On the Steelers: Time to switch back to the 4-3?

The Steel Curtain, they called them: L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Joe Greene, Dwight White. • No defensive line in history became as famous; none with the Steelers has come close to being as celebrated. They just could not find that kind of talent through the years, and they haven't lined up that way since 1982. • The players who spawned the famous name came from a 4-3 defensive alignment -- four down linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, two safeties. They played that defense throughout the 1970s and dominated opponents using it.

Once those great linemen faded, the Steelers switched to a 3-4 in 1982, removing a lineman and adding a linebacker. It suited their talent at the time, former defensive coordinator Woody Widenhofer said last year.

The 3-4 proved the test of time, too. They've played it now for 31 consecutive seasons, the longest continued tenure of the 3-4 by any NFL team.

But now, is it time for a change? Time to switch back to the 4-3 for the very same reasons Widenhofer gave for switching 30 years ago: to suit their talent?

They had an abundance at linebacker for most of the past three decades. They no longer do. It began when they released James Farrior. James Harrison will be 35 next season and has a $10 million salary cap number on a team that again must make tough choices to get under it for 2013. The only other Pro Bowl linebacker on the team is LaMarr Woodley. Larry Foote will be 33 next season but is playing at a good level.

On the other hand, they have invested much more recently into their defensive line. They used two first-round draft choices on ends Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward. Another former No. 1, nose tackle Casey Hampton, is 35 and took a pay cut to play in what looks to be his final season. They used a fourth-round draft choice to take what some thought was his successor in Alameda Ta'amu but his status remains questionable for reasons on and off the field. They also have two other linemen they like, tackle Steve McLendon and end Al Woods.

How would a 4-3 alignment look in 2013 if, say, Harrison, Hampton and Brett Keisel, who will be 34 next year, were no longer here?

Start with the two top picks. Hood would play defensive tackle next to, say, McLendon. Heyward would line up at an end. That leaves one more end on the line. Woodley played there at Michigan and is big enough to play the position. Woods could be an option. Or Jason Worilds. They also could draft or sign one.

They could move Lawrence Timmons to outside linebacker, which suits his talents in the 4-3, with Woodley more likely the other rather than moving to end. That leaves the middle linebacker to Foote or Sean Spence, who is spending his rookie season on injured reserve. Spence also could play outside linebacker.

Viable?

"We can do it," said Foote, who noted they have practiced the 4-3, especially last season when Harrison and Woodley were hurt. Just in case.

He also noted that coordinator Dick LeBeau, linebackers coach Keith Butler (coordinator in waiting) and coach Mike Tomlin all have worked with 4-3 defenses.

"We threw it in when our linebackers got hurt and we were down in numbers," Foote said. "... We had it to a point, we repped it and they were comfortable running it."

Woodley said he prefers to play linebacker in the 3-4 because his duties are more varied than when he played end at Michigan and mostly rushed the quarterback.

"Could we transition to it? Yeah, we can transition to it," Woodley said. "We have enough of everything to transition to it."

It's not far-fetched, again for the same reasons they switched 30 years ago to the 3-4: That's what the talent could dictate as their linebackers age.

Before there was RG III ...

The Steelers once had a mini-version of RG3.

Kordell Stewart did not start immediately like Redskins rookie Robert Griffin. He was not the accomplished passer like Griffin, but he had talent oozing out of every pore and the Steelers put it to use right away.

In 1995, Stewart played mostly as a wide receiver and the Steelers went to a Super Bowl. After Neil O'Donnell left as a free agent, Stewart again did not become the quarterback in 1996. He threw 30 passes that season while playing behind Mike Tomczak. While no quarterback has rushed for 100 yards against the Steelers since the Eagles' Jack Concannon in 1966, it hasn't been so long since the Steelers had a quarterback rush for 100. Stewart. He did it in the final game of the 1996 season when he ran for 102 against Carolina.

Stewart started in '97 and helped lead the Steelers to within a whisper of beating John Elway and the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game.

There were some difficult seasons between 1998 and 2000 as Bill Cowher went through three offensive coordinators. One of them, Kevin Gilbride, tried to make Stewart a pocket quarterback. Stewart once ran for a touchdown and Gilbride berated him for not passing the ball instead.

In 2000, the Steelers decided they'd had enough of Stewart and signed a water buffalo named Kent Graham. After a 1-3 start and an injury to Graham, Stewart replaced him, and the team won 8 of 12 to nearly make the playoffs at 9-7.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/on-the-steelers-time-to-switch-back-to-the-4-3-659531/#ixzz2AajSqHJP

Didn't read the article. Didn't need too, the title says it all. No. A lot of people suggest switching to a 3-4 for our young defensive lineman, but I wouldn't agree with changing an entire defensive philosophy for two or three guys to fit in. It won't happen under D.L., and i'm not entirely sure it'll change under Butler, or whomever is taking over.

bayz101 wrote:

Didn't read the article. Didn't need too, the title says it all. No. A lot of people suggest switching to a 3-4 for our young defensive lineman, but I wouldn't agree with changing an entire defensive philosophy for two or three guys to fit in. It won't happen under D.L., and i'm not entirely sure it'll change under Butler, or whomever is taking over.

We're already in the 3-4. Apparently you didn't read the title as closely as you thought as it says 4-3.

I don't believe it WOULD be for only two or three guys as Hampton and Kiesel are soon on their way out and guys like Troy and Harrison are injured so much now that it may be time for them to retire or move into lesser roles.

I agree it won't happen under LeBeau, but he's probably going to retire sooner than we think at this point. We have no idea if Butler has a different defensive philosophy than DL or would be open to a switch to the 4-3 under Tomlin. Tomlin wanted to run a 4-3 Tampa Two or something like that when he arrived, but I think he was overruled and saw that DL's 3-4 was still too dominant to mess with. Now that there are chinks showing in the 3-4 armor and a change looms on the d-coordinator horizon, Tomlin may feel he has more leverage to institute what he originally intended to with Butler at the helm. Butler doesn't carry the same weight and track record as DL so it would be easier.

I'm not saying it will or should happen, just that the planets are aligning for it to become possible for it to happen.

I meant 4-3. Mind you I woke up at 1:55am this morning.

bayz101 wrote:

I meant 4-3. Mind you I woke up at 1:55am this morning.

Suck it up pumpkin. No excuses!

Haha no. Wont happen.
Also I don't believe the lB and Db arrangements are relevant. How often is Troy or another Db on or near the line? 56 and 92 both play downs on the line, Troy is the peyton Manning of defenses. He roams around, he changes plays, he blitzes, he picks, I hear he can heal sick kids too.
Changing to a 4-3 would be dumb. I believe our linebackers are still better than our lineman, Woodley and Harrison are an incredible tandem. Timmons can ball, and Foote is still relevant because he is no slouch.

I just want the whole defense on the field at the same time....injuries blow

Blitzburghfan wrote:

I just want the whole defense on the field at the same time....injuries blow

If we get healthy and the O keeps playing the way they've been playing, Watch out!! We'll be a for a force to be reckon with