I just really don’t know this to be true.
No problem stats can be comical sometimes.
I love me some Debo, but I don't think people realize that he didn't have the sack numbers his "legend" has indicated. Only 3 years with double digit sacks, 16, 10, 10.5. In 15 years, 34 FF, Watt has 33, in 15 years 8 INT, Watt has 7, in 15 years 25 passes defensed, Watt has 50, in 15 years 84.5 sacks, Watt has 108.
Again, Harrison's great seasons/games came with LeBeau running the defense, that's the difference.
Lamar Woodley had 11 sacks games that really matter.
I completely agree with that. I have been consistent in saying pretty much all of the Steelers biggest players have not shown up in big games. But this thread is about Watt.
I'm just bringing up Heyward because two HOF players suddenly can't play in the playoffs? Or is it the fact the opponent knows exactly what we are doing? How else can you explain coming out flat and your defense just getting destroyed for 6 straight playoff games? That's scheme, that's the other team knowing what you're doing and knowing you'll make no adjustments.
Exactly....Players play & Coaches Coach...
I will disagree on one point. This team has been very good at adjustments in the second half recently. They are the best in the league in the 3rd quarter. The problem has been the first quarter. The only exception being the playoff game against the Chiefs where we started hot on defense but the lack of anything from the offense killed us. I have said it before and I will say it again, the defense has carried us to the playoffs time and time again only to be let down by a feckless offense and is too beat up to carry them by the time they get there.
The past two seasons the defense hasn't carried them, 2023 the offense had back to back 30 point games in 2 of the final 3 games in must win games, and this past year the D was totally embarrassed in that 3 game stretch vs Balt, Philly, KC.
Steve, what can I tell ya! Don’t allow yourself to set your expectations too high here because you will only be let down again.
While those are all valid points, this is the NFL. I don't think you really fool anybody that much. After the first couple of series, there is a pretty good idea of what the other team wants to do. So I think at the end of the day, your guys gotta beat their guys more often, you win. If not, you lose. I think that is right overwhelmingly most of the time.
It's not about doing something they've never seen. So when a team is doubling Watt, and chipping him, it's on him to beat those 3 guys more so than your DC or HC to start dialing up some overloads from the opposite side, or blitzes up the middle to force that team to pull a guy away from Watt to pick up blitzes?
Yeah...those are all great points. I hope that changes if Slay and Ramsey still have it.
Even with those games we don't sniff the playoffs without this defense. Respectfully I don't think the bad games with 0 offensive support mean they didn't carry us most of the rest of the season. In fact, the amount of the load they had to shoulder to get us to that point is the problem. If they aren't perfect, we normally lose. If the offenses can't at least hold onto the ball let alone score the defense is going to eventually fail. If I remember correctly, we had some injury issues and a severe lack of depth in the middle in 2023. That has been addressed. last year it was the front 5 that were banged up and tired with DL being particularly thin. That has also been addressed, hopefully successfully. Even so if the offense can't provide some leads and some ball control it won't matter.
Oh the defense has definitely carried us the majority of the time since Ben left, that's for sure, I agree it's been the much better unit.