Steelers' defense racking up sacks at record pace
Monday, October 03, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dig the old Blitzburgh T-shirts out of mothballs, the sack is back in the Steelers' defense.
After hitting an all-time low under coach Bill Cowher at 35 sacks in 2003, Tim Lewis was fired as defensive coordinator and Dick LeBeau hired to take his place for his second turn in Pittsburgh. The Steelers improved to 41 sacks last season and have surged on a record-setting rate this season.
Their 14 sacks not only led the NFL after three games, they are on a pace to snap the league record of 72 set in 1984 by the Chicago Bears. At this rate, they would produce 75 or 76 sacks for the season. The Steelers' record is 55.
"We have a lot of skilled people on defense who can make plays," safety Chris Hope said. "Coach LeBeau creates different schemes for us, and with everyone helping to disguise our coverages, it's hard to block us. When you don't know where we're coming from, it makes it that much tougher."
Their pass rush took a body blow when Clark Haggans had surgery to repair a torn groin muscle Wednesday. He and safety Troy Polamalu have three sacks each to lead the team, and Haggans also has three forced fumbles. James Harrison proved a year ago in four starts that he's more then capable to fill in at outside linebacker and keep the pressure on; he has two sacks in limited play this year.
"We have a lot of serious linebackers," Hope said. "When they come, they are reckless abandon. They don't care about getting cut, they don't care about selling out for a teammate to make a sack."
Why the sudden jump in sacks? Already, they've hit 34 percent of their entire output from last season and have six more than they did after three games in 2004.
"I think it's a reflection of the second year of these guys being together," LeBeau said. "That little fraction of [better] recognition with most of the stuff we're doing, I think it reflects itself in a little bit better execution."
All 11 starters returned to the defense from last season, although Ike Taylor took over at left cornerback for Willie Williams. Hope, Polamalu, linebacker Larry Foote and Haggans were in their first years as starters in 2004. They all put in one full season under LeBeau and understand his concepts and schemes better. And, LeBeau always has loved to attack.
Under Lewis, the Steelers played a more passive style of defense to try to cover up for the poor coverage skills of starting cornerbacks Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington. By dropping their linebackers more into coverage and using the strong safety to cover deep, it took away their ability to rush the quarterback.
Today, there's an entire new secondary from 2003 with Hope and Polamalu, and cornerbacks Taylor and Deshea Townsend. Instead of dropping Polamalu, the strong safety, into deep coverage much of the time, LeBeau moves him all over the place, often rushing the quarterback. His three sacks of Houston's David Carr in the second game tied an NFL record for safeties. Townsend and cornerback Ricardo Colclough also have a sack apiece.
"A lot of DBs have a lot of sacks right now for us," said linebacker Joey Porter, who has two from the best traditional pass-rushing spot in the 3-4 defense, right outside linebacker. "Guys are just getting pressure. We're coming from a lot of different angles and stuff like that. If we put teams in passing situations and make them one-dimensional, we'll have a lot of sacks this year.
"We should easily get the record ... what is it 55? We'll surpass that if we stay on a level to where we make teams play one-dimensional."
They even dumped Tom Brady three times and held the Patriots to 10 points entering the final quarter Sept. 25, before those infamous dirty-dozen passes by Brady beat them. Next up is Drew Brees, who has an arsenal that even Brady did not have with double-threat LaDainian Tomlinson at halfback and Antonio Gates at tight end. The Steelers might not be able to tee off on the quarterback the way they have.
Other than a turnover, there's nothing like a sack to pick up a defense.
"Oh, it's big," Porter said. "It's demoralizing to an offense. You lose 7 or 8 yards on a play, now you're looking at second-and-17. That should be unmakeable, you should be able to dictate what they're going to do on second-and-17."
Porter may be optimistic they can maintain their furious sack pace, but others aren't so sure. "People are going to start throwing the ball quick and keeping the tight ends in," defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen said. "People are going to get afraid of our pressure and they're going to button down
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05276/581750.stm
Monday, October 03, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Dig the old Blitzburgh T-shirts out of mothballs, the sack is back in the Steelers' defense.
After hitting an all-time low under coach Bill Cowher at 35 sacks in 2003, Tim Lewis was fired as defensive coordinator and Dick LeBeau hired to take his place for his second turn in Pittsburgh. The Steelers improved to 41 sacks last season and have surged on a record-setting rate this season.
Their 14 sacks not only led the NFL after three games, they are on a pace to snap the league record of 72 set in 1984 by the Chicago Bears. At this rate, they would produce 75 or 76 sacks for the season. The Steelers' record is 55.
"We have a lot of skilled people on defense who can make plays," safety Chris Hope said. "Coach LeBeau creates different schemes for us, and with everyone helping to disguise our coverages, it's hard to block us. When you don't know where we're coming from, it makes it that much tougher."
Their pass rush took a body blow when Clark Haggans had surgery to repair a torn groin muscle Wednesday. He and safety Troy Polamalu have three sacks each to lead the team, and Haggans also has three forced fumbles. James Harrison proved a year ago in four starts that he's more then capable to fill in at outside linebacker and keep the pressure on; he has two sacks in limited play this year.
"We have a lot of serious linebackers," Hope said. "When they come, they are reckless abandon. They don't care about getting cut, they don't care about selling out for a teammate to make a sack."
Why the sudden jump in sacks? Already, they've hit 34 percent of their entire output from last season and have six more than they did after three games in 2004.
"I think it's a reflection of the second year of these guys being together," LeBeau said. "That little fraction of [better] recognition with most of the stuff we're doing, I think it reflects itself in a little bit better execution."
All 11 starters returned to the defense from last season, although Ike Taylor took over at left cornerback for Willie Williams. Hope, Polamalu, linebacker Larry Foote and Haggans were in their first years as starters in 2004. They all put in one full season under LeBeau and understand his concepts and schemes better. And, LeBeau always has loved to attack.
Under Lewis, the Steelers played a more passive style of defense to try to cover up for the poor coverage skills of starting cornerbacks Chad Scott and Dewayne Washington. By dropping their linebackers more into coverage and using the strong safety to cover deep, it took away their ability to rush the quarterback.
Today, there's an entire new secondary from 2003 with Hope and Polamalu, and cornerbacks Taylor and Deshea Townsend. Instead of dropping Polamalu, the strong safety, into deep coverage much of the time, LeBeau moves him all over the place, often rushing the quarterback. His three sacks of Houston's David Carr in the second game tied an NFL record for safeties. Townsend and cornerback Ricardo Colclough also have a sack apiece.
"A lot of DBs have a lot of sacks right now for us," said linebacker Joey Porter, who has two from the best traditional pass-rushing spot in the 3-4 defense, right outside linebacker. "Guys are just getting pressure. We're coming from a lot of different angles and stuff like that. If we put teams in passing situations and make them one-dimensional, we'll have a lot of sacks this year.
"We should easily get the record ... what is it 55? We'll surpass that if we stay on a level to where we make teams play one-dimensional."
They even dumped Tom Brady three times and held the Patriots to 10 points entering the final quarter Sept. 25, before those infamous dirty-dozen passes by Brady beat them. Next up is Drew Brees, who has an arsenal that even Brady did not have with double-threat LaDainian Tomlinson at halfback and Antonio Gates at tight end. The Steelers might not be able to tee off on the quarterback the way they have.
Other than a turnover, there's nothing like a sack to pick up a defense.
"Oh, it's big," Porter said. "It's demoralizing to an offense. You lose 7 or 8 yards on a play, now you're looking at second-and-17. That should be unmakeable, you should be able to dictate what they're going to do on second-and-17."
Porter may be optimistic they can maintain their furious sack pace, but others aren't so sure. "People are going to start throwing the ball quick and keeping the tight ends in," defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen said. "People are going to get afraid of our pressure and they're going to button down
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05276/581750.stm
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