The secondary is bad -- but it's been worse

by TURFgeek on Dec 14, 2009 2:28 PM EST

I saw a post claiming that our secondary is the worst ever on the Steelers. I agree that it's looked pretty dismal with Troy out. But I do remember a season where it looked worse: 2002. And that was a year we made the playoffs.

Remember Rich Gannon completing 43 of 64 passes for 403 yards against the secondary of Chad Scott, Dewayne Washington, Brendan Alexander and Lethon Flowers? Relive the nightmare here:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=220915023

I remember calling for Cowher's head after that debacle. Fortunately, no one on the Steelers ever listens to me.

Later, in the playoffs, the 2002 Steelers gave up 429 yards of passing to the legendary Kelly Holcomb. And we still won.

So, yes, I hope our current secondary improves -- and I think it will -- but the struggles are a whole team effort. Ike Taylor couldn't catch a ball if you coated it with stickum and lobbed it underhanded to him from six feet away -- but he doesn't play offense or call for the shotgun empty set on 3rd-and-1 against the league's worst rushing defense when it's below freezing outside and the star wide-receiver has a tweaked hamstring.

Now if you want to call Bruce Arians the worst offensive coordinator ever on the Steelers, you've got my full support.

Tweet Comment 14 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

So you're saying the Kelly Holcomb isn't a legend among QBs

but actually I chalk that win up to this man

Players who should be in the Hall of Fame
DIck Lebeau, Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel and Chris Carter

by WVPiratesfan on Dec 14, 2009 3:08 PM EST reply actions

LOL!

Maybe that’s why we hired him, owed him a favor.

by Marvin, The Paranoid Android on Dec 14, 2009 7:01 PM EST up reply actions

Secondary

William Gay is a sub at best…he is not a starter in this league, not even for Detroit or Tampa Bay would he start…he shouldn’t start here!

by ColinP on Dec 14, 2009 3:45 PM EST reply actions

Willie gay plays 7 or 8 yards off his man

and he still gives up the big play, hes just not fast enough

by GDEUCE on Dec 14, 2009 4:46 PM EST reply actions

So true!

The defense hasn’t been as good as it was last season but we should be able to have a winning record with it.

If you have problems winning games with a top ten defense, even one prone to 4th Quarter collapses of the magnitude and frequency as ours, there are greater problems on offense than on defense.

by Marvin, The Paranoid Android on Dec 14, 2009 7:10 PM EST reply actions

Maybe it’s not, but that secondary also played against some pretty high caliber quarterbacks that year. This year? Outside of Rivers and Favre, not a single one that I would say is having a great year. Collins, Cutler, Palmer (and not the pre-Kimo’ed version btw), Derek Anderson, Daunte Culpepper, Kyle Orton, Cassel, Flacco and Brady Quinn. Not exactly a parade to Canton for that group.

by pghnorthside on Dec 14, 2009 7:15 PM EST reply actions

well at one time Daunte was headed there but then he got cought on a party boat with some other vikings

Players who should be in the Hall of Fame
DIck Lebeau, Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel and Chris Carter

by WVPiratesfan on Dec 14, 2009 7:24 PM EST up reply actions

Doubt there’s any parties like that in Canton.

by pghnorthside on Dec 14, 2009 7:39 PM EST up reply actions

Well...

Not on a boat anyway…but I know a few hookers…so if you are ever in town….er, ah, Just kidding. LOL.

"Whaddya' mean all the beer is gone..?

by OhioYinzer on Dec 15, 2009 11:32 AM EST up reply actions

I sub Ike Taylor in at 3rd wide receiver in Madden

and he catches everything. So maybe he should be playing offense

by klompus on Dec 14, 2009 7:51 PM EST reply actions

the only person i kept in the secondary is troy

i traded for malcolm kelly, brandon flowers, and reggie nelson at free safety.
works pretty well lol

by steel.curtain.number2 on Dec 15, 2009 2:39 PM EST up reply actions

I remember that year,

the Patriots toasted us the week before on opening night in Foxboro. It almost got worse the next year when Logan replaced Flowers. Then in 2004 we went to Hope and Polamalu at the safeties.

by grapes on Dec 14, 2009 8:27 PM EST reply actions

Teams couldn't run on us then. All they did was throw.

Bad is bad, and this secondary sucks without Troy.

13 years and no playoff wins for the Dallas Cowboys... SWEET!

by idiscgolftexas on Dec 15, 2009 2:36 PM EST reply actions

Lack of tackiling

Troy’s absence has nothing to do with being out of position, missing tackles, blowing assignments. Gay sucks period. Carter is a back up at best. Clark is not playing well. Taylor is have a bad year. Nobody back there is tacking except Mundy who does it illegally by leading with his helmet. Towsend is getting old.

Lets see with what Lewis and Burnett can do. They can’t be any worse.

by Steeler Nation VA on Dec 15, 2009 3:33 PM EST reply actions