The Pittsburgh
Steelers missed the playoffs, and the team needs fixing. Today I focus on what
needs to change on the defense.
As we all now have to wait two weeks until the Super Bowl, it seems
to be an appropriate time to not just sit back and complain about what could
have been in 2018, but what needs to change to make 2019 special.
First, I do believe the 2019 Pittsburgh
Steelers can be a special team, but not if they continue
with the status quo. In today’s article I focus on the defensive side of the
ball, and what needs to change to make sure the outcome next season doesn’t
duplicate this season and missing the playoffs altogether.
Before digging deep into the specific changes, I decided to
handle this series with a worst-case scenario type attitude. In other words, I
am assuming Morgan
Burnett gets his wish and is released, and the Steelers try
to re-negotiate a new deal with Bud Dupree in
lieu of his 5th year option.
With that said, let’s roll up our sleeves...we have some
fixing’ to do.
COACHING
Well, where do we begin? Do you have the rest of the week?
There are some glaring issues with the coaching staff, and the fan base is
wondering if the minor changes which have taken place will ultimately help, or
continue to hurt, the Steelers’ defense.
At a time when everyone, and their brother, thought Keith
Butler would be getting fired at season’s end, here he is back for 2019. Oh,
but wait — there’s more! After firing Joey Porter the
team has reportedly decided to put Butler himself in charge of the outside
linebackers in lieu of bringing in a new coach to help.
The Steelers’ made some defensive coaching changes this
offseason, and also made some additions which make fans wonder what the
defensive coaching will look like in 2019. The addition of Teryl Austin to help
assist with the defense, and primarily coach the secondary, combine with Butler
focusing on the linebackers again makes you wonder if they will have almost a
dual coordinator look in 2019.
Either way you slice it, one fact remains as the team heads
into next season. If this defense is going to resemble anything close to a
championship level unit, the coaching needs to be better.
PERSONNEL
The personnel, from a player standpoint, is something which
might seem to be a never ending uphill battle, but I disagree. Looking at the
defense from top to bottom, when talking about starters I feel this defense is
just a few players away from being a more complete group.
Clearly the decline of Artie Burns has
the Steelers thinking cornerback in some way, shape or form this offseason. The
gaping hole left by Ryan Shazier continues
to be a Grand Canyon type gap in the middle of the defense. Morgan Burnett, who
was signed to be the nickel and dime backer, now says he wants a chance to play
safety and wants to be traded. Some might say Vince
Williams is a liability, but if he is paired with the right
linebacker partner he truly can thrive.
In other words, while there are clearly needs on the
defensive side of the ball, I don’t think they are as dire as many might
suggest. Add a cornerback, safety, inside linebacker and maybe some help on the
edge and this defense could be legit. The only other needs would be depth along
the defensive line.
No, the sky isn’t falling from a personnel standpoint, in my
opinion.
GAME PLAY
While the personnel department might not be as bad as many
think, the on field portion of this equation certainly has some issues. The
Steelers’ inability to take the football away is the most glaring issue, but
tackling continues to plague this Keith Butler unit.
After spending the vast majority of training camp focusing
on tackling, did it really improve? I would say no. The angles defenders take,
mainly Terrell
Edmunds, are enough to make fans cringe. This defense just needs
to improve the basics to really see some improvement across the board.
Tackle better. Play better angles. Catch the football when
you have the opportunity to take the ball away. Sometimes it is that simple.
OVERVIEW
The Steelers’ fan base loves to hate on the coaching staff,
and they certainly deserve their share of the blame. However, they aren’t the
ones on the field missing tackles and dropping would-be interceptions. This
defense does have potential, but it will be up to everyone from the General
Manager down to the players to reach the totality of that potential.
Will it happen? I could, but if recent history is any
indication of the offseason plan, both in free agency and the NFL Draft, fans have
every right to remain skeptical.
With that said, this Steelers defense did have some
highlights this season, mainly in the sack department. T.J. Watt posted
a 13 sack season, the team tied for the NFL lead in sacks with 52, and have
produced 108 sacks the past two seasons. But the hard truth is this defense
just didn’t make enough plays to get this team to the postseason. Can it be
fixed? Absolutely, and fans better hope it gets rectified soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment