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The Steelers have no true 3 down starting linebackers, its all situational football.

C

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By the looks of it, Fort is our new dime linebacker. What took the coaches so long? Williams is miscast as a coverage player, and so is Bostic. Thomas is a rookie, but I'd like to see them work him in the nickel with Fort as he's too much of a player maker to leave off the field.

This would mean we have no true starting linebackers, its all situational football. And for now I think the Steelers are best off with this approach.

The player with the biggest stock down is Williams as he's the most expensive of the lot.

https://Invalid Link - Check SN Hom...-game-for-boosting-coaches-confidence-in-him/
 
Welcome to the age of specialization.
 
SteveA said:
Welcome to the age of specialization.
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Shazier was a true three down linebacker. When he went down, the defense took a huge hit in coverage as he was likely or 2nd or 3rd best pure cover guy on the team.

The Steelers had a chance to pick some really good linebackers in round one and two with their initial selection, but passed. Now we are stuck with 3 or 4 guys, that are really only good at situation football. Our best pass defenders are our worst run defenders and vice versa.

PS: My post count is odd, and I didn't pick that avatar. I thought you had to be a paying member to get one?
 
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Coach said:
Shazier was a true three down linebacker. When he went down, the defense took a huge hit in coverage as he was likely or 2nd or 3rd best pure cover guy on the team.

The Steelers had a chance to pick some really good linebackers in round one and two with their initial selection, but passed. Now we are stuck with 3 or 4 guys, that are really only good at situation football. Our best pass defenders are our worst run defenders and vice versa.

PS: My post count is odd, and I didn't pick that avatar. I though you had to be a paying member to get one?
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Timmons was a 3-down back most of his career here.
 
So RB by committee is OK, and even preferred by you Coach, but LB by committee is not??

This rationale confounds me. If it works, do it. It's better than having Williams or Bostic covering 3rd and longs.
 
Coach said:
Shazier was a true three down linebacker. When he went down, the defense took a huge hit in coverage as he was likely or 2nd or 3rd best pure cover guy on the team.

The Steelers had a chance to pick some really good linebackers in round one and two with their initial selection, but passed. Now we are stuck with 3 or 4 guys, that are really only good at situation football. Our best pass defenders are our worst run defenders and vice versa.

PS: My post count is odd, and I didn't pick that avatar. I though you had to be a paying member to get one?
Click to expand...

nop, just write a shitload of posts, even if they are stupid they count
 
Coach said:
This is true though he’s more of an end on 3rd down.

Another question. Why do the coaches ask out linebackers to cover wide receivers? Maybe Ike can tell us as he’s a Wiley Coyote type of super genius.


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https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=5yrcW_TSEYLCjwSSlr_gDQ&q=why+do+outside+linebackers+drop+into+coverage&btnK=Google+Search&oq=why+do+outside+linebackers+drop+into+coverage&gs_l=psy-ab.3...171.10399..10927...0.0..0.725.7668.0j17j5j3j0j3j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0j0i22i30j33i299j33i160j33i22i29i30.p0BN2GbB96Y

Read some articles. You'll find that in a 3-4 zone defense (or a derivative thereof) having OLBs cover or be aware of/responsible for an area of the field (zone) is not unusual or limited to the Steelers.
 
I actually like Chickillo. When he gets in he gets a pretty good push. Holds edge alright. Shoulda caught that ball last week. But overall pretty damn good. They may not have many stars but I think it's a pretty good unit.
 
Coach said:
This is true though he’s more of an end on 3rd down.

Another question. Why do the coaches ask out linebackers to cover wide receivers? Maybe Ike can tell us as he’s a Wiley Coyote type of super genius.


Sent from my iPhone using Steeler Nation mobile app
Click to expand...

OK, before everyone thinks LBs are being placed man on WRs, that is rarely the case. It's usually scheme, and it's against zone. The WR runs through their zone and they have to defend or chase. It's part of football and how you scheme mismatches.

Obvioulsy if a LB is lining up on a WR in Man, that is a fuckup. It's happened earlier in the year, but our D has improved in that area lately with the dime and dollar Defenses with more DBs on the field.
 
SteelBuckeye said:
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=5yrcW_TSEYLCjwSSlr_gDQ&q=why+do+outside+linebackers+drop+into+coverage&btnK=Google+Search&oq=why+do+outside+linebackers+drop+into+coverage&gs_l=psy-ab.3...171.10399..10927...0.0..0.725.7668.0j17j5j3j0j3j1......0....1..gws-wiz.......0j0i22i30j33i299j33i160j33i22i29i30.p0BN2GbB96Y

Read some articles. You'll find that in a 3-4 zone defense (or a derivative thereof) having OLBs cover or be aware of/responsible for an area of the field (zone) is not unusual or limited to the Steelers.
Click to expand...


Sure, but with Vince Williams? He runs about a 4.9. He's toast vs. any TE and ALL Receivers in coverage. The coaches are a special type of stupid to let an offense get this match up. I was talking ILB's in this thread. Others have seen this as well. Bostic isn't much better. I do agree Watt is solid in coverage, but he's an OLB.
 
Coach said:
This is true though he’s more of an end on 3rd down.

Another question. Why do the coaches ask out linebackers to cover wide receivers? Maybe Ike can tell us as he’s a Wiley Coyote type of super genius.

Sent from my iPhone using Steeler Nation mobile app
Click to expand...

As Cope said, scheme dictates who is being covered. In zone, the LB is assigned an area. If a WR, RB, or TE hits that area, the LB has to do his job. It’s communication and coordination between the players that determines success. Having a ILB covering a WR obviously isn’t a good matchup, but as the players have started to gel in their defined roles and communicating well, those situations shouldn’t occur as they have. If anything everyone is starting to know where everyone else is.

Buckeye is right, read about the philosophy regarding the 3/4 and you will be more informed.

Coach said:
Sure, but with Vince Williams? He runs about a 4.9. He's toast vs. any TE and ALL Receivers in coverage. The coaches are a special type of stupid to let an offense get this match up. I was talking ILB's in this thread. Others have seen this as well. Bostic isn't much better. I do agree Watt is solid in coverage, but he's an OLB.
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Your thread title didn’t specify ILB, you are just hyper focusing on the negatives. As you’ve said situational football is here to stay. When offenses roll out different formations, defenses respond with different packages. Yeah Williams isn’t a Shazier, no one is, but the players are understanding more what their and their teammates role is in the defensive calls. Well, except Artie at this moment.


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The Steelers knew their weakness at ILB. We have 2 guys better than average vs the run, but horrible in coverage, and 2 guys okay in coverage, but a bit weaker vs the run.

This allows the OC or QB to change a play based on who we have on the field. A three down ILB is a huge need. Personally I think limiting Williams unless its an obvious running down is a good idea. Why it took the coaches 7 games to figure out who would be in coverage at ILB, after seeing Fort play 200+ practices is beyond me. Didn't it take an injury to explore this option? I think so.

Like I said we passed on some good ILB's in the draft when it was our turn to pick in the draft. Meanwhile our 2nd round pick can't even get a hat to play.
 
Coach said:
The Steelers knew their weakness at ILB. We have 2 guys better than average vs the run, but horrible in coverage, and 2 guys okay in coverage, but a bit weaker vs the run.

This allows the OC or QB to change a play based on who we have on the field. A three down ILB is a huge need. Personally I think limiting Williams unless its an obvious running down is a good idea. Why it took the coaches 7 games to figure out who would be in coverage at ILB, after seeing Fort play 200+ practices is beyond me. Didn't it take an injury to explore this option? I think so.

Like I said we passed on some good ILB's in the draft when it was our turn to pick in the draft. Meanwhile our 2nd round pick can't even get a hat to play.
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A three down ILB is a huge need for us AND about half the other teams in the league. You can say that we need one all you want. Actually FINDING one available where we pick in the draft is a little harder than just acknowledging and wishing. Also, teams tend to do their best to keep those type of guys from hitting the free agent market until after they've lost that extra step that makes them a three down ILB (Think of Timmons and how the Steelers let him walk after he lost a step).

As for Fort, it did take an injury to explore the option of him as the coverage ILB .... Shazier's injury. They explored that option with limited success last year. Fort did not play as well then as he has this year. Kudos to him for being better prepared this year.
 
SteelBuckeye said:
A three down ILB is a huge need for us AND about half the other teams in the league. You can say that we need one all you want. Actually FINDING one available where we pick in the draft is a little harder than just acknowledging and wishing. Also, teams tend to do their best to keep those type of guys from hitting the free agent market until after they've lost that extra step that makes them a three down ILB (Think of Timmons and how the Steelers let him walk after he lost a step).

As for Fort, it did take an injury to explore the option of him as the coverage ILB .... Shazier's injury. They explored that option with limited success last year. Fort did not play as well then as he has this year. Kudos to him for being better prepared this year.
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Is finding one that hard in the draft?

Justin Leonard was there for us in round one and he looks very impressive. Jerome Baker and Fred Warner were selected in round two. I think Leonard is a 3 down type and the other two would offer better flexibility that either Williams or Bostic.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/13193/darius-leonard

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/13225/jerome-baker

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/13159/fred-warner

My pick for round two was Baker. Washington can't even get a hat. He's a rookie, I get it. But based on what I saw he's not a deep receiver. Hunter has passed him.
 
bermudasteel said:
I want to know where Coach works. Your boss is OBVIOUSLY not monitoring your time well...
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LOL, what makes you think I'm not one of the bosses?

In truth at times I'm very busy. Sometimes I do work nights or travel. As long as keep crushing my quota the boss I dot to on the org chart is very happy. No micro managing here. More like 10 -20 really good actives or conversations a day.
 
Coach said:
LOL, what makes you think I'm not one of the bosses?

In truth at times I'm very busy. Sometimes I do work nights or travel. As long as keep crushing my quota the boss I dot to on the org chart is very happy. No micro managing here. More like 10 -20 really good actives or conversations a day.
Click to expand...

That's fair. You still speculate - much...
 
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