Not enough priority on NT?

[hawaiiansteel]

I'd feel better if they had a real NT.

Javon Hargrave wasn't really a true NT and he did okay in the middle.

[Captain Lemming]

Everyone keeps saying how we barely run a 3-4 anymore so NT doesn't matter. But last I looked we still ran a lot of 3-4. And just for fun, think of the best Ds we've fielded the last 30 years (and the worst) and what's it show you: Our D was only superior when we had a beast at NT. The great 90's Ds? Joel Steed. The relatively weak early 2000's Ds? Kendrick Clancy (not dominant). The dominant mid/late 2000's D? The beast Casey Hampton. The weakish 2013-14 D? Steve Mclendon.

NT still matters, the rushing game is making a resurgence. Just wait.

BTW, McLendon was also starting Steeler NT in 2015.
We allowed fewer rush yards (under 1,500) and fewer touchdowns rushing (6) that season than we have EVER had since we drafted Hargrave in 2016. The 3.8 YPC we allowed that year was matched last year for the first time.

Old man McLendon is the starting NT on the Jets and their run defense was better than ANY Steeler defense in recent seasons. They allowed 3.3 YPC.
(I credit L. Bell who was SOOO BAD even Jets OPPONENTS run game stunk ).

Is McLendon better than Hargrave? No. Jets defense was GARBAGE in 2018 as was ours.
But funny thing BOTH these guys played on those bad defenses too.

My point is that there is far less correltion between the NT and success than people think.

THE VERY BEST run defense of Caseys career? Only time Farrior (who everybody says needed Casey) was AllPro? 2004 when he got hurt and Hoke replaced him for most of the season.

[Captain Lemming]

Javon Hargrave wasn't really a true NT and he did okay in the middle.

I really liked Hargrave, more than Casey. I liked that he was versatile enough to keep in the game as an interior pass rusher on passing downs. He can play tackle effectively in a 4/3 on pass downs. He wasnt really the two down player a guy like Casey was.

I'm not as worried about pure NT as I am having to go deeper to replace any lineman that gets injured. What happened to Tuitt would be devestating.

[Northern_Blitz]

BTW, McLendon was also starting Steeler NT in 2015.
We allowed fewer rush yards (under 1,500) and fewer touchdowns rushing (6) that season than we have EVER had since we drafted Hargrave in 2016. The 3.8 YPC we allowed that year was matched last year for the first time.

Old man McLendon is the starting NT on the Jets and their run defense was better than ANY Steeler defense in recent seasons. They allowed 3.3 YPC.
(I credit L. Bell who was SOOO BAD even Jets OPPONENTS run game stunk ).

Is McLendon better than Hargrave? No. Jets defense was GARBAGE in 2018 as was ours.
But funny thing BOTH these guys played on those bad defenses too.

My point is that there is far less correltion between the NT and success than people think.

THE VERY BEST run defense of Caseys career? Only time Farrior (who everybody says needed Casey) was AllPro? 2004 when he got hurt and Hoke replaced him for most of the season.

I think Tyson A will do fine / good enough at DT. We can't be elite everywhere and this is a reasonable poison to pick.

I agree with you that DT probably doesn't matter as much in today's NFL (although the AFCN still has some running teams like the Rats). But pointing to Hoke shows that maybe it didn't matter as much in Casey's day either (you've said this before and it's certainly an interesting point).

I also think Hoke is generally under rated.

[Captain Lemming]

Yes, which is my point. I like Alualu just fine, but not as our starting NT; he's not stoudt enough. You need a monster with a low center of gravity that simply can't be moved. Hampton was the prototype. I fear we are going to see some rips up the middle this season via Chubb, Ingram, Dobbins, Henry, Zeke, and Taylor.

Also, a weak NT really hurts the impact of a great ILB, i.e. Bush.

Bwaaahaaahaaa.
Alualu is doing just fine.

More than fine he is excelling.

[whisper]

There were some plays where there were holes as large as a bus for Den. Just sayin'.

[hawaiiansteel]

There were some plays where there were holes as large as a bus for Den. Just sayin'.

24 carries for 104 yards (4.0 avg) with a long run of 17.

holes must not have been too large...

[whisper]

24 carries for 104 yards (4.0 avg) with a long run of 17.

holes must not have been too large...

I meant the holes Den. rushing game had for that stretch.

[NorthCoast]

I meant the holes Den. rushing game had for that stretch.

update on the stats;

Alualu after 2 games:

- 9 tackles; 6 solo; 5 TFL
- 1 sack
- 1 pass defensed
- 2 QB hits

Hargrave this season?? zilch across the board

[Buzz]

Alualu has been fine at NT, that is no longer a worry

I am still concerned about the weakness of our ILBs in coverage

[Captain Lemming]

There were some plays where there were holes as large as a bus for Den. Just sayin'.

Really?
Last season week two we gave up 151 rushing. More than we gave up thus far in 2020 TOTAL in two games.
Week 3 we gave up 168.

I assume there were some pretty big holes there with Hargrave.

[feltdizz]

Really?
Last season week two we gave up 151 rushing. More than we gave up thus far in 2020 TOTAL in two games.
Week 3 we gave up 168.

I assume there were some pretty big holes there with Hargrave.

Last year we played 3 really good teams in our first 3 games.

Pats
Seahawks
49ers

[hawaiiansteel]

Bwaaahaaahaaa.
Alualu is doing just fine.

More than fine he is excelling.

if we only had a true NT we could have held Barkley to only 5 yards instead of 6

[Captain Lemming]

Last year we played 3 really good teams in our first 3 games.

Pats
Seahawks
49ers

You really need to stop arguing points you don't REALLY disagree with just because I said it Dizz.

Just because yet again time is proving me correct, their is no need for you to engage me in SOMEONE ELSES losing argument.

You are too smart to really think giving up 107 has anything to do with missing Hargrave.

First 2 weeks of 2018
-177 to the Brown
-127 to the Chiefs