Steelers Begin Bold Move To Cover-2 Defense

[polamalubeast]

With Dick LeBeau gone, Mike Tomlin is making his defensive imprint, and it began at Monday's practice.


LATROBE -- The Pittsburgh Steelers of the cover-3 secondary behind a 3-4 front are evolving. And Mike Tomlin was at forefront of the movement Tuesday at practice.
Tomlin, who often roams between position groupings shouting instruction and encouragement, worked primarily with the defensive secondary yesterday, and looked like the position coach of his younger days as he taught his defensive backs the specifics of playing cover-2.
Instead of having a blitzing, dodging, darting strong safety at the line wreaking havoc, as the Steelers used so often with Troy Polamalu in their cover-3 (two corners off the line with a free safety in the middle), a cover-2 involves two corners up on the line backed by two deep safeties.
After Tomlin ran a non-stop streak of hard instruction at his defensive backfield yesterday, he walked away and said, "We're going to build this ship, but we're not going to build it all today." And the group was dismissed.
Ryan Clark, the team's former cover-3 free safety who's now an analyst for ESPN, was at St. Vincent College for the practice. He said moving into the direction of a cover-2, and ultimately a 4-3 base, makes a lot of sense.
"I saw a lot of the early things they were putting in with two high safeties," Clark said. "From me looking at it, it looks like an evaluation of the personnel, of the people they have, both on defense and also on offense."
Clark used the old Indianapolis Colts of the Peyton Manning era as an example.
"When they were able to score all those points, those weren't amazing defenses," Clark said. "They got Bob Sanders and then they got better, but they played cover-2. It was a bend-but-don't-break, don't-give-up-touchdowns, make-people-kick-field-goals type defense. I'm not saying that's where they're going here, but I also know cover-2's a way to minimize big plays. And when you're looking at a team that can score the way this team should be able to score, I think Coach Tomlin's putting his imprint on that part of the defense."


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http://www.scout.com/nfl/steelers/st...over-2-defense

[TeeTee]

So much for only subtle changes. Going to a cover 2 is a fairly big difference, no?

[Edman]

The days of the classic 3-4 are done, and they've been done for a while now.

Not only are there not any more Aaron Smiths or Casey Hamptons, but there's also the popularity of players like J.J Watt.

The NFL has long since adjusted to Dick Lebeau's Defense. Lebeau Defenses forced offenses to be patient, well guess what? Offenses are patient now. Back then, only the elite passers could beat his defense, now, any old Joe Quarterback can beat it. Just dink and dunk down the field and passes to Tight Ends over the middle.

[Mojouw]

And tomorrow if they spend time in practice with a safeties in the box will we be reading stories about a shift to a 4-6?

They didn't draft Dupree and Jarvis to play a 4-3 as the primary front. Full stop. End of discussion. Will Butler/Tomlin's version of a 3-4 look different than Lebeau's? I should hope so.

But this team will not be primarily a cover 2 team anytime in the next 3 seasons.

[polamalubeast]

And tomorrow if they spend time in practice with a safeties in the box will we be reading stories about a shift to a 4-6?

They didn't draft Dupree and Jarvis to play a 4-3 as the primary front. Full stop. End of discussion. Will Butler/Tomlin's version of a 3-4 look different than Lebeau's? I should hope so.

But this team will not be primarily a cover 2 team anytime in the next 3 seasons.

Maybe the Steelers have lost confidence in Jarvis Jones

[Mojouw]

Maybe the Steelers have lost confidence in Jarvis Jones

That very well may be. My real point is that training camp reports are breathless relayed and dissected for information.

What if they played a five man line? Are they going to a 5-2? I mean it would get Tuitt, Heyward, McClendon, McCullers, and Walton on the field at the same time!

They practiced 2 deep safeties for a day or so - so far. Maybe more is to come. Maybe not.

The point being, what is more likely looking at the roster and the contracts they have on defense - a fundamental shift in defensive front, or ensuring that your defenders are well schooled and versed in one of the foundational coverage schemes in the modern NFL?

[86WARD]

That defense would get destroyed if hey spent any length of time on the field. Who would rotate in? Lol...

I like the different looks...

[ALLD]

Whatever they did last year didn't work gloriously. They got burned a lot and it just wasn't Cortez Allen. This defense needs a new direction or they will get demoralized again and be the waste of another season, Cleveland-style.

[Mojouw]

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...backers-in-the

Another reason the shift to a 4-3 isn't coming anytime soon. That is unless Timmons becomes a cap casualty...

[polamalubeast]

"You didn't pay Cam that money to be a two-gapper. He's a penetrator. That's what he does. That's what he's good at," Clark said. "You have to get pressure if you're going to play cover-2. You drafted Bud (Dupree). You have Jarvis (Jones). You have those guys. Those guys have to be able to rush the passer, and I think what's going to make this team still good is if they can perfect cover-2 to a point to where it's something they can play throughout the game. Now, unless you run your fire zones, unless you run your (cover)-3, the things this defense is known for doing, with it being a young group you're not having to re-teach people. You don't have to re-teach Troy and say, 'Hey, Troy, I need you to learn to play cover-2.' Mike Mitchell comes from a place where they played cover-2 because they had great backers. You look at what should be all first-round draft picks in James Harrison, Bud, Jarvis, (Ryan) Shazier, (Lawrence) Timmons at linebacker, now you've got to count on these guys to be able to drop, to be able to run, and so I think they have the personnel to do it. Coach Tomlin is putting his imprint, his stamp, on this."

The Steelers used a four-man front close to 50 percent of the time last season, but it's likely they want to use more of that nickel front this season. But Clark cautioned against calling the Steelers a 4-3 team at this point.


"They don't have 4-3, all-game personnel yet," he said. "If you draft a Jarvis Jones, and you draft a Bud Dupree, you draft them both to play all the time. You go 4-3 on first downs, now one of those guys is out of the game. You don't draft those guys to watch. So I don't think it goes totally 4-3, but if one of those guys can play hand up, off the ball, or one of them is good enough to play the end and be stout, then it can move that way."

http://www.scout.com/nfl/steelers/st...over-2-defense

[Mojouw]

"You didn't pay Cam that money to be a two-gapper. He's a penetrator. That's what he does. That's what he's good at," Clark said. "You have to get pressure if you're going to play cover-2. You drafted Bud (Dupree). You have Jarvis (Jones). You have those guys. Those guys have to be able to rush the passer, and I think what's going to make this team still good is if they can perfect cover-2 to a point to where it's something they can play throughout the game. Now, unless you run your fire zones, unless you run your (cover)-3, the things this defense is known for doing, with it being a young group you're not having to re-teach people. You don't have to re-teach Troy and say, 'Hey, Troy, I need you to learn to play cover-2.' Mike Mitchell comes from a place where they played cover-2 because they had great backers. You look at what should be all first-round draft picks in James Harrison, Bud, Jarvis, (Ryan) Shazier, (Lawrence) Timmons at linebacker, now you've got to count on these guys to be able to drop, to be able to run, and so I think they have the personnel to do it. Coach Tomlin is putting his imprint, his stamp, on this."

The Steelers used a four-man front close to 50 percent of the time last season, but it's likely they want to use more of that nickel front this season. But Clark cautioned against calling the Steelers a 4-3 team at this point.


"They don't have 4-3, all-game personnel yet," he said. "If you draft a Jarvis Jones, and you draft a Bud Dupree, you draft them both to play all the time. You go 4-3 on first downs, now one of those guys is out of the game. You don't draft those guys to watch. So I don't think it goes totally 4-3, but if one of those guys can play hand up, off the ball, or one of them is good enough to play the end and be stout, then it can move that way."

http://www.scout.com/nfl/steelers/st...over-2-defense

I know. I read the article. My point is that it was a garbage article from typically an insightful and thoughtful reporter. But this article was a total pile of crap.

Basically was "Team Practices Formation. Former Player Provides Extended But Meaningless Speculation on Impact."

What would have been more "insightful" is to put some thought into the piece. What are other NFL teams doing to defend the pass? How many teams exclusively play one front (whether it be a 3 man or 4 man front)? How many play a "hybrid" defense? How many teams switch? Hell, if that is too hard - make it easier.

How many times were the Steelers in nickel last year? How many times in dime? Did they front those packages with 3 or 4 man fronts? What about those 2 man fronts we used to see? I suspect you would find that they spent a TON of time (if nothing else as teams had to abandon the run to put up points with Roethlisberger and company) in extra DB situations. It is almost like those are the situations (regardless of what your base package is) that sometimes call for cover 2 looks. Nah, that is totally unreasonable. Let's spend a few hundred words rambling on about linebackers and roster transitions.

Put it this way. The Steelers most likely spent a high # of snaps outside of their base defense last year. This is a common situation to employ a Cover 2 coverage scheme. Tomlin is loony tunes for "sub package football". So instead of looking at the potential ways the defense may be trying to adapt its different packages - Wexell just wrote the first of the several annual "Tomlin wants to move the Steelers to a 4-3..." articles.

Another way to go with it is that the Steelers typically like to employ Cover 3. Now Cover 3 schemes leave some (or a lot depending on your viewpoint) room for at least one of the safeties or linebackers to "freelance" a bit. DOES THAT SOUND LIKE ANY RECENT STEELERS PLAYER? Maybe a certain safety that just hung up his cleats? Could it be that now that their all-universe safety has moved on, the Steelers defensive brain trust is installing some revised coverage concepts because just maybe the patented "You 4 rush. You 3 play zone(s). You two take the outside guys with a safety over the top and you..you with the hair...go do whatever the hell your football savant mind tells you to do. Maybe tackle a guy with your hip and an elbow? Jump over the center? Sure, yeah, whatever works" system they have employed for the last several years is no longer possible?

Ahh, but why the hell should these dirtballs have to ear their money, when they can just dredge up the same stink every year? And they wonder why they are no longer relevant? C'mon.

Goodness, I need real football to start. This pads and shorts shit is gonna kill me.

[polamalubeast]

I can not wait to see what defense Butler/Tomlin will run.


I have no idea right now but I have hope that the Steelers will make the changes needed to be better.

[TD's & Beer]

So much for only subtle changes. Going to a cover 2 is a fairly big difference, no?

what he is describing sounds like a Tampa 2 - more zone pass coverage

[LLT]

That defense would get destroyed if hey spent any length of time on the field. Who would rotate in? Lol...

I like the different looks...

This

I wouldnt expect it to be more than a scheme at this particular time and with the personnel we have. By that I am talking about the defensive backs. The Tampa 2 is a three deep scheme....with two deep safeties to the side and the middle linebacker covering the deep middle. I actually think that both Shazier and Spence are athletic enough to cover WR's and TE's in that spot...BUT....I worry about our safeties in a Tampa 2.

[Mojouw]

This is how you actually write a thoughtful article.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2015/07...ver-2-in-2015/

[steelreserve]

Wait, you mean they looked at the players they had and tweaked the system instead of forcing it? What's wrong with Lebe -- oh, right.

I don't expect them to go full-on 4-3 any time soon, but it sounds like we could be in for more of a hybrid alignment that changes situationally, which would be a big step in the right direction IMO.

I don't really see any problem with going to the 4-3 in the near future, since Shazier was an OLB a year and a half ago and Timmons could play there in a pinch. Mainly it's the continuing lack of a nose tackle that makes me lean in that direction, though.