SB Nation User Blog: Romain El 82

Steelers/Bengals Defensive Breakdown

Romain El 82 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:59:45 -0000

Apologies for the late post, but illness (both physical and from the loss) have kept me a little behind in real life up until now. Anyway, the Defense was on fire for parts of the game and colder than Plaxico Burress's jail cell for others (too soon on the Burress joke? As a Michigan fan, and it being Michigan State week, I had to take the shot).

Regardless, it can be seen Dick LeBeau is tinkering away at the rush schemes in an attempt at getting the pass rush working to perfection and piling up sacks quicker than Charles Rogers is DUIs (ok, that was uncalled for. Maybe). On to the review!

From now on the 3-4 is going to be referred to as the "Base" defense (for obvious reasons), or simply just "B".

Rushers will be indicated on passing plays; it's virtually impossible to tell who would rush the pass on running plays.

Drive 1. Starting Point: Pittsburgh 49, 14:53, 1st Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (1) Clark Run Right (Benson) N/A +1 pursuit

2&9 B (-1) Timmons Run Left N/A +1 pursuit

3&10 1-5-5 (--) Farrior Pass Right 91, 99, 94, 92 +1 Farrior

Total Field Position Change: From Pittsburgh 49 to Pittsburgh 49; 0 yards total. Defense on field for 1:40.

The defense looked very impressive here, as the pursuit to the ball on first and second down was impressive, not only on the frontside but the backside (contain) as well. Farrior makes a great play in pass coverage to end the drive, knocking the ball away from Chris Henry. Great stop as well when you factor in the field position the defense was put in.

Drive 2. Starting Point: Cincinnati 22, 6:55, 1st Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (--) Taylor Pass Middle 3-man FALSE START next play

2&15 B (0) 51/94 Run Middle (Benson)

3&15 1-5-5 (--) N/A Pass Left 4-man 91, 92, 51, 99 (stunt)

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 22 to Cincinnati 22; 0 yards total. Defense on field for 1:23.

Once again, an impressive 3-and-out by the defense. The "nickel" package is used on 3rd and long for the second straight series, this time with Keisel stunting around Smith, while both Farrior and Harrison blitzed from the linebacker position.

Drive 3. Starting Point: Cincinatti 22, 1:02, 1st Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (0) 92/99 Run Right (Benson) +1 pursuit

2&10 B (-10) Hampton Sack 4-man (Woodley), 91 stunt, +1 Hampton

3&20 1-5-5 (--) Clark Pass Middle 91, 92, 94, 99 +1 Clark

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 22 to Cincinnati 12, -10 yards total. Defense on field for 1:07.

For the third straight series, the defense holds the Bengals to 3-and-out. Through the First Quarter, the defense was on the field for 3:40 and held the Bengals to -10 offensive yards. Big Snack recorded his first sack of the season, and Clark played the third down ball wonderfully, knocking it away from the intended receiver.

Drive 4. Starting Point: Cincinnati 10, 12:44, 2nd Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (9) Gay Pass Left (85) 4-man (92, 51), Hampton drops

2&1 B (7) Taylor Pass Left (85) N/A -1 Taylor

1&10 B (2) Timmons Run Right (Benson)

2&8 B (7) Clark Run Left (Benson) Carter in box

3&1 B (2) Hampton FB Dive (Johnson)

1&10 B (2) Timmons Run Left (Benson) 23 in box, Reverse Faked, +1 Contain

2&8 B (--) N/A Pass Right CIN- 4-wide; 92 over slot, blitzes

3&8 1-5-5 (21) Carter Pass Middle (85) 5-man +1 Taylor

1&10 B (7) Clark Run Left (Benson)

2&3 B (N/A) Clark Run Left (Benson) Stab HOLDING CIN

2&13 B (--) N/A Pass Right (85) Stab CIN - 4-wide set

3&13 B (--) N/A Pass Middle (Caldwell) Stab +1 Pressure

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 10 to Pittsburgh 43, 47 yards total. Defense on field for 5:55.

The Bengals finally get the offense clicking in a drive which would no doubt have resulted in points had the drive not began at their own 10 yard line. Ike Taylor gets a +1 for essentially running 85's route for him on a 3rd and 8, and only a perfect throw by Palmer prevented another pass-breakup for the Steeler defense. Twice Tyrone Carter walked up into the box; both times he was non-factors in the run plays (once getting blocked by a lineman getting to the second level), springing a 7 yard run. Unsure if this was designed or Carter recognized what play was going to be run; either way, Carter cannot allow himself to be blocked, and if there's a breakdown of the D-Line enabling the Bengals OL to get to the second level. Twice on this drive the Steelers lined up in their base D when the Bengals had a 4-wide set on the field; LeBeau also called for 3 straight "stabs" (OLB Blitzes) to end the drive. Interpret how you wish.

Drive 5. Starting Point: Cincinnati 35, 1:06, 2nd Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 2-4-5 (19) Clark Pass Middle (Henry) 4-man

1&10 2-4-5 (8) Farrior Pass Left (Coats) 4-man

2&2 2-4-5 (6) Taylor Pass RIght (Caldwell) 4-man DEF HOLDING - 26

1&10 2-4-5 (11) 26/92 Pass Middle (Caldwell) 5-man (Farrior Weakside C-Gap)

1&10 2-4-5 (--) N/A Pass Right (85) 5-man (Farrior Strongside B)

2&10 2-4-5 (--) 92 tipped Pass Middle (Leonard) 4--man (91/99 stunt) +1 Harrison

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 35 to Pittsburgh 16, 49 yards total. Defense on field for 1:06.

Obviously the Bengals were trying to get points before half, so the Steelers lined up in their 2-4-5 the entire time. There was a simple 4-man rush before the Bengals got down into field goal range (Steelers 27) and then Farrior blitzed two plays in a row, creating a 5-man rush, before the final defensive play in which Smith and Keisel stunted. Harrison knocked down a pass intended for fullback Brian Leonard, which, well....he'll come back into play later on in the game. Cincinnati kicks a field goal, and it's now 13-3 Steelers; however, 3 plays into the second half, Ben throws a pick-six, closing the gap to 13-10.

Drive 6. Starting Point: Cincinnati 42 [after Reed's missed 52 yarder], 11:48, 3rd Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (2) Keisel Run Middle (Benson) 4-man (56) +1 Keisel

2&8 B (7) Woodley Run Left (Benson) -Pursuit (Blown off ball)

3&1 B (-1) Gay Pass Right (Coles) +1 Gay

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 42 to Midfield (50), 8 yards total. Defense on field for 1:54.

Other than the 2nd down play where the front 7 got blown backwards, it was a good defensive series. Keisel made a nice individual play on 1st down and Gay made a nice one on 3rd and 1, tackling the receiver for a loss of a yard after a quick throw from Palmer.

Drive 7. Starting Point: Cincinnati 31, 2:54, 3rd Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (3) Taylor Pass Left (85) 4-man (56) 91/98 Stunt

2&7 B (--) Timmons Pass Left (85) 4-man (94/92 rush, 98 drop) +1 94; 3 WR

3&7 1-5-5 (4) Carter Pass Middle (Coles) 4-man (91, 94, 92, 26)

FAKE PUNT to PIT 41

1&10 B (9) Clark Run Right (Benson) Stab

2&1 B (-2) Harrison Run Right (Benson) Stab +1 Harrison

3&3 1-5-5 (--) N/A Pass Left (Benson) 4-man (99, 91, 51, 94) +1 Carter

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 31 to Pittsburgh 34, 35 yards total. Defense on field for 4:04.

The defense (for the 5th time this game) held the Bengals to a 3-and-out...and then the Bengals fake the punt. After what could have been a game-changing play the defense took the field and held the Bengals to a 3-and-out (technically) once again. Harrison makes a huge play on 2nd and 1 after the fake punt to keep Benson from getting a first down.

Drive 8. Starting Point: Cincinnati 15 yard line, 12:45, 4th Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (14) Gay Pass Right (Caldwell) 4-man (Harrison)

1&10 B (14) Taylor Pass Right (85) 5-man (56, 94 C-Gap)

1&10 B (--) Clark PI on Clark, 17 yard penalty

1&10 B (8) Keisel Run Left (Benson) 5, 94/51 ILB XFire

2&2 B (0) Harrison Palmer Sacked 4-man (98 drop) +1 Harrison

3&2 2-4-5 (9) Carter Pass Left (Coles) 4-man (92), -1 Carter

1&10 1-4-6 (23 TD) None Run Left (Benson) -1 Carter

2 POINT 2-4-5 (--) Woodley Pass Right (Caldwell) 3-man +1 Woodley

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 15 yard line to Pittsburgh goalline; 85 yards total. Defense on field for 3:25.

Two big passing plays and a PI call on Clark to start the drive had the defense on reeling; the following play (8 yard run to Benson) the inside 'backers twisted as the blitzed, which helped spring Benson for those 8 yards. Harrison then records his first sack of the season on a play which - by all rights - Palmer should have picked up the first down on; Harrison was literally a homing missile on this play, fighting past his block then flying through/past fellow defenders and blockers alike to toss Palmer down like a rag-doll. Woodley must have been thinking "what the hell was that?", as he was the closest Steeler to Palmer when Carson took off, but Harrison rocketed past and recorded the sack, though it was for no gain. Carter breaks down in coverage to enable the Bengals to gain a first down on 3rd and 2, and then again the next play by taking a horrific angle on Benson as he sprinted UNTOUCHED to the endzone. I don't believe Carter is that bad...something tells me he wanted no part of Benson chugging full-tilt downhill. Again, interpret how you wish. Farrior blitzes to the strongside C gap then proceeds to get blocked/tackled as Benson skirts to his inside. Woodley makes a nice play in reading the QBs eyes and knocking down the pass as he rushed on the 2-point try, though.

Drive 9. Starting Point: Cincinnati 29 yard line, 5:14, 4th Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Player Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 B (3) Harrison Run Right (Benson)

2&7 1-4-6 (17) Clark Pass Right (Coles) 3-man (91, 99, 56)

1&10 2-4-5 (5) Farrior Pass Right (Benson) 4-man

2&5 B (8) Clark Run Right (Benson) -Pursuit

1&10 1-5-5 (9) Taylor Pass Middle (Caldwell) 5-man (Keisel drop) -Pressure

2&1 B (1) Gang QB Sneak (Palmer)

1&10 2-4-5 (--) Taylor Pass Right (Caldwell) 4-man +Taylor

2&10 2-4-5 (8) Townsend Pass Right (Caldwell) 4-man

3&2 1-5-5 (--) Taylor Pass Right (85) 6-man +Taylor

4&2 2-4-5 (5) Taylor Pass Right (Coles) 4-man -Ratliff (Coverage)

1&10 2-4-5 (--) None Spike

2&10 2-4-5 (--) Taylor Pass Middle (85) 4-man stunt +Taylor

3&10 2-4-5 (--) None Pass Right (Henry) 5-man (Ratliff) -Coverage

4&10 2-4-5 (11) Farrior Pass Right (Leonard) 4-man -Farrior (Tackle)

1&G4 2-4-5 (--) None Spike

2&G4 2-4-5 (4) Farrior Pass Middle (Caldwell) 4-man -Farrior (Coverage)

2 POINT 2-4-5 (2) NONE Pass Right (Leonard) 4-man -Coverage

Total Field Position Change: From Cincinnati 29 to Pittsburgh goalline, 71 yards total. Defense on field for 5:00.

Ugh. Defensive breakdowns left and right...it's bad when James Farrior, normally a rock for this defense, lets a fullback gets a first down on 4th and game, and when he lets a receiver settle in front of him while playing zone on 2nd and Goal from the 4. Ike Taylor shut down his man this drive, knocking two passes away from #85 for the Bengals (whatever his name is now); Ratliff let up a 5-yard gain on 4th and 2 earlier in the drive as well. The defense lined up in the 1-4-6 for the second time this game on the second play of the drive; instead of Ty Carter staying in the box, every dropped into coverage and the Steelers only rushed 3. Also, notice the trend of completions? Right, right, right, right, the occasional middle...I'm not sure if these were open, if Palmer was picking on someone, or if he was trying to get rid of the ball quickly to avoid being crushed by man-beast Harrison. Judging by the throws at Ike Taylor, I would say Palmer wanted the ball out of his hand as quick as possible. Mr. Leonard was back, catching a pass for 11 yards on 4th and 10 as well as the 2-point conversion.

Bengals total time of possession: 25:18

Observations:

Coach LeBeau definitely adjusted his defense a little bit - they lined up in the 1-4-6 twice - which is where Ty Carter lines up in the box, along with a few more exotic blitzes from the linebackers and stunts from the lineman. However, after 6 three-and-outs by the defense, they allowed a two-minute drill FG and, when it really counted, two TDs in crunch-time on the last two drives.
Going with the exotic blitzes, it's good to see a little more variety in terms of who's blitzing from where. Farrior shooting outside, Harrison slanting inside, Timmons lining up outside Harrison...eventually, all the pressure is going to result in turnovers and sacks, as opponents are going to have to pick their poison.
What really can be said...a team, and in this case a defense, is only as strong as it's weakest link, and in this case, it's sure looking like Tyrone Carter. Though he played well/was hidden effectively through most of the game, he was exposed on the game-winning drive.
I know this isn't defense-related, but at some point Bruce Arians is going to have to roll Ben out on a naked bootleg - there were 3 or 4 times against the Bengals where, on a running play, the backside end would completely ignore contain and shoot down the line. This was especially effective with Odom, as he tackled Parker in the backfield two or three times while completely ignoring/blowing contain.
I don't want to seemingly over-react, but I believe this game against San Diego this Sunday night is a make-or-break, as a 1-3 start with 2 conference losses doesn't bode well for the playoff picture, and will no doubt uncover memories of the 2006 season we all have buried deep in our minds.

Ratings? Oh yes, ratings.

Name, Overall Season Rating, (Game Rating)

Harrison +13 (+3)

Smith +7 (+7)

Keisel +4 (+1)

Timmons +3 (+3)

Hampton +3 (+1)

Woodley +4 (+1)

Clark 0 (+1)

Farrior +1 (-1)

Carter -1 (-1)

Gay 0 (+1)

Taylor +2 (+3)

Polamalu +2 (N/A)

Fox -1 (N/A)

Ratliff -1 (-1)

Pursuit +4 (+1)

Pressure +4 (+2)

Contain +2 (+1)

Tackle -1 (-1)

Coverage -2 (-2)

The 2-4-5 and 1-5-5 revealed

Romain El 82 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:51:25 -0000

Bumped this excellent article from Romain El 82 to the front page for the excellent observations and explanations on some of the Steelers new defensive formations. His explanation is great for the casual football fan who may not know the difference between a 4-3 front and a 3-4 front, but it also goes in depth enough to keep us junkies entertained. (DYM)

As you may have noticed from watching the Steelers first two games this season, they line up in a goofy-looking formation on occasion on obvious passing situations, as well as a semi-goofing looking one once in a while. What are they? Why do they look so unorganized? And why do they work so well? If you're lost or just want to learn more, there's explanations and pictures after the jump.

To fully understand the 2-4-5 and 1-5-5, and how they differ from a true Nickel formation, first we must know and understand what a Nickel formation looks like, so here it is.

Ta-da!

via i36.tinypic.com

Here we see a typical Nickel package of a 4-3 team. Essentially they pull a linebacker off the field and replace him with an extra defensive back to match-up with the extra receiver. Notice how there are still two defensive ends and two defensive tackles on the field. Teams such as the Minnesota Vikings rotate out a defensive tackle, in the Vikings case Pat Williams (who, if you don't know, is pretty much a Casey Hampton at DT), and replace him with a smaller, quicker, usually more pass-rush oriented tackle. Again, they are matching speed with speed here, anticipating a spread field and quicker play from the offense.

Now, how does this differ from a 3-4 Nickel package you ask? Well, for one thing, the 3-4 only uses one defensive tackle, a big monster of a man who takes up two (sometimes three) blockers by distracting them with a Twinkie tied to the end of a stick (also, they are large, strong men capable of holding their ground versus two or more men while simultaneously being agile enough to jump in either 'A' gap - that is, either side of the Center. Yeah, pretty unique skill set right there). Having one, let alone two, of these very large men on the field is akin to racing a school bus versus a Porsche - there's no way they can match up at this game. 3-4 defensive ends are comparable to well-rounded 4-3 defensive tackles - they can rush the passer with efficiency as well as stopping the run.

The Steelers have a "complete set" of 3-4 ends, as Brett Keisel, the right defensive end (RDE) is more akin to an undertackle (the smaller, quicker, pass-rush oriented tackles) while Aaron Smith, the left defensive end (LDE) is similar to an overtackle, or simply defensive tackle (bet you didn't know you were using the term "defensive tackle" incorrectly all this time! :-P) - his priority is to stop the run first and pass-rush second. This isn't to say Keisel can't stop the run of Smith can't rush the passer - if you've been a Steeler fan for even a few years you know they are both incredibly talented, Keisel especially.

The other difference between the 3-4 and 4-3 is the number of linebackers on the field. For those who don't know, the first number (the "3" in 3-4) is the number of defensive linemen on the field, while the second number (the "4") is the number of linebackers on the field. To really simplify things, you don't run a 3-4 unless you have at least 4 really good linebackers. So, what does a 3-4 Nickel package look like?

via i37.tinypic.com

Notice that while there are no defensive tackles on the field, there are players lined up in their spots - in the Steelers case these would be Keisel and Smith - and that the four starting linebackers are still on the field. Remember the Nickel package is a spread-formation, pass-stopping defense, so the defense has their 2 best pass-rushing linemen out there while retaining the 4 versatile linebackers. The Steelers can run with all four linebackers on the field all four downs; with Laurence Timmons ascending to the starting role the Steelers have four "3-down" linebackers. Again, if you've been watching the Steelers a while this is elementary. Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau employs this front occasionally, but it can morph into the 1-5-5.

Remember how we said Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel were really talented? Fortunately, Coach LeBeau knows how to use all these trouble-makers on defense incredibly well. Let's look at the 1-5-5 formation in general, and how it caused confusion for Chicago and Tennessee this season.

Imagine you're an opposing QB facing the Steelers. All day you've been pursued doggedly by the defense. Maybe you've been sacked, maybe you've gotten lucky. Whatever the case, you've taken them on from the base defense (the 3-4) and the Nickel package (the previously mentioned 2-4-5). Perhaps it's a crucial 3rd down, maybe you've just spread the field on 1st. No matter down and distance, they break the huddle. You know Dick LeBeau doesn't blitz recklessly, instead preferring to confuse and frustrate his opponents. The Steelers line up in the 1-5-5. You see five, perhaps 6 men jumping around in the box, constantly shifting positions; there is only one down lineman. Your palms grow sweaty and a lump rises in your throat. The play clock is ticking down, and you have to snap the ball. You take a breath...HIKE! All hell breaks loose. You have no chance.

via i34.tinypic.com

Here is the typical lineup for the Steelers 1-5-5. Aaron Smith, normally a DE, is lined up in either a 1 technique (slightly between the Center and Guard, angled into the A gap) or a 0 technique (directly over the Center). Smith is the only set lineman; he is the "1" in 1-5-5. The other five (or six) men are the starting four linebackers, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Laurence Timmons, and James Harrison, all fierce pass-rushers in their own right, as well as the other DE Brett Keisel. These players are walking around, settling for a second before moving again, showing blitz, backing off; they are never set and are always in a stand-up position.

Occasionally Keisel may be in the 3-point stance instead of Smith, and the Steelers will put Keyaron Fox, an inside linebacker (ILB) who gets frequent playing time, in Keisel's place, leaving them with 5 true linebackers. Troy Polamalu has also come down from his strong safety spot to get into the fray as well; Polamalu is a master at disguising what he is going to do, having the speed to recover and play a deep zone after taking two steps forward after the snap on a fake blitz.

The offense has no idea which player is going to come on a blitz from this formation; while defensive linemen are prone to dropping into coverage while a linebacker, corner, or safety blitzes from the other formations, it is demonstrated more so from the 1-5-5, as players appear as though they are not fixed to any position, gap, zone, or man. Here is one example from the Tennessee game week one:

via i34.tinypic.com

Harrison and Farrior crash through the strongside C and B gaps, respectively, while Aaron Smith stunts down the line of scrimmage, occupying the left guard and center as he slides down. Brett Keisel shoots the gap, while Laurence Timmons drops into a shallow zone as the defensive back (at the time it was Troy Polamalu) takes man coverage on the slot receiver. This play from the Titans game resulted in a James Farrior sack of Kerry Collins, the Steelers only sack of the game.

via i33.tinypic.com

Here's what the formation looks like, you know, with real people, instead of circles and numbers in Microsoft Paint. Smith is the down lineman, while Keisel (red circle) is standing up, Townsend (yellow circle) is shaded over the slot receiver (he eventually blitzes), and Carter (blue circle) has responsibility for the slot once Townsend blitzes. I wish I had a better play to demonstrate with, but this is one of Chicagos 2 TDs. Regardless, the formation is still in play. Let's look at a positive play for the Steelers, shall we?

This is a 3rd and 8 for Chicago, their first possession of the second half. The pre-snap looks like this:

via i35.tinypic.com

Harrison had been routinely getting pressure in the first half, and with Farrior (who also had been getting sufficient pressure) lined up inside Harrison and Smith and "Face Me" Ike lined up 6 inches from Hesters facemask, Cutler shifts the protection to the left. In this diagram, though Keisel is on the line, he is in a 2-point (standing) stance.

via i38.tinypic.com

The ball is snapped and Cutler 3-steps back and to his right, anticipating a blitz from his blindside. Accordingly, the running back slides to the left in pass protection, and the line blocks who comes - but uh oh! Harrison and Farrior have dropped, leaving Smith and Keisel (who blitzed) to get each get doubled. Meanwhile, Timmons crashes hard through the weak-side B gap and Woodley rushes the C and engages the RT; all the while Ike shades to the inside of Hester off the snap. Cutler hesitates to process this information for a split second, and the defense has achieved half it's purpose (confusion) and thus has gained the initiative.

via i34.tinypic.com

At this point the play is over; Cutler has rolled into the pressure, has 2 immediate and 1 reinforcement Steeler charging at his face, and does not have time to go through his other reads, let alone loft an accurate throw to the wide-open Hester over the blitz. The running back has realized too late what is occurring and cannot get back in time to get a piece of one of the blitzing Steelers. Cutler has one 'smart' option left...take the sack. Unfortunately for the Steelers, they don't get the sack, but they do get the Intentional Grounding call as Cutler throws it from Woodleys grasp to the space recently vacated by Hester.

The 1-5-5 defense, though awkward looking, is built upon creating mass confusion for not only Quarterbacks but Offensive Lines as well, as the offense does not know which player is blitzing and which is dropping into coverage. This confusion causes hesitation, which often times results in incorrect decisions by the Quarterback, whether that is a throw-away, sack, or interception. All of this is predicated on carefully setting up the offense and skillfully concealing the holes in the various zones on the field. With the ultimate camouflage off the field for another few weeks, it's up to Dick LeBeaus genius to re-deploy smoke and mirrors and keep the defense operating at a Championship level.

Steelers/Bears Defensive Breakdown

Romain El 82 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:48:31 -0000

Well, what can you say...not the outcome Steeler fans wanted or expected, but I woke up this morning in northern Michigan to a constant rain - hopefully it washes away the bad taste from this loss and cleans the wounds; I know I'm less irate this morning than I was last night.

Version 2.0 of the defensive breakdown is here, hopefully much improved from last weeks version (a few more minor tweaks forthcoming). Unfortunately because of the Bengals inability to decide if they wanted to beat the Packers or not I missed the first defensive series of the game and only got to see four or five plays of the first offensive series. What can you do. On to the review!

Drive 2. Starting Point: Chicago 30 yard line, 4:53 First Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (6) Fox/Gay Pass Middle (Olsen) 3-man +98 (Push)

2&4 3-4 (1) Keisel/Fox Run Middle (Forte) 3-man Keisel in a 2-point

3&3 2-4-5 (--) Timmons Pass Right (Olsen) 4-man +94 (Coverage)

Total Field Position Change: From Chicago 30 to Chicago 37; 7 yards total. Defense on field for 1:27.

Drive 3. Starting Point: Chicago 9 yard line, 13:24 Second Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (11) Fox/Gay Pass Left (Davis) 4-man +99 (Pressure)

1&10 3-4 (--) None Pass Middle (Davis) 4-man +98, 92 (Pressure)

2&10 3-4 (7) Gay Pass Left (Bennett) 3-man

3&3 1-5-5 (13) Gay Pass Middle (Knox) 5-man +51 (Pressure)

1&10 3-4 (N/A) N/A Holding Chicago 4-man +92 (Pressure)

1&20 3-4 (5) Farrior/Hampton/Fox Pass Middle (Forte) 3-man

2&15 3-4 (6) Farrior Pass Middle (Davis) 5-man OLB Blitz +92,99 (PR)

3&9 1-5-5 (--) None Pass Left (Knox) 5, Rightside Overload +Pressure

Total Field Position Change: From the Chicago 9 to Chicago 41; 32 yards total. Defense on field for 3:40.

**Rain began falling as the Bears punt**

Drive 3. Starting Point: Chicago 3 yard line, 6:16 Second Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (N/A) N/A Roughing the Passer 4-man +/-92, +91

1&10 3-4 (--) None Pass Middle (Hester) 4-man +92

2&10 3-4 (15) Clark/Fox Run Right (Peterson) 5, OLB Blitz

1&10 3-4 (22) Clark Pass Right (Knox) 5, OLB Blitz -24 (Coverage)

1&10 3-4 (--) Clark Hit Pass Left (Olsen) 4-man +23 (Hit)

2&10 3-4 (7) Kirschke/Mundy Screen Right (Forte) 3-man

3&3 1-5-5 (N/A) N/A Pass Right (Knox) 4-man -51 (Tackle), -94

1&10 3-4 (0) 98, 57, 56, 22 Run Right (Peterson) 3-man

2&10 1-5-5 (16) Gay Pass Right (Knox) 5-man -22 (Coverage)

1&10 1-5-5 (7) Gay Pass Left (Peterson) 5-man

2&3 3-4 (--) None Pass Left (Olsen) 3-man

3&3 3-4 (4) Taylor Pass Left (Peterson) 5, OLB Blitz

1&G6 3-4 (1) Farrior Run Right (Peterson) 3-man +51

2&G5 3-4 (-1) Carter Scramble Left (Cutler) 3-man +Defense, +23

3&G6 2-4-5 (6 TD) Carter Pass Right (Davis, TD) 4-man -23 (TD)

Total Field Position Change: From the Chicago 3 to Pittsburgh GL; 97 yards total, TD allowed. Defense on field for 5:51. 23 seconds remain before half.

Drive 4. Starting Point: Chicago 35 yard line, 14:04, Third Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (--) Woodley Pass Right (Knox) 5, OLB Blitz +56 (QB Hit)

2&10 3-4 (2) Harrison Run Middle (Forte) 4-man +92 (Pursuit)

3&7 2-4-5 (--) Grounding Pass Right (Hester) 6-man +56, +94

**This play will be diagrammed out in a future Defensive Breakdown Post**

Total Field Position Change: from the Chicago 35 to Chicago 37; 2 yards total. Defense on field for 0:59.

Drive 5. Starting Point: Chicago 23 yard line, 10:25, Third Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (7) Farrior Pass Middle (Davis) 3-man

2&3 3-4 (N/A) N/A False Start

2&8 2-4-5 (25) Townsend Run Middle (Forte) 4-man

1&10 2-4-5 (N/A) N/A False Start

1&15 1-5-5 (35) Carter Screen Left (Bennett) 5-man Perfect call vs blitz

1&10 3-4 (--) None Pass Right (Knox) 3-man +91, +99, +25 (Hit)

2&10 3-4 (5) Gay/Clark Run Middle Forte

3&5 1-5-5 (--) None Pass Left Tipped 5-man +Pressure

Total Field Position Change: from the Chicago 23 to Chicago 40; 17 yards total. Defense on field for 3:48.

Drive 6. Starting Point: Chicago 13 yard line. 5:26, Third Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (9) Carter Pass Right (Forte) 4-man

2&1 3-4 (3) Farrior Run Middle (Forte) 3-man

1&10 3-4 (-4) Smith Scramble Left (Cutler) 5, OLB Blitz +92, +91

Link to play: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2009092011/2009/REG2/steelers@bears/analyze/box-score#tab:watch/contentId:09000d5d812cc7c6

2&14 3-4 (1) Timmons Screen Right (Hester) 4-man +Contain, +94

3&13 2-4-5 (5) Taylor Draw Middle (Forte) 5-man -Tackling

Total Field Position Change: From Chicago 13 to Chicago 27, 14 yards total. Defense on field for 3:07.

Drive 7. Starting Point: Chicago 28, 11:37 Fourth Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (7) Gang Pass Right (Knox) 3-man

2&3 3-4 (0) Farrior Run Left (Forte) 4-man +Pursuit

3&3 3-4 (13) Taylor Pass Middle (Hester) 5-man -51 (Tackle)

1&10 3-4 (29) Carter Pass Middle (Olsen) 5, OLB Blitz -Coverage

1&10 3-4 (8) Farrior Pass Middle (Davis) 5, R.S.Overload

2&2 3-4 (6) Clark Pass Left (Olsen) 6, OLB & 57.

1&10 3-4 (--) None Pass Right (Hester) 4-man +92, +91

2&10 3-4 (2) Timmons Run Middle (Forte) 5-man

3&8 2-4-5 (7) Clark Pass Middle (Knox TD) 4-man -23 (Coverage)

Total Field Position Change: From Chicago 28 to Pittsburgh GL; 72 yards total. Defense on field for 5:03.

Drive 8. Starting Point: Chicago 33 yard line. 3:18, Fourth Quarter.

D 'n D Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Rushers Notes

1&10 3-4 (12) Harrison Screen Left (Forte) 4-man ++92

1&10 3-4 (5) Gay Pass Left (Knox) 4-man

2&5 3-4 (1) Harrison Run Right (Forte) 4-man +Pursuit

3&4 3-4 (5) Taylor Pass Left (Hester) 3-man

1&10 3-4 (4) Harrison Run Middle (Forte) 4-man 26 blitz; +92

2&6 3-4 (3) Keisel Run Right (Forte) 4-man 26 blitz

3&3 3-4 (1) Harrison Run Left (Forte) 4-man

4&2 ST FG (44)

Total Field Position Change: From Chicago 33 to Pittsburgh 26; 57 yards total. Defense on field for 3:03.

Observations:

It has occurred to me after watching the 2 games this year the Steelers have no true Dime defense. There are, at most, 3 CBs on the field, and if there are 4 WRs the nearest man slides over, attempts a quick jam, and then jumps back into their respective zone. This tells us a few things: first, Coach LeBeau must not have much faith in the corners outside the top 3. Second, unless the Steeler D starts to get sacks, they are going to get picked apart when opponents spread the field, as they are constantly "down" in personnel. Not a good sign, especially with Troy Polamalu out. His speed, instincts, and general knowledge of the game were used to cover up the weaknesses in the middle of the field and with the "deficit" in personnel. The other option the Steelers have used is sliding a Safety down in man coverage with that odd WR (or split-out TE), which, well, Tyrone Carter in this game. Just a step too slow.
Speaking on pressure, it was there most of the game, but there was only one recorded sack (Aaron Smiths' near the goal-line). Harrison is beyond words in terms of beating his man/men; multiple times in the game he single-handedly collapsed the pocket, caused Cutler to roll to his right, caused Cutler to dump it off quickly, or a combination of the three. I'm not sure I 100% agree with the Roughing the Passer they called on him when the Steelers had the Bears pinned deep in the First Quarter, but what can you do. His presence alone was also directly responsible for a key third-down stop early in the 3rd Quarter. On multiple occasions the Steelers blitzed both Outside 'Backers along with the 3 Linemen rushing; from now on I'll refer to the term "stab" when labeling this, as I'm cramped for space.
Incorporating Harrison in what I'm about to say, I will be the first to admit I'm not a fan of the Steelers re-signing LBs who are into their early-to-mid 30's, but so far Farrior and Harrison have been worth their money. Harrison is a wrecking ball who takes out the left side of the line while Farrior is the leader of the defense and, after studying him, has one of the quickest down-hill steps I've ever seen; it's like he's shot out of a cannon. While not a linebacker, add Aaron Smith to the list of 30-somethings who are amazingly good at what they do. Let's pray the defense doesn't lose any of these guys.
Although we didn't see the 0-6-5 this game as we did in the Tennessee game, there were many doses of the 1-5-5, along with some of the 2-4-5. Often times Keisel will be in a 2-point stance until just prior to the snap, at which point he will take a 3-point stance. This happened numerous times yesterday afternoon; however, this isn't the only difference between the 2-4-5 and the 1-5-5. Most of the time the 1-5-5 is trying to achieve a sense of confusion, as the 5 linebackers are moving around, giving different looks, and generally overload-blitzing one side of the line. Keisel is labeled as a 'backer here, as I've seen him drop into coverage often. Perhaps not as well-known as his defensive teammates, whether by production or hype, he is one of the key cogs in the unit as a whole.
Overall a tough game, as the team not only lost but was limited to what they could do defensively because of the loss of Troy Polamalu. Most of the blitzing was overloads with soft zones behind it, and Cutler had the alertness and arm strength to get the ball out quickly when he recognized or thought he felt a blitz coming. Ron Turner also called a good game, as he anticipated Dick LeBeau's blitzes and had a few well-timed screens and draws thrown into the mix. It will be interesting to see what the next evolution of this defense is with Troy out and opponents seemingly having Harrison and Woodleys antidote.
Ratings?

Ratings.

Name, Game Rating (Season Rating)

Harrison +10 (+10)

Smith +4 (+7)

Keisel +3 (+3)

Timmons +3 (+3)

Hampton +2 (+2)

Woodley +2 (+3)

Clark +1 (-1)

Farrior 0 (+2)

Carter 0 (0)

Gay -1 (0)

Taylor -1 (0)

Polamalu N/A (+2)

Fox N/A (-1)

Pursuit +3 (+3)

Pressure +2 (+2)

Contain +1 (+1)

Tackle -1 (-1)

Coverage -1 (0)

Look for a post diagramming the 2-4-5 and 1-5-5 in the near future.

Steelers/Titans Defensive Breakdown

Romain El 82 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:46:37 -0000

Welcome to another glorious season of Steeler Football BSTC! Veterans will (hopefully) remember me, while this is the first time I've seen many of the newcomers. Work and school will do that for you. While the Steelers defense was on the field the first half I took a ton of notes (I had an obligation which prevented me from note-taking during the second half), and will put those notes into a chart, and hopefully try to make sense of them to demostrate the dominance of the defense (try saying that 3 times fast!).

As this is the first time I've done this, there will be some bumps in the road to go over and some kinks to work out; I realize writing this I could use more information, such as total TOP for an opposing offense's drive, how many people rushed the QB, what coverage (man or zone), and hopefully I can get who's rushing/dropping into coverage (it's a lot of info to get down while watching the game live!). But like I said, the first two weeks or so I'll consider a pre-season of sorts. Any comments/suggestions/criticisms will be most welcome! Regardless, glad to see you all here and ready for another great season, and let's get into it, shall we?

*Play numbers in bold indicate a first-down play; play numbers in italics indicate a 3rd-down play; play numbers in both indicate a goal-to-go situation; play numbers underlined indicate a 4th-down play.*

Drive 1. Starting Point: Titans 2 yard line. 13:00, First Quarter.

Play Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Credit Other Notes

(1) 3-4 (-1) Gang Run

(2) 3-4 (5) Polamalu Pass

(3) 3-4 (-4) Polamalu Stretch-Run +1 Troy for R'R skills 3 'N Out for the D

Total Field Position Change: 0 yards total.

Drive 2. Starting Point: Titans 11 yard line. 8:28, First Quarter.

Play Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Credit Other Notes

(1) 3-4 (32) Polamalu Run -1 Woodley (missed tackle)

(2) 3-4 (20) Polamalu Pass -1 Polamalu (Zone)

(3) 3-4 (3) Clark Run

(4) 3-4 (--) 2 Defenders Pass

(5) 2-4-5 (--) Polamalu Pass

(6) ST FG (--) N/A FG 37 yard FG Miss

Total Field Position Change: From Titans 11 to Steelers 18; 71 yards total.

Drive 3. Starting Point: Titans 26 yard line. 4:49, First Quarter.

Play Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Credit Other Notes

(1) 3-4 (10) Farrior Pass -1 Harrison (biting on P.A.)

(2) 3-4 (N/A) Illegal Formation Penalty (Titans); 1st and 15

(3) 3-4 (4) Harrison Pass

(4) 3-4 (2) Gang Run +1 Smith (contain)

(5) 2-4-5 (9) Farrior Pass -1 Pass Rush

(6) 3-4 (5) Gang Pass -1 Fox (missed tackle)

(7) 3-4 (INT) Pass +3 Polamalu (coverage, INT, SHC)

Total Field Position Change: From Titans 26 to Steelers 49; Polamalu INT occurs at Steelers 5, runback to Steelers 20; 54 yards total.

Drive 4. Starting Point: Steelers 44 yard line (Ben INT). 0:06, First Quarter.

Play Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Credit Other Notes

(1) 3-4 (1) Gang Run

(2) 3-4 (12) Fox Pass -1 Woodley (missed tackle)

(3) 3-4 (-1) Hampton/Harrison Run

(4) 3-4 (--) Woodley Pass +2 Woodley (pressure, knockdown)

(5) 1-5-5 (-10) Farrior Pass +1 Farrior, +1 Pass Rush, +1 Coverage

Total Field Position Change: From Steelers 44 yard line to Steelers 42; 2 yards total.

Drive 5. Starting Point: Titans 28 yard line. 7:14, Second Quarter.

Play Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Credit Other Notes

(1) 3-4 (--) Keisel/Harrison Pass +1 Pass Rush

(2) 3-4 (4) Fox Run

(3) 1-5-5 (8) Townsend Pass -1 Pass Rush

(4) 3-4 (2) Gay Run

(5) 3-4 (N/A) Illegal Formation on the Titans; "Pass Interference" on Troy (Offsetting)

(6) 3-4 (12) Gay Pass +1 Woodely (pressure)

(7) 3-4 (--) Smith Pass +1 Smith (pressure)

(8) 3-4 (3) Gang Run

(9) 1-5-5 (8) Polamalu Pass -1 Polamalu (P.F.F.)

(10) 3-4 (5) Taylor Pass

(11) 3-4 (-1) Hampton Run +1 Hampton

(12) 1-5-5 (--) Gay/Farrior Pass +1 Farrior

(13) ST FG (--) Smith 31 yard FG Blocked +1 Smith, +1 ST

Total Field Position Change: From Titans 28 yard line to Steelers 16; FG Blocked and recovered at the Steeler 17 yard line; 55 yards total.

Drive 6. Starting Point: Titans 28 yard line. 1:15, Second Quarter.

Play Formation Total Yardage Tackler(s) Play Type Credit Other Notes

(1) 2-4-5 (--) Taylor Pass +1 Taylor (coverage)

(2) 2-4-5 (57) Mundy Pass -2 Clark (missed tackle, coverage/angle)

(3) 2-4-5 (12) N/A - TD Pass -1 Taylor (coverage), +1 Harrison (pressure)

Total Field Position Change: From Titans 28 yard line to Steelers Goalline (TD); 72 yards total.

Observations:

Most of the time was spent in the 3-4; from what I remember there was mostly a 4-man rush in some way, shape, or form. 3-man rush was occasionally seen, as was the 5- and 6-man rush.
The Nickel Package is the 2-4-5; Smith and Keisel lined up at DT, with the OLBs as DEs, and the ILBs in their usual place. This formation will be an INSTANT KO once Timmons comes back and resumes his destruction of the universe.
Early in the 2nd Quarter the defense lined up in what I'm going to call a 1-5-5; Smith (or on occasion I'm assuming Keisel, once Timmons is healthy) lines up in a 0 technique with the 4 LBs and Keisel jumping and moving around from stand-up positions, where some will blitz and the others will drop upon the snap. This leaves the OL guessing as to who is going to rush and who is going to drop, and also enables the Steelers to move defenders around where they want them, similar to last year when they would sometimes put Harrison and Woodley or Woodley and Timmons on the same side and blitz them both. This flexibility enables the Steelers to really set the offense up nicely and hopefully not end mankind as we know it.
Another variation on the scheme above which, sadly, was seen in the second half and definitely the 4th Quarter (and was even mentioned by the announcers), thus was not recorded by myself, was essentially a 0-6-5, where no one had their hands on the ground and there was a mass of moving Steelers around the LOS. In the specific instance I'm remembering, Keisel dropped, Farrior, Fox, and Harrison all slammed hard inside, with Harrison and Fox twisting, and Woodley sprinting around RT. Farrior bulled through the weakside A gap, being pushed/held by both the C and G before finally forcing an errant throw by Collins, as he had to step up into Farrior to avoid the free-running/barely-being-contained-by-an-overmatched-RB Woodley from his right.
It seemed as though the Titans were hitting big plays on mid- to deep-outs and square ins; the outs were indicative of a lackluster passrush and the ins were quick, dumpoff type things that avoided a quick rush. Chalk it up to good scouting of the Steeler D, a veteran QB Collins (who, at the end of the night, had his first loss against the Steelers...which, WTF?), whatever you want to say. The D bent but never really broke.
Troy Polamalu...man, what can you say other than D'OH! when he got hurt. All over the field, another sick interception (SHC above is 'superhuman catch'), and a PI penalty which was a terrible call...we Pittsburgh fans are lucky to be watching two greats on the field for us: Ben on offense and Troy on defense. More often then not, as these men go, so too do the Pittsburgh Steelers. Get well soon Troy...maybe Hines can lend you his hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
Aaron Smith continues to be a rock for this defense, always doing what is asked of him, being fundamentally sound, and coming up huge when needed. As much of an underrated player as one can be while seemingly always being talked about.
Though relatively quiet on the stat sheet, "Deebo" had another good game, applying pressure and keeping contain well on running plays to his side, though I did grade him (perhaps) a little hard for biting on a play-action fake while blitzing. Speaking of the stat sheet...

Overall +/-

Smith +3

Polamalu +2

Farrior +2

Woodley +1

Harrison 0

Taylor 0

Fox -1

Clark -2

-------------------------

Pass Rush: 0

Coverage: +1

Special Teams: +1

I have to admit, these will get better the longer I do them, especially as I can find multiple drive summaries online after the game and thus do not have to write everything down. As I said in the opening, this will be much improved for the Bears game recap; this was simply working out the kinks.

Hopefully you enjoyed this and got something out of it; it is definitely interesting for me to watch and record what happens. Again, comments/concerns/suggestions/advice will be greatly appreciated and openly welcomed. Thanks for reading, BTSC!

Today (March 30) is my 21st B-Day

Romain El 82 — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:02:16 -0000

I know this is a little premature, but after killing myself getting all my work done for this upcoming week, including taking a test early, I plan on having a great time for my birthday, as Monday and the weekend will be a blast. I haven't been posting much recently, as I've been very bogged down in school and real-life issues, but I have kept up-to-date on the happenings of this site. As usual, all the pieces are well-written and thought provoking; I only wish I had the creativity and talent of most on the site.

As a side-note, over the past few hours I've begun to feel rather old and strangely mature. Weird.

In honor of my 21st B-Day, here are my 21 Most Memorable Steeler Moments and Players. As always, thanks for reading.

-1998 Week 13 (Thanksgiving Game vs. Detroit)

This was the infamous "Coin Flip" game, and the only loss on my list. It's memorable, however this was the first live Steeler game for me. The Silverdome was rocking that day...too bad I was rooting for the Black and Gold.

-2001 Week 7 (Bucs)

My best friend from middle school/high school is a Bucs fan, and although the Steelers only won 17-10, they racked up 10 sacks, and this was a huge game for bragging rights between friends.

-2004 Week 8 (Pats)

This was the first week in a 2-week stretch where the Steelers established themselves as the team to beat in the NFL. Going into Foxboro, the Steelers put a dagger in early, capped by the pick-6 by Mr. Townsend, and ended the Pats 21-game win streak.

-2004 Week 9 (Eagles)

Week 2 of the undefeated barrage featured the Eagles coming to town. A thorough cross-state beatdown was higlighted by a frustrated T.O., as he was battered all day by the Steelers D, and ended up yelling at QB Donovan McNabb. Polamalu covered him all day and lit him up while going over the middle. Insult to injury? Hines did the "Eagle Flap" when he scored on a reverse.

-2005 Week 9 (Packers)

Another seemingly dull regular season game, this game was big for me as well, as my little brother and a gaggle of other close friends I know are Packer fans. Even better? Charlie Batch started and won his first game at Lambeau, Duce filled in well for Bettis and Parker, and Troy returned a fumble for a long TD against Favre.

-2006 Wildcard Round (Bungles)

The first game on the magical SB run, the Bengals came into the game thinking they were the big dogs (cats?) on the block after winning the division title, but their hopes were derailed as the Steelers put on a strong second half showing and pulled away.

-2006 Divisional Round (Colts)

The "unstoppable" Indianapolis Colts ran into a brick wall led by Joey Porter and Co. This game was highlighted by intense, hard-hitting action, and a very non-descript, unimportant tackle by 4th-string LB Ben Roethlisberger.

-2006 AFCCG (Denver)

Champ Bailey lost his jockstrap (courtesy of Cedric Wilson) and Ike Taylor caught a pass (courtesy of Snake-Bitten Jake). This was a blowout, and the first AFCCG victory I remember in my lifetime.

-SB XL

Not only was this "one for the Thumb", but it was my senior year of high school, and it was-of all places-in Detroit. I went to most of the pre-game festivities throughout the week, but the wallet contained too many moths and not enough Benjamins to get tickets for this oen.

-2006 Week 17 (Bungles)

After a rather disapointing season, the Steelers finished with a bang, ending 6-2. That's not all they ended; with an overtime victory, the Steelers ended the Bengals post-season chances. Santonio Holmes scored the game-winning TD. Us English majors call this "foreshadowing".

-2007 Week 9 (MNF, Ratbirds)

The first time the throwback uniforms were used, this rainy MNF game featured the announcement of the 75th anniversary team, many of whom were in attendance, and the battered and bruised Ravens getting schellacked by this Steelers Squad. Hines Ward decking Ravens like he was a contractor, Ben having 5 TD passes, and James Harrison ballin' all over made this night special for all.

***Just as a note...my hometown Lions 75th anniversary season was celebrated in style, with an 0-16 finish. Makes me all the more glad I'm a Steeler fan.***

-2008 Week 4 (Ravens)

Another MNF game vs. the Ravens, this game was controlled by the Steelers early before the Ravens came roaring back, then LaMarr Woodley scored his first NFL TD on a FR TD after a sack from Harrison. This was mere seconds after a deep pass to Holmes went for a TD after breaking 2 tackles. Once again, foreshadowing. Jeff Reed would kick the game-winning FG in OT.

-2008 Week 9 ('Skins)

Jason Campbell and the red-hot Redskins hosted the Steelers in this SNF match-up. Campbell was abused all night, as he was sacked seven times, and Byron Leftwich announced his return to the league in style. Steelers cruise to an easy 23-7 win.

-2008 Week 13 (Pats)

The Steelers finally got that elusive Foxboro victory en route to a huge 33-10 win over the Pats. Ryan Clark destroyed Wes Welker, and James Harrison beasted on anyone who tried to block him.

-2009 AFCCG

This game was so epically physical Ali had to turn away. The game was close until a late Polamalu pick-six. The air was taken out of the building, however, when Ryan Clark almost killed Willie McGahee, and both players lay on thee ground for several minutes, with McGahee having to be carted off the field. The Steelers proved who the #1 Defense was, and moved on to SB XLIII.

-SB XLIII

Epic.

My Top 5 Steeler Players of my Lifetime.

1) Hines Ward

Gritty player who does whatever it takes to get the extra 2 feet, let alone the victory. Has overcome so much to do what he's accomplished in his lifetime. Also, I played WR in high school.

2) LaMarr Woodley

A Michigan man, born and bred. My school played against Woodley in high school, and he was a beast. Then went to U of M, another huge bonus for me. Is now wreaking havok for the Steelers.

3) Kendrell Bell

Explosive, hard-hitting MLB who loved the game. I love his play and general demenor; unfortuniately injuries derailed his career and he left the Burgh after a short career here.

4) Greg Lloyd

Mean, nasty, scary S.O.B. Don't remember much about him, as I was still pretty young. Imagine Lambert, Lloyd and Porter on the same LB corps. Beyond scary. which brings me too...

5) Joey Porter

Always produced on the field, and was the vocal leader for a number of years. Got into a fist-fight with the Brownies. Always talking garbage and backing it up. Would want to tag-team with him in a bar fight. Total BAMF.

Looking over Pittsburgh from Marquette, MI.

Romain El 82 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:50:26 -0000

Bumped from the FanPosts. I'll just let the excellent story telling on full display explain why. Kudos to RomainEl82 for this. An impressive addition to an already diverse collection of offerings from him. If only he spent as much thought and passion writing his papers in college as he did finding unique ways to share his stories and love for the game here on BTSC. Hehe. Just playing! Or rather, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Loved every word. Thanks for sharing.. -Blitz-

*******************************

The Pittsburgh Steelers are my team. Unlike most Steeler fans, my family, for my father is Steeler fan also, is not from Western Pennsylvania. We are not “transplants” like some Steeler fans my age or older.

My mothers' side of the family is concentrated in Oklahoma, and my fathers' side of the family was concentrated in Michigan, specifically Metro-Detroit.

I get asked all the time, up here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, "why are you a Steeler fan?". This comes from a few Lions fans, but mostly Packer and Bear fans. I usually give an answer like "because my dad was one" or "because I value everything their organization represents" or "because of their history".

Weeks before the Super Bowl, a bunch of my friends suggested we have a party for the Super Bowl. Naturally, as the Steelers got closer and closer, more and more people who knew me paid attention to their pursuit of the Lombardi.

Super Bowl night came after what seemed like a million-year wait. I showed up early to my friends apartment to help him cook up some grub for the game. I was wearing my white Polamalu jersey for the first time since I had gotten in (2005) and had my Terrible Towel tucked into my back pocket.

People began showing up, and one of the acquaintances finally asked the question I knew would be asked: "So you're a Steelers fan, eh? How long you been a fan? And why?"

Now, my good friends up here have seen my jerseys, the Terrible Towel hanging above my doorway, the flags and posters all over my room, the fathead, the mini-helmet and Iron City Beer can from the '70s, as well as pictures of my "Steel Curtain" jersey signed by the DL of the 70s team and my helmet signed by those on the 2005 Super Bowl XL team (both of which are kept safe back home), not to mention played Beer Pong on my table.

I turned to this person, the boyfriend of one of my other friends, and said "I've been a fan since I was a kid. The entire organization oozes class, from the Rooneys all the way down to the players. They make smart business decisions and reward those who work hard. They have the best players in the league. They have the best fans in the league.

"They instantly make people friends. When I was driving back up to Marquette I spun out after being cut off and was stuck in a ditch. An older gentleman pulled over and towed me out after it seemed the entire state of Michigan passed me by. As he was getting back into his car, I asked him if I could buy him a coffee or put gas in his car, and he chuckled and declined. "I'm just helping out a fellow Pittsburgh fan," he said, pointing at my jacket. And with that, he was off.

"I love them because the players give their all. They genuinely love the game. I'm not tall enough or fast enough or big enough to continue playing the game, but they are. Americans live out their fantasies through the players, and I can't think of a better team to idolize than our Steelers. You're telling me these faces aren't honest, hard-working people who love what they do and are grateful for the opportunity to play a game for a living?"

I offered to answer any questions they might have using my head and only my head. They asked me the records from year-to-year, team records, years in the Super Bowl, scores, current players heights/weights/colleges, and aced it all. Amazed, they asked how I knew it all.

It's a hobby, I said. It's impossible to not know all of this if you were a Steeler fan. I threw out the comment that the average female Steeler fan knew more about football than most people in the room, which (of course) riled up the room. Steeler fans are everywhere, I said. Watch any Steeler game, and one of the most cliché sayings about the Steelers is "they travel well". B.S., I said. They were puzzled. We're already there, I said.

After the Steelers won, I was left with my friend helping him clean up. He asked me about other Steeler fans; had I met any? Had I been to Pittsburgh? Etc. I told him Steeler Nation was the largest on the planet, and 3000 miles away you could recognize a friend for life because of a simple Towel. Pittsburgh, I said, was a fantastic city, and Steeler games were amazing, even though I've only been to the Steel City (and games in the Steel City) once.

I told him we're a big family. I told him that as a fan, no matter the opponent, you knew when the Black 'n Gold lined up, they would play 60 minutes, give it their all, and more often then not they would get the 'W'. I told him no matter where you were, if you were a Steeler fan, your turf was a little piece of Pittsburgh, PA. I told him that everything I said tonight, everything I feel as a Steeler fan, was authentic; the team, the fans, the city doesn't need to fake anything. We don't have to resort to gimmicks or any of that crap to get excited.

In a way, myself and my family are in our own 1970s version of Pittsburgh. The auto industries are struggling mightily, and my father accepted a buy-out offer and left Chrysler after almost 25 years of service [I'm putting a note in here: buy American cars. Those of you from the 'Burgh know what I'm talking about when I'm saying the region (Michigan) is going to be decimated if things keep going the way they are. Buy Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep-ok, there's my plug].

He's currently employed by the same company he worked for after graduating from U of M, Sikorsky Aircraft, in Connecticut. The only town I've ever known as "home", Rochester Hills, MI, won't be "home" anymore as of June; once my brother graduates high school, my mother and brother are moving out to Connecticut as well.

The only thing keeping myself (and I'm sure my father, who is currently living in a strange state, alone, with no friends and little lay of the land) going are the Steelers. And the way they scratched and clawed this year, refusing to lose, defines them-and my family-perfectly. Winning makes everything go away; losing is borderline apocalypse when things are going bad.

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't a team. They're a beacon of hope, they're a way of life. We are a lucky, lucky fanbase. Thanks for reading Steeler Nation.

[EDIT: I forgot to include this little fact: shortly before kickoff, my friend's sister, with whom he shares the apartment, asked me if I had any more Steeler jerseys, she was wondering if she could borrow one and wear it...I brought the rest of my jerseys over and we had eight people besides myself in Steeler jerseys, rooting for them. Made my night that much more special.]

AFFCG Trophy Broken!

Romain El 82 — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:43:16 -0000

PITTSBURGH (AP)— Mere hours after winning the 2009 AFC Championship game and securing a berth in their record-setting seventh Super Bowl, the Steelers Lamar Hunt Trophy was broken.

When pressed for comment, Mike Tomlin chuckled. "After the game we just played, I think it's a very fitting symbol for not only our football team but the season as well. We've had a lot of injuries throughout the season, you know, but guys stepped up. It's a perfect metaphor for our season that will stand for years to come. It's just a shame Mr. Rooney will have to display a broken trophy."

Details about the damage of the trophy, as it passed from player to player in the Steeler locker-room post game were foggy, but one Steeler knew what occurred.

"I passed it off to Limas, and I don't know if he didn't have a firm grip on it, took his eyes off it or what, but all of a sudden I heard a clang and saw [the trophy] bounce off the floor," said Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Information regarding the repair of the trophy was not immediately available.

Rumors, Rumors, Rumors

Romain El 82 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:17:06 -0000

I'm hearing now (via NFLN) that apparently Jason Garrett is on a plane to St. Louis...as the next Rams head coach? What? Apparently the Vikings DC (forgot his name, but that position appears to be a good one to snipe new HCs from) was the 'runaway favorite' for the job, until, you know, this happened.

Also hearing that Jon Gruden and Tampa's GM were fired today, opening the door for...Bill Cowher? to possibly take both positions. It's a job BC has been looking for; he gets full power, he's in the NFC, nice location, and has a relatively talented team.

I heard one other name thrown out there: a possible return to Tampa for Mr. Tony Dungy? Dungy retired because he wanted to spend more time with his family, ala Bill Cowher, but Dungy made his home in the greater Tampa area (and he was obviously a great coach for the Bucs, building the team Gruden won the SB with). Coming back to the same franchise he left less than a decade before would be unorthidox, to say the least.

[Edit: Mike Shanahan also wears both the HC/GM hat, and is currently available (I had forgotten about him). Look for him to be a possibility as well.]

When I thought life couldn't get any better...

Romain El 82 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:38:46 -0000

One of my friends directed me to this as well (where they find this stuff, I don't know).

But I didn't even know they made new episodes of "Jeopardy"...guess they do.

Enjoy (I don't know how to embed the videos, but if Blitz or someone wants to then go for it), I got a real kick out of it...the man got what he deserves (kinda).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD1GiJEi1cY&feature=bz301

L-O-Friggin'-L

Romain El 82 — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:41:50 -0000

A few buddies of mine from back home were talking about football late last night, and the convo turned to the Steelers/Ravens game (I'm on the only one with a team IN the p layoffs, nevermind one left in the playoffs), and someone made a comment about Joe Flacco's eyebrows.

The inevitable "Chuck Norris' beard" comments/jokes were made, we talked some more, and finally went to bed. I awoke this morning to this picture in my email from one of those friends.

via img.photobucket.com

I have to say, I got a good 5 minutes of solid laughter in before I could finally breath again.

Enjoy, Steeler fans.