Schefter's take on the Steelers vs. Texans game

[Wolfiegrrl]

Sunday will prove how much the "Chain Gang" has improved. Amobi and Mario will dominate the Steelers' o-line. Great things to come from that young front.

[Cjeremy635]

Originally Posted by Wolfiegrrl

Sunday will prove how much the "Chain Gang" has improved. Amobi and Mario will dominate the Steelers' o-line. Great things to come from that young front.

I like your enthusiasm and I hope you are correct. I'd like to think it works out that way, but I've got a lot of concerns at this point and I won't feel at ease until I see the defense show up to play on Sunday. I see teams, like the Patriots and the Colts, who can play relaxed in preseason but turn on a switch once the games start for real. I'm not sure we have that luxury and it's been my experience that what we see in preseason tends to equal what we see for the first few games alteast. I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just trying to avoid being set up for a let down. Having said that, I still get excited with the hope that they will be better than they have been in the past.

[Texan_Bill]

I'm going to call Bubba's today and make sure that my beer pitcher and mug are plastic and not glass. I have a sneaking suspicion that watching our "D" is going to have me somewhat agitated...

[Thorn]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

I'm going to call Bubba's today and make sure that my beer pitcher and mug are plastic and not glass. I have a sneaking suspicion that watching our "D" is going to have me somewhat agitated...

I said a lot of things here in the past few weeks after a couple of poor pre-season games, but I am just hoping we haven't seen all the good things yet.

So far though, I see two glaring weaknesses on the Texans. The running game and the entire defense. LOL

[Wolf]

i am like Joe .. I am waiting to see what the regular season is going to be

but so far what I have seen from the defense as a whole is the Richard Smith Defensive scheme smiley (aka lion)

[Dancerdog]

I am still waiting for the Texans to come out and play with some ATTITUDE! I haven't seen it this preseason as of yet. I'm not sure where the fault lies, but I don't see the intensity that I think should be there. I don't know if it's Richard Smith's coaching style or what, but I feel like our defense doesn't live up to their potential. The talent is there. Let's go out Sunday and play our hearts out. We're all waiting to see you live up to your potential. Amobe Akoye, we're watching YOU!

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by Silver Oak

I think he is basing his preview on the way the Texans finished up the season last year, and I tend to agree with him based on that. With nothing much changing besides our acquiring more (better?) depth, I will expect the same amount we saw last year.

Breakdown the end of the season for me... were we "ferocious"

[Silver Oak]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Breakdown the end of the season for me... were we "ferocious"

I never used the word ferocious, however I do think our line showed above average pressure (mainly Mario), and I believe the same can be expected this season, as opposed to what we've seen in preseason.

I'm not an expert, but by adding 2+2 together, that's what I foresee.

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Breakdown the end of the season for me... were we "ferocious"

At times....Yes....

[b0ng]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Breakdown the end of the season for me... were we "ferocious"

Jay Cutler thinks the Texans d-line was pretty good last year.

[GP]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Breakdown the end of the season for me... were we "ferocious"

Easiest question ever. Answer: No.

Richard Smith won the lottery when he was chosen as Texans DC.

Ain't nobody luckier than that guy.

[beerlover]

Originally Posted by GP

Easiest question ever. Answer: No.

Richard Smith won the lottery when he was chosen as Texans DC.

Ain't nobody luckier than that guy.

David Carr

[Shaft75]

Dear Pessimistic Preseason Defensive Scheme (Over)Analysts,

We have only seen the preseason so far.

Calm Down,
Shaft75

[threetoedpete]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

Breakdown the end of the season for me... were we "ferocious"

Well when I was a small yonker I watched David "deacon" Jones come into his own. This generation doesn't know what domination of an o-lineman is. But I saw it first hand. Numbers aren't in any record books. But they should be. I can't remember whether it was '65 & '66 or '66 & '67, but he put up 24 sacks one year and twenty six sacks the next.

I won't say Mario can come close to this kind of production in the modern era. What I will say if they are doubling and tripling the guy, someone should be open one on one to make a play. And if Okoye and Travis Johnson aren't putting Big Ben on the ground all day under this circumstance, they are stealing from Bob McNair.

[76Texan]

We need to change our culture around here folks!
Think winning!

[thunderkyss]

Originally Posted by threetoedpete

I won't say Mario can come close to this kind of production in the modern era. What I will say if they are doubling and tripling the guy, someone should be open one on one to make a play. And if Okoye and Travis Johnson aren't putting Big Ben on the ground all day under this circumstance, they are stealing from Bob McNair.

I posted the question, because the guy I quoted insinuated, that our pass rush looked like the real deal, near the end of the season. I was asking for clarification.

& as far as the if Mario is double & triple teamed, then someone should be able to beat the 1 on 1 & get to the QB. We would see this in someone else's sack count at the end of the season, or... we'd have seen something in the pre-season to suggest this(something like pressure on the opposing QB). We've seen neither.

Hey, I know it was "just" the preseason, & I can understand veterans with nothing to prove thinking they'll just go through the motions... maybe that's what Colvin was doing... but our young guys should know how much of an issue it is for us to get pressure to the QB. Our coaches shouldn't be pulling any punches, and we should have seen something other than what we have.

Our only hope, is that Amobi can find whatever edge he had at the beginning of the season, and Mario hasn't lost whatever drive he found last year.

IF those two are who we thought they were, then I can see a much improved defense.

& with some of the things our coaches have our guys doing, I'm a little worried.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by threetoedpete

Well when I was a small yonker I watched David "deacon" Jones come into his own. This generation doesn't know what domination of an o-lineman is. But I saw it first hand. Numbers aren't in any record books. But they should be. I can't remember whether it was '65 & '66 or '66 & '67, but he put up 24 sacks one year and twenty six sacks the next.

I won't say Mario can come close to this kind of production in the modern era. What I will say if they are doubling and tripling the guy, someone should be open one on one to make a play. And if Okoye and Travis Johnson aren't putting Big Ben on the ground all day under this circumstance, they are stealing from Bob McNair.

I remember David Jones.
And I agree, if there was any justice, NFL films would go thru their archives and count up his sacks and put the sack record where it belongs.

BUT...
Deacon had an advantage Mario doesn't have. The three other guys who were on the D-line with him were each forces in their own right.

Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy, and Rosey Greer were pro bowlers themselves at one time or another. So to double Deacon was leave at least one pro bowl D-lineman one-on-one. And whoever you left one-on-one made you pay.

Now we have Weaver, T.J., and Amobi.... Not exactly the Fearsome Foursome. Personally, I haven't seen any evidence that anyone besides Mario can beat one-on-one blocking... Although the talking heads would have you think Amobi is going to be good.

maybe....




You know, that brings up a pet peeve; in those days you earned your rep by what you did on the field. Today, talking heads, like MelHairGel are declaring you a Hall-of-Famer before younguns take a G/D NFL snap.

[buddyboy]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

You know, that brings up a pet peeve; in those days you earned your rep by what you did on the field. Today, talking heads, like MelHairGel are declaring you a Hall-of-Famer before younguns take a G/D NFL snap.

Another thing that fans tend to do is get angry/disappointed when players don't live up to the hype that the talking heads generate, even when the player is a solid starter. I hate it when players are criticized simply for the fact that they may have been drafted too high or are not living up to expectations.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by buddyboy

Another thing that fans tend to do is get angry/disappointed when players don't live up to the hype that the talking heads generate, even when the player is a solid starter. I hate it when players are criticized simply for the fact that they may have been drafted too high or are not living up to expectations.

exactly.

Its like getting mad at your blind date because she isn't the fabulous "10" your friend told you she was.
Your anger should be directed at your "friend" who lied to you, not your date.

...but then that would mean we'd have to accept - at least a little bit - that we were stupid enough to believe that friend in the first place. Most egos won't stand for that. We'd rather blame the date for not living up to OUR expectations.