winds of change ...........

[Dwinsgames]

its looking like Mike Hilton has been demoted to scout team reps and Cam Sutton is moving to the slot .... this is the answer from Butler and Tomlin on our defensive woes Bench the guy whom has been the best cover man for most of the season ( 2 poor games last 2 weeks ) but over all still the best cover guy on the team .....


I do not see this ending well

[Mojouw]

What else can they do?

Sutton and Hilton can not play on the outside. Every time they have tried it, it has been real ugly. Burns is unplayable. Davis and Edmunds are certainly better than Burnett and Marcus Allen.

So that leaves Sutton in the slot and Brian Allen on the outside as the only parts to be swapped in. Anyone have confidence after this preseason that Brian Allen is an answer to any question aside from "who might surprise us all and play well in 2019?" I certainly don't.

Move to linebacker. Your available options are Bostic, Chickillo, and Matakevich. All those three we have seen repeatedly get exposed as flawed in extended time with the first string defense. Chickillo is almost an automatic isolation and completion in coverage for the offense -- in his limited time on the field this year I can think of at least 2 TDs he is almost solely responsible for. The remaining LBs are an unproven pass rusher from Toledo and another UDFA who is a reputed mental midget. Putting another athletic guy on the field who doesn't understand what his role/assignment is is essentially how we go here in the first place.

To return to the original thing -- Sutton for Hilton -- it is the only change you can make that has even a remote chance of representing an improvement from a personnel standpoint. Every other change would be in regard to how you employ existing starters and key reserves.

[SteeleReign]

What else can they do?

Sutton and Hilton can not play on the outside. Every time they have tried it, it has been real ugly. Burns is unplayable. Davis and Edmunds are certainly better than Burnett and Marcus Allen.

So that leaves Sutton in the slot and Brian Allen on the outside as the only parts to be swapped in. Anyone have confidence after this preseason that Brian Allen is an answer to any question aside from "who might surprise us all and play well in 2019?" I certainly don't.

Move to linebacker. Your available options are Bostic, Chickillo, and Matakevich. All those three we have seen repeatedly get exposed as flawed in extended time with the first string defense. Chickillo is almost an automatic isolation and completion in coverage for the offense -- in his limited time on the field this year I can think of at least 2 TDs he is almost solely responsible for. The remaining LBs are an unproven pass rusher from Toledo and another UDFA who is a reputed mental midget. Putting another athletic guy on the field who doesn't understand what his role/assignment is is essentially how we go here in the first place.

To return to the original thing -- Sutton for Hilton -- it is the only change you can make that has even a remote chance of representing an improvement from a personnel standpoint. Every other change would be in regard to how you employ existing starters and key reserves.

I'm confused. How does demoting Hilton, who has been one of our better defenders, for a complete unknown in Sutton impart positive change?

Unless the coaches believe that Hilton has been a poor performer, it makes no sense to make this change for the sake of change.

Why not use Sutton in place of Sensabaugh? Or give Hilton a go at CB2 and Sutton at Slot?

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[Mojouw]

I'm confused. How does demoting Hilton, who has been one of our better defenders, for a complete unknown in Sutton impart positive change?

Unless the coaches believe that Hilton has been a poor performer, it makes no sense to make this change for the sake of change.

Why not use Sutton in place of Sensabaugh? Or give Hilton a go at CB2 and Sutton at Slot?

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They have tried both Hilton and Sutton at CB2 and they performed poorly, albeit in limited time.

I have NO idea if Sutton will be better, worse, or the same as Hilton. But ANY other change I can think of in the top 14 defensive players would certainly result in worse outcomes.

For instance, no one in their right mind would propose that Walton should play in place of Heyward.

FWIW -- Hilton bungled the coverage on the winning Raiders TD. He also allowed a TD against the Chargers.

[SteeleReign]

They have tried both Hilton and Sutton at CB2 and they performed poorly, albeit in limited time.

I have NO idea if Sutton will be better, worse, or the same as Hilton. But ANY other change I can think of in the top 14 defensive players would certainly result in worse outcomes.

For instance, no one in their right mind would propose that Walton should play in place of Heyward.

FWIW -- Hilton bungled the coverage on the winning Raiders TD. He also allowed a TD against the Chargers.

I'd agree that Hilton has struggled of late, I'm just surprised that Sensabaugh wasn't the player demoted. If we're being honest, Haden hasn't been good lately either.

Maybe they see Sutton as a better size match up with Gronk over the middle?

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[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

[Dwinsgames]

I'd agree that Hilton has struggled of late, I'm just surprised that Sensabaugh wasn't the player demoted. If we're being honest, Haden hasn't been good lately either.

Maybe they see Sutton as a better size match up with Gronk over the middle?

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Sutton is bigger than Hilton , but lets face it 5'10-185 is still a small man trying to cover Gronk with his physicality

[SteeleReign]

Sutton is bigger than Hilton , but lets face it 5'10-185 is still a small man trying to cover Gronk with his physicality

True. We need to unleash holy hell on Brady or Gronk is gonna set more records. I just don't see any fathomable way for us to win this game. James White is gonna gash us too.

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[teegre]

My guess is that Hilton is going to play man on Gronk the entire game.

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

True. We need to unleash holy hell on Brady or Gronk is gonna set more records. I just don't see any fathomable way for us to win this game. James White is gonna gash us too.

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Pats are on the decline and just look at the teams who beat them this year. I think it's a very winnable game as long as Steelers don't beat the Steelers again. Would help a lot to have Conner playing though!

[GBMelBlount]

Tomlin is going to unleash wind in December

[Dwinsgames]

My guess is that Hilton is going to play man on Gronk the entire game.

he was running with the scout team at practice

[SteeleReign]

Pats are on the decline and just look at the teams who beat them this year. I think it's a very winnable game as long as Steelers don't beat the Steelers again. Would help a lot to have Conner playing though!

We certainly CAN beat them. I would have assumed that we COULD beat the Raiders too.

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[teegre]

he was running with the scout team at practice

Yea... so he could cover McDonald (the only guy close to matching Gronk’s stature).

[JimHarbaugh'ssoakedtissue]

Where is the Scorpions Video in this post ?

[steelreserve]

What else can they do?

For this one game only? Swap Edmunds for Bostic in their base package to make a 3-3-5, and have either Hilton or Sutton as the extra DB for dime packages, I don't really care which.

No, really, just use an extra safety the whole game - the guy who is 6'1" and has 30 pounds on either of our slot corners gives you a lot better chance of covering Polack Party Bro. Having one less linebacker won't matter, since they are going to throw the ball 80% of the time anyway.

For the long term? Get a DB coach and a defensive coordinator who have a fucking clue. Burns, Sutton, Sensabaugh, Allen, Hilton ... we had five young up-and-coming CBs who showed flashes, needed some polish ... all are now trash-tier, none have learned a thing, can barely have them on the field, and the one guy who is halfway decent is a Pro Bowler from another team. Incidentally, the same story as with the last dozen or so young DBs we've chewed through. Davis possibly the only serviceable homegrown DB we've had since William Gay over a decade ago, but even there the jury's still out.

That is hands-down, the WORST record of player development I have ever seen, and by all appearances it has somehow gotten even worse this year, as the players are not only not improving, but forgetting things they already knew how to do. Every single CB except Haden has regressed into an inconsistent basket-case. Sensabaugh is starting, not because he is any less of a liability than before, but by default because he stood still while everyone else fell apart around him, and he is now better by comparison. I do not think it's the personnel, we should have been at least OK with that many players who obviously had some promise. It is almost impossible that it is just bad luck.

Then after that shitshow is dealt with, use a high draft pick on a fast ILB with coverage skills, or sign one, or trade for one. You don't need Shazier, you just need someone who can cover the tight end and not get completely run over on rushing plays. With what is looking like about the 18th pick in the draft, and $25-$40 million in cap space, there is no excuse whatsoever for failing to address that this time.

[SteeleReign]

Yea... so he could cover McDonald (the only guy close to matching Gronk’s stature).

Why would Hilton have to run Scout team to practice against McDonald though?

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[Dwinsgames]

Tomlin is going to unleash wind in December

funny stuff but most hilarious for me was 3:28

[teegre]

Why would Hilton have to run Scout team to practice against McDonald though?

The scout team defense goes up against the Steelers starters. This allows Hilton to get lots of reps against McDonald.

Sort of like how they had James Washington play WR#1 on the scout team; so, that he’d get 1) lots of reps against 2) our top CBs.

No one (not Sutton, not Hilton, not Tomlin) called this a demotion. In fact, aside from Sutton, no one has said anything. It sort of reminds me of the regular-season game against the Broncos in 1997 when Cowher closed practices and shook up the defense. Alas, in today’s “media-centric” NFL, nothing can be kept a secret.

[SteeleReign]

The scout team defense goes up against the Steelers starters. This allows Hilton to get lots of reps against McDonald.

Sort of like how they had James Washington play WR#1 on the scout team; so, that he’d get 1) lots of reps against 2) our top CBs.

No one (not Sutton, not Hilton, not Tomlin) called this a demotion. In fact, aside from Sutton, no one has said anything. It sort of reminds me of the regular-season game against the Broncos in 1997 when Cowher closed practices and shook up the defense. Alas, in today’s “media-centric” NFL, nothing can be kept a secret.

The more I've read of the situation since, the more I agree. I think this is just situational adjustments against our nemesis in, nearly, a must-win game.

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[teegre]

The more I've read of the situation since, the more I agree. I think this is just situational adjustments against our nemesis in, nearly, a must-win game.

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[Dwinsgames]

For this one game only? Swap Edmunds for Bostic in their base package to make a 3-3-5, and have either Hilton or Sutton as the extra DB for dime packages, I don't really care which.

No, really, just use an extra safety the whole game - the guy who is 6'1" and has 30 pounds on either of our slot corners gives you a lot better chance of covering Polack Party Bro. Having one less linebacker won't matter, since they are going to throw the ball 80% of the time anyway.

For the long term? Get a DB coach and a defensive coordinator who have a fucking clue. Burns, Sutton, Sensabaugh, Allen, Hilton ... we had five young up-and-coming CBs who showed flashes, needed some polish ... all are now trash-tier, none have learned a thing, can barely have them on the field, and the one guy who is halfway decent is a Pro Bowler from another team. Incidentally, the same story as with the last dozen or so young DBs we've chewed through. Davis possibly the only serviceable homegrown DB we've had since William Gay over a decade ago, but even there the jury's still out.

That is hands-down, the WORST record of player development I have ever seen, and by all appearances it has somehow gotten even worse this year, as the players are not only not improving, but forgetting things they already knew how to do. Every single CB except Haden has regressed into an inconsistent basket-case. Sensabaugh is starting, not because he is any less of a liability than before, but by default because he stood still while everyone else fell apart around him, and he is now better by comparison. I do not think it's the personnel, we should have been at least OK with that many players who obviously had some promise. It is almost impossible that it is just bad luck.

Then after that shitshow is dealt with, use a high draft pick on a fast ILB with coverage skills, or sign one, or trade for one. You don't need Shazier, you just need someone who can cover the tight end and not get completely run over on rushing plays. With what is looking like about the 18th pick in the draft, and $25-$40 million in cap space, there is no excuse whatsoever for failing to address that this time.

..... !

[AtlantaDan]

Sort of like how they had James Washington play WR#1 on the scout team; so, that he’d get 1) lots of reps against 2) our top CBs.

Which prepared Washington in a game like simulation by practicing against CBs with skill levels equivalent to the third and fourth best CBs of upcoming opponents he would face while the other team's better CBs covered AB and JuJu?

[Dwinsgames]

Which prepared Washington by practicing against CBs with skill levels equivalent to the third and fourth best CBs of upcoming opponents he would face while the other team's better CBs covered AB and JuJu?

I bet he kills it in practice

[Fire Goodell]

Well the Patriots are gonna stomp us, some things never change

[teegre]

Which prepared Washington in a game like simulation by practicing against CBs with skill levels equivalent to the third and fourth best CBs of upcoming opponents he would face while the other team's better CBs covered AB and JuJu?

For game-planning, yes.

The scout team (usually third string and/or practice squad players) run plays/defenses that the opposition routinely runs. That way the starters get used to seeing those alignments.

[AtlantaDan]

For game-planning, yes.

The scout team (usually third string and/or practice squad players) run plays/defenses that the opposition routinely runs. That way the starters get used to seeing those alignments.

I was being sarcastic

What better way to get ready for playing against non-top shelf DBs that cover a team’s #3 receivers than to practice against the Steelers top DBs who, with the exception of Haden, would be lucky to see the field for anything other than special teams for many other rosters

Maybe Washington has been such a disappointment because what he faces in games is such a step up from the sorry Steelers DBs he practices against

[teegre]

I was being sarcastic

What better way to get ready for playing against non-top shelf DBs that cover a team’s #3 receivers than to practice against the Steelers top DBs who, with the exception of Haden, would be lucky to see the field for anything other than special teams for many other rosters

Maybe Washington has been such a disappointment because what he faces in games is such a step up from the sorry Steelers DBs he practices against

Got it. I missed it there for a second... I’m having a slow day. #fluseason

It reminds me of when Malcolm Butler used to rip it up during practices... but... it was against Ricardo Colclough.

[Rotorhead]

Why don’t we just jam Gronk at the LOS and let someone follow him all over the field, that would seem to be the best option.

[teegre]

Why don’t we just jam Gronk at the LOS and let someone follow him all over the field, that would seem to be the best option.

Dupree at the LOS, with Hilton bracketing him.