Week 2 Pittsburg Steelers coaches film analysis

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by defenderDX:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Eek. As a CB, if you're reaching with only one hand, you're dead unless you have epic recovery speed and lots of help over the top.

yes but it's important our corners employ "physical", "jamming" press-man coverage. it's what you wanted lmfaooo

Not sure where you are going with this. There are different types of press sets...here is a case where you WANT to jam and throw off the WR right at the LOS. But if you have poor technique like Acker here, you're screwed. Like we were here.

In this game, as a DC, I'd ensure all week Brock, Acker, Johnson and Ward were using proper technique within jam press OR change the scheme and play off coverage to respect their speed.

It really makes me wonder if that's why we didn't see much press coverage while Fangio was here. It might have been because Fangio always liked to keep everything in front of the defense. The press is great but, if you don't have the horses, you can't run in the Kentucky Derby. Looking at how Tarrell Brown and Carlos Rogers and Cox have done, post us, they haven't played much press anywhere else either. The only DB I can remember us having that could run press-coverage well was Culliver. Which he was the only one I remember pressing much either. Assomgha did some when he was here too, then trailed off in everything else. But, when he was here, Fangio had him press.

Originally posted by captveg:

Originally posted by itlynstalyn:

Originally posted by captveg:
I'd like to see a breakdown of the 2-pt conversion after the Torrey TD as it's the only short yardage goal line success they had in the game. Would be an interesting comparison to the other RZ plays. (No rush on breaking this play down, though).

The play-calling was mostly the problem, and then secondly the execution. Completely unimaginative and the o-line got beat on pretty much every single play. Kap has the mobility and athletic ability to put the ball in the end zone with his feet, yet I don't think I saw a single play call where the defense was forced to respect that as a possibility.

The only unimaginative RZ trip IMO was the 2nd one (that ended in the incomplete pass to Miller). Execution was lacking on all four, even the one that resulted in Boldin's TD.

Most of what I saw was multiple runs to the weak side of the line, little-to-no play action, no bootlegs and plays that were really predictable and didn't force the defense to respect Kap's legs.

Originally posted by defenderDX:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by defenderDX:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Eek. As a CB, if you're reaching with only one hand, you're dead unless you have epic recovery speed and lots of help over the top.

yes but it's important our corners employ "physical", "jamming" press-man coverage. it's what you wanted lmfaooo

Not sure where you are going with this. There are different types of press sets...here is a case where you WANT to jam and throw off the WR right at the LOS. But if you have poor technique like Acker here, you're screwed. Like we were here.

In this game, as a DC, I'd ensure all week Brock, Acker, Johnson and Ward were using proper technique within jam press OR change the scheme and play off coverage to respect their speed.

it's what you were yelling for ever since we got torched in the Denver game last year. and welp you got it lol

I'm fairly certainly you are smart enough to gather that it is implied we do it with proper technique to be effective...that was not what was happening here. It's no different than if we played off coverage but took poor angles within it.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by defenderDX:

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by defenderDX:

Originally posted by NCommand:
Eek. As a CB, if you're reaching with only one hand, you're dead unless you have epic recovery speed and lots of help over the top.

yes but it's important our corners employ "physical", "jamming" press-man coverage. it's what you wanted lmfaooo

Not sure where you are going with this. There are different types of press sets...here is a case where you WANT to jam and throw off the WR right at the LOS. But if you have poor technique like Acker here, you're screwed. Like we were here.

In this game, as a DC, I'd ensure all week Brock, Acker, Johnson and Ward were using proper technique within jam press OR change the scheme and play off coverage to respect their speed.

it's what you were yelling for ever since we got torched in the Denver game last year. and welp you got it lol

I'm fairly certainly you are smart enough to gather that it is implied we do it with proper technique to be effective...that was not what was happening here. It's no different than if we played off coverage but took poor angles within it.

Acker tried to play the physical jamming press coverage you wanted a year ago. didnt work out very well lol

hence why Fangio played so off as jonny and Th said

Originally posted by jonnydel:
It really makes me wonder if that's why we didn't see much press coverage while Fangio was here. It might have been because Fangio always liked to keep everything in front of the defense. The press is great but, if you don't have the horses, you can't run in the Kentucky Derby. Looking at how Tarrell Brown and Carlos Rogers and Cox have done, post us, they haven't played much press anywhere else either. The only DB I can remember us having that could run press-coverage well was Culliver. Which he was the only one I remember pressing much either. Assomgha did some when he was here too, then trailed off in everything else. But, when he was here, Fangio had him press.

Agreed. You can't do that with Brown and Rogers. That is not their strengths at all...probably not Cox either? Not sure.

Flash forward, you can with Acker, Johnson and Brock...just have to refine that technique to be consistently effective IMHO.

Originally posted by NCommand:

Originally posted by jonnydel:
It really makes me wonder if that's why we didn't see much press coverage while Fangio was here. It might have been because Fangio always liked to keep everything in front of the defense. The press is great but, if you don't have the horses, you can't run in the Kentucky Derby. Looking at how Tarrell Brown and Carlos Rogers and Cox have done, post us, they haven't played much press anywhere else either. The only DB I can remember us having that could run press-coverage well was Culliver. Which he was the only one I remember pressing much either. Assomgha did some when he was here too, then trailed off in everything else. But, when he was here, Fangio had him press.

Agreed. You can't do that with Brown and Rogers. That is not their strengths at all...probably not Cox either? Not sure.

Flash forward, you can with Acker, Johnson and Brock...just have to refine that technique to be consistently effective IMHO.

lmao.. Brock and Acker got raped trying to play press. Johnson is a bit more built for it. I really liked Cully for that role when he was here. he was our most physical corner next to brock IMHO

Originally posted by defenderDX:
Acker tried to play the physical jamming press coverage you wanted a year ago. didnt work out very well lol

hence why Fangio played so off as jonny and Th said

Obviously you are trying to be argumentative here and are derailing the thread. We're done here. You get the point as does everyone else.

Moving on...

Originally posted by jonnydel:
Here's one of those "package" plays that Pitt used that looked like a perfectly called screen pass.


Pitt once again goes no-huddle. We show a press alignment before the snap and Reid moves down very late in the set(the slot receiver has already shifted down into the formation, then is on his way back out). The slot receiver shifts around, giving Ben a look at man-coverage.


At the snap, everyone but the LT tackle block down, and a G pulls - they're showing a run to the right. Acker immediately turns and bails out(respecting Brown's speed since he's 1-1 with inside help.


Ben pulls the ball up(that's how we know it's a package play, not a screen pass) he doesn't fake to the RB, he just takes the snap and fires out to Brown. We've seen Kap do this over the years too, in fact, we had one of these in the game to Davis, but CK and Davis weren't on the same page, still completed a pass, but it was broken.


The center red the LB's and when they didn't go play side, he turned and ran out to the screen. Now you have the LT on a block out on Acker and a center on his way out too.


Brown cuts it back inside his man and has 2 blockers.


It's amazing Brown didn't score on this play, gains 17 yards.

I do have to give it to Haley, this is a really well designed play. The key is the center reading the LB's, usually it's the other way around. Great recognition by Ben just before the snap and caught us with our pants down.

Terrific call right here. Just gotta tip your hat.

and play more "physical jamming" press coverage with proper technique

here's another big chunk play in the game - it's going to look really, really familiar.


Before we jump all over Reid's nuts for this play, remember this, he got burned by taking a bad angle to the play before, so, keep that in mind.


here, we're going to run a cover 2-man. What had to be so frustrating for Mangini on these plays is that, the cover 2-man, in theory, should never, ever get beat like this. This and cover 4 are you 2 coverages that should never get beat deep. Notice how Acker is in press coverage again.


Our safeties bail out into a cover 2 help with everyone else playing man - 4 man rush.
Also, note how Acker tries to press and Brown, once again, easily defeats his press coverage with a shoulder dip.


You see Acker is still trying to slow him down, but, to no avail.


Look familiar? Notice how Reid is taking a much straighter line this time, he's trying to not repeat the same mistake.


Ben really puts the ball out there and this is where Brown's speed really shows up, he hits a 2nd gear and starts to separate from Acker - this is what concerned me a little bit more and what I was talking about when saying that our guys got ran by. We saw Johnson get run by, Acker's getting run by, and Brock gets run by later.


If the ball had been thrown like it had the first time, Reid's in great position for coverage, but, this time, Ben put the ball out farther.


Because the ball was out further, Brown gets behind all of em'. One of the biggest drawbacks of having your safeties disguise like we did, it's really, really tough for them to locate the ball.

Again though, 4 man rush. So far, I've shown 3 big passing chunk plays, with no blitzers.

I am also at the stage where I'd like to see Reid in at SS and Ward starting as FS on passing downs. Leave Bethea in on Base and run defense.

Here's the last big chunk play of the 1st half. We had just fumbled the ball and lost it to Pitt.


Pitt comes out with trip receivers to the short side of the field. Bethea comes down, we're going to play a cover 6 zone on this(4+2) It's cover 4 on the wide side of the field and cover 2 zone on the short side. It's a good call, poorly executed by us and perfectly executed by Pitt. Big Ben audibles to this play, btw.


They first run PA, which holds up Bethea for just a sec. Brock tries to give bump coverage on Heyward-Bey, but doesn't hardly slow him down. You absolutely have to knock the receiver off his vertical route if you're in cover 2 zone. You have to help your safety out, you can't let that receiver get a full blown running go at your safety, it's too hard on them.


Bethea turns to run just a little too late, he's not in a dead sprint by now, with a guy that has speed like Heyward-Bey does, you better be on your horse, right now. Meanwhile, the backside guys are doing what they're supposed to, Reid is playing his quarter and so is Acker. They have to respect Brown's ability to attack either area of the field deep.


here, Big Ben makes the right read. He see's the quarter safety playing Brown, with Bey having inside leverage on the 2 side safety. What's really good here, he doesn't try and put this ball on a rope - that's what CK often does, he knows it's a quarters coverage on the other side, so, he puts the ball with some air under it and leads Bey away from the safety. Note where Bey is on the field. He's at the 17 yard line, well outside the hash mark.


By the time Reid realizes that the ball is being thrown deep to the other receiver, it's too late to turn and run. You also see how far out there Ben puts this ball and how much air he put under it. The ball is already in the air and you see how far Bey will travel before he catches it.




So, go back to where I showed earlier. Big Ben put that ball around 24 yards out in front, and about 12 yards to the inside of where Bey was when he threw the ball. That's a QB leading his receiver into open space and throwing it over potential defenders. That's a top qb type throw there. I would really like to see CK develop that kind of throw.


You see how clean of a pocket Ben had to throw from - that's turrible.....

Again, 4 man rush, no blitzers. So, 4 big, chunk plays in the first half, no blitzing on any of them.

Just to quell the narrative that it was Mangini's blitz heavy scheme that led to the chunk plays. It was our inability to get to the QB with 4.... It's why it's rather disheartening....

Lol..two guys not even blocking anybody in that last pic. That pass rush is wack.

Originally posted by defenderDX:
I don't think his footwork looks that great here. he delivered a great ball but his front foot should be more out in front of him as he throws should it not? (being nit-picky, but just wanted your opinion)

There was a line man in his face.

Originally posted by Antix:
Lol..two guys not even blocking anybody in that last pic. That pass rush is wack.

Four dudes rushing max protect, not sure what Mangini thought was going to happen here. They did it pretty much all game long and still gashed us.