Steelers scheming Worilds out of what he does best

By Mark Kaboly

Sometimes the scheme helps a player.

Sometime the scheme doesn’t help a player.

Dick LeBeau’s new third-and-long scheme of putting the newly minted $10 million pass-rushing linebacker Jason Worilds in the middle of the field as an inside pass rusher/spy isn’t doing anything to help Worilds pressure the quarterback.

That’s part of the reason why Worilds has only one sack, three quarterback pressures, no forced turnovers and only eight tackles a quarter of the way through the season.

Remember, Worilds is the same guy who shoved LaMarr Woodley aside at outside linebacker a year ago and went on to lead the team in sacks with eight – seven of which came over the final eight games he played last year.

Bottom line is that Worilds isn’t being put in a position to get to the quarterback – at least over the last two games.

The way pass-rushing linebackers sack the quarterback is in obvious throwing situations. Those obvious throwing situations are third-and-long.

The last two weeks, Worilds has played a new role in third-and-long situations that might be better off for the team, but it is limiting his ability to get to the quarterback.

Ten times against the Buccaneers did LeBeau go to, what I call his ‘lulu’ formation (sorry for a Varsity Blues reference) on defense.

It’s a formation that has Brett Keisel and either Arthur Moats or James Harrison as outside pass-rushing linebackers, a defensive lineman (usually Cam Heyward), Worilds lined up as a roaming inside linebacker in front of the regular inside linebackers in Sean Spence and Lawrence Timmons.

Different combinations rush the quarterback which makes it difficult to block and what is attractive to the Steelers, but not Worilds.

Against Carolina, Worilds was a spy first then rush – which doesn’t get you to the quarterback much. Against Tampa, he was much of the same.

The Steelers are doing that because Worilds has the speed to do it and can rush the passer at different angles. But when a guy was so successful coming off the edge last year and creating pressure, why change now?

A new wrinkle? That’s all I can think of.

A new wrinkle that isn’t very conducive for Worilds to do what he does best – rush the quarterback.

http://blog.triblive.com/steel-mill/2014/10/01/kaboly-steelers-scheming-worilds-out-of-what-he-does-best/#axzz3EwQ4q4gt
__________________

Execution my ass!  We pay a guy almost $10 MILLION to sack the quarterback, and he's not being allowed to do it.

Source?

The author of the blog above. Who actually has access to the same game film the team watches.

mrcrash wrote:

The author of the blog above.  Who actually has access to the same game film the team watches.

Who wrote it?

I wasn't being a smartass (for once). Make sure to include a source link when posting articles.

Kaboly.

mrcrash wrote:

Kaboly.  

Thanks. I added the link.

Welp, on this one I think we're going to be on the same page Crash.

Then according to Yak we're both trolls then.

Welcome to the club.

Yeah, but I'm a troll with




Crash, I need to find a post I made a little over two years ago. I just might surprise you.

He had Woodley dropping into coverage too and I wasn't a fan of that. Maybe he saw that Woodley was no longer effective rushing off the edge. I'm not in any way saying Worilds can't, but on the other hand I'm not chanting fire Lebeau either. This is why I'm here second guessing instead of actually calling plays. The way this game is going defensive players are at a serious disadvantage. They can't even look at an offensive player without drawing a flag. So he's trying something out and it's not working.It's not the first time.

Just a few years ago we looked at Lebeau as one of the great defensive minds of all time. For me that's hard to let go of. I watched Joe Greene play way past his prime and even though I knew it was past his time my heart said keep him on the team.

Who's we? You got a frog in your pocket?

October 2012:

http://m.nbcsports.com/content/kacsmar-dont-believe-hype-steelers-d

And the update last week by the same author:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/clutch-encounters/2014/clutch-encounters-week-4

LeBeau is a great guy and was a great player in his day. That clouds the judgement, and the evaluation, of Dick LeBeau the COACH.

mrcrash wrote:

Who's we?  You got a frog in your pocket?  

October 2012:  

http://m.nbcsports.com/content/kacsmar-dont-believe-hype-steelers-d

And the update last week by the same author:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/clutch-encounters/2014/clutch-encounters-week-4

LeBeau is a great guy and was a great player in his day.  That clouds the judgement, and the evaluation, of Dick LeBeau the COACH.  

Why don't we take a poll here? Just because you don't like him doesn't mean everyone hates him too.

I didn't say everyone hates him. I said like they him for the wrong reasons.

They like him MORE for his personality, the fact that he's a great guy.

That is also is a BIG reason why fans/media IGNORE his shortcomings as a coach.

It's called a free pass.

Quote :

Mark Kaboly @MarkKaboly_Trib

Ask Jason Worilds about being allowed to rush from outside almost exclusively against Jags. He just gave me a big smile. Had sack, 4 hurries

Quote :

Worilds is forced to cover, not rush

By Ed Bouchette / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Like any good pass rusher, linebacker Jason Worilds wants the opportunity to rush the quarterback. He just does not think he’s getting the chance as often this season because he said the Steelers have him covering receivers instead.

He acknowledges his forte is rushing the quarterback.

“I would think they understand that,” Worilds said Wednesday after practice. “I would hope that they know that I rush the passer, so if they put me out of position, they do it knowing that they’re taking me out of position to make plays.”

Worilds was not particularly complaining about it, just stating facts as he sees them.

“Some of the things that we’re doing, some of the positions that they’re playing [us] is kind of to help the defense, more so than from, I guess, a schematic standpoint with me individually rushing.

“If it helps the defense … I’m going to do that for my team.”

http://www.chatsports.com/pittsburgh-steelers/a/Worilds-is-forced-to-cover-not-rush-0-10564376

In reading the entire article that Wally posts from the PG, one thing sticks out pretty clear:

"Of those, they count him rushing the passer 128 times and covering receivers 96 times, along with playing the run 156 times."

Worilds is crying because he has to drop into coverage. The big takeaway I see is that out of 128 rushes, he's only come away with 1 sack. We can bitch about scheme all day long, but one sack out of 128 attempts is a player not executing.

One of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history occurred because the best pass rusher dropped into coverage ... and Harrison took it 100 yards for a score.

Great players make great plays. Let me know when you spot a great player on this defense.

kirklandrules wrote:

In reading the entire article that Wally posts from the PG, one thing sticks out pretty clear:

"Of those, they count him rushing the passer 128 times and covering receivers 96 times, along with playing the run 156 times."

Worilds is crying because he has to drop into coverage. The big takeaway I see is that out of 128 rushes, he's only come away with 1 sack. We can bitch about scheme all day long, but one sack out of 128 attempts is a player not executing.

One of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history occurred because the best pass rusher dropped into coverage ... and Harrison took it 100 yards for a score.

Great players make great plays. Let me know when you spot a great player on this defense.

I'm going to crash this post and say the one dude that has been making plays is Heyward. I don't have a negative thing to say about him.

SteelersYak wrote:

kirklandrules wrote:

In reading the entire article that Wally posts from the PG, one thing sticks out pretty clear:

"Of those, they count him rushing the passer 128 times and covering receivers 96 times, along with playing the run 156 times."

Worilds is crying because he has to drop into coverage. The big takeaway I see is that out of 128 rushes, he's only come away with 1 sack. We can bitch about scheme all day long, but one sack out of 128 attempts is a player not executing.

One of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history occurred because the best pass rusher dropped into coverage ... and Harrison took it 100 yards for a score.

Great players make great plays. Let me know when you spot a great player on this defense.

I'm going to crash this post and say the one dude that has been making plays is Heyward.  I don't have a negative thing to say about him.

I think Heyward is good and has shown flashes. But I don't think he's great, yet. I'm trying to think of any plays he's made this year that have changed the course of a game. I could say the same thing about Timmons (who I think is a stud). And Troy isn't the guy he used to be. So there's not a dominate presence among the D-line, LBs, nor secondary.

A. Brown is a great player and has made great plays. L. Bell is a great player and made great plays. Ben is a great player and has made great plays (although less than we hoped for). I'm just not seeing that type of production on the defensive side of the ball.

I don't think you necessarily need splash plays to make an impact in the game. The fact that he has gotten sacks, tackles, and you see him hustling down the field to make tackles makes him a good player. He's probably the one shining spot we have on the defense.

Agreed he's a good player. I guess my point is that a few years back, there were several players on that defense who could (and did) change the outcome of games. Between Harrison, Woodley, Troy, Potsie, Big Snack, Aaron Smith.

I'm thinking LeBeau is dropping Worilds into coverage because he's not getting to the QB enough and he's looking to bring pressure elsewhere. Wouldn't you do the same thing?

But you've got to put the key guys in to key positions. Worilds is a better pass rusher and most know it. However, I think it's mostly because of injuries that Worilds has been placed in to other responsibilities.

kirklandrules wrote:

Agreed he's a good player. I guess my point is that a few years back, there were several players on that defense who could (and did) change the outcome of games. Between Harrison, Woodley, Troy, Potsie, Big Snack, Aaron Smith.

I'm thinking LeBeau is dropping Worilds into coverage because he's not getting to the QB enough and he's looking to bring pressure elsewhere. Wouldn't you do the same thing?

Woodley wasn't getting any sacks either back when he was dropping into coverage. Reading what you said about 1 out of 128 attempts makes sense LeBeau would try something else, but man we need someone who can put pressure on QBs. Is McCullers playing this week? I know he is a rookie and all but maybe he can play. At least stop the run up the middle and maybe knock down a pass or two. The trifecta would be a sack. Right now these guys on D are toothless.

kirklandrules wrote:

I'm thinking LeBeau is dropping Worilds into coverage because he's not getting to the QB enough and he's looking to bring pressure elsewhere. Wouldn't you do the same thing?

Can he play corner?

Yea, the 1 out of 128 is pretty alarming. It's one thing to say you're good at something, it's another to have a history of a being good at it, but the most important thing is doing it year after year. This year, Worilds just isn't getting it done.