Is it realistic to expect the defense to improve even a little this year?

[top dawg]

3-4, 46, two-gap 4-3, Tampa 2, it doesn't matter. If you execute it right, it works. If you have talent, it will show. Don't forget, Mike Tomlin's a Tampa 2 coach. He's helping make that 3-4 work. Don't mistake a little flashy scheme and hype and forget that they're playing good defense first, and worrying about being flashy with their blitzes much later.

Teams need to find defensive schematics that work on a consistent basis and commit to them, period. That's why the Steelers, Ravens and Eagles are elite defenses and the Panthers are just great on occasion. The flashy schemes as you call them are an integral part of the Steelers defense, so you really can't separate the schemes from the playing of good defense. The successful execution of the "exotic" schemes is what makes them so hard to deal with, so I wouldn't exactly call the schemes "hype", because the proof is in the pudding.

Perhaps you're right about the schemes, but I still believe that the Steelers', Ravens' and Eagles' defensive philosophy is greater than ours, especially the Steelers'.

There is no harm in trying to emulate successful defensive schematics. Being stubborn and unable to adapt is not a virtue. Anyone who saw what happened last year should be able to own up to the fact that more movement, disguise and deception would probably be a great benefit.

[guyinchesapeake]

"Anyone who saw what happened last year should be able to own up to the fact that more movement, disguise and deception would probably be a great benefit."

Amen to that! Well said!!

[panthers55]

Teams need to find defensive schematics that work on a consistent basis and commit to them, period. That's why the Steelers, Ravens and Eagles are elite defenses and the Panthers are just great on occasion. The flashy schemes as you call them are an integral part of the Steelers defense, so you really can't separate the schemes from the playing of good defense. The successful execution of the "exotic" schemes is what makes them so hard to deal with, so I wouldn't exactly call the schemes "hype", because the proof is in the pudding.

Perhaps you're right about the schemes, but I still believe that the Steelers', Ravens' and Eagles' defensive philosophy is greater than ours, especially the Steelers'.

There is no harm in trying to emulate successful defensive schematics. Being stubborn and unable to adapt is not a virtue. Anyone who saw what happened last year should be able to own up to the fact that more movement, disguise and deception would probably be a great benefit.

Exactly. Defensive philosophy like being aggressive and dictating the action are core to the teams you mention. I would love to see us going to a defense which attacks from different directions and sides, stunting, overloading one side or the other.

Love Jim Johnson as well and LeBeau is fantastic. Seems to we do agree on a few things.

I would love for us to go to a true zone blitz high pressure defense. Mixed with tough man underneath when we play the teams with multiple receivers. If Meeks can help our secondary improve it may give us the time for the pressure to get there.

[Snake]

reggie bush is a super star. terrell owens is a super star. bret favre is a super star.

i don't really care how well known they are. "well known" is completely an extension of a lot of things, with actual skill being one small part. Ken Hamlin is more known than Chris Harris because he plays in Dallas. Last year Urlacher was better known than Beason because Jon was a rookie.

Many of Pittsburgh's defensive players are at or near the top of their positions in terms of skill and output.

also aaron smith is one of the best 3-4 DEs in the game what are you talking about?

I can argue with you all day about this but they are not what you would call superstars. Im not saying there bad but our team is not bad either. We have good players and with the right coach we can be a good Defense. Your taking what I said way out of context and making it look like the Steelers had a ton of pro bowlers and didn't send anymore then us.

[magnus]

Teams need to find defensive schematics that work on a consistent basis and commit to them, period. That's why the Steelers, Ravens and Eagles are elite defenses and the Panthers are just great on occasion.

The Ravens have been great because they've continued to commit resources to their defenses. They've had three different coordinators bring their teams to greatness under two different head coaches, with three different schemes. 4-3, 3-4, and then 46. Does that fit with commitment?

I do agree, though, the team should stick to what it does best and not bend to the whim of "wow, this team does this, we should abandon our beliefs." Should this team eventually fail, and a new regime comes in, then I'll be receptive to what the flavor of the year is, and hope whatever it is we're talented and fundamental enough to pull it off. That's what really matters, because you're certainly not campaigning to run the Cleveland 3-4.

There is no harm in trying to emulate successful defensive schematics. Being stubborn and unable to adapt is not a virtue. Anyone who saw what happened last year should be able to own up to the fact that more movement, disguise and deception would probably be a great benefit

We were doing just fine until injuries and declining play became a concern. If you know of a scheme that makes it easy for you to lose three or four defensive tackles at a time, sure, let's look at that.

[magnus]

I can argue with you all day about this but they are not what you would call superstars. Im not saying there bad but our team is not bad either. We have good players and with the right coach we can be a good Defense. Your taking what I said way out of context and making it look like the Steelers had a ton of pro bowlers and didn't send anymore then us.

he's saying they're successful because they're very well coached, they're talented to a level most teams dream of, and that talent plays fundamentally sound every snap. It doesn't matter what scheme you're running when you're playing well, and no amount of scheme is going to make crap look like a winner just because they lined up this way instead of that way, or played this coverage instead of that one.

[top dawg]

We were doing just fine until injuries and declining play became a concern. If you know of a scheme that makes it easy for you to lose three or four defensive tackles at a time, sure, let's look at that.

With all due respect, injuries are a part of the game---no matter the position---and the Steelers dealt with their share over the year. Harrison, Woodley, Kiesel, McFadden, Polamalu and others were all hurt, or playing0 hurt, during the year at one time or another. The Blitzburgh machine still rolled on.

What happened to the Panthers defense the second half of the season seemingly had more to do with decline of play (and reported tinkering/meddling---whatever---by Fox). Sorry, I can't accept the injury excuse. I saw what happened and had too many "WTF moments" when watching our defense crumble during the pressure.

[pantherclaw]

With all of the coaching changes with the defense this year, I don't even know if it is even realistic to expect improvements over last season, even with top flight personnel. It appears that we are rebuilding this year---not necessarily on the field, but on the sidelines. Perhaps it's time for the optimists to get their heads out of the clouds, the realists to become even more real, and the cynics to jump off a bridge.

A lowering of expectations will probably be the most appropriate meal on the menu for all of us, lest we be swallowing a bitter pill with Alka Seltzer, while possibly turning our nose up at crow.

Yet the defense went from worst to 3rd in the league in 1 season, the first of a new coaching staff. Don't bother asking me what year, if you don't know, turn in your Panther card.

I do expect the defense to be better. Why? Cause this is a John Fox team, and defense is what he believes in. His own expectations will have them working hard to get the defense better. Do I expect them to be the best in the league? No, but I do expect improvement.

[top dawg]

Yet the defense went from worst to 3rd in the league in 1 season, the first of a new coaching staff. Don't bother asking me what year, if you don't know, turn in your Panther card.

Actually it was from worse to second in the league (2001/2002). Whew! My Panthers card is safe.

[pantherclaw]

[carpanfan96]

The Ravens have been great because they've continued to commit resources to their defenses. They've had three different coordinators bring their teams to greatness under two different head coaches, with three different schemes. 4-3, 3-4, and then 46. Does that fit with commitment?

I do agree, though, the team should stick to what it does best and not bend to the whim of "wow, this team does this, we should abandon our beliefs." Should this team eventually fail, and a new regime comes in, then I'll be receptive to what the flavor of the year is, and hope whatever it is we're talented and fundamental enough to pull it off. That's what really matters, because you're certainly not campaigning to run the Cleveland 3-4.

We were doing just fine until injuries and declining play became a concern. If you know of a scheme that makes it easy for you to lose three or four defensive tackles at a time, sure, let's look at that.

Just to be funny we could try the eagle 3-4 from ways back, doesn't need too many dline players to succeed just 2 of them in all.

[magnus]

With all due respect, injuries are a part of the game---no matter the position---and the Steelers dealt with their share over the year. Harrison, Woodley, Kiesel, McFadden, Polamalu and others were all hurt, or playing0 hurt, during the year at one time or another. The Blitzburgh machine still rolled on.

What happened to the Panthers defense the second half of the season seemingly had more to do with decline of play (and reported tinkering/meddling---whatever---by Fox). Sorry, I can't accept the injury excuse. I saw what happened and had too many "WTF moments" when watching our defense crumble during the pressure.

We were thin, too thin, and then we lost our starters. You don't scheme away two defensive tackles hurt. It's not an excuse - it's just what happened. Take a position where we only have two decent players, then take them both out of a game, we're going to be worse.

Scheme isn't why our defense started to fail. If you can suggest otherwise with an actual reason, that'd be a start.

[panthers55]

We were thin, too thin, and then we lost our starters. You don't scheme away two defensive tackles hurt. It's not an excuse - it's just what happened. Take a position where we only have two decent players, then take them both out of a game, we're going to be worse.

Scheme isn't why our defense started to fail. If you can suggest otherwise with an actual reason, that'd be a start.

Disagree. We were having trouble well before Kemo got hurt. We started to struggle against Detroit and it didn't get better. The scheme was very much the problem. We weren't getting pressure, teams were throwing on us with ease and we didn't use any press coverage. When team overloaded one side of the defense with multiple receivers,for example, we didn't shift our personnel and instead tried to cover 3 receivers with a corner, safety and linebacker while leaving the other corner doing nothing. We didn't adjust to the offensive shifts, Godfrey was frequently caught out of position and teams were able to dictate the secondary matchups by how they ran their plays and who for example lined up in the slot. That was all scheme and a poor one IMHO.

[dimbee]

This year is not realistic, year after this one is