Steelers Week Notes Part Deux

[JC]

Is it supposed to be nasty out tomorrow night?  Kind of hoping we don't get into a defensive battle with a divisional opponent on the road. 

 

Edit:  Guess that answers that.  Bummer.

[Bengals1181]

Is it supposed to be nasty out tomorrow night?  Kind of hoping we don't get into a defensive battle with a divisional opponent on the road. 

 

Edit:  Guess that answers that.  Bummer.

 

 

I like that idea.  a defensive grind it out game favors the Bengals.  The steelers are struggling to run, and stop the run.  The Bengals are doing both well.

[membengal]

Agreed, crossed my mind that anything which makes passing a little difficult, especially given how thin we are at the corners, isn't necessarily a bad thing tomorrow night. 

[Bengals1181]

Rick Ucchino ‏@700WLWUcchino1m

National "experts" keep over looking the #Bengals. It's tough to beat this team. Last time they trailed at the end of regulation was week 4

[dex]

 

 

I like that idea.  a defensive grind it out game favors the Bengals.  The steelers are struggling to run, and stop the run.  The Bengals are doing both well.

But unless there is a big turnover differential, a defensive grind it out game generally tends to be very close. I don't think there's any chance of the Steelers blowing out the Bengals. The only way i see the Steelers is winning is on a last minute field goal. But having said that, most experts expected last week's wintery games to be low scoring...only the league set a record for the most touchdowns scored in a single week. so you really never know.

[bubba]

The Linemakers’ lean: The Bengals have responded to the big expectations that accompanied them heading into the season. They've been one of the most consistent teams all year, and, as far as The Linemakers' Kenny White is concerned, they're one of the five best teams in the NFL. The road team is on a 16-7-1 run in this series, and home-field advantage doesn't worry us when the visitor is the better club. Lay the points with Cincy on Sunday.

[bengaled]

But unless there is a big turnover differential, a defensive grind it out game generally tends to be very close. I don't think there's any chance of the Steelers blowing out the Bengals. The only way i see the Steelers is winning is on a last minute field goal. But having said that, most experts expected last week's wintery games to be low scoring...only the league set a record for the most touchdowns scored in a single week. so you really never know.

 

i really don't expect weather to play much a factor in this game. after all, these are two teams that are as used to these conditions as you could get. 20-25 degrees forecast with 5-10 MPH winds? that's fairly normal december football weather in the AFC north...the kind of weather people from this area somewhat expect this time of year. it sure could be a whole lot worse. i don't see these conditions limiting anything either OC calls, and don't expect weather to be an excuse. the only thing in the weather report that might be considered unusual is the way the temperature is due to drop during the 4th qtr.  not sure of how cold it will get in cincy, but here in central ohio we're supposed to see a post frontal drop us into the single digits over night. i see that as the only factor. if we don't come out of this game victorious, weather's the last thing i expect to hear as an excuse (unless they water the field).

[Bengals1181]

Russell S. Baxter ‏@BaxFootballGuru7m

#NFL 2013 (thru Wk 14): Fewest points allowed: #Panthers (188), #Seahawks (205), #49ers (214), #Chiefs (224), #Saints (243), #Bengals (244)

[Bengals1181]

Talk about the Bengals defense losing Geno Atkins and Leon Hall and Terence Newman. How about the special teams losing their two most valuable and prolific players from the previous three seasons in Dan Skuta and Jeromy Miles and they are still coming up with play after big play and have their cover teams again in the top  11 of the NFL?

The special teams torch has been passed from Skuta and Miles to Vinny Rey and Cedric Peerman on down to rookie linebacker Jayson DiManche and rookie safety Shawn Williams. And they are looking to use it to warm up field position in Sunday's game (8:30 p.m.)-Cincinnati's Channel 5 in Pittsburgh, where history shows the fate of the AFC North can be decided on a kick or punt.

Like last year, with Josh Brown booting the Bengals into the playoffs and the Steelers out of the playoffs with a last-second field goal. Or Bengals punter Kevin Huber tilting the field of that grinding 13-10 game with 48.3 net yards. Or two years ago when Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown blew open a blowout with a 60-yard punt return TD, the last one on the Bengals. Or four years ago when the Bengals last swept the Steelers on another chilly hardscrabble Heinz surface and running back Bernard Scott scored the game's only touchdown on a kick return.

The Steelers are 5-8, but not in the rivalry.

"It's still the Steelers. It's still us," says special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons. "That means tough, close. It's field position. That means the offense not turning it over, the defense not giving up big plays and it means the kicking game being solid."

Simmons has been Marvin Lewis ' man for all 11 seasons and if there's one thing the kids find out quickly, special teams is important around here. Williams, the third-round pick out of Georgia who is about to become the first rookie to lead the Bengals special teams in tackles since CFL veteran Kyries Hebert in 2008, reminds you this week that he blocked three punts in college while playing every snap on defense.

"Ask Rex," says Williams with a big smile. "Capital One Bowl last year. Early. Yeah, maybe I did get past him."

Williams is looking for Nebraska rookie running Rex Burkhead to confirm he blocked a Cornhusker punt out of the end zone just three minutes into what would be a 45-31 Georgia victory.

"No, it wasn't me. I wasn't on that team," Burkhead says. "It was a big momentum changer, no question about it."

"My main thing I still wanted to be a factor on special teams as I was working my way up," Williams says. "It always gives you a chance to make another play."

Last year the Bengals led the NFL in a compilation of the 10 major special teams stats and despite the loss of Skuta and Miles, teams have been a big factor in the 9-4 record. Late punts by Kevin Huber against Buffalo and Detroit set up winning field goals by Mike Nugent. Blocked punts by DiManche and Williams won the Cleveland game. Huber is fifth in the NFL in net punting; the Bengals are sixth in the NFL covering punts, and 11th in covering kicks.

And they'll all be key in the next three games. Pittsburgh's Brown is 11th in the NFL in punt returns, the Vikings are second in both punt and kick returns and the Ravens are first and sixth, respectively.

"We're a different (special) teams than we were the second week of the season," says DiManche, undrafted out of Southern Illinois in the tradition of Skuta (Grand Valley) and Miles (Massachusetts). "Unfortunately, we've had some guys go down and guys have had to step up. With each rep, our special teams have become better for it. I'm just trying to get better with each game."

The strategy on Brown sounds easy, but it's not. In Week 2 he popped a 40-yard punt return on them, the longest they've allowed this season.

"Try to keep leverage on the ball. Try to keep him in front of us. Get as many hats as possible to the ball and wrap him up," DiManche says. "He's elusive, he's quick. He's one of the best of the best. I really like playing against him. Last time he got out on us a little bit and we're going to try and be more consistent."

Simmons has been able to turn to veterans like Rey (tied for second with DiManche with 10 tackles) and Peerman (Huber's personal protector to go with eight tackles) to help develop the young guys.

"Jayson and Shawn have really embraced it and have really come on," Simmons says. "They know what it means and they want to contribute."

There may be someone else in the wings, but Simmons won't say. Wide receiver Andrew Hawkins and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick have been his best gunners, the first men down covering punts on the outside. Laboring behind three talented corners, Kirkpatrick overcame some lethargic moments on teams (remember the opener in Chicago?) to be a big contributor. But with Kirkpatrick most likely starting in place of Newman, who starts in place of Kirkpatrick?  Or does Kirkpatrick do double duty?

"We'll see," Simmons says.

It looked like he was trying to pass the torch.  

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Rookies-receive-special-teams-torch/ac4e326d-3867-447a-9d13-84a6a947e0a4

[|Dr Tarzan|]

Don't recall seeing this posted, pardon if it was:

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000296581/article/troy-polamalu-aging-steelers-defense-dealing-with-decline

 

• 
• By Gil Brandt
• NFL Media senior analyst
• Published: Dec. 11, 2013 at 12:46 p.m.
• Updated: Dec. 11, 2013 at 06:22 p.m.
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{C}

{C}

Darron Cummings/Associated Press At age 32, safety Troy Polamalu is among the oldest players on a Steelers defense that appears to be slipping.

In the NFL, it doesn't take much for a team to fall off the face of the earth. Even a small dip in a handful of statistical categories can turn things sour in a very big way.

Consider the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2011, they ranked first in total defense, scoring defense and passing defense -- and finished with a 12-4 record and a playoff berth. In 2012, they again ranked first in total defense and passing defense, but slipped to sixth in scoring defense -- and finished 8-8, just short of the playoffs. This season, they've fallen to 12th in total defense, 15th in scoring defense and seventh in passing defense -- and they're 5-8 (after starting 2-6), with the playoffs a mathematical pipe dream at this point.

Those downward trends have made the Steelers' recent inability to force takeaways (they have 15 this season, last in the AFC North) even more glaring. So what went wrong for this team, particularly with regard to its defense, which had ranked in the top five for eight of the past 10 seasons? The common answer is that the Steelers have gotten old, and that's definitely true. But I thought I'd take a deeper look to see how age and other factors have hamstrung this once-powerful unit. Here are four things holding the Steelers back on defense:

1) Age

 

This is the biggie. Defensive age speaks volumes when it comes to predicting the success of a football team. As your top defenders get older, they stop flying around like they once did. Where they once might have swooped in from midfield to make a momentum-changing pick along the sideline, they now come up a few inches short or a few seconds late -- a sure sign of decline. Counting on guys like that to contribute like they did in their prime is asking for trouble.

That's where the Steelers find themselves with several of their defensive stalwarts. Between safeties Troy Polamalu (32 years old) and Ryan Clark (34) and cornerbacks Ike Taylor (33) and William Gay (28), the Steelers' four defensive backs have an average age of nearly 32 years -- easily the oldest group in the AFC North -- and it's catching up to them. Defensive end Brett Keisel, meanwhile, is 35. Though he's more of a complementary player in nature, he hasn't lived up to the standard he's set with past performances.

 

 

 

Polamalu's age is especially noticeable. The 2010 Defensive Player of the Year is still effective in spurts, but he no longer makes the kinds of impact plays that used to be his signature, and it's translating to the stat sheet. In 2011, Polamalu topped 90 tackles for the third time in his career. In an injury-shortened 2012 campaign, he had just 34. And this season, he's on pace to finish with 69. Presuming he finishes out the year, it would mark an all-time low for a campaign in which he started 16 games.

As for Taylor, he was, not too long ago, one of the better defensive backs in the NFL, someone I considered to be underrated; capable of blitzing and making plays, he really functioned as a shutdown corner. For what it's worth, the Steelers still have faith in him, often moving him around to cover the opposition's best receiver. However, the veteran seems to have lost a step, as has Clark.

Unfortunately, age is undeniable, unstoppable -- and simple. There's no great mystery at work here. Football is a tough game to play, and it's even tougher when you're in your mid-30s and trying to chase down and tackle guys who are nearly 10 years younger than you.

2) Salary-cap constraints

 

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It wasn't too long ago that the Steelers were considered perennial title contenders -- a fact that hints at another reason for their recent defensive slide. Winning brings with it several challenges, not the least of which are nearly inevitable salary-cap issues. Players on winning teams want to be paid more and attract additional interest on the free-agent market. The Steelers were no different, forced by the cap to make significant cuts -- like parting ways with linebacker James Harrison and cornerback Keenan Lewis -- last offseason.

Yes, it's true that Harrison is 35, and keeping him likely wouldn't have changed things this season. But the fact remains that the Steelers miss the presence he used to bring when he was in his prime, as evidenced by the recent drop-off in production from linebacker LaMarr Woodley, a one-time defensive force who hasn't reached double-digit sacks since 2010 -- the last season in which Harrison had at least 100 tackles and 10 sacks. Meanwhile, Lewis, who was one of the best in terms of burn rate last year, has played well for the New Orleans Saints, contributing to their defensive resurgence this season.

Going forward, the Steelers have big cap-related decisions to make, including what to do with Polamalu and Taylor, who are currently two of the highest-paid players on the team. At some point, they'll likely have to either rework those deals or say goodbye.

3) Trouble finding fresh talent

 

When you invest a high draft pick in a player, he had better turn into a key contributor. If he doesn't, you're in trouble, as the Steelers have demonstrated recently -- not just once, but several times over.

 

 

 

Defensive end Cameron Heyward, selected with the 31st overall pick in 2011, has not stood out the way a first-rounder is expected to. Jason Worilds (second-round pick in 2010) is OK, but he's no Harrison. He just doesn't seem to make the plays. More problematic are two former first-round choices who are only occasional starters: defensive tackle Ziggy Hood (32nd overall, 2009) and linebacker Jarvis Jones (17th overall, 2013). Jones, picked that highly at a featured position, is the kind of investment that must pay off, but thus far, he's been a disappointment.

Draft misfires such as these have left Pittsburgh, which was once the kind of team that had fresh talent waiting in the wings to take over for aging veterans, high and dry. This issue goes beyond the current older veterans on the roster; in fact, there are several departed players that the Steelers are still looking to replace, including Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton and James Farrior.

There is, it must be said, one bright spot on the roster in the form of linebacker Lawrence Timmons, a competitive tackling machine who fits Pittsburgh's scheme very well. But beyond him and perhaps Larry Foote, the veteran linebacker who had 113 tackles and four sacks in 2012 but was lost for this season with a ruptured biceps in Week 1, I don't see much to build around. Gay is functional; though he's never the first to get there, he's always around a play, making an effort to contribute. Still, though, we should remember that he was released by the Cardinals in March after just one season. Cortez Allen, who had surgery in August, has not made much of an impact, starting just five games. Rookie linebacker Vince Williams, who has started nine games, strikes me as a complementary piece at most at this point, though the sixth-round pick might yet develop into something more as he continues to learn Pittsburgh's system.

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4) Issues with the scheme

 

The Steelers' zone-blitzing scheme was once a novel rarity, not played by many in the league, but I think we've seen the rest of the NFL gradually catching up over the past three years. It's still difficult to face, but like an especially tough golf course, it's progressively easier to handle each time you take it on. Consider that from 2008 (when the Steelers won the Super Bowl) to 2010, they averaged 48 sacks per year. Since then, that average has dipped to 33, including this season's paltry total of 28.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is still brilliant, and linebacker coach Keith Butler is also very good. If it weren't for LeBeau, the Steelers would be in much worse shape than they are. I'm sure that the competitive LeBeau will adjust, perhaps by simplifying things -- the system is still complicated to learn, especially for newcomers like Williams -- in an attempt to prove any naysayers or doubters wrong.

Of course, it wouldn't shock me if, after the season, the Steelers parted ways with LeBeau, as when they ushered former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians into a "retirement" in 2012 rather than renew his contract. I think that would be just as big a mistake as it was to cut ties with Arians, who went on to become Coach of the Year with the Indianapolis Colts and land a job leading the Arizona Cardinals.

So what now?

 

As good as defensive coaches like LeBeau and Butler might be, they can't make a gourmet meal out of discount groceries. The bottom line for the Steelers is that they need better talent. They're likely to continue to have cap issues next year, so this means building through the draft.

The Steelers are still a good franchise, and the Rooneys are still good owners. We've seen defenses turn things around quickly in the NFL. Just as one or two deficiencies can sink a season, a handful of seemingly minor improvements can result in a big jump in wins. If they can put together a top-notch defensive draft and get some promising rookies in place, we can expect to see the Steelers' defense competing again, perhaps as soon as 2015.

Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter @Gil_Brandt.

[AmishBengalFan]

Last year, about this same point in the season, the Stripes rolled into Das Burgh.  We left with a freshly-minted playoff berth in our hip pocket and eliminated the Steelers in the process.  A few images from that game:

 

Sack

 

Kick

 

Despair

 

Defeat

 

 

Going into tonight's game, we will know the result of this afternoon's Dolphin-Patriot match.  If the Dolphins win, we will control our own destiny for a first round bye.  If the Patriots win, we can clinch a playoff berth with a victory.  So either way, it's good (yeah, the bye scenario is better).  Also, if the Dolphins or the Jets win, then the Steelers will be on the cusp of elimination.

 

We can clinch a spot AND eliminate Pittsburgh tonight - in their house - just like last year.

 

 

[Khatmandude]

That 2nd pic up there is awesome....Josh Brown letting Keenan Lewis know how making that kick made him feel. 

[Bengals1181]

Mark Slaughter ‏@MarkVSlaughter4h

It's 28 degrees here and the game time temp should be 25 with a 30% chance of more snow, football weather in #Steeler town @wcpo #Bengals

[|High School Harry|]

 

Mark Slaughter ‏@MarkVSlaughter4h

It's 28 degrees here and the game time temp should be 25 with a 30% chance of more snow, football weather in #Steeler town @wcpo #Bengals

 

 

Sounds to me like a great night for a Steeler ass kicking.

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