Question 2: Is Pittsburgh’s defense really that bad?
Yup.
Moving on…
Question 3: Why exactly is it so bad when they’ve invested so many high round picks over the past 3 years in the defense?
It’s a combination of inexperience, a new defensive scheme, a tendency towards overly aggressive/undisciplined play, and suspect talent at the key positions.
Pittsburgh doesn’t exactly lack for talent per se on defense. Cameron Heyward is a stud 3-4 DE, and Stephon Tuitt looks like he’ll be a monster bookend for years to come (although Tuitt is dinged and may not play). There is talent and depth at ILB (Timmons, Shazier), and we’ve invested heavily all across the linebacking core with 1st round picks. I actually don’t think the CB situation is as bad as advertised – they may have a bunch of average corners at best IMO, but CB isn’t their biggest issue.
The biggest issue with the defense IMO is recognition and football IQ – players routinely break down in their assignments, either due to poor recognition, poor understanding of the defense, or pure over-aggressiveness. Shamarko Thomas – the heir apparent to Troy P, who the Steelers traded up to grab a couple of years ago – is the most egregious offender here. He has been caught out of position on at least two TD passes this preseason, and I’m starting to doubt whether he has the between-the-ears component required to play safety in the NFL. Jarvis Jones is another – several times a game he crashes inside and vacates containment. Shazier is a whirlwind, but lacks ballast and can be blown out of plays if OLinemen reach the 2nd level. Put these things together, and there are frequent, major gaps each game that an offense can easily exploit.
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