I think you’re right, Timmons is better than Foote, but not by much and not by the stats. The big difference between Foote and Timmons is where they get there tackles. I don’t have statistical analysis to back this up, but it seems Foote makes tackles mostly on the interior while Timmons makes them mostly on the edges. This accounts for part of the disparity in solo tackles: on a dive play there are three Steelers combining on a tackle (Foote often being one) and on a screen play there is usually one (maybe Timmons). But this is the exact reason we should start Timmons: we will be fine between the tackles even without Foote. But screen passes and scrambling QBs are more of a concern. Timmons’ strengths are exactly what we need.

but I think Timmons upside warrants him taking over the job! It seems that Foote is missing quite a few tackles this season and Timmons will only get better with experience. He can only benefit from being on the field with Farrior and the rest of our starting linebacking crew. If nothing else, Timmons skillset gives opposing offensive coordinators something extra to gameplan for!
I wont cry if Foote remains as the starter along the lines of “if its not broke, dont fix it” motto, but I would be ecstatic if Big L got the nod and we could see him on a every play basis!

Timmons still has some growing up to do in the passing game before I’ll start comparing him to Derrick Brooks, but he’s shown me that he’s better against the run than Foote. We know that he’s a really good athlete, but I’ve seen him tackle more receivers than play the ball exceptionally well. That’s perfectly acceptable for a young player who’s not even starting of course, and I’m sure he’ll get better with more consistent playing time.

As far as the running game goes, the big mistake you can make is to over pursue, which I’ve actually seen Foote (who flies wildly to make up for his lack of athleticism) do more than Timmons. On the only good run Portis had Monday night, Foote overran the play and couldn’t bring him down turning a 3-4 yard gain into 22. In addition to his comparable head and superior athleticism, Timmons is also the far superior tackler. I actually think he’s one of the best tacklers on the team. I haven’t seen him miss a tackle all season; he got run over against the Ravens, but he didn’t whiff, he just had the near impossible task of stopping a bigger guy with a full head of steam inside the 1 yard line. On the other hand, I’ve seen Foote and even Farrior miss tackles that Timmons may very well have made.

I’ve said this before, but the only thing Foote does better is take on blocks. With our DL playing the way it is, there aren’t many free blockers. We need a guy that can be in position, make plays, and flow to the ball. I think Timmons is a better player and a better fit in that role, and as we give him more PT, he could develop into a dominant coverage LB, too.

I definitly think that Timmons is the better of the two options. Not that Foote is a bad player. Its just that Timmons’ skill set is much better than Foote’s. Even with the mistakes Timmons would make due to his inexperience what he brings to the table athletically more then makes up for it. Besides if our team is causing havoc now for Quarterbacks can you possibly imagine their fear when they look across the line and see Harrison, Woodley, Farrior AND Timmons on every down? GOOO D!

I will say this; Lawrence Timmons and Lamar Woodley are both going to be Pro Bowl players.

I have no problem holding back Timmons a bit and then having him nice and fresh during the later part of the season when people are breaking down.

Foote should start against power rushing teams and be in the game in short yardage situations where his superior ability to “stuff” blocks is key. Timmons should start against teams that have smaller, quicker running backs that don’t do as much straight ahead power running. Timmons should also start against teams that pass a lot for obvious reasons. So:

vs. Indy – Start Timmons
vs. Baltimore – Start Foote (Assuming McClain is Balt’s starting RB)
vs. Tennessee – Play Timmons when Johnson is in. Play Foote when White is in.
etc.

This way, you keep both guys fresh and you maximize their talents. Obviously, Timmons should be playing in passing situations in all 3 games listed above.

we have the #1 D in the league in stats AND perception right now. 3 goal line stops in 2 games. Steelers Defense is HARD.

I really don’t see any need to change anything on D. I would love to see Timmons in there more, but again, I like having an Ace up our sleeve if we get to the play offs. The less tape on Timmons the better. I’m not sure the league really knows about him yet. Many people still think he’s a first round bust. Let them find out the hard way, when it’s too late, in Heinz Field in January… then on old Dale Mabry.

I know I just repeated what I said above.

That said, there certainly is merit to the idea of starting him now and having Foote as the backup.