Cornerbacks situation biggest concern

[hawaiiansteel]

Cornerbacks situation biggest concern

August 13th, 2011
by Scott Brown



Mike Tomlin could have acknowledged looking at the Steelers’ 16-7 loss to the Washington Redskins through the prism of August football.

Instead, the fifth-year coach called out his team for lack of execution — and to some degree effort — in a meaningless preseason game. That is not surprising since Tomlin treats an excuse as if it is a glowing ember, something that needs to be stamped out before it catches fire.

His level of dissatisfaction was disproportionate to what transpired in Landover, Md., considering the circumstances.

A handful of offensive starters, including Ben Roethlisberger, played just five snaps. The first-team defense took the field without James Harrison and Troy Polamalu, each of whom were held out of the game as a precaution.

What is worrisome following the Steelers’ first preseason game is the situation at cornerback. Even if Ike Taylor’s broken thumb is a minor setback –- and all indications point to that -– the Steelers are in no better position to defend against the spread than they were last February when Aaron Rodgers carved them up for 304 passing yards.

Bryant McFadden and William Gay are serviceable, but so far none of the young cornerbacks have stepped up to challenge them.

Rookies Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen can’t stay on the field. Keenan Lewis and Crezdon Butler have also had some injury issues. And neither distinguished himself against the Redskins despite ample playing time.

Not that just any team will be able to spread out the Steelers.

There, are to be sure, plenty of bad quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s just that most of them have been weeded out by the start of the playoffs.

If the Steelers are to successfully defend against teams spreading them out to neutralize the pass rush, they are going to need some of their young cornerbacks to emerge.

Or at least one of them anyway.

[url="http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2011/08/13/cornerbacks-situation-biggest-concern/"]http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/201 ... t-concern/[/url]

[Chavezz]

I'd still like to see us make a move and get a CB. I've heard that the Eagles are still looking to move Asante Samuels. They'd like a LB and a pick.

Just for arguments sake, I wonder what it would take for us to get him. If they want a LB, I'd say that Stevenson Sylvester would be the best young trade asset we have. I love the guy and think he's starting material in short time.

But we need CB help now.

Just from an asset stand point what do we have for trade purposes. Be realistic. We're not trading Larry Foote and Will Allen for a #2 CB.

Antonio Brown? Emmanuel Sanders? Issac Redmond?

[hawaiiansteel]

I'd still like to see us make a move and get a CB. I've heard that the Eagles are still looking to move Asante Samuels.

do you think we could afford Samuel? he still has three years left on his original six-year, $57 million deal he signed with the Eagles.

[winwithd]

I'm not sure Samuel is a LeBeau type corner anyway. I heard one of Samuel's weaknesses is a lack of speed and while he gets picks with good anticipation he also gets beat deep. Add to that the fact that he is not a good tackler and I don't see the Steelers being willing to pay big bucks for that combination.

And while I was high on Sylvester coming unto the season, I was disappointed in what I saw last night. He seemed to be a step slow a lot of times and could not get away from blockers many times.

[Discipline of Steel]

And while I was high on Sylvester coming unto the season, I was disappointed in what I saw last night. He seemed to be a step slow a lot of times and could not get away from blockers many times.

True, but the whole team was lost. He will star for a long time and id say at this point, he is untradeable.

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers notebook: Cornerback Lewis' time is now

Sun Aug 14, 2011
By Mike Bires [email="mbires@timesonline.com"]mbires@timesonline.com[/email]



Opportunity is knocking for Keenan Lewis.

Now that Ike Taylor may miss the rest of the preseason with a broken thumb, Lewis will likely move into the cornerback rotation.

A third-round pick in the 2009 draft, Lewis will get plenty of reps at practice and in the remaining three exhibition games. Even if William Gay and Bryant McFadden start at corner Thursday when the Steelers host the Philadelphia Eagles, Lewis will be the third corner when defensive coordinator D!ck LeBeau goes with his sub packages on obvious passing downs.

When the Steelers drafted Lewis, they raved about his size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and toughness. But he's rarely played on defense the past two seasons, playing in only 13 games, primarily on special teams.

Taylor, who signed a four-year, $28 million contract last week, broke his left thumb Friday night in a 16-7 preseason loss to the Washington Redskins. He was injured in the first quarter but couldn't remember exactly how he broke his thumb.

"He could be out for a couple of weeks or so," coach Mike Tomlin said. "Whether or not he'll require surgery, that remains to be seen."

Besides Lewis, other young cornerbacks will get a closer look from Tomlin, LeBeau and secondary coach Carnell Lake. That list includes Crezdon Butler, a fifth-round draft pick last year, and rookies Curtis Brown and Cortez Allen, who were drafted in the third and fourth rounds this year.

Brown and Allen didn't play Friday due to sore hamstrings.

Lewis (calf) and Butler (quadriceps) left the game due to injuries that weren't deemed serious.



BATCH KEEPS THE FAITH

Even though his rookie season is over, running back Baron Batch remains optimistic about what lies ahead.

After suffering a torn knee ligament Wednesday on the artificial turf field at St. Vincent College, here's what he posted on baronbatch.blogspot.com:

"(Friday) I was supposed to play my first NFL game. That won't happen. (Wednesday) I tore my ACL ... I probably should be devastated at the fact I won't play my rookie season but I'm not. After my season-ending injury my freshman year of college, I promised myself that I would never ask God ‘Why?' again and I'm not about to start now.

It's during the tough times that we are able to grow. I'm excited to hit another growth spurt.

"I've never been so close to something and then have it pulled away. I felt like my NFL career was within grasp, I could feel it on my fingertips only to have it pulled away and postponed. As I was being carted off the field (Wednesday) I could clearly hear my mother's voice whispering, ‘Have faith son, have faith.'

"Faith is something that I will once again have to lean on more than ever as I begin the rehab process."

A seventh-round draft pick out of Texas Tech, Batch probably wouldn't have played much this year had he remained injury free. The Steelers are set with Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore and Isaac Redman as their top three backs. But the Steelers had been impressed by Batch and from all indications he would have made the team had he stayed healthy.

LIMITED PLAYING TIME

All four Steelers quarterbacks got playing time against the Redskins, although Ben Roethlisberger only took five reps. He completed 2 of 3 passes for 22 yards and was sacked once for a 9-yard loss.

As usual, Tomlin only played the Steelers' first-string players for a series or two.

"I pulled them just like I normally pull them in the first preseason game," he said. "I followed the same script for the five years that I've been here in terms of their first snaps in the first preseason game. That is unchanged."

BACK TO LATROBE

After a day off Saturday, the Steelers return to St. Vincent College today as they head into the final days of their stay in Latrobe.

The Steelers have just three training camp practices remaining: today, Monday and Tuesday. Each of those practices starts at 2:55 p.m. and are open to the public.

The Steelers break camp Wednesday after a morning walk-through in preparation for Thursday's preseason game at Heinz Field against the Eagles.

Today makes the first day that newly-acquired wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery will practice with his new team. Cotchery, an eighth-year pro who caught 82 passes with the Jets in each of the 2006 and '07 seasons, signed with the Steelers on Thursday.

He'll provide depth at the wideout spot, especially now that Emmanuel Sanders is out indefinitely with a foot injury.

[url="http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local_sports/steelers-notebook-cornerback-lewis-time-is-now/article_f28d5438-fcf1-5c8b-8c5e-b6ed61d8ac31.html?mode=story"]http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local ... mode=story[/url]

[Oviedo]

The first step in recovery if acknowledging that you have a problem. I don't think we have done that yet and we will keep telling ourselves everything is OK and just trust the scheme.

[BURGH86STEEL]

The first step in recovery if acknowledging that you have a problem. I don't think we have done that yet and we will keep telling ourselves everything is OK and just trust the scheme.

Since some seem to think the Steelers have a huge problem, what is the solution to the problem?

Should Steelers go all irrational like the Eagles and over pay for a player like Namdi? Should they draft a CB they don't feel is the best player available for them?

Now, I don't think the situation is as dire as some believe. Pass defense only gave up 15 TD's last season. Steelers only loss in the post season was to a very good Packers team in the Super Bowl. I am of the opinion that turnovers were the biggest contributing factor into why they loss that game.

[AzStillers1989]

The first step in recovery if acknowledging that you have a problem. I don't think we have done that yet and we will keep telling ourselves everything is OK and just trust the scheme.

Since some seem to think the Steelers have a huge problem, what is the solution to the problem?

Should Steelers go all irrational like the Eagles and over pay for a player like Namdi? Should they draft a CB they don't feel is the best player available for them?

Now, I don't think the situation is as dire as some believe. Pass defense only gave up 15 TD's last season. Steelers only loss in the post season was to a very good Packers team in the Super Bowl. I am of the opinion that turnovers were the biggest contributing factor into why they loss that game.

I agree with you. The thing is, as a fan, we have all the time in the world to speculate what is best for the team(s) we root for. But unless we are actually in a position of power or inside leverage, all we can do is debate. I think that is what I love most about talking about sports, is debating ideas and learning from one another.

[RuthlessBurgher]

The first step in recovery if acknowledging that you have a problem. I don't think we have done that yet and we will keep telling ourselves everything is OK and just trust the scheme.

Our defense sucks! Scrap it all and start over like the Browns do every other year.