Perhaps the wrong focus?

[stillthere]

https://twitter.com/DariusJButler/statu ... 9959186434

Darius Butler
@DariusJButler
I STILL don’t understand this play-call in this situation. 4 DBs on the field, 1 WR and somehow J. Landry gets a 1 on 1 matchup on Spillane on 3rd and 2. @Everything_DB
@TheManToManPod
#NFLTwitter

Darius Butler breaking down the Spillane on Landry 3rd and 1. I am with DB this makes no sense that we cannot swap responsibilities or coverage at worst take a time out.

Browns went heavy - either 12 or 13 personnel and forced the Steelers into covering Landry with Spillane.

Fuck that.

Swap a DB or roll a safety down and let Watt get back on the edge with Spillane on the TE (2) instead of Landry (3). Even put Spillane on Hunt (1) with Pierre on Landry (3) and one of the safeties on the TE (2)

[W&M_Steeler]

A lot to unpack here:

You can extend your comments to positions on defense. You need players that can get off blocks, you need players that can stick to WRs, you need guys who can run with TEs and not get outmatched physically.

You conveniently call Watt 'a linebacker' as if he's not be the best edge player in the game. If Watt gets ~28M a season, that is hardly 'very good QB' money. The top guys are already starting to get 40M a season.

When did our D fall off a cliff? When we lost our 2nd best edge player. Pass rush is the 2nd most important position behind QB. You pay those guys before you invest in RB, IOL. RB and IOL are two of the easiest positions to replace.

I didn't know why you quoted "very good quarterback" money, as I didn't write that. I wrote "quarterback" money. Bottom line, I don't think that defense wins championships anymore, and I think putting that kind of money into a line backer, even if he is an "edge rusher" is not a smart move. It would cripple the offense, especially if they'd also break the bank to keep Dupree. Elite edge rushers are a luxury. Khalil Mack isn't winning a Super Bowl anytime soon. Sinking $40 million / year into two edge rushers to the detriment of the rest of the team would be a mistake, particularly when they aren't nearly as effective on their own if one of the two goes down with an injury (which is more likely to happen to a defensive player than a QB). Do you really want to give Watt $28 million / year based on what you saw of him in the games after Dupree went down? And do you really want to devote $40 million a year to edge rush?

If RB is so easy to replace and so inconsequential, and IOL so unimportant, then why haven't we had a decent running game in three years? The offense was so one-dimensional this year that I don't think the Steelers would have won a Super Bowl even with Dupree and Bush healthy. This is an offense league. Fix the offense.

It wasn't meant to imply you said it, just that it was a term I wanted to make clear.

I can literally apply all of your comments regarding D to RB and OL. I haven't seen Zeke Elliott, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook sniff a chance at a Super Bowl. I haven't seen Scherff, Zack Martin, Andrew Norwell sniff a chance either. These are all guys regarded as among the best at their position.

Have you seen Watt's stat line since Dupree went down? In 5 games he had 4 sacks, 2 FFs, 7 TFL, 2 PD. He was still really good.

The reason we haven't had a good run gaming is because we're spending way too much money into declining OL (along with stale game plan). That money hasn't allowed us to spend money at more important positions. IOL should be a position group that you invest a mid round pick in most years, which will allow you to spend more important resources on QB, pass rush, OT.

You fix the offense by purging the overpaid fat on the OL and TE, playing your best guys (Dotson), hit on a relatively cheap vet (Banner) and invest a premium pick in OT and a mid round pick in IOL. You don't spend premium picks or money on IOL and RB.

I still don't see enough to justify huge contracts to keep this defense together at the expense of the offense. I think this defense was over-hyped based on the Minkah bump that occurred in the middle of the 2019 season, when he came and the defense transformed into a turnover machine. That effect was already wearing out by the end of 2019, and it was non-existent this season.

The 2020 defense was not a dominant, Super Bowl winning defense even before the injuries. Jeff Driskel had them on the ropes. Carson Wentz and Travis Fulgham went nuts on them. And that was before Bush was injured. Let's not forget when the Steelers D made Gilbert, the Cowboys' new 4th string QB, look like an All-Pro. And that was when Dupree was still healthy. If $45 million worth of edge rushers buys performances like that, I would look to invest money elsewhere.

[W&M_Steeler]

I'm starting to think that it doesn't make sense to try to have a world class defense. The rules at this point are completely tilted to favor the offense. In order to have a world class defense, you need to have stars at multiple positions. That requires a great deal of money and draft capital. Then, because of the way the rules are tilted, an injury to one of two of those stars means your world class defense is no longer world class. A merely very good defense is not enough to win if your offense isn't also very good (harder to accomplish when you have so many resources tied up in your defense), and injuries are inevitable. Lose Bush and Bud and the defense is no longer good enough to win.

I think the focus needs to be on offense, with the defense being good but not world class, one that can stop the run and generate turnovers, with players as essentially interchangeable parts with no one getting mega contracts. Maybe I'm nuts, but I am somewhat unenthusiastic about paying Watt mega money. I'd rather spend that money rebuilding the O-line (assuming, of course, we could get competent offensive coaching).

They were also down Highsmith, had a shell with Spillane and a guy still learning on the fly in Williamson, If they had a healthy Highsmith the rush D is better maybe not dominant but probably does better against Chubb and Hunt. Marsh was not good reminded me of Chikilo.

The whole scheme Spillane to be forced to cover Jarvis Landry at this point is hubris or stupidity and neither one of those things belong on the staff. Not like it has not been happening for about 3 years at least. Is it they don't know how to counter those formations or that they just don't want to show and declare before the snap?

This loss feels like it falls 30 percent on coaching, 30 percent on the O, 30 percent on the D, and 10 percent on just plain the football bounces weird (ball dies as Ben and Conner are chasing it down with like a 4 yard lead on the nearest Cleveland defender and the punt that looked like it was going to stick inside the 5 and just goes a yard too far a little quicker than we needed it to.

I know that the Steelers' D had some key injuries, but the Browns were playing with a 2nd-string O-line. One of the guards just joined the Browns last week- Mayfield didn't even know his name! Despite this, Watt, Heyward, Tuitt, and Alualu were invisible. That can't happen. Yet again, the defense can't be counted on to dominate weakened opponents when needed.

I see many Steelers fans blaming this loss solely on Ben, and that's unfortunate. Butler and the defense should be eating shit for the turd they laid Sunday night. This defense doesn't live up to the hype.

[Obviously]

How has the Steelers franchise gotten so bad at running the football?

Lack of attention to detail as well as a lack of reps at practice.

This team isn’t crisp.

That speaks to practice.

Plus many of the players are just not very good.

BECAUSE TOMLIN

[W&M_Steeler]

I've seen enough to think that you cut all dead and half dead weight to keep DuPree. I move heaven and earth to keep DuPree and one of Sutton or Hilton.

I know it can't happen.

This is how my thinking shifted post-game as well. Previously, I was for letting Bud go. Now I'd prefer jettisoning a lot of other guys and making him a legit offer.

Why though? Let’s stop kidding ourselves, this team is not championship caliber... probably hasn’t been for awhile.
There is going to be a lot of turnover, including the QB spot.
We are looking at a 3-4 year (if you’re lucky) rebuild, including hopefully finding your next championship caliber QB. So you throw big money at Dupree and by the time you’re even close to competing again, hes 32-33years old on an expiring contract with a big cap hit. You’ve won nothing in the meantime.
IMO, the smart move is to commit to a makeover, recognize 3-4 young guys on each side of the ball and build around them. Bud Dupree isn’t one of those guys.

Good post. Paying Dupree big money would not make sense.

[franco32]

Butler has been a joke for a long time now. His big fatal errors are:

1. He relies too much on the blitz and disguises it very poorly for the most part.
2. He REFUSES to go single high safety when teams go empty on him to get WRs on LBs. It's killed this D over and over and he never adjusts.
3. He gets eaten alive by TEs and RBs in the middle of the field against slower ILBs and a shitty Edmunds. He has no answer for that.

All he had to do was hold the Browns to a few field goals....just don't let them put up 41 points. He SUCKS. He has 3 All-Pros on that D, and many other very good players back there. And, he gets bitched constantly and outschemed.

Greg Roman bitched him the first meeting and we only won because of turnovers. Daboll schooled him in the second half of the Buffalo game getting Diggs open left and right. Van Pelt KILLED him on Sunday. It happens over and over.

[Greeksteel]

Butler has been a joke for a long time now. His big fatal errors are:

1. He relies too much on the blitz and disguises it very poorly for the most part.
2. He REFUSES to go single high safety when teams go empty on him to get WRs on LBs. It's killed this D over and over and he never adjusts.
3. He gets eaten alive by TEs and RBs in the middle of the field against slower ILBs and a shitty Edmunds. He has no answer for that.

All he had to do was hold the Browns to a few field goals....just don't let them put up 41 points. He SUCKS. He has 3 All-Pros on that D, and many other very good players back there. And, he gets bitched constantly and outschemed.

Greg Roman bitched him the first meeting and we only won because of turnovers. Daboll schooled him in the second half of the Buffalo game getting Diggs open left and right. Van Pelt KILLED him on Sunday. It happens over and over.

I agree that Butler should be shitcanned for many reasons but there is word on the twittersphere that Tomlin made all the calls for the defense on Sun night.

[Kodiak]

I agree that Butler should be shitcanned for many reasons but there is word on the twittersphere that Tomlin made all the calls for the defense on Sun night.

Tomlin has been the DC for 3 years - Butler kept the title and pay grade but has basically only been the LBer coach.

[Greeksteel]

I agree that Butler should be shitcanned for many reasons but there is word on the twittersphere that Tomlin made all the calls for the defense on Sun night.

Tomlin has been the DC for 3 years - Butler kept the title and pay grade but has basically only been the LBer coach.

yep