Defensive Scheme For Steelers Work In Progress

[SteelersFever]

Title: Defensive Scheme For Steelers Work In Progress
Source: Steelers Fever
Date: 4/18/08
Author: David Johnston

Link: http://www.steelersfever.com/editorials/0809.html

First Paragraph: Mike Tomlin became the Steelers' 19th head coach and as most good leaders know: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Davison_K]

Good article. I think we have all been wondering the same thing though since Tomlin got there. Though its something we are going to wait and see on. I don't mind either defense. They are both great defenses and work great given the right personnel. I like the 3-4 though its a little meaner than the cover 2 and its just something I expect from Pittsburgh now.

[Dino 6 Rings]

Well, in today's game, a 3-4 or 4-3 isn't as important as the nickle package and having a 3rd corner to cover a slot receiver.

Until offenses get back to I formation pounding the ball up the gut, the defense will need to be faster on the corners and in the secondary than every before.

[lilyoder6]

like the article said the 4-3 waits to make a big play.. and the 3-4 makes plays... i think they stay w/ the 3-4 as the main package.. and throw in some 4-3 once in a while scheme of some sort

[Galax Steeler]

I really like the d we are running now I see no reason to change.

[Bobby_Oler]

I find it really odd that people call it the "Tampa 2" ... what did the Steelers run in the 70s? Dungy has admitted before that his defense is something he got from being a Steeler back in the dynasty days.

Also, you have to realize how minute the whole 3-4 vs 4-3 thing really is. That's the base package, but the Steelers have used the 4-3 since the Noll days, and LeBeau didn't do away with it entirely - the Steelers still run off it occasionally. Granted, the 3-4 is the base defense, but once the Steelers go nickel or dime it doesn't matter anymore.

[Hapa]

I really wanna keep 3-4 for Madden lol....

I don't know if I'd be able to switch to 4-3 blitzing with OLBs is so fun :(

[19ward86]

I think the D we have now is best, not quite a single type, so diverse.

[Rhee Rhee]

Originally Posted by Hapa

I really wanna keep 3-4 for Madden lol....

I don't know if I'd be able to switch to 4-3 blitzing with OLBs is so fun :(

i know exactly how you feel...

i dont think our base defense will switch to a 4-3 any time soon mainly because we dont have the personell at all... and the change would be so radical that i dont think some of our players can make it...

i saw one person hypothesize that it'll be an easy switch especially with our d-line and that our d-line would look like:

RE- Brett Keisel
DT1- Casey Hampton
DT2- Aaron smith
LE- lamarr woodley

i dont like it at all especially with aaron smith at DT.. he's no where near quick or fast enough to take on the OG and C... i dont like keisel at RE either because even in a 3-4 defense he doesnt exactly fit... a switch to a 4-3 will only further show his unathleticness..

while i believe lamarr woodley will be a stud and a pro-bowler for years in a 3-4 i highly doubt that he can have the same effect as he would in a 4-3 will because of his size and yet doesn't have the athleticness to be compared to a dwight freeney or julius peppers..

[Preacher]

Whats also important to recognize however, is the fact that we are neither 3-4, nor 4-3, nor cover-2. We are a combination of all of them.

As soon as one of our LB's puts their hand down... or even steps up to the line, we are essentially, in a 4-3 defense.

Watch the D this year, they change it up so much that it really doesn't matter what the base is. Also look at how we drafted. We have LB's that can come up on the line and fight like DE's.

I heard that last year, we played almost 50% in the cover-2 system. Matter of fact, I wouldn't mind finding out if the problem with Anthony Smith is understanding the different responsibilities between cover-2, man, and other systems that get mixed in.