Latest Steelers Defensive Debacle May Beg For LeBeau's Job

"They handled us and they handled us well."  - head coach Mike Tomlin after the Pittsburgh Steelers' 55-31 loss to the New England Patriots.

Where do we begin?

The Steelers walked into Gillette Stadium Sunday afternoon with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. The Patriots ceremoniously cut that thread, dropping the once mighty Steelers to a lowly 2-6. It's almost too difficult breaking down this loss. Like Steelers announcer Bill Hillgrove said after the game, "Too many stats."

It's for that very reason that we're going to leave the majority of the actual breakdown to Bob Labriola so that we can focus on a broader problem. - http://tinyurl.com/p95fuqm

Something one scribe wrote in his article following the game was that the Steelers had "one of the top pass defenses statistically heading into the game." Well, it is Mark Twain who is credited with the quote,"There are three types of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics."

The poor performance we saw in last Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Oakland Raiders prove some numbers don't lie, though. Meaning, in that case, the numbers of missed sacks, missed tackles and the many missed assignments.

In retrospect, that was a virtuoso performance compared to what the Steelers defense tried to pass off as professional against the Patriots.

Jason Worilds had pity sacks (pun intended) and LaMarr Woodley, Lawrence Timmons and Vince Williams got pressure only a few times, but none of it was enough. The Steelers did actually have several pressures, as helped by defensive ends Brett Keisel and Cam Heyward, but too few led to sacks managing only three for the game.

To say that their current effort simply isn't enough is an understatement. For a point of reference, the Kansas City Chiefs not only lead the NFL in sacks (36) and forced turnover (23) through nine games, but also in wins. In fact, their 9-0 record is, in large part, due to those sacks and turnovers.

That used to be the Steelers forte: a rock-hard, fearsome defense that punished quarterbacks and teams in general. They led the league or were top three in the league in sacks six times in the 10 years from 2001-2010:
2001 .................. 55
2002 .................. 50
2003 .................. 35
2004 .................. 41
2005 .................. 47
2006 .................. 39
2007 .................. 36
2008 .................. 51
2009 .................. 47
2010 .................. 48

That's the crux of this article, though. The defense isn't feared as it has been, nor does it cause the chaotic confusion it once did. A confusion that is supposed to be the driving force behind the 3-4 scheme defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau uses.

Last season, Raiders' quarterback made reference to the Steelers doing pretty much what they had done "six, seven years ago." Sunday against the Patriots, the Steelers had to blitz regularly just to get the amount of pressure alluded to earlier. And it may simply be time to make one very hard decision.

It may be time for Dick LeBeau to retire and allow new blood in at defensive coordinator.

Look, it hurts to even write that. LeBeau is tremendously respected and is one of the best all time at what he does. Few have achieved more in football than Dick LeBeau, as a player, as a coach and as a man. Who doesn't love Coach Dad?

Still, the evidence has been there over the last few years and it's a subject that needs to be addressed now.  The word "predictable" has now been used entirely too often in connection with Lebeau and his schemes. And while execution always trumps predictability, there is too much evidence to be ignored.

Let's look at Super Bowl 45 an example, where the Green Bay Packers exploited the Steelers  secondary all game. It could have been worse, also, as the Packers receivers dropped several balls, including a few that would have been big gains.

What was most bothersome, though, was after the Steelers had stormed back and made it a 28-25 ball game with just over seven minutes left, the defense gave up a huge clock killing field goal drive. The Steelers didn't get the ball back till the 2:07 mark. The defense just couldn't get off the field.

Just like they couldn't Sunday against the Patriots. And there have simply been too many situations where the defense does not show up when needed most, especially late in games.

Now with this last example being presented, it is clear that changes must be made. LeBeau had seemingly shown the ability to change his attack given the circumstances, as he did in the last New England Patriots game in 2011. Yet, his game plan was horrible, reverting back to previous years' performances.

Too much base defense, not enough bump coverage, barely any effective "quarters" coverage and great liabilities in Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark. All of this allowing quarterback Tom Brady, held to 118 passing yards the week before, to pass for 432 yards. His 151.4 QBR was nearly perfect.

The Patriots put up 610 yards total - 98 more yards than a LeBeau-coached or any Steelers' defense has ever allowed. The 55 points were the most ever allowed, also, by any Steelers' defense, with the previous high being 54 points set twice - in 1941 to the Packers and in 1985 to the San Diego Chargers.

"Probably as disappointed as I have been," Tomlin said after the game, "especially under the circumstances of how we were able to fight back there at the beginning of the second half. I am angry. We are capable and better than that. We've got to be better than that. We weren't, so we are going to fix it." - http://tinyurl.com/kkscnsy

The defense couldn't stop the pass, made rookie receivers look like seasoned veterans and, worst of all, they couldn't stop the run - they surrendered almost 200 yards on the ground. Worst of all, the last rushing touchdown scored by the Patriots was just the bully being bullied as LeGarrette Blount powered out of the arms of Ziggy Hood to score.

"For a long time here we've been tough because we've played great defense here", Keisel said. "We need to get back to that."

They were unprepared, outmatched and outclassed. In neither scheme nor adjustments were the Steelers successful. Like Clark said, the Patriots "were able to run it when they wanted to run it, which is an 11-man job, and they were also able to pass it when they wanted to pass it, which is an 11-man job....We were beat by a much better team."

That isn't merely a player-execution problem when it's as consistent as it has been for the Steelers. Like Tomlin said, they need to fix it. Well, there's a lot to fix.

And fixing it starts from the top of the defensive pyramid down.

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TIDBITS: Injury report: CB Ike Taylor (concussion), ILB Vince Williams (concussion) RT Marcus Gilbert (ankle)

"I got rolled up on my bad ankle, but I'll be fine." ~ Gilbert

Peyton Manning or James Harrison: Which Player Impacts A Steelers Win More?

"When you get Peyton Manning, you get a package. You dont get a QB; Peyton Manning's not a cookie-cutter QB...You get the whole thing."

Those words were spoken on Thursday by Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark who won't be able to take part in the game in Denver Sunday because of the sickle-cell trait he carries that prevents him from playing in the high altitude there. His absence will be felt.

His isn't the only, though.

Stevenson Sylvester will also miss the game as well as the next two there after because of a knee injury. David DeCastro was placed on the Injured Reserve/Return list and won't be back for at least eight weeks.

Other players on the injury report were running back Baron Batch (groin) who is listed as questionable. Running back Isaac Redman (ankle/hip), defensive end Brett Keisel (ankle), linebacker Larry Foote (ankle), and linebacker Jason Worilds (knee/wrist) were all full participants in Friday's practice and are listed as probable.

Rashard Mendenhall (knee) is listed as doubtful, though former Steelers lineman and current Steelers analyst Tunch Ilkin said on Steelers Live @ 4 that Mendy looks great as he continues to work his way back from his ACL injury. He told CBS Sports he's physically able to play but won't say if he is on Sunday.

"Stability is fine. I continue to grow in strength. The running and cutting and everything is fine, so just gonna take it day to day."

He has been practicing, but I maintain that he won't play until after the bye week.

More important than any of those, though, is right outside linebacker James Harrison (knee) who didn't practice at all Friday and is listed as questionable on the Friday injury report. The Silverback told the media that he was a gametime decision, but logic dictates that he does not play Sunday night. Second year Fresno State product Chris Carter will start in place of Harrison if he indeed cannot go.

Harrison even admitted when asked that "if the game was today, I couldn't play." Harrison said the knee "didn't feel too good" and that it needed rest. Seems highly unlikely Harrison will play. - http://t.co/jiFO3Kt0

As we've written before, it isn't just Harrison's pass rushing ability that the Steelers would be missing Sunday. His run stopping ability is immensely important. Carter is a speed rusher who can get to the quarterback. But the QB in question, the one praised at the outset of this article by Clark, knows how to exploit weaknesses.

Without question, Peyton Manning is a very, very smart signal caller who gets the ball out of his hands quickly. He's a surgeon in cleats and has dissected many a defense. And it's those same smarts that cause him know to utilize his running game.

Manning is not afraid to run the ball out of a passing formation, like in 3-wide receiver sets. Specifically, also, he knows to run the ball at an unproven right outside linebacker. It wouldn't be surprising to see Denver try to run to beat the Steelers.

Manning, with all the attributes we know him to have, is a quarterback who can be rattled and made to throw the ball sooner than he wants to, when the defense is able to confuse him AND hit him. Plus, it's well known that Manning has trouble with 3-4 defenses using disguising schemes.

Manning's troubles with 3-4 defenses makes the loss of a fully healthy Harrison loom larger. It also means that not only Carter, but Worilds and LaMarr Woodley must pick up the slack.

Worilds, who sustained a wrist injury in a game early last season that required offseason surgery, says he's glad to be healed and is ready to throw his hand in the pile (no pun intended): "I've broken something before and I'd rather have something breaking. I'm definitely relieved, absolutely relieved. It's been a long journey, but I'm just [happy] to get back on the field...with my teammates again."

Worilds isn't Harrison either, though. Nor is Adrian Robinson. All good players, but none are Deebo.

From recognizing formations to breaking down cover schemes in order to stymy the run or force a strip-sack to being wreaking havoc in coverage, few are the force of nature that wears the ultimate game face. This guy scares everyone and his absence will more profoundly affect the Steelers chances of winning than will Manning's presence.

Make no mistake, despite what the Steelers offense does, the defense truly should have the more vocal say in who wins this game.

A complete corps of linebackers means a shutting down of the run game. Lawrence Timmons, Foote and Carter need to have big games against the run considering we've already said we fully expect the Broncos to utilize the run. Shutting down the run means you're forcing a rusty QB coming off of four neck surgeries to pass more.

Point blank: a healthy Harrison or DeMarcus Ware or Aldon Smith or even a Woodley could break Michael Strahan's sack record this year. Every team is passing more - it's very much a passing league. More pass attempts mean more opportunities for sacks. It's simple numbers: more drop backs begets more sacks.

BOTTOM LINE: In our humble opinion, a healthy and angry Deebo would have meant an easier victory. If he truly is out for Sunday, look instead for the Steelers to squeak out 20-17 victory.

~

Whether it's an extra secondary body just to throw at Manning and then discarded or a bona fide addition to the roster, the Steelers signed for Oakland Raiders cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke.

Without getting any deeper into roster implications, we referred to the raw CB in a previous blog as "a project." Van Dyke is a curly hair short of 6'1" and weighs 187 pounds soaking wet, carrying a brick and with extra change in his pockets.

Bob Labriola of Steelers Digest posted this on him on Friday after the official announcement of his signing: "Scouting rept. on Van Dyke: Fast (4.3), athletic, developmental CB, good gunner on punts, tall (6-1), slight but added 10 lbs since '11."

So, while he probably won't see the field defensively, he should see special teams as a gunner.

If you follow us on Facebook you may converse with us on occasion in a Steelers group or two. One such conversation with Paul Ventura provided a bit of knowledge about Van Dyke. He hipped me specifically to what former Steelers cornerback and Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, who was the Raiders defensive backs coach when they drafted Van Dyke, said last year about him in their training camp.

"He has great hips. He reminds me of a player that I played with in Baltimore, Duane Starks. When he got drafted coming out of The U (Miami), and we were in Baltimore, he had great hips, great feet. DVD reminds me of him. He's a little bit taller. His range, I don't think too many receivers are outrunning him," Woodson said.

"So, he has to learn to break down, move his body weight and transition when he's playing in space," Woodson continued. "If he does that, he can be a pretty good. It's the little things that he has to work on."

"He has to learn how to finish, Woodson concluded. "He's still learning the little things about playing corner in this league - playing the different coverages, when to do certain things, when not to do certain things. But if he keeps progressing in the positive manner like he has in the first week or so, he'll be a decent player."

If Carnell Lake can have the influence on him that he had on Keenan Lewis, maybe Van Dyke sticks around for a while.