As many on this site think ... The Rooney's suck, Colbert sucks, Tomlin sucks, the coaches suck, and the players suck.
but Go Steelers!!!
No, our running game deteriorted when we had a Hall of Fame RB retire who probably made our OL look much better than they were. IMO Bettis made Cowher look prettty good. If Cowher tried to have the offense he had with any RB other than Bettis he would have been a very average coach.
We were lucky to have a once in a generation talent in Bettis who combined size and agility like he did.
"My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"
Granted we were lucky to have a talent like Bettis play for us but you can't discount the O-line we had his last 2 years. The O-line in 2004 was one of the best run blocking lines we have had in Pittsburgh. They used Ben to help get a lead and then we would run, run, and run some more. Opponents knew we were going to run but they still couldn't stop us. That was the amazing thing about them. Staley was having an excellent year until he got hurt. Remember Bettis was just the short yardage back that year. Even the next year we started Parker and Bettis was the change of pace back we had a very good running game. Even in 2006 with Bettis retired Parker ran for close to 1500 yards and 13 TDs.
Then in 2007 Larry Zierlein was hired and he tried to institute a zone blocking scheme. Faneca didn't like it so I think they kept a lot of man blocking for that year and we ran okay. The next year with Faneca gone and the zone blocking scheme in place our run game started spiralling downhill and has not recovered.
As many on this site think ... The Rooney's suck, Colbert sucks, Tomlin sucks, the coaches suck, and the players suck.
but Go Steelers!!!
According to Wexell, Steelers have incorporated zone reads into their scheme for years. The biggest difference, and one I like, is the type of o-linemen we have utilized lately.
I'm all for more athletic 0-linemen. The top running teams in the league have the athletic o-linemen. You also have to have the right running back. This leads me to believe we will take one that fits this scheme better. Randle from OK. State perhaps?
Here comes the BOOM!
Randle looks very promising, Ellington looks damn fine too.
Larry Z tried to incorporate a ZBS with an OL designed to block for Jerome Bettis. If there is 1 critisism of Tomlin that Chadman can lay at his feet, it's that they should have known right away that the big fat maulers that were leftovers from Cowher, were not ZBS Olinemen. There's nothing wrong with a ZBS, there's nothing wrong with a Man Block system. You just have to have ther right guys to run it.
Looks like the Steelers will lose Mendenhall at the wrong time- the way he runs, a good ZBS would probably make him more effective. Man Blocking schemes are generally designed to build a power run heavy offense. Mendenhall simply isn't that type of RB, and would flourish if allowed to run outside of the "Inside Zone" more often.
Concerningly though... if Mendy leaves, and Redman & Dwyer are RBs 1 & 2...they are power runners... and more suited to Man Blocking...
The people that are trying to make the world worse never take a day off, why should I?
Light up the darkness.
2024 Draft
1. Kool-Aid McKinstry CB
2. Sedrick Van Pran-Grainger OC
3. Devontez Walker WR
3. Maason Smith DT
4. Matt Goncalves OT
6. Trevin Wallace ILB
7. AJ Barner TE
Apparently they still ran some zone concepts with Kugler. It will be interesting to see if they can actually develop a decent o-line.
I think they have to be more concerned with run blocking because Roethlisberger is not going to allow you a great pass blocking line.
The good news is that a vicious play action game (ala a successful running game) would make Big Ben lethal.
Here comes the BOOM!
The only change that needs to take place on the Oline is for it be healthy and stay healthy. We have 4 top picks on the line and every single one of them missed time last year due to injury.
LETS GO MOUNTAINEERS!
Here We Go Steelers!
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