Bend but don't break is dead.

[Shawn]

The bend but don't break mentality under current rules and in a pass first NFL is now officially dead. If you bend...it will break. The pass rush has always been important...but is now more so. I would argue that it's even more important to have tough guys on the field. The Seahawks proved that last season. Yes, they played the catch...but they also got after the QB. They played with attitude and had a secondary good enough to ball hawk and to instill fear in the opposition. They made QBs question every throw.

They key to D going forward is show force. Getting in a QBs head early and often. Hit him under the chin strap, force mistakes from the QB position and be opportunistic in the secondary. You will rarely get a coverage sack in todays NFL. Take some chances on D. Having 15 play drives doesn't keep points off the board. It insures that your D will be exhausted in the 4th. Giving an O 15 plays to gain confidence and to exhaust your D is a recipe for losing squads.

[SidSmythe]

With our corners we don't have a choice.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

With our corners we don't have a choice.

I think that this is almost a little backwards. I think that a better way to talk about our corners would be "with a good pass rush we have fine corners. With no pass rush - like last year - our corners are horrible.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

The bend but don't break mentality under current rules and in a pass first NFL is now officially dead. If you bend...it will break. The pass rush has always been important...but is now more so. I would argue that it's even more important to have tough guys on the field. The Seahawks proved that last season. Yes, they played the catch...but they also got after the QB. They played with attitude and had a secondary good enough to ball hawk and to instill fear in the opposition. They made QBs question every throw.

They key to D going forward is show force. Getting in a QBs head early and often. Hit him under the chin strap, force mistakes from the QB position and be opportunistic in the secondary. You will rarely get a coverage sack in todays NFL. Take some chances on D. Having 15 play drives doesn't keep points off the board. It insures that your D will be exhausted in the 4th. Giving an O 15 plays to gain confidence and to exhaust your D is a recipe for losing squads.

Agreed Shawn.

The league is geared to allow QB to play "jump ball" with his WR, against DBs that are almost playing with their hands tied behind their backs. It is best documented by watching how a previously good NFL receiver (Anquan Boldin), with good size and great body control, was almost single handedly able to win Baltimore a SB title, with a big armed, but below average QB.

Throw the ball up and let your big man go get it. If the DB comes close to him then the result is the same. If the league is going to toss flags around so easily, the league should come up with a secondary PI penalty that is similar to CFB. Perhaps keep the spot foul penalty for flagrant, and 15 yards for lighter infractions.

[Shawn]

I think that this is almost a little backwards. I think that a better way to talk about our corners would be "with a good pass rush we have fine corners. With no pass rush - like last year - our corners are horrible.

Absolutely, and I agree with your other point as well. You can't play a good cover D anymore. You have to force errors by the QB...then capitalize on said errors. The only way to do that is to have a STOUT front 7.

[SidSmythe]

Don't care how good your corners are ...if you give a QB all day he will beat you.

Our CBs need a pass rush regardless of the scheme and if our OLBs have to man up they're in trouble too.

[RuthlessBurgher]

If the league is going to toss flags around so easily, the league should come up with a secondary PI penalty that is similar to CFB. Perhaps keep the spot foul penalty for flagrant, and 15 yards for lighter infractions.

Excellent suggestion. And with how often they have been throwing the flags for illegal contact this preseason, they cannot keep the "automatic first down" stipulation of that going forward if things continue down this awful path where we see more penalty flags than Terrible Towels in NFL stadiums.

[RobinCole]

Hit the QB under the chinstrap...and get a 15-yard penalty.

I wish it were that easy.

[Shawn]

Hit the QB under the chinstrap...and get a 15-yard penalty.

I wish it were that easy.

It's a saying...

[feltdizz]

It's a saying...

I'll take the 15 yarder all day. 2 of those hits and the QB isn't coming back or he will be skittish the rest of the game.

Pete Caroll tells his DB's to grab WR's... if the ref calls it, DO IT AGAIN on the next play because the chances of them calling it 2 times in a row are slim.

JH and Clark were fined and penalized like crazy but that money and those yards didn't make it any easier for WR's to run across the middle.