Defense played angry last Sunday

Anyone else feel like these guys were pissed off coming into the game? A near 2 weeks of being disrespected by the media and doubted by many fans. I want to see more of it, let the hate flow

I haven't seen that kind of intensity from our defense in years, and it's nice to see. Shazier also seems to be asserting himself as a leader as well it seems

Ron Cook: Steelers defense shows improvement, but much work remains

September 22, 2015
By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

At just 26, in his fifth NFL season, with 32 starts under his sizable belt, Cam Heyward already gets it. His perspective on the Steelers defense and its role in a surprisingly easy 43-18 win Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers is right on.

“It’s a start,” Heyward said. “We can’t say, ‘Oh, we just won the Super Bowl off of one game.’ It’s just a start.”

A much different start, though, from the one the Steelers defense had in the opening-game loss at New England. That night, it seemed like a beginning, all right. … The beginning of the end of the season. The defense was that bad. Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes. Rob Gronkowski ran through the secondary unguarded and had three touchdown catches. The defense couldn’t have stopped the Patriots** with 15 men on the field, yet it tried to do it with 10 on two different plays.

“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate … ”

Apologies to Paul Newman, Strother Martin and the cast of the classic film “Cool Hand Luke.”

Maybe the Steelers defenders didn’t promise redemption against the 49ers. But they promised a better performance. They delivered.

“It’s definitely a better defense than people think it is,” linebacker Ryan Shazier said.

For one day, anyway.

to read rest of article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2015/09/22/Ron-Cook-Steelers-defense-shows-improvement-but-much-work-remains/stories/201509220082

man....thats one big ass picture

Playing angry...a great way to put it.

They were. Heyward and Shazier were beasts.

I loved the look, flying to the ball! Still gave up some junk in the secondary. Hoping they keep up the QB pressure! I still want to see Boykin out there more!

We played with 10 men, didn't bother to cover their best player, and we still held them to under 30 points in only lost by 7. That was on the road in the Patriots** Superbowl environment. The blowhard bills embarrass themselves at home for their home opener in front of 60000 brand new season ticket holders.

It's the first time since 2010 that I actually enjoyed seeing this defense play. Finally they all played with a lot of grit!
And for any teamsport, I think that's where defense begins. For me that's more important than skills.

Fire Arians wrote:

Anyone else feel like these guys were pissed off coming into the game? A near 2 weeks of being disrespected by the media and doubted by many fans. I want to see more of it, let the hate flow

I haven't seen that kind of intensity from our defense in years, and it's nice to see. Shazier also seems to be asserting himself as a leader as well it seems

Yes, I think pissed off had something to do with it.

But I think that studying the playbook had more to do with it.

As Collinsworth pointed out in the first game, the talent is there but many players didn't seem to really know what their roles were or where they should be playing and that they seemed confused.

I'd like to think that the SF game is proof they they've worked on that.

FanSince72 wrote:

Fire Arians wrote:

Anyone else feel like these guys were pissed off coming into the game? A near 2 weeks of being disrespected by the media and doubted by many fans. I want to see more of it, let the hate flow

I haven't seen that kind of intensity from our defense in years, and it's nice to see. Shazier also seems to be asserting himself as a leader as well it seems

Yes, I think pissed off had something to do with it.

But I think that studying the playbook had more to do with it.

As Collinsworth pointed out in the first game, the talent is there but many players didn't seem to really know what their roles were or where they should be playing and that they seemed confused.

I'd like to think that the SF game is proof they they've worked on that.

i think the booth coaches couldnt communicate with the DC on the sideline (thanks to the Patriots* cheating) and were caught late getting substitutions in at the most inopportune times.

but it's taboo to talk about Patriots* cheating. theyre allowed to get away with "gamesmanship" (everybody does it) and we must accept that and blame our guys.

i agree that studying helps and having oure core group of starters play together in a brand new system for more than a pre-season quarter, helps as well.

Steelers showing marked improvement at targeting quarterbacks

By Mark Kaboly
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015

Sack happy

The Steelers are well ahead of pace when it comes to sacks:

Season Sacks Pressures Record

*2015 56 64 8-8

2014 33 103 11-5

2013 34 151 8-8

2012 37 148 8-8

2011 35 153 12-4

2010 48 169 12-4

2009 47 139 9-7

2008 51 139 12-4

2007 36 153 10-6

*-Projected

It didn't take much time after the end of last season to know what the Steelers identified as their biggest need for improvement on defense.

After yet another 30-something sack season — their fourth in a row — which also was their worst output in more than a quarter of a century, the Steelers had to get after the quarterback more often and with more consistently.

Mike Tomlin knew it, and he said so right after the season.

Art Rooney, Kevin Colbert and Keith Butler followed with the same thoughts.

If two games are an indication, the message has gotten through.

Heading into Sunday's game at St. Louis, the Steelers are tied for fourth in the NFL with seven sacks.

Those seven sacks are the most in a two-game span for the Steelers to start the season since 2008 — the year they rode a record-setting defense to their sixth Super Bowl trophy — and has them on pace for a team-record 56.

You'd have to examine the two-game sack totals over the previous three years — three in 2014, one in 2013, four in 2012 — to better appreciate what the Steelers have done this year.

to read rest of article:

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/9144336-74/steelers-sacks-game#ixzz3mgaqwKxy

                       

FrancoLambert wrote:

 

I've never seen this emoji before, that's hilarious!!!