Timmons and the linebackers disappointment?

by DMSF on Nov 18, 2009 11:49 PM EST Comment 25 comments

I'm not trashing Timmons by any stretch here, but does anyone else feel like he hasn't lived up to expectations?
I read all summer about how Foote was expendable because Timmons was a star in the making - a freakishly fast athlete that was a defensive coordinators dream and an offensive coordinators nightmare.

Yet I honestly can't remember a single time this year when I noticed that he did something. I know he has been hobbled by an ankle injury but I just don't see much of him. Now that may be because the inside linebackers don't rush the quarterback as much in our system, but am I the only one who thinks this?

To be sure our defense has been SOLID and very respectable especially considering that Polamalu has been out but I just don't see the linebackers being as dominant this year. Harrison and Woodley just don't seem to be getting to the quarterback all that much.

Any thoughts?

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well

Timmons has made some plays. Woodley and Harrison are pressuring the QB. What most teams are going with is the short pass which makes it very hard for our LB squad to hit the QB. We’re most definitely getting pressure/collapsing the pocket very well. We’re stopping the run very well. I know he’s not stepping up like we wanted him to. We’ve all seen those flashes. To be honest with you I was liking Keyaron Fox stuff the run. He’s an animal and I’m glad we have him in our depth. I will check out some stats tomorrow and see who’s producing and who’s not. If someone beats me to it so be it. Go Steelers!

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by SoCalSteelerFan on Nov 19, 2009 12:02 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Given Timmon’s game is based around his freak athleticism and, most of all, his speed I think he’s played remarkably well with the ankle trouble he’s been having this season. Also, given that our run defense is actually BETTER at this point in the season than it was last year, I don’t think we miss Foote all that much (at least statistically).

Timmons is 6th overall in individual tackles with 26 (37 with assists) and second on the team with 3 sacks (tied with Kiesel and the Wood). He’s also forced 2 fumbles, second to Harrison, and has defended a number of passes. Again, considering that he’s missed multiple games with injury I think these stats are pretty good. He’s a lightning fast blitzer and out best LB in coverage. This last point is especially important since Farrior has started looking a little slow in coverage (see Brian Leonard). Timmons may not be having the Pro Bowl year we all hope/know he has in him, but he’s performed admirably.

I agree on K. Fox. This guy was a great under the radar pickup who gives us quality depth in the middle. With Farrior’s impending retirement I could easily see Timmons sliding over to assume Farrior’s captain role and Fox stepping up to be a new Foote type MLB, hopefully with some young depth learning behind them.

Honestly, if there’s a LB we should be a little disappointed in it’s Woodley, Besides his miraculous fumble recovery against Minny he’s pretty much been a non-factor all season. Even though he’s played every game this season he’s only racked up 20 total tackles. Troy, by the way, has the exact same number of tackles despite playing significantly less time.

by BluegrassSteeler on Nov 19, 2009 12:14 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Also, with 9 sacks in 9 games Harrison is on track to match his record for last year. He’s having a very good year. The real problem is that he hasn’t been generating as many turnovers as last year. Of course, this probably has something with the fact that OC’s are gonna spend some extra time game planning against the defensive player of the year. The fact that Harrison is being as disruptive as he has been is a testament to his relentlessness on the gridiron. And the fact the Wood hasn’t taken advantages of the matchups he’s been getting because of this is a bit disappointing.

by BluegrassSteeler on Nov 19, 2009 12:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I totally agree on Woodley.

I expected him to be more of a force and I expected Timmons to have the type of season Woodley had last year (breakout).

I also thought Fox was great.

I know that the run defense has been great, I guess I was expecting more pressure on the quarterback this year considering how great we were last year.

by DMSF on Nov 19, 2009 12:35 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

Timmons has been playing well. He’s an ILB, not the big splash OLB. It’s true we may have over-hyped him during the off season, but that’s our expectations being out of whack, not his play.

There was an article posted here a week or two back. It showed how Harrison isn’t being sent after the QB as often as he was last year. Why? Last year, Deebo was more one-dimensional. This year, he is more flexible and take on the coverage assignments. It’s not as sexy, but sending Deebo into coverage gives Coach Dad more options for confusing the QB. When you calculate Harrison’s success factoring in the number of attempted rushes, he’s actually doing quite well. OCs still can’t stop him… when he comes.

Woodley has been a little disappointing. I agree. But I wonder if that isn’t another result of changes in schemes. Dunno. Just spewing thoughts at the keyboard.

by Varmint on Nov 19, 2009 3:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

"OCs still can’t stop him…"

yeah they can, they just hold him

"It was an attrition football game and you know we like that."

by showtime on Nov 19, 2009 9:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nah

Too busy hugging Harrison. :)

by Varmint on Nov 20, 2009 1:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dangit

Premature posting syndrome. That didn’t come out right, at all.

by Varmint on Nov 20, 2009 1:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Just think about baseball that should fix it

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

by PixburghArn on Nov 20, 2009 1:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wanted to do a post advocating K. Fox as a starter but haven't had the time

I should note I don’t think Timmons is a bust in any sense. I just think Keyaron Fox is that good. In the three games he has started, he led the team in tackles in one game and had a pick six in another. In the third game he had a bunch of tackles as well. In fact, you may notice the "Steelers have not lost a game where Fox has played the majority of snaps.

I think Timmons is a quality starter but Fox has played lights out when given the chance. I just think Farrior, although declining, is still a superior player to Timmons. Timmons isn’t a disappointment, but Fox is a nice surprise. A James Harrison-esque story.

by CarlWeathersMustache on Nov 19, 2009 1:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Actually

I pretty much agree with you… Fox has looked great.

I don’t think we lost this past game because of a failure of our linebackers… but I’m thinking I’d probably rather have Fox than Timmons straight up — and I would sure rather have Fox than a Timmons nursing a sore ankle…

by MarkJoel66 on Nov 19, 2009 9:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Stats and comparisons

I did this post last week that has what you are looking for I think. Mind you it doesn’t include this week’s stats.

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2009/11/13/1155427/a-view-from-the-steelcage-an-f-in

"The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others." Don Shula

by SteelCage on Nov 19, 2009 2:43 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I think Foote was one of the most underrated players on defense on the past couple years

But I don’t think K. Fox and Foote parallel each other only because I think Fox is a better every down player than Timmons. Foote was not great against the pass, so it made sense to sub in Timmons on passing downs. I think Fox is better than Timmons in pass coverage and should play a majority of the snaps.

As a LB, pass coverage is not as much speed as it is reading the play/route/QB correctly. The exceptions would be if a LB is covering a TE deep down the seam or a RB on a wheel route. I think Fox’s positioning more than overcomes the “athletic” differential between he and Timmons.

That said, there’s a reason I am not an NFL scout. I thought Andre Hastings was a third round steal and future HOFer.

by CarlWeathersMustache on Nov 19, 2009 9:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I see what you are saying

The post was not so much to compare Fox to Foote, but rather to compare the situation of having a heralded “Super Star” but the back up is playing lights out. I am not saying I think Fox should be the starter, but I definately think we will see him getting time more often than a normal “Back-up”. I still think Timmons has too much talent to waste. Its like giving up on Mendy, he needs to be given time to grow into his talent. Coach Butler and Coach Lebeau are more than capable of tightening up his game. Patience, give him a chance, but isn’t it nice to have a back-up who could start on a lot of teams.

"The superior man blames himself. The inferior man blames others." Don Shula

by SteelCage on Nov 19, 2009 1:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the D is great this year too

but I guess with all the hype around what a stud Timmons would be, I was expecting him to shine, not just to be solid. My impression was he was hyped to be a Polamalu version of a linebacker – a game changer, and I just haven’t seen that yet.

That being said, there is almost have the season left.

by DMSF on Nov 19, 2009 2:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Timmons has been a bit of a let down

But I put that more on nagging injuries. I find what Harrison is doing this year to be fine, and though Woodley has not had the sack production he had this time a year ago, he has played well in other factors, especially the run. He’s one of the guys responsible for picking up part of Aaron Smith’s role in the run defense, and he’s done a solid, occasionally devastating job. I think there’s a lot more Woodley can and will do in the future. The one thing I will say though, is that he could stand to lose some weight. At 270+lbs, he’s not blazing, and I think he was about 265 last year. Don’t cite me on that, but if he were to drop about 10 pounds w/o losing his power, he could be even more of a monster off the edge.

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by HighSchoolSteeler on Nov 19, 2009 3:31 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

+1

'I’ve learned to become a flat-liner. There’s a lot out there that’ll make your heart jump if you allow it."
-Coach Tomlin

by NYSteelersFan4 on Nov 19, 2009 3:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't disagree

But just to put a little perspective on Woodley’s weight… 10 lbs is only a 3.7% difference on a boy his size.

by Varmint on Nov 19, 2009 3:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I think somebody...

… in the media(don’t remember who) listed him around 273lbs going into this season, he’s heavier this season and playing more coverage.

by Marvin, The Paranoid Android on Nov 19, 2009 6:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Statistically I’m just not seeing a whole lot of impact from the Wood, whether against the run or the pass. As an LB in the Steeler’s scheme he should be making crazy amounts of tackles (See Harrison and Farrior and, even in limited time, Timmons). Maybe they really are sending him into coverage more.

The weight may be a problem. The initial burst is very important for a rushing OLB. If he loses that it could greatly effect him. It’s easy enough to solve though.

by BluegrassSteeler on Nov 19, 2009 9:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Injury prone

My biggest disappointment with Timmons is that he has been injury prone his entire time with the Steelers. When he is healty, he can flat out fly for a LB and can do some amazing things. His current injury makes him average as far as Steeler LB’s go because it takes away one of his biggest strengths. Farrior has slowed down in pass coverage but I don’t know if that is because he is getting old or from the decision he made to carry more weight this year. I don’t think the extra weight has made him a better tackler so maybe he should drop a few lbs. and see what happens.

by DarinS on Nov 19, 2009 4:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn’t say that Timmons is any more injury prone than Troy really. Pola’s missed significant playing time in two of the last three seasons.

by BluegrassSteeler on Nov 19, 2009 9:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Fox vs. Timmons

I like Timmons, but I feel Fox is a better fit for this team. He’s just got that intangible and has a nose for the football. I just can’t stand seeing Timmons blitz and get knocked completely out of the play by a weak chip block from a RB.

by VinniePie on Nov 19, 2009 10:26 PM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs

Timmons hasn't been much of a impact player yet

Maybe he just needs more time to adjust to MLB, even though he’s had two years already. I expect more out of a first round pick.

by StoneColdSteel on Nov 19, 2009 10:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Timmons

has been slowed by his two ankle injuries. His game is built on his explosive speed and athleticism. He won’t be too much of a factor this year because high ankle sprains tend to linger. He has still been solid just not the splash player he was last year. Woodley is a disappointment although he has shown a lot more of late. He hasn’t gotten many sacks the past two weeks but he has been there generating pressuer. James Harrison is playing like you’d expect James Harrison to play. James Farrior hasn’t played as well as he did last year but overall he has been steady to very good. Bottom line: Timmons when healthy is going to be the best LB in the NFL.

by BubbyBrister6 on Nov 20, 2009 5:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs