With a new DC and some other changes, what are your expectations for this defense?
Do you think they can get back to the top 5 or close to it like they were in 2019 and 2020 after having a bad year last year, especially because of their very poor run defense
I don't think they are going to be as bad as last year for the run defense, but how much better are they going to be against the run and will that be enough?
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Top 5, with the Alualu back plus new guys, Jack at ILB we have upgraded and our run def should be fixed
Middle of the pack. Offense hangs them out to dry too often. Face a massive number of plays per game. Start trying to make a game altering play on every snap. Etc.
The Defense is the vanguard has to do it all. Top 5 in the league and anything less and this team is not sniffing 8 wins.
Do everything it possibly can to drag this team to the postseason. Even last year with its horrid run defense, it still came down to them stepping up.
Of course,we all know about the huge question mark on offense but this thread is about the defense so the question is how good do you think the defense will be this year?Originally Posted by Edman
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The other question I'm going to ask you all is with a new DC and it's also possible that Brian Flores is going to have a say in how the defense are going to play, what are the possible changes that this defense is going to have?
how can anyone have expectations considering all the changes ? new coaches, new players, old guy returning from injury, player that played like dog shit for a season after injury....my only expectations is cam will be cam, and TJ will be TJ. i also expect highsmith to improve. but as unit ? who the hell knows.
they are as likely to be in the bottom 10 as they are the top 10.. we dont have a point of reference for the unit that will take the field this season.
I think we'd all like for Flores to have an impact on Devin Bush. If Flores can turn Bush into the player he was supposed to be then I see no reason why this defense can't be top 5. Witherspoon needs to play a full season like he did the last 4 or 5 games. We also need another CB to step up whether it's Wallace, Sutton, or one of the younger guys.
DL is definitely a question mark with what exactly they'll do there. I view Ogunjobi as more of a Nose in the 3-4, but I could be completely wrong. Will AluAlu slide out? Or wil Leal have an immediate impact? Whoever it is, the run defense must return to a Steelers strength.
Once Ahkello Witherspoon was inserted into the starting lineup, the secondary vastly improved. Adding Levi Wallace is not only an upgrade, it allows Cam Sutton to move back to the slot.
Myles Jack is at worst a slight improvement over Spillane, and there’s a slight chance he returns to his UCLA form… although not likely. Heck, I’ll take “good”. Speaking of “good”, as I stated when Brian Flores was hired, if anyone can turn The Cat Killer into a good player, it’s Flores.
Tyson Alualu rotating with Montravious Adams is better than rotating with the Davis twins… by a good margin, and while Larry Ogunjobi isn’t as good as Stephon Tuitt in his prime, but he’s light years better than the VOID left by Tuitt’s absence last season. Add in DeMarvin Leal, and I’m excited.
Lastly… Alex Highsmith is going to make the Pro Bowl.
No doubt they need to be great
I know that almost every steelers players are in their rookie contract on offense,but still....
If Alualu can stay healthy and Loudermilk steps up, this defense can be scary good.
Formerly known as Fire Goodell
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Well, they did just drop their $100M QB, so that was going to happen I suppose
We had so much wrong with the defense last year,
Tuitt and Tyson gone. Bush in a funk, Haden slowing down and Witherspoon showed up late in the season. Not to mention the defensive coaching mess (yes the Butler/Tomlin dynamic clearly had its issues).
with Tyson back and the young guys coming on we should be at least league average against the run and better than last year against the pass (added Witherspoon for a full season and Wallace). Flores and Austin should be an improvement in the defensive coaching also.
I'm expecting top 10 overall D.
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I hope so, he seemed like he was coming on late last year, or maybe i was imagining things
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I expect the pass rush to continue to be one of the league's best.
I expect the run defense to be improved over last season.
I expect an increase in turnovers and sacks overall.
True,this is a factor...Also in 2017 and 2018,most of the steelers spending was on offense so it's just a coincidence.Before that(like 2008 to 2013)the money spent was mostly on defense despite having Ben
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It will be important for the turnovers...They were not bad last year(14th overall) but they were second in 2020 and first in 2019 in turnovers.It would be important that the steelers are dominant in turnovers once again...If the steelers are much better against the run,it will help too.
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Sacks -- 1st
Takeaways -- 12th
Passing Defense -- 5th
Rushing Defense -- 9th
Total Defense -- 6th
Scoring Defense -- 3rd
I would take it!
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Change Takeaways to 8th and Total Def to 4th
Most likely 1st in sacks. Almost a gimme.
I really want 1st in scoring defense. You can have every other stat.
One practice in pads, and Jack has already shown that he is an improvement over Spillane (not just “slightly” either)… and his arrow is pointing up.
Mojouw's view of the defense.
Mojouw's view of the defense.
I actually really like the defensive roster and the elevation of Austin and Flores to the defensive brain-trust.
I just think the offense is going to be that bad. I think everyone from pundits, to Twitter talkers, to fans are wildly underestimating how bad the QB play will be in 2022.
Agreed. I think Ogunjobi is some insurance behind the 35 year old Alualu.
I still think there are 7 guys for 6 spots on the Defensive Line that have a realistic shot at the 53:
-Heyward
-Loudermilk
-Leal
-Ogunjobi
-Alualu
-Wormley
-Adams
Other guys like Khalil Davis or Donovan Jeter are on the outside looking in and maybe PS material.
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Mojouw's view of the defense.
yeah, that is not a "glass half empty" view. Its a "you need another glass" point of view.
Still possible for a defense to have great number even if the offense is just awful everywhere including the turnovers!
I actually really like the defensive roster and the elevation of Austin and Flores to the defensive brain-trust.
I just think the offense is going to be that bad. I think everyone from pundits, to Twitter talkers, to fans are wildly underestimating how bad the QB play will be in 2022.
https://www.pro-football-reference.c...s/pit/2019.htm
Chris Wormley Says Anything Less Than A Top Five Defense ‘Is Going To Be A Failure For Us’
https://steelersdepot.com/2022/08/ch...ailure-for-us/
Wormley speaks the truth.
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I'll take top 6 in yards, #1 in points allowed and #1 in turnovers!
I think the offense can be adequate enough to keep us in games. Let's face it the offense the last two years hasn't been great either and we were a playoff team in both. In 2020 Ben used his wisdom to get us to 11-0 before the league realized he was toast and couldn't throw over 15 yards. Last year our run game ground out wins as well with a very bad offensive line. Granted our OL is still going to be questionable but it definitely is going to be better, Harris and Muth have another year under their belt as well and with Pickens and Austin they have a LOT of good receivers to push defenses. Imagine running a 4 WR set with Muth. Good luck covering DJ, Claypool, Austin, Pickens and Muth.
If anything regardless of who starts at QB** it will be an upgrade on mobility, arm strength, and down field throws over 15 yards. Does this mean we will become the Chiefs offense? Absolutely not, but if it is better than last years, with Tomlin coaching it has to get us close to 10 wins and another playoff shot. But who knows you could be right and IMHO this is Canada's year to prove what he can do. All the "well Ben didn't want to run this" excuses are now off the table. Basically he has two young QB's that both need to prove themselves. If Canada can't schema plays to get receivers open he should be in the unemployment line next year.
** Everything I just typed is off the table if Mason Rudolph is the starter, we will have Tomlin's first losing season if this happens and I will start watching competitive cheer-leading on ESPN7 at 3am.
I can see what your saying. I just don't see how it actually works out.
All three of the potential QBs have not established a reputation/track record for dealing with pressure. If we buy into the idea that Ben was getting the ball out in 2 seconds flat because the OL was not able to protect for longer than that...what chance do Trubisky, Rudolph, and Pickett have at replicating that?
Ok....assume the revamped line holds up better and longer in passing situations. Then the offense looks like 2019? They won games that year because each and every week the defense generated a key turnover or turnovers. That is not a sustainable plan for success in the NFL.
I honestly think the offense will look very different, but be worse than the 2020-21 versions.
But this is intended to be a thread about the defense -- not another opportunity for me to repeat my doom and gloom about the offense.
I think the defense will be a joy to watch in 2022. Assuming everyone stays healthy this is likely the deepest and most talented version they have fielded in several years at all levels. There seems to be actual depth in the secondary. I can not remember the last time that took place. Flores might be on the way to Jedi-mind tricking the entire ILB disaster zone into playing competitive NFL level defense. And either the Steelers OL is just real bad top to bottom, or they have some game-wreckers on the DL. And I think everyone knows what they have at OLB.
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Alualu has been very tough and healthy for his career but missed most of last season with that broken ankle surgery. Now he's having to sit out TC with a swelling knee on the other leg. He's only under contract for this season and will earn around $2.2M.
It's not likely he would become a 'cap cut' but...what are your thoughts on his value to this DL at this point? Adams was his replacement last season I believe.
Not wanting him waived, just curious about the how you guys see it.
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He's one of the pieces they most likely hold on to and hope it works out. His cap hit is minimal, and they probably can't replace him for anywhere near that number.
Nobody knows for sure how it's going to work out. I'm hopeful that he slowly works his way back and he begins to play near the level he did before the injury. It would solidify the DL, and give the young players a chance to rotate in and get more experience and better at their craft.
Frankly, if he is close to 100% of what he was, this defense is going to be hard for offenses to deal with.
If he can't come back and is done, the youngsters are gonna have to ball. It will at least clarify to the organization the talent they have at the position, and identify future draft requirements in a good or bad way.
I'm hoping he can still get it done.
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