Poor Coaching Undercutting Already Struggling Steelers Defense

[Northern_Blitz]

I think Butler is meh.. nothing special.

Tomlin is fine though, it may be a rough year for him but we aren’t going to move on from him after 1 bad year.

A friend of mine lives in DC and said he was at the barber shop and there were 5 Steeler fans in there pissed off about this bad start.

A Redskin fan chimed in and said they sounded like spoiled babies because most franchises have a losing season or a down year or 2 every so often.

Its pretty hilarious when you look from the outside in.

This is pretty much how I feel.

[Slapstick]

I also think that Butler is nothing special...but, he could be...

The fact that his defense schemed a league leading, team record number of sacks without a premier pass rusher last year is pretty amazing...

The fact that the defense cleaned up enough last year, from game 6 to Shazier’s injury, to end up the 5th ranked defense in the NFL is also amazing...

His strength is pressure scheming...even now we get a lot of pressures...

His weakness is coverage scheming...the seemingly constant confusion, blown coverages, players running two different coverages simultaneously, etc., is killing us...

I think that, either Tomlin needs to take a more active role, which it was reported that he did when Butler took over, but we don’t know to what extent...

or

Bring in someone else. A “consultant”, an assistant DB coach, someone to help...Bradley could very well be a great DB coach, but there are SO many problems right now in the secondary, that they could easily have one coach focus on scheme and communication and the other focus on technique...neither are good right now...Munchak has an assistant OL coach...the DBs are an even bigger position group, often with 6 or 7 players on the field...

I don’t know if I want Tomlin taking a more active role midseason...the whole team needs his attention right now...

But something needs to happen.

[Oviedo]

I think Butler is meh.. nothing special.

Tomlin is fine though, it may be a rough year for him but we aren’t going to move on from him after 1 bad year.

A friend of mine lives in DC and said he was at the barber shop and there were 5 Steeler fans in there pissed off about this bad start.

A Redskin fan chimed in and said they sounded like spoiled babies because most franchises have a losing season or a down year or 2 every so often.

Its pretty hilarious when you look from the outside in.

Right on the mark. Too many are too quick to act like hysterical fools demanding things they have zero power to achieve.

Look at it this way. If it turns out to be a down year, and I'm not sure all is lost yet, its probably a good one to have draft wise. This draft is loaded with defensive talent along the DL and at ILB. Not a bad time to draft in the middle of each round versus the bottom. We clearly need to replace Shazier and this year offers good options in the middle of Round 1.

[Oviedo]

I also think that Butler is nothing special...but, he could be...

The fact that his defense schemed a league leading, team record number of sacks without a premier pass rusher last year is pretty amazing...

The fact that the defense cleaned up enough last year, from game 6 to Shazier’s injury, to end up the 5th ranked defense in the NFL is also amazing...

His strength is pressure scheming...even now we get a lot of pressures...

His weakness is coverage scheming...the seemingly constant confusion, blown coverages, players running two different coverages simultaneously, etc., is killing us...

I think that, either Tomlin needs to take a more active role, which it was reported that he did when Butler took over, but we don’t know to what extent...

or

Bring in someone else. A “consultant”, an assistant DB coach, someone to help...Bradley could very well be a great DB coach, but there are SO many problems right now in the secondary, that they could easily have one coach focus on scheme and communication and the other focus on technique...neither are good right now...Munchak has an assistant OL coach...the DBs are an even bigger position group, often with 6 or 7 players on the field...

I don’t know if I want Tomlin taking a more active role midseason...the whole team needs his attention right now...

But something needs to happen.

What exactly does a "consultant" do? Does he over rule the Def Coord or Def Backs Coach? If not, then what the heck do you bring him in for.

[Slapstick]

What exactly does a "consultant" do? Does he over rule the Def Coord or Def Backs Coach? If not, then what the heck do you bring him in for.

If it were up to me and someone were brought it to help the DBs, I would make it someone who would focus on good technique...working with DBs individually to improve what they do...I would leave the communication and teaching the scheme to Bradley...as I said, nothing is good right now...asking one guy to do both, especially with such a large position group, may not be effective right now...

If I brought in someone to work with scheming, it would be somebody just to help and/or offer advice...someone like Ray Horton, who has retired, and who worked with Butler for 7 years in Pittsburgh...and who left on decent terms...we still run a similar defense to what we ran when Horton was here...he was a DB coach for a long time, and a DC...I don’t think it would be construed as some kind of threat to Butler or Bradley...Dungy had guys like that on his defensive staff, Leslie Frazier for example, that served in such a role..:

[Starlifter]

we may be spoiled - but I like to think we as fans do our part to keep the organization 'motivated'. when a fan base becomes not only accustomed to suckitude but views it as the normal state of affairs - that's when owners laugh all the way to the bank.

how else can you explain how a mike brown survives????

I recognize not every year can be a winner - but I will never be happy with a losing season nor will I shrug it off and say 'that's how it's supposed to be'.....

[pittpete]

Right on the mark. Too many are too quick to act like hysterical fools demanding things they have zero power to achieve.

Look at it this way. If it turns out to be a down year, and I'm not sure all is lost yet, its probably a good one to have draft wise. This draft is loaded with defensive talent along the DL and at ILB. Not a bad time to draft in the middle of each round versus the bottom. We clearly need to replace Shazier and this year offers good options in the middle of Round 1.

Wow, it must be so awesome to stay so calm and cool and point out how others are always overreacting

[Slapstick]

Wow, it must be so awesome to stay so calm and cool and point out how others are always overreacting

Oh, it is!

[Eich]

we may be spoiled - but I like to think we as fans do our part to keep the organization 'motivated'. when a fan base becomes not only accustomed to suckitude but views it as the normal state of affairs - that's when owners laugh all the way to the bank.

how else can you explain how a mike brown survives????

I recognize not every year can be a winner - but I will never be happy with a losing season nor will I shrug it off and say 'that's how it's supposed to be'.....

$$$$$

We might be spoiled but we have very high expectations and so should the Steelers.

The Redskins & Clowns are what you end up with when expectations are low.

[steelz09]

$$$$$

We might be spoiled but we have very high expectations and so should the Steelers.

The Redskins & Clowns are what you end up with when expectations are low.

Exactly. There is a level of expectation for the Steelers and it's not the same level as the Lions, Redskins, Browns and many many others.

We have the bar set a bit higher, as we should.

Hopefully, some of our fellow posters don't have their personal goals/expectations as low as what they place on the Steelers organization.