Arians vs. LeBeau

[feltdizz]

Let me clarify I think Ovie is spot on in the critisicm of Lebeau... But he should return. However I think we all get frustrated at the 2 to 3 years it takes to master the D and we witnessed what happens when a vet goes down in the backfield. It makes it frustrating to look at draft day CBs because we know they won't see the field for 2 more years.

Imagine Wallace sitting on the sidelines for 2 years because of the complex scheme.. Ike has stated all the blitzes we have yet to use, the D's playbook being twice as big as the offenses. While it sounds great when the D is rolling, when injuries happen, and in football they will happen... the complexity can become a big problem.

I am worried about Steelers D in 2010 even when Troy returns.

These complex schemes need to go out. Make it simple for rookies to contribute. Steelers need rookies to contribute unless they make a splash in FA.

I don't don't know... My respect for Lebeau leads me believe Gay was like most first year DB's in our scheme, dazed and confused and always a step behind. Maybe I'm a dreamer though....

[feltdizz]

Let me clarify I think Ovie is spot on in the critisicm of Lebeau... But he should return. However I think we all get frustrated at the 2 to 3 years it takes to master the D and we witnessed what happens when a vet goes down in the backfield. It makes it frustrating to look at draft day CBs because we know they won't see the field for 2 more years.

Imagine Wallace sitting on the sidelines for 2 years because of the complex scheme.. Ike has stated all the blitzes we have yet to use, the D's playbook being twice as big as the offenses. While it sounds great when the D is rolling, when injuries happen, and in football they will happen... the complexity can become a big problem.

Beware the "Defensive Inquisition!" The monks of the order of St LeBeau will be pursuing you too if you continue to speak such heretical pontifications. Do you prefer the rack, drawn and quartered or just being burnt at the stake?

Save yourself and do your pennance now. Say the following 10 times: "We are a 3-4 defense and thou shalt not question." "We shalt not change because the past hath been good" "All players shall conform or be cast out" "All fans shalt never question St LeBeau"

I have been baptized in lake Minnatonga like in Purple Rain... I skipped rocks and ate fish from the River Ohio as a youth... I wallked the windy north side for 3 hours before realizing there was a bus strike. I also endured the Steelers in the 80's.

I am legend.

[Oviedo]

Ovie, he had one bad season for Christ's sake.

We all know you have a big stiffy for the 4-3 and can't wait for LeBeau to hit the bricks so someone else will put in a 4-3...but he's had ONE bad season....

(see what happens when a story is posted about the Raiders targeting Arians...and it turns out to be from bleacher report?)

Hope your right because above all else the Steelers winning it what matters. Hopefully LeBeau has some magic left. My uninformed and ignorant mind just can't figure out what it is when our defense is getting older and our young players can't get on the field.

But let's not kid ourselves what killed us all season was exactly what the Cardinals exposed in the Super Bowl last year when we did have Troy. You saw it last February and then all 2009 and no adjustments, no improvements.

I just have less confidence that Troy coming back solves all the problems. To me would could just fooling ourselves by painting over rotten wood. But we just have to wait and see.

I'm thinking that what happened in the 4thQ was the result of a D that put out big time for 3 quarters and was tired in the 4th. We weren't going up against an average O in the SB. That was a super high powered O with red hot Fitzgerald averaging 35+ in their 3 playoff games. We held them to 23.

Also on the long TD to Fitzgerald we really got "caught with our pants down" as the FS was some 35 yards off the ball on the opposite side of where the pass was thrown. That was more surprised than exposed.

Also, I shudder to think what the final score would have been with Ty Carter starting for Troy and William Gay in for McFadden.

Of course it is Bruce Arians fault.

[SteelAbility]

Ovie, he had one bad season for Christ's sake.

We all know you have a big stiffy for the 4-3 and can't wait for LeBeau to hit the bricks so someone else will put in a 4-3...but he's had ONE bad season....

(see what happens when a story is posted about the Raiders targeting Arians...and it turns out to be from bleacher report?)

Hope your right because above all else the Steelers winning it what matters. Hopefully LeBeau has some magic left. My uninformed and ignorant mind just can't figure out what it is when our defense is getting older and our young players can't get on the field.

But let's not kid ourselves what killed us all season was exactly what the Cardinals exposed in the Super Bowl last year when we did have Troy. You saw it last February and then all 2009 and no adjustments, no improvements.

I just have less confidence that Troy coming back solves all the problems. To me would could just fooling ourselves by painting over rotten wood. But we just have to wait and see.

I'm thinking that what happened in the 4thQ was the result of a D that put out big time for 3 quarters and was tired in the 4th. We weren't going up against an average O in the SB. That was a super high powered O with red hot Fitzgerald averaging 35+ in their 3 playoff games. We held them to 23.

Also on the long TD to Fitzgerald we really got "caught with our pants down" as the FS was some 35 yards off the ball on the opposite side of where the pass was thrown. That was more surprised than exposed.

Also, I shudder to think what the final score would have been with Ty Carter starting for Troy and William Gay in for McFadden.

Of course it is Bruce Arians fault.

Well, I don't see anything about Bruce Arians in there. :P

I do fault Arians for failure to get a TD on the opening drive with 1st AND GOAL FROM THE F^!$%$!@#$!#ing 1. All you need is 9 inches per play ... 9 INCHES PER PLAY. Instead we got cute with handoffs giving the D a chance to get in the backfield when all we needed was sneak, sneak, sneak, score.

[Steeler Mafia]

Are we really still talking about this?

[feltdizz]

Are we really still talking about this?

It's big bidness...

[feltdizz]

In other news... or in Cheater news.. I just heard a pod cast where a guy ask:

How can we think the Pats* D will turn around if Seau is your LB?

I thought it was funny...

[NorthCoast]

Fix the turnover ratio and we will be in the playoffs once again.

We were 27th in takeaways per game and 21st in turnover margin/game (-0.2) vs last season when we were 4th (1.4/game) and 5th (+0.5). And it wasn't because the offense gave it away more this season (almost the same as last on giveaways), it was on the D.

[SteelTorch]

Fix the turnover ratio and we will be in the playoffs once again.

We were 27th in takeaways per game and 21st in turnover margin/game (-0.2) vs last season when we were 4th (1.4/game) and 5th (+0.5). And it wasn't because the offense gave it away more this season (almost the same as last on giveaways), it was on the D.

There was more to it than that. We were terrible on preventing third down conversions - 28th in the league, in fact. I'm also surprised nobody has mentioned that our pass defense was ranked 16th this season as opposed to 1st from '08.

[NorthCoast]

Fix the turnover ratio and we will be in the playoffs once again.

We were 27th in takeaways per game and 21st in turnover margin/game (-0.2) vs last season when we were 4th (1.4/game) and 5th (+0.5). And it wasn't because the offense gave it away more this season (almost the same as last on giveaways), it was on the D.

There was more to it than that. We were terrible on preventing third down conversions - 28th in the league, in fact. I'm also surprised nobody has mentioned that our pass defense was ranked 16th this season as opposed to 1st from '08.

I agree. I am not expecting us to be the D we were in '08 but if we are 1/2 that good, I think we will be fine.