Youth movement

[feltdizz]

Not trying to stir the pot or anything but it sure looks like we are better since we lost a few vets to injury.

The future looks good.

[papillon]

Re: Youth movement

Well, the defense is vastly different from week one in terms of age.

Defensive Line
Kiesel, Hampton and Smith in week one, now it's Kiesel, Hampton and Hood with McClendon and Heyward rotating into the lineup.

Linebackers
Harrison, Farrior, Timmons, Woodley week one and now, Woodley, Sylvester, Foote, Timmons are playing and Carter filling admirably in a pinch, not so old there either right now. Although, I can't wait for Harrison to rejoin the group.

Secondary
Mcfadden, Taylor, Polamalu and Clark with Gay in the nickle, week one, and now, Taylor, Gay, Polamalu and Clark with Lewis and now Allen getting time. Mcfadden is last on the depth chart.

The Steelers are getting younger slowly but surely and the young guys aren't struggling, because, they've watched and learned and when they're getting a chance they are proving their worth.

Offense
I hate to include this one, but Ward's time might be done as well, the receiving corps looked unstoppable today, because, they could all get open at will. I hope Ward can get his 1,000th catch this year, because, he may not get the opportunity next year.

It's time for the Steelers to turnover their personnel and continue winning, nobody does it better than the Steelers, some may be close, Ravens and Patriots come to mind, but they take a back seat to the Steelers.

The only person that I think thew Steelers can't replace right now and continue winning is Ben.

It's not wholesale youth movement, but the Steelers rarely, if ever, do that. The Steelers in general like to have a great blend of vets and young guys on the field and they do it about as good as anyone in the business.

Pappy

[feltdizz]

Re: Youth movement

True Pap...

but it sure seems like we are playing better football with the young guys. I like Ward to and love his 3rd down ability but it was obvious yesterday that our young speed opens up the middle much easier than Ward would.

[papillon]

Re: Youth movement

True Pap...

but it sure seems like we are playing better football with the young guys. I like Ward to and love his 3rd down ability but it was obvious yesterday that our young speed opens up the middle much easier than Ward would.

I'm with you on this one. Farrior was out, Harrison was out, Ward was out and Hampton has missed time. The offense and defense looked rejuvenated yesterday. Like I said about Ward, if he doesn't get to 1000 this year, he may not make it. The young receivers were excellent yesterday and gave Ben a lot of open targets and in particular on third down.

Pappy

[williar]

Re: Youth movement

I like what the young cats are doing too, but no one will ever convince me that Hines is a liability. He will still make the catches that, I dare to say, too many others will make. Think we could have manage an extra TD or two with Hines working that tight space in the red zone?

[feltdizz]

Re: Youth movement

I like what the young cats are doing too, but no one will ever convince me that Hines is a liability. He will still make the catches that, I dare to say, too many others will make. Think we could have manage an extra TD or two with Hines working that tight space in the red zone?

I don't think anyone wants Hines gone but he isn't stretching the field like the young guys and that opened up a ton of stuff underneath for Miller.

I like Hines on 3rd down and he is still clutch in traffic but he is slowing down.

[Sonny]

Re: Youth movement

Not stirring the pot at all.

It is truly, flat out amazing how this organization just keeps on going. It is never ending man. Some of our guys get old, we panic, think it may be the end of an era, and now we think the future is bright.

We truly reload.

I also love it how we are just shaking off losing the Super Bowl. There really is a hangover effect and that is why no team since the 2000 Titans were worth a damn a year after losing the Super Bowl. I really was worried. Throw in the Week 1 beating and oh my. Now we look better than ever.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Youth movement

Young players help a proud unit play on

Defense throttles Patriots after week of 'Brady talk'

Monday, October 31, 2011
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Cortez Allen takes down the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski Sunday at Heinz Field.


Steelers linebacker Larry Foote played college ball with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. They remain friendly. Once a Michigan brother, always a Michigan brother.

But even Foote had his fill of Brady talk in the days leading up to the game Sunday.

"It was Brady this and Brady that," he said. "They kept showing his record against us and his stats against us. It [ticks] you off. I was always reaching for the remote control real fast to change the channel."

I'm guessing Foote wasn't quite so quick with the clicker Sunday night.

I'm thinking he watched highlights of the Steelers' 25-17 win against the Patriots well into the morning.

There was so much to like about this Steelers performance.

"We're just playing good football right now," defensive end Brett Keisel said, simply.

All of the defensive players raved about the offense. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Rashard Mendenhall averaged 5.4 yards on his 13 carries. The offense converted 10-of-16 third downs. It added up to a 78-to-50 edge in plays and a 39:22-to-20:38 edge in possession time.

"All that Brady talk, but they forgot about our offense and our quarterback," Foote said.

"Brady can't hurt us when he's not on the field," Foote added.

All of that is true. But don't be fooled. The defense played a terrific game against the great Brady-led offense, which had scored 30 or more points in 13 of its past 14 regular-season games. It did it without injured captain James Farrior, whose regular-season streak of starts ended at 93 because of a torn calf injury. It did it without injured All-Pro outside linebacker James Harrison (fractured orbital bone). And it did it for the final 1 1/2 quarters without Pro Bowl linebacker LaMarr Woodley, who limped off with what, almost certainly, is a serious hamstring injury.

Steelers defensive coordinator D!ck Lebeau has had to shuffle linebackers nearly as much as the team has shuffled offensive linemen. It started when Harrison went out in the Houston game Oct. 2. Foote moved into the starting lineup the next week at inside linebacker, bumping Lawrence Timmons to outside linebacker. When Farrior couldn't play against the Patriots, Foote moved to his inside spot and was replaced by second-year pro Stevenson Sylvester in the base defense. When Woodley left, rookie Chris Carter had to take his spot.

"Those guys not only buy into what we talk about in terms of the standard being the standard, but they make it reality," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Carter, Sylvester and rookie cornerback Cortez Allen, who got plenty of snaps. "It wasn't too big for them. They aren't playing with fear."

Their older teammates appreciated the contributions.

"That's what good teams do," Keisel said.

"That's how you become a great team."

The Steelers sacked Brady three times, the first two by Woodley, who was on his way to another monster game, the final one by Keisel, which led to a Brady fumble and a safety for the Steelers.

But as nice as the pressure was, the coverage in the secondary played an even bigger part in the win. Patriots wideout Wes Welker -- the NFL's leading receiver -- often went against cornerback Ike Taylor and had just six catches for 39 yards. Tight end Rob Gronkowski had nine catches for 94 yards but didn't find the end zone after having three touchdown catches in the Patriots' 39-26 win here last season.

The Steelers got pretty tired of hearing about Welker and Gronkowski last week, too.

"I think we definitely had the best tight end on the field today," Foote said with a big grin of teammate Heath Miller, who had seven catches for 85 yards.

Brady wound up throwing for a very human-like 198 yards.

"I think they played more [man-to-man] coverage than they've showed all year," he said.

Said Steelers nose tackle Casey Hampton, "Our guys did an unbelievable job in coverage. You didn't see any of their guys run free. Even when we didn't get pressure on Brady, he was back there patting the ball because the coverage was so good."

Added Tomlin, "We talked about how that group was going to be tested. They were tested tonight and they passed the test."

Another is coming Sunday.

"It's Baltimore week," Tomlin said, in case anyone has forgotten.

The Ravens, who beat the Steelers, 35-7, in the opening game, are coming to Heinz Field with first place at stake in the AFC North Division. There's a good chance the Steelers will have to play without Harrison, Farrior and Woodley.

"The [young guys] better keep coming because there is no end in sight with some of the things we're dealing with," Tomlin said. "So be it. What's expected of us is not going to change."

As Keisel put it, "We're 6-2 at the halfway point. We're happy where we are ...

"Now it's onward and upward."

[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11304/1186427-87-0.stm#ixzz1cNkzAkEo"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11304/11 ... z1cNkzAkEo[/url]

[williar]

Re: Youth movement

Not stirring the pot at all.

It is truly, flat out amazing how this organization just keeps on going. It is never ending man. Some of our guys get old, we panic, think it may be the end of an era, and now we think the future is bright.

We truly reload.

I also love it how we are just shaking off losing the Super Bowl. There really is a hangover effect and that is why no team since the 2000 Titans were worth a damn a year after losing the Super Bowl. I really was worried. Throw in the Week 1 beating and oh my. Now we look better than ever.

That victory was a joy to watch. As sweet as things seem to be, if we turn around and lay another egg to the ravens, I think I would cry. Please say it ain't so. We must beat this team.

[williar]

Re: Youth movement

I like what the young cats are doing too, but no one will ever convince me that Hines is a liability. He will still make the catches that, I dare to say, too many others will make. Think we could have manage an extra TD or two with Hines working that tight space in the red zone?

I don't think anyone wants Hines gone but he isn't stretching the field like the young guys and that opened up a ton of stuff underneath for Miller.

I like Hines on 3rd down and he is still clutch in traffic but he is slowing down.

You are right, Dizz. I do respect your opinions. I love Hines Ward and believe that he has been a cornerstone of our success. People seem so in a hurry to want to set him out to the pasture. I believe he has earned the right to go off on a stretcher, just like Aaron Smith. He better get his 1,000 catches in a steeler uniform. Hines Ward is the Pittsburgh Steelers..

[focosteeler]

Re: Youth movement

I like what the young cats are doing too, but no one will ever convince me that Hines is a liability. He will still make the catches that, I dare to say, too many others will make. Think we could have manage an extra TD or two with Hines working that tight space in the red zone?

I don't think anyone wants Hines gone but he isn't stretching the field like the young guys and that opened up a ton of stuff underneath for Miller.

I like Hines on 3rd down and he is still clutch in traffic but he is slowing down.

You are right, Dizz. I do respect your opinions. I love Hines Ward and believe that he has been a cornerstone of our success. People seem so in a hurry to want to set him out to the pasture. I believe he has earned the right to go off on a stretcher, just like Aaron Smith. He better get his 1,000 catches in a steeler uniform. Hines Ward is the Pittsburgh Steelers..

i think he has earned the right to play for the steelers until he chooses to walk away

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Youth movement

October 31, 2011

By John Mehno - The Altoona Mirror


Stepping up

The Steelers are already without injured veterans linebacker James Harrison, nose tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker James Farrior and defensive end Aaron Smith, whose season was ended by a neck injury.

They've needed backups to step in and perform.

They lost linebacker LaMarr Woodley to a hamstring injury during the game. Defensive backs Ike Taylor (shoulder stinger) and Keenan Lewis (shoulder) were also forced out of the game.

That meant more back-ups, and Tomlin made a point to single out their efforts.

"When you look out there and see some of the guys performing for us on defense, Cortez Allen, Chris Carter and Stevenson Sylvester and others, we just tip our hats to those young men," Tomlin said. "It wasn't too big for them.

"They aren't perfect by any stretch, believe me. But they are playing, and they are playing to win. They aren't playing with fear, and we like that about our young guys. They better keep coming, because there is probably no end in sight with some of the things we're dealing with. So be it. What's expected of us is not going to change. So we understand that and embrace that "

It gets back to Tomlin's oft-stated policy, "The standard is the standard." That's his way of saying whoever is on the field is expected to maintain the same level of play.

"He's preached that since the first meeting he ever had with us," linebacker Larry Foote said. "If you're in there and you're lined up, we expect you to play."

The Steelers embrace the philosophy.

"These guys don't blink," Foote said.

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