T.J. Watt among 5 unanimous choices for AP's NFL All-Pro Team

[Northern_Blitz]

why does the team in Pittsburgh need everyone to be a top pick to be a successful unit.

Take a look at Buffalo defensive line up.
Which defense has more pedigree and talent on it?

You probably want all of your starters to be NFL starters.

Our DL is Cam and 2 backups (sometimes backup's-backups).

I think defense is a "weak link" part of the sport, where it's not hard for offenses to attack the weakest player on the field. I think this is especially true when the "weak" part of your team is 2/3 of your D line. Especially when you're ILBs are soft behind them.

[NJ-STEELER]

Probably pretty similar since both units have 7 first round picks.

I wasn’t even counting Haden since he’s so far removed from being a 1st rounder.

are you counting Hughes and star for Buffalo?

[NJ-STEELER]

Probably pretty similar since both units have 7 first round picks.

why is one ranked 1st in the league and the other in the 20s?

Scheme?
coaching?

[hackjam]

why is one ranked 1st in the league and the other in the 20s?

Scheme?
coaching?

Yes... Put simply, this defense has been "good" against teams with bad QBs for 10 years and mediocre at best against teams with good QBs.

This year we beat
- Josh Allen
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Geno Smith
- Baker Mayfield x2
- Justin Fields
- Lamar Jackson
- Ryan Tannehill
- Tyler Huntley

Tied
- Jared Goff

And lost to
- Mahomes x2
- Burrow x2
- Carr
- Rodgers
- Herbert
- Cousins

Obviously the wins over Buffalo and Tennessee were good and were driven by the defense making splash plays. It was a similar story last year too.

In general, the scheme remains quite similar to what it was 15-20 years ago. Yes, there are new wrinkles. Yes, it's mostly that 2-4-5 Nickel as opposed to the 3-4 base. I get that but there's nothing new, nothing innovative, no response to the modern NFL. Every other disciple of that Capers/Lebeau school of thought has retired or been fired. Time to get some fresh ideas in the building. They have to be able to play well without pro bowl/all pro level players at every single position group.

[NorthCoast]

Yes... Put simply, this defense has been "good" against teams with bad QBs for 10 years and mediocre at best against teams with good QBs.

This year we beat
- Josh Allen
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Geno Smith
- Baker Mayfield x2
- Justin Fields
- Lamar Jackson
- Ryan Tannehill
- Tyler Huntley

Tied
- Jared Goff

And lost to
- Mahomes x2
- Burrow x2
- Carr
- Rodgers
- Herbert
- Cousins

Obviously the wins over Buffalo and Tennessee were good and were driven by the defense making splash plays. It was a similar story last year too.

In general, the scheme remains quite similar to what it was 15-20 years ago. Yes, there are new wrinkles. Yes, it's mostly that 2-4-5 Nickel as opposed to the 3-4 base. I get that but there's nothing new, nothing innovative, no response to the modern NFL. Every other disciple of that Capers/Lebeau school of thought has retired or been fired. Time to get some fresh ideas in the building. They have to be able to play well without pro bowl/all pro level players at every single position group.

Not a big mystery. They won games where they kept the score close courtesy of the defense. The offense failed to score more than 20 pts in over half their games. Last night? 14 pts by the offense. Against KC... you shouldn't and don't win.

[hackjam]

Right. And I'll grant that some of that is on the offense too. Your defense can't play a perfect game every single week. Especially when they're on the field all the damn time. Good offense helps the defense, especially in the regular season. In the postseason you need both.

I still think they need fresh ideas with the scheme. It largely hasn't worked in crunch time since 2012 or so. Talent plays a role but you have to be able to build around that talent. They have three all-world players on that defense in Watt, Heyward, and Minkah. The defense cannot be as bad as it was when you have those guys at your disposal.

[NJ-STEELER]

In general, the scheme remains quite similar to what it was 15-20 years ago. Yes, there are new wrinkles. Yes, it's mostly that 2-4-5 Nickel as opposed to the 3-4 base. I get that but there's nothing new, nothing innovative, no response to the modern NFL. Every other disciple of that Capers/Lebeau school of thought has retired or been fired. Time to get some fresh ideas in the building. They have to be able to play well without pro bowl/all pro level players at every single position group.

we are in agreement

[Captain Lemming]

Yes... Put simply, this defense has been "good" against teams with bad QBs for 10 years and mediocre at best against teams with good QBs.

This year we beat
- Josh Allen
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Geno Smith
- Baker Mayfield x2
- Justin Fields
- Lamar Jackson
- Ryan Tannehill
- Tyler Huntley

Tied
- Jared Goff

And lost to
- Mahomes x2
- Burrow x2
- Carr
- Rodgers
- Herbert
- Cousins

Obviously the wins over Buffalo and Tennessee were good and were driven by the defense making splash plays. It was a similar story last year too.

In general, the scheme remains quite similar to what it was 15-20 years ago. Yes, there are new wrinkles. Yes, it's mostly that 2-4-5 Nickel as opposed to the 3-4 base. I get that but there's nothing new, nothing innovative, no response to the modern NFL. Every other disciple of that Capers/Lebeau school of thought has retired or been fired. Time to get some fresh ideas in the building. They have to be able to play well without pro bowl/all pro level players at every single position group.

So you are saying that teams with better QBs are harder to beat? Our 9 win team tends to have greater success against mediocre QBs? Really?

And we should be able to beat top teams without having to have a probowler at every position group?

Just like CHUCK NOLL?

(Oh wait you said Pro Bowler not HALL OF FAMER at every position group...I got confused).

[hackjam]

Yeah of course teams with good QBs are harder to beat. That's the whole point. Those teams usually make the playoffs and the Steelers haven't beat a good QB in the playoffs since friggin Kurt Warner (maaaaaybe you can stretch this to rookie Joe Flacco or Alex Smith if you really want to get limber). Meanwhile they've lost to Tebow, Flacco, the ghost of Peyton Manning, Bortles, and Mayfield (in addition to Brady and Mahomes).

They've beat a handful of QBs over the last 5 years (Brady, Allen, Watson, Jackson, Burrow, Stafford, Ryan, Rivers) but overall have benefited from being in a weak division. I think we'll get a real taste of what's to come in the division next year with Burrow continuing to improve and Baltimore getting healthy.

Regarding the defense, yes, I do think they should be better than 20th in scoring defense, 24th in yards allowed, and 32nd in rushing yards allowed when they have three all-pro level players on the defense. God forbid.

[Northern_Blitz]

Right. And I'll grant that some of that is on the offense too. Your defense can't play a perfect game every single week. Especially when they're on the field all the damn time. Good offense helps the defense, especially in the regular season. In the postseason you need both.

I still think they need fresh ideas with the scheme. It largely hasn't worked in crunch time since 2012 or so. Talent plays a role but you have to be able to build around that talent. They have three all-world players on that defense in Watt, Heyward, and Minkah. The defense cannot be as bad as it was when you have those guys at your disposal.

I wonder how many defensive drives / plays we had relative to NFL average.

We didn't have turnovers this game, but we also only had like 2 first downs in the first half.

The D gave the O 2 turnovers a DTD and kept KC off the board for 5 possessions in the 1st half.

The O gave them nothing.

The eventual collapse of the D was also disappointing. But at least they did something. And when the game was in the balance too.

If we had an average offense, I think we win that game after those first 5 possessions.

[NJ-STEELER]

Yeah of course teams with good QBs are harder to beat. That's the whole point. Those teams usually make the playoffs and the Steelers haven't beat a good QB in the playoffs since friggin Kurt Warner (maaaaaybe you can stretch this to rookie Joe Flacco or Alex Smith if you really want to get limber). Meanwhile they've lost to Tebow, Flacco, the ghost of Peyton Manning, Bortles, and Mayfield (in addition to Brady and Mahomes).

They've beat a handful of QBs over the last 5 years (Brady, Allen, Watson, Jackson, Burrow, Stafford, Ryan, Rivers) but overall have benefited from being in a weak division. I think we'll get a real taste of what's to come in the division next year with Burrow continuing to improve and Baltimore getting healthy.

Regarding the defense, yes, I do think they should be better than 20th in scoring defense, 24th in yards allowed, and 32nd in rushing yards allowed when they have three all-pro level players on the defense. God forbid.

I've said for a while now, most teams/DCs would love to have our players for their defenses

[Northern_Blitz]

I've said for a while now, most teams/DCs would love to have our players for their defenses

I think our starters are good to very good.

I don't think many DCs would have been excited to trot it or DL this season.

Just like most OCs would have been very worried about our OL.

[Buzz]

It's official -- TJ named DPOY

[SteelBucks]

It's official -- TJ named DPOY

Well deserved!

[Northern_Blitz]

Congrats TJ.

Great year. Hope he can play at a similar level but without the injuries next season (because I'm greedy)