Defense, defense, defense...

[feltdizz]

We need to go D in the first round. Front 7 please.... we need pressure, pressure and more pressure.

This SB showed me that a dominant D is still the best way to win a SB.

You can't win a shootout when the other teams D has tanks with canons attached to them. Did you guys see how they hit? How they wrapped up? How they gang tackled and sent a message on every single play?

[steelz09]

We need corners and a new FS.

[feltdizz]

We need corners and a new FS.

Pressure first..

[steelz09]

Pressure first..

Outside of possibly NT, we do NOT need to invest a high pick in the front seven.

[squidkid]

knee jerk reactions all over the place today.
im sure last years 34-31 defensive meltdown superbowl had people crying for offense

[feltdizz]

Balance is needed... but we have been to most of our SB's with slightly above average O and great D.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

The Super Bowl showed us all what a talented back end does to a passing offense. The Hawks stayed in Cover 1 no matter what the Broncos gave them personnel wise and played down & distance ball. The Steelers were incapable of that in '13 with their secondary & won't be in '14 unless the replace Clark with a FS with range & upgrade Taylor. Put the Steelers defense on the field yesterday in that SB with Nix playing NT....They would have been lit up! Nix would have been on the sideline for most of the plays yesterday & only came in on passing downs to give Heyward, Hood, Kesiel, McClendon breathers. The biggest problem... Can't all be done through draft for '14. Have to make a splash FA signing to close the gap for '14.

[feltdizz]

The Super Bowl showed us all what a talented back end does to a passing offense. The Hawks stayed in Cover 1 no matter what the Broncos gave them personnel wise and played down & distance ball. The Steelesr were incapable of that in '13 with their secondary & won't be I '14 unless the replace Clark with a FS with range & upgrade Taylor. Can't all be done through draft for '14.

It's easy to stay in cover 1 when the front 7 are on the QB before he ends his drop back. Manning couldn't even set his feet to throw an effective deep pass.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

It's easy to stay in cover 1 when the front 7 are on the QB before he ends his drop back. Manning couldn't even set his feet to throw an effective deep pass.

Only teams that have the personnel in the secondary will stay in Cover 1 verus a team like the Broncos. The Steelers don't. We would have been in Cover 2 & got picked apart....And it wouldn't have been because we couldn't get to Manning. It would have been because Manning hit his back foot on a 3 step drop & had his read because we couldn't cover. The Hawks played mostly man under with single safety high. Manning had no where to go when he felt pressure because of coverage. And btw...If that was the Steelers '13 D & Nix was on it...He would have played about 20 snaps yesterday mostly in the 4th.

[squidkid]

how many more early picks need to be wasted on a mediocre defense?
its not the round, its the person picking

[pittpete]

You could draft all defensive players and how many do you think would actually get to contribute in 2014?

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

Last 10 drafts for Steeler, they have spent "0" 1st round picks on DBs. They spent 2 2nds in the last 10...McFadden & Colclough. I think it is more about allowing the secondary to get old & slow because they had good players in place. The FO let father time sneek up on them since Troy was picked in the 1st 11 drafts ago.

[phillyesq]

You could draft all defensive players and how many do you think would actually get to contribute in 2014?

Excellent point. The Steelers never should have drafted Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, Lawrence Timmons, Lamarr Woodley, Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Joey Porter, Larry Foote or any of the other stalwarts they drafted on defense over the last decade because they did not make big contributions as rookies.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

You could draft all defensive players and how many do you think would actually get to contribute in 2014?

I think your point is very valid & I have felt the same. I think the Steelers will have to make a splash signing in FA in the secondary to close the gap quicker....Maybe a FS. Having the starting CBs or Ss penciled in would turn the draft into producing 1 starter in the secondary early in 2014. The Steelers better have 2 new faces out of the starting 4 from 2013 in the secondary or there may be problems again.

[Eddie Spaghetti]

lets all be relieved that the browns didn't wait to hire dan quinn like they should have.

nice move jimmy.