mesaSteeler
02-05-2011, 07:05 AM
On the Steelers: Hampton 'not coming out'
Saturday, February 05, 2011
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11036/1123347-66.stm
DALLAS -- University of Texas product Casey Hampton does not plan to take a back seat in this Texas Super Bowl and, by all measures, that would be a rather large back seat.
The 340-poundish Hampton knows the Steelers defense will deploy plenty of nickel and dime schemes against the pass-happy Green Bay Packers. And, in such defenses, Hampton usually is nowhere to be found.
He promised that will change Sunday.
"I'm playing in every package -- nickel, dime, everything," Hampton declared. "I'm not coming out. I'm starting everything, so I'm out there."
During the usual course of events, when the Steelers switch to their nickel defense (simply put for this exercise, five defensive backs) or dime (six defensive backs), Hampton comes off the field. Coordinator Dick LeBeau will insert a fifth defensive back in passing situations or against an offense that employs three or more receivers.
The nickel back this season has been William Gay, who replaces Hampton. The Steelers then would use two interior linemen -- Ziggy Hood and Brett Keisel, usually -- and two "ends" or outside linebackers, LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison.
Before they drafted linebacker Lawrence Timmons, the Steelers usually used six defensive backs in passing situations, adding two in the secondary and removing Hampton and a linebacker (e.g. Larry Foote). They may use more dime this game because the Packers like to use sets that feature four and five receivers.
But Hampton vows to remain on the field in all those defenses, although not all of the time.
"I mean, it's time, the Super Bowl is time to go. It's just time. There's no reason for me to be sitting on the bench and playing 15 plays and stuff like that. I don't have nothing to save it for, it's time to go."
If that's the case, it would be time to go for Hood (or Keisel, but his experience and ability suit the pass defense better) unless LeBeau plans to use a 12-man defense.
"Oh, Ziggy is going to play,'' Hampton insisted, because "after about three, four plays I'm going to be tired anyway. So, he's going to have to go in."
Hampton followed that quickly with a belly laugh, and you have to see the belly to appreciate the laugh.
"It's going to be like a better rotation, more of a mix of both of us in there," Hampton said. "We're just going to try to rotate more, especially if they're passing the ball a whole lot. Just rotate guys more."
Hampton does not like to come out of games, but it is something the Steelers have done with him for a long time. On occasion, smart offenses have been able to take advantage of his absence by showing a pass formation to get him off the field, then giving the ball to their third-down back to run.
"I'm going to do whatever they need me to do," Hampton said. "If they want to put me out there, I'll go out there. If they feel like they want someone else out there, I'm a team guy, whatever they need me to do I'm here to do.
"It's definitely hard for me to watch. I definitely want to be out there helping the team. Sometimes, it doesn't work out like that."
Short and sweet
Mike Tomlin pulled a fast one. He was scheduled to appear for his final news conference in the big ballroom at the Sheraton at 9:30 a.m. Since his team had practice scheduled for 11 in Forth Worth, which can be an hour away depending on traffic -- longer since it snowed overnight -- Tomlin convinced NFL officials earlier in the week to move it to 8 a.m.
Instead of the usual hundreds of reporters in the same ballroom used for the later commissioner's news conference, Tomlin was greeted by maybe two dozen.
He took six questions and, when there was a slight pause, he thanked everyone for coming and ended the news conference. It lasted about 10 minutes. The NFL Network, broadcasting it live, called it the shortest Super Bowl coach's news conference in history.
His most pertinent answer to a question about his chance to join other coaches with multiple Super Bowl rings: "I think fortunately for us, we have what you can't buy, which is legacy."
Raising objections
Thursday, executives of the NFL Players Association repeated their opposition to an 18-game season, although they fell short of declaring that it would be a deal-breaker to a new collective bargaining agreement.
Steelers players plus Ambassador Dan Rooney have consistently voiced their resistance to adding two more games to the regular season. Hampton said the idea has been put forth by people in the NFL who have not played in the NFL.
"An 18-game schedule is crazy," Hampton said. "Anybody who knows football or who has played football knows that's crazy. People who are making decisions and trying to make this an 18-game schedule never played football and they don't know what their body is going to feel like after that.
"I think they need to get guys in there who have played and who can kind of give them a better analysis what a guy's body feels like after 16 games, never mind 18 games."
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11036/1123347-66.stm#ixzz1D5b0q4iw
Saturday, February 05, 2011
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11036/1123347-66.stm
DALLAS -- University of Texas product Casey Hampton does not plan to take a back seat in this Texas Super Bowl and, by all measures, that would be a rather large back seat.
The 340-poundish Hampton knows the Steelers defense will deploy plenty of nickel and dime schemes against the pass-happy Green Bay Packers. And, in such defenses, Hampton usually is nowhere to be found.
He promised that will change Sunday.
"I'm playing in every package -- nickel, dime, everything," Hampton declared. "I'm not coming out. I'm starting everything, so I'm out there."
During the usual course of events, when the Steelers switch to their nickel defense (simply put for this exercise, five defensive backs) or dime (six defensive backs), Hampton comes off the field. Coordinator Dick LeBeau will insert a fifth defensive back in passing situations or against an offense that employs three or more receivers.
The nickel back this season has been William Gay, who replaces Hampton. The Steelers then would use two interior linemen -- Ziggy Hood and Brett Keisel, usually -- and two "ends" or outside linebackers, LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison.
Before they drafted linebacker Lawrence Timmons, the Steelers usually used six defensive backs in passing situations, adding two in the secondary and removing Hampton and a linebacker (e.g. Larry Foote). They may use more dime this game because the Packers like to use sets that feature four and five receivers.
But Hampton vows to remain on the field in all those defenses, although not all of the time.
"I mean, it's time, the Super Bowl is time to go. It's just time. There's no reason for me to be sitting on the bench and playing 15 plays and stuff like that. I don't have nothing to save it for, it's time to go."
If that's the case, it would be time to go for Hood (or Keisel, but his experience and ability suit the pass defense better) unless LeBeau plans to use a 12-man defense.
"Oh, Ziggy is going to play,'' Hampton insisted, because "after about three, four plays I'm going to be tired anyway. So, he's going to have to go in."
Hampton followed that quickly with a belly laugh, and you have to see the belly to appreciate the laugh.
"It's going to be like a better rotation, more of a mix of both of us in there," Hampton said. "We're just going to try to rotate more, especially if they're passing the ball a whole lot. Just rotate guys more."
Hampton does not like to come out of games, but it is something the Steelers have done with him for a long time. On occasion, smart offenses have been able to take advantage of his absence by showing a pass formation to get him off the field, then giving the ball to their third-down back to run.
"I'm going to do whatever they need me to do," Hampton said. "If they want to put me out there, I'll go out there. If they feel like they want someone else out there, I'm a team guy, whatever they need me to do I'm here to do.
"It's definitely hard for me to watch. I definitely want to be out there helping the team. Sometimes, it doesn't work out like that."
Short and sweet
Mike Tomlin pulled a fast one. He was scheduled to appear for his final news conference in the big ballroom at the Sheraton at 9:30 a.m. Since his team had practice scheduled for 11 in Forth Worth, which can be an hour away depending on traffic -- longer since it snowed overnight -- Tomlin convinced NFL officials earlier in the week to move it to 8 a.m.
Instead of the usual hundreds of reporters in the same ballroom used for the later commissioner's news conference, Tomlin was greeted by maybe two dozen.
He took six questions and, when there was a slight pause, he thanked everyone for coming and ended the news conference. It lasted about 10 minutes. The NFL Network, broadcasting it live, called it the shortest Super Bowl coach's news conference in history.
His most pertinent answer to a question about his chance to join other coaches with multiple Super Bowl rings: "I think fortunately for us, we have what you can't buy, which is legacy."
Raising objections
Thursday, executives of the NFL Players Association repeated their opposition to an 18-game season, although they fell short of declaring that it would be a deal-breaker to a new collective bargaining agreement.
Steelers players plus Ambassador Dan Rooney have consistently voiced their resistance to adding two more games to the regular season. Hampton said the idea has been put forth by people in the NFL who have not played in the NFL.
"An 18-game schedule is crazy," Hampton said. "Anybody who knows football or who has played football knows that's crazy. People who are making decisions and trying to make this an 18-game schedule never played football and they don't know what their body is going to feel like after that.
"I think they need to get guys in there who have played and who can kind of give them a better analysis what a guy's body feels like after 16 games, never mind 18 games."
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11036/1123347-66.stm#ixzz1D5b0q4iw