Steelers Defense, anything we are missing?

[long distance]

Pretty sure Miami had to abandon the run game early because they were down by a couple of scores early in that game.

KC looked lethargic in just about every area last night.

NE is a different team than they were in October as well. They've got Lewis, which adds an entirely new dimension to the offense. Though I think they will be looking to exploit their secondary and LBs in coverage, more than trying to run the ball down their throats.

1. While thats true PIT allowed 2.1 ypc to Ajayi (and he was the hottest RB item not so long ago).
NE allowed him 3.7 just a week before (59 tot) and NE is top run D.

2. PIT D had to do a lot with that KC lethargic look.

3. I stated myself that BOTH teams are very different . and much improved (NE minus Gronk unfortunately)
Agreed on Lewis. And on exploiting secondary. Hope Josh is up for it. Sure was vs HOU.
If Smith would be able to throw deep KC could be playing us on Sunday.
_

BL: The film from Oct. game has only partial value unfortunately.
PIT became healthy and glued well. Pats glued well too and became real tough.
Should be a great battle.

 

[dannydyn]

Don't confuse their past rush last night vs. what they will have against us.

Much easier to load the box and rush the passer when the QB is Alex Smith who has 1 'good' TE and 1 slight above average receiver.

Trust me, they can't afford to send the whole box at Brady, or he'll eat them alive on the deep ball.

 

[dannydyn]

How does he explain the Eli Manning Superbowls?

Best Helmet

 

[Ring 6]

Don't confuse their past rush last night vs. what they will have against us.

Much easier to load the box and rush the passer when the QB is Alex Smith who has 1 'good' TE and 1 slight above average receiver.

Trust me, they can't afford to send the whole box at Brady, or he'll eat them alive on the deep ball.

You cant take anything from the Pitt D in that game, because they were facing a middle school gimmick offense.

 

[FourierSeries]

1. While thats true PIT allowed 2.1 ypc to Ajayi (and he was the hottest RB item not so long ago).
NE allowed him 3.7 just a week before (59 tot) and NE is top run D.

2. PIT D had to do a lot with that KC lethargic look.

3. I stated myself that BOTH teams are very different . and much improved (NE minus Gronk unfortunately)
Agreed on Lewis. And on exploiting secondary. Hope Josh is up for it. Sure was vs HOU.
If Smith would be able to throw deep KC could be playing us on Sunday.
_

BL: The film from Oct. game has only partial value unfortunately.
PIT became healthy and glued well. Pats glued well too and became real tough.
Should be a great battle.

I wasn't the one bringing up the last game. I simply responded to someone who did.

Nevertheless, looking at their roster, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they match up vs NE, I feel very confident. Their defense isn't the type of defense that has historically given Brady much trouble, so I don't see them coming into Foxboro and shutting down the offense. Also, their passing game has been atrocious on the road all season long. Bell will be the key for them, but as you said, the Pats' run defense has been stellar this season and I expect Bill to come up with another good gameplan to contain him.

 

[dannydyn]

You cant take anything from the Pitt D in that game, because they were facing a middle school gimmick offense.

Exactly my point.

 

[rochrist]

What worries me is that the Steelers have played two games, and two opposing players have nearly been killed.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

 

[obgod3]

The playoff PIT run D allowed:
33y to Ajayi (52 total rush yds to MIA)
35y to Ware and -1y to West (61 rush yds to KC)

So it was easy for the Steelers to commit to stopping the run, they could easily challenge both those teams to pass. I don't think comparing the Miami or KC pass game to the Pats is even in the same league. So now the Steelers have to stay more balanced on defense, or pick their poison.

I do think that the Steelers will try to rush Brady on the inside just like Houston did but I think NE will be ready for it and I dont think they have the same skills Houston has to be successful.

Very fast defense, so there is only one problem, they cant stay fast all game, eventually you can wear them out. We see this all the time in this league.

Split the seems, yeh not having Gronk is huge but I still have confidence that guys like White, Mitchell and Floyd who have very good speed can make up for some of this.

Im nervous about this game already but then again I think if the Pats play well without turnovers they will win this.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Holy moses....Pittsburgh's been torched by elite QBs, rookie QBs, average QBs, and below-average QBs across the board

 

[FourierSeries]

Holy moses....Pittsburgh's been torched by elite, rookies, average, and below-average QBs across the board

The part that should give everyone confidence is that this is essentially the same kind of Pittsburgh defense that Brady has completely shredded in the past (a lot of zone and a lot of blitzing) only not as talented as.

 

[EddardSnow67]

I don't think the Steelers have the defensive personnel to exploit Andrews and the guards like Houston did. Clowney is a monster with immense physical talent and the size and strength to control the point of attack inside if necessary. The only guy on the Pitt defense close to him is Harrison, and while he's a physical specimen in his own way, he certainly won't bring the same skill set that Clowney brings. He can be pushed around if there's an angle on him, whereas Clowney either makes a quick move or stands up interior OL using superior length and leverage.

So, Pittsburgh will be forced to try to get pressure in a more traditional way: On the outside and with sharp inside stunts to try to get a guy in Brady's face up the middle. They've started to blitz more, which has helped their pass rush, but Brady is very good against the blitz and the Pats' pass protection has been good against the blitz this season. I think the Steelers will opt more for DL stunts rather than an overly blitz-heavy scheme. Again, Brady is great against the blitz and with guys like Lewis and Edelman, the personnel is kind of built to exploit the blitz.

With that said, it's difficult for me to see the Steelers getting enough pressure to disrupt Brady's rhythm enough to win the game. They'll be forced to play into the Patriots' hand because they lack physically dominant players like Clowney and Mercilus. They're tough and they hit hard, but they're just far more limited in terms of personnel than Houston.

I'm not one for "ifs," but if Clowney wasn't on the field for the Texans, the Pats likely would have won by 30+.

 

[SVN]

Initially, I was hoping they'd focus Floyd's "catchup tour" on some of the seam routes that Gronk usually runs. But after Saturday I am not even sure if he will be active this week if Mitchell and Hogan are good to go.

Floyd should just run outside patterns .Safer and seems to be easy for him.

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

Sam Monson goes position by position to determine which teams are best among the Falcons, Packers, Patriots and Steelers. When it comes to the two levels of defense, Pittsburgh has 2nd best secondary (behind New England) and 2nd best defensive front seven (behind Green Bay)

Ranking the conference title teams at every position | PFF

Defense Front - 2nd out of the four remaining teams

Pittsburgh’s defensive front seven may be the most high-variance of any of the remaining units. If they all fire and play to the best of their ability, this is the best remaining unit, but they also have the potential to be the worst if the reverse happens. The fact that James Harrison – at 38 years of age – is still their best edge rusher and only consistent source of pressure is a major issue. And while inside linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier have very good athleticism and playmaking ability, they are inconsistent and can be the cause of big plays going against the defense, too, especially in coverage, where they have a tendency to bite on the first thing they see

Secondary - 2nd out of the four remaining teams

Pittsburgh’s secondary is improving as the season goes on, and the young players who were such liabilities early in the year develop and find their feet. First-round rookie cornerback Artie Burns was picked on early in the year, but against Kansas City he allowed just two catches for 13 yards and he has allowed 40 or fewer receiving yards in seven of his last nine games starting. Their other top corners William Gay and Ross ****rell are both also good coverage defenders, and the issues in this secondary are at safety.​

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

I realize he's been hobbled, but Bennett has gotten 18 receptions for 201 yards over the last 8 games, that's averages of a little over 2 receptions for 25 yards per game. Pittsburgh held him to 1 reception for 5 yards in the first game. Hope to God we see more production on Sunday, hobbled or not.

Yeah, he's been a shell of himself in the passing game (through no fault of his own) ....hope he can contribute a bit more

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

 

[Soul_Survivor88]

How the New England Patriots can attack the Pittsburgh Steelers' red-hot defense in AFC Championship

Can the Steelers replicate Houston's gameplan? Not exactly.

They do not have Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus, but they do have talented players along the front seven. Bud Dupree, a first-round pick in 2015, has been a highly productive player since coming off of the injured reserve in late November. James Harrison has started to play between 95-100 percent of the snaps. On the interior, the 6-foot-7, 313-pound Stephon Tuitt is a "force," as Bill Belichick said multiple times this week.

Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon will mostly be pitted against Dupree, while left tackle Nate Solder will draw Harrison. The Steelers move Dupree around a bit, as he'll occasionally drop into coverage -- often because they sent Shazier on a blitz --or move to an interior rushing position. For the most part, though, he aligns on the left edge of the defensive front.

The weakness of the Patriots offensive line is along the interior, so the Steelers would be wise to scheme in a way that maximizes their ability to generate pressure up the middle. This could mean more frequent interior blitzes from Shazier, or it could mean scheming to get Tuitt in one-on-one situations.​

 

[SVN]

Howe usually says this before evry game.

 

[FourierSeries]

Howe usually says this before evry game.

So that means that he's right far more times than he's wrong.

 

[Deus Irae]

Pittsburgh has the DL the Patriots should have drafted in 2014, in Tuitt. They've got cagey veterans in Harrison and Timmons. They've got an inconsistent, but talented, LB in Shazier. They've got a bit of speed and potential in the backfield, as well.

And none of that is likely going to matter, unless they change their defensive scheme. If you tell me they're doing that, then I'll have more concerns.