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Some decisions as to who plays more. The Steelers have some options!

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Once Shazier comes back, who do you prefer in the base defense, Timmons or Williams?


With Burns learning more each week, and Cockrell at times being picked on, who starts by says November?


And finally, with Chickillo flashing his ability to rush the passer, and Jones suddenly playing solid football, who should get more snaps?



My answers:

1 ) If Williams keeps playing this well, keep him as the starter! Williams has been impressing me with his hitting ability, tackling, and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's old school. We aren't likely to re-sign Timmons anyway, and Williams has the new deal.


2 ) Yes--By November, I think Burns should get the starting job. If he can't handle it, go back to Cockrell who lacks speed and physicality. I'll say it again, I like Cockrell as a 3rd corner or sub-package type of player.


3 ) Let Chickillo rush the passer more often, and keep Jones as a base starter for downs 1, and possibly 2, unless it's an obvious passing down.




4-1, how sweet it is!
 
Coach said:
Once Shazier comes back, who do you prefer in the base defense, Timmons or Williams?


With Burns learning more each week, and Cockrell at times being picked on, who starts by says November?


And finally, with Chickillo flashing his ability to rush the passer, and Jones suddenly playing solid football, who should get more snaps?



My answers:

1 ) If Williams keeps playing this well, keep him as the starter! Williams has been impressing me with his hitting ability, tackling, and making plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's old school. We aren't likely to re-sign Timmons anyway, and Williams has the new deal.


2 ) Yes--By November, I think Burns should get the starting job. If he can't handle it, go back to Cockrell who lacks speed and physicality. I'll say it again, I like Cockrell as a 3rd corner or sub-package type of player.


3 ) Let Chickillo rush the passer more often, and keep Jones as a base starter for downs 1, and possibly 2, unless it's an obvious passing down.




4-1, how sweet it is!
Click to expand...

And how about Davis, Coach? Six tackles and a PD and only a rookie.
 
On one play I remember Chicky got great penetration into the back field to make a play on the RB....but he missed the tackle. I'm sure that would be a bad play in your eyes Coach if that was JJ but while Chicky did miss the tackle he slowed the RB up for other defenders to make the play. I liked what I saw from Chicky this week ....I say keep him in the rotation. JJ had as much pressure on the QB as Chicky did if not more. Just didn't get a sack. Again though. JJ seemed to have gotten hurt. His wrist.
 
obxsteeler said:
And how about Davis, Coach? Six tackles and a PD and only a rookie.
Click to expand...

Exactly why I don't take his posts seriously. NOTHING to say about Davis at all. But the second he makes his next mistake he will be on here patting himself on the back til his arms break. Sad.

And as far as Cockrell goes

SECONDARY: B

If Ross Cockrell holds onto the ball in the second quarter that tipped off his hands in the end zone and ended up being the Jets' lone touchdown, this is an easy “A.” But even with allowing the one touchdown and with no turnovers forced, the secondary had a commendable outing, especially considering it was without Robert Golden and Justin Gilbert. Cockrell, by the way, has officially become the Steelers' No. 1 cornerback, the player assigned to the opponent's top threat. And with mostly strong results so far.

http://triblive.com/mobile/11272946-96/steelers-yards-career
 
obxsteeler said:
And how about Davis, Coach? Six tackles and a PD and only a rookie.
Click to expand...

Davis over Golden or Mitchell? Um, no. But kudos to Daivs for his very first PD. It only took five games.
 
stillwright said:
On one play I remember Chicky got great penetration into the back field to make a play on the RB....but he missed the tackle. I'm sure that would be a bad play in your eyes Coach if that was JJ but while Chicky did miss the tackle he slowed the RB up for other defenders to make the play. I liked what I saw from Chicky this week ....I say keep him in the rotation. JJ had as much pressure on the QB as Chicky did if not more. Just didn't get a sack. Again though. JJ seemed to have gotten hurt. His wrist.
Click to expand...

I gave J Jones props. He did play well yesterday.

Here's a point to ponder:

Ziggy Hood had 11.5 sacks while in Pittsburgh and was considered a bust.

Jarvis may not have 11 total pressures and people defend him.

Think about that for a moment.
 
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Steelerfan said:
Why do you people frustrate yourselves? No one has a right to complain about a Coach thread if they, themselves, post in it.
Click to expand...

What can I say? You are 100% correct. Like a moth is drawn to a flame...

I almost never take football disagreements personal.
 
Coach said:
I gave J Jones props. He did play well yesterday.

Here's a point to ponder:

Ziggy Hood had 11.5 sacks while in Pittsburgh and was considered a bust.

Jarvis may not have 11 total pressures and people defend him.

Think about that for a moment.
Click to expand...

And you were probably one of those people.
 
I was going to post something similar about Vince Williams. The dude is easily our best inside LB on the field right now and has played as one of the top 5 players on the entire D, if not top 3. I know it's only 2 games but when Shazier comes back, I see no way you can not have Vince on the field. Do they have him start with Timmons spelling him or do they do something else to get him on the field?
 
Coach said:
I gave J Jones props. He did play well yesterday.

Here's a point to ponder:

Ziggy Hood had 11.5 sacks while in Pittsburgh and was considered a bust.

Jarvis may not have 11 total pressures and people defend him.

Think about that for a moment.
Click to expand...


JJ is a disappointment for where he was drafted. I don't think you will find anyone to argue that but he isn't as bad as you say he is. Just as Chicky isn't nearly as good as you think he is.
 
Coach said:
Once Shazier comes back, who do you prefer in the base defense, Timmons or Williams?


With Burns learning more each week, and Cockrell at times being picked on, who starts by says November?


And finally, with Chickillo flashing his ability to rush the passer, and Jones suddenly playing solid football, who should get more snaps?
Click to expand...

1) Shazier is a special player and a game changer when he is on the field. Do you protect him by playing him less? Hell no. I play him every snap he can play. He could get hurt working out or playing basketball on Monday so why worry about things not in your control.

2) I like Burns in the slot. He has improved every week and I like the idea of him being able to play while not going against the AJ Greens of the NFL. Cockrell was pushed, grabbed, pulled and picked and not one flag his way... but AB does that to CB's to so it is what it is. I don't fault him for any flag he was doing his job.

3) Chick had one nice play. I like that he had a flash and I hope to see more but Jones is the starter and had a few splash plays Sunday. I don't think he's earned a big contract but I think at this point I leave the door open for him coming back at a cheaper rate than he makes now. Otherwise Chick and a draft pick can compete. The other thing is Harrison is old so we might be down two OLB after the season. So we might have to pay Jones more than we like to just have that experience on the roster.
 
Interesting note. Timmons got 100% of the defensive snaps yesterday. The first time this season for him.

Williams is doing great and will take Timmons spot next year. When Shazier is healthy, he will start.
 
stillwright said:
JJ is a disappointment for where he was drafted. I don't think you will find anyone to argue that but he isn't as bad as you say he is. Just as Chicky isn't nearly as good as you think he is.
Click to expand...

If JJ was a 4th round pick, I'd want him replaced. The guy is a near zero as a pass rush, makes few plays behind the LOS and is nothing but assignment sound player who's not going to chase down any Back, TE or WR. He's coming off a rare good game, but expecting him to get better is a long shot.

We don't know how good Chickillo is. He doesn't play enough to fairly judge. I can say as a part-timer, he has 1 sack and 2 FF in his last six games. I'll say he's a better pass rusher than Jones and should play more on obvious passing downs.
 
Shazier is never a difficult option, you play him, until he gets hurt again.

I'll leave that duration of time up to yinz to decide.

I don't think there is a player who has played so well to the point that they will get a starter nod.



One could make an argument for Williams to get some increased reps one way or another.........
 
Toss up for Williams vs. Timmons. They could probably use those two based on matchups. However, I'd just be happy to see Shazier on the field for more than a few quarters at a time.

I keep Cockrell in there unless he really starts to struggle on a consistent basis. There is no reason to rush Burns into a larger role when he performing well where he is right now.

Jones and Chickillo play opposite sides of the defense, so I keep things how they are. Jones is showing he can make plays everywhere except rushing the quarterback. Not much going on from Moats and Chickillo on the left side.
 
What will be interesting is whether the Steelers invest in a second contract for the often injured but talented Shazier. He's been very good when he plays but much to injury prone for me to want to pay big bucks to given the history of missed games.
 
Play shazier at times asa olb in a 4 man front
de chickello
dt mcullers
dt hargrave
de tuitt
olb shazier
mlb Williams
olb jones/92
 
Any news on Dupree? Last I heard, he was placed on IR so he was to be out for 6 weeks and 2 additional to get back on the active roster...that's if he's healthy. Any update or is he done for the season?
 
One of the Q&A's yesterday I read said he was walking now and I think maybe jogging but that's it. He is at least a couple months out.
 
Steelers' Cockrell gaining reputation as shutdown corner
Chris Adamski


Ross Cockrell runs away from an assertion he has become a proverbial “shutdown corner” with nearly the same zeal in which he has, at times, been running around the field following some of the best receivers in the game.

“We're playing team ball,” Cockrell said Sunday after being a thorn in the side of the New York Jets' Brandon Marshall for much of the afternoon. “Team ball.”

In the days after often blanketing Cincinnati's A.J. Green during a victory three weeks before, Cockrell similarly pounced on the “team” concept when it was suggested he has become — by definition — the Steelers' shutdown cornerback (roughly defined as the defensive back assigned to the opponents' best receiving threat).

Make no mistake, early this season — and only 13 months after being among the first round of cuts by the Buffalo Bills — Cockrell sometimes has been entrusted with that role for the Steelers. And he largely has performed with aplomb.

“If you watch Ross work on a day-to-day basis, you're not surprised by the progress because he has that level of commitment to preparation and growing as a player,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. “I appreciate his approach to work and his day-to-day demeanor and the work he puts in, even more than I do the contributions that he's given us thus far in stadiums.

“And they've been solid.”

While Cockrell wasn't assigned to Marshall for all 56 snaps the veteran receiver played Sunday for the Jets, it was a common sight pre-snap watching Cockrell follow him from side-to-side throughout the game.

Marshall ended up with eight receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown. And while those statistics aren't what a good cornerback would like to allow every week, it took Marshall 15 targets to achieve them.

Cockrell also had excellent position on Marshall's touchdown catch and even had the ball within his fingertips.

“It was a drop,” Cockrell said. “No excuses. I gotta make that play.”

While catching the football and making interceptions is part of a cornerback's job and the evaluation process, if Cockrell holds onto that ball, his afternoon against Marshall is almost as strong as it was against Green — an interception, holding Marshall to seven catches on 15 attempts for 99 yards.

Green has averaged eight catches for 120 yards this season against other NFL cornerbacks. He had two catches for 38 yards on Sept. 18 with Cockrell covering him.

“When (Cockrell) was defending A.J. Green, sometimes he had help, and sometimes he didn't,” Tomlin said.

“That's just the cat-and-mouse of matching guys and that's the things that you do when you're playing people.”

Other than being two of the league's best receivers over the past half-decade, Marshall (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) and Green (6-4, 210) have their size in common.

At 6-0, 191, Cockrell is capable of contending with bigger receivers.

“I know what my role is,” Cockrell said. “My role is going to be guy who can disrupt guys on the line of scrimmage, and I'm working hard at it.”

On Sunday, the Steelers travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins. Their first-round pick last season was the 6-3, 212-pound DeVante Parker. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Cockrell shadowing him around the Hard Rock Stadium turf.

With two cornerbacks out, Cockrell joins William Gay as steadying forces for the Steelers. Each has played more than 99 percent of the team's defensive snaps this season.

While Gay is in his 10th season and a defensive co-captain, Cockrell is a about a year removed from being a waiver claim and being deemed not good enough to be in uniform for the Steelers' 2015 season opener.

Tomlin said he has been pleased with Cockrell's progress.

“I am,” Tomlin said. “But I'm not surprised by it.”


Shipped out to shutdown

Ross Cockrell was among the Bills' first cuts in August 2015. Now he often is assigned by the Steelers to shadow some of the top receivers in the game. Here are some of his statistics over the past 20 games:

Passes defended: 16

Interceptions: 2

Tackles (solo): 62 (49)

http://triblive.com/mobile/11290923-96/cockrell-marshall-steelers
 
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Cockrell will continue to start, as Burns progresses he will get more time moving Gay to the slot and our secondary becomes better for it.

JJ will continue to get more snaps than Chick and rightly so because he is the better all around player. Chick is a situational developing role player no matter how much you love him Coach.

Vince has been solid and will see more play time, likely due to the fact that our biggest impact LB can't stay on the field.

I, being a true fan wish all our guys maximum success and am glad to see Cockrell, Burns, DAVIS, JJ, Vince and Chick all progressing. I have no agenda/point of view I'm trying to prove correct. Just keeping my eyes open and watching a young D seemingly improve as we rebuild.
 
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