TPOP: Schrödinger's Defense

Here is my game-one write up for TPOP.  

Schrödinger's Defense  
by Tiger Rowan  

Going into this season, we all knew what to expect from the Steelers’ offense: awesomeness. Even on a bad night, they still racked up twenty-one points… which just a few years ago, was about the maximum output for this team. I will not spend valuable time discussing what went wrong on offense, because it can be summarized in a few, poignant words: drops, missed field goals, and an ill-timed trick play.

Simply, I am not worried about the offense. In fact, I vehemently aver (editors’ note — means “state”, which is classy, Tiger) that once Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant return, this offense is going to be record-settingly good. Games like Thursday night, where the offense only puts up twenty-one points, will be the basement, not the ceiling.

The same can not be said for the defense.  

Read more:  
http://www.thepointofpittsburgh.com/schrodingers-defense/



If you enjoyed it, please, feel free to pass it along.

.

Well written and funny

I'm less optimistic about the defense I have to say unless we manage to trade up for Kam Chancellor. But I don't see that happen.

Very good article.

Good post teegre. sums it up pretty good.

Excellent article, Teegre.... very entertaining also.  I feel a little better about the defense now (just a little, though.........).   lol

Do you really think there are a lot of positives for our defense?  I sure hope so....

solardave wrote:

Good post teegre. sums it up pretty good.

I appreciate your kind words.

jak341 wrote:

Very good article.

Thanks

Stella Nation wrote:

Well written and funny

I'm less optimistic about the defense I have to say unless we manage to trade up for Kam Chancellor. But I don't see that happen.

Thanks, man. I try.

I am the eternal optimist. That said, "good enough" is my best hope for this defense.

mscarmel0716 wrote:

Excellent article, Teegre.... very entertaining also.  I feel a little better about the defense now (just a little, though.........).   lol

Do you really think there are a lot of positives for our defense?  I sure hope so....

Thanks, brother.  (insert scene of Maximus yelling: "Are you not entertained!?!").  

This defense will go as Shazier & Tuitt go.  As Tuitt progresses last year, the defense improved.  His continued growth is essential.  Likewise, Shazier could be a phenom... as he slowly gets more & more comfortable, this defense will slowly accrue more & more turnovers.  

If they have good seasons, then this defense will be "good enough."

.

Creative take on the situation.

I am optimistic that Boykin will step up, Gay will be steady and am concerned that Cortez Allen doesn't look to have improved to where he was 2 seasons ago. Blake should be the #4 CB and not starting.

Again, my concern has been safety play and each year we seem to throw names like Elam, Vaccaro, Buchanan, Pryor, etc around when its draft time and instead we have a 12 year vet, a 2nd round Raiders reach in Mitchell and a 4th round special teamer in Shamarko.

Sometimes you can make lemon aid out of lemons, but most of the time you cant make chicken salad from chicken shit. The safeties on this team are terrible.

" it will chase away rats and birds, but will not hunt them down."

I had a cat like that once.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Creative take on the situation.

I am optimistic that Boykin will step up, Gay will be steady and am concerned that Cortez Allen doesn't look to have improved to where he was 2 seasons ago.  Blake should be the #4 CB and not starting.

Again, my concern has been safety play and each year we seem to throw names like Elam, Vaccaro, Buchanan, Pryor, etc around when its draft time and instead we have a 12 year vet, a 2nd round Raiders reach in Mitchell and a 4th round special teamer in Shamarko.

Sometimes you can make lemon aid out of lemons, but most of the time you cant make chicken salad from chicken shit.  The safeties on this team are terrible.

Great analogy.  

I think that Ryan Shazier is going to be special.  Really.  But, I would have been fine with Vince Williams and drafting Déone Bucannon.  As it is, the Steelers have a playmaker at ILB, and a couple of duds at safety.  

NOTE: I was way off on Elam.  

R1:  Nate Andrews, FS, Florida St.  
R2:  Karl Joseph, SS, WVU  

(Joseph is a hitter.)  

.

teegre wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Creative take on the situation.

I am optimistic that Boykin will step up, Gay will be steady and am concerned that Cortez Allen doesn't look to have improved to where he was 2 seasons ago.  Blake should be the #4 CB and not starting.

Again, my concern has been safety play and each year we seem to throw names like Elam, Vaccaro, Buchanan, Pryor, etc around when its draft time and instead we have a 12 year vet, a 2nd round Raiders reach in Mitchell and a 4th round special teamer in Shamarko.

Sometimes you can make lemon aid out of lemons, but most of the time you cant make chicken salad from chicken shit.  The safeties on this team are terrible.

Great analogy.  

I think that Ryan Shazier is going to be special.  Really.  But, I would have been fine with Vince Williams and drafting Déone Bucannon.  As it is, the Steelers have a playmaker at ILB, and a couple of duds at safety.  

NOTE: I was way off on Elam.  

R1:  Nate Andrews, FS, Florida St.  
R2:  Karl Joseph, SS, WVU  

(Joseph is a hitter.)  

.

Double dip at safety the way we did with Timmons and Woodley at linebacker in 07. Hmmm. I did like what I say from Shazier. As for the defense overall, I have no idea where they're going to be. One game especially against Brady isn't going to give me any answers. I expect growing pains but I think they'll be on their way up by the end of the year as they learn to play with each other more and more.

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

teegre wrote:

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

Creative take on the situation.

I am optimistic that Boykin will step up, Gay will be steady and am concerned that Cortez Allen doesn't look to have improved to where he was 2 seasons ago.  Blake should be the #4 CB and not starting.

Again, my concern has been safety play and each year we seem to throw names like Elam, Vaccaro, Buchanan, Pryor, etc around when its draft time and instead we have a 12 year vet, a 2nd round Raiders reach in Mitchell and a 4th round special teamer in Shamarko.

Sometimes you can make lemon aid out of lemons, but most of the time you cant make chicken salad from chicken shit.  The safeties on this team are terrible.

Great analogy.  

I think that Ryan Shazier is going to be special.  Really.  But, I would have been fine with Vince Williams and drafting Déone Bucannon.  As it is, the Steelers have a playmaker at ILB, and a couple of duds at safety.  

NOTE: I was way off on Elam.  

R1:  Nate Andrews, FS, Florida St.  
R2:  Karl Joseph, SS, WVU  

(Joseph is a hitter.)  

.

Double dip at safety the way we did with Timmons and Woodley at linebacker in 07. Hmmm. I did like what I say from Shazier. As for the defense overall, I have no idea where they're going to be. One game especially against Brady isn't going to give me any answers. I expect growing pains but I think they'll be on their way up by the end of the year as they learn to play with each other more and more.

Spot on.

Double dip... with similar results.

This game was about the secondary not being cohesive; time will fix that (to a degree). They may never be good, but they can be "good enough."

.

ImperialFan wrote:

I had a cat like that once.

I notice that you didn't use the word "own"... because, no one really owns a cat.    

.

teegre wrote:

ImperialFan wrote:

I had a cat like that once.

I notice that you didn't use the word "own"... because, no one really owns a cat.    

.

Indeed, the cat owns you

Another good read Teeg. Great job.

I think you're right about the defense having a chance to be good enough. It's just not good enough yet.

There are some new pieces that I really like. Tuitt is going to be a terrific player for a long time. Shazier is showing signs of being an impact player for the next decade. Dupree is showing something very early, which is incredibly hard to do at this level and in this defense. The team needs a difference maker in the secondary. A player that is good enough to consistently make big plays and makes everyone better around him. We need someone to take this defense to the next level the way Mel Blount, Rod Woodson, or Troy Polamalu did. Just one great player can transform this defense with the way the front seven is developing.

The Steelers have been trying to find secondary players in later rounds, while focusing on the front seven. I don't blame them....a great pass rush is more important than a great secondary, but I do believe it's time to land a big time free agent corner or safety, or draft multiple secondary players in the first few rounds next year. They tried this year with Golson but he hasn't had the chance to make an impact because of injury.

The Steelers are this close(my fingers are an infinitesimal distance apart) from being a dominant team again. They just need the young talent already in place to get experience and blossom, while finding defensive players on the back end. By the second half of the year, we will see how much improvement this defense makes, and probably know if they are good enough to give this team a chance to win a Super Bowl.

I see tons of upside. There's a lot to be excited about in Pittsburgh. They just need to put it all together while Ben is a great player. Super Bowl victories will follow if they can.

Stella Nation wrote:

teegre wrote:

ImperialFan wrote:

I had a cat like that once.

I notice that you didn't use the word "own"... because, no one really owns a cat.    

.

Indeed, the cat owns you

I keep trying to post a Far Side carton (about cats). Alas, I'm a luddite.

pczach wrote:

Another good read Teeg. Great job.

I think you're right about the defense having a chance to be good enough. It's just not good enough yet.

There are some new pieces that I really like. Tuitt is going to be a terrific player for a long time. Shazier is showing signs of being an impact player for the next decade. Dupree is showing something very early, which is incredibly hard to do at this level and in this defense. The team needs a difference maker in the secondary. A player that is good enough to consistently make big plays and makes everyone better around him. We need someone to take this defense to the next level the way Mel Blount, Rod Woodson, or Troy Polamalu did. Just one great player can transform this defense with the way the front seven is developing.

The Steelers have been trying to find secondary players in later rounds, while focusing on the front seven. I don't blame them....a great pass rush is more important than a great secondary, but I do believe it's time to land a big time free agent corner or safety, or draft multiple secondary players in the first few rounds next year. They tried this year with Golson but he hasn't had the chance to make an impact because of injury.

The Steelers are this close(my fingers are an infinitesimal distance apart) from being a dominant team again. They just need the young talent already in place to get experience and blossom, while finding defensive players on the back end. By the second half of the year, we will see how much improvement this defense makes, and probably know if they are good enough to give this team a chance to win a Super Bowl.

I see tons of upside. There's a lot to be excited about in Pittsburgh. They just need to put it all together while Ben is a great player. Super Bowl victories will follow if they can.

Thanks, brother.

In a nutshell, this season will go as Tuitt & Shazier go. If those two can develop and play well, then the defense will be "good enough." The defense doesn't have to be great; just do enough to stay in the game... and BB, AB, & Bell will do the rest.

R1: Nate Andrews, FS, Florida St.
R2: Karl Joseph, SS, WVU

.

another great read Teeg!!

vasteeler wrote:

another great read Teeg!!

Thanks, brother.

A good piece as always Teeg, thank you for that. I agree with you about Shazier and Tuitt playing a big role in how our D will do. I am not sure about what to think. Yeah we had a tough game defensively but we always do struggle against Brady so it's hard to say. Hopefully they have a nice game against Kaepernick this week and get something going. I think the issues are fixable. You can fix communication issues. I liked what I saw from the run D on Thursday night.

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

A good piece as always Teeg, thank you for that. I agree with you about Shazier and Tuitt playing a big role in how our D will do. I am not sure about what to think. Yeah we had a tough game defensively but we always do struggle against Brady so it's hard to say. Hopefully they have a nice game against Kaepernick this week and get something going. I think the issues are fixable. You can fix communication issues. I liked what I saw from the run D on Thursday night.

Especially when there's 'radio issues' conveniently when the steelers reach the redzone. Big advantage if one coaching staff is expecting it and one isn't

Fire Arians wrote:

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

A good piece as always Teeg, thank you for that. I agree with you about Shazier and Tuitt playing a big role in how our D will do. I am not sure about what to think. Yeah we had a tough game defensively but we always do struggle against Brady so it's hard to say. Hopefully they have a nice game against Kaepernick this week and get something going. I think the issues are fixable. You can fix communication issues. I liked what I saw from the run D on Thursday night.

Especially when there's 'radio issues' conveniently when the steelers reach the redzone. Big advantage if one coaching staff is expecting it and one isn't

You do have to wonder about that.

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

A good piece as always Teeg, thank you for that. I agree with you about Shazier and Tuitt playing a big role in how our D will do. I am not sure about what to think. Yeah we had a tough game defensively but we always do struggle against Brady so it's hard to say. Hopefully they have a nice game against Kaepernick this week and get something going. I think the issues are fixable. You can fix communication issues. I liked what I saw from the run D on Thursday night.

Thanks, man.

As Shazier improves, the splash plays will increase. As Tuitt improves, the pass rush will improve. The insude run defense was great, but I am worried about outside containment. As Dupree improves, so will the containment.

As far as Thursday night went, I expected the defense to give up about 28 points. Not a bad outing. Whereas, the offense had three red-zone drives in the first half, and only got 3 points. They left 18 points on the field during that half alone.

No hyperbole: if this offense doesn't shoot itself in the foot (suspensions, poor red-zone play) they can put up 40+ points every single week.

.

teegre wrote:

ImmaculateGreenePolamalu wrote:

A good piece as always Teeg, thank you for that. I agree with you about Shazier and Tuitt playing a big role in how our D will do. I am not sure about what to think. Yeah we had a tough game defensively but we always do struggle against Brady so it's hard to say. Hopefully they have a nice game against Kaepernick this week and get something going. I think the issues are fixable. You can fix communication issues. I liked what I saw from the run D on Thursday night.

Thanks, man.  

As Shazier improves, the splash plays will increase.  As Tuitt improves, the pass rush will improve.  The insude run defense was great, but I am worried about outside containment.  As Dupree improves, so will the containment.  

As far as Thursday night went, I expected the defense to give up about 28 points.  Not a bad outing.  Whereas, the offense had three red-zone drives in the first half, and only got 3 points.  They left 18 points on the field during that half alone.  

No hyperbole: if this offense doesn't shoot itself in the foot (suspensions, poor red-zone play) they can put up 40+ points every single week.  

.

I have to agree with you. A lot depends on those two guys. I like what I saw from Ryan on Thursday night. It wasn't a terrible outing and I really think had we executed better in the RZ, we would have beaten those guys but that's life I guess. I am just glad football is back and I think we're looking at a good team here. I agree with you that the D will get better with time.