St. LeBeau wants to return in 2014!

[pfelix73]

LOL. Worrying about his age and not being able to keep up with guys half his age is just plain rediculous. I know a few 80+ year olds, who are running multi-million dollar businesses and they operate at a much higher level and work more hours, etc., than some of their officers half their age. In reality, DL is the best DC out there, and you won't find a better DC anywhere else in the country. He's there until he retires..... Heck, he could be there for another 5+ years.

[Discipline of Steel]

I love LeBeau, but let's give Butler a chance.
Let him move on with his lifes work.

What do you think his lifes work is?

[pittpete]

What do you think his lifes work is?

Spending time with his family before he dies?
With the amount of work a coordinator presumably puts in during the year, i'd think that would be it.
Either that or take on another position within the organization.
If Butler gets hired by another team and our defense is mediocre again next year, then what do we say?
LeBeaus got a job for as long as he wants?
Sorry, i just don't agree.
But hey, it's only our opinions any way....

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Earlier in the story:

The Steelers’ problem is personnel, not coaching. That’s especially true with their defense, which has been so bad this season after being so good for so long. LeBeau still is one of the best defensive minds in the game. It’s not as if he started taking stupid pills a few months ago. His players still respect him — adore him — and play hard for him. The trouble is they aren’t getting it done on the field. There is nothing wrong with LeBeau’s schemes, but there are major problems with the execution of those schemes.

Say it after me:

“The players aren’t good enough.”

Later in the same story:

“I don’t think we’re far away. I really don’t. I definitely don’t think this defense needs rebuilt. I think we still have players who can get it done.

Anybody else notice this? Hello?

[feltdizz]

Earlier in the story:


Later in the same story:

Anybody else notice this? Hello?

This is what bothers me...

Lebeau is untouchable tho so it's always someone else's fault.

[Oviedo]

Earlier in the story:


Later in the same story:

Anybody else notice this? Hello?

Fact is that older people don't like change. That is why we will never get back to a dominant defense as long as LeBeau is running the defense. He really can't look at this objectively and he will never admit that the "baby" that is a result of his life's work "is ugly."

A great coach adjusts what he does to fit the players he has and make them successful. he doesn't try to force players into roles they aren't suited for. We don't have the players we did five years ago so we need to change what we do.

[Oviedo]

LOL. Worrying about his age and not being able to keep up with guys half his age is just plain rediculous. I know a few 80+ year olds, who are running multi-million dollar businesses and they operate at a much higher level and work more hours, etc., than some of their officers half their age. In reality, DL is the best DC out there, and you won't find a better DC anywhere else in the country. He's there until he retires..... Heck, he could be there for another 5+ years.

Who are those 80 year olds? I doubt any of the 80 year olds are working 16 hour days and the reality is that most CEOs are usually the "face of the company" and deal with media and investor issues and attend board meetings where they vote on recommendations. Chief Operating Officers (COOs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) run the companies tough day to day operations and they are not 80 years olds.

[feltdizz]

Who are those 80 year olds? I doubt any of the 80 year olds are working 16 hour days and the reality is that most CEOs are usually the "face of the company" and deal with media and investor issues and attend board meetings where they vote on recommendations. Chief Operating Officers (COOs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) run the companies tough day to day operations and they are not 80 years olds.

nah.. those 80 year olds get it in. They do the heavy lifting. lol...

[ikestops85]

The 10 yd cushion looked great in the second half when the Bengals marched down the field not once but twice to make it a game.
But i guess it's the players that aren't quick enough to defend the short pass.
Thank god the Benglas had the dropsies in this game, may have been a different outcome.
Perfect example was the AG Green bomb.
Obvious double coverage with Troy over the top but let AG run free untouched as not to disturb the route.
This way we can make it close with AG running in stride.
Yes he is a HOF coach.
All we hear is we respect DL, and the players are always defending him.
Just because of his legendary status would anyone dare say something negative against him.
Obviously not because it's always the players and the lack of talent.
I love LeBeau, but let's give Butler a chance.
Let him move on with his lifes work.
Monty Kiffin is a defensive genius/guru also.
How's that Dallas defense looking?

and your example is proof that it is not the system or the coach. The correct defense is called with the deep receiver being double covered but Troy lets him run right past him. How is that DL's fault?

Last week Cortez Allen is running stride for stride with Charles Clay down the sideline. Clay hauls the pass down for a 49 yard gain. Is it LeBeau or his system's fault that Allen didn't look back for the ball in time? Is it LeBeau or his system's fault that Allen or Troy can't tackle Clay and let him score the winning touchdown?

Speaking of tackling ... it was atrocious against the Bengals. Tackling the catch can work, it has been working for a decade in the burg, but you have to TACKLE. We were letting receivers who were hit 4 and 5 yards short of the 1st down get near or past the line of gain consistently. Even the little scat back, Bernard, was getting a lot of yards after contact. That has been a major problem all year.

For those of you who say LeBeau doesn't change up during the game must not have taken notice that he started sending 5 and even 6 guys at Dalton late in the 3rd and early in the 4th. They didn't get close and Dalton was dinking us to death. Even the vaunted (according to Oveido) Timmons up the middle blitz was stonewalled. If you watched any other football this year you have to realize it's harder than ever to play defense. Just look at the scores we have had the last several weeks. Some guy named Preston made Patrick Peterson look like a high-schooler this week. Also, Keenan Lewis was schooled pretty well this week.

I think Steeler fans have been spoiled by great coaching and great defensive players for too long. The player talent has declined quite a bit and I'm sure LeBeau is not what he once was. That doesn't make him a bad coach. Look around the league and see who you would rather have.

[feltdizz]

Most people are saying DL is still a good coach but it's time to move on due to his age and our D having turnover. Pointing out a few players getting beat on a few plays isn't the same as giving up record setting stats.

[Slapstick]

Most people are saying DL is still a good coach but it's time to move on due to his age and our D having turnover. Pointing out a few players getting beat on a few plays isn't the same as giving up record setting stats.

But it is...

11 plays over 50 yards...a player either out of position or missing a tackle for each one...

[feltdizz]

But it is...

11 plays over 50 yards...a player either out of position or missing a tackle for each one...

Hold on... I know Lebeau has a great track record but this is bordering on God like status. This is a made man. He's untouchable.

Are we really to a point where it's everyone else's fault but Lebeau's when the D fails? Wow.. that's a great place for a coach to be.

[pittpete]

For those of you who say LeBeau doesn't change up during the game must not have taken notice that he started sending 5 and even 6 guys at Dalton late in the 3rd and early in the 4th. They didn't get close and Dalton was dinking us to death.

He was dinking and dunking the whole game whether we were sending guys or not.
Did you not watch the 3rd quarter?
Instead of keeping his foot on the pedal, LeBeau went into safe mode with the cushions all across the board.
This lead to two marches down the field.
As far as letting AG run down field untouched, whats wrong with bumping a guy off the line and disturbing the route?
Yes tackling the catch used to work.
It's not working so stop forcing the square peg into the round hole.

[feltdizz]

I have no problem with dink and dunk when we are up by 20 points... dink and dunk takes time and they were down by 10 points with 5 minutes left to play.

My issue is more so in close games when we need a play or a stop on 3rd and 4 and the DB is 10 yards off the ball or we fail to get pressure by blitzing someone besides Troy or Timmons.

Bring some heat.

We lack pressure from the front 7, OK... so bring a corner instead of the predictable Troy blitz that rarely works these days.

[Oviedo]

Hold on... I know Lebeau has a great track record but this is bordering on God like status. This is a made man. He's untouchable.

Are we really to a point where it's everyone else's fault but Lebeau's when the D fails? Wow.. that's a great place for a coach to be.

One could argue that the past two seasons have been the first in maybe five or six years that LeBeau has really had to coach and develop players. He had a core group of players that were with the team for 6 or 7 years and now most of them are gone.

Given the results we see on the field over the the past couple of seasons, one could also make a case that maybe the task of developing a new generation of young players may be beyond LeBeau at age 77. Who is the last player that he took from a rookie and turned into a defensive standout?

Think about it!