DK - A defense rebuilt, now maybe reborn

[Steelerfan81]

Column: A defense rebuilt, now maybe reborn
FEATURED
DEJAN
At 3:01 p.m. Sunday, on the occasion of the Steelers’ 83rd home opener, I swear I heard it.

“DEE-FENSE! DEE-FENSE!”

It emanated from above Heinz Field’s north end zone, and it wasn’t sustained for more than several seconds before all concerned had to reset a few yards from the Pittsburgh goal line. But it was unmistakable. It was real.

And it was the first time for that particular chant since … wow, who can remember?

“Did you hear that?” Lawrence Timmons asked afterward with the sweetest, softest of smiles. “It got loud, too. I mean loud.”

I asked LT right back why it happened.

“Because they’re Pittsburgh Steelers fans, that’s why. They love their defense. And we love them right back. There’s nothing better than playing in this place when the defense is going like we were.”


Full story check out www.dkonpittsburghsports.com

 

[awboatguy]

Here's to hoping this is the resurgence of the great Pittsburgh Defense we all have grown to love.

HERE WE GO!

 

[Steelz]

Something new I seen that I don't think I've ever seen under Lebeau, the defensive linemen stand up at the line of scrimmage and disguise themselves as linebackers showing a blitz. Heyward got his sack with that look. I think it kinda fools the O-line into thinking the disguised lineman/linebacker is faking a blitz but in reality it's a lineman they let go unblocked.

 

[madinsomniac]

The e-fense earned a part of the D for that game... got to see more before they get it back. ask me again when they play a team with a good offense

 

[Punxsutawney]

It was a great performance, but the 49ers offense is not what it was a couple years ago. Kaepernick has regressed and their line is weaker.

The Steelers defense still got torched for some long pass plays, which remains a concern. I like some of the things I'm seeing in the front 7, as the likes of Shazier, Tuitt and Dupree are showing a lot of promise, but the secondary is still a wreck, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Sarge]

Last week, this defense didn't know where to line up. Now after a win, in which the defense gave up over 400 yards, we are in a defensive rennaisance(sp)? Give me a break. Much better, for sure. But still quite a road to travel.

 

[nitsuj1225]

The e-fense earned a part of the D for that game... got to see more before they get it back. ask me again when they play a team with a good offense

Agree. I feel like this is the kind of offense we thrive at stopping. The first half there was little threat of the 9ers passing so we could stack the box to support the run while getting pressure on Kaep pretty regularly when they did decide to throw. We also did a good job of slowing Hyde who had a monster game week 1. However, once things opened up the 2nd half and the 9ers started slinging it, our weakness was apparent. We just can't stop the pass when that's what the offense wants to do. Whether we went vanilla during the 3rd/4th quarter, I'm not sure but Kaep picked us apart fairly easily on a handful of drives and he's by far not a good throwing QB. It was just cringe-worthy to see Boldin and some others run literally uncovered pretty regularly in the 2nd half...it was deja vu from Gronk and week 1. Luckily Boldin dropped one of them when there was nobody within 20 yards.

However, our redzone D was outstanding and if we can just keep our opponents out of the endzone, our offense should be able to put up enough points to win.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

I'm not ready to call it a done project or a finished product. However, I do find it funny that many of you are pointing out the over 400 yards stat when many of those yards came in the second half when SF was in desperation mode trying to score through the air. The Stat that matters most to me is the points on the board ... allowing less than 20 pts is a very good start against most offenses in today's NFL.

 

[Vader]

Something new I seen that I don't think I've ever seen under Lebeau, the defensive linemen stand up at the line of scrimmage and disguise themselves as linebackers showing a blitz. Heyward got his sack with that look. I think it kinda fools the O-line into thinking the disguised lineman/linebacker is faking a blitz but in reality it's a lineman they let go unblocked.

DL has ran that for years. It was called the amoeba defense. Here is an entire article about it two years ago.

http://www.isportstimes.com/article...-steelers-news-breaking-down-dick-lebeaus.htm

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

The 49er's had a little over 100yds in the 1st half and only 3 points. Needless to say- much of their damage was done in garbage time.

Hell lets take it another step... The Bills defense, which is expected to be top 5 in the NFL, just let the Pats:

Put up 40 points compared to our 28.
Allowed Brady to throw for 466 compared to our 288
Allowed 507 Yards compared to our 467

All while playing at home.

Maybe our defense isnt as bad as many of you think?

 

[antdrewjosh]

Dupree flashed a elite first step on his sack yesterday. Was around the OT before he got out his stance.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

However, our redzone D was outstanding and if we can just keep our opponents out of the endzone, our offense should be able to put up enough points to win.

True, I couldn't believe they stuffed the 9ers twice and held them to a FG.

 

[blitzburghv5]

The 49er's had a little over 100yds in the 1st half and only 3 points. Needless to say- much of their damage was done in garbage time.

Hell lets take it another step... The Bills defense, which is expected to be top 5 in the NFL, just let the Pats:

Put up 40 points compared to our 28.
Allowed Brady to throw for 466 compared to our 288
Allowed 507 Yards compared to our 467

All while playing at home.

Maybe our defense isnt as bad as many of you think?

You and these bullshit facts man....

 

[Vader]

Garbage time points only count when the Steelers put them up like last week against the pats***. They don't count this week because it happened against the Steelers. I said last week this would happen... right on schedule.

 

[t-man]

The 49er's had a little over 100yds in the 1st half and only 3 points. Needless to say- much of their damage was done in garbage time.

Hell lets take it another step... The Bills defense, which is expected to be top 5 in the NFL, just let the Pats:

Put up 40 points compared to our 28.
Allowed Brady to throw for 466 compared to our 288
Allowed 507 Yards compared to our 467

All while playing at home.

Maybe our defense isnt as bad as many of you think?

Very good points. Rex "had a man" on Gronk, but he still lost the game.

Joe

 

[t-man]

Garbage time points only count when the Steelers put them up like last week against the pats***. They don't count this week because it happened against the Steelers. I said last week this would happen... right on schedule.

What was the score against the ******* Patsies at the half last week? What was it against the Niners this week? I'd say the Pats were trying a fuckload harder to keep our offense down in the 2nd half than we were the Niners given the situation.

But whatever. Bottom line, we put an *** beating on a team that didn't allow a TD in their first game, I'll take it and move on to next week.

My mistake, late in the second half we were down by 7

END QUARTER 3
PIT 14 NE 21 Plays: 13 Possession: 7:36

Yeah, we **** the bed after that, but to imply that the entire ******* half of garbage time the Niners had was anything like the less than a quarter we had is disingenuous.

Joe

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Garbage time points only count when the Steelers put them up like last week against the pats***. They don't count this week because it happened against the Steelers. I said last week this would happen... right on schedule.

Even if you count the garbage time points; which for the sake of addressing your point I will, the 9'ers only put 18 points on the board. As I said earlier, holding any offense to less than 20 points in today's NFL is a pretty good showing. It's not like the 9'ers put up 20 pts in garbage time or people are discounting some onslaught of points scored in the 4th. Count the garbage time points ... still only 18 points for the entire game.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Maybe our defense isnt as bad as many of you think?

I am hopeful. Also the other offenses in our division may not be all that good this year. I am still concerned that two guys who will probably end up being starting DB's (Boykin and Cockrell) were last minute FA pickups because Tombert can't seem to draft DB's for ****. Maybe just adopt the Pirates' philosophy where you simply draft an overabundance of the players at the positions you are good at drafting and trade the surplus for decent players from other teams to fill your needs.

 

[Vader]

What was the score against the ******* Patsies at the half last week? What was it against the Niners this week? I'd say the Pats were trying a fuckload harder to keep our offense down in the 2nd half than we were the Niners given the situation.

But whatever. Bottom line, we put an *** beating on a team that didn't allow a TD in their first game, I'll take it and move on to next week.

My mistake, late in the second half we were down by 7

END QUARTER 3
PIT 14 NE 21 Plays: 13 Possession: 7:36

Yeah, we **** the bed after that, but to imply that the entire ******* half of garbage time the Niners had was anything like the less than a quarter we had is disingenuous.

Joe

What's disingenuous is saying one is garbage time and the other isn't. When you can't win the game and score it is garbage time. It doesn't matter if it is 3rd qtr. or the 4th qtr. Both scored when the game wasn't in doubt. They are both garbage time stats. Trying to say I implied anything other than that is disingenuous as well.

 

[Vader]

Even if you count the garbage time points; which for the sake of addressing your point I will, the 9'ers only put 18 points on the board. As I said earlier, holding any offense to less than 20 points in today's NFL is a pretty good showing. It's not like the 9'ers put up 20 pts in garbage time or people are discounting some onslaught of points scored in the 4th. Count the garbage time points ... still only 18 points for the entire game.

And if you take the garbage points away from the Steelers last week they score 14 on a defense that everyone says sucks because they lost too many people. So what? I'm not saying the Steelers did anything wrong. I just find it odd that people want to bash the 49ers stats because they were "garbage" stats but have no issues counting Ben's stats last week when he had his only TD and 70 yards passing during garbage time.

 

[madinsomniac]

The issue is that this early you cant really tell what a good defense will be.
Let me put this into perspective... ten years ago there were 7 teams held to single digits in scoring in the first week... there were also 7 teams held to single digits in the second week.

through two weeks with the exception of tonight's game, a grand total of two teams have been held to single digits. one of which was the 9rs holding the vikes to 3, and then giving up 43 to us...

Its possible that a top 10 defense this year will average 20+points allowed per game. we will know more as the season gets older....

Its really hard for a fanbase like ours, which has been spoiled by great d throughout the years, to grasp that right now a good d may be giving up 3 tds a game

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Bright spot ... "Durpee" is on pace for 16 sacks. That's pretty good for a guy with limited OLB skills and a lack of intelligence .. right Coach?

 

[madinsomniac]

And if you take the garbage points away from the Steelers last week they score 14 on a defense that everyone says sucks because they lost too many people. So what? I'm not saying the Steelers did anything wrong. I just find it odd that people want to bash the 49ers stats because they were "garbage" stats but have no issues counting Ben's stats last week when he had his only TD and 70 yards passing during garbage time.

Watching the Steelers O last week one had the feeling they were abusing the D and just not finishing...that was even according to the announcers during the game. the 9rs were, for the most part bottled up they had a couple long drives buoyed by a lot of favorable calls, but there was not really ever a feeling they were an offensive threat, but whether that was our D or their ineptitude, I am not sure. The D got toasted on a long Td play in a D that is meant to prevent those same quick strikes, and they again had some trouble with Tes in the red zone, even if he couldn't hold on. there were red flags

 

[MTC]

DL has ran that for years. It was called the amoeba defense. Here is an entire article about it two years ago.

http://www.isportstimes.com/article...-steelers-news-breaking-down-dick-lebeaus.htm

I've always seen Keisel and Aaron Smith standing as linebackers on some plays

 

[Ron Burgundy]

The issue is that this early you cant really tell what a good defense will be.
Let me put this into perspective... ten years ago there were 7 teams held to single digits in scoring in the first week... there were also 7 teams held to single digits in the second week.

through two weeks with the exception of tonight's game, a grand total of two teams have been held to single digits. one of which was the 9rs holding the vikes to 3, and then giving up 43 to us...

Its possible that a top 10 defense this year will average 20+points allowed per game. we will know more as the season gets older....

Its really hard for a fanbase like ours, which has been spoiled by great d throughout the years, to grasp that right now a good d may be giving up 3 tds a game

Between Rog's rules changes and the salary cap it's just a matter that you spend your smart money on offense. The Pats** figured that out a while ago. Their defense usually isn't very good but that doesn't matter because their offense is going to put up at least 30 every week.