Still wound't mind see them change the D to a 4-3 and drafting Hankins and Simon, only to piss Big off.
I don't think they will since Dick LeBeau is staying on but if there was ever a time to do it (switch to 4-3) it would be now with a lot of the older 3-4 guys like Harrison, Hampton etc. possibly on the outs.
I don't think scheme would have made much of a difference for them this season. They just didn't execute late in enough games. It happens to them every few years when the bad execution late in games outweighs the good. Most years they close out games good enough to have very good records though.
Ben isn't Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees etc. so I don't see the Steelers offense ever being elite. The only other way to possibly become elite would be to dominate in the run game and combine that with Ben's abilities. I guess that may be possible if they land another big time O-Lineman and find a big time RB to go with it. Otherwise they will play their schedule of overwhelmingly nail bitters and need to execute late which they didn't do well enough this season.
Ben can't always bail the team out when they choose to play Marty ball for the first 58 minutes of the game. Run, run, pass doesn't make it easier when he has to bail the team out on 3rd & long (something he was really good at before the injury).
Instead of it having to come down to the end of the game, why not try and let Ben win it early next season? Let him do more on the early downs instead of waiting until third and long, then maybe there will be fewer needs for late game comebacks.
Still wound't mind see them change the D to a 4-3 and drafting Hankins and Simon, only to piss Big off.
I'd prefer to win games.
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“The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile, but that it is indifferent. If we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death, our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” - Stanley Kubrick
I just think the running game has to get better. That's the area with the most room for improvement. The QB will always have to be good or bail out the offense on 3rd down. It's what great QB's do.
You can have a vertical passing game like Arians or a dink and dunk style like Haley but without a better running game the offenses ceiling is pretty much the same. Under two different styles of coordinators the offense finished averaging 20 points per/game in 2011 and 21 points per/game in 2012. Not much difference despite the different styles. Need a better running game.
Been looking over the cap numbers and Harrison looks to be the biggest target for being cut loose. He will save around 5m in cap space next season. Then Kahn will most likely restructure Roth, Timmons and Woodley to free up about 20m.
Ike and Colon could be candidates to cut, but Ike still has game and cutting Colon doesn't save much more than a mil.
Been looking over the cap numbers and Harrison looks to be the biggest target for being cut loose. He will save around 5m in cap space next season. Then Kahn will most likely restructure Roth, Timmons and Woodley to free up about 20m.
Ike and Colon could be candidates to cut, but Ike still has game and cutting Colon doesn't save much more than a mil.
I think an OC job is beneath Whiz but you never know. He isn't coming here either way. I still think he's a very good coach but he couldn't overcome not having a QB. He could do wonders for a team that has a QB in place though.
Woodley just had an off year. The injuries are frustrating too. You do have to wonder if he'll age well as a player given his body type. He may be a guy that declines at an earlier age than most. Although he did play great a year ago before getting hurt in the NE game. He just wasn't the same once he returned and never got on track this year either. Next year is big for him but he's young enough to bounce back. The Steelers do need to target an OLB very early in the draft though.
I think an OC job is beneath Whiz but you never know. He isn't coming here either way. I still think he's a very good coach but he couldn't overcome not having a QB. He could do wonders for a team that has a QB in place though.
Woodley just had an off year. The injuries are frustrating too. You do have to wonder if he'll age well as a player given his body type. He may be a guy that declines at an earlier age than most. Although he did play great a year ago before getting hurt in the NE game. He just wasn't the same once he returned and never got on track this year either. Next year is big for him but he's young enough to bounce back. The Steelers do need to target an OLB very early in the draft though.
Woodley needs a good OLB to play with. When Harrison dominates, Woodley played well. When Harrison struggled with injury or missed games, Woody struggled too. It's no coincidence. Obviously, he needs to stay healthy too.
Yeah, I think Harrison and Woodley sort of feed off each other. One will get consistent easier match-ups when the other dominates for a stretch but neither really got on that kind of roll this year.
Although to play devils advocate, I've always wondered how productive one of them would be if it was just one of them on the team and that one was featured like a Clay Mathews or DeMarcus Ware. Those guys don't have a great pass rusher on the opposite side but because of that they are the clear featured pass rusher for their teams. They rush the QB much more, drop into coverage much less and are moved around everywhere. They don't just come them from the same side all the time like Harrison and Woodley. Having both Harrison and Woodley probably splits up the pass rush opportunities a bit.
I also think Ziggy Hood factors into this. I won't bash Ziggy Hood as much as most do. I think he's a lot more serviceable than he gets credit for despite having some bad games here and there like the KC one but overall the D was ranked top 2 against the run and likely couldn't be ranked that high if he were really that terrible. That said, he isn't Aaron Smith and that probably effects Woodley quite a bit because Smith commanded much more attention and bodies from the O-Line which freed up Woodley a lot more.
Are you implying the Steelers need to go from a defensive team to an offensive team? If you are, I agree - but I'm not sure the Steelers want to embrace that.
Never said that. I'm not sure how a good team is more offensive or defensive anyways. You need to be competent at both sides of the ball.
My post meant that this team needs to find a new core of players. Not entirely sure they are currently here on this roster, and when a team goes through a transition like this, sometimes they don't have an identity, and those teams tend to toil in mediocrity until they find the building blocks to build around.
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Originally Posted by Big McLargehuge
I'd prefer to win games.
Agreed.
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Originally Posted by maxpenguins6630
Fire Haley and bring back Black and Yellow former OC Whisenhunt !!
I'd rather have Mike Mularkey. I also think he'd be a long term OC candidate. He's tried the HC thing a couple times, and it never works out for him. One could think he finally realizes he's meant to be on a staff and not running a staff. Very good OC, IMO, and did well here.
In terms of Woodley, I think some of his woes may be on him, but at the same rate, it's really easy to get shut down when there's absolutely no one on the other side of the line who needs to be watched. Woodley was a step slower, IMO, but I also watched him get double teamed, and sometimes triple teamed.
He needs to be better, but we need to find someone to go on the other side who needs to be respected again. This season was the first time in a very long time I can remember one of our OLB's being able to be handled solely by a left tackle. I think Harrison is shot.
Also, we don't have an Aaron Smith on his roster. I mean, nothing more needs to be said. He's the best 3-4 run stopping end this league has ever seen, and the OLB's behind him owe him a serious debt of gratitude, as he was never paid fairly for what he did for other's on this defense, IMO. Aaron Smith made a lot of guys very wealthy.
Yeah, I think Harrison and Woodley sort of feed off each other. One will get consistent easier match-ups when the other dominates for a stretch but neither really got on that kind of roll this year.
Although to play devils advocate, I've always wondered how productive one of them would be if it was just one of them on the team and that one was featured like a Clay Mathews or DeMarcus Ware. Those guys don't have a great pass rusher on the opposite side but because of that they are the clear featured pass rusher for their teams. They rush the QB much more, drop into coverage much less and are moved around everywhere. They don't just come them from the same side all the time like Harrison and Woodley. Having both Harrison and Woodley probably splits up the pass rush opportunities a bit.
I also think Ziggy Hood factors into this. I won't bash Ziggy Hood as much as most do. I think he's a lot more serviceable than he gets credit for despite having some bad games here and there like the KC one but overall the D was ranked top 2 against the run and likely couldn't be ranked that high if he were really that terrible. That said, he isn't Aaron Smith and that probably effects Woodley quite a bit because Smith commanded much more attention and bodies from the O-Line which freed up Woodley a lot more.
I didn't read this before I posted, but it's perfectly stated.
And people can play the "you always go out to win" card, but who ****in cares? Losing that meaningless game could have costed us an opportunity to draft a difference maker who could help us win a **** ton more games than that 1.
losing to the browns is never a good thing. I don't care what it means in the draft. I just can't get behind the mentality of wishing for us to lose games. Have some dignity. Play to win the game.
losing to the browns is never a good thing. I don't care what it means in the draft. I just can't get behind the mentality of wishing for us to lose games. Have some dignity. Play to win the game.
We already lost to them once. I mean, we couldn't have been much more embarrassed this past season. No reason to try to dig up the pride now.
