Veterans

[fordfixer]

That's a good question with why they cut Ta'Amu. I would have to guess that, they wanted him, the team to know that your not above the law or whatever if you want to be a Steeler. I'm also guessing that they didn't want to crush a young mans ability to rebound from his troubles and why they kept him through the ordeal, banishment/suspension. Possibly they felt his head was on a little better and decided to cut him afterwards. They did the same thing with the TE Saunders too if I recall correctly. Has anyone picked up Ta'Amu after the Steelers released him ? I know they were really happy to have him on the team once they drafted him. Better learning quickly that he was a troubled guy before they spent too much money and seasons on him.

Alameda Ta'amuFootball player
Alameda Ta'amu is an American football nose tackle for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football for the Washington Huskies. Wikipedia
Current team: Arizona Cardinals (#66 / Defensive tackle)
Education: University of Washington
Salary: 480,000 USD (2013)

[fezziwig]

thank you ff

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Ta'amu was playing well for the Cardinals this season. I think he tore his ACL in the last game, though.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

As mentioned,...Nix on the field with Heyward and Mclendon is a problem up front for any Team in the League. Honestly, whose blocking either one of them (Heyward or Mclendon) with but a single man for four quarters when they are playing next to a true 3-4 NT ?

Agreed with regards to the value of a dominant NT. I know that this is no longer a running league yadda yadda but I'm surprised how many Steelers fans forget the impact of a fat Casey in the middle of the Dline with his boring numbers (9 career sacks and an average of about 30 tackles a year).

Casey made everyone else around him better. The pocket shrinks up front so all of those times you see Woodley come wide only to have the QB step up into the pocket and re-load turns into Harrison-like strip sacks because there is no pocket to step up into. All of those huge openings that AP, Forte, and every other runner (or QB) ran through would have been filled by a giant bumble bee (on throwback jersey days) and the two guys trying to block him.

Pushing OLs back even a couple of feet means the QB has that much more blocking his field of vision and his throwing lanes. It turns LBs like Farrior and Foote into predators just waiting to see who squeaks through the holes so that they can attack, instead of trying to figure out which large patch of green to defend and hoping they pick the same one the runner picks.

I could go on and on, however, if I knew that Casey Hampton was available at 15, I would snap his fat, 2 down playing butt up in a heartbeat.

[fezziwig]

The play of the nose tackle and guys up front make all the difference in the world to the guys playing behind them. It's my understand that the 3-4 was developed because it was easier or more abundant of linebackers than linemen that could get to the quarterbacks. This is what I was told when I first start seeing the 3-4 defenses and I don't know if that's true or not. Having said this, do you think there will be a time that, it will be so difficult to get nose tackles that fit the system along with linebackers that, out of necessity they will need to swing over to the 4-3 defenses again ? I always figure once a team comes through with a tough group in their 4-3 and wins a Super Bowl or two, everyone one will jump on the copycat ship and change their teams defenses. The old saying that, it's a copycat league.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

No reason to crown Nix as "unblockable" since he didn't take a snap in the NFL yet. He was getting blocked 1 on 1 on his college tape. A DC could block him from the sideline...Trot out 12 or 11 personnel. Go get a drink Nix.





Heyward? Yes...Going to be a matchup problem for DCs for years. Also...Really has taken on a leadership role in that sound bite. I'm more excited about that because he has the right demeanor to be a "Steeler" leader..

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

The play of the nose tackle and guys up front make all the difference in the world to the guys playing behind them. It's my understand that the 3-4 was developed because it was easier or more abundant of linebackers than linemen that could get to the quarterbacks. This is what I was told when I first start seeing the 3-4 defenses and I don't know if that's true or not. Having said this, do you think there will be a time that, it will be so difficult to get nose tackles that fit the system along with linebackers that, out of necessity they will need to swing over to the 4-3 defenses again ? I always figure once a team comes through with a tough group in their 4-3 and wins a Super Bowl or two, everyone one will jump on the copycat ship and change their teams defenses. The old saying that, it's a copycat league.

Game of evolution Fezz...Anything is possible. This NFL isn't the game we all played growing up & enjoyed playing. It really gets ugly when the business flavor has dictated rule changes. This "passing QB league" is a flavor. A flavor created by the marketing business of the NFL. A flavor that is here to stay. What am I talking about? Everyone unbuckle your chin strap & take off you lid. I will give everyone a whiff off how ugly the game of football has become.

Everyone dislikes the rule changes. The pansy a$$ QB...Don't hit him in the head...Wait not below the knees either. Don't drive him into the ground with your weight on top of him. Only legal tackle is in his vagina. Don't hit the defenseless WR coming across the middle. Tie his jock around his ankles when he is in the air watching the ball into his hands so when he hits the ground he falls over his own feet. BUT......Dive at a 350 lb mans knees when he is fully engaged with another 350 lb man who together are exerting almost a ton of resistance against each other...That's legal...He be a'ight! Player safety??? Give me a break.

Why those "selective" rule changes? Protect marquee players. Why? Marquee players fill the seats. Marquee players sell the merchandise. Marquee players get people to watch & improve ratings. Hmmm...Ratings? There's the big money machine...TV..Network contracts...Advertising. How do we improve that now since we are protecting the product that makes us money? I got it! Make it easier for teams to score. Change the rules to favor passing. How does that help? Well what happens after ever score? What happens after a kick off? Commercial. You think the league & network like 14 play 80 yard drives that take up 8 minutes? Hell no. They want a half a dozen commercial breaks over that span...Not one commercial when they punt. They want commercials because in the scheme of things...That creates revenue. So when the networks go sell time & show the avg air time their "company" will get....MONEY! That money projection is part of the network contract negotiations. They say they are trying to speed up the game. If that was their goal they would have made a shorter play clock & had no replay. They would have cranked the clock after a reset of the ball following an incomplete pass except in the 2 & 5 min mark like out of bounds.

They want scoring because scoring creates the revenue in the ugly business big picture. Everything done in the rule changes to handcuff the defense & player safety is tied back to scoring. The NFL will continue to feed the beast. It will never go back to "old school"...The business won't allow it. That evolution has filtered into the "football" part of it. We are all witness to it. Easy to say 25 of the 32 teams have their "Guy" at QB. That number has swelled. The high power offenses are what teams focus on. It's a catch me if you can league. That evolution will filter over to the defensive side. It has to. In just reference to the 3-4 defense. Will that base 3-4 NT be an every down player more like a 1 gap 4-3 to rush the QB and that "true" 3-4 NT still be on the roster for the situational player? It is of my opinion...That will be the trend. Now the question becomes what type of investment do you make in that "true" 3-4 NT. That is where the opinions will vary.

[fezziwig]

Nice take on this Just Plain Nasty. Thanks

[Rod Polamalu]

The fact that considerable power and or strength is,... "not enough",.. is true.

As the the application of as much is more often than not that which will determine victory or defeat.

However,...to assume that said victory can be attained merely by application alone is more than foolhardy.

[fezziwig]

if power and strength only had something to do with it hood would be god's gift to football. finding the guys that have it all along with talent is key. just finding enough qb's kickers punters are truly a needle in a haystack.

[feltdizz]

While the NFL is more pass happy the playoffs are still the place where pass happy gets thrown out the window. Last weekend (besides KC/Indy) was old school football IMO.

I also noticed the officiating was much better and the D was able to make more contact on passing plays without drawing flags. Once you make the dance you better be able to run the ball because teams will focus on taking away what you do best/most.

I also think the KC game would have been more run heavy if Charles wasn't injured on the first series.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I wouldn't say "old school". Old school would be 22-21 personnel banging 3 yards & a cloud of dust. Go look at the highlights of week 1 postseason & you will see 11 & 12 personnel with teams running against the nickel between the 20's. That is what todays NFL is. You spread them out by trotting 12 personnel out on the field & drawing nickel. You attack it with the run if they can't stop it. If they give you base to try & stop it...You audible to pass & go hurry up or muddle to keep them on the field. The Steeler went to it in the back half of the season. That is the "hurry up" we all saw & that will be what we all see moving forward.

[feltdizz]

I wouldn't say "old school". Old school would be 22-21 personnel banging 3 yards & a cloud of dust. Go look at the highlights of week 1 postseason & you will see 11 & 12 personnel with teams running against the nickel between the 20's. That is what todays NFL is. You spread them out by trotting 12 personnel out on the field & drawing nickel. You attack it with the run if they can't stop it. If they give you base to try & stop it...You audible to pass & go hurry up or muddle to keep them on the field. The Steeler went to it in the back half of the season. That is the "hurry up" we all saw & that will be what we all see moving forward.

yeah... I don't mean block number old school football. I'm talking ball control 35 to 40 rushing attempts vs the 50 pass attempts like the KC game.

[fezziwig]

I like the ball control, run it down the teams throat style of football with a several passing plays peppered with a couple rainbow passes. It makes the big strike plays seem all that more rewarding or eventful. This is what I 've grown up watching so it's what I hold more dear to me I guess. If they would only bring back the 8 track tapes. You guys remember those giant things and the suitcase you needed to carry them in ?

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I like the ball control, run it down the teams throat style of football with a several passing plays peppered with a couple rainbow passes. It makes the big strike plays seem all that more rewarding or eventful. This is what I 've grown up watching so it's what I hold more dear to me I guess. If they would only bring back the 8 track tapes. You guys remember those giant things and the suitcase you needed to carry them in ?

lol That's what I grew up watching & playing too. Well, with better weather on the horizon for this weekend & the "Big Dogs" coming off of the byes...I think we will see the mold of the new NFL on display. You might see teams like SD & SEA go as close to "old school" as we could expect to keep Manning & Brees off the field. That's about the best gameplan you could try but if they get away from them....You will see those teams open up to keep up.