Bad News from Vegas: Steeler Defense
... The D needs some breakout seasons
The Vegas numbers have dropped for the Steelers in terms of the Super Bowl favorites and that may have resulted from the play of Coach Keith Butler's defense, which was a little inconsistent in 2015 -- to say the least.
In order to reach the playoffs and Super Bowl, this is the unit that must improve.
Stopping the run
There were positives and some not so positives in this area. For instance, a very good job for the D was in their defense against the run. The Steelers were fifth in the league in that area in 2015 with just under 272 yards per game, so that is a positive for the team.
As for the pass defense, that is their Achilles Heel since it was ranked 30th in the NFL last year.
Front seven lineup
How does the lineup look this year? Well, at Nose Tackle, the team released Steve McLendon and will now rely on a massive project from Tennessee named Daniel McCullers. He is a mountain of a man, 6-7. 352 pounds.
McCullers is simply difficult to move and he is similar to Casey Hampton in that area. However, he had only eight tackles last year in 12 games. Line coach John Miller said, "I think he really understands what it takes to play in this league better than he did before," Miller told the Observer-Reporter. McCullers will battle third round draft pick Jason Hargrave for the starting job.
DE Cameron Heyward
The man who has improved significantly over the past two years is defensive end Cam Heyward, who was picked in May as the 88th top player in the league. The 6-5, 295-pound Ohio State U grad is entering his sixth year in the league and has to be a leader of that unit.
Pro Football Focus points out that Heyward's major concern is consistency, noting that he had some great games and some in which he appeared to disappear in 2015.
DE Stephon Tuitt
The other end is Stephon Tuitt, a 6-6, 303 pounder from Notre Dame who has been making good progress with the team. He is in his third year.
Tuitt began making his presence felt last year as he recorded 54 tackles in 12 games, 39 unassisted, and he recorded 6.5 sacks. Improvement there could be a major help in helping the overall defensive effort.
Linebackers need improvement
While the run numbers were impressive, those against the pass last year were abysmal as the Steelers finished 30th out of 32 in the NFL in that department.
Inside linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier will have to improve tackling, according to PFF.
Front seven lineup
How does the lineup look this year? Well, at Nose Tackle, the team released Steve McLendon and will now rely on a massive project from Tennessee named Daniel McCullers. He is a mountain of a man, 6-7. 352 pounds.
McCullers is simply difficult to move and he is similar to Casey Hampton in that area. However, he had only eight tackles last year in 12 games. Line coach John Miller said, "I think he really understands what it takes to play in this league better than he did before," Miller told the Observer-Reporter. McCullers will battle third round draft pick Jason Hargrave for the starting job.
DE Cameron Heyward
The man who has improved significantly over the past two years is defensive end Cam Heyward, who was picked in May as the 88th top player in the league. The 6-5, 295-pound Ohio State U grad is entering his sixth year in the league and has to be a leader of that unit.
Pro Football Focus points out that Heyward's major concern is consistency, noting that he had some great games and some in which he appeared to disappear in 2015.
DE Stephon Tuitt
The other end is Stephon Tuitt, a 6-6, 303 pounder from Notre Dame who has been making good progress with the team. He is in his third year.
Tuitt began making his presence felt last year as he recorded 54 tackles in 12 games, 39 unassisted, and he recorded 6.5 sacks. Improvement there could be a major help in helping the overall defensive effort.
Linebackers need improvement
While the run numbers were impressive, those against the pass last year were abysmal as the Steelers finished 30th out of 32 in the NFL in that department.
Inside linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier will have to improve tackling, according to PFF.
ILB Lawrence Timmons: his last in black-and-gold?
Well, I believe that Timmons is one of the underrated linebackers for the Steelers. He is 6-1, 234 pounds but is now 30-years-of-age. He is entering his 10th season, and is at the end of his contract. It could be his last season for the black and gold solely because of his salary cap number: $15.1 million.
His numbers were decent last year, 77 tackles, 42 solo with five sacks. Those were not, however, numbers that would prompt a team to resign a 10-year ILB.
ILB Ryan Shazier
Shazier, like Timmons, is a former number one pick. He has shown spurts of excellence when he looks like he could be great, but he has to stay healthy. He has missed 11 games in the last two years, and that hurts the team.
Well, I believe that Timmons is one of the underrated linebackers for the Steelers. He is 6-1, 234 pounds but is now 30-years-of-age. He is entering his 10th season, and is at the end of his contract. It could be his last season for the black and gold solely because of his salary cap number: $15.1 million.
His numbers were decent last year, 77 tackles, 42 solo with five sacks. Those were not, however, numbers that would prompt a team to resign a 10-year ILB.
ILB Ryan Shazier
Shazier, like Timmons, is a former number one pick. He has shown spurts of excellence when he looks like he could be great, but he has to stay healthy. He has missed 11 games in the last two years, and that hurts the team.
Shazier played just 12 games last season, averaged seven tackles, forced two fumbles, recorded an interception, and had 3.5 sacks. He put together 15-tackle and a 13-tackle games, which were cause for optimism.
OLB: Jarvis Jones
Two linebackers need to really step up their production. Jarvis Jones is at the end of the Steelers' rope. A number one pick in 2013, he has not lived up to the expectations of the coaches and the fans.
Injuries have been a major factor in his career. In three years, he has played just 36 games and has recorded 54 tackles and five sacks. The sacks number hurts since that was his forte coming out of Georgia, and that was why he was picked at #1.
OLB James Harrison
Jarvis' problems are the reason that James Harrison is still returning to St. Vincent's at the age of 38.
In his 14th season out of Kent State, James recorded 40 tackles and five sacks. That was a far cry from his 2008 season when he recorded 16 sacks and earned AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Still, he has some energy left in the tank, and he is a good role model for some younger players.
Dupree and Moats
Butler hopes for improvement on the other side of the D. This includes 2015 number 1 pick Bud Dupree, backed up by Arthur Moats.
If the Steelers are going to improve from that spot as 30th worst pass defense in the NFL, they need a strong rush from both sides.
According to a story in the Post-Gazette, OLB Coach Joey Porter thinks that with Jarvis and Dupree, the team may be as good as they were in past years when Harrison had 16 sacks and Woodley 13. Porter said of Jones, “If he stays healthy, I still see him being a guy who can give you double-digit sacks. I really do.”
And of Dupree? “I’m expecting double-digit sacks out of him, too.”
Dupree had just 17 tackles and four sacks last year, not exactly a marque performance. Oates started ten games last year and recorded 24 tackles and four sacks, again not a great season from either player.
Porter's optimism is a bright spot on paper, but of course, games are not won on paper.
The woeful secondary
The good news for the Steeler fans, according to PFF, is that Antwon Blake is gone after a terrible season. The second part of the good news is that the Steelers took a corner in the first round and a safety in the second round of the 2016 draft.
The quality of those two players is uncertain as again, the Bengals beat the Steelers to the choice that they were hoping for in the first round.
The good news here is that Ross Cockrell, who fell out of favor in Buffalo and the Steelers picked up last year, had a respectable season. "Cockrell was a pleasant surprise last season, and was graded as the 27th-best corner in football," PFF wrote.
Cockrell started seven games and had 33 tackles with two interceptions.
William Gay is in his tenth season. He is the corner opposite Cockrell, and recorded 46 tackles, one interception, and one sack.
The Steelers drafted CB Artie Burns who played at the University of Miami. He was a surprise pick in the first round, and was not regarded as a quick study who can play much in his rookie season.
Time will tell.
Safeties
Mike Mitchell returns at free safety. He had 55 tackles in 2015 with no interceptions and 58 last year when he made three picks.
Some word came out in the offseason indicated that Mitchell was emerging as a leader, but that will take place in camp.
At the strong safety is Robert Golden, who had 27 tackles last year with one interception. They also have Ross Ventrone, who could compete there. Shamarko Thomas is still there, but no one knows why after he has had injuries and sub-standard play.
Will Allen is also back and he should be drawing Social Security by now.
OLB: Jarvis Jones
Two linebackers need to really step up their production. Jarvis Jones is at the end of the Steelers' rope. A number one pick in 2013, he has not lived up to the expectations of the coaches and the fans.
Injuries have been a major factor in his career. In three years, he has played just 36 games and has recorded 54 tackles and five sacks. The sacks number hurts since that was his forte coming out of Georgia, and that was why he was picked at #1.
OLB James Harrison
Jarvis' problems are the reason that James Harrison is still returning to St. Vincent's at the age of 38.
In his 14th season out of Kent State, James recorded 40 tackles and five sacks. That was a far cry from his 2008 season when he recorded 16 sacks and earned AFC Defensive Player of the Year. Still, he has some energy left in the tank, and he is a good role model for some younger players.
Dupree and Moats
Butler hopes for improvement on the other side of the D. This includes 2015 number 1 pick Bud Dupree, backed up by Arthur Moats.
If the Steelers are going to improve from that spot as 30th worst pass defense in the NFL, they need a strong rush from both sides.
According to a story in the Post-Gazette, OLB Coach Joey Porter thinks that with Jarvis and Dupree, the team may be as good as they were in past years when Harrison had 16 sacks and Woodley 13. Porter said of Jones, “If he stays healthy, I still see him being a guy who can give you double-digit sacks. I really do.”
And of Dupree? “I’m expecting double-digit sacks out of him, too.”
Dupree had just 17 tackles and four sacks last year, not exactly a marque performance. Oates started ten games last year and recorded 24 tackles and four sacks, again not a great season from either player.
Porter's optimism is a bright spot on paper, but of course, games are not won on paper.
The woeful secondary
The good news for the Steeler fans, according to PFF, is that Antwon Blake is gone after a terrible season. The second part of the good news is that the Steelers took a corner in the first round and a safety in the second round of the 2016 draft.
The quality of those two players is uncertain as again, the Bengals beat the Steelers to the choice that they were hoping for in the first round.
The good news here is that Ross Cockrell, who fell out of favor in Buffalo and the Steelers picked up last year, had a respectable season. "Cockrell was a pleasant surprise last season, and was graded as the 27th-best corner in football," PFF wrote.
Cockrell started seven games and had 33 tackles with two interceptions.
William Gay is in his tenth season. He is the corner opposite Cockrell, and recorded 46 tackles, one interception, and one sack.
The Steelers drafted CB Artie Burns who played at the University of Miami. He was a surprise pick in the first round, and was not regarded as a quick study who can play much in his rookie season.
Time will tell.
Safeties
Mike Mitchell returns at free safety. He had 55 tackles in 2015 with no interceptions and 58 last year when he made three picks.
Some word came out in the offseason indicated that Mitchell was emerging as a leader, but that will take place in camp.
At the strong safety is Robert Golden, who had 27 tackles last year with one interception. They also have Ross Ventrone, who could compete there. Shamarko Thomas is still there, but no one knows why after he has had injuries and sub-standard play.
Will Allen is also back and he should be drawing Social Security by now.
The Steelers also used a number two pick for a DB, safety Sean Davis out of Maryland. There was a belief that Davis could step in an play this season. We will see. He is reputed to be a tough tackler who can play man and zone.
Again, time will tell.
Conclusion
Improvement, yes, but how much will that bring them from the 30th spot? There is not a great deal of optimism here for a Super Bowl defense, but some individual players could have great seasons.
The other concern is depth because of injuries.
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