Comments on: Just the Facts: Steelers Turnovers, Takeaways Down in ‘07 http://footballbrainiac.com/2008/01/2007-turnovers/ The Thinking Man's Guide to Steelers Football Mon, 08 Sep 2008 03:01:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: Jesse http://footballbrainiac.com/2008/01/2007-turnovers/#comment-528 Jesse Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:21:23 +0000 http://footballbrainiac.com/2008/01/2007-turnovers/#comment-528 I agree with most of what you think. But not trading Ben. He's franchise material. Based on your logic, The steelers would have traded Terry Bradshaw and Dallas would have traded Troy Aikman. I think Farrior(who I love) and Haggans have lost a step, We do need more Depth at LB and DL. I would Trade Ike Taylor for Draft Picks if I would trade anyone on Defense. Carter is a solid backup. The special teams are sorry, because the backups are sorry. Keisel should be a pass rush specialist. We need a new C,RG,RT. The current starters would be ok backup, except for Sean Mahon...Cut him NOW! We should trade Nate Washington keep holmes and ward and cut the rest. Draft a kick returner. Oh and on Defense, run more cover 2 so that the corners can be more aggressive. If we give up another 1st down on 3rd and 7 again because the DB's are 12 yards off of the ball, i'm going to have a stroke. Dick Lebeau is a great coach who have players that have fallen off. The 4-3 is an ok defense but the 3-4 is much better, especially with the 2 new LB that were drafted this year. The defense peaked to early which is why it got gouged the last 7 weeks of the season. Remember they still finished #1. I agree with most of what you think. But not trading Ben. He’s franchise material. Based on your logic, The steelers would have traded Terry Bradshaw and Dallas would have traded Troy Aikman. I think Farrior(who I love) and Haggans have lost a step, We do need more Depth at LB and DL. I would Trade Ike Taylor for Draft Picks if I would trade anyone on Defense. Carter is a solid backup. The special teams are sorry, because the backups are sorry. Keisel should be a pass rush specialist. We need a new C,RG,RT. The current starters would be ok backup, except for Sean Mahon…Cut him NOW! We should trade Nate Washington keep holmes and ward and cut the rest. Draft a kick returner. Oh and on Defense, run more cover 2 so that the corners can be more aggressive. If we give up another 1st down on 3rd and 7 again because the DB’s are 12 yards off of the ball, i’m going to have a stroke. Dick Lebeau is a great coach who have players that have fallen off. The 4-3 is an ok defense but the 3-4 is much better, especially with the 2 new LB that were drafted this year. The defense peaked to early which is why it got gouged the last 7 weeks of the season. Remember they still finished #1.

]]> By: johb http://footballbrainiac.com/2008/01/2007-turnovers/#comment-519 johb Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:29:43 +0000 http://footballbrainiac.com/2008/01/2007-turnovers/#comment-519 The RESULT yesterday was inspired by THE GHOSTS OF THE LOSER BILL COWHER himself: Why we lost against the Jags in Wildcard round: It is real simple: DICK LEBEAU AND Again we started to run the ball when we did not need to. We moved it perfectly down the field on the first drive by passing. When we started to run – we got into 2 and 3rd and longs. Defenses know it is a pass = Int’s. We need an Oline who pass blocks. Simple. 62 / 38 pass to run ratio. It is far too easy to stop the run. We need 3-4 new starters on OLINE. PASS BLOCKERS ONLY. Lebeau – is overrated. Retire him. We need to employ Rob RYAN – not REX. Rob was the OUTSIDE linebackers coach in 2 of NEW England’s SUPERBOWLS. These players are finished in PITTSburgh: Haggans, Faneca, Starks, Carter, M. Smith, Keisel, Foote, Farrior, Townsend. All overrated or too old / slow. Mike Tomlin and Bruce Arians must be given credit. The players left are still ‘Loser Bill Cowher’ players. Weed em out. Get Tomlin’s imprimatur on this side. Arians has the right idea of how the NFL is moving; the pass. However do not run it for the sake of it. No need. Only gets you in trouble. When you spread out the opponents Defense – 3 / 4 wides it is much easier for the QB to know who is blitzing. Mike Tomlin is a winner. I like him – he must be given credit for entering and giving Cowher’s staff one last shot. They had it and ruined it. THIS IS NOW SOLELY MIKE TOMLIN’S JOB. Woodley, Timmons are going to be beauties. Trust me on that. Poor Sep – The Punter had to actually save the ST’s by punting short. THE SPECIAL TEAMS COACH MUST BE FIRED. SPECIAL TEAMS IS NOT HARD. THIS STILL HAD COWHER’S GHOSTS ON IT. Cowher left Tomlin with no Oline depth and no Dline depth. Football is played in the trenches. I would seriously think about trading BIG ben. IF you could get Trent Edwards + 1 and 2 pick for Ben I would do it in a heart beat. Do not give BIG BEN – BIG MONEY. WASTE. SPEND ON FREE AGENTS AND OLINE IF NECESSARY – NOT BIG BEN. THE 3-4 IS FINISHED. OUR 3-4 TEAM ARE OLD AND WORN OUT. FOOTE, HAGGANS, FARRIOR, KEISEL ARE APPAULING Carter / Smith. I am proud of Tomlin and if you give him ‘his team’ he will excel. If you give Mike 15+ yrs in the Job – he comes home with more than 1 Lombardi trophy. 4-3 Cover 2 is the way to go. YOU NEED TO STOP THE PASS – AND YOU DO IT BY SIMPLY RUSHING 4 PLAYERS. NO MORE NO LESS. RDE = draft UT = McBean / keisel / aaron Smith NT = Hampton / draft LDE = Woodley / Keisel/ ROLB = Timmons MLB = draft LOLB = Harrison CB 1 = Taylor CB 2 = BMAC SS = POL FS = draft pick. NEED A COVERAGE FS SAFETY / SURE TACKLER. QUICK 4-3 / 4.4 SPEED. Draft = 1. RDE (either for 3-4 / 4-3 cover 2) 2. OL 3. MLB 4. FS 5. OL 6. UT / DT 7. WR – BIG. Must spend coin on OLINE and WR’s in FREE AGENCY. Tomlin, Arians, Oline have copped it. Why not the 'wizard' Lebeau. He has players falling for playaction when sides don't pass and gameplanning is poor. In consecutive weeks we have been slaughtered through the air and this week on the ground. This bloke gets away scot free. I have been on to this phony for years. 50 years coaching / playing for 1 SB. Says it all really. Dick Lebeau should be in the Hall of Shame not hall of fame. Lebeau talks about Hall of Fame snub. Leblow SHOULD not be with team in 08. He is overrated and useless. He is 72 yrs old, he **** the bed, he pisses his pants and **** his pants in video review - And he often forgets his name, forgets where his clipboard is at times, And finally - forgets where Heinz field is. Often late. In consecutive weeks and previewing plays to run against Jags and Pats he 'asked Tomlin to tie up his shoes' as he had forgotten how. Tomlin's response was 'Dick your being a **** - now blow yourself you silly old cunte'. Lebeau spoke recently with a host of Steeler representatives about his being overlooked in the NFL's hall of Fame. Dick was actually given the title - but had forgotten how to get to Canton -Ohio. Dick was born there. I was happy he did not attend: He should be in the Hall of Shame. To make the HOF you actually have to be half decent. Dick is useless - like a virgin working in a brothel. Overrated - out of his depth. ANYONE FOR TAMPA 2 ?... EFEECTIVELY A 4 MAN RUSH BY DLINE AND A COVER 3 BEHIND IT. FARRIOR TO ALMOST GO AS FAR BACK AS SAFTEIES ON PASS PLAY. COVERING MIDDLE FIELD. I THINK TOMLIN MUST PLAY HIS TAMPA 2 AGAINST THE Pats**** NEXT TIME AROUND... WOODLEY LDE / HARRISON / KEISEL RDE. TIMMONS ROLB / FOOTE / HAGGANS LOLB. FARRIOR / TIMMONS MLB. PROBABLY NEED A RDE IN DRAFT TO MAKE IT WORK. LEBEAU'S 5 MAN BLITZ (ZONE IS USELESS) AGAINST A QUICK THROWER. AS YOU SEE A 4 MAN RUSH WAS MAINTAINABLE BY OUR D'S LOFTY STANDARDS. YOU DON'T BEAT THE CHEATS BY RUSHING MORE THAN 4 - YOU REALLY DON'T. ARE YOU LISTENING LE STINK? TOMLIN COULD CONVERT OUR BASE 3-4 TO TAMPA 2 without subbing A base 3-4 D has the 2 middle backers on the SAME level as each other... All you would have to do is place the middle backer (2) just say FOOTE / TIMMONS 3-5 YARDS CLOSER to the safeties. FARRIOR ON OUR RIGHT SIDE STAYS THE SAME. When he reads / knows it is pass he drops back the the safeties level... (TAMPA 2) If he reads run / and it is a run (Anthony Smith ) he tackles the ball carrier. WHY HASN'T TOMLIN AND LEBEAU DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS? IT IS IN ESSENCE THE TAMPA 2 DEFENSE - However it would be better against the run. If the D line plays 2 gap (WHICH WE DO MOST TIMES) and Harrison IS THE BACKER COMING AFTER THE QB Foote / Timmons plays deeper than the normal MLB 2 does in a base 3-4. It will stop the INTERMEDIATE ball - safeties do not charge until the ball is over the line of scrimmage AND in a back's hand... ANTHONY SMITH - FALLS FOR PLAYACTION WHEN Pats**** RUN IT 8 TIMES... STAY DEEP. SAFETIES WILL STAY DEEP ALL GAME. AN EASY WAY TO STOP PASSING SIDES... AND YOU HAVE BACKERS AND D / LINE ON THE FIELD SO NO-ONE WILL RUN ON US. AS THE DLINE'S JOB IS TO TIE UP BLOCKERS ANYWAY THE BACKER WHO BLITZES SHOULD COME BASICALLY FREE. EASY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WE HAD SUNDAY. TIMMONS WOULD EXCEL AT THIS SPOT. QUICK / CAN CATCH AND CAN HIT AND STOMP ON BACKS RUNNING THE BALL. So... As per normal up front but MLB'S LINE UP LIKE THIS Timmons / FOOTE = third level Farrior. = 2nd level DLINE. (FIRST LEVEL) MLB 2 (TIMMONS / FOOTE) 3-5 yards further back of their normal spot at MLB2 (CLOSER TO SAFETIES) FROM FARRIOR. WITH HAMPTON INSIDE THE RUN UP THE MIDDLE IS AVOIDED ANYWAY. Simple yet effective. And oh so easy. TAMPA 2 MADE EASY. WITHOUT SUBSTITUTING PLAYERS AND THE LIKE... GREAT AGAINST THE NO HUDDLE. KEY IS TO ONLY RUSH 4 PEOPLE. GENERALLY D / LINE AND ONE BACKER. ANY ZONE BLITZES (KEIESEL / SMITH) DROPPING IN TO COVERAGE HAS TO HAVE A SIMILAR RESULT. WHERE SOMEONE COVERS THE MIDDLE PART OF THE FIELD A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL... 6 - 12 YARDS SHOULD DO IT. Instead of a 25 yard completion it may go for 6-8. BIG DIFFERENCE. SO IF YOU ARE PLAYING A RUN - ORIENTATED TEAM - BALTILESS - NORMAL 3-4 BASE. MIDDLE BACKERS ON SAME LEVEL. IF YOU ARE PLAYING COLTS AND Pats**** - PASSING TEAMS - DROP THE MLB2 - Foote and Timmons further back - 5-6 yards. It is effectively the Tampa 2 (ending up the same level as safeties) = cover 3. However with better run stoppers on the field than a normal Tampa 2, SIDES WILL NOT POWER RUN US like you can do to the colts. The D / line. Keisel / Smith / McBean could rush just a little more. With the knowledge a run will be supported by Timmons - further back. And a pass will have a cover 2, plus Timmons playing that Tampa 2 'Mike' linebacker role. EFFECTIVELY COVER 3 And or covering the Slot reciever / or third wide out - at a deeper level. E.G WELKER. IT WORKS. AND IT CONFUSES QB'S NO END. Am I correct in saying... That Samuel is not a cover corner That Asante Samuel is not a cover corner. Asante Samuel is completely a system cornerback. His role is to play deep zone on the right hand side of the field. The *** Pats**** - effectively have a cover 3 on everyplay. Samuel - deep zone, the SS and FS all play a 3 deep zone. If Harrison comes up to stop the run or play on the Tight end then... Samuel and Hobbs will play deep zone with the free safety (Wilson , Gay). Effectively a cover 3 deep. If you notice Samuel really does not care if you catch a 6-8 yard pass on him - the system (BELICHEAT) only asks him to play deep zone. YOU OFTEN SEE HIM CHEATING - JUMPING A ROUTE AS HE IS DEEPER THAN THE WIDE OUT HE IS GUARDING and can make a play on the ball. Surely comebacks, outs and in routes should be played against him. Am I correct or wrong on this fact. Why can't Ike Taylor play the same way... he is just as quick, and a 8 yard completion is better than a 40 yarder. Simple yet effective. Why don't sides play 3 WR'S ON THE RIGHT AND MAKE SAMUEL HARRISON AND THE LOLB ACCOUNTABLE. Obviously the way the Pats**** defend, they cover deep and the sidelines. THE MIDDLE IS ENTIRELY OPEN. MILLER AND SPAETH SHOULD HAVE SHREDDED THEM - IF THEY WERE THROWN THE BALL LAST SUNDAY. Bookmark this post. Lawrence Timmons will be the best backer If lined up like this he will be the greatest sack leader of all time. FS deep. Clark / Smith gets wr3. Pol = wr 4 (lined up with backers 2nd level. With 1st middle linbacker. Foote = 5th wr = back. 3rd level just behind 2nd level a little more to his right. Bmac= 2 Wr. Ike = wr 1. Timmons, Woodley, Smith, Haggans, Hampton, Farrior / Foote blitz everydown. Timmons plays just a little wider at ROLB. If a TE is not moved there it is SMITH and Timmons VS LT. The Corners play 7-8 yards of wide recievers. You get 7-8 sacks everygame. The quarterback is taken out everygame. It is the Steelers equivalent of the chuck and duck. But as we have Hampton and Farrior inside no-one runs inisde. As the CB's are 7-8 yards off WR's they stop the outside runs. As Timmons is wider at ROLB no side runs to the left of the line. Accordingly Foote Farrior Woodley and Haggans can line up a little wider in their positions to stop the run to the right. A great Defense. If the quarterback does get a long one off it gives you time to Carson him = out of the game for good. Can I be Defensive coordinator. You know you love it. This is how to get Woodley and Timmons more gametime On first Down: RDE - Woodley NT - Hampton (2 gap scheme) As per normal. LDE - Haggans ROLB - Harrison LOLB - Foote MLB 1 - Farrior MLB 2 - Timmons (IN SPACE) until gets more strength. CB 1 - Taylor CB 2 - BMac FS - Clark / Smith SS - Pol On second down: replace linebacker with defensive back. Replace Hampton with Smith. (Now nickel) RDE - Woodley NT - Smith (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton. LDE - Haggans LOLB - Harrison MLB 1 - Farrior MLB 2 - Timmons CB 1 - Taylor CB 2 - BMac CB 3 - Townsend FS - Clark / Smith SS - Pol On third down: replace another linebacker with defensive back. Replace Smith with Kiesel. (Now Dime) Farrior gets benched for Timmons. RDE - Woodley NT - Keisel (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton. LDE - Haggans LOLB - Harrison (Floater) Goes wherever their D line is weak. Blitz or cover area of field. MLB 1 - Timmons CB 1 - Taylor CB 2 - BMac CB 3 - Townsend CB 4 - Smith / Clark FS - Clark / Smith SS - Pol This will allow more playmakers on the field. The plan is to play FS and SS deep in a cover 2 scheme. They will clean up the run game. All corners when they are on the field will cover the WR (everywhere they go - NO ZONE). They get support over the top from the safeties. With only 1 Dlineman (really) on the line at times it will give Lebeau more ability to Zone blitz the backers and now (Linebackers) at the end spot. Imagine Haggans and Woodley 'having a zone' the 'other designated blitzers' would have a field day. I love DE's who can cover as well. You will cover everything and only send 2 or maybe 3 , 4 guys at once. NO MORE. As we have more speed on the field we will clean up the short passing game. With Hampton / (Smith and Kiesel) on the nose (Keisel on 3rd downs or long yardage situations) we will stop the inside runs. Runs to the outside will be impossible. Keisel and Smith and even Hampton can drop back into coverage at stages. And Smith and Keisel could QB spy and even run with running backs knowing we have 2 safeties deep. The Zone blitz here would be amazing. Every guy could drop or rush making the other team having to max protect. Then you can send 2 maybe 3 guys and the rest are covered. And still pressure. P.S this will work in most situations but would be near on impossible for a team to come back from 1 or more scores down. The reality with the COLTS and Pats**** not having a 'stud' running back we could limit the passing yards and probably give the back 3 - 3.5 yards a carry. This scheme makes the running back beat you. They don't against us. This is great for the cap. Linebackers are less than DE / DT. I don't know why teams pay over the odds for a DT / DE when they are one dimensional. They don't cover and are shocking against the run. This would keep the Pats**** / COLTS to 21 to 24 points. Approx 200 yards passing. 85 - 110 on the ground. BECAUSE OF LE STINK Can we score that against them? YES. Against the Pats**** / COLTS we must run the football. A.v 3.8 / 4.0 yards a carry. Don't let Belicheat start nickles and Dimes. Pats**** LIKE TO SCORE FIRST. IF WE DO WE CAN WIN THIS FOOTBALL MATCH. Is Mike Tomlin an X's and O's coach, or more like Cowher - motivator and no-more. Please tell me it is the former. WE DO THESE THINGS WE BEAT THE CHEATRIOTS. That's why LEBLOW failed for me as he had the sole rights of DE's - OLB's for more than 10 years. No other side played the 3-4 for long periods. He should have 3 SB rings. Cowher never realised the Nickel and Dime Defense - be it the 3-3-5 the 2-4-5 1-4-6 can slow down teams. That's how Belichick defeated the Giants and Rams. If I was coach against the Pats****** (Not regular game - don't give it away) but in the playoffs I would use the 2-4-5 and the 1-4-6 often. At times rush just 3 out of the 2-4-5. Using the LDE on the Tightend. Playing a cover 3. FARRIOR COVERING MIDDLE / WELKER's dumpoffs and bubble screens. MAKE THE BACK BEAT YOU WHICH RARELY EVER DOES TO PITTSBURGH. WELKER MAKES THE Pats****** GO. YOU MUST HIT HIM,HIT HIM,HIT HIM, SIMILAR TO BELICHICK DID TO MARSHALL FAULK. (Martz and Levy should have run more) but the Pats****** can't against us even if we are in our nickels as we play the run well. I THOUGHT BELICHICK WOULD HAVE CALLED DILLON AS THEY NEED A BACK WHO THREATENS A D. MARONEY DOES NOT AT THIS STAGE. So you can sell out on the pass. We can Belichick Belichick against the Pats******. Keep possession (use Najeh) more as a power runner against the 3-4 D. We would need the ball 34 - 36 mins to win it. We can and will I believe come playoffs. Why? Don't let em get behind you, and smash the WR's all day. Moss is soft, Welker avoids body contact, Stallworth = yuk. You need to establish the run game, thats how you beat Belichick's teams. Might refer to Mike Shanahan's PLANS against him. = Good success. MUST USE NAJEH MORE. I think Mahan with Kreider's chop blocks can go ok against Wilfork - opening up the middle. You pick on Hobbs and Bruschi and Seau in the passing game. Miller and Speath will have big games. Need to run it 40 times to win. Pick your spots. When going deep don't go to Eugene Wilson's side. 40 times = 130 - 150 yards will be enough. Adalius Thomas is a liability in the run game and does not play like a 270 linebacker. Believe me its do-able and we will win it. IN the cold FOXBORO. MOSS = LIABILITY. Belichick and Brady are ego's. Loves throwing the ball - both of them. Maroney can't be trusted to carry the load. FUMBLES: you don't think they would just run Maroney against that D? Did Faulk? Thurman Thomas? Not enough. Brady's ego will not allow a back to run it 35 times - Corey Dillon is not there anymore. THIS IS BIG TOM BRADY'S TEAM. BEAT EGOMANIAC QB'S BY MAKING THE BACK BEAT YOU. He can't help himself, with 8 in coverage and using different zone blizes - rushing 3-4 he will get flustered. (SAN DIEGO GAME LAST YEAR) NEW ENGLAND'S CANT AND WON'T BEAT US if they need a back to do it for them. Will: Moss, Stallworth and Welker like not being thrown the ball. NO. NOW... i have stated this a while back. WE WILL WIN THIS GAME. PARKER MUST catch balls out of the back field. Atleast 7-8 catches. Belichick does not respect HB's who can run and catch. Fact. The Slot NB should be Townsend / Timmons. Covering Welker all game. The Pats****** RG and RT are poor. Sub in Haggans / Woodley / Timmons even Keisel at LOLB all game. The two most underrated / important players to the Pats****** O are Welker and Watson. All Pats****** WR's are scared. HIT HIT HIT ALL GAME. ENSURE THEY DON'T GET BEHIND YOU. ON O SPREAD THE Pats****** OUT. 3 WR'S 1 TE 1 HB. Make sure you keep Seau and Brushi on coverage. Throw to Parker alot. Make em miss. Throw short / run long. we win this 24 - 16. CORRECTION: WITH KREIDER OUT IT MAY BE DAVIS, OR SPREAD EM OUT WITH NO FULLBACK AT ALL. Willie's catching and YAC and not running is key in this game. To beat a 3-4 D you need a POWER BACK to break through the 3 D man line and 2 OLB's who obviously are not as strong as Olineman, or should not be. Willie is not a POWERBACK unfortunately. = Davenport. In this game make Moroney beat you. He won't. Sell out on the pass. Anyone notice Belicheat's face when the rats only rushed 3 guys. To me it signified you never rush just 3 against the Pats******. BELICHICK'S FACE AND BODY LANGUAGE GAVE THAT AWAY. I thought when a side is close to your goal line you blitz more as there is less area to cover. It appears Ryan stuffed up. Did opposite to this. Blitz when side is near goalline / or within 30 yards. Play Coverage at your end of the field? Rashean Mathis is the best corner in the game. But if we.... Rashean Mathis is the best corner in the game. But if we could get Asomosaga (s.p) from raiders (free agent) next season I wouldn't be complaining. Imagine a true Shutdown corner with Our D. Unstoppable I'll tell ya. [b]Blueprint To Beat LeBeau Written In 2002 / base 3-4 to Tampa 2 in a flash. By Dagger | December 11, 2007 http://www.postgameheroes.com/?p=1905 Brett Keisel was quoted after the Steeler game saying that the defense was “surprised that the Pats**** threw the ball as much as they did” and that they expected them to mix run and pass. Huh??? Are you kidding me? Keisel also went on to say that “the gameplan we had coming into the game needs to be thrown into the trash” and that the Steelers weren’t prepared for what the Pats**** did on offense. Brett Keisel was quoted after the Steeler game saying that the defense was “surprised that the Pats**** threw the ball as much as they did” and that they expected them to mix run and pass. Huh??? Are you kidding me? Keisel also went on to say that “the gameplan we had coming into the game needs to be thrown into the trash” and that the Steelers weren’t prepared for what the Pats**** did on offense. uuuummm yeah. Understatement of the year. But how can this be? Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Your good buddy, Dagger is here to take you back in time with a quick history lesson. Let’s hope this look into the past doesn’t dig up any old ghosts or fall into the hands of any more Offensive Coordinators. Alrighty….let’s start off with the basics. The Steelers have lost 6 of the last 7 to New England. Wondering why? Well, the Pats**** do what many teams in the NFL are unwilling to do….when they face the Steelers they toss aside conventional wisdom, they often abandon the run, and the attack the Steelers greatest weakness (their pass D). Sure our DLs and LBs are fantastic in the run game. Yes our LBs can blitz and pressure the QB in this complicated defensive scheme, but NO….this defense was not built to stop the spread offense. The spread offense is the Dick LeBeau 3-4 defense’s Kryptonite. When the Pats**** come out in a 5WR formation at their own one yard line, I think that tells you that they have spotted a weakness in the Steelers defense and they’re hell bent on exploiting it. Screw the running game. Who cares how many times you run the ball? Who says you have to be balanced on offense? If your strength just so happens to be your opponent’s weakness, then you’d be silly not to attack it. I hate the Pats**** but I LOVE the way they spit in the face of the old-timer “run-run-pass” offensive logic. One week their opponents dictate that they must rely on a passing attack, the next week they give the ball to Maroney all game, the next week Maroney gets 2 carries, etc….I just admire their aggressive nature. (But I hate them) I hope you understand. I guess I respect the fact that they PLAY TO WIN THE GAME by any and all means necessary. There are so many coaches and teams in the NFL that are so ultra-conservative that they almost handicap their own offense. The Steelers sit nearly $10 Million dollars below the NFL salary cap. This past offseason, the Pats**** acquired Moss, Welker, Gaffney, Adalius Thomas, Stallworth, and others. Again, being aggressive and “going for it.” You have to respect that. They build from within just like us, they draft well and all that good stuff, but they compliment their homegrown talent with good acquisitions. While the Pats**** are out acquiring Pro Bowl talent, the Steelers are playing it nice and conservative….picking up Sean Mahan and Cedric Wilson. To quote myself and a widely-used NHL saying “Safe Is Death” and the Pats**** never, ever, ever play safe. The Blueprint The Pats**** invented the offensive blueprint to beat the Steelers way back in week 1 of the 2002 season. Before we get into specifics, let me describe a defense and you tell me how you think you should/could attack it. [b]OK….so you tell me. How do you attack this defense? Run, Run, Pass? A balanced offense? Play-action? Smashmouth? No. You spread them out and attack in the air. [/b] Week 1 2002— New England opens up the season vs Pittsburgh and Brady goes 29/43 for 294 yards and 3 TDs. Steelers lose. *very important note here is that in Week 2 of the 2002 season, the Oakland Raiders and Rich Gannon COPY the Pats**** gameplan and come out throwing. Gannon goes 43/64 for 403 yards and 1 TD. Wow. Steelers lose. 2001: Brady/Bledsoe go 22/39 for 217 yards and 1TD. Steelers lose AFC Championship game. 2002: Brady goes 29/43 for 294 yards and 3TDs. Steelers lose. 2004: Brady goes 25/43 for 271 yards and 2TD. Steelers Win. 2004: Brady goes 14/21 for 207 yards and 2TD. Steelers lose AFC Championship game. 2005: Brady goes 31/41 for 372 yards 0TD. Steelers lose. 2007: Brady goes 32/46 for 399 yards and 4TD. Steelers lose. TOTALS: The Pats**** have completed 66% of their passes against the Steelers since 2001. The Pats**** have only had a “ton” of offensive weapons at WR for one of those games. It’s not the personnel, it’s the scheme and gameplan that kills the Steelers. This 3-4 scheme CANNOT and WILL NOT beat the Pats**** as currently constructed. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Steelers this year using 4WR and 5WR sets. The Raiders used the blueprint in 2002 and attempted 64 passes in one game against our D! Let’s thank the football gods that so many teams “play not to lose” and play so tight offensively. Let’s also be thankful that some teams can’t find 5 bodies skilled enough to split all of them out wide and use these formations against us. The Steelers have had 6 or 7 years to come up with a gameplan to beat the Pats**** and their 5WR spread offense and they simply can’t do it. If we see this team again (this year, next year, the year after), then we must come up with a completely different scheme. I don’t care if you drop 10 guys into coverage. I don’t care if you only have one DL on the field, I don’t care if you have 1 LB on the field. Make the Pats**** run the ball. They WANT to pass on you, take away the thing they want to do and make them play to your strength. We’d have a better chance stopping their offense if you put the ball in Maroney’s hands and take it away from Brady. WHAT IS WORSE... Actually, the Bengals invented this method of beating the Steelers and LeBeau’s defense in 2001…when the team was coached by…wait for it… DICK LEBEAU! This defense is best known as a run-stuffing defense that plays with 4 LBs, gets 0 pressure from the DL. This team has had below average CBs for an entire decade, has “run stopping safeties…not coverage or speedy safeties” and loves to blitz. [/b] TOMLIN COULD CONVERT OUR BASE 3-4 TO TAMPA 2 without subbing [/color] A base 3-4 D has the 2 middle backers on the SAME level as each other... All you would have to do is place the middle backer (2) just say FOOTE / TIMMONS 3-5 YARDS CLOSER to the safeties. FARRIOR ON OUR RIGHT SIDE STAYS THE SAME. When he reads / knows it is pass he drops back the the safeties level... (TAMPA 2) If he reads run / and it is a run (Anthony Smith ) he tackles the ball carrier. WHY HASN'T TOMLIN AND LEBEAU DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS? IT IS IN ESSENCE THE TAMPA 2 DEFENSE - However it would be better against the run. If the D line plays 2 gap (WHICH WE DO MOST TIMES) and Harrison IS THE BACKER COMING AFTER THE QB Foote / Timmons plays deeper than the normal MLB 2 does in a base 3-4. It will stop the INTERMEDIATE ball - safeties do not charge until the ball is over the line of scrimmage AND in a back's hand... ANTHONY SMITH - FALLS FOR PLAYACTION WHEN Pats**** RUN IT 8 TIMES... STAY DEEP. SAFETIES WILL STAY DEEP ALL GAME. AN EASY WAY TO STOP PASSING SIDES... AND YOU HAVE BACKERS AND D / LINE ON THE FIELD SO NO-ONE WILL RUN ON US. AS THE DLINE'S JOB IS TO TIE UP BLOCKERS ANYWAY THE BACKER WHO BLITZES SHOULD COME BASICALLY FREE. EASY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WE HAD SUNDAY. TIMMONS WOULD EXCEL AT THIS SPOT. QUICK / CAN CATCH AND CAN HIT AND STOMP ON BACKS RUNNING THE BALL. So... As per normal up front but MLB'S LINE UP LIKE THIS Timmons / FOOTE = third level Farrior. = 2nd level DLINE. (FIRST LEVEL) MLB 2 (TIMMONS / FOOTE) 3-5 yards further back of their normal spot at MLB2 (CLOSER TO SAFETIES) FROM FARRIOR. WITH HAMPTON INSIDE THE RUN UP THE MIDDLE IS AVOIDED ANYWAY. Simple yet effective. And oh so easy. TAMPA 2 MADE EASY. WITHOUT SUBSTITUTING PLAYERS AND THE LIKE... GREAT AGAINST THE NO HUDDLE. KEY IS TO ONLY RUSH 4 PEOPLE. GENERALLY D / LINE AND ONE BACKER. ANY ZONE BLITZES (KEIESEL / SMITH) DROPPING IN TO COVERAGE HAS TO HAVE A SIMILAR RESULT. WHERE SOMEONE COVERS THE MIDDLE PART OF THE FIELD A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL... 6 - 12 YARDS SHOULD DO IT. Instead of a 25 yard completion it may go for 6-8. BIG DIFFERENCE. SO IF YOU ARE PLAYING A RUN - ORIENTATED TEAM - BALTILESS - NORMAL 3-4 BASE. MIDDLE BACKERS ON SAME LEVEL. IF YOU ARE PLAYING COLTS AND Pats**** - PASSING TEAMS - DROP THE MLB2 - Foote and Timmons further back - 5-6 yards. It is effectively the Tampa 2 (ending up the same level as safeties) = cover 3. However with better run stoppers on the field than a normal Tampa 2, SIDES WILL NOT POWER RUN US like you can do to the colts. The D / line. Keisel / Smith / McBean could rush just a little more. With the knowledge a run will be supported by Timmons - further back. And a pass will have a cover 2, plus Timmons playing that Tampa 2 'Mike' linebacker role. EFFECTIVELY COVER 3 And or covering the Slot reciever / or third wide out - at a deeper level. E.G WELKER. IT WORKS. AND IT CONFUSES QB'S NO END. The NFL is so easy. On offense if the opponent is 3-4 you pass spread em out. On offense if the opponent is 4-3 you run On Offense if your opponent is 46 - spread em out pass Delayed runs. On Defense if your opponent is a pass team - 4-3 cover 2 On Defense if your opponent is a run happy team - 3-4. This is why I dislike Lebeau - c'mon give it to me.......... The Bengals are taking this retro-cool thing to a completely new level. Their coach is Bruce Coslet, a onetime Cincinnati tight end and offensive coordinator. The backup quarterback is Boomer Esiason, returning for a second tour with Cincinnati, which he guided to Super Bowl XXIII. The offensive coordinator is Ken Anderson, a former Bengals quarterback who in 1981 took the team to its first Super Bowl. The defensive line coach is Tim Krumrie, who played noseguard for Cincinnati from 1983 to 1994. And the defensive coordinator is Dick LeBeau, a native of nearby London, Ohio, and from 1984 to '91 the Bengals' defensive coordinator. LeBeau is the architect of the wildly popular zone-blitz defense. He spent the last five seasons teaching it to the Steelers but apparently couldn't say no to the Bengals' 1997 Reunion Tour. "It's great to be back," said LeBeau, who played cornerback at Ohio State and for the Lions. "This is kind of a dream come true for me." In fact, most of the team is just now waking from the nightmarish regime of former coach Dave Shula, who went 19-52 in 4 1/2 years with Cincinnati. Shula, now the executive vice president of the chain of steak houses owned by his father, Don, was replaced by Coslet after the first seven games of last season. Then, when the Bengals won seven of their last nine, many players wondered out loud just how good the team would have been if Coslet had been there from the beginning. Now they will find out. "It's great to be back," said LeBeau, who played cornerback at Ohio State and for the Lions. "This is kind of a dream come true for me." GREAT PLEASE LEAVE AGAIN. GO NOW!! Quarterback Jeff Blake certainly improved under Coslet. In his final nine games, Blake, a Pro Bowl starter in 1995, averaged 249 yards passing and threw 16 TDs. He skipped his family's vacation during the off-season to lift weights and work on his throwing skills; he should blossom further under the guidance of his backup, Esiason. Blake was a third-string QB with the Jets in 1994 when Esiason was the team's starter. Neither has a problem with a role reversal, though. "There's no hidden agenda or motive on my side," says the veteran Esiason. "Jeff is going to let me retire to greener pastures without having to take hits." One player the team desperately wants to see revert to his old form is third-year back Ki-Jana Carter. The No. 1 pick in the 1995 draft, Carter signed a seven-year, $19.2 million contract, promptly injured his knee in a preseason game and sat out his entire rookie season. He scored eight TDs over the final nine weeks in 1996 but reported to the team's first 1997 minicamp "big, slow and soft," according to trainer Paul Sparling, before trimming down to 220 pounds. Adding to the Bengals' explosiveness is one of the AFC's best receivers, Carl Pickens, whose 100 receptions ranked third in the league last season. He should become the team's alltime leading receiver this fall. "There is no next level for Carl," says Coslet. "He's one of the top three receivers in the NFL. Would I trade him for Michael Irvin? No. Would I trade him for Jerry Rice now? No." Coslet would probably like to trade a few of his defensive players, though. The Bengals' defense has long been suspect—it ranked 25th in the NFL in 1996. Things don't look much more promising for this year. Left end John Copeland couldn't bench-press 275 pounds even once at a recent minicamp, and linebacker James Francis decided to skip 13 weeks of workouts in Cincinnati during the off-season, thus forfeiting a $250,000 incentive. Such a lack of conditioning is a problem, considering that LeBeau's aggressive 3-4 defense requires speed, cunning and discipline. But a few Bengals defenders may have the tools to make things work. Linebacker Rico McDonald, who led the team at minicamp with 40 bench presses of 225 pounds, will flourish in the zone blitz. First-round pick Reinard Wilson, who played end at Florida State, will switch to linebacker in the 3-4, and tackle Dan Wilkinson (he had a team-high 6 1/2 sacks in 1996) will move over to end. Inside linebacker Steve Tovar led the team in tackles last season with 94—he has fully recovered from surgery to repair a late-season knee injury—and Ashley Ambrose (eight interceptions in 1996) was the first Bengals cornerback to make the Pro Bowl since 1988, the year the team made its last trip to the Super Bowl. Now, that's exactly the kind of retro vibe Cincy is hoping to replay this season. —by David Fleming Disgraceful Richard. 1 Superbowl as a player or coach... a little overrated? Like Cowher had some good teams? HOW ABOUT BUMP AND RUN? HOW ABOUT COVER 3? 1-4-6 2-3-6 3-3-5 2-4-5 0-5-6 DO THESE ON DIFFERENT STAGES IN THE GAME - DIFFERENT DRIVES. THE 3-4 BASE D AGAINST 5 WIDE OUTS IS LEBEAU'S SPECIALTY. ANYTHING DIFFERENT. THE WORST THING IS I KNOW MORE THAN BELICHICK. LEBEAU'S IS PATHETIC AND SERIOUSLY WE WERE LUCKY TO WIN THE THE SB IN 05... WE WERE HELPED BY THE REFS NO DOUBT. [size=9]TIME TO GO RICHARD... PATHETIC 8 YARD CUSHIONS = BUBBLE SCREENS, SLANTS. TIME TO GO 4-3 COVER 2 / 3. TOMLIN'S SCHEME. TAMPA 2. QUICK PLAYERS ON THE FIELD. LEBEAU'S ZONE D IS THE THING OF THE PAST... THE FUTURE OF THE NFL = THE PASS. WHAT DO THE STEELERS DO ... RUN IT... IT'S LIKE IT IS BUILT IN THE CITY OR SOMETHING / PSYCHE. TOMLIN NEEDS TO STOP THE RUBBISH. WHAT HAS POUNDING THE ROCK GOT US? 1 SB (LUCKY) IN 16 YRS. DON'T TELL ME THE STEEL CURTAIN POUNDED THE ROCK. THEY USED A 56 / 44 PASS TO RUN RATIO. YOU MORONS ARE AS BAD AS LEBEAU AND COWHER... WITH THIS RUNNING THE BALL RUBBISH AND PLAYING A 3-4 BASE AGAINST 4 AND 5 RECIEVERS. ITS YESTERDAY'S NEWS LIKE THIS SITE... RUBBISH. LEBEAU IS A LIABILITY OF THIS TEAM JUST LIKE COWHER WAS. TIME FOR CHANGE... HOW MUCH GAMEPLANNING CAN A 72 YR OLD MAN DO ANYWAY. HE stuff HIS PANTS AND PISSES THE BED AT HOME... HOW CAN HE STUDY TAPE? MORONS... 1 Superbowl as a player or coach... a little overrated? Like Cowher had some good teams? HOW ABOUT BUMP AND RUN? HOW ABOUT COVER 3? 1-4-6 2-3-6 3-3-5 2-4-5 0-5-6 DO THESE ON DIFFERENT STAGES IN THE GAME - DIFFERENT DRIVES. THE 3-4 BASE D AGAINST 5 WIDE OUTS IS LEBEAU'S SPECIALTY. ANYTHING DIFFERENT. THE WORST THING IS I KNOW MORE THAN BELICHICK. LEBEAU'S IS PATHETIC AND SERIOUSLY WE WERE LUCK TO WIN THE THE SB IN 05... WE WERE HELPED BY THE REFS NO DOUBT. TIME TO GO RICHARD... PATHETIC 8 YARD CUSHIONS = BUBBLE SCREENS, SLANTS. TIME TO GO 4-3 COVER 2 / 3. TOMLIN'S SCHEME. TAMPA 2. QUICK PLAYERS ON THE FIELD. LEBEAU'S ZONE D IS THE THING OF THE PAST... THE FUTURE OF THE NFL = THE PASS. WHAT DO THE STEELERS DO ... RUN IT... IT'S LIKE BUILT IN THE CITY / PSYCHE. TOMLIN NEEDS TO STOP THE RUBBISH. WHAT HAS POUNDING THE ROCK GOT US? 1 SB (LUCKY) IN 40 YRS as a player or coach? So again Why does Dick Lebeau not get scrutinised like other coaches? Age? What. Tell me experts. Frame-by-Frame: Spread Offense vs Steeler Defense I have been down on our defensive secondary for a few years. At no time are their weaknesses exposed more than when the Steelers face a spread offense. If every team had a veteran QB with one or two very good WRs and some average ones thrown into the mix to take up space, then we might see this every week. It completely neutralizes the Steelers blitz package and takes our LBs off their game. Against a 3WR Colt offense, the Steelers can still blitz Peyton Manning and give him problems. Against the Bengals and their 3WR and 4WR sets, we manage to get to Palmer at times, but their WRs are good enough to get open quickly (especially Houshmandzadeh and Henry…..when being covered by Deshea Townsend). Against the Patriots and Tom Brady, their 4WR and 5WR formations really give us problems. We can look forward to Wes Welker matched up against CB Townsend and GOING OFF on us for about 160 yards. ————- Let’s look at Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals (minus Pro Bowl WR Anquan Boldin) spread the field and pick up some easy yardage. On this drive, Warner goes 6-for-7 on a 70 yard drive that lasts 3:43 Play 1: Here we see a 5WR formation with Edge lined up in the slot. Notice the huge cushion that each WR is getting. Arizona has 5 OL. If 6 Steelers rush the passer here (DL and LBs), then a quick slant would pick up big yardage. If ZERO LBS rush, then Warner has all day and night to find somebody eventually work themselves free against the Steelers DBs (who are not all that great man-to-man). No doubt Kurt Warner sees Edge lined up against a LB and WR Urban (who later snags a TD pass) with the same matchup. The ball is snapped and Farrior and Haggans are bringing pressure. Warner is looking left and finds Fitzgerald open as he clears the LB in front of him. If he had been looking right (top of your screen), then he could have thrown the ball to either inside WR for a nice 8 yard gain. Also important is to note that the Steelers blitz here, but because they HAVE TO cover the 5WRs on the field, they can only bring 5 men to pressure the QB. Arizona has 5 OL in to block, so no worries for Kurt…he hits Fitzgerald for 9 yards on 1st down. Play 2: Same exact formation. This time it’s 2nd and 1, and Arizona is still in a 5WR formation. This time, the Steelers bring 4 men and drop everyone else into coverage. At the line of scrimmage, the Cardinals have 5 vs 4, so no real chance for a sack or for pressuring the QB. On the last play, we saw MLB Farrior blitz. This time, he drops back into zone coverage. If you have a veteran QB and decent WRs, then you can pull these plays off with relative ease. Cardinal scrub WR settles into the zone for an easy 6 yard catch. So that is 15 yards on 2 plays. Arizona made it look like a 7-on-7 drill. They created mismatches, they dictated to the defense, and picked up yardage. When our defense is spread like this and our DBs are in coverage and our LBs are dropping into zone, the whole BLITZBURGH STEELERS and SMASHMOUTH FOOTBALL stuff goes right out the window. This has been the absolute best way to attack our defense for about 4 years running. I’m surprised more teams don’t do this to us, but like I said, you need a good QB to pull this off. Let’s hope the rest of the league continues to try to run the ball against us and tries to have a good mix of run vs pass. We eat offenses like that for breakfast. In case you were wondering…the last time we played Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck threw the ball 49 times. Take a look at their play chart in the Super Bowl and tell me that they didn’t spot a weakness in the Steelers secondary. Check this out: Drive 1: 7 plays, 5 passes. Drive 2: 7 plays, 6 passes. Drive 3: 7 plays, 4 passes The score was tied at this point…they weren’t playing catch up. They had 2 weeks to prepare a gameplan and they thought the best way to attack our team was through the air. To go back a bit further, in the 2004 AFC Championship game, Tom Brady and the Patriots threw the ball 11 times on their first 16 plays while jumping out to a 24-3 lead at halftime. I know this is an old stat, but when teams have a while to prepare for us in big games, they seem to go right after our secondary. This is how to get Woodley and Timmons more REPS... On first Down: RDE - Woodley NT - Hampton (2 gap scheme) As per normal. LDE - Haggans ROLB - Harrison LOLB - Foote MLB 1 - Farrior MLB 2 - Timmons (IN SPACE) until gets more strength. CB 1 - Taylor CB 2 - BMac FS - Clark / Smith SS - Pol On second down: replace linebacker with defensive back. Replace Hampton with Smith. (Now nickel) RDE - Woodley NT - Smith (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton. LDE - Haggans LOLB - Harrison MLB 1 - Farrior MLB 2 - Timmons CB 1 - Taylor CB 2 - BMac CB 3 - Townsend FS - Clark / Smith SS - Pol On third down: replace another linebacker with defensive back. Replace Smith with Kiesel. (Now Dime) Farrior gets benched for Timmons. RDE - Woodley NT - Keisel (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton. LDE - Haggans LOLB - Harrison (Floater) Goes wherever their D line is weak. Blitz or cover area of field. MLB 1 - Timmons CB 1 - Taylor CB 2 - BMac CB 3 - Townsend CB 4 - Smith / Clark FS - Clark / Smith SS - Pol This will allow more playmakers on the field. The plan is to play FS and SS deep in a cover 2 scheme. They will clean up the run game. All corners when they are on the field will cover the WR (everywhere they go - NO ZONE). They get support over the top from the safeties. With only 1 Dlineman (really) on the line at times it will give Lebeau more ability to Zone blitz the backers and now (Linebackers) at the end spot. Imagine Haggans and Woodley 'having a zone' the 'other designated blitzers' would have a field day. I love DE's who can cover as well. You will cover everything and only send 2 or maybe 3 , 4 guys at once. NO MORE. As we have more speed on the field we will clean up the short passing game. With Hampton / (Smith and Kiesel) on the nose (Keisel on 3rd downs or long yardage situations) we will stop the inside runs. Runs to the outside will be impossible. Keisel and Smith and even Hampton can drop back into coverage at stages. And Smith and Keisel could QB spy and even run with running backs knowing we have 2 safeties deep. The Zone blitz here would be amazing. Every guy could drop or rush making the other team having to max protect. Then you can send 2 maybe 3 guys and the rest are covered. And still pressure. The more backers the better. Sub-em in, Sub-em out. Keep - em - fresh. Our backers can play DE. P.S this will work in most situations but would be near on impossible for a team to come back from 1 or more scores down. The reality with the COLTS and PATS not having a 'stud' running back we could limit the passing yards and probably give the back 3 - 3.5 yards a carry. This scheme makes the running back beat you. They don't against us. This is great for the cap. Linebackers are less than DE / DT. I don't know why teams pay over the odds for a DT / DE when they are one dimensional. They don't cover and are shocking against the run. This would keep the PATS / COLTS to 21 to 24 points. Approx 200 yards passing. 85 - 110 on the ground. Can we score that against them? YES. Against the PATS / COLTS we must run the football. A.v 3.8 / 4.0 yards a carry. Don't let Belicheat start nickles and Dimes. PATS LIKE TO SCORE FIRST. IF WE DO WE CAN WIN THIS FOOTBALL MATCH. We can do what the patriots did to the rams this season. Keep everything in front of us and let SMITH POL, TAYLOR BMAC, TYRONE CARTER MAKE THEIR HEADS SWIVEL AROUND. I LIKE THE MATCH UP OF POL AND SMITH VS MOSS AND STALLWORTH IN A COLLISION GAME. LIKEWISE THE COLTS TANDEM OF WIDEOUTS. We could get to be in a 3-4 Look (Timmons to ger WR 3 ) a 2-4-5, a 3-3-5, 1-5-5 and Other Nickel and Dime packages more easily as I believe the no huddle will be used by a lot of teams down the stretch. When we are in our base 3-4 look Timmons will take care of WR 3 or the Slot reciever. Timmons vs Welker? Timmons gives you the opportunity to play him as a QB spy as well. Re McNair / Scrambling QB'S. We must play Nickel and Dime packages all game against the Pats, Colts. Against Ravens and Titans you stop the run. With all our backers on the field there will be no where to run. The more backers the better. Sub-em in, Sub-em out. Keep - em - fresh. Our backers can play DE. I still believe the team to beat this season is the COLTS. The RESULT yesterday was inspired by THE GHOSTS OF THE LOSER BILL COWHER himself: Why we lost against the Jags in Wildcard round:

It is real simple: DICK LEBEAU AND

Again we started to run the ball when we did not need to. We moved it perfectly down the field on the first drive by passing. When we started to run – we got into 2 and 3rd and longs. Defenses know it is a pass = Int’s.

We need an Oline who pass blocks. Simple. 62 / 38 pass to run ratio. It is far too easy to stop the run. We need 3-4 new starters on OLINE. PASS BLOCKERS ONLY.

Lebeau – is overrated. Retire him. We need to employ Rob RYAN – not REX. Rob was the OUTSIDE linebackers coach in 2 of NEW England’s SUPERBOWLS.

These players are finished in PITTSburgh:

Haggans, Faneca, Starks, Carter, M. Smith, Keisel, Foote, Farrior, Townsend. All overrated or too old / slow.

Mike Tomlin and Bruce Arians must be given credit. The players left are still ‘Loser Bill Cowher’ players. Weed em out. Get Tomlin’s imprimatur on this side.

Arians has the right idea of how the NFL is moving; the pass. However do not run it for the sake of it. No need. Only gets you in trouble.

When you spread out the opponents Defense – 3 / 4 wides it is much easier for the QB to know who is blitzing.

Mike Tomlin is a winner. I like him – he must be given credit for entering and giving Cowher’s staff one last shot. They had it and ruined it. THIS IS NOW SOLELY MIKE TOMLIN’S JOB.

Woodley, Timmons are going to be beauties. Trust me on that.

Poor Sep – The Punter had to actually save the ST’s by punting short. THE SPECIAL TEAMS COACH MUST BE FIRED. SPECIAL TEAMS IS NOT HARD. THIS STILL HAD COWHER’S GHOSTS ON IT.

Cowher left Tomlin with no Oline depth and no Dline depth. Football is played in the trenches.

I would seriously think about trading BIG ben.

IF you could get Trent Edwards + 1 and 2 pick for Ben I would do it in a heart beat.

Do not give BIG BEN – BIG MONEY. WASTE. SPEND ON FREE AGENTS AND OLINE IF NECESSARY – NOT BIG BEN.

THE 3-4 IS FINISHED. OUR 3-4 TEAM ARE OLD AND WORN OUT. FOOTE, HAGGANS, FARRIOR, KEISEL ARE APPAULING Carter / Smith.

I am proud of Tomlin and if you give him ‘his team’ he will excel. If you give Mike 15+ yrs in the Job – he comes home with more than 1 Lombardi trophy.

4-3 Cover 2 is the way to go. YOU NEED TO STOP THE PASS – AND YOU DO IT BY SIMPLY RUSHING 4 PLAYERS. NO MORE NO LESS.

RDE = draft

UT = McBean / keisel / aaron Smith

NT = Hampton / draft

LDE = Woodley / Keisel/

ROLB = Timmons

MLB = draft

LOLB = Harrison

CB 1 = Taylor

CB 2 = BMAC

SS = POL

FS = draft pick. NEED A COVERAGE FS SAFETY / SURE TACKLER. QUICK 4-3 / 4.4 SPEED.

Draft =

1. RDE (either for 3-4 / 4-3 cover 2)
2. OL
3. MLB
4. FS
5. OL
6. UT / DT
7. WR – BIG.

Must spend coin on OLINE and WR’s in FREE AGENCY.

Tomlin, Arians, Oline have copped it. Why not the ‘wizard’ Lebeau.

He has players falling for playaction when sides don’t pass and gameplanning is poor.

In consecutive weeks we have been slaughtered through the air and this week on the ground.

This bloke gets away scot free.

I have been on to this phony for years.

50 years coaching / playing for 1 SB. Says it all really.

Dick Lebeau should be in the Hall of Shame not hall of fame.

Lebeau talks about Hall of Fame snub.

Leblow SHOULD not be with team in 08. He is overrated and useless. He is 72 yrs old, he **** the bed, he pisses his pants and **** his pants in video review - And he often forgets his name, forgets where his clipboard is at times, And finally - forgets where Heinz field is. Often late.

In consecutive weeks and previewing plays to run against Jags and Pats he ‘asked Tomlin to tie up his shoes’ as he had forgotten how.

Tomlin’s response was ‘Dick your being a **** - now blow yourself you silly old cunte’.

Lebeau spoke recently with a host of Steeler representatives about his being overlooked in the NFL’s hall of Fame.

Dick was actually given the title - but had forgotten how to get to Canton -Ohio. Dick was born there.

I was happy he did not attend:

He should be in the Hall of Shame. To make the HOF you actually have to be half decent.

Dick is useless - like a virgin working in a brothel. Overrated - out of his depth.

ANYONE FOR TAMPA 2 ?… EFEECTIVELY A 4 MAN RUSH BY DLINE AND A COVER 3 BEHIND IT.

FARRIOR TO ALMOST GO AS FAR BACK AS SAFTEIES ON PASS PLAY. COVERING MIDDLE FIELD.

I THINK TOMLIN MUST PLAY HIS TAMPA 2 AGAINST THE Pats**** NEXT TIME AROUND…

WOODLEY LDE / HARRISON / KEISEL RDE. TIMMONS ROLB / FOOTE / HAGGANS LOLB. FARRIOR / TIMMONS MLB.

PROBABLY NEED A RDE IN DRAFT TO MAKE IT WORK.

LEBEAU’S 5 MAN BLITZ (ZONE IS USELESS) AGAINST A QUICK THROWER.

AS YOU SEE A 4 MAN RUSH WAS MAINTAINABLE BY OUR D’S LOFTY STANDARDS.

YOU DON’T BEAT THE CHEATS BY RUSHING MORE THAN 4 - YOU REALLY DON’T. ARE YOU LISTENING LE STINK?

TOMLIN COULD CONVERT OUR BASE 3-4 TO TAMPA 2 without subbing

A base 3-4 D has the 2 middle backers on the SAME level as each other…

All you would have to do is place the middle backer (2) just say FOOTE / TIMMONS 3-5 YARDS CLOSER to the safeties. FARRIOR ON OUR RIGHT SIDE STAYS THE SAME.

When he reads / knows it is pass he drops back the the safeties level… (TAMPA 2)

If he reads run / and it is a run (Anthony Smith ) he tackles the ball carrier.

WHY HASN’T TOMLIN AND LEBEAU DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

IT IS IN ESSENCE THE TAMPA 2 DEFENSE - However it would be better against the run.

If the D line plays 2 gap (WHICH WE DO MOST TIMES) and Harrison IS THE BACKER COMING AFTER THE QB Foote / Timmons plays deeper than the normal MLB 2 does in a base 3-4.

It will stop the INTERMEDIATE ball - safeties do not charge until the ball is over the line of scrimmage AND in a back’s hand…

ANTHONY SMITH - FALLS FOR PLAYACTION WHEN Pats**** RUN IT 8 TIMES… STAY DEEP. SAFETIES WILL STAY DEEP ALL GAME.

AN EASY WAY TO STOP PASSING SIDES… AND YOU HAVE BACKERS AND D / LINE ON THE FIELD SO NO-ONE WILL RUN ON US.

AS THE DLINE’S JOB IS TO TIE UP BLOCKERS ANYWAY THE BACKER WHO BLITZES SHOULD COME BASICALLY FREE.

EASY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WE HAD SUNDAY.

TIMMONS WOULD EXCEL AT THIS SPOT. QUICK / CAN CATCH AND CAN HIT AND STOMP ON BACKS RUNNING THE BALL.

So…

As per normal up front

but MLB’S LINE UP LIKE THIS

Timmons / FOOTE = third level

Farrior. = 2nd level

DLINE. (FIRST LEVEL)

MLB 2 (TIMMONS / FOOTE) 3-5 yards further back of their normal spot at MLB2 (CLOSER TO SAFETIES) FROM FARRIOR.

WITH HAMPTON INSIDE THE RUN UP THE MIDDLE IS AVOIDED ANYWAY.

Simple yet effective.

And oh so easy.

TAMPA 2 MADE EASY. WITHOUT SUBSTITUTING PLAYERS AND THE LIKE… GREAT AGAINST THE NO HUDDLE.
KEY IS TO ONLY RUSH 4 PEOPLE. GENERALLY D / LINE AND ONE BACKER.

ANY ZONE BLITZES (KEIESEL / SMITH) DROPPING IN TO COVERAGE HAS TO HAVE A SIMILAR RESULT. WHERE SOMEONE COVERS THE MIDDLE PART OF THE FIELD A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL… 6 - 12 YARDS SHOULD DO IT.

Instead of a 25 yard completion it may go for 6-8. BIG DIFFERENCE.

SO IF YOU ARE PLAYING A RUN - ORIENTATED TEAM - BALTILESS - NORMAL 3-4 BASE. MIDDLE BACKERS ON SAME LEVEL.
IF YOU ARE PLAYING COLTS AND Pats**** - PASSING TEAMS - DROP THE MLB2 - Foote and Timmons further back - 5-6 yards. It is effectively the Tampa 2 (ending up the same level as safeties) = cover 3.

However with better run stoppers on the field than a normal Tampa 2, SIDES WILL NOT POWER RUN US like you can do to the colts.

The D / line. Keisel / Smith / McBean could rush just a little more. With the knowledge a run will be supported by Timmons - further back. And a pass will have a cover 2, plus Timmons playing that Tampa 2 ‘Mike’ linebacker role. EFFECTIVELY COVER 3 And or covering the Slot reciever / or third wide out - at a deeper level. E.G WELKER.

IT WORKS. AND IT CONFUSES QB’S NO END.

Am I correct in saying… That Samuel is not a cover corner

That Asante Samuel is not a cover corner.

Asante Samuel is completely a system cornerback. His role is to play deep zone on the right hand side of the field.

The *** Pats**** - effectively have a cover 3 on everyplay.

Samuel - deep zone, the SS and FS all play a 3 deep zone.

If Harrison comes up to stop the run or play on the Tight end then…

Samuel and Hobbs will play deep zone with the free safety (Wilson , Gay). Effectively a cover 3 deep.

If you notice Samuel really does not care if you catch a 6-8 yard pass on him - the system (BELICHEAT) only asks him to play deep zone. YOU OFTEN SEE HIM CHEATING - JUMPING A ROUTE AS HE IS DEEPER THAN THE WIDE OUT HE IS GUARDING and can make a play on the ball.
Surely comebacks, outs and in routes should be played against him.

Am I correct or wrong on this fact.

Why can’t Ike Taylor play the same way… he is just as quick, and a 8 yard completion is better than a 40 yarder.

Simple yet effective.

Why don’t sides play 3 WR’S ON THE RIGHT AND MAKE SAMUEL HARRISON AND THE LOLB ACCOUNTABLE.

Obviously the way the Pats**** defend, they cover deep and the sidelines.

THE MIDDLE IS ENTIRELY OPEN.

MILLER AND SPAETH SHOULD HAVE SHREDDED THEM - IF THEY WERE THROWN THE BALL LAST SUNDAY.

Bookmark this post. Lawrence Timmons will be the best backer

If lined up like this he will be the greatest sack leader of all time.

FS deep. Clark / Smith gets wr3.

Pol = wr 4 (lined up with backers 2nd level. With 1st middle linbacker.

Foote = 5th wr = back. 3rd level just behind 2nd level a little more to his right.

Bmac= 2 Wr.

Ike = wr 1.

Timmons, Woodley, Smith, Haggans, Hampton, Farrior / Foote blitz everydown. Timmons plays just a little wider at ROLB. If a TE is not moved there it is SMITH and Timmons VS LT.

The Corners play 7-8 yards of wide recievers.

You get 7-8 sacks everygame. The quarterback is taken out everygame.

It is the Steelers equivalent of the chuck and duck. But as we have Hampton and Farrior inside no-one runs inisde. As the CB’s are 7-8 yards off WR’s they stop the outside runs. As Timmons is wider at ROLB no side runs to the left of the line. Accordingly Foote Farrior Woodley and Haggans can line up a little wider in their positions to stop the run to the right.

A great Defense. If the quarterback does get a long one off it gives you time to Carson him = out of the game for good.

Can I be Defensive coordinator. You know you love it.

This is how to get Woodley and Timmons more gametime

On first Down:

RDE - Woodley

NT - Hampton (2 gap scheme) As per normal.

LDE - Haggans

ROLB - Harrison

LOLB - Foote

MLB 1 - Farrior

MLB 2 - Timmons (IN SPACE) until gets more strength.

CB 1 - Taylor

CB 2 - BMac

FS - Clark / Smith

SS - Pol

On second down: replace linebacker with defensive back. Replace Hampton with Smith. (Now nickel)

RDE - Woodley

NT - Smith (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton.

LDE - Haggans

LOLB - Harrison

MLB 1 - Farrior

MLB 2 - Timmons

CB 1 - Taylor

CB 2 - BMac

CB 3 - Townsend

FS - Clark / Smith

SS - Pol

On third down: replace another linebacker with defensive back. Replace Smith with Kiesel. (Now Dime) Farrior gets benched for Timmons.

RDE - Woodley

NT - Keisel (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton.

LDE - Haggans

LOLB - Harrison (Floater) Goes wherever their D line is weak. Blitz or cover area of field.

MLB 1 - Timmons

CB 1 - Taylor

CB 2 - BMac

CB 3 - Townsend

CB 4 - Smith / Clark

FS - Clark / Smith

SS - Pol

This will allow more playmakers on the field. The plan is to play FS and SS deep in a cover 2 scheme. They will clean up the run game.

All corners when they are on the field will cover the WR (everywhere they go - NO ZONE). They get support over the top from the safeties.

With only 1 Dlineman (really) on the line at times it will give Lebeau more ability to Zone blitz the backers and now (Linebackers) at the end spot.
Imagine Haggans and Woodley ‘having a zone’ the ‘other designated blitzers’ would have a field day. I love DE’s who can cover as well.

You will cover everything and only send 2 or maybe 3 , 4 guys at once. NO MORE.

As we have more speed on the field we will clean up the short passing game. With Hampton / (Smith and Kiesel) on the nose (Keisel on 3rd downs or long yardage situations) we will stop the inside runs. Runs to the outside will be impossible.

Keisel and Smith and even Hampton can drop back into coverage at stages. And Smith and Keisel could QB spy and even run with running backs knowing we have 2 safeties deep.

The Zone blitz here would be amazing. Every guy could drop or rush making the other team having to max protect. Then you can send 2 maybe 3 guys and the rest are covered. And still pressure.

P.S this will work in most situations but would be near on impossible for a team to come back from 1 or more scores down.

The reality with the COLTS and Pats**** not having a ’stud’ running back we could limit the passing yards and probably give the back 3 - 3.5 yards a carry.

This scheme makes the running back beat you. They don’t against us.

This is great for the cap. Linebackers are less than DE / DT.

I don’t know why teams pay over the odds for a DT / DE when they are one dimensional. They don’t cover and are shocking against the run.

This would keep the Pats**** / COLTS to 21 to 24 points. Approx 200 yards passing. 85 - 110 on the ground. BECAUSE OF LE STINK

Can we score that against them? YES.

Against the Pats**** / COLTS we must run the football. A.v 3.8 / 4.0 yards a carry. Don’t let Belicheat start nickles and Dimes. Pats**** LIKE TO SCORE FIRST. IF WE DO WE CAN WIN THIS FOOTBALL MATCH.

Is Mike Tomlin an X’s and O’s coach, or more like Cowher - motivator and no-more.

Please tell me it is the former.

WE DO THESE THINGS WE BEAT THE CHEATRIOTS.

That’s why LEBLOW failed for me as he had the sole rights of DE’s - OLB’s for more than 10 years. No other side played the 3-4 for long periods. He should have 3 SB rings. Cowher never realised the Nickel and Dime Defense - be it the 3-3-5 the 2-4-5 1-4-6 can slow down teams.

That’s how Belichick defeated the Giants and Rams. If I was coach against the Pats****** (Not regular game - don’t give it away) but in the playoffs I would use the 2-4-5 and the 1-4-6 often. At times rush just 3 out of the 2-4-5. Using the LDE on the Tightend. Playing a cover 3. FARRIOR COVERING MIDDLE / WELKER’s dumpoffs and bubble screens. MAKE THE BACK BEAT YOU WHICH RARELY EVER DOES TO PITTSBURGH.
WELKER MAKES THE Pats****** GO. YOU MUST HIT HIM,HIT HIM,HIT HIM, SIMILAR TO BELICHICK DID TO MARSHALL FAULK. (Martz and Levy should have run more) but the Pats****** can’t against us even if we are in our nickels as we play the run well. I THOUGHT BELICHICK WOULD HAVE CALLED DILLON AS THEY NEED A BACK WHO THREATENS A D. MARONEY DOES NOT AT THIS STAGE. So you can sell out on the pass.
We can Belichick Belichick against the Pats******. Keep possession (use Najeh) more as a power runner against the 3-4 D.

We would need the ball 34 - 36 mins to win it. We can and will I believe come playoffs.

Why? Don’t let em get behind you, and smash the WR’s all day. Moss is soft, Welker avoids body contact, Stallworth = yuk.

You need to establish the run game, thats how you beat Belichick’s teams. Might refer to Mike Shanahan’s PLANS against him. = Good success. MUST USE NAJEH MORE. I think Mahan with Kreider’s chop blocks can go ok against Wilfork - opening up the middle.

You pick on Hobbs and Bruschi and Seau in the passing game. Miller and Speath will have big games. Need to run it 40 times to win. Pick your spots. When going deep don’t go to Eugene Wilson’s side. 40 times = 130 - 150 yards will be enough.

Adalius Thomas is a liability in the run game and does not play like a 270 linebacker.

Believe me its do-able and we will win it. IN the cold FOXBORO. MOSS = LIABILITY.

Belichick and Brady are ego’s. Loves throwing the ball - both of them. Maroney can’t be trusted to carry the load. FUMBLES:

you don’t think they would just run Maroney against that D? Did Faulk? Thurman Thomas? Not enough.

Brady’s ego will not allow a back to run it 35 times - Corey Dillon is not there anymore. THIS IS BIG TOM BRADY’S TEAM. BEAT EGOMANIAC QB’S BY MAKING THE BACK BEAT YOU. He can’t help himself, with 8 in coverage and using different zone blizes - rushing 3-4 he will get flustered. (SAN DIEGO GAME LAST YEAR)

NEW ENGLAND’S CANT AND WON’T BEAT US if they need a back to do it for them.

Will: Moss, Stallworth and Welker like not being thrown the ball. NO.

NOW… i have stated this a while back. WE WILL WIN THIS GAME.

PARKER MUST catch balls out of the back field. Atleast 7-8 catches. Belichick does not respect HB’s who can run and catch. Fact.

The Slot NB should be Townsend / Timmons. Covering Welker all game.

The Pats****** RG and RT are poor. Sub in Haggans / Woodley / Timmons even Keisel at LOLB all game.

The two most underrated / important players to the Pats****** O are Welker and Watson.

All Pats****** WR’s are scared. HIT HIT HIT ALL GAME. ENSURE THEY DON’T GET BEHIND YOU.

ON O SPREAD THE Pats****** OUT. 3 WR’S 1 TE 1 HB. Make sure you keep Seau and Brushi on coverage. Throw to Parker alot. Make em miss. Throw short / run long.

we win this 24 - 16.

CORRECTION: WITH KREIDER OUT IT MAY BE DAVIS, OR SPREAD EM OUT WITH NO FULLBACK AT ALL.

Willie’s catching and YAC and not running is key in this game.

To beat a 3-4 D you need a POWER BACK to break through the 3 D man line and 2 OLB’s who obviously are not as strong as Olineman, or should not be. Willie is not a POWERBACK unfortunately. = Davenport.

In this game make Moroney beat you. He won’t. Sell out on the pass.

Anyone notice Belicheat’s face when the rats only rushed 3 guys. To me it signified you never rush just 3 against the Pats******. BELICHICK’S FACE AND BODY LANGUAGE GAVE THAT AWAY.

I thought when a side is close to your goal line you blitz more as there is less area to cover. It appears Ryan stuffed up. Did opposite to this.

Blitz when side is near goalline / or within 30 yards. Play Coverage at your end of the field?

Rashean Mathis is the best corner in the game. But if we….

Rashean Mathis is the best corner in the game. But if we could get Asomosaga (s.p) from raiders (free agent) next season I wouldn’t be complaining. Imagine a true Shutdown corner with Our D. Unstoppable I’ll tell ya.

[b]Blueprint To Beat LeBeau Written In 2002 / base 3-4 to Tampa 2 in a flash. By Dagger | December 11, 2007

http://www.postgameheroes.com/?p=1905

Brett Keisel was quoted after the Steeler game saying that the defense was “surprised that the Pats**** threw the ball as much as they did” and that they expected them to mix run and pass. Huh??? Are you kidding me? Keisel also went on to say that “the gameplan we had coming into the game needs to be thrown into the trash” and that the Steelers weren’t prepared for what the Pats**** did on offense.

Brett Keisel was quoted after the Steeler game saying that the defense was “surprised that the Pats**** threw the ball as much as they did” and that they expected them to mix run and pass. Huh??? Are you kidding me? Keisel also went on to say that “the gameplan we had coming into the game needs to be thrown into the trash” and that the Steelers weren’t prepared for what the Pats**** did on offense. uuuummm yeah. Understatement of the year. But how can this be? Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Your good buddy, Dagger is here to take you back in time with a quick history lesson. Let’s hope this look into the past doesn’t dig up any old ghosts or fall into the hands of any more Offensive Coordinators.

Alrighty….let’s start off with the basics. The Steelers have lost 6 of the last 7 to New England. Wondering why? Well, the Pats**** do what many teams in the NFL are unwilling to do….when they face the Steelers they toss aside conventional wisdom, they often abandon the run, and the attack the Steelers greatest weakness (their pass D). Sure our DLs and LBs are fantastic in the run game. Yes our LBs can blitz and pressure the QB in this complicated defensive scheme, but NO….this defense was not built to stop the spread offense. The spread offense is the Dick LeBeau 3-4 defense’s Kryptonite.

When the Pats**** come out in a 5WR formation at their own one yard line, I think that tells you that they have spotted a weakness in the Steelers defense and they’re hell bent on exploiting it. Screw the running game. Who cares how many times you run the ball? Who says you have to be balanced on offense? If your strength just so happens to be your opponent’s weakness, then you’d be silly not to attack it.

I hate the Pats**** but I LOVE the way they spit in the face of the old-timer “run-run-pass” offensive logic. One week their opponents dictate that they must rely on a passing attack, the next week they give the ball to Maroney all game, the next week Maroney gets 2 carries, etc….I just admire their aggressive nature. (But I hate them) I hope you understand. I guess I respect the fact that they PLAY TO WIN THE GAME by any and all means necessary. There are so many coaches and teams in the NFL that are so ultra-conservative that they almost handicap their own offense. The Steelers sit nearly $10 Million dollars below the NFL salary cap. This past offseason, the Pats**** acquired Moss, Welker, Gaffney, Adalius Thomas, Stallworth, and others. Again, being aggressive and “going for it.” You have to respect that. They build from within just like us, they draft well and all that good stuff, but they compliment their homegrown talent with good acquisitions. While the Pats**** are out acquiring Pro Bowl talent, the Steelers are playing it nice and conservative….picking up Sean Mahan and Cedric Wilson.

To quote myself and a widely-used NHL saying “Safe Is Death” and the Pats**** never, ever, ever play safe.

The Blueprint

The Pats**** invented the offensive blueprint to beat the Steelers way back in week 1 of the 2002 season. Before we get into specifics, let me describe a defense and you tell me how you think you should/could attack it.

[b]OK….so you tell me. How do you attack this defense? Run, Run, Pass? A balanced offense? Play-action? Smashmouth? No. You spread them out and attack in the air. [/b]

Week 1 2002— New England opens up the season vs Pittsburgh and Brady goes 29/43 for 294 yards and 3 TDs. Steelers lose.

*very important note here is that in Week 2 of the 2002 season, the Oakland Raiders and Rich Gannon COPY the Pats**** gameplan and come out throwing. Gannon goes 43/64 for 403 yards and 1 TD. Wow. Steelers lose.

2001: Brady/Bledsoe go 22/39 for 217 yards and 1TD. Steelers lose AFC Championship game.

2002: Brady goes 29/43 for 294 yards and 3TDs. Steelers lose.

2004: Brady goes 25/43 for 271 yards and 2TD. Steelers Win.

2004: Brady goes 14/21 for 207 yards and 2TD. Steelers lose AFC Championship game.

2005: Brady goes 31/41 for 372 yards 0TD. Steelers lose.

2007: Brady goes 32/46 for 399 yards and 4TD. Steelers lose.

TOTALS:

The Pats**** have completed 66% of their passes against the Steelers since 2001. The Pats**** have only had a “ton” of offensive weapons at WR for one of those games. It’s not the personnel, it’s the scheme and gameplan that kills the Steelers. This 3-4 scheme CANNOT and WILL NOT beat the Pats**** as currently constructed. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Steelers this year using 4WR and 5WR sets. The Raiders used the blueprint in 2002 and attempted 64 passes in one game against our D! Let’s thank the football gods that so many teams “play not to lose” and play so tight offensively. Let’s also be thankful that some teams can’t find 5 bodies skilled enough to split all of them out wide and use these formations against us.

The Steelers have had 6 or 7 years to come up with a gameplan to beat the Pats**** and their 5WR spread offense and they simply can’t do it. If we see this team again (this year, next year, the year after), then we must come up with a completely different scheme. I don’t care if you drop 10 guys into coverage. I don’t care if you only have one DL on the field, I don’t care if you have 1 LB on the field. Make the Pats**** run the ball. They WANT to pass on you, take away the thing they want to do and make them play to your strength. We’d have a better chance stopping their offense if you put the ball in Maroney’s hands and take it away from Brady.

WHAT IS WORSE…

Actually, the Bengals invented this method of beating the Steelers and LeBeau’s defense in 2001…when the team was coached by…wait for it…

DICK LEBEAU!

This defense is best known as a run-stuffing defense that plays with 4 LBs, gets 0 pressure from the DL. This team has had below average CBs for an entire decade, has “run stopping safeties…not coverage or speedy safeties” and loves to blitz. [/b]

TOMLIN COULD CONVERT OUR BASE 3-4 TO TAMPA 2 without subbing [/color]

A base 3-4 D has the 2 middle backers on the SAME level as each other…

All you would have to do is place the middle backer (2) just say FOOTE / TIMMONS 3-5 YARDS CLOSER to the safeties. FARRIOR ON OUR RIGHT SIDE STAYS THE SAME.

When he reads / knows it is pass he drops back the the safeties level… (TAMPA 2)

If he reads run / and it is a run (Anthony Smith ) he tackles the ball carrier.

WHY HASN’T TOMLIN AND LEBEAU DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

IT IS IN ESSENCE THE TAMPA 2 DEFENSE - However it would be better against the run.

If the D line plays 2 gap (WHICH WE DO MOST TIMES) and Harrison IS THE BACKER COMING AFTER THE QB Foote / Timmons plays deeper than the normal MLB 2 does in a base 3-4.

It will stop the INTERMEDIATE ball - safeties do not charge until the ball is over the line of scrimmage AND in a back’s hand…

ANTHONY SMITH - FALLS FOR PLAYACTION WHEN Pats**** RUN IT 8 TIMES… STAY DEEP. SAFETIES WILL STAY DEEP ALL GAME.

AN EASY WAY TO STOP PASSING SIDES… AND YOU HAVE BACKERS AND D / LINE ON THE FIELD SO NO-ONE WILL RUN ON US.

AS THE DLINE’S JOB IS TO TIE UP BLOCKERS ANYWAY THE BACKER WHO BLITZES SHOULD COME BASICALLY FREE.

EASY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WE HAD SUNDAY.

TIMMONS WOULD EXCEL AT THIS SPOT. QUICK / CAN CATCH AND CAN HIT AND STOMP ON BACKS RUNNING THE BALL.

So…

As per normal up front

but MLB’S LINE UP LIKE THIS

Timmons / FOOTE = third level

Farrior. = 2nd level

DLINE. (FIRST LEVEL)

MLB 2 (TIMMONS / FOOTE) 3-5 yards further back of their normal spot at MLB2 (CLOSER TO SAFETIES) FROM FARRIOR.

WITH HAMPTON INSIDE THE RUN UP THE MIDDLE IS AVOIDED ANYWAY.

Simple yet effective.

And oh so easy.

TAMPA 2 MADE EASY. WITHOUT SUBSTITUTING PLAYERS AND THE LIKE… GREAT AGAINST THE NO HUDDLE.
KEY IS TO ONLY RUSH 4 PEOPLE. GENERALLY D / LINE AND ONE BACKER.

ANY ZONE BLITZES (KEIESEL / SMITH) DROPPING IN TO COVERAGE HAS TO HAVE A SIMILAR RESULT. WHERE SOMEONE COVERS THE MIDDLE PART OF THE FIELD A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL… 6 - 12 YARDS SHOULD DO IT.

Instead of a 25 yard completion it may go for 6-8. BIG DIFFERENCE.

SO IF YOU ARE PLAYING A RUN - ORIENTATED TEAM - BALTILESS - NORMAL 3-4 BASE. MIDDLE BACKERS ON SAME LEVEL.
IF YOU ARE PLAYING COLTS AND Pats**** - PASSING TEAMS - DROP THE MLB2 - Foote and Timmons further back - 5-6 yards. It is effectively the Tampa 2 (ending up the same level as safeties) = cover 3.

However with better run stoppers on the field than a normal Tampa 2, SIDES WILL NOT POWER RUN US like you can do to the colts.

The D / line. Keisel / Smith / McBean could rush just a little more. With the knowledge a run will be supported by Timmons - further back. And a pass will have a cover 2, plus Timmons playing that Tampa 2 ‘Mike’ linebacker role. EFFECTIVELY COVER 3 And or covering the Slot reciever / or third wide out - at a deeper level. E.G WELKER.

IT WORKS. AND IT CONFUSES QB’S NO END.

The NFL is so easy.
On offense if the opponent is 3-4 you pass spread em out.
On offense if the opponent is 4-3 you run
On Offense if your opponent is 46 - spread em out pass Delayed runs.

On Defense if your opponent is a pass team - 4-3 cover 2
On Defense if your opponent is a run happy team - 3-4.

This is why I dislike Lebeau - c’mon give it to me……….

The Bengals are taking this retro-cool thing to a completely new level. Their coach is Bruce Coslet, a onetime Cincinnati tight end and offensive coordinator. The backup quarterback is Boomer Esiason, returning for a second tour with Cincinnati, which he guided to Super Bowl XXIII. The offensive coordinator is Ken Anderson, a former Bengals quarterback who in 1981 took the team to its first Super Bowl. The defensive line coach is Tim Krumrie, who played noseguard for Cincinnati from 1983 to 1994. And the defensive coordinator is Dick LeBeau, a native of nearby London, Ohio, and from 1984 to ‘91 the Bengals’ defensive coordinator.
LeBeau is the architect of the wildly popular zone-blitz defense. He spent the last five seasons teaching it to the Steelers but apparently couldn’t say no to the Bengals’ 1997 Reunion Tour. “It’s great to be back,” said LeBeau, who played cornerback at Ohio State and for the Lions. “This is kind of a dream come true for me.” In fact, most of the team is just now waking from the nightmarish regime of former coach Dave Shula, who went 19-52 in 4 1/2 years with Cincinnati. Shula, now the executive vice president of the chain of steak houses owned by his father, Don, was replaced by Coslet after the first seven games of last season. Then, when the Bengals won seven of their last nine, many players wondered out loud just how good the team would have been if Coslet had been there from the beginning. Now they will find out.

“It’s great to be back,” said LeBeau, who played cornerback at Ohio State and for the Lions. “This is kind of a dream come true for me.”

GREAT PLEASE LEAVE AGAIN. GO NOW!!

Quarterback Jeff Blake certainly improved under Coslet. In his final nine games, Blake, a Pro Bowl starter in 1995, averaged 249 yards passing and threw 16 TDs. He skipped his family’s vacation during the off-season to lift weights and work on his throwing skills; he should blossom further under the guidance of his backup, Esiason. Blake was a third-string QB with the Jets in 1994 when Esiason was the team’s starter. Neither has a problem with a role reversal, though. “There’s no hidden agenda or motive on my side,” says the veteran Esiason. “Jeff is going to let me retire to greener pastures without having to take hits.”

One player the team desperately wants to see revert to his old form is third-year back Ki-Jana Carter. The No. 1 pick in the 1995 draft, Carter signed a seven-year, $19.2 million contract, promptly injured his knee in a preseason game and sat out his entire rookie season. He scored eight TDs over the final nine weeks in 1996 but reported to the team’s first 1997 minicamp “big, slow and soft,” according to trainer Paul Sparling, before trimming down to 220 pounds.

Adding to the Bengals’ explosiveness is one of the AFC’s best receivers, Carl Pickens, whose 100 receptions ranked third in the league last season. He should become the team’s alltime leading receiver this fall. “There is no next level for Carl,” says Coslet. “He’s one of the top three receivers in the NFL. Would I trade him for Michael Irvin? No. Would I trade him for Jerry Rice now? No.”

Coslet would probably like to trade a few of his defensive players, though. The Bengals’ defense has long been suspect—it ranked 25th in the NFL in 1996. Things don’t look much more promising for this year. Left end John Copeland couldn’t bench-press 275 pounds even once at a recent minicamp, and linebacker James Francis decided to skip 13 weeks of workouts in Cincinnati during the off-season, thus forfeiting a $250,000 incentive.

Such a lack of conditioning is a problem, considering that LeBeau’s aggressive 3-4 defense requires speed, cunning and discipline. But a few Bengals defenders may have the tools to make things work. Linebacker Rico McDonald, who led the team at minicamp with 40 bench presses of 225 pounds, will flourish in the zone blitz. First-round pick Reinard Wilson, who played end at Florida State, will switch to linebacker in the 3-4, and tackle Dan Wilkinson (he had a team-high 6 1/2 sacks in 1996) will move over to end. Inside linebacker Steve Tovar led the team in tackles last season with 94—he has fully recovered from surgery to repair a late-season knee injury—and Ashley Ambrose (eight interceptions in 1996) was the first Bengals cornerback to make the Pro Bowl since 1988, the year the team made its last trip to the Super Bowl.

Now, that’s exactly the kind of retro vibe Cincy is hoping to replay this season.

—by David Fleming

Disgraceful Richard.

1 Superbowl as a player or coach… a little overrated? Like Cowher had some good teams?

HOW ABOUT BUMP AND RUN?

HOW ABOUT COVER 3?

1-4-6

2-3-6

3-3-5

2-4-5

0-5-6

DO THESE ON DIFFERENT STAGES IN THE GAME - DIFFERENT DRIVES.

THE 3-4 BASE D AGAINST 5 WIDE OUTS IS LEBEAU’S SPECIALTY.

ANYTHING DIFFERENT.

THE WORST THING IS I KNOW MORE THAN BELICHICK.

LEBEAU’S IS PATHETIC AND SERIOUSLY WE WERE LUCKY TO WIN THE THE SB IN 05… WE WERE HELPED BY THE REFS NO DOUBT.

[size=9]TIME TO GO RICHARD… PATHETIC 8 YARD CUSHIONS = BUBBLE SCREENS, SLANTS.

TIME TO GO 4-3 COVER 2 / 3. TOMLIN’S SCHEME.

TAMPA 2. QUICK PLAYERS ON THE FIELD.

LEBEAU’S ZONE D IS THE THING OF THE PAST…

THE FUTURE OF THE NFL = THE PASS.

WHAT DO THE STEELERS DO … RUN IT… IT’S LIKE IT IS BUILT IN THE CITY OR SOMETHING / PSYCHE.

TOMLIN NEEDS TO STOP THE RUBBISH.

WHAT HAS POUNDING THE ROCK GOT US?

1 SB (LUCKY) IN 16 YRS.

DON’T TELL ME THE STEEL CURTAIN POUNDED THE ROCK. THEY USED A 56 / 44 PASS TO RUN RATIO.

YOU MORONS ARE AS BAD AS LEBEAU AND COWHER… WITH THIS RUNNING THE BALL RUBBISH AND PLAYING A 3-4 BASE AGAINST 4 AND 5 RECIEVERS.

ITS YESTERDAY’S NEWS LIKE THIS SITE…

RUBBISH.

LEBEAU IS A LIABILITY OF THIS TEAM JUST LIKE COWHER WAS.

TIME FOR CHANGE… HOW MUCH GAMEPLANNING CAN A 72 YR OLD MAN DO ANYWAY. HE stuff HIS PANTS AND PISSES THE BED AT HOME… HOW CAN HE STUDY TAPE?

MORONS…

1 Superbowl as a player or coach… a little overrated? Like Cowher had some good teams?

HOW ABOUT BUMP AND RUN?

HOW ABOUT COVER 3?

1-4-6

2-3-6

3-3-5

2-4-5

0-5-6

DO THESE ON DIFFERENT STAGES IN THE GAME - DIFFERENT DRIVES.

THE 3-4 BASE D AGAINST 5 WIDE OUTS IS LEBEAU’S SPECIALTY.

ANYTHING DIFFERENT.

THE WORST THING IS I KNOW MORE THAN BELICHICK.

LEBEAU’S IS PATHETIC AND SERIOUSLY WE WERE LUCK TO WIN THE THE SB IN 05… WE WERE HELPED BY THE REFS NO DOUBT.

TIME TO GO RICHARD… PATHETIC 8 YARD CUSHIONS = BUBBLE SCREENS, SLANTS.

TIME TO GO 4-3 COVER 2 / 3. TOMLIN’S SCHEME.

TAMPA 2. QUICK PLAYERS ON THE FIELD.

LEBEAU’S ZONE D IS THE THING OF THE PAST…

THE FUTURE OF THE NFL = THE PASS.

WHAT DO THE STEELERS DO … RUN IT… IT’S LIKE BUILT IN THE CITY / PSYCHE.

TOMLIN NEEDS TO STOP THE RUBBISH.

WHAT HAS POUNDING THE ROCK GOT US?

1 SB (LUCKY) IN 40 YRS as a player or coach?

So again Why does Dick Lebeau not get scrutinised like other coaches?

Age? What.

Tell me experts.

Frame-by-Frame: Spread Offense vs Steeler Defense

I have been down on our defensive secondary for a few years. At no time are their weaknesses exposed more than when the Steelers face a spread offense. If every team had a veteran QB with one or two very good WRs and some average ones thrown into the mix to take up space, then we might see this every week. It completely neutralizes the Steelers blitz package and takes our LBs off their game. Against a 3WR Colt offense, the Steelers can still blitz Peyton Manning and give him problems. Against the Bengals and their 3WR and 4WR sets, we manage to get to Palmer at times, but their WRs are good enough to get open quickly (especially Houshmandzadeh and Henry…..when being covered by Deshea Townsend). Against the Patriots and Tom Brady, their 4WR and 5WR formations really give us problems. We can look forward to Wes Welker matched up against CB Townsend and GOING OFF on us for about 160 yards.

————-

Let’s look at Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals (minus Pro Bowl WR Anquan Boldin) spread the field and pick up some easy yardage.

On this drive, Warner goes 6-for-7 on a 70 yard drive that lasts 3:43

Play 1:

Here we see a 5WR formation with Edge lined up in the slot. Notice the huge cushion that each WR is getting. Arizona has 5 OL. If 6 Steelers rush the passer here (DL and LBs), then a quick slant would pick up big yardage. If ZERO LBS rush, then Warner has all day and night to find somebody eventually work themselves free against the Steelers DBs (who are not all that great man-to-man). No doubt Kurt Warner sees Edge lined up against a LB and WR Urban (who later snags a TD pass) with the same matchup.

The ball is snapped and Farrior and Haggans are bringing pressure. Warner is looking left and finds Fitzgerald open as he clears the LB in front of him. If he had been looking right (top of your screen), then he could have thrown the ball to either inside WR for a nice 8 yard gain. Also important is to note that the Steelers blitz here, but because they HAVE TO cover the 5WRs on the field, they can only bring 5 men to pressure the QB. Arizona has 5 OL in to block, so no worries for Kurt…he hits Fitzgerald for 9 yards on 1st down.

Play 2:

Same exact formation. This time it’s 2nd and 1, and Arizona is still in a 5WR formation. This time, the Steelers bring 4 men and drop everyone else into coverage. At the line of scrimmage, the Cardinals have 5 vs 4, so no real chance for a sack or for pressuring the QB. On the last play, we saw MLB Farrior blitz. This time, he drops back into zone coverage. If you have a veteran QB and decent WRs, then you can pull these plays off with relative ease. Cardinal scrub WR settles into the zone for an easy 6 yard catch.

So that is 15 yards on 2 plays. Arizona made it look like a 7-on-7 drill. They created mismatches, they dictated to the defense, and picked up yardage. When our defense is spread like this and our DBs are in coverage and our LBs are dropping into zone, the whole BLITZBURGH STEELERS and SMASHMOUTH FOOTBALL stuff goes right out the window. This has been the absolute best way to attack our defense for about 4 years running. I’m surprised more teams don’t do this to us, but like I said, you need a good QB to pull this off. Let’s hope the rest of the league continues to try to run the ball against us and tries to have a good mix of run vs pass. We eat offenses like that for breakfast.

In case you were wondering…the last time we played Seattle, Matt Hasselbeck threw the ball 49 times. Take a look at their play chart in the Super Bowl and tell me that they didn’t spot a weakness in the Steelers secondary. Check this out:

Drive 1: 7 plays, 5 passes.

Drive 2: 7 plays, 6 passes.

Drive 3: 7 plays, 4 passes

The score was tied at this point…they weren’t playing catch up. They had 2 weeks to prepare a gameplan and they thought the best way to attack our team was through the air.

To go back a bit further, in the 2004 AFC Championship game, Tom Brady and the Patriots threw the ball 11 times on their first 16 plays while jumping out to a 24-3 lead at halftime. I know this is an old stat, but when teams have a while to prepare for us in big games, they seem to go right after our secondary.

This is how to get Woodley and Timmons more REPS…

On first Down:

RDE - Woodley

NT - Hampton (2 gap scheme) As per normal.

LDE - Haggans

ROLB - Harrison

LOLB - Foote

MLB 1 - Farrior

MLB 2 - Timmons (IN SPACE) until gets more strength.

CB 1 - Taylor

CB 2 - BMac

FS - Clark / Smith

SS - Pol

On second down: replace linebacker with defensive back. Replace Hampton with Smith. (Now nickel)

RDE - Woodley

NT - Smith (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton.

LDE - Haggans

LOLB - Harrison

MLB 1 - Farrior

MLB 2 - Timmons

CB 1 - Taylor

CB 2 - BMac

CB 3 - Townsend

FS - Clark / Smith

SS - Pol

On third down: replace another linebacker with defensive back. Replace Smith with Kiesel. (Now Dime) Farrior gets benched for Timmons.

RDE - Woodley

NT - Keisel (More Bull rushing / Stunting / Blitzing than Hampton.

LDE - Haggans

LOLB - Harrison (Floater) Goes wherever their D line is weak. Blitz or cover area of field.

MLB 1 - Timmons

CB 1 - Taylor

CB 2 - BMac

CB 3 - Townsend

CB 4 - Smith / Clark

FS - Clark / Smith

SS - Pol

This will allow more playmakers on the field. The plan is to play FS and SS deep in a cover 2 scheme. They will clean up the run game.

All corners when they are on the field will cover the WR (everywhere they go - NO ZONE). They get support over the top from the safeties.

With only 1 Dlineman (really) on the line at times it will give Lebeau more ability to Zone blitz the backers and now (Linebackers) at the end spot.

Imagine Haggans and Woodley ‘having a zone’ the ‘other designated blitzers’ would have a field day. I love DE’s who can cover as well.

You will cover everything and only send 2 or maybe 3 , 4 guys at once. NO MORE.

As we have more speed on the field we will clean up the short passing game. With Hampton / (Smith and Kiesel) on the nose (Keisel on 3rd downs or long yardage situations) we will stop the inside runs. Runs to the outside will be impossible.

Keisel and Smith and even Hampton can drop back into coverage at stages. And Smith and Keisel could QB spy and even run with running backs knowing we have 2 safeties deep.

The Zone blitz here would be amazing. Every guy could drop or rush making the other team having to max protect. Then you can send 2 maybe 3 guys and the rest are covered. And still pressure.

The more backers the better. Sub-em in, Sub-em out. Keep - em - fresh. Our backers can play DE.

P.S this will work in most situations but would be near on impossible for a team to come back from 1 or more scores down.

The reality with the COLTS and PATS not having a ’stud’ running back we could limit the passing yards and probably give the back 3 - 3.5 yards a carry.

This scheme makes the running back beat you. They don’t against us.

This is great for the cap. Linebackers are less than DE / DT.

I don’t know why teams pay over the odds for a DT / DE when they are one dimensional. They don’t cover and are shocking against the run.

This would keep the PATS / COLTS to 21 to 24 points. Approx 200 yards passing. 85 - 110 on the ground.

Can we score that against them? YES.

Against the PATS / COLTS we must run the football. A.v 3.8 / 4.0 yards a carry. Don’t let Belicheat start nickles and Dimes. PATS LIKE TO SCORE FIRST. IF WE DO WE CAN WIN THIS FOOTBALL MATCH.

We can do what the patriots did to the rams this season. Keep everything in front of us and let SMITH POL, TAYLOR BMAC, TYRONE CARTER MAKE THEIR HEADS SWIVEL AROUND.

I LIKE THE MATCH UP OF POL AND SMITH VS MOSS AND STALLWORTH IN A COLLISION GAME. LIKEWISE THE COLTS TANDEM OF WIDEOUTS.

We could get to be in a 3-4 Look (Timmons to ger WR 3 ) a 2-4-5, a 3-3-5, 1-5-5 and Other Nickel and Dime packages more easily as I believe the no huddle will be used by a lot of teams down the stretch.

When we are in our base 3-4 look Timmons will take care of WR 3 or the Slot reciever. Timmons vs Welker?

Timmons gives you the opportunity to play him as a QB spy as well. Re McNair / Scrambling QB’S.

We must play Nickel and Dime packages all game against the Pats, Colts.

Against Ravens and Titans you stop the run. With all our backers on the field there will be no where to run.

The more backers the better. Sub-em in, Sub-em out. Keep - em - fresh. Our backers can play DE.

I still believe the team to beat this season is the COLTS.

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