Big loss for the Steelers: Aaron Smith gone for the season

[Metaphors]

Actually, I believe that pundit was likely somebody on this board (I think patchick used that term, and I know Metaphors did).

Nice to know that when you post the same phrase a hundred times (in response to the multitude of "Pats can't draft" threads) that it actually gets remembered. Grazie!

I think the Steelers draft just fine. They really have 2 issues:

1) They miss at DB (Troy Polamaludingdong excepted) and OL (Pouncey excepted) all the time, leading to weak areas that get exploited

2) They tend to run guys into the ground instead of phasing them out. Nice continuity but breakdowns late in the year are inevitable.

Hard to argue with the success they've had and they are almost certainly going to make the playoffs this year. If healthy, they are always a factor if they can avoid the Pats. After this year, we will have to see if they can start transitioning to the next gen players.

They are far from the Colts. Been predicting their demise for the last couple of years but I underestimated the ability of Goober to cover up their litany of issues. Seeing them turn into a dumpster fire has actually been quite entertaining.

I doubt the same fate awaits the Steelers. It is impossible to get their QB off the field...short of holding a high school cheerleading competition at Steelers training camp.

 

[Patspsycho]

The steelers took a step back this year imo....their defense is old and looks it on the field and their offensive line is in shambles

Their D is #1 on D in passing yards allowed and #5 in points allowed. However, they are #15 in yards allowed via the run so I hope we will run a fair amount against them even though Brady loves (and has great success) feasting on their zone defenses and blitzes.

Last year they were #1 in run D, but we hit them in the mouth, and BJGE dropped almost 90 yards (5 YPC) on them.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Besides Big Ben they really have only two decent players on that offense you have to stop.....

Stop Wallace and slow down Redman and you beat the Steelers or at least crush that offense.....no one else on that offense is scary.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

That 'old' defense is still ranked right up on top of the stat sheets

They are allowing 112.8 rushing ypg (15th) and 4.6 ypc (9th best) pretty good but a far cry from last year when they allowed 62.8 rushing ypg and 3.0 ypc both which led the league.

 

[Deus Irae]

Huh, I see some very different recent draft histories in that group. The Patriots and Steelers, for example, look virtually opposite. The Pats hit a nadir in 2006 & 2007, which is when the Steelers peaked. Meanwhile the Pats have been coming on strong recently, picking up 7 starters in 2009 & 2010; Pittsburgh just 2. And it's been 8 years since the Colts drafted an impact player in the first round.

I didn't say that every draft starting with 2006 has sucked for all those teams, just that they'd had some down times starting in 2006. The two teams you mention follow that pattern. The Patriots are weak from 2006-2008, 2009 has been much less impressive than it looked at first even though it's still produced some very nice players, and they were rock solid in 2010. The Steelers 2006 would have been better if they hadn't had to ditch Holmes, but having to do that kills that class for them, and their 2007 draft was pretty solid at the top. Outside of that, while it's not quite a trainwreck for them, it's been a definite downturn.

 

[JetsfaninPeace]

Weren't 2006 and 2007 considered relatively weak classes in general? I don't think it's coincidence that Belichick traded away so many draft picks in 2007 after seeing the abysmal mess that was 2006. (I remember one pundit describing it as the Patriots "running screaming from the draft.")

It was weak. Ironically those were the Jets two best draft years in recent memory.

2006- D'Brick, Mangold, Brad Smith, Leon Washington, and Eric Smith
2007-Revis and Harris

 

[RIpats88]

Their D is #1 on D in passing yards allowed and #5 in points allowed. However, they are #15 in yards allowed via the run so I hope we will run a fair amount against them even though Brady loves (and has great success) feasting on their zone defenses and blitzes.

Last year they were #1 in run D, but we hit them in the mouth, and BJGE dropped almost 90 yards (5 YPC) on them.

I think we'll run early/often and then utilize the no huddle to confuse their defense...we've beaten both Ryan defenses already which usually give us the most trouble. so I think Brady should be fine against this defense whatever the stats say

I think/hope that this will be another game for our D-line...the O-line of the steelers is in shambles and big ben hasnt played that well....if we can pressure him/get to him like we did to Romo/sanchez I think we'll pull this out

 

[drew4008]

That 'old' defense is still ranked right up on top of the stat sheets

Due mostly to **** LeBeau.

This is a line of thinking that not many agree with, but I wish Belichick would stop being our defacto DC and we just hired a new great defensive mind to run our defense.

He would, of course, be hired as a HC for another team pretty quickly if we had much success... so I don't know what I want anymore lol

 

[Joker]

It was weak. Ironically those were the Jets two best draft years in recent memory.

2006- D'Brick, Mangold, Brad Smith, Leon Washington, and Eric Smith
2007-Revis and Harris

wow...the Rats are the greatest ,bestest,tremendousest team EVER!!!!!

and Wrecks Cryan is the best head coach in football history...in his first two seasons!!!

oh wait...uh...hmmm...well...there's Mike Tomlin...but...WRECKS is STILL the SECOND BESTEST!!!!...oh...wait....forgot...Sean Payton...oh...and Jim Caldwell....dyam...well ...ANYWAY!!!!! We RATS are the greatest drafters !!!

uh...oh....wait again??????

http://youtu.be/rZxNeFLuY98

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rZxNeFLuY98

Johnny "Lam" Jones"...heh..Freeman McNeil...Roger Vick...Jeff Lageman/....as a New York Jet fan, I know I'M gonna boo.......heh heh....snicker times ten trillion....

AND...just a friendly little pin to pop that giddy little balloon head of yours.......with the SIXTH pick of the 2008 draft, the great Rat genius party selects...........

 

[patchick]

It was weak. Ironically those were the Jets two best draft years in recent memory.

2006- D'Brick, Mangold, Brad Smith, Leon Washington, and Eric Smith
2007-Revis and Harris

Quite true. The interesting thing in 2007 is that the Jets and Patriots both saw the draft much the same way and essentially traded out -- the Jets piling all of their ammo into the 2 players they really liked, and the Pats trading for veterans (Welker, Moss) and into the future (Mayo).

But the 2008-2010 drafts are killing your team. Collecting a total of 2 starters over 3 drafts puts you in a mighty deep hole.

 

[Raymond]

That 'old' defense is still ranked right up on top of the stat sheets

Yes, but the 4 teams they've beaten are not so great.

Seattle, Indy, Tenn and Jax.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Yes, but the 4 teams they've beaten are not so great.

Seattle, Indy, Tenn and Jax.

Wins over SEA, IND, TEN, JAX v. wins over MIA, SD, OAK, JEST, DAL

 

[BaltimorePatsFan]

Aaron Smith clearly had lost a couple of steps this season even before the injury. He was getting pushed around with ease against Baltimore and Houston.

IMHO not that big of a loss at this point. Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward are definitely not worse than Smith right now.

 

[jbb9s]

N

2) They tend to run guys into the ground instead of phasing them out. Nice continuity but breakdowns late in the year are inevitable.
.

Are you making an anecdotal statement? I've never heard this about the Steelers.

Do the Patriots phase their guys out? I don't remember a replacement for Sanders or Meriweather being groomed, Chung can only play one position.

 

[patchick]

Are you making an anecdotal statement? I've never heard this about the Steelers.

Do the Patriots phase their guys out? I don't remember a replacement for Sanders or Meriweather being groomed, Chung can only play one position.

The Patriots clearly phase guys out. Whether they have new guys to phase in is a separate question.

 

[JetsfaninPeace]

Quite true. The interesting thing in 2007 is that the Jets and Patriots both saw the draft much the same way and essentially traded out -- the Jets piling all of their ammo into the 2 players they really liked, and the Pats trading for veterans (Welker, Moss) and into the future (Mayo).

But the 2008-2010 drafts are killing your team. Collecting a total of 2 starters over 3 drafts puts you in a mighty deep hole.

I appreciate your insight over the garbage 'Joker' (fitting name) spits out.

I disagree. The draft classes, save '08, haven't put us in any hole. 2008 was pretty rough with Gholston (one of the worst picks, not just in Jets history, but EVER), but we at least got Keller.

Still gotta wait another year or 2 to fully grade out '09 and '10, but they aren't bad.

2009-Sanchez (like him or not, he's our QB), Greene, and Slauson; all 3 are starters. Greene had a very good first 2 years with 4.0+ rushing averages both years. He's been pretty lousy this year though.

2010-Kyle Wilson is developing into a very good corner. Had an ok frosh yr, but he's been superb as a nickel this year, and am pretty confident he could step into the #2 if he needed too. John Conner is our starting FB and a special teams beast. Joe McKnight leads the NFL in kick return average. Ducasse has been a bust so far for a 2nd rd pick.

Some hits and misses, but definitely not bad, although everything looks subpar compared to the Pats '10 draft. Then again, you guys had subpar '06 to '08 drafts save a couple players.

 

[andrewgarrr]

Great player, but the Steelers got to the SB without him last season. Not a huge loss.

 

[randomk1]

Great player, but the Steelers got to the SB without him last season. Not a huge loss.

Yup definately agree with this. Aaron Smith is a very underrated player but he's been injured for the 2 past seasons now and the steelers have done fine without him.

Ziggy Hood looked solid for them last year..not to mention 1st round pick Cam Heyward is there.

 

[shmessy]

It was weak. Ironically those were the Jets two best draft years in recent memory.

2006- D'Brick, Mangold, Brad Smith, Leon Washington, and Eric Smith
2007-Revis and Harris

This thread isn't about the Jets.

 

[goheels22002]

If we look at the top teams of the "2000s" (Patriots/Colts/Steelers/Chargers/Eagles), it seems that they've recently all had down times with the draft, and it seems to have started in 2006 for all of them.

Their drafting is middle of the road with each team producing two or maybe three starters in each of the last five draft classes. The Colts and the Eagles both dropped off significantly. It's hard to look at the Colts this year with Manning, as being a playoff contender through the lens of their acquisitions since 2006. They got old too.

The Eagles are very interesting to look at - a team that once had discipline about not overpaying their own and other team's free agents looks like they went with a "win right now" mentality and they created imbalance in their salary cap structure now, and for a the next couple of years.

The Patriots did a pretty good job in the draft year-to-year and an even better job bringing in free agents at cap-friendly short-term deals. Most draft picks did not stick around long-term but it is arguable that a lot of guys (the Tates, Merriweathers etc.) gave the Pats pretty good production in their 1st/2nd years of significant time on the field.