Anemic Pass Rush on Pace for Fewest Sacks Since '88

[Oviedo]

And the adjustment is...more of the same!!!!

Published: Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 7:24 p.m.
Updated 7 hours ago

There’s no need to think up any catchy sack-related nickname for these Steelers. Blitzburgh, it’s not.
They suit up an average of 23 players on defense every week, but they have only 12 sacks in seven games. J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans has 9 1⁄2 sacks by himself.
Jason Worilds (who played nine snaps Sunday against Washington) and Larry Foote lead with three sacks each.
At their present pace, the Steelers will finish with 27 sacks, the fewest since they had 19 in 1988. The team low for a 16-game season is 18 in 1980.
“We had only one sack (against the Redskins), but I think we did a great job of putting the pressure on,” outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley said.
The Giants have 21 sacks, led by Jason Pierre-Paul’s 51⁄2

Funny how Worilds who gets nothing but grief from many posters is one of the few players performing, even in a part-time basis

[Shawn]

Worilds went untouched on 3 out of 3 of those sacks. It merely means other people were doing their job.

[Slapstick]

Worilds went untouched on 3 out of 3 of those sacks. It merely means other people were doing their job.

...which is the entire point of the defense...

[flippy]

This D just needs to figure out how to get pressure and turnovers by the playoffs.

[Oviedo]

This D just needs to figure out how to get pressure and turnovers by the playoffs.

They need to figure out how to do it way before the play offs (like right now) or they won't be in the play offs

[grotonsteel]

Woodley's Hammy, Troy unable to play due to injury and James Harrison trying to get into football form are the reasons for less sacks. I think things will turn around for Steelers D if these 3 players get healthy by playoff time.

[ikestops85]

And the adjustment is...more of the same!!!!

So what would you have them do? We have sent the outside backers and got nothing. We have sent the 2 in the middle, which you say we didn't do enough, and got nothing. We have sent corners and safeties and still got nothing.

No matter what we do we are not getting consistent pressure on the QB. Just for once take a step back and look. You have to realize that we don't have the talent that we used to on defense. With Harrison and Woodley not at 100% we have a hard time rushing the passer no matter what the DC calls.

Do you want us to send the house on every passing down? Wouldn't that play into one of your pet peeves about LeBeau? That he is predictable. The most he can do is try and mix it up which means sometimes you guess right and sometimes you guess wrong.

[flippy]

So what would you have them do? We have sent the outside backers and got nothing. We have sent the 2 in the middle, which you say we didn't do enough, and got nothing. We have sent corners and safeties and still got nothing.

No matter what we do we are not getting consistent pressure on the QB. Just for once take a step back and look. You have to realize that we don't have the talent that we used to on defense. With Harrison and Woodley not at 100% we have a hard time rushing the passer no matter what the DC calls.

Do you want us to send the house on every passing down? Wouldn't that play into one of your pet peeves about LeBeau? That he is predictable. The most he can do is try and mix it up which means sometimes you guess right and sometimes you guess wrong.

+1

Lebeau is sending lots of people and getting no results. We need guys to get healthy and young guys to step up.

I like what we've seen from Keenan and Cortez. Ziggy may be turning a corner. Worilds is getting a little more experience. I'd like to see a little more out of Heyward and McClendon. Then get us Woodley, Harrison, and Troy healthy.

The one thing I'd like to see Lebeau adjust is his use of Timmons. I think Lebeau overthinks it with Timmons and uses him to take something away from the opposing team. That may help the overall defense, but it sometimes takes Timmons out of the box and that in turn hurts our ability to make splash plays.

Maybe having Troy back will help. But keep Timmons in the box. Send him after the QB more. He could be the key to creating turnovers. But he can't do that covering downfield.

[Oviedo]

So what would you have them do? We have sent the outside backers and got nothing. We have sent the 2 in the middle, which you say we didn't do enough, and got nothing. We have sent corners and safeties and still got nothing.

No matter what we do we are not getting consistent pressure on the QB. Just for once take a step back and look. You have to realize that we don't have the talent that we used to on defense. With Harrison and Woodley not at 100% we have a hard time rushing the passer no matter what the DC calls.

Do you want us to send the house on every passing down? Wouldn't that play into one of your pet peeves about LeBeau? That he is predictable. The most he can do is try and mix it up which means sometimes you guess right and sometimes you guess wrong.

I disagree. We have not sent Timmons enough. We have not switched Harrison and Woodley to different sides or put both on the same side. There are things we have not done.

[Oviedo]

The one thing I'd like to see Lebeau adjust is his use of Timmons. I think Lebeau overthinks it with Timmons and uses him to take something away from the opposing team. That may help the overall defense, but it sometimes takes Timmons out of the box and that in turn hurts our ability to make splash plays.

Maybe having Troy back will help. But keep Timmons in the box. Send him after the QB more. He could be the key to creating turnovers. But he can't do that covering downfield.

Exactly what needs to happen. Timmons is our best weapon on defense right now to get the QB. Woodley and Harrison are broke and unreliable.

[NW Steeler]

Worilds is hurt more than he plays. Looks like OLB may be moving to a high draft need along with safety. What is up with Chris Carter?

[hawaiiansteel]

Funny how Worilds who gets nothing but grief from many posters is one of the few players performing, even in a part-time basis

Jason Worilds is good as a situational pass rusher, it's when he has to be an every down player that he has problems holding up against the run or dropping into pass coverage.

[squidkid]

harrison didnt want anything to do with otas, mini camp and preseason games and the best way to do that was to not address his knee situation until the very last second
woodley got his huge contract so he decided it was okay to not get into shape and 'tweek' his hammy whenever he wants some time off
when these two guys sole responsibility is to pressure the qb and they are ineffective, mostly due to their own doing, its no wonder why the oppossing qbs have all day to carve up our secondary

[feltdizz]

Exactly what needs to happen. Timmons is our best weapon on defense right now to get the QB. Woodley and Harrison are broke and unreliable.

have you seen JH in coverage? He is toast... while I would love to see Timmons blitz more I fear the outcome would be RB's and TE's running free down field.

[papillon]

I disagree. We have not sent Timmons enough. We have not switched Harrison and Woodley to different sides or put both on the same side. There are things we have not done.

How often in the past have the Steelers swapped their OLBs? Very rare, if ever is my guess, I'm not sure, but it seems to me that Harrison plays his side and Woodley plays his side of the field, rarely swapping.

How often have the Steelers in the past put both Woodley and Harrison on the same side? See above

Why would they start doing these types of things in the middle of a game? I could be wrong and maybe the Steelers line up Harrison and Woodley on different sides of the field often and possibly both on the same side often, but I certainly don't remember them doing these types of things. I'm not sure starting now would be a good idea.

Pappy