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From a bottom line point of view, the D sux - we can't keep other teams from scoring. Enough said.
On a more granular level, I don't think anybody disagrees that the defensive talent on the field is way below the line. Breaking that down a bit:
1) The young guys are below the line because they don't have enough experience to play at any other level;
2) The old guys are below the line because they ... are old;
3) All the other defensive guys pretty much suck because in the grand scheme of things they were never destined to have the talent to excel on an NFL field.
The real question in my mind is, could another defensive coordinator get better results from this crew? Restated - is LeBeau too fossilized to change his scheme, even though a different one might make lots better use of the players we have on the roster, with consequent improved results in the W/L column?
Or maybe it's not on the DC ... for all we know, they try different things during practice during the week, and the defensive schemes we see on Sunday are what they all have agreed is the "least bad option" given the limited talent they have. Maybe DL's game plans are really the best we have to offer?
And really, how does anyone know how to answer that? If "press coverage" were the answer, wouldn't they have implemented that long ago? Or, returning to Blitzburgh? Or ... or ... or? IMHO it really boils down to whether DL is doing the best he can with the personnel he's got, and it's hard for anyone to know the answer to that (not excepting the wise sages that comprise the posters on Planet Steelers!). In the end the only person who matters (Rooney) thinks no one else available could do a better job than DL is doing, so that's really the bottom line, isn't it ...
What would make me feel better:
1) New scouts, personnel managers. There has to be some accountability for the horrible outcome of the last few years of draft picks. Could we do worse than we have been doing? Heck, even the Browns look like they might draft better than we do!
2) Some evidence, a sign (any sign!) that we have the ability to make in-game defensive adjustments. If we're getting gashed with Defensive Plan A in the first half, do we have to stick with it in the second half?
Dang, sorry for the long post!
On a more granular level, I don't think anybody disagrees that the defensive talent on the field is way below the line. Breaking that down a bit:
1) The young guys are below the line because they don't have enough experience to play at any other level;
2) The old guys are below the line because they ... are old;
3) All the other defensive guys pretty much suck because in the grand scheme of things they were never destined to have the talent to excel on an NFL field.
The real question in my mind is, could another defensive coordinator get better results from this crew? Restated - is LeBeau too fossilized to change his scheme, even though a different one might make lots better use of the players we have on the roster, with consequent improved results in the W/L column?
Or maybe it's not on the DC ... for all we know, they try different things during practice during the week, and the defensive schemes we see on Sunday are what they all have agreed is the "least bad option" given the limited talent they have. Maybe DL's game plans are really the best we have to offer?
And really, how does anyone know how to answer that? If "press coverage" were the answer, wouldn't they have implemented that long ago? Or, returning to Blitzburgh? Or ... or ... or? IMHO it really boils down to whether DL is doing the best he can with the personnel he's got, and it's hard for anyone to know the answer to that (not excepting the wise sages that comprise the posters on Planet Steelers!). In the end the only person who matters (Rooney) thinks no one else available could do a better job than DL is doing, so that's really the bottom line, isn't it ...
What would make me feel better:
1) New scouts, personnel managers. There has to be some accountability for the horrible outcome of the last few years of draft picks. Could we do worse than we have been doing? Heck, even the Browns look like they might draft better than we do!
2) Some evidence, a sign (any sign!) that we have the ability to make in-game defensive adjustments. If we're getting gashed with Defensive Plan A in the first half, do we have to stick with it in the second half?
Dang, sorry for the long post!
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