That sums up my frustrations right there. Nothing turns a game into **** like holding a team to a 3rd and long, then giving up a first down time after time.
The zone defense thread.
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That sums up my frustrations right there. Nothing turns a game into **** like holding a team to a 3rd and long, then giving up a first down time after time.
yeah, probably wasn't on the highlight reel either.
Every team plays zone at times. Honestly if you want interceptions you play more zone than man. But this team needs to mix it up more. And there are very few teams that you need to crowd the line and play press type man. Unfortunately one of those teams is standing in the Steelers way.
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FWIW, on 3rd% allowed by the Defense, the Steelers were 23rd overall at 41.12%. TB was #1 at 34.36%. The difference between 23rd and 1st is a 6.76% higher chance of making a 1st down on 3rd down. That is a pretty narrow band. 10th place was just over 2% less than #1.
I will dig into some details later.
I will dig into some details later.
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Very surprised to learn Dick Lebeau and Tennessee (and Deshae Townsend as DB coach no less) led the league in MAN coverage last year. That was with their top-3 corners being drafted in the 5th (one) and 6th (two) rounds by the way (so don't blame talent for the Steelers not doing it).
And of other note, the dying "Cover-2" which was used only 12% throughout the league was used by our genius head coach who still thinks it's 2000, 26% of the time. Nice job their Tomlin.... or maybe I should just call him Tony Dungy Jr.
Boy, what a damning article (I'm talking about the original PFF article) of the sophistication, coaching and/or talent level of our defensive secondary.
And of other note, the dying "Cover-2" which was used only 12% throughout the league was used by our genius head coach who still thinks it's 2000, 26% of the time. Nice job their Tomlin.... or maybe I should just call him Tony Dungy Jr.
Boy, what a damning article (I'm talking about the original PFF article) of the sophistication, coaching and/or talent level of our defensive secondary.
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Well, it would be damning....except for the actual results. TN finished below the Steelers in yards per game, yards per play, passing ypg, passing ypp, interception rate, sacks/pass attempt, 1st downs per game, 4th down %, RZ%, G2G% and ppg. Oh, and W-L record during the regular season and Playoffs.
TN was better in 3rd down % (6th vs 23rd) and rushing ypp and ypg.
But they played man **** the stats
I don't know for sure that "Tampa 2 Mike " is 100% to blame or does Carnell Lake have to step up to the plate at some point? I have said this before and I'll say it again, Lake was a terrific player and a favorite of mine but at some point he needs to show us that he can coach as well as he could play. Butler will call a defense and the DB's will either be able to play that defense or not. If not, then I don't blame him for playing what works better.and he's more comfortable with.
You guys are funny. We made it to the AFC championship game playing whatever dumb defenses them two idiots Tomlin and Butler put in. Guess what fellas we've had better defenses that ******* Brady has tore apart also.
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I've been trying to explain this for a while, particularly in the FA thread. All those teams spending (overspending, IMO) on the "good" DB's are getting 30+ points put up on them by the cheaters, too.
Sure would be cool if our elite QB out played their elite QB
Maybe with a No. 2 WR worthy this year, he will give it a shot.
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Well, to be fair, our elite QB doesn't get the Defense play calls ahead of time.....
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and a RB to balance the O
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I'm glad he turned out okay, but I wasn't wrong about him early in the year. Had I known he was playing with an injury, I would have said it differently.
I still think he dropped two easy interceptions and hasn't proven himself outside of zone coverage.
If we don't have the ability to play man coverage and have to rely on that soft zone crap, the Offense is going to need to put up a lot of points against the better QB's
Hopefully, Burns, Davis, and Sutton can play some man.
Don't have the pressure, to play cover 2.
wish we had the talent to play man...oh well. we will see soon enough
wish we had the talent to play man...oh well. we will see soon enough
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I wasn't actually saying being #1 in man coverage is good, just surprising from a Lebeau defense with 5th and 6th round talents (that normally means speed/stick abilities are lacking).
I would prefer we are not in the top-5 of any of these "most used" categories. That shows the true ability of a coach, staff and players to implement game plans defensively that are best suited to win any given week. Any team (and that includes Tennessee) that relies on one style of play so prevalently probably has issues unless your talent is so dominant that you can say "we don't change, try to beat us". But we obviously don't have that.
What frustrates me is the Tampa-2, as stated clearly in the original PFF article, is the fact it's a coverage that is regressing in usage around the league. That is for a very good reason. Even these stupid spread QB's from college can read it. And most NFL quarterbacks have seen it and know what to do against it. In light of this fact, to defend our coach/scheme/talent to play MORE of it seems asinine to me.
But go ahead and defend them. That's your right. Just as it's mine to be critical.
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man you were dead wrong, you called him a bust just watching minutes of his college tape. Even since training camp you were trashing him (and Burns)
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Coach, it's ok, you can live in your own world. But, you are again wrong and someone else with the time can call BUSH and prove it in the archives. You were burning Davis through the latter third of the year. Arguing he was leading in missed tackles 10 weeks into the season. Still demanding another player...Golden, I think...to replace him. Dropped INT's? How many other starters....veterans at that....dropped INT's? You can't help yourself, to push your personal agenda.
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I have to laugh at anyone who defends our 10 yard cushion on 3rd and one.......
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what is the score? the field position? time left? If it's 3rd and 1 at the 40 yard line, should you just crowd the line, go all out to stop the short throw then give up a long TD?
I doubt the steelers played that far off on 3rd and 1 situations near the redzone.
The passive zones in the playoffs vs the Pats pissed me off too. In general the zones wer the right strategy throughout the year as the steelers had a mediocre pass rush and 2 rookies in the secondary. They had to keep things basic most of the year but by the end, they should have been able to be a bit more aggressive vs the Pats.
Pass rush is a huge part of the puzzle too. Houston stopped Brady for the most part and that was a combo of pass rush and playing tight on short throws, They could do that because if Brady held the ball, he would get hit.
The steelers can't play that way. If they take away the short throw, Brady will just sit and wait for another option.
The shutdown CB has been outlawed by the NFL. The only chance any defense has vs any top QB is a good pass rush coupled with good enough coverage that the QB has to go through his reads. You also have to mix up your coverages so the QB can't make a pre snap read.
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I think the main frustration comes from Bradys god like stats against the Steelers. Brady playing against the big cushion or cover 3 or whatever you want to call it is playing pitch and catch. If we "Can't" play man then shorten up the space between the db and cb at the line. If a WR gets free at least it will be a harder pass completion. Right now there is almost no resistance for the pats to dink and dunk us down the field every game.
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That's just it....it isn't just Brady doing it against us.. it is bad QB'S also doing it against us....they have career games against us.....it is the old " hope the QB makes a mistake" defense...mean while the team walks down the fid on us. EVERY team knows we will employ the cushion on third downs. They take what we give them....it keeps bad teams in games. It eats up the clock while keeping OUR offense on the sideline....
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It can be looked at that way but it can also be looked at as the Steelers are expecting some highly paid guys and some highly drafted guys to do their job and get to the QB.
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