Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

[Slapstick]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

You can look at Timmons' numbers compared to the two previous Mack LBs in the 3-4 ZB scheme...

I can tell you that he has more tackles in his first three years as a starter than either Larry Foote (2004-2007) or Kendrell Bell (2001-2003)...I can also tell you that Timmons has as many INTs and more Passes Defensed when compared to Bell and Foote put together...

He does have fewer sacks, probably because he isn't a great pass rusher like Bell, but also because he has been better in coverage overall than both Bell and Foote...

He is not having a great season...solid, but far from great...if he were having a similar season to last year, his numbers would be far better...but, they aren't...

As Chadman pointed out, there are several reasons for that, playing so often out of position being only one of those...we will have to see if any schematic adjustments are made in the offseason to account for the different capabilities of the younger players...we'll also see if that changes how Timmons looks within the context of the entire defensive unit...

[steelz09]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

I just can't defend the guy anymore. He should be criticized just as much as William Gay, Foote, Hood, Ryan Clark and the "others" that always get the blame.

I remember when everyone said, he's out of position as a ILB and should be an OLB for us but he can't beat out Harrison. Fast forward a couple of years, Harrison get's hurt, Timmons fill in.... and he sucks as a OLB. Now, the excuses are that he's out of position as an OLB and his true position is ILB. lol

The simple fact is, he's not that good at ILB (not top 15) and he's not even close to being good at OLB.

[feltdizz]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

I just can't defend the guy anymore. He should be criticized just as much as William Gay, Foote, Hood, Ryan Clark and the "others" that always get the blame.

I remember when everyone said, he's out of position as a ILB and should be an OLB for us but he can't beat out Harrison. Fast forward a couple of years, Harrison get's hurt, Timmons fill in.... and he sucks as a OLB. Now, the excuses are that he's out of position as an OLB and his true position is ILB. lol

The simple fact is, he's not that good at ILB (not top 15) and he's not even close to being good at OLB.

Gay, Foote and Clark get way too much criticism...

[Slapstick]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

I remember when everyone said, he's out of position as a ILB and should be an OLB for us but he can't beat out Harrison. Fast forward a couple of years, Harrison get's hurt, Timmons fill in.... and he sucks as a OLB. Now, the excuses are that he's out of position as an OLB and his true position is ILB.

He's been mentioned as a Mack LB ever since he was drafted...on draft day, Tomlin and Butler said as much...

"We think [Timmons] can play inside or outside. We always thought he was flexible as far as putting him on the line, taking him off the line or walking him out and doing these things that we sometimes ask our outside linebackers to do. He is athletic enough to be either inside or outside. Will it change? We will have to wait and see once we get into training camp. I'm going to try to teach him both the inside and the outside linebacker positions." -Keith Butler

[pittpete]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

Timmons and solid should no way in hell be used in the same sentence for this year

[Shoe]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

Said it before, but Paul Posluszny should have been the pick...after four years, compare the stats. I also am tired of the POTENTIAL of Timmons...show up for once this year and realize that potential!

I don't agree with that.
I do think (in my limited times I've seen Posluszny, and the lots of time I've seen Timmons every game obviously) Pos is the better player right now. (When I see him play, I'm very irmpressed with his tackling ability.) But sometimes you have to take a chance on a guy with as much physical ability that Timmons has (over Pos).

Think of that kid Aldon Smith from the 9ers, who wrecked us this Monday night. The guy has physical ability up the ying yang, like Timmons. You can't say, "Oh they should've taken Ryan Kerrigan." You have to sometimes gamble on greatness. The 49ers seem like they've won (on their gamble), us not so much.

Timmons is what he's going to be. He's decent, even maybe "good". But he's not Patrick Willis, or anything close. He's James Farrior-Light. (i.e. He's no prime James Farrior either.)

[SteelAbility]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

There has been a TON of viewing Timmons' good plays under a microscope and his bad plays from a telescope. He looked lost out there in the SF game. He had a good year last year, but now that the game film has been studied he's starting to get exposed. If he's going to live up to the hype he is going to have to be progressive.

All that potential without updating of his game skills is diminished.

[Slapstick]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

There has been a TON of viewing Timmons' good plays under a microscope and his bad plays from a telescope.

You have it backwards...

On this board, his plays have been viewed a microscope and his good plays under a telescope....

At times, you could say the same thing about Gay, Farrior, Polamalu, etc...

Not to mention Arians and LeBeau...

Welcome to an internet message board...

[TallyStiller]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

Full disclosre... I'm a Florida State grad who has watched Timmons since I saw his high school recruiting film as a skinny DE from South Carolina. He came to school south of 220# and wasn't considered to be a really "big time" recruit. He moved back to OLB in college and then to ILB as a pro, putting on weight and muscle at each successive move.

Further, he just flat out flew to the ball as a college player. Seemed he was maybe the only difference maker on teams that honestly could've been 4 - 8 without him. He was instinctive... BUT, his job was just to make plays.

Where I'm going with this is that he's been being groomed supposedly for years as Farrior's eventual replacement. Farrior wears the headset helmet and makes the calls for the defense. The Steelers are always loathe to let go of vets at free safety because of the "complexity" of the defense... could some of Timmons' struggles owe to increased responsibilities and "thinking" the game too much? He entered the draft as a true junior out of college, and played D Line in high school... only started playing ILB as a pro, has only been on the field a couple of years, and has, not to put too fine a point on it, never been accused of being a potential Rhodes Scholar.

My hope and belief, all this said, is that he'll keep working and continue to grow into his increased role... FWIW, when Farrior stepped in here, he was a 5 year vet FA who had played in the Parcells - Belichick system for the Jets, and came out of the U of Virginia, a place with some significant academic standards for its athletes that can't recruit a lot of guys most places can.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

not to put too fine a point on it

Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet.

Make a little birdhouse in your soul. :P

[Shoe]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

Full disclosre... I'm a Florida State grad who has watched Timmons since I saw his high school recruiting film as a skinny DE from South Carolina. He came to school south of 220# and wasn't considered to be a really "big time" recruit. He moved back to OLB in college and then to ILB as a pro, putting on weight and muscle at each successive move.

Further, he just flat out flew to the ball as a college player. Seemed he was maybe the only difference maker on teams that honestly could've been 4 - 8 without him. He was instinctive... BUT, his job was just to make plays.

Where I'm going with this is that he's been being groomed supposedly for years as Farrior's eventual replacement. Farrior wears the headset helmet and makes the calls for the defense. The Steelers are always loathe to let go of vets at free safety because of the "complexity" of the defense... could some of Timmons' struggles owe to increased responsibilities and "thinking" the game too much? He entered the draft as a true junior out of college, and played D Line in high school... only started playing ILB as a pro, has only been on the field a couple of years, and has, not to put too fine a point on it, never been accused of being a potential Rhodes Scholar.

My hope and belief, all this said, is that he'll keep working and continue to grow into his increased role... FWIW, when Farrior stepped in here, he was a 5 year vet FA who had played in the Parcells - Belichick system for the Jets, and came out of the U of Virginia, a place with some significant academic standards for its athletes that can't recruit a lot of guys most places can.

That could be it, but by this point in the scheme, that hesitation or whatever you want to call it shouldn't be there. And on that note... I know going to OLB is different, but the OLB position does lend to seek and destroy moreso... and he didn't do a darn thing there.

I'm like you: I expect to see a heat-seeking missile out there, because I seen him do it before (not as you have, but here with the Steelers he has shown glimpses). One thing I'm unsure about is the role of our ILBs today. I recall hearing htat the traditional role of our ILBs (back in Kirkland's days), was to have a run-stuffing, POA player (like Kirkland, David Little)... and next to him, have a rangy, more athletic type (Timmons, Chad Brown, Farrior). It seems that we've had Farrior/Timmons/Foote for years. Who is that step-up and fill guy? Timmons? Farrior? If it's Timmons, maybe that explains his "struggles" to make big-plays.

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

Timmons showed up today:

11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tfl and 2 QB hits

[pittpete]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

If you watched the game, no FN way did he show up.
One of the announcers said in the beginning of the game that Timmons is having a "brilliant" season
This just before he got caught inside and let Jackson rip off a 15 yard gain for a first down
Timmons sack came on a blitz where he was unblocked
Timmons is average at best, BS he came to play today....

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

If you watched the game, no FN way did he show up.
One of the announcers said in the beginning of the game that Timmons is having a "brilliant" season
This just before he got caught inside and let Jackson rip off a 15 yard gain for a first down
Timmons sack came on a blitz where he was unblocked
Timmons is average at best, BS he came to play today....

you're tough to please...

the Steelers defense pitched a shutout and these are Timmons' stats:

11 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tfl and 2 QB hits

he led all Steelers defenders in tackles and that now makes four straight games with at least eight tackles for Timmons, sounds like he's beginning to show up in games to me.

[pittpete]

Re: Anybody else wondering where Lawrence Timmons has been?

Did you watch the game?