Tomlin wants to keep a DC who has had the reigns since 2003 and who: 1) Cannot produce a team that knows how to tackle. 2) Cannot produce a team that knows how to play cover man. 3) Cannot produce a team that knows how to play zone defense. 4) Cannot produce a team that stops big plays. 5) AND now most recently they have digressed to the point that they cannot stop the run. Player evaluations stink on defense too. We have gotten so many first and second round guys, etc. who play and stink. However, they never improve under Butler either. If the top brass are going to continue to employ Tomlin, at least get someone who is a great DC. Tomlin plus Butler ensures no progress on defense next year. This defense is such a trainwreck at this point that it might take half a decade or more to get it turned around. Retaining Butler is an inexplicable move imo.
It is being widely reported that Tomlin has said he will not make any coaching changes on the defensive side. Unless someone above Tomlin dictates that he will be making a change (as I think probably happened when Arians was forced out), then it appears we are stuck with this defensive coaching staff. I am not a Butler fan at all. My patience has worn out after 4-5 years of watching a subpar defense. Frankly, he learned his craft under a once great but now now obsolete system. His attempts to modernize have been a failure too.
So many 1stand 2nd round picks in addition to 2 high priced free agents. Reports are Tomlin is bringing the whole defensive staff back. Locker room culture has gone to crap. Players are not competent in their assignments when they play zone. At the very last Porter and Lake should be replaced. They obviously aren't getting the job done.
I object to #3: "3) Cannot produce a team that knows how to play zone defense." Please be advised that they are well versed and always know their assignments during the "Cover 0" zone scheme.
Supposedly Wexell indicating something to the effect that Tomlin has shared responsibilities with Butler on defense and so if he fires Butler it would be like firing himself. What more do you need to know about Tomlin and the defense he has built? Incompetence I say !!
The Steeler way is not to fire their HC so just get use to the incompetence for several more years. Noll and Cowher weren't perfect but Tubby is by far the worst coach of the three and possibly the most overrated HC in NFL history.
Ding. We saw less of it this year, but we still on occasion use hybrid versions of it every once in a while. Not sure if anyone saw it, but the TITANS actually ran this defense one play vs New England. I was STUNNED to see it worked. Tricky Dick LeBeau..........he had to keep it real one series. Gronk lined up wide completely uncovered and Brady hurried the snap count, fired out a pass to Gronk in stride for what would have been an easy 15-20 yard gain, and Brady...........TOM BRADY.......threw it at his feet and Gronk was unable to scoop it for the completion. I guess if you're going to run cover zero its best to do so shallow and give them an easy 10-20 yards as opposed to letting a receiver streak down the field uncovered for a long pass over the top for a huge gain or touchdown. I still don't understand why all teams don't scrap this defense in total........all forms. The very rare instances that it works simply aren't worth the risk/odds overall in my opinion. We've seen it fail time after time.
Maybe it is not a defense at all but a defensive breakdown. Or maybe it is a nefarious way to make the NFL more like the NBA with all the scoring. Or maybe it is shenanigans.
I just read that Butler and Tomlin coached together before the Steelers at Memphis and Arkansas State. Butler, of course, was on the Steelers' staff before Tomlin was hired. Did Butler help Tomlin get an interview, I wonder? Does Tomlin feel a loyalty to Butler that overshadows his performance as a DC? The Butler/Tomlin history is mentioned at end of this article.... http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_489701.html
I don't see why Tomlin doesn't just install a 2006 Vikings defense into this team already. For God's sake, at least that defense was suffocating against the run.
Mike Tomlin was a DC one year before we hired him. In that one year of being a DC with Minnesota the team had a 6-10 record. Their passing defense was ranked 31st that year. Their run defense was ranked 1st. Their overall defense rank was 8th. Hard to tell a lot by one year. I wonder if Tubby Tomlin had stuck around longer if the Viking defense would digress to not being able to stop the run too. This is what the resume of an underqualified head coaching candidate looks like prior to becoming a head coach: Tomlin As coach: VMI (1995) Wide receivers coach Memphis (1996) Graduate assistant Arkansas State (1997) Wide receivers coach Arkansas State (1998) Defensive backs coach Cincinnati (1999–2000) Defensive backs coach Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001–2005) Defensive backs coach Minnesota Vikings (2006) Defensive coordinator
According to Ed Bouchette: "Tomlin might have to start with himself. He called many of the defensive plays from the sideline this season. He also took charge of many of the secondary meetings and those with the entire defense."
Good odds the only reason the D ranked 1st vs the run is because everyone just passed on them. The did give up only 2.8 yards per attempt rushing but teams only rushed the ball on them 348 (least in the nfl) times as opposed to 599 pass attempts (most in the nfl). Of those 599 passes they allowed 355 completions again most in the nfl. The defense was also guilty of 112 penalties 3rd most in the nfl. So Vikings couldn't stop the pass and not disciplined on defense (sound familiar) To be fair while he was the DB coach with the Bucs they finished 5th, 1st, 3rd, 1st, 6th vs the pass but he had guys like John Lynch, Ronde Barber, Dexter Jackson and Brian Kelly back there so was it him was it Monte Kiffins scheme or was it the talent on the field.
Ben and AB don’t care about defense, they’re very happy to have lost against the Jaguars and playing in the Pro Bowl
Our defense definitely needed a coaching change or two. But I believe the offense will actually be better without Haley, but continuing the kind of system he ran. He doesn't seem to use the skill position players with any kind of balance.
You can go right down the defensive roster and except for the defensive line you see soft, finesse type player, non-tacklers. Can we please get back to drafting some beasts at linebacker vs the long line of Dud Dupree’s I have had giving me indigestion for years and years often more injured than anything else (Jarvis Jones / Jason Worilds etc etc etc)? As far as our defensive backs, they don’t tackle or cover and it has been that way for as long as I can recall in the Tomlin era. Toughness physically and above the neck is a definite issue. The defense that Tomlin was building first stunk, then briefly showed promise after a long wait, and is now right back to stinking again. I have no idea how Art 2 stands pat with Tomlin/Butler next year as the defensive midget minds of this disgusting excuse for a defense both in terms of personnel selection as well as a lack of player development and adequate coaching. Maybe he is similarly unable to do his job or maybe in a league where he gets paid a bundle whether they win or not, he has become a bit complacent or indifferent.
Exactly beloved Techheart. It’s disheartening to see what this defense has become. It’s a problem when u have non-Steeler fans coming up to u and saying “what is going on with the defense, they’ve always had solid defenses but they’ve been terrible over the last 3-4 seasons”. I’ve only teased about firing Tomlin aka Tubby in the past with the hashtags and such but I’m serious now after this season. He needs to go. They will not win a SB with him as HC (period end of story)
