How we have improved from last year

by Mechem on Dec 3, 2008 2:50 PM EST

I have been pondering as to our success this year, and how we've managed to improve on last year. Here are a few things I noted, feel free to discuss/disagree/commend me on any of them.

#1. Mike Tomlin. I think MT has improved fast and this year he seems to have a better grasp on this team. Very impressed with him so far. Another thing I think helps is he has stopped smoking weed before each game, and he seems more "into" the game.

I noticed a lot last year he had red eyes like you wouldnt believe, and he just seemed mellow. Not really emotional or energetic. Kinda spaced out sometimes. This year though, totally opposite. Clear eyes like a bottle of Visine went down em, and fire and energy and commitment. Good stuff.

#2. Playing well against loser teams. Last year we slept on a few teams. Its not a lie, we did. We lost games we had no business losing. This year not so much. We've pummeled the lowly teams and put them away. Very good focus, and again this comes back to MT and how he gets people geared up.

#3. DEPTH. We are deeper than the hole Osama Bin Laden is hiding in. We've managed to perform despite losses at pretty much EVERY position. This shows good coaching, and good FO decisions. Very helpful. Whereas last year we got killed when a few people went down.

Those are just a few things that go beyond stats. Obviously we know we have more sacks and such but I like to look behind the scenes

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Injuries are the real reason

We have had a few injuries this year but nothing as critical as last year. Last year we went without Polamalu for most of the year, no ryan clark, no Aaron Smith. That just killed us come playoff time. The injuries on the O line have helped our team in my opinion. The line is playing much better with Stapleton and Starks in there. Plus we have another pass rusher to compliment Harrison this year in Woodley. Clark Haggans was worthless.

by SteelerDomination on Dec 3, 2008 3:35 PM EST reply actions

2 biggest factors in defensive improvement:

1. Woodley >> Haggans
2. Healthy Troy >> not healthy Troy

There are plenty of others including Tomlin’s influence, Timmons and McFadden’s expanded roles, Bill Gay’s play, Clark’s health, Hampton’s resurgence (at least partly due to Tomlin), and the backup DL’s stepping up, but those first two are far and away the biggest factors in my mind.

Our offense took a step back, but the depth at OL, QB, and RB have helped keep us afloat. Keep in mind we started 9-3 last year too, though.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Dec 3, 2008 3:41 PM EST reply actions

That's right. We were 9-3 last year.

I had to look it up for myself. We really need THIS game, Sunday. If we lose, Baltimore becomes a MUST win, else we may be looking at squeaking into playooffs and getting bounced early—again.

Anything less than a championship game appearance with the team we have this year is unacceptable.

by Jonny B. on Dec 4, 2008 12:41 PM EST up reply actions

Woodley

Is the biggest impact on the pass rush. Haggans was nowhere near the player Woodley is in that role.

To the tune of the classic children's song "This Old Man" (the part with nick nack patty whack)

Big Snack, Silverback, take the Dawg Pound's Bone, the Black and Gold sent the Brownies crying home.

by Tim Mullhaupt (HSS) on Dec 3, 2008 4:56 PM EST reply actions

Yeah

I agree Woodley really has made a huge difference, along with having a 120% Troy.

I truly feel like the coaching (with the exception of BA at times) has improved a lot though. I honestly feel like Tomlin has really progressed quite well.

by Mechem on Dec 3, 2008 6:02 PM EST up reply actions

It's good to see

a little bit of Cowher in him. Not only is he not afraid to discipline his players, but he also won’t let a ref rest, until he gets an explanation for a bad call.

To the tune of the classic children's song "This Old Man" (the part with nick nack patty whack)

Big Snack, Silverback, take the Dawg Pound's Bone, the Black and Gold sent the Brownies crying home.

by Tim Mullhaupt (HSS) on Dec 3, 2008 9:02 PM EST up reply actions

Im telling you hes layin off the dope

by Mechem on Dec 3, 2008 10:11 PM EST up reply actions

He must have sold it

all to Holmes. Lol

by SoCalSteelerFan on Dec 4, 2008 6:14 PM EST up reply actions

BA has improved also

Of course, he has been so bad at times there was no way he could get worse.

by CarlWeathersMustache on Dec 4, 2008 11:35 AM EST up reply actions

special teams coverage

Coming into this season I knew James Harrison and Troy Polamalu were good at football. I was not sure that we would be able to keep opponents to reasonable filed position. We lost a lot of games on special teams last season, including every OT game. This year, we have no turnovers or td returns.

by 36chambers on Dec 4, 2008 2:12 PM EST reply actions

good point

Coverage has been fantastic, we’ve generally held onto the ball (a few close calls) and Holmes and Russell are letting our return teams move closer to the “respectable” category.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Dec 4, 2008 3:42 PM EST up reply actions

Thats been huge

Field position is a very big part of the game. Cowher started out in ST and he had kept it going here for a long time. Probably long enough that we took it for granted.

by Mechem on Dec 4, 2008 4:08 PM EST up reply actions

I am not so sure that Bill was all that effective in the ST department. I can remember a bunch of ST gaffs that stung us in the last ~5 years of his tenure, usually in the freaking playoffs.

see also:
Dewayne Washington’s “running into the kicker”
The garbage in the 01 Championship game

Guns don't kill people. Lamar Woodley kills people.

by BostonWahoo on Dec 4, 2008 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

Those were a few mental errors

Those werent Cowher’s fault. Honestly over the tenure of his career he preached ST and it paid off. We had great punting for a long time, excellent coverage. Returns were never GREAT but Randle El did well.

Really it was 06-07 when we started dropping off. 06 in particular. Santonio Holmes seriously rolled up a couple games and passed them to the other team.

by Mechem on Dec 4, 2008 6:47 PM EST up reply actions

LEBEAU....

gets my vote for the largest contributor in our improvement. He has taken his new weapons, namely Woodley and Timmons, and a healthy Troy, and created a true masterpiece of a defense. Not just statistically good, but old time, QB’s pissing down their trousers scary. They have kept us in every single game this year, and with a couple of breaks (see Indy/ tipped balls), or even a little more help form the O (PHIL/NYG), our record could be even better.

i have finally gotten past the habit of not being able to watch when our kickoff/punt teams take the field, which is refreshing. Props to MT and the staff for that needed improvement.

Mechem, since you could not watch last weeks game, and we kicked ass, any chance of tuning out key games in the future? Hate to break a trend.

"Steeler Nation= We are better than you!"

by il_steeler_fan on Dec 4, 2008 4:34 PM EST reply actions