Defensive END play since Aaron Smith...

[FrancoLambert]

We need a pass rushing animal with a motor that doesn't quit.
Could Heyward be it? We don't know, he hasn't played enough.
Pressure on the QB from your linemen is a must in today's NFL.
Blitzing to apply pressure seems to get figured out pretty easily nowadays.
How many different blitzes can you have that an offense can't adjust to?

[DanRooney]

The problem is Evander Hood. He's a subpar 3-4 DE. Tomlin doesn't want to admit he made a mistake and waste a first round pick to sit him for Heyward and Keisel's good play isn't warranting him to lose his starting role either. We'll be in limbo until Tomlin moves Evander to center or just gets rid of him completely when his contract is up.

[Danny136200]

Originally Posted by xbroughneck

has been sub par imo. No one has stepped up, and our linebacking corp has suffer for it.

Just saying.

Teams ran right at Ziggy Hood and woodley all year

[xbroughneck]

Originally Posted by Danny136200

Teams ran right at Ziggy Hood and woodley all year

To be fare, they ran at Larry Foote the most.

[SteelersCanada]

We drafted square pegs and are trying to fit them into round holes. Why we felt the need to draft 3-4 DEs in the first round and use them as space-eaters still doesn't make any sense to me. We punish them when they generate pressure and hope and pray that our Linebackers can generate the pressure that the DEs aren't. This is an outdated and ridiculous ideology.

It's no wonder they're not doing well and guys like Hood aren't progressing - they're not used properly. Ziggy would be a beast if he would be used properly and not punished for generating pressure. We need to let our young guys be explosive and if we're not going to let them be explosive, there's no need to waste high picks on DEs when we can find overweight and out of shape space-eaters in the later rounds.

Let Ziggy and Cam be young and explosive and blow up the offensive line, or get new DLinemen because the guys we have now aren't space-eaters. We need to run a similar DLine scheme that the Texans have implemented - let the Line blow shit up and make life easier for the 'Backers. Have our Line command double-teams due to blowing up the offensive line up and generating huge amounts of pressure, not because they're big and overweight. This kind of ideology isn't effective anymore and eventually, something's gotta give.

[Riddle_Of_Steel]

Originally Posted by SteelersCanada

We drafted square pegs and are trying to fit them into round holes. Why we felt the need to draft 3-4 DEs in the first round and use them as space-eaters still doesn't make any sense to me. We punish them when they generate pressure and hope and pray that our Linebackers can generate the pressure that the DEs aren't. This is an outdated and ridiculous ideology.

It's no wonder they're not doing well and guys like Hood aren't progressing - they're not used properly. Ziggy would be a beast if he would be used properly and not punished for generating pressure. We need to let our young guys be explosive and if we're not going to let them be explosive, there's no need to waste high picks on DEs when we can find overweight and out of shape space-eaters in the later rounds.

Let Ziggy and Cam be young and explosive and blow up the offensive line, or get new DLinemen because the guys we have now aren't space-eaters. We need to run a similar DLine scheme that the Texans have implemented - let the Line blow shit up and make life easier for the 'Backers. Have our Line command double-teams due to blowing up the offensive line up and generating huge amounts of pressure, not because they're big and overweight. This kind of ideology isn't effective anymore and eventually, something's gotta give.

Exactly, dude. We have all been talking about this for some time.

Hood and Heyward are stereotypical 4-3 ends, best at rushing teh passer rand collapsing the pocket.

Instead, we are asking them to give ground, and occupy two guys so the linebackers can do their thing. Square peg, round hole. We have single-gap Dlinemen trying to play a two-gap style.

I figure the switch toa 4-3 is just around the corner. It seems like they have slowly been drafting 4-3 talent and are waiting to reach a threshold when they can implement the change.

[VaDave]

Originally Posted by steeltheone

Smith played on a defense full of Pro Bowlers...It makes a big difference. Smith was good, but when he went down ( a lot ) Hood filled in and the Defense did not skip a beat.

We don't have that level of talent now.

Skip a beat ??? I beg to differ. Hood is much less talented than Smith. Have you taken a good look at what happens to him when the opposing offense runs a zone block on him? They guy is pathetic. He gets turned more often than Ginger Rogers......For as stong as this kid is supposed to be, you sure seem him knocked 5 yards or more off the LOS a lot. Way too passive.

Heyward still has not mastered the proper angles, or hand placement. Notice how many runners will literaly run right past him within inches, and he can't get a hand on him.

I was hoping that Hood, in his third year, would have blossumed, but man, he was better as a rookie when he didn't know anything.

I will agree that a healthy pinch from our OLBs would help. Woodley plays patty cake too much with TE and running backs to help out Hood much. Harrison's been injuries, age and contract finally caught up with him and more than likely will not be with us next season, even though he played much better as the year went on. We have NOBODY to fill those shoes.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Originally Posted by steeltheone

Smith played on a defense full of Pro Bowlers...It makes a big difference. Smith was good, but when he went down ( a lot ) Hood filled in and the Defense did not skip a beat.

We don't have that level of talent now.

I agree. I dont see the huge dropoff between Smith and Keisel or Hood/Heyward. The guy was stronger at the point of attack than Hood, but marginally.

Smith had 44 sacks in 13 seasons. I dont expect our DE's to get sacks, but rather clog up 2 blockers and push the pocket to allow our LB's to blitz and make plays. the LB corps has been aging and undertalented for some 3 years now and it shows.

I hope we go forward with guys like Heyward, Hood, McLendon, Ta'amu, Fangopu, Keisel in the future and that players like Timmons, Woodley, Spence and this year's OLB draft pick can be more impactful players.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

Originally Posted by VaDave

Skip a beat ??? I beg to differ. Hood is much less talented than Smith. Have you taken a good look at what happens to him when the opposing offense runs a zone block on him? They guy is pathetic. He gets turned more often than Ginger Rogers......For as stong as this kid is supposed to be, you sure seem him knocked 5 yards or more off the LOS a lot. Way too passive.

.

So you watched 4 plays of the Chiefs game and ate up everthing that the announcers said on that night....right?? They also lauded how great Larry Foote has played and if somebody took the time to break down that game they would see tha Foote was terrible.

DE's still have gap responsibility on a zone block and cannot give it up just to try and drive the OG into the backfield. He did get too high on quite a few plays that he got ridden out vs the Chiefs, but you have to give Eric Winston some credit for being a great RT too and getting under Hood.

IMO, that game was more on Larry Foote not being able to get upfield to get to the RB on zones to our left. I watched the game over on dvr and he ran around most blocks or just grabbed the OG Asumogua who was trying to block him. If Foote reads the play and moves forward, he fills the holes. Watch a guy like D'Quell Jackson, Navarro Bowman or London Fletcher play that position and compare to Foote and we see the ILB play from Foote is weak.

My point is that Hood gets bad rep for that 1 game and he did his job most of the time by occupying his gap, Foote left gaping holes. We are fine at end, but need ILB, (to replace Foote), OLB (to replace aging Harrison), Safety (Clark and Troy arent getting any younger)

[stiller39]

Originally Posted by xbroughneck

has been sub par imo. No one has stepped up, and our linebacking corp has suffer for it.

Just saying.

I agree as our run defense is not what its been since Smith left.