Are you ready for some FOOTBALL - Playoff Edition

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I don't think anyone uses blitzes all the time, but plenty of teams used it quite often (Pittsburgh is known for it). If you have a top notch secondary, it is far easier to blitz. And if you have a great front four, you don't have to do it as much.

That's true. I comes down to preparation and play calling too.

[Arrian]

If Brady throws for 341 when he's rattled, I'd hate to see what he does when he's composed.

Well, he's a damned good QB. But he wasn't at his best, and the obvious reason was the pressure they kept getting on him. It wasn't just the INT (the 10-6 endzone INT, a killer), it was several other incompletions as well.

-Arrian

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


I don't think anyone uses blitzes all the time, but plenty of teams used it quite often (Pittsburgh is known for it). If you have a top notch secondary, it is far easier to blitz. And if you have a great front four, you don't have to do it as much.

Well, Pittsburgh is a little different in that respect. They don't have a top-10, or even a top-20 shutdown corner. (You can argue about how good Ike Taylor and Dashea Townsend are, but I can name at least a dozen corners in the AFC alone who I'd trust more.) However, they often blitz the corners themselves, and have linebackers cover the holes. Their linebackers are skilled at pass-rush, run-stopping, and pass coverage.

It would be a waste for Denver to blitz Champ Bailey, for instance, but Pittsburgh blitzes secondary more because they have a few more options in pass coverage due to the 3-4, and they don't rely much on their corners.

Well, he's a damned good QB. But he wasn't at his best, and the obvious reason was the pressure they kept getting on him. It wasn't just the INT (the 10-6 endzone INT, a killer), it was several other incompletions as well.

-Arrian

Well, I don't know whether the endzone INT was a product of a genuine blitz or just good pressure from the front four.

Brady threw a lot of incompletions, but that's partly because he was forced to play from behind (mostly due to 3 fumbles and questionable calls). It also is from the pressure. However, an effect of blitzing is that completion percentage goes down, and yards per completion go up. Brady was 20/36 for 341. That's a low completion percentage, 56% instead of his usual 63%. However, his completions were MUCH more effective. He got 17 yards per completion instead of 12.

It's a tradeoff, but although it might have looked ugly, I'll take a 341 yard game from my quarterback any day.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It would be a waste for Denver to blitz Champ Bailey, for instance, but Pittsburgh blitzes secondary more because they have a few more options in pass coverage due to the 3-4, and they don't rely much on their corners.

Which is why they don't . Though Denver brings pressure a LOT. And at least 4-5 times a game, they bring an all out blitz (7 man), which no other team that I'm aware of does.

I'll take a 341 yard game from my quarterback any day.

I'll take the win .

[Jaguar]

Brady didn't fumble. He just gave the ball to people who fumbled.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Jaguar

Well, Pittsburgh is a little different in that respect. They don't have a top-10, or even a top-20 shutdown corner. (You can argue about how good Ike Taylor and Dashea Townsend are, but I can name at least a dozen corners in the AFC alone who I'd trust more.)

You're underrating Ike Taylor. There's no way that you can name a dozen AFC cornerbacks better than him. He's still young, but he's developing into a shut down corner. Chad Johnson did nothing against the Steelers this year (except for a meaningless 47 yard reception during garbage time of the first game). Marvin Harrison beat him once, and that was because Taylor was caught looking in the backfield at the play action. He's not top 10 in the league yet, but I wouldn't be shocked if he is by 2007. Afterall, he's still learning the position. He was a RB in College.

After years of being the weakness, Pittsburgh's defensive secondary is its strongest asset. Polamalu, Hope, Taylor, McFadden, Townshend, Colclough... a group of young, athletic, talented players.

[Jaguar]

I'd take Nate Clements, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Deltha O'Neal, Patrick Surtain, Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Sam Madison, Rashean Mathis, and Nick Harper over Taylor without a moment's hesitation. That's ten in the AFC, and if I thought about it I could name a couple more.

The secondary is by all means better than it was a few years ago, and it's not just because of Polamalu. However, the front seven have been best or near-best in the league for years. Every single player in the front 7 is excellent, while I still have some doubts about the cornerbacks. Pittsburgh is a team blessed with basically no weaknesses though.

[Wycoff]

Originally posted by Jaguar
I'd take Nate Clements, Champ Bailey, Ty Law, Deltha O'Neal, Patrick Surtain, Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Sam Madison, Rashean Mathis, and Nick Harper over Taylor without a moment's hesitation. That's ten in the AFC, and if I thought about it I could name a couple more.

The secondary is by all means better than it was a few years ago, and it's not just because of Polamalu. However, the front seven have been best or near-best in the league for years. Every single player in the front 7 is excellent, while I still have some doubts about the cornerbacks. Pittsburgh is a team blessed with basically no weaknesses though.

I know that it goes against conventional wisdom, I'd take Taylor over half the people in your list. I'd take Bailey, Law, Surtain, and McAlister, but that's all. Ike is very good against the pass, he is a sure tackler, and he is very good in run support. Many on this list can only cover. Deltha O'Neal gets plenty of interceptions, but he also gets burned faily often. If Ike works on his hands (he's dropped 4 or 5 interceptions), he'll be a pro-bowler next year.

Contrary to what the national media has been reporting, the front 7 was the Steelers' defensive weakness most of this year. The vaunted linbacking corps was running on reputation. They were having trouble generating a pass rush until the past few weeks. James Farrior had a sub-par year and Larry Foote needs replaced. Plus, DE Aaron Smith was having a terrible year. Thankfully for me, they've been playing out of their minds the past few weeks. Still, we need a beast ILB, someone that can be what everyone thought that Kendrell Bell would be.

[Jaguar]

I haven't watched the Steelers all year, and I seem to have watched Taylor on some of his worst days. (Certainly giving up 80 yards on a play is not something anyone wants on his head.)

Point taken about Smith. I forgot who the end opposite Oelhoffen was. Casey Hampton is probably the biggest and scariest D tackle I can think of outside of Jacksonville.

Pittsburgh allows fewer rushing yards per carry than anyone. 3.4/attempt, as compared to 3.5 in Tampa Bay and 3.7 from the Chicago defense. And even if this is an off-year for Pittsburgh's front 7, they, not the corners, are responsible for those numbers.

Regardless, Polamalu's still the best on the team. No question about that.

[reismark]

As a reminder, the spread for Lombardi is up and picks are due by 2:30 PM EST on Sunday.

[-Jrabbit]

Steelers are just absolutely pwning the Broncos in Denver!

[Sava]

Denver sucks

[-Jrabbit]

WTF is up with that Ray Nagin quote, Sava?
OMFG what an idiot!!!
Where did he say that????

[Sava]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
WTF is up with that Ray Nagin quote, Sava?
OMFG what an idiot!!!
Where did he say that????

I don't know. At some event on MLK day I think. Boers and Bernstein were playing the sound clips on the Score. It was hilarious.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by Sava
Denver sucks

Truth.