Who will be the most important player when it comes to generating mismatches vs Pittsburgh's D?

[Soul_Survivor88]

Pittsburgh's Defensive Coordinator, Keith Butler, is a **** LeBeau disciple who has kept much of what worked so well for LeBeau over the years. Indeed, the Steelers largely a zone team when it comes to coverage, playing some combination of cover-3, cover-2, cover-4 or cover-6 (all zone coverage shells) on 76 percent of their defensive snaps.

In the past, LeBeau’s system always managed to confuse quarterbacks and forced them to sustain long drives by disallowing big plays.....except Brady. Brady ate and carved up LeBeau's defense and didn’t get confused. Brady was the exact type of quarterback that LeBeau did not want to face.

While Butler likely to continue using LeBeau's system, his defenses are more simplified, more athletic, and more execution-based rather than scheme-based. Pittsburgh's defensive backs excel at not giving up the long ball (which is very important considering that New England has become more vertical in their passing game as of late).

In addition, the Steelers' linebackers are athletic, quick and have range. They each have the ability in coverage to match up with receivers that many linebackers don’t, and quickly arrive at the ball.

But all these defenders can also be moved out of position in coverage because of the nuances in technique within the Steelers’ coverage schemes.

Over the years, Brady has proven that he will attack defensive weaknesses without mercy. He is excellent at identifying match-up advantages and targeting them relentlessly. And this season, perhaps more so than others, the Patriots have supplied him ably with great offensive weapons, and have given him pieces to shift on the fly and attack in any way he sees fit.

I'm curious who will have the biggest impact on Sunday on offense. Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

[SVN]

While they do follow LeBeau's system, week 6 they changed up and allowed us to run the football to contain the passing game. I expect them to do the same. For me the most important player vs their D is David Andrews. They are going to come after him hard,early and often .If he buckles like vs houston, we are toast.

 

[Ring 6]

Pittsburgh's Defensive Coordinator, Keith Butler, is a **** LeBeau disciple who has kept much of what worked so well for LeBeau over the years. Indeed, the Steelers largely a zone team when it comes to coverage, playing some combination of cover-3, cover-2, cover-4 or cover-6 (all zone coverage shells) on 76 percent of their defensive snaps.

In the past, LeBeau’s system always managed to confuse quarterbacks and forced them to sustain long drives by disallowing big plays.....except Brady. Brady ate and carved up LeBeau's defense and didn’t get confused. Brady was the exact type of quarterback that LeBeau did not want to face.

While Butler likely to continue using LeBeau's system, his defenses are more simplified, more athletic, and more execution-based rather than scheme-based. Pittsburgh's defensive backs excel at not giving up the long ball (which is very important considering that New England has become more vertical in their passing game as of late). In addition, the Steelers' linebackers are athletic, quick and have range. They each have the ability in coverage to match up with receivers that many linebackers don’t, and quickly arrive at the ball. But they can also be moved out of position in coverage because of the nuances in technique within the Steelers’ coverage schemes.

Over the years, Brady has proven that he will attack defensive weaknesses without mercy. He is excellent at identifying matchup advantages and targeting them relentlessly. And this season, perhaps more so than others, the Patriots have supplied him ably with great offensive weapons, and have given him pieces to shift on the fly and attack in any way he sees fit.

I'm curious who will have the biggest impact on Sunday on offense. Would love to hear your thoughts!

I don't think their LBs have changed or become more athletic or quicker as a group, I think they added Shazier who is a smaller quicker athletic guy, but the rest seem to be typical Steeler LBs. He is the only one in the group with any real coverage skills.

I think part of the advantage in Brady vs Ptitsburgh is they do what they do, so the game plan can target things that will expose their weaknesses. Still have to make plays though.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Chris Hogan. They don't have anyone who can stay with him, and if we force them to defend the length of the field it'll open up the rest of the offense.

 

[SVN]

I don't think their LBs have changed or become more athletic or quicker as a group, I think they added Shazier who is a smaller quicker athletic guy, but the rest seem to be typical Steeler LBs. He is the only one in the group with any real coverage skills.

I think part of the advantage in Brady vs Ptitsburgh is they do what they do, so the game plan can target things that will expose their weaknesses. Still have to make plays though.

They lost heyward but added dupree late after activating from IR. He has made quite a difference in their pass rush.

 

[chasa]

tom brady.

Lined up wide to the left, with 11 under center.

ends up as a 90 yard catch and run for a td

 

[Keep Up With The Joneses]

With Gronk out I have to pick Lewis and White. Other than Shazier I don't think any Pittsburgh linebackers can cover these two. The deep ball worked last week but the number of them was uncharacteristic of this offense and led to Brady holding the ball longer than usual.

To be successful I'd like to see them go back to the death by a thousand cuts offense, and they can't do it without one or both of these players having a big day.

 

[TomPatriot]

Edelman can get separation from everyone on the field.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

With Gronk out I have to pick Lewis and White. Other than Shazier I don't think any Pittsburgh linebackers can cover these two. The deep ball worked last week but the number of them was uncharacteristic of this offense and led to Brady holding the ball longer than usual.

To be successful I'd like to see them go back to the death by a thousand cuts offense, and they can't do it without one or both of these players having a big day.

Deaths by a thousand cuts + loooonggg drives to wear the defense out, and if they go nickel, run the ball in with Lewis or Blount

 

[tucksnug]

I'm thinking Lewis and Blount, Pitt won't expect Blount to catch anything in the flat or over the middle , this could really set up some great long ball P. A.

 

[PatsFan2]

I would love to see more of the Lewis/White Backfield I think that formation is going to wreak havoc on that Steelers D.

 

[Ring 6]

They lost heyward but added dupree late after activating from IR. He has made quite a difference in their pass rush.

But he doesn't cover, and isn't really any different than the type of OLBs we have seen it Pitt for 20 years.

 

[Ring 6]

I would love to see more of the Lewis/White Backfield I think that formation is going to wreak havoc on that Steelers D.

This is what is so interesting about this offense. Week to week we can have a new wrinkle that can be very effective.
Last week it was throw deep.
There is so much and varied talent on the offense that there really isn't any weakness a defense has that we cannot exploit.
Think about that. When has there ever been an offense that versatile?

 

[stoinkythepig]

I think it's going to be Yosemite Pat (Gillette Yeti).

 

[Halifax_Pats_Fan]

Malcom Butler...time of possession and clock killing drives can kill Pitt. defense....#21 needs his biggest game of the year...

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Four Key Stats for NFL Conference Championship Weekend

Pittsburgh Steelers
The stat: The defense posted a 19.9 percent DVOA vs. opposing no. 1 receivers.

The Steelers finished the regular season dead last in coverage against opponents’ no. 1 receivers, per Football Outsiders’ tracking.

The Pittsburgh defense gave up five catches for 77 yards to Travis Kelce last week and surrendered 11 catches for 102 yards in the wild-card round to Jarvis Landry. Terrelle Pryor caught seven passes for 94 yards in Week 17; Steve Smith went for seven catches, 79 yards, and a touchdown in Week 16; Brandon LaFell caught seven balls for 91 yards for an A.J. Green–less Bengals offense in Week 15; Sammy Watkins led all Buffalo receivers in Week 14 with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown in heavy snow; and Odell Beckham caught 10 passes for 100 yards in Week 13.

Since Rob Gronkowski went down, Edelman has become New England’s no. 1 option, and he leads the NFL in receiving yards per game (98.3) since Week 9. Edelman has nine straight games with at least 73 receiving yards after hitting that mark once in the season's first eight games. He posted team highs in receptions (eight), targets (13), and receiving yards (137) against the Texans last week, and he’s likely to be a big part of the Patriots game plan again this week. Belichick and Brady have made their careers off of finding a vulnerability in a defense and exploiting it all game long.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Even though I agree with Howe, I am a little disappointed the beat writers are not taking into consideration how all of our primary WRs (besides Edelman) are hobbled and may be less than 100%

But I like his gameplan, and hope the Patriots are healthy enough to execute it:

Steelers defense not built to withstand onslaught from Tom Brady’s offense

[Click Here For Full Entry]

The Steelers defense is predictable, too slow over the middle to contend with the Patriots’ lateral quickness and yields too great of a cushion on the perimeter to contend with the receivers’ strengths. They aren’t built to stop Brady’s offensive machine

It starts over the middle, as it typically does with the Patriots. They will isolate receivers Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Danny Amendola and running backs Dion Lewis and James White with linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier as frequently as possible.

So when Shazier and Timmons get lost with their zone assignments or react too slowly while Edelman and Hogan are breezing across the middle, Brady will pounce. Safeties Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis haven’t shored up those holes, and they’re also susceptible to the big play, or at least the possibility of one because they get caught staring at the quarterback too frequently.

Because Shazier and Timmons aren’t exactly fleet of foot with lateral movement, they tend to act overaggressively in coverage to compensate. If the Patriots flash Lewis or White in front of them while using Edelman or Hogan on over routes, they’ll open up huge holes throughout the game. The Pats should truly run crossing routes play after play after play because the Steelers aren’t equipped to stop it, and cornerbacks Artie Burns, Ross ****rell and William Gay allow free releases at the line to compound the issue.

The question is whether the Steelers can mix it up the way they did in Week 7 to clog the seams against Gronkowski but without dropping Harrison or Dupree in coverage, which would negate their rushing ability. The Steelers don’t have the quickness or zone recognition to take away the quickest routes that Edelman, Lewis and White are so efficient at running.

The Steelers, who have allowed an average of 56.5 rushing yards per game in their two playoff victories, were susceptible to the run during the regular season, particularly against the Patriots. LeGarrette Blount had 76 of his 127 rushing yards against Pittsburgh’s nickel defense, and White also caught a 19-yard screen pass for a touchdown against their lightened sub package. So the Pats will test them again, especially to chew up some clock.​

 

[Kdo5]

Dion Lewis. He seems to be the man of the hour in these playoffs with no Gronk. He can do some serious damage for us but he must not fumble the ball again.

 

[turkeyneck]

I went with Malcolm Mitchell. I figure if he's good enough to be listed twice he must be important.

 

[bpippin]

We must stay balanced on offense, even if the run game is not productive. I also think we should run some up tempo early to wear the steelers def down. We can not become one dimensional. We need Bennett or another TE in the middle as Pitt has always had problems covering up the middle.

To summarize, we have to mix things up and not become one dimensional. Need to wear Pitts linebackers out early.

I think McDaniels will have a good game plan for this game. We will utilize the full book on this one. Hopefully Brady is on his game Sunday, I have confidence he will be.