New defensive additions could equate to even less base defense for the Steelers

[RuthlessBurgher]

It's not as simple as saying it was all Spence's fault. Go check out the game tape. It's amazing how many times Vince can't read the play, or doesn't know what to do, or is out of position. He looked every bit as much like the guy just signed off the couch, as Spence was.

When we lost Shazier, we lost not only his dynamic physical skills, which could mask some of our defensive deficiiences in a manner similar to Polamalu once upon a time, but we also lost the player who was responsible for making sure everyone was lining up properly, communicating with the rest of the defense, etc. It seems that communication breakdowns and confusion on D contributed as much to our late season struggles on D as much as physical limitations did.

In adding Bostic and Burnett, who both have been vocal team leaders who have worn the green dot on their helmet before, as well as adding Terrell Edmunds, who coaches have been touting as someone who can possess such abilities in time, the team is doing what it can to attempt to fix what ailed us late last season.

You can also chalk up some of those struggles to players attempting to overextend themselves in a futile effort to "cover up" for missing Shazier as opposed to just focusing on doing their own job and trusting the guy next to you to do his job as well.

[Buzz]

Undoubtedly, those points are correct.

It's also true, I think, that the Steelers could stand to upgrade from Vince, especially if the aforementioned steps to remedy the loss of Shazier don't pan out.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

The problem with comparing VW's game pre and post Shazier is the drop off that occurred once Shazier was gone. It's not like he was playing next to a star player one game and then an average guy the next. He went from being a complimentary "glue" guy beside a freelancing dynamic star to being the guy who has to cover up for a player off his couch. Now we are left to wonder how he will play beside an average (maybe a bit above or below average) starting ILB.

There is such a huge disparity in his play last year because there was such a huge gap between the players he was teamed with. This will definitely be one to watch, and maybe a key factor on how much this D can improve.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 07:30 AM

Defense exploring options

Mike Prisuta

Steelers.com

The commencing of OTAs included the unveiling of a potential new approach to stopping the run.

The Steelers have traditionally favored a four-man front in their sub-package defense in passing situations, with the outside linebackers lining up as defensive ends and defensive ends Heyward and Tuitt moving inside to defensive tackle positions.

The 4-3 look in the base alignment Dupree detailed following OTA No. 1 is an apparent response to the run-defense issues the Steelers experienced after losing inside linebacker Ryan Shazier last December in Cincinnati.

The nuance includes Dupree switching from the left side to the right more often than in previous seasons.

“This is going to be my first year of rotating back and forth,” Dupree continued. “We know it’s going to be a run sometimes. And on short-yardage situations, on check-down plays, we’ll be able to rally around the ball real fast. We don’t usually try to do it in a lot of pass-rush situations. We just try to do it to be able to stop the run.

“We gotta stop the run. We gotta start now, finding ways and just getting into the groove, how we’re going to do it in the season.”

The Steelers allowed 164 rushing yards and an average of 4.7 yards per carry in their 45-42 playoff loss to Jacksonville last Jan. 14.

“Just going off of last year, off our last game, we couldn’t stop the run as a defense,” safety Sean Davis said. “That threw the whole vibe of the game off.

“We do a good job stopping the run, then we’ll have a better chance stopping everything else. But if you can’t stop the run, the offense, they have control of the game. That’s how we got beat, off our last game against Jacksonville.”

Added inside linebacker Vince Williams: “We just couldn’t stop the run. They were able to generate enough run where they could trick us with the play-action (pass) because we didn’t know what was coming. It turned the game into a 50-50 game and they just executed.”

The alterations on display at OTAs aren’t limited to the deployment of the front seven.

Morgan Burnett’s arrival via free agency has changed the way the safeties are referenced.

“(On Tuesday) we were ‘left’ and ‘right,’” said Davis, formerly the strong safety when Mike Mitchell played under a free safety designation. “(Burnett) can do both positions and so can I.”

Williams perceived the secondary to be “like a whole new group back there, everybody has new numbers and everything.

“I’m pretty sure they’re going to get it patched up,” he said. “I’m excited to see what they can do.”

First, the run defense will be addressed.

That would have been the case even had the Steelers stuffed the Jaguars’ running game in the playoffs.

“It’s absolutely the annual starting point,” Williams said. “The staple of a great defense is stopping the run. Everything works inside out. You gotta focus on stoping the run from the middle to the outsides, then you focus on the pass from there.”

The former won’t be accomplished merely with schematic tweaks.

“We gotta play smarter,” Davis. “We can’t get out-physical-ed. We’re the Steelers defense. We gotta be able to stop the run.”

https://www.steelers.com/news/defense-exploring-options

[Steel Maniac]

I like the urgency I sensed from that article. And I like when Davis said, " We can't get out-physical-ed" Because that's just what the Jags did to us. Man up!

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I like the urgency I sensed from that article. And I like when Davis said, " We can't get out-physical-ed" Because that's just what the Jags did to us. Man up!

I also like the versatility that they are trying to play with on the back end by designating the safeties "right and left" instead of "strong and free". Safeties that can do it all and are interchangeable - support the run, defend the pass, make them comfortable and able to do what they do instead of having to react to what the O is doing by chasing TEs across the field. A different approach (don't know who else does this) that will hopefully prevent the type of confusion that the D seemed to have last season.

[Ernie]

Call me crazy.. but Im excited about this defense...

and C'mon BUD!!!! UNLEASH THE FREAKIN FURY THIS YEAR!

[Mr.wizard]

I like the defense, the secondary is looking really nice, my biggest question mark is Vince Williams.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I like the defense, the secondary is looking really nice, my biggest question mark is Vince Williams.

Vince was fine as the #2 ILB next to Shazier's #1 ILB, similar to how Larry Foote was fine as the #2 ILB next to James Farrior's #1 ILB.

When Shazier went down and we needed Vince to be our #1 ILB next to Sean Spence's #2 ILB, he obviously struggled.

Although Bostic isn't Shazier, if he is able to be our #1 ILB (or if we sign someone like Kendricks for that), I don't foresee a huge issue with Vince as our #2 ILB. He can rush the passer via the inside blitz (his 8 sacks were more than Watt or Dupree had last year), and he was close to 100 tackles on the season. If he's the weak link, then our defense shouldn't be that weak this season.

[squidkid]

we should all be able to go on record that there were ilb options this off season either thru the draft or FA that would have been better than what we are rolling with right now(williams or safties play hybrid LBS, scheme stuff)

[RuthlessBurgher]

Cameron Sutton, the Steelers’ defense new Swiss Army knife

The versatility Cam Sutton possesses will make it difficult for him to not be on the football field.

By Jeff Hartman

Jun 1, 2018, 1:27pm EDT

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2017 NFL Draft class was one filled with injuries. Keion Adams was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, James Conner missed a large portion of training camp only to have his season end with an MCL injury, and of course Cameron Sutton was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury only to return later in the season.

Sutton’s brief stint on the playing field, combined with the dismissal of William Gay after the season, has the team with high hopes for the second year player out of Tennessee this year. One of the biggest reasons there is a tremendous amount of excitement surrounding Sutton is his versatility.

The man can do it all, but how will the Steelers utilize him this year? At this point they are putting him all over the field on defense trying to see what sticks.

“I’m just moving around with different groups out there on the field, getting reps with all the different positions,” Sutton told Lauren Kirschman of PennLive. “The more you can do, the versatile you are, the more opportunities you have for yourself and opportunities to help this team win.

”Wherever they need me at, whatever my spot or position is, I’m going to go out there and give it everything I got to the best my ability and just try to make plays.”

Sounds like he is the perfect Swiss Army knife, as Mike Tomlin would say, for the defense, but moving around isn’t as easy as many might believe.

“Obviously, you just got to know what you’re doing,” he said. “That’s the fundamental base of everything. If you don’t know what you’re doing out there, you can’t make any plays on the field let alone get yourself in the right position to make plays.”

There might be a common misconception regarding the nickel and dime cornerback positions, but Joe Haden outlined how different the two spots can be on the defense.

“Nickel and corner, it’s completely different as far as calls, blitzing, where you might have to play ... just different techniques,” Haden said. “If you can get a good handle on it, you can kind of understand what everyone is doing.”

The crazy aspect of Sutton’s game, is he can play inside with the nickel and/or dime, outside, a safety in some situations and also has the capabilities, and experience, to return kickoffs and punts.

Like I said, he can do it all, and Sutton realizes this versatility is exactly what will equate to him playing more when the 2018 regular season rolls around.

“The more versatile you are,” Sutton said, “wherever they need you -- inside, outside, middle of the field, guarding tight ends -- whatever you can do to continue to create opportunities for yourself, you’re able to create more reps.”

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2018/6/1/17414106/cameron-sutton-the-steelers-defense-new-swiss-army-knife-tom-bradley-mike-hilton-news-rumors-nfl

[Northern_Blitz]

we should all be able to go on record that there were ilb options this off season either thru the draft or FA that would have been better than what we are rolling with right now(williams or safties play hybrid LBS, scheme stuff)

Can you give examples?

I think that the team did pretty well in terms of value by signing Bostic.

If he stays healthy, I think it will be a great signing. I think our problem now is more about having no depth. The team seems confident in Dirty Red at Mack, but they were also confident with Fort on the roster last season so I'm at least a bit confused.

[Slapstick]

Last year, the Steelers were in dime for about 25% of snaps...I would assume that William Gay's position will be assumed by either Morgan Burnett or Terrell Edmunds, with our starters and Mike Hilton as the nickel CB...

However, the Steelers ran a 7 DB package for a handful of snaps last year...also, the Cardinals had success with a 7 DB package...who knows? It may be worth it to get Sutton on the field...

[feltdizz]

Can you give examples?

I think that the team did pretty well in terms of value by signing Bostic.

If he stays healthy, I think it will be a great signing. I think our problem now is more about having no depth. The team seems confident in Dirty Red at Mack, but they were also confident with Fort on the roster last season so I'm at least a bit confused.

i don't think he can..

at least not right now. lol

[Northern_Blitz]

i don't think he can..

at least not right now. lol

I'm not sure who the "he" is your talking about and I think it's reasonable to think both.

Re: Can Bostic stay healthy. I really, really hope so (see next point). Looks like he's been in the league since 2013 and only played 16 games in his first season. Every other year ended in injury except 2016 where he was injured reserve all season. We're betting a lot on his health.

Re: Matekevich. I don't see how he can be an every down Mack type player (but I'm not a scout). He doesn't seem to have the athletic ability. Maybe he'd be OK as a Mack in the base and then we play some kind of hybrid whenever the O goes heavy. If the bar is not worse than Spence, I think he probably passes. But that's not really the bar. I would think that he wouldn't be a great candidate to call the D given his lack of experience.

I was kind of indifferent on Kendricks, but writing this down really makes me think that our ILB position is more precarious than I thought. I knew that Bostic was hurt last year, but I don't think I realized that he's been hurt basically every year.