Keith Butler Admits Team Played Too Much Zone In 2016

[polamalubeast]

[st33lersguy]

First sign they are adjusting.

[GBMelBlount]

Beyond that, he reiterated the need to establish a four man rush,

something he and Mike Tomlin have talked about for approximately six billion years.

Finally, Butler said a lot of word salad that I can’t figure out.

[RunNGun]

My take on running man is you have to have consistent pressure more so than having good man to man cornerbacks. I believe our pressure got better as soon as Bud returned from injury, but we still didn't see man to man after his return. With the addition of Watt I look for us to get more pressure, as well as play more man. I don't necessarily believe Watt is going to get 10 sacks, but he will allow us to be fresh with rotations. I also don't know as if we've had, "potentially" as good of man to man corners since Ike and K.Lewis. This team is built to beat the Pats and I think we're closing the gap. Very excited to see some new looks from our defense.

[Mojouw]

The whole thing depends on how dumb or not dumb most of the defense is. Butler can draw up whatever he wants, but if these guys can't quickly recognize and execute -- none of it matters.

[AtlantaDan]

This P-G article on the Steelers intending to play more man-to-man includes some favorable comments on Burns and unfavorable observations on Golson

Remembering what happened last season when Tom Brady tore apart their secondary in the AFC championship game, the Steelers are focusing on improving their ability to play man-to-man pass coverage and finding players who can help....

Secondary coach Carnell Lake made a point during minicamp to single out Burns as a player who can help them execute more man coverage in the secondary. .... “He’s really progressing well in that area,” Lake said. “He’s being physical. He’s challenging Antonio Brown, arguably one of the best receivers in the league, in practice every day. And that’s just going to make him better. The more confident he is covering someone like A.B., the more he should be able to transfer that to our competitors to get ready to start the season.” ...

Lake did not sound so excited about Golson, who hasn’t played a game of any kind — regular season or preseason — since he was drafted. And his two-year absence from the game because of injuries has caused the Steelers to have little hope he can help the secondary. Golson missed all of last season with a Lisfranc foot injury, and Lake said he “would expect to see some drop off [in speed] there. I hope between now and start of training camp he goes home and really works on that aspect of his game. We need that.” Lake even went so far as to suggest that Golson will have to prove he can be an effective special teams player if he wants to make the 53-man roster.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/s...s/201706180098

[Born2Steel]

I ADMIT TO NOTHING!!!!!!!!!

[Mojouw]

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/06...ing-made-easy/

Take a look at this. The line between zone and man is not as clear as the discussions around here make. Not surprisingly, a modern NFL defense is fiendishly complex and the lines are not clear.

Man coverage in the NFL is not what we all play in our backyards and high-shools.