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Keith Butler

They didn't. And I realize it is an assumption, but I would bet a lot that him and Tomlin started to differ over x's and o's on defense. Hence they are playing zone, Tampa- Two now that Dick is gone.

Are they playing Tampa-2 now or is that just a media creation? Kind of like how we moved to a zone-blocking scheme when we hired Munchak?

It's far too early to make any determinations whatsoever as to what a Keith Butler defense really is.
 
Well Al what are you seeing? I'm seeing 4-5 man rush with guys tackling the football. August through the first game. It is pretty hard to x and o something on the TV as all you see till the pass is the line QB and recievers/ db's in the frame. I'm confident that is what they are playing.
 
Well Al what are you seeing? I'm seeing 4-5 man rush with guys tackling the football. August through the first game. It is pretty hard to x and o something on the TV as all you see till the pass is the line QB and recievers/ db's in the frame. I'm confident that is what they are playing.

So you can't see what they are doing but you are confident that you know what they are doing? Just take a deep breath and relax. You could describe a Dick Lebeau defense as "4-5 man rush with guys tackling a football"...remember that Lebeau's defense was in nickel (which is a 4-2-5) 66% of the time. Butler's defense is going to evolve and you shouldn't draw any conclusions based on one game against Tom Brady. They probably will play more Cover-2 but it doesn't mean we are going to play a pure, basic Tampa-2 80% of the time. Every NFL defense plays some Cover-2 (the Giants were in it when the game up the winning touchdown pass to Jason Whitten on Sunday night).
 
These are coaching problems. I am willing to give Butler time, however.


Putting 10 men on the field (twice), is not a talent problem. Leaving there leading receiver uncovered, is not a talent problem, nor is trying to cover him with a special team player.
 
Tomlin and Butler are supposed to be seasoned professionals. Our defense looked like **** and was confused. These coaches weren't ready to play and they didn't have the team ready to play.
 
Last year we were 1-0 (hung on against the Browns). People are always like this - they're nothing but miserable *****.


I s your memory shot????? FlUCK, it's always like this around here, win or lose.....................




Salute the nation
 
There's two people that are directly responsible for the present state of our ****** defense, and they both got contract extensions in the off season. WTF?
 
One game! Really after one game? Wait, one game they had four months to prepare for. Secondary couldn't cover Salem High School JV team and pass rush....we'll there really wasn't one. 2 sacks on Brady was a poor effort. ****! We're doomed after one game.
 
Gloom and doom everywhere................ ONE game does NOT make a season. That game was winable, thats the hard part of the beef. It's not just the confused, bad play call(s), time management, etc....etc... It's the fact, deep down, that that game was very winnable. Our coaching has had problems since cohwer left. Bill was not perfect, but had a LOT of great coach capabilities. TALENT evaluation is key to any coaching job. Our current staff is lacking in this catagory. The number ONE objective of a coach is to recruit and put best player talent / position they can find, on the field of play. YOU can have the best Xs and Os coach in the world, but without talent, he is worthless. Surely, the rooney's see what this team has but, are willing to ride the train and spend the minimal investment possible. Turmoil is NOT what the rooney's want, thus the keeping of a coach, way past his due.




Salute the nation
 
I'm ready to give Butler a season before judging him, but I do have to say the fact that he doesn't seem to have an identity of his own is troubling. He's playing DL's scheme with his front 7 and Tomlin's scheme with the secondary.


So what exactly is he bringing to the table?
 
Butler just has Will Allen and Sham to work with, wrap your head around that for a moment. Then turn to the Seattle D and look at it without Cam.

There is a certain USC SS that the Steelers better be planning to target in the draft, even if it takes giving up a 2 the following year and multiple picks. Suʻa Cravens is the player the Steelers need to be aggressive and draft next year.................

The D needs to replace talent in the secondary, that would be one helluva start.
 
Well criticizing Butler's defense based upon one game against the Pats where they gave up 28 is kind of ridiculous. So clearly that isn't my point. My concern is that it isn't Butler's defense at all, but Tomlin's through Butler. Slashsteel is right, they ignored the secondary in the draft in favor of the force unit. But then you can't just drop the force unit into coverage and play catch and tackle. You have to help your secondary by bringing massive pressure with it. Everything I've seen this spring was about bringing pressure with the D'line. What I've seen in the preseason games and yes in the first week. They need to crowd that line up and bring some heat from multiple possible angles. Drop zones and bring it. Risk the big play to get a chance to get off of the field. The absolute worst thing they can do is play soft zone coverage and forfeit time of possession. I've said that all year. You can give up a home run or two, in order to get a big three and out or a turnover.
 
He's the perfect scapegoat for the poor drafting that has ravaged this club particularly on defense since Tomlin became HC. He inherited what looks like an empty cupboard. Its like trying to run the Kentucky Derby with plow horses. Well maybe not that bad but you get my point. He ain't got the horses Uncle Dick had to work with.

It's hard to say because he doesn't have jack **** for talent.
 
You can't give up on Butler after one game and it just isn't him either. As others have said, Tomlin has his fingerprints all over the direction of this defense, especially with LeBeau gone. However, we have seen this defense play six games and it's been nothing short of pathetic. I get there are talent issues, but to have the types of communication issues they had in Week 1 after dumbing down the defensive playbook and having an extended training camp with an extra preseason game is pretty inexcusable.
 
You can't give up on Butler after one game and it just isn't him either. As others have said, Tomlin has his fingerprints all over the direction of this defense, especially with LeBeau gone. However, we have seen this defense play six games and it's been nothing short of pathetic. I get there are talent issues, but to have the types of communication issues they had in Week 1 after dumbing down the defensive playbook and having an extended training camp with an extra preseason game is pretty inexcusable.

It's clearly a two way issue. The coaching from all positions has been brutal. Time management, personnel grouping, etc... have all been horrible. They had 5 pre-season games to get this right and they failed. They've known for months they were playing in NE. WTF have they been doing? Still I don't think the talent is there for a SB run. This defense just isn't that good. If not for mistakes from both teams this was a 42-35 game which was what was expected.
 
When ONLY one coach is in control of a defense, rarely do you have poor communication and missing players on the field...when TWO are trying to coach together...
 
It's clearly a two way issue. The coaching from all positions has been brutal. Time management, personnel grouping, etc... have all been horrible. They had 5 pre-season games to get this right and they failed. They've known for months they were playing in NE. WTF have they been doing? Still I don't think the talent is there for a SB run. This defense just isn't that good. If not for mistakes from both teams this was a 42-35 game which was what was expected.

If everyone stays healthy and the O can average 30 PPG or more I think they can make a run. But the offense MUST score a minimum of 30 every week because the efense is going to give up at least 27, as we saw last week.
 
The Steelers did not play cover two last week vs Tom Brady. Butler said so himself earlier this week. Felt like it wasn't a good look vs Brady.
 
Looks like they played cover zero on gronkowski. Failure by tomlin and butler. Utterly piss poor. No excuses. Let's see if they have a better defensive scheme this week.
 
Cover zero caused an incompletion on Bolden today. Just sayin, Butler may be on to something...
 
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