Lawrence Timmons

[cloppbeast]

There's good news, and bad news.

The good news:

There's nobody on the Steelers that I've been more impressed with than Lawrence Timmons. At this point, in my opinion he's easilly the team's MVP - and he's making a serious run for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

I read in the Post Gazette (or was it the Tribune Review?) this morning that he has 53 tackles, but ESPN has him at 48, tied for fifth in the league. All of those ahead of him have played 5 games, Timmons has played 4. He has also forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and recorded a sack.

He's really starting to justify his first round selection and he looks like one of the best middle linebackers in the game.

The bad news:

He's been making James Farrior look really bad. I imagine Farrior must feel the same way Rene Zelweger would feel if she did a movie with Megan Fox.

[pete74]

I agree. Defensive player of the year if he continues playing at this same level

[Steelerfreak58]

If Farrior keeps getting beat by TE's like Heap beat him most of the game Foote may need to step in. Seems like Farrior lets a TE make the play then goes for the tackle. The last couple of drives by the Ravens they picked on him pretty bad. Same thing happened last year.

Timmons is another Steeler LB work of art if he can stay healthy.

[thumper]

I saw Timmons led the league in tackles before the bye....led the league. And we are talking about a league that still has plenty of 4-3 Ds where the middle LB would have less competition to make tackles. We are talking about a league where one Patrick Willis plays. That is beyond impressive. As far as Farrior goes, either Foote or Fox or even that Fing rookie Sylvester would probably be better. It's like in the movie "Men in Black" when Tommy Lee Jones partner was too old to do his job and fumbled his ray gun, nearly allowing the alien to waste them; sometimes you got to move on a guy who is too old regardless of how much respect you want to give him for his prior days of quality service.

[ricardisimo]

Leading the league in tackles is a misleading stat, and not the important one for this discussion. Bad corners and safeties regularly lead the league because they give up so many receptions. That a MLB is leading this particular team in tackles speaks volumes about the play of Harrison and Woodley, who are effectively closing off the outside.

However, in Timmons' case, what I was most impressed with was the stat I saw somewhere regarding drops for loss. He's dropping running backs immediately. He seems to be within a few feet of the ball half a second after the snap on every other play. It's pretty amazing. Kudos to him. I'm glad the staff took their time with him. I just hope he'll be staying put for a while.

Part of me wonders if he'll be taking Woodley's spot if we don't resign him?

[LVSteelersfan]

But but but............ Timmons is a bust. Just ask some of the so-called gurus around these parts. I for one am always willing to let the coaching staff take their time bringing in new players. So what if he was a first rounder? It doesn't mean it is written in stone he has to become an immediate starter. How many first round quarterbacks sit on the bench for a year or two before they get some playing time? I think the coaching staff did a wonderful job with this kid. He makes plenty of tackles on Farrior's side of the field that Farrior has no chance in hell of getting to. Timmons is impressive.

[cloppbeast]

Originally Posted by ricardisimo

However, in Timmons' case, what I was most impressed with was the stat I saw somewhere regarding drops for loss. He's dropping running backs immediately. He seems to be within a few feet of the ball half a second after the snap on every other play. It's pretty amazing. Kudos to him. I'm glad the staff took their time with him. I just hope he'll be staying put for a while.

Due to the nature of Lebeau's defense, Timmons stats are going to be inflated while Smith, Keisel, and Hampton's will be deflated. The 3-4 is designed for the d-line to eat up blockers and contain the ball carrier while the linebackers make the tackles. With that said, Timmons is playing the position to perfection. He has so many tackles because first of all, nobody gets by him. Ryan Clark only has 23 tackles and Troy Polamalu has 19, more than half of those tackles probably came in the passing game. Secondly, Timmons is so much better than Farrior that it's embarrassing. Timmons has more than doubled Farrior in tackles.

Also, just look at how Timmons shut down supposedly the best running back in the league, Chris Johnson. I wasn't in the team meetings or anything, but based on my observations it seemed like Timmons was shadowing him the whole game. I could be wrong, but it looked like Lebeau put Timmons in charge of stopping Johnson, and it resulted in Johnson rushing for 2.1 ypc.

Part of me wonders if he'll be taking Woodley's spot if we don't resign him?[/QUOTE]

I doubt it. I think that's what Worilds is here for.

[Fire Arians]

^ timmons is the only LB we have fast enough to shadow johnson. farrior would get burned and so would larry slow-a-foote

timmons is a beast though, he is definitely on his way to a pro bowl season