Defensive Analysis: why are our sacks so low? 2009 and 2008 comparison...DONT PANIC!

by surag238 on Oct 6, 2009 12:31 PM EDT

A lot of steelers fans are concerned about the 'lack' of sacks by the steelers in 2009...so I figured I'd go ahead and do a little analysis. check it out after the jump.

1. Our D line isn't collapsing the pocket....this could be true or it couldnt, I'm not privy to TiVO and I cant watch all games to acertain for sure, but based on last 4 games here's what i've seen...

2008 DLine sacks into FOUR games... 2.5 sacks.

2009 DLine sacks into FOUR games... 3 sacks

its fair to say based off this our actions have been about the same from DLine results.

2008 Sack total by game into FOUR games:

Texans: 5 sacks

Browns: 2 sacks

Eagles: 2 sacks

Ravens: 2 sacks

total: 11

2009 Sack total by game into FOUR games:

Titans: 1 sack

Bears: 2 sacks

Bengals: 2 sacks

Chargers: 3 sacks

Total: 8 sacks

Notes on Sacks in Chargers Game:

1. Like I said, I do believe that our D Line is adequately playing against the pass: i never thought keisel could do it but i def. saw it and heard others say that he was doing so.

2. also, one of our sacks came from smith, and hampton wasnt playing all downs against the chargers.

3. whats more, last year around this time when we played the chargers we had TWO sacks...this game...we had 3.

Now what you have to understand is that this year as the superbowl champs basically teams are game planning against us with short drops and dump offs....which basically means that we wont see as many sacks. yet somehow we managed to get 8 so far.

The other issue for us is the phenomenal(and very unlikely) nine sacks leading into the bengals game that the bengals have had...as a result we feel like our team isn't placing enough pressure on other teams...basically its a psychological effect of, why are we not number one as of now on the sack list!!!

Not to worry...we played the texans last year in our first game against a rookie tackle and a dysfunctional team...so yea of course we would get 5. but guess what, we didnt play any of those types of teams as of yet. even better, it only gets easier from now onwards...

seriously...the only difficult teams we'll play are the vikings and ravens(twice) So I wouldnt worry about why woodley, harrison, et. al cannot get more sacks. they will come!

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Comments

sorry…I should have written MYTH OUR DLINE ISNT COLLAPSING THE POCKET…and then written that this was WRONG…my bad.

by surag238 on Oct 6, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

Actually Steelers DLine has nothing to do with sacks. It’s Steelers’ linebackers job to sack a QB. All the sacks by our DLine is extra sugar on top.

by Bonek on Oct 6, 2009 1:19 PM EDT reply actions

Point well taken

Agree there is no call for panic, but they are definitely not creating the same level of pressure as last year.

I am actually less concerned about sacks and more interested to see how our QB hurries are through 4 games. It doesn’t seem to me that we are disrupting guys with the regularity that we were last season.

I do think you are right about adjustments though. We are seeing quick drops especially at the beginning of games. What worries me is that in the fourth, with a fresh D (we have dominated time of possession in all our games) and a nice sized lead our D is doing little to disrupt the QB. That seems to be the time where you should be able to just pin your ears back and harass the QB. Instead it seems that we are generating little pressure in those situations.

by SteelerBuddha on Oct 6, 2009 1:23 PM EDT reply actions

I think

that Troy has alot to do with causing sacks. We have been very very close many times in the 4th quarter when we are “pinning our ears” but the QB’s getting it off just in time. I think that the QB’s know that we don’t have a PLAY MAKER in the secondary so they don’t second guess themselves. I can almost guarentee that when Polamalu is roaming around out there the qb’s take one extra quick look to be sure he is not in the area…thus causing the close calls to be sacks instead. Those that don’t take that extra look get picked off by Troy, so it’s a win win either way.

by Steelde#1 on Oct 6, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

Bring a towel to the game. Black or gold or yellow. If you don't have one buy one, If you can't buy one, dye one!!!

by SoCalSteelerFan on Oct 6, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions

Danke

I’ve been saying this a while… all over the boards.

by Mechem on Oct 6, 2009 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Three-part explanation

1. No Troy to make QBs think twice
2. An older D-line not soaking blockers quite as well
3. Opponents copying the Cards’ quick-pass gameplan

Nothing original, I’m sure, but it probably explains a few less sacks and a lower overall level of pressure.

by Desroko on Oct 6, 2009 4:22 PM EDT reply actions

3. Opponents copying the Cards’ quick-pass gameplan

I think that game plan was started against the Steelers by the Taperiots.

by Han on Oct 7, 2009 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions

I will even out

It will even out over the course of the season. Troy means more to the way that defense functions as a unit, everyone plays more confidently with him in. Very good point on the short drop passes. Teams will only be able to do that for so long if the O progresses like it has. In other words, that don’t win games when you’re down by 3 TD’s. One last thing is that the OL’s we have faced so far are all pretty good and frankly the same can be said for the QB’s we have faced.

by DarinS on Oct 6, 2009 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

Methinks...

And I have been saying this elsewhere, pardon me for beating the drum again.

The numbers arent that drastic a drop from last year, and against better competition and O-lines in general. Firstly, that should comfort us.

But I feel that without Polamalu, an opposing QB is less bamboozled and can find receivers quicker. And therefore, that cuts the time the LB’s and DL get to get him down.

Result, less sacks.

by Mechem on Oct 6, 2009 9:38 PM EDT reply actions