You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

[BradshawsHairdresser]

...old and slow.

[Oviedo]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

I also call it stuck in the mud and unwilling to change. You don't think Curtis Brown could cover better than McFadden and Gay did today. But wait he hasn't mastered the complexities of the defense yet. The only people we fooled with our complex defense was ourselves.

Get use to it because we are going to see teams spreading us out all year and we will continue to see Bmac and Gay failing to cover WRs.

[feltdizz]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

Why is McFadden starting? He was standing on the sideline all preseason. He isn't up to speed.

The lack of confidence in our youth is frustrating

[Oviedo]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

Why is McFadden starting? He was standing on the sideline all preseason. He isn't up to speed.

The lack of confidence in our youth is frustrating

Don't question "the LeBeau Way"

[mshifko]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

i don't see how bmac played that bad today. he had good coverage on that first TD pass. a few times he played outside containment and evidently didn't have any underneath coverage. he wasn't horrific. gay is a whole other issue, wouldn't mind seeing keenan get more reps.

the one player that stuck out for me as to getting blown off the ball and being a blocking pad, was aaron smith. looked bad today. whether it was an off day or a sign of things to come, we will see.

[flippy]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

i don't see how bmac played that bad today. he had good coverage on that first TD pass. a few times he played outside containment and evidently didn't have any underneath coverage. he wasn't horrific. gay is a whole other issue, wouldn't mind seeing keenan get more reps.

the one player that stuck out for me as to getting blown off the ball and being a blocking pad, was aaron smith. looked bad today. whether it was an off day or a sign of things to come, we will see.

+1, thought bmac was fine. and smitty looks done.

[Steelhere10]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

the one player that stuck out for me as to getting blown off the ball and being a blocking pad, was aaron smith. looked bad today. whether it was an off day or a sign of things to come, we will see.

Don't leave Keisel off the list, the Ravens made it a point to run at him.

[mshifko]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

the one player that stuck out for me as to getting blown off the ball and being a blocking pad, was aaron smith. looked bad today. whether it was an off day or a sign of things to come, we will see.

Don't leave Keisel off the list, the Ravens made it a point to run at him.

true. honestly, this is why we drafted ziggy hood and cameron heyward. the age i worry about is our DE's. i don't think they're done however. this was only one game.

[pittpete]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

BMac wasnt terrible, but Gay continues to show no coverage skills what so ever.

Oh, & I agree with O.P.
old and slow,said it myself today before I shut that garbage off in the middle of the 4th quarter

[Dee Dub]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

i don't see how bmac played that bad today. he had good coverage on that first TD pass. a few times he played outside containment and evidently didn't have any underneath coverage. he wasn't horrific. gay is a whole other issue, wouldn't mind seeing keenan get more reps.

the one player that stuck out for me as to getting blown off the ball and being a blocking pad, was aaron smith. looked bad today. whether it was an off day or a sign of things to come, we will see.

As a defensive back you dont win anything for having good coverage but yet allow the receiver to one catch the ball and two score a TD.

You have failed. Period. Ask any defensive back.

I want a corner who can shut down the opposite receiver more times than not....and make a play himself on the ball. Is that asking too much?

You will never ever get that from McFadden, Gay, or Clark. And that's 3 of 4 starters in the Steeler secondary.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

I also call it stuck in the mud and unwilling to change. You don't think Curtis Brown could cover better than McFadden and Gay did today. But wait he hasn't mastered the complexities of the defense yet. The only people we fooled with our complex defense was ourselves.

Get use to it because we are going to see teams spreading us out all year and we will continue to see Bmac and Gay failing to cover WRs.

Yeah...starting a rookie 3rd round pick who had no OTA's, no minicamps, and was injured for a significant portion of training camp...that would have made the difference.

[Djfan]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

I thought that we would regret the Crez Butler cut.

[Chadman]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

The Sky!!

It is falling on our heads!!!


Dear, oh dear....and we laugh at other teams messege boards when they go into meltdown after a loss...

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

The Sky!!

It is falling on our heads!!!


Dear, oh dear....and we laugh at other teams messege boards when they go into meltdown after a loss...

The sky has already fallen up here in the Northern Hemisphere. Apparently, it hasn't made its way down to the Southern Hemisphere yet.

[fordfixer]

Re: You Call it Experience, But Today I Call It...

Madden: Steelers defense shows its age
[url="http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local_sports/madden-steelers-defense-shows-its-age/article_98e38f31-60c0-5e98-8e95-589144b7a0b0.html"]http://www.timesonline.com/sports/local ... 7a0b0.html[/url]


Doug Kapustin/Baltimore Sun
STEELERS VS. RAVENS

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, defensive end Cameron Heyward and defensive back Troy Polamalu (43) have little to smile about on their sidelines during the second half Sunday.

Posted: Sunday, September 11, 2011 11:45 pm | Updated: 9:00 pm, Sun Sep 11, 2011.

By Mark Madden Special to The Times | 0 comments

I knew some of the Steelers' defenders were old.

But I never thought they would all turn to dust at the same time.

Everybody in Pittsburgh colors shoulders some blame in the wake of Sunday's 35-7 mauling at the hands of host Baltimore, not the least quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who turned the ball over five times.

But defense is supposed to be the Steelers' anchor, the team's foundation. Eight defenders are 30 or older, with cornerback Bryant McFadden hitting that milestone come November. But experience counts, right?

Uh, right?

A lot of guys got paid on defense recently. But few earned their money at Baltimore as the Ravens gashed the Steelers badly. Ray Rice rushed for 107 yards, Ricky Williams for 63 more behind a slapdash offensive line. At the half, Rice had more offensive yards than the Steelers, 127-113.

The Steelers have allowed a 100-yard rusher just twice in 51 games, Rice both times. That's a testament to his ability and desire.

But that club figures to become much less exclusive, and in short order. The Steelers' defense got roasted statistically, and it didn't pass the eye test, either. Too much inertia. Standing around, to use layman's terms.

Lawrence Timmons had 12 tackles. But many were made far up the field as he too often overran the play. But at least Timmons hustled. Few did.

Pressure on Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco was absolutely minimal. LaMarr Woodley didn't get the Steelers' only sack until the first play of the fourth quarter. Flacco had oodles of time as he stood behind an offensive line that had never played together as a unit before.

The defense didn't limit itself to conventional embarrassment. Ike Taylor somehow found the motivation to run his mouth in the middle of all that humiliation, touching off a scrum that saw even Troy Polamalu get involved. When Polamalu loses his head, rest assured stupidity rules the day.

The Steelers won the toss and elected to put their defense on the field. Maybe that sort of decision-making has grown old along with the defense, especially since Baltimore went 66 yards on three plays to go up 7-0. Too easy.

The Steelers' offense was no better. The offensive line got no push. Doug Legursky's size killed him. Haloti Ngata manhandled him as scheme dictated. Roethlisberger was under siege and made poor decisions when he wasn't. Hines Ward couldn't get open until garbage time.

This is a pretty thorough excoriation based on just one game. But the damage inflicted figures to go beyond yesterday. The Ravens won't feel like the Steelers' whipping boys anytime soon. Baltimore's veterans ran around and made plays all day: Ed Reed had two interceptions, Ray Lewis one.

The criticism will only get worse. The Steelers' age on defense will be a constant topic. When the Steelers played in the Super Bowl in 2006 and 2009, they missed the playoffs the next season. Think that won't be discussed?

That's the price of pedigree. You're under a microscope when you're one of the NFL's most storied franchises. The Steelers need to deal with it, and probably will. But if yesterday causes pessimism to pour forth in the papers, on the Internet and on the talk shows, it's understandable.

The Steelers were every bit as bad as the score, probably worse.

The Steelers looked soft. When's the last time that was said?