Pass Defense

[Coach]

Ever team has it's strong and weak points. This is our weak point. In 2014 the Steelers ranked 27th in pass defense. On paper is is bad, but when you factor in we played a below average group of QB's in 2014, it's alarming.

This year the Schedule is loaded with good QB's. Worilds and McCain are gone.

When will the Steelers be able to fix their pass defense?

 

[FSF]

Ever team has it's strong and weak points. This is our weak point. In 2014 the Steelers ranked 27th in pass defense. On paper is is bad, but when you factor in we played a below average group of QB's in 2014, it's alarming.

This year the Schedule is loaded with good QB's. Worilds and McCain are gone.

When will the Steelers be able to fix their pass defense?

It's not going to be much better. Doesn't mean the sky is falling, they are likely going to try and address it during the draft but if there isn't anyone good enough to help via the draft, then we make due with having a different Steelers team than what we've seen for 2 plus decades.

We use our outstanding WRs and RB with a Franchise QB to pile up stats and points in a league that values passing offense over pass defense anyway.

You would never know it by 90% on the comments on here, but this team did win the division and did so beating most of the good teams on their schedule, struggling against the poor ones and improving greatly as the year went on.

 

[BLITZ]

maybe I am a bit to optimistic but I think Tuitt and Heyward will make our linebackers look much better this year. Tuitt really came on the last part of the season. He should be ready to go this year.

 

[Coach]

It's not going to be much better. Doesn't mean the sky is falling, they are likely going to try and address it during the draft but if there isn't anyone good enough to help via the draft, then we make due with having a different Steelers team than what we've seen for 2 plus decades.

We use our outstanding WRs and RB with a Franchise QB to pile up stats and points in a league that values passing offense over pass defense anyway.

You would never know it by 90% on the comments on here, but this team did win the division and did so beating most of the good teams on their schedule, struggling against the poor ones and improving greatly as the year went on.

The 11-5 mark was chiefly do to the easiest schedule in years and no key injuries. It was our opponents who were injured.

You do bring up a good point We played well vs good teams, but somehow lost 4 games to teams below .500.

I just see a perfect storm scenario headed our way. No pass rush + limited coverage people with our 2015 schedule that features better passing teams = heavy pressure on the offense play nearly mistake free football and score at least 24 points a game. Like you said the offense is there. Maybe I'm old school and just not used to this type of team. Free agency has been a subtraction to the defense. The draft needs to upgrade the pass rush and coverage people. Only then will things get better for the pass defense.

 

[steelhurt]

What FSF said. For years the strength of this football team relied heavily on its defense. Times have changed and now the burden lies with the offense to carry the team until the defense can be rebuilt. I like Tuitt and Heyward and would like to see Big Dan make significant progress. Shazier should make a big leap and Timmons will be once again solid. Between Harrison who will come in to camp in great shape, Jones with a question mark, Moats and a heavy defensive draft at OLB and CB hopefully we're on our way. Ben will need to stay healthy and guys like Wheaton and Bryant need to dial up another level, Bell has to play like last year and Williams will be key especially when the season starts. Yes, we need to score a ton of points and shed the red zone problem.

 

[FSF]

The 11-5 mark was chiefly do to the easiest schedule in years and no key injuries. It was our opponents who were injured.

You do bring up a good point We played well vs good teams, but somehow lost 4 games to teams below .500.

I just see a perfect storm scenario headed our way. No pass rush + limited coverage people with our 2015 schedule that features better passing teams = heavy pressure on the offense play nearly mistake free football and score at least 24 points a game. Like you said the offense is there. Maybe I'm old school and just not used to this type of team. Free agency has been a subtraction to the defense. The draft needs to upgrade the pass rush and coverage people. Only then will things get better for the pass defense.

Thats the problem, you are old school just like the rest of us and used to Steelers winning with Defense.

That's not our team right now. Yes we lost to losing teams --- but dang it we beat the good ones did we not? It means this team is more than capable of beating good teams!

It's still a young squad with a load of young talent. The team is not in a world of hurt because we lost a journeyman DB and an OLB that never really had the desire to play in the NFL.

Heck, we have 2 LBs drafted in the 1st round who have not been able to do much because they haven't been healthy....in a way you can say we'll be adding 3 first round picks to the lineup if we go defense this year..... along with the most explosive offense we've ever seen.

It's better than drafting a QB 2 of the last 3 years at pick 22 like the Browns.....

 

[ark steel]

The 11-5 mark was chiefly do to the easiest schedule in years and no key injuries. It was our opponents who were injured.

You do bring up a good point We played well vs good teams, but somehow lost 4 games to teams below .500.

I just see a perfect storm scenario headed our way. No pass rush + limited coverage people with our 2015 schedule that features better passing teams = heavy pressure on the offense play nearly mistake free football and score at least 24 points a game. Like you said the offense is there. Maybe I'm old school and just not used to this type of team. Free agency has been a subtraction to the defense. The draft needs to upgrade the pass rush and coverage people. Only then will things get better for the pass defense.

We were playing what were, essentially, our 3rd through 5th CB's much of the year. In addition to missing our first round ILB that, presumably, would have made a difference over having Williams/Spence rotate in and Timmons switching positions during games. McClendon was out some games, as well, although I don't recall the injury.

 

[Wingman]

We were playing what were, essentially, our 3rd through 5th CB's much of the year. In addition to missing our first round ILB that, presumably, would have made a difference over having Williams/Spence rotate in and Timmons switching positions during games. McClendon was out some games, as well, although I don't recall the injury.

Shoulder injury.

 

[Wingman]

Interesting that some folks think a rookie fresh from college or two will be a huge fix at corner back. Even if we were picking the best corner or best two corners not sure that they will be able to save the secondary their first year in the league. I suspect we will be on the short end of lots of shoot outs this year. The offense will likely show some improvement over last year with Bryant continuing to develop, Brown being Brown, and Bell doing his thing when not suspended. The fact that the team was able to lose games it should have won handily still throws the inconsistent factor into the game. I suspect there is still something missing from the offense being able to take over games but I am not sure what it is.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Interesting that some folks think a rookie fresh from college or two will be a huge fix at corner back. Even if we were picking the best corner or best two corners not sure that they will be able to save the secondary their first year in the league. I suspect we will be on the short end of lots of shoot outs this year. The offense will likely show some improvement over last year with Bryant continuing to develop, Brown being Brown, and Bell doing his thing when not suspended. The fact that the team was able to lose games it should have won handily still throws the inconsistent factor into the game. I suspect there is still something missing from the offense being able to take over games but I am not sure what it is.

I don't think anyone is thinking that a rookie fresh from college will be a cure all for the secondary problems. If they are, they'd be misguided. That said, a first or second round CB will have the opportunity to see a lot of playing time. I believe the thinking is that a rook or two will help to provide much needed improvement and depth (think Roby and Breeland for Denver/Washington last year). And along those lines, any improvement will be welcome.

As far as what might be missing from the offense, I think what might be missing is the one thing that the Steelers don't seem to value; a pass catching move TE. We favor more traditional TEs and blocking TEs, but don't tend to draft or bring in TEs whose primary purpose is to aid the passing game as receiving threats. Heath is a great all-around TE, but he's not a "move" TE.

 

[Litos]

Interesting that some folks think a rookie fresh from college or two will be a huge fix at corner back. Even if we were picking the best corner or best two corners not sure that they will be able to save the secondary their first year in the league. I suspect we will be on the short end of lots of shoot outs this year. The offense will likely show some improvement over last year with Bryant continuing to develop, Brown being Brown, and Bell doing his thing when not suspended. The fact that the team was able to lose games it should have won handily still throws the inconsistent factor into the game. I suspect there is still something missing from the offense being able to take over games but I am not sure what it is.

the only way we will improve pass defense this season is drafting an impact OLB rookie, seeing a serious improvement from Jarvis Jones and expecting Heyward and Tuitt to wreak havoc on the line. Hopefully McCullers will see more minutes too. But expecting the rookie Corners to hold the fort, that just won't happen

 

[deljzc]

I think if we're all being honest with ourselves there is not going to be an improvement in the defense this year.

Not enough positive changes from last season and we face a gauntlet of much more difficult teams/QB's vs. last year. The status quo might be a positive step for this group.

I keep track of all the Steelers sacks by position (DL, OLB, ILB, DB).

The last three seasons here are the results:

2012
11.0 DL - 15.0 OLB - 10.0 ILB - 1.0 DB

2013
14.0 DL - 14.0 OLB - 3.0 ILB - 3.0 DB

2014
11.0 DL - 19.0 OLB - 3.0 ILB - 0.0 DB


So the question really becomes where is this going to drastically improve?

We're not going to get sacks from our secondary. Polamalu was the primary contributor to that over the past 4 seasons and Tomlin's approach does not seem focused on any CB blitz's off the slot. Firgure 1-2 at most.

ILB could be better than the last two seasons for sure. A healthy and starting Shazier should help, right? But he's not a notorious sack guy anyhow. So even if Timmons continues with his 5 a season, I can't see more than 8 total?

OLB is where we could really struggle. The combination of Moates/Harrison last year had 9.5 last season. That seems a reasonable expectation level. Is Jones going to get 5? I'm guessing the over/under on OLB sacks for this group is 15.0

D-Line. The most consistent of the results over the past 3 seasons, Heyward looks like a 6-8 sack guy now and as a group I would guess the over/under of 12.0


Over/under on sacks than is likely 12+15+8+1 = 36 total.

Right in line with the 35, 37, 34 and 33 we've had the last four seasons. Just not enough change to make a huge difference in the end result.

 

[Coach]

Interesting that some folks think a rookie fresh from college or two will be a huge fix at corner back. Even if we were picking the best corner or best two corners not sure that they will be able to save the secondary their first year in the league. I suspect we will be on the short end of lots of shoot outs this year. The offense will likely show some improvement over last year with Bryant continuing to develop, Brown being Brown, and Bell doing his thing when not suspended. The fact that the team was able to lose games it should have won handily still throws the inconsistent factor into the game. I suspect there is still something missing from the offense being able to take over games but I am not sure what it is.

Fuller, who I wished fell to us did very well as a rookie corner back. Some rookie CB's can play right out of the gate

 

[Ron Burgundy]

CB's are gonna be Gay, who is better than a lot of people think, and a rookie or Blake. I've given up on Allen, he'll either be a backup or cut. S's Mitchell and Thomas which may or may not be decent. And if Gay is good then other teams will say screw it and throw to the other side.
Basically it's gonna be bad. Pats** gonna put up 60 on us before Brady's arm falls off. /Chicken Little

 

[blitzburghv5]

CB's are gonna be Gay, who is better than a lot of people think, and a rookie or Blake. I've given up on Allen, he'll either be a backup or cut. S's Mitchell and Thomas which may or may not be decent. And if Gay is good then other teams will say screw it and throw to the other side.
Basically it's gonna be bad. Pats** gonna put up 60 on us before Brady's arm falls off. /Chicken Little

If Gay can rebound from three to four subpar seasons in the league and become respectable at the position, why can Cortez, who is coming off of just one ? When Cortez was in his first two campaigns, was he atrocious ? I don't think Cortez is a bad cornerback...I think he got caught up tryin to adjust to the new contact rules and he tried to think too much instead of react. He was a back that played on contact and now with the new rules, hes gonna have to adjust his game. Hes gifted enough that im sure he will. Im not ready to throw the kid away.............Gay was much worse.

 

[FSF]

Interesting that some folks think a rookie fresh from college or two will be a huge fix at corner back. Even if we were picking the best corner or best two corners not sure that they will be able to save the secondary their first year in the league. I suspect we will be on the short end of lots of shoot outs this year. The offense will likely show some improvement over last year with Bryant continuing to develop, Brown being Brown, and Bell doing his thing when not suspended. The fact that the team was able to lose games it should have won handily still throws the inconsistent factor into the game. I suspect there is still something missing from the offense being able to take over games but I am not sure what it is.

I tend to agree with Steelbuckeye .....

The pass defense isn't going to really improve with a rookie this year.

The team is going to have to overcome the weakness much like they had to overcome the pourous OL of 2008 and 2010 where they still managed Super Bowl level seasons

 

[Steeltime]

The last three seasons here are the results [in terms of sacks]:

2012
11.0 DL - 15.0 OLB - 10.0 ILB - 1.0 DB

2013
14.0 DL - 14.0 OLB - 3.0 ILB - 3.0 DB

2014
11.0 DL - 19.0 OLB - 3.0 ILB - 0.0 DB

Our team posted 0 sacks from the secondary last year. Teams can get a few here and there on corner blitzes. Therefore, I think improvement in 2015 comes from the DL (getting to 15 sacks combined), as well as 3-4 sacks by the defensive backs.

That would mean 40 sacks as a team - very reachable, I think.

 

[Wingman]

I never thought Gay was all that bad and in fact thought he was a decent corner. I remember before he left he was used on some blitz packages and was very disruptive. I am glad he is back.

 

[Vader]

You would never know it by 90% on the comments on here, but this team did win the division and did so beating most of the good teams on their schedule, struggling against the poor ones and improving greatly as the year went on.

The "good" teams they beat weren't that good. They didn't play the tops teams like Seattle, SF, NE, SD, Den and AZ. It showed during the year that this team was in trouble on defense and even on offense when they ran into a decent defense like the Jets. BTW Bell played again the Jets so his injury can't be used as an excuse. The offense came alive in spurts. Great half against the clowns then zip in the second half. They put up points against the 21st ranked panthers but struggled in Jax against one of the worst defenses in the league.

 

[FSF]

The "good" teams they beat weren't that good. They didn't play the tops teams like Seattle, SF, NE, SD, Den and AZ. It showed during the year that this team was in trouble on defense and even on offense when they ran into a decent defense like the Jets. BTW Bell played again the Jets so his injury can't be used as an excuse. The offense came alive in spurts. Great half against the clowns then zip in the second half. They put up points against the 21st ranked panthers but struggled in Jax against one of the worst defenses in the league.

I would argue that the Steelers team we saw blow games with mistakes through self implosion vs. the Bucs and Jets was not the same team that was on a roll right before the injury to Bell in the Division Clincher.

Bottom line, the team improved a lot throughout the year. Call me crazy for wanting to build on what this team has more than what it does not. Personally, I believe the injury to Bell prevented us from a ride to NE for the AFC Championship, he's that huge a playmaker.

 

[Superman]

** no team from California made the playoffs.

I thought only good teams made the playoffs.

 

[Vader]

I would argue that the Steelers team we saw blow games with mistakes through self implosion vs. the Bucs and Jets was not the same team that was on a roll right before the injury to Bell in the Division Clincher.

Bottom line, the team improved a lot throughout the year. Call me crazy for wanting to build on what this team has more than what it does not. Personally, I believe the injury to Bell prevented us from a ride to NE for the AFC Championship, he's that huge a playmaker.

The bottom line is that they played a weak schedule and only left the Eastern TZ once to play in Tenn. They had no west coast trips nor did they travel very far compared to other teams. They also didn't play the top teams in either conference. The defense was also hammered by the few good QBs the did play like Brees and Luck. This year they are playing much more difficult teams and in much harder places.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

If Gay can rebound from three to four subpar seasons in the league and become respectable at the position, why can Cortez, who is coming off of just one ? When Cortez was in his first two campaigns, was he atrocious ? I don't think Cortez is a bad cornerback...I think he got caught up tryin to adjust to the new contact rules and he tried to think too much instead of react. He was a back that played on contact and now with the new rules, hes gonna have to adjust his game. Hes gifted enough that im sure he will. Im not ready to throw the kid away.............Gay was much worse.

Because Cortez is a head case. His problems are mental, not physical. He needs a sports psychologist, not a coach.

 

[FSF]

The bottom line is that they played a weak schedule and only left the Eastern TZ once to play in Tenn. They had no west coast trips nor did they travel very far compared to other teams. They also didn't play the top teams in either conference. The defense was also hammered by the few good QBs the did play like Brees and Luck. This year they are playing much more difficult teams and in much harder places.

Yeah, our defense is going to get hammered. Lets agree to that now, its going to happen. The defense needs a lot of work.

But we played in the hardest division in football -- I didn't see anyone else send 3 teams to the post season and we were the best team of that bunch.

Bell had arguably the best season of any Steelers RB ever --- NOT saying he's best ever, but he's a playmaker we haven't seen since Jerome circa 1996-97. Ben is only getting better with age and with an OL and our WRs are unreal.

So let's hope our defense is able to play well enough for our ever improving offense to win 10 plus games ... and with Manning getting more brittle with age and the Patriots losing half their secondary -- forgive me if I am not giving them wins on paper already.

 

[SteelBuckeye]

Because Cortez is a head case. His problems are mental, not physical. He needs a sports psychologist, not a coach.

Ike was a head case whose problems were more mental than physical too. He rebounded. I'm not saying that Allen isn't capable of developing the mental toughness Ike was able to. I'm also not saying he is. Because I don't know the guy. But it sure seemed like Ike and Tomlin were treating him with kid gloves after his demotion last season.

Speaking of "kid gloves" wasn't there a team that put the oven mitts on their DBs last year during OTAs and training camp? The idea being that you could train them to not be so grabby that way. If I were Lake, I'd try that with Allen. Sure as hell can't hurt since you're on the hook for all that $$ anyway.