James Harrison: LeBeau not responsible for decline of Steelers defense

By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

James Harrison, once the ringleader of one of the most-feared defenses in the NFL, has a message for those who think the Steelers defense is outdated and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has lost his touch.

They are wrong.

“I hear coach LeBeau, a lot of people say he’s too old,” Harrison said. “That’s bull. The defense works. Players have to play the defense. Period. It’s on the players.”

Just three games after he returned as a backup outside linebacker, Harrison is not only annoyed at suggestions the Steelers need to change their style of defense; he is bothered by comments made by two former team members — coach Bill Cowher and wide receiver Hines Ward — that the defense is “soft.”

That prompted Harrison, a five-time Pro Bowler, to stand up for the defensive system the Steelers have employed for years and the man responsible for orchestrating its schemes.

“The scheme is the same, the calls are the same,” Harrison said. “The defense works. It’s been proven that it works for years and years. The defense has always been ranked in the top nine or 10 since coach LeBeau got here, except for the last year and now. The only thing that changes is the players.”

But Harrison didn’t stop there. The more he talked about the defense and LeBeau, the more emphatic he became.

“Let’s be plain and honest, let’s cut out all the bull — it’s about you dominating your man, period,” he said. “That’s all there is to it. That is what Aaron Smith did. That’s what Casey Hampton did. That’s what they did. They dominated.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/10/17/James-Harrison-Dick-LeBeau-not-responsible-for-decline-of-Steelers-defense/stories/201410170114

I gotta agree with Harrison here. The schemes have worked, but LeBeau has to cook with the ingredients he had. He used to have prime rib and now he has stew meat.

SteelersYak wrote:

I gotta agree with Harrison here.  The schemes have worked, but LeBeau has to cook with the ingredients he had.  He used to have prime rib and now he has stew meat.

MMMM, prime rib.

kirklandrules wrote:

SteelersYak wrote:

I gotta agree with Harrison here.  The schemes have worked, but LeBeau has to cook with the ingredients he had.  He used to have prime rib and now he has stew meat.

MMMM, prime rib.

I may have to book a trip to Texas Road House tonight now.

The 3-4 has been a great scheme for us as long as we had the talent. Scheme doesn't work without a dominant NT and pass rush from OLBs. There is no, Aaron Smith or Casey Hampton, I agree with you Harrison.

so in a word, "execution"

Steelerella wrote:

The 3-4 has been a great scheme for us as long as we had the talent. Scheme doesn't work without a dominant NT and pass rush from OLBs. There is no, Aaron Smith or Casey Hampton, I agree with you Harrison.

Bingo.

However, I do think this should be LeBeau's last season.

I just don't think we have an identity on defense. We have no strength whether it be stopping the run, stopping the play, coverage, blitzing, etc. I don't think LeBeau has great ingredients to cook with. Out of the starting 11 guys on the defense, only 1 has earned his paycheck (Heyward).

I'm still a believer in LeBeau's scheme. If anything, the addition of Shazier and Tuitt and possibly the maturation of Shamarko Thomas, this defense could become a top-flight defense over the next few years. One of the issues with the way they ran the 3-4 in prior years is that they had more run stuffing personnel on the field. Teams would spread them out and throw on them. Guys like Foote, Gildon, Porter and even Potsie (later in his career) couldn't cover the better TEs and RBs on passing downs. With the speed they drafted the last few years, they should be able to match up well. It's just a matter of getting the young guys enough experience to become good at their positions.

I still haven't given up on them pulling something together this year.