Steelers game plan is stop Jones-Drew
By F. Dale Lolley, Staff writer [email="dlolley@observer-reporter.com"]dlolley@observer-reporter.com[/email]
10/13/2011
PITTSBURGH - If a grade were given to the Steelers' run defense through the first five games, a C-minus seems appropriate.
For a franchise used to doing A-plus work against the run, below-average work isn't acceptable.
Pittsburgh (3-2) fared better against the run during last week's 38-17 win over Tennessee, limiting the Titans to 66 yards rushing, including 51 yards on 14 carries by Chris Johnson.
The Steelers face another big test Sunday when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars and running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
With 476 rushing yards and 553 total, Jones-Drew has accounted for more than 40 percent of Jacksonville's offensive output. Only Baltimore's Ray Rice and Chicago's Matt Forte have accounted for a larger percentage of their team's total offense.
Knowing Jones-Drew is going to get the football doesn't mean the Steelers will stop him. Against Baltimore, Rice totaled 149 yards during a season-opening 35-7 victory.
"You look at some other guys that make up big portions of their teams' offense, like (Minnesota's) Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice, it doesn't make those guys any easier to defend," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "So we are not going into this thing with the mindset that they are going to be easy to defend because we know who their primary ball carrier is going to be."
Like the diminutive Rice, Jones-Drew, who is listed at 5-7, uses his stature to his advantage.
"He's not little. He's just short, compact and powerful," said Steelers defensive end Ziggy Hood. "There's a lot of missed tackles and guys getting run over. That's what we're going to have to focus on this week, wrapping up and making sure everyone runs to the ball.
"Once he gets low, he's lower than an ant's belly. Tall guys like myself and others, we definitely have to get low and make sure we wrap up and make sure he goes back the other way, not moving forward."
Hood will make his fourth consecutive start for the Steelers at defensive end. The first two came in place of Brett Keisel at right end. This week, he'll make his second consecutive start in place of Aaron Smith at left end. Smith is out with a sprained foot.
Hood played more effectively on the left side, where he started 12 games, including the playoffs, in place of Smith last year.
"It's a comfort thing," Hood said. "Right side, you've got to get used to it. When you don't practice it that much, and you play primarily on the left side, you get more comfortable on the left side.
"It's the same assignment; you just have to hear the calls. You have to watch hand placement because that can be different in game situations."
Not having to focus so much on the different position allowed Hood to focus more on his assignment rather than his hand placement.
Linebacker James Farrior noticed the difference, not just with Hood, but with the Steelers defense as a whole.
"I think guys were more focused on where they needed to be and more focused on an attention to detail," Farrior said. "I think that's what got us over."
If they come through with an A-plus performance this week, it would be a positive step in improving the final grade.
Odds and end zones
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing five touchdown passes against the Titans. ... Offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert (shoulder), defensive tackle Casey Hampton, linebackers James Harrison (eye) and Jason Worilds (quad), guard Chris Kemoeatu (knee) and running back Mewelde Moore (ankle) did not practice Wednesday.
[url="http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sports11/10-13-2011-Steelers-run-defense-Hood"]http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/spo ... fense-Hood[/url]
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