Has Steelers’ defense become too predictable?

[stillers4me]

Seattle had the ball at its 30-yard line early in the third quarter of last year’s home opener, and Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau dialed up one of his patented crossfire blitzes.

Inside linebacker James Farrior crossed in front of Lawrence Timmons while both rushed up the middle, confusing quarterback Tarvaris Jackson’s personal protector, Marshawn Lynch, and leading to a sack.

Fast-forward to the second play of this season’s opening game in Denver. Deep in Broncos territory, LeBeau calls the same blitz, sending Timmons and Larry Foote after Peyton Manning. Timmons tipped his intentions a split-second early, allowing Manning to know there would be zone coverage. Manning hit Eric Decker for a 13-yard gain in the zone’s soft spot.

Same scheme. Same defensive coordinator. Same blitz call. Different result.........


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/...#ixzz27xqmNTp9

[steelreserve]

YES.


Sorry, was I supposed to read the actual article too?

[tube517]

• Opponents are converting 48 percent of third downs this season compared to 36 percent last season.

That is the one that is killing them.

[Steeldude]

If the Steelers' defense faces a QB who sucks, like Jackson, then they do well. If the Steelers' defense faces a QB who is good, like Manning, they suck.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Sanchez and the Jets just got shutout...makes that jets win feel that much more worthless...lol

[Moose]

answer : HELL YES !!!

[suitanim]

No.

This is another case where because people shy away from complexity, and seek simple monolithic truth's...this is the easy and pat answer. Two things in this article answer the headline negatively:

One) Timmons "tipped his intentions", which blew up the play. THAT is not predictable, that is failing to execute.
Two) (and much more importantly), longtime NFL Safety Darren Sharper:
“Really, there are only so many defenses that you can call,” said former NFL safety Darren Sharper, now an analyst for NFL Network. “What they are running now is what they ran when I was in the league. They have never done anything exotic to where you were confused.
“(But) I definitely don’t agree that they are predictable because that’s not the case.”

This is too easy of an answer. The same defense we've run for 20 years works for 18 of them (and the jury is still out on 2012) and people are ready to trash it over a couple bad games.

[Steeldude]

This is too easy of an answer. The same defense we've run for 20 years works for 18 of them (and the jury is still out on 2012) and people are ready to trash it over a couple bad games.

Then what you are saying is the Steelers will never change their defense again.

A couple of bad games? Do you watch any of the games?

[Moose]

Originally Posted by suitanim

This is too easy of an answer. The same defense we've run for 20 years works for 18 of them (and the jury is still out on 2012) and people are ready to trash it over a couple bad games.

The same defense we've run for 20 yrs ?? Read this again....and again. Does it not sound odd ? Ummm.

[zulater]

Originally Posted by suitanim

This is too easy of an answer. The same defense we've run for 20 years works for 18 of them (and the jury is still out on 2012) and people are ready to trash it over a couple bad games.

The same defense we've run for 20 yrs ?? Read this again....and again. Does it not sound odd ? Ummm.

If the personnel was up to snuff it would be fine. But it hasn't been to date. Our front 7 has been mostly putrid this season.

[steelreserve]

This is too easy of an answer. The same defense we've run for 20 years works for 18 of them (and the jury is still out on 2012) and people are ready to trash it over a couple bad games.

We haven't run the same defense for 20 years. We have the defense that's shifty and aggressive, and we have the defense that's flat and reactive. They may run out of the same scheme, but they behave completely differently. In our winning seasons, the latter shows up rarely if at all, so seeing it now is a definite cause for concern.

I think it has more to do with personnel and with how the players carry themselves than on any conscious changes. Right now, the bottom line is that our personnel makeup is one that struggles to make an aggressive 3-4 very effective. The key players who make it work are all 10-year veterans who are losing/have lost a step, and get injured more often. For several years, we've been reaching in the draft for 3-4 defensive linemen who turn out not to be ideal 3-4 linemen, and we've been reaching for pass rushing linebackers who have been mostly disappointing. Basically one good defensive draft in the past 10 years. If Woodley hadn't smoked all that weed and fallen to the second round, I really hate to think what the future of the defense would look like.

If only we could take whatever we've been doing on the offensive side of the draft and do the same job on defense.

[fansince'76]

If Woodley hadn't smoked all that weed and fallen to the second round, I really hate to think what the future of the defense would look like.

Don't forget about Spense...

[zulater]

Don't forget about Spense...

Probably was a good pick. But God only knows if he'll be a player again after the way he tore up his knee?

[steelreserve]

Don't forget about Spense...

Not to mention Adams and Holmes on offense. Weed has done a hell of a job improving our draft position over the years. We should probably always use one of our top two picks on a pothead. It's like our version of the Patriots fleecing the Raiders with lopsided trades every year.