One player who is hurting the Steelers is...

[Dee Dub]

..FB/TE David Johnson. Say what you want about the O-line but they need some help from their FB on occasion and he is totally missing blocks. I've seen stunts, loop-arounds, blitzes off the edge, etc, where the O-line needs help in their FB picking these up and he is totally whiffing on more times than not.

I dont get it. It is pretty blatant that he is missing blocks and since he isnt a pass catching specialist he has to be able to block otherwise I have no idea why he is even on the field.

Am I the only one seeing this?

[pittpete]

You are not alone my friend.
He does nothing well.....

[steelerkeylargo]

..FB/TE David Johnson. Say what you want about the O-line but they need some help from their FB on occasion and he is totally missing blocks. I've seen stunts, loop-arounds, blitzes off the edge, etc, where the O-line needs help in their FB picking these up and he is totally whiffing on more times than not.

I dont get it. It is pretty blatant that he is missing blocks and since he isnt a pass catching specialist he has to be able to block otherwise I have no idea why he is even on the field.

Am I the only one seeing this?

:Agree

That dude has no business being in the backfield. I also don't see the point in putting Wes Saunders on the field at this point either.

[insanesteelersfan]

..FB/TE David Johnson. Say what you want about the O-line but they need some help from their FB on occasion and he is totally missing blocks. I've seen stunts, loop-arounds, blitzes off the edge, etc, where the O-line needs help in their FB picking these up and he is totally whiffing on more times than not.

I dont get it. It is pretty blatant that he is missing blocks and since he isnt a pass catching specialist he has to be able to block otherwise I have no idea why he is even on the field.

Am I the only one seeing this?





Dub is 100 % on this one. The past couple of weeks especially. Johnson has not been a difference maker on pass blocking or run blocking. So Dub, you are not alone on this one. I for one might like to just see Saunders out there as an extra Blocker for Ben, and as the occasional pass catcher out of the backfield. I mean he is bigger and stronger. And he has better hands. Why not just use him, and let Miller go out on patterns ?

[LouSteel]

He's an absolute waste of a roster spot. Unfortunately, BA seems to think that FBs don't belong on the football field, and instead seems to love this hybrid flex player that does everything, nothing well.

I wonder if the FO has Dan Kreider's number. At least he hits people.

[pittpete]

Id rather have Mewelde out there as an extra blocker than Johnson

[steelerkeylargo]

Id rather have Mewelde out there as an extra blocker than Johnson

yupppppppppp!!!!

[LouSteel]

Id rather have Mewelde out there as an extra blocker than Johnson

Put Redman as the FB. You can even hand him the ball once or twice.

OK, maybe that last part was too crazy for BA... :lol:

[phillyesq]

I had been pretty lukewarm on Johnson, but the more I see, the more I'm starting to agree with DD. He can be a devestating blocker when he makes contact with somebody, but he seems to miss his assignments and reads enough that he's more of a detriment to the team.

[flippy]

I'm surprised DJ is out there. He never makes a block any time I watch him. He misses all the action. And I'd much rather see another WR on the field instead.

Let's spread teams out to slow down the pass rush.

I wish BA was as interested in execution as he is in formations. If he were, DJ would never see the field.

It was disheartening last night to see how many guys just couldn't find someone to block. It's like our linemen got Colclough disease and are afraid of any contact whatsoever.

[Ghost]

If you've been watching him the last three games, you have to laugh out loud. The number of times he takes off and doesn't put a hat on anyone is countless. Got to believe he doesn't need to spend anytime in the ice bath or hot tub as he's not dealing with any contact.

[steelblood]

Johnson and A. Smith must be benched. We could pick up a FB off someone's PS, who could learn our offense and be far more effective within 2 weeks. Aaron Smith's play is so bad that I have to question LeBeau's and Tomlin's sanity in running him out there week after week.

[steelz09]

I think we are all in agreement on this....

He has NO business lining up as a FB. NONE. I don't even want to see him on the field on passing downs... EVER.

Better yet, I don't even want to see him in a Steelers uniform anymore.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Johnson would be a good baseball player. He makes contact about once in every three opportunities.

Unfortunately, for a football player who is assigned to be a lead blocker or protect our QB, that is horrible.

[fezziwig]

I've been saying the same stuff about Johnson since he started playing for the Steelers. He's nothing but a big , slow, stupid oaf.

Well, oaf does mean big slow and stupid, I guess I didn't need to spell it out. Unless Johnson himself is reading this then, I kind of did need to spell it out. Too bad for Johnson I can't write these threads in crayon to help him understand better.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I don't understand the hate for DJ. He is playing at a Superbowl level!!

Oh. Wait ...

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I was just rewatching a bit from the first Q. It was a little after the Wallace toss as I pulled that up to show my son and watched a bit further.

Mendy takes the handoff and gets blown up in the backfield. Ahead of him you see DJ sneaking through the hole without the tackler and getting through nicely. If only he was carrying the ball he would have gone at least ten yards untouched.....but that isn't what lead blocking is supposed to be like, is it?

[hawaiiansteel]

I don't understand the hate for DJ. He is playing at a Superbowl level!!

Oh. Wait ...


I must finally be over the Super Bowl loss because I was actually able to laugh at that... :D

[SteelAbility]

Yes, but Johnson has accomplished something that no other Steeler has ever accomplished. He has single-handedly managed to unify all normally bickering Steeler forum members EVERYWHERE on one point of view. :lol:

[SteelCrazy]

It's really not Johnsons fault that he sucks at FB. He blocks decently from the TE pos. but he seems to have a hard time grasping the role of the FB and all the blocking schemes. Arians is at fault here for not utilizing a true FB who understands all the complex schemes....

[Djfan]

I was just rewatching a bit from the first Q. It was a little after the Wallace toss as I pulled that up to show my son and watched a bit further.

Mendy takes the handoff and gets blown up in the backfield. Ahead of him you see DJ sneaking through the hole without the tackler and getting through nicely. If only he was carrying the ball he would have gone at least ten yards untouched.....but that isn't what lead blocking is supposed to be like, is it?


I almost cussed at that play.

BA let Krieder go for this TE dream he keeps failing at. If I were DJ I would be very frustrated.

As for the back field, I can see Legursky being a good FB. He has the physical build for it, and seems to be a smart guy. Plus his name says "Meat-head" to me. He just sounds like a guy who can hit.