Tomlin: Steelers will play nickel defense 70 % of the time

Mike Tomlin says Steelers will play nickel defense "70 percent" of the time

By: Daniel Sager

The Pittsburgh Steelers spent much of the 2015 season playing in a nickel scheme; five defensive backs, two down linemen.

Don’t expect that to change in 2016.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters on Tuesday that he expected the team to line up in nickel “at least 70 percent” of the time, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

This isn’t a huge surprise, given Pittsburgh’s struggles in pass defense last season.  The Steelers ranked 30th in the NFL in passing yards allowed, which is down three spots from their 27th ranking in 2014. That is a trend that Tomlin and the Steelers are hoping to reverse this coming season.

To put it another way, but money on the Steelers drafting a cornerback early in April’s NFL Draft.

This revelation also could place less of a premium on the Steelers finding a top-flight nose tackle to replace Steve McLendon, who signed a three-year contract with the New York Jets last week. Unless the Steelers can find the next Aaron Donald in the draft, there isn’t much of a reason to put a run-stopping tackle on the field on obvious passing own situations.

http://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2016/03/23/mike-tomlin-says-steelers-will-play-nickel-defense-70-percent-of-the-time/

Depth behind Tuitt and Heyward isn't rock solid.....

If one of those guys goes down for an extended amount of time they are going to be hurting.....a starting NT would be ideal but if there are any other DE that's a stud falling to them.....I can see them pulling the trigger on them as well.

DL is still very much in play with the 1st pick IMO....especially considering how the steelers FO have been reluctant to use high priced resources to acquire elite talent in the secondary....and I guess you could argue it might be wise to do that if you don't trust their ability to evaluate that position.

If I had to put money on what they were going to do with their first 3 picks....

S or DL are neck and neck to be selected in rounds 1 or 2.

And in a distant 3rd....Corner.

I don't believe it. 70% is probably over estimating.

I think they like the idea of playing Robert Golden as an extra LB like the Cardinals do with Buchanan. He can cover, but is also a willing tackler.

It's a shame we can't get a better pass rush because a good pass rush can really hide mediocre or even poor coverage. However, a creative mind could really draw up some neat blitzes with the nickel due to having more faster guys on the field.

SteelersYak wrote:

It's a shame we can't get a better pass rush because a good pass rush can really hide mediocre or even poor coverage.  However, a creative mind could really draw up some neat blitzes with the nickel due to having more faster guys on the field.

Who were the starting DBs on the other side of Ike during XL and XLIII?
Off the top of my head I'd have to go with McFadden for XL and Gay in XLIII

But like you said the pass rush masks what DBs need to do
XL - Porter, Haggins, Farrior, Foote

XLIII - Harrison, Woodley, Foote, Farrior

Both we're crazy good.

SteelersNorth wrote:

SteelersYak wrote:

It's a shame we can't get a better pass rush because a good pass rush can really hide mediocre or even poor coverage.  However, a creative mind could really draw up some neat blitzes with the nickel due to having more faster guys on the field.

Who were the starting DBs on the other side of Ike during XL and XLIII?
Off the top of my head I'd have to go with McFadden for XL and Gay in XLIII

But like you said the pass rush masks what DBs need to do
XL - Porter, Haggins, Farrior, Foote

XLIII - Harrison, Woodley, Foote, Farrior

Both we're crazy good.

You forget that the secondary also included Clark and Polamalu, or Hope and Polamalu. Personally, I don't think Mike Mitchell has lived up to the coverage abilities of either Hope or Clark in their primes, so our Safety play is substantially less effective than those years IMO.

Heyward, Dupree, Tuitt, Shazier, Jones, Timmons. Steelers have spent a lot of top picks on their front 7....its time to use a couple in the back end.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

SteelersNorth wrote:

SteelersYak wrote:

It's a shame we can't get a better pass rush because a good pass rush can really hide mediocre or even poor coverage.  However, a creative mind could really draw up some neat blitzes with the nickel due to having more faster guys on the field.

Who were the starting DBs on the other side of Ike during XL and XLIII?
Off the top of my head I'd have to go with McFadden for XL and Gay in XLIII

But like you said the pass rush masks what DBs need to do
XL - Porter, Haggins, Farrior, Foote

XLIII - Harrison, Woodley, Foote, Farrior

Both we're crazy good.

You forget that the secondary also included Clark and Polamalu, or Hope and Polamalu.  Personally, I don't think Mike Mitchell has lived up to the coverage abilities of either Hope or Clark in their primes, so our Safety play is substantially less effective than those years IMO.

Heyward, Dupree, Tuitt, Shazier, Jones, Timmons.  Steelers have spent a lot of top picks on their front 7....its time to use a couple in the back end.

You're right about safety play. Again like you said having the 'wild card' in Polamalu helped immensely.

I think Mitchell stunk his first year but last season he was crushing guys all over the field. Much like Clark would during his solid 5 year run in black & sport gold :)

To your last point about getting guys on the back end I've heard more lately its Vonn Bell or Mackenzie Alexander in Rd 1 if they get that far to the Steelers.
I'd want the outside guy just because we really don't have anyone outside of Gay.

Just over a month to go and we'll know :)

SteelersNorth wrote:

To your last point about getting guys on the back end I've heard more lately its Vonn Bell or Mackenzie Alexander in Rd 1 if they get that far to the Steelers.

just curious, where did you hear that from?

Hawaii 5-0 wrote:

SteelersNorth wrote:

To your last point about getting guys on the back end I've heard more lately its Vonn Bell or Mackenzie Alexander in Rd 1 if they get that far to the Steelers.

just curious, where did you hear that from?

Just a couple of mocks. I can't put too much stock into it cause I can't even remember where I read them or heard them since there's too many lol

I don't watch college football but based on the 'rankings' at their respective positions (as per NFLs Mike Mayock) I think Vonn Bell is 3rd for safeties and Alexander is 4th or 5th in the DB category.

SteelersNorth wrote:

You're right about safety play. Again like you said having the 'wild card' in Polamalu helped immensely.

I think Mitchell stunk his first year but last season he was crushing guys all over the field. Much like Clark would during his solid 5 year run in black & sport gold :)

To your last point about getting guys on the back end I've heard more lately its Vonn Bell or Mackenzie Alexander in Rd 1 if they get that far to the Steelers.
I'd want the outside guy just because we really don't have anyone outside of Gay.

Just over a month to go and we'll know :)

Troy could close passing lanes and cover 1/2 of the field. Clark too understood coverages, did his film work and took away space in the passing game. Mitchell is often flat footed and late diagnosing plays, so he really doesn't help a lot in the passing deficiencies as I would like from the FS. IMO, Mitchell is mediocre, but because he makes a big hit now and then, fans don't look at his sub standard coverage.

Mackensie Alexander is a bit of a question mark to me. Highly touted as a highschool athlete, lots of swag and trash talk and athleticism, but not a ton of technique. Not sure if that is a fit with the Steelers, but he is willing to work and has the right attitude, his upside could work at #25. He ran a 4.47 at his pro day, so not overly impressive, but he jumped 37" and was coming of a hamstring issue. Again, Doran Grant ran a 4.44 at the Combine and people dog his speed for some reason??

Vonn Bell is a guy that has coverage skills as a safety. he is a 4.5 guy that covers some ground and would work well if they moved Mitchell to SS and worked Golden and Bell in at FS until Bell takes over the spot.

Seriously, if you add Vonn Bell, Senquez Golson, Doran Grant and maybe a 3rd round kid like Eric Murray to the secondary, that unit looks a lot more talented. Murray looked good at the Senior Bowl, played tough on the outside and Jumped 39", so is explosive.

El-Gonzo Jackson wrote:

SteelersNorth wrote:

SteelersYak wrote:

It's a shame we can't get a better pass rush because a good pass rush can really hide mediocre or even poor coverage.  However, a creative mind could really draw up some neat blitzes with the nickel due to having more faster guys on the field.

Who were the starting DBs on the other side of Ike during XL and XLIII?
Off the top of my head I'd have to go with McFadden for XL and Gay in XLIII

But like you said the pass rush masks what DBs need to do
XL - Porter, Haggins, Farrior, Foote

XLIII - Harrison, Woodley, Foote, Farrior

Both we're crazy good.

You forget that the secondary also included Clark and Polamalu, or Hope and Polamalu.  Personally, I don't think Mike Mitchell has lived up to the coverage abilities of either Hope or Clark in their primes, so our Safety play is substantially less effective than those years IMO.

Heyward, Dupree, Tuitt, Shazier, Jones, Timmons.  Steelers have spent a lot of top picks on their front 7....its time to use a couple in the back end.

Exactly...

Favre: "Nickel?"

You know, they've done studies. It works 70% of the time.......everytime.

It seems to work everytime all the time in the nickel thing!