team would “not go gently” as the season crumbled all around him. Those Steelers amazingly allowed four kickoff returns for touchdowns, not to mention a 55-yard punt return to Josh Cribbs in a horrifying loss to the Cleveland Browns.

I am reminded of that group as these Steelers teeter on the brink of disaster heading into Oakland on Sunday (the ’09 team lost to a terrible Raiders team at Heinz Field).

It would be no small feat to outdo Bob Ligashesky’s ‘09 special teams, but say this much for Danny Smith’s guys: They’re giving it a real shot.

That’s not to say it’s all bad. The Steelers blocked a punt against the Chargers and pulled off the old kicker-to-tackle touchdown pass in Denver. But this group is mostly an abomination.

The return game stinks. The kicking game stinks. The coverage mostly stinks. The players often do not appear to know the rules (they run away from free kicks and touch blocked punts). And if they do know the rules, they don’t seem especially inclined to follow them (NFL-leading 25 penalties).

Special teams should be calming the waters at a time like this, not whipping up tsunamis. The Steelers have enough problems — covering wide receivers with linebackers, throwing interceptions like confetti and watching their ground game disappear — without having to suffer, say, another missed extra point.

Here’s a number that should open your eyes: The Steelers are the only team in the NFL with at least 20 special teams penalties (accepted penalties). Their 25 is six more than second-place Jacksonville. Many teams are in single-digits.

Pro Football Focus has the Steelers’ special teams ranked 31st overall, which would be awesome in a 200-team league. This one has only 32. And only the Cleve Brownies are worse.

Let’s break it down …



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https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...s/201812060168



:chuckle:

Awesomeness!!!!

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And most of us have been saying this for....how long? :frusty:

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Originally Posted by Lady Steel

It would be no small feat to outdo Bob Ligashesky’s ‘09 special teams, but say this much for Danny Smith’s guys: They’re giving it a real shot.

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All KO should be way into the EZ to minimize penalties. Kick it low and scooch it if necessary.

But they blocked a punt last week and had the sweet Boz to AV fake FG/TD pass :yay3:

That probably gets Danny Smith a lifetime job with Tomlin unless AJRII steps in - if this season ends with another one & done playoff run or less hopefully the owner tells Tomlin it is time for new ST and DC coaches

Special teams does bite us, but I think if Ben stops throwing to the other team 1-2 times a game in the redzone that would help a million times more than shoddy kick coverage.

Is it me...or does "teetering on the brink of disaster" sound a little hyperbolic for a team leading its division by a 1/2 game with four games to play?

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Originally Posted by Crow-Magnon

Is it me...or does "teetering on the brink of disaster" sound a little hyperbolic for a team leading its division by a 1/2 game with four games to play?

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It's always like this after a loss in Steelersland. Two losses in a row and the season's over, regardless of the standings.

However, Danny Smith does need to be replaced. But then, STs for this team have more or less been a dumpster fire all the way back to the Cowher era. For every SB XXX onside kick, there has been a performance like the '01 AFCCG to balance it out...

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Originally Posted by Crow-Magnon

Is it me...or does "teetering on the brink of disaster" sound a little hyperbolic for a team leading its division by a 1/2 game with four games to play?

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Depends whether or not you think the Ravens are more likely to beat the Chiefs or Chargers than the the Steelers are to beat the Pats or Saints along with whether you think 9-6-1 gets a wild card

Given that the Ravens finishing 10-6 along with one of the current 6-6 teams (plus 7-6 Titans) is not an outrageous possibility and the poor play by the Steelers over the past three games teetering fits for me

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Originally Posted by Crow-Magnon

Is it me...or does "teetering on the brink of disaster" sound a little hyperbolic for a team leading its division by a 1/2 game with four games to play?

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I love it when a fan from a different team cracks me up.:rofl:

How quickly people forget how bad it was with our last ST coach. We were giving up tds on a regular bases. Don’t get me wrong I’m not a big fan of Smith, but he is thinking, and if we could somehow get rid of return penalties, STs would be fine. Berry has averaged mid 50s the last three weeks. If people are blaming Steelers problems on special teams.....well......

I wonder if they can have simple guidelines or formulas in place for hiring / firing coaches.

For instance, if you are in the bottom 1/3rd for two consecutive years or bottom 1/2 for 3 years, you are gone. :wave:

I have "Sean Mahan" level hate for Danny Smith...

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Originally Posted by AtlantaDan

Depends whether or not you think the Ravens are more likely to beat the Chiefs or Chargers than the the Steelers are to beat the Pats or Saints along with whether you think 9-6-1 gets a wild card

Given that the Ravens finishing 10-6 along with one of the current 6-6 teams (plus 7-6 Titans) is not an outrageous possibility and the poor play by the Steelers over the past three games teetering fits for me

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Standings wise, a loss is a loss.

But these last two were particularly stinky.

1/2 game up with four to play isn’t much of a cushion.

Teetering fits for me too.

I could care less whether Danny Smith stays or goes. I dont see the problems with ST as scheme or concept. There is no return game because few teams are really returning kicks. The coverages are no better or no worse. The problem is penalties. Not sure what a coach can do. Smith can not bench guys because the STs unit gets the guys it gets based on the needs of the offense and defense each week.

Long story short, the STs problems are the result of dumb players doing dumb things. The reanimated corpse of Vince Lombardi assisted by the ghost of Chuck Noll could coach these guys and I’m not sure the results wouldn’t be the same.

If Tomlin is stupid enough to retain Danny Smith then he deserves to be fired himself. Tomlin has such an innate ability to keep sticking with pure garbage long after its clear they should be fired/benched. This applies to both players and coaches

I'm not a Danny Smith guy but our STs have been way better. There was a time when I assumed every KO or puny would result in a TD or at least a long return. They are doing a good job with the exception of penalties and I don't know what to do about that but it seriously sucks when you know every decent return will result in a holding penalty

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Crow-Magnon

Is it me...or does "teetering on the brink of disaster" sound a little hyperbolic for a team leading its division by a 1/2 game with four games to play?

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We lost to a two win team today. Still think that “teetering on the brink of disaster” is hyperbolic? :chuckle:

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Originally Posted by FrancoLambert

We lost to a two win team today. Still think that “teetering on the brink of disaster” is hyperbolic? :chuckle:

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We-l-l-l...maybe. But not as much as prior to the end of that game!