The Bill Cowher era is officially over in Pittsburgh and the Mike Tomlin era
will take flight Sunday in Cleveland.
Steelers Defense
Pittsburgh is still blitzburgh and that isn't likely to change anytime soon,
especially with legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau calling the shots.
In fact, this Steelers team will likely show even more blitz packages than in the
past.
Mike Tomlin will be instilling a lot of his zone blocking scheme into the
Steelers philosophy and he won't be moving the team away from the 3-4. It will
be a variation of his Tampa 2 but in the 3-4 scheme. This simply means he will
have 1 less defensive lineman up front getting pressure but an extra lineman to
drop into his zone or to blitz. One thing with any Tomlin coached defense: they
will play with incredible discipline.
Up front, the Steelers still depend on nose tackle Casey Hampton to control
the middle. Hampton may have lost a step physically but he more than makes up
for it with his knowledge of how to play the position. The defensive ends also
bring a wealth of experience to the table with veterans Bret Keisel and Aaron Smith. Most consider 3-4 ends to be huge space eaters but Keisel doesn't even
look his listed weight of 285. For a 3-4 end it is more important to understand
the position than to simply be a big space eater that can't move.
The heart of the Steelers defense continues to be the tremendously talented
linebackers. Joey Porter is now a Dolphin but they haven't skipped a beat with
the drafting of rookies Lamarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons. Timmons has looked
explosive off the edge and both have made tremendous progress under the tutelage
of veterans Clark Haggans, James Farrior and Larry Foote. Farrior is simply one
of the best run stuffing linebackers in the game. He plays with passion as he is
willing to do whatever it takes to shutdown the inside running lanes and forcing
the play outside. Look for some huge collisions between Farrior and fullback
Charles Ali.
The return of a healthy Troy Polamalu adds a big play dynamic to the safety
position as Troy is the best blitzing safety in football but although he has
made tremendous strides in his coverage ability, he should remain a target in
the passing game.
Unless some of the youngsters step it up along with Troy, the secondary will
be have a bull's eye on its back all season long. Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor and
Deshea Townsend can get it done in zone coverage but if they are asked to play a
lot of man coverage, they will be exposed.
Steelers Offense
The biggest change that one will see with the Mike Tomlin era will be in the
offense. Bruce Arians takes over as offensive coordinator and Bruce will operate
a much more balanced offense. Part of the reason why there will be more balance
is the type of running back weapon with which he has to work.
Fast Willie Parker is one of the most explosive backs in the league. He is
tough enough to run through the tackles and fast enough to take it everywhere
else. This year he may not have as many carries as last season but he will likely
have a higher number of touches. Arians' offense looks to get the running back
involved in the passing game as well as the running game.
Arians will run his dink-and-dunk short passing game and then send everyone
vertical, drawing defenders downfield and allowing his back to take the short
dump down pass behind the blocking receivers. The Steelers always have one of
the best blocking receiver corps in football, led by Hines Ward. Also, the speed
of wide receiver Santonio Holmes is critical for allowing the short dump downs and
running back screens to have success. His speed will take multiple defenders with
him and if the safeties stay at home the quarterback then has Santonio Holmes
deep and in single coverage. Tight end Heath Miller will hear his number called
a lot more in Arians scheme especially when teams go zone.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisburger looks to be completely recovered from his
disastrous season a year ago. In 2006, pretty much anything that could go wrong
did go wrong... including going head first through a windshield as well as
suffering through an emergency appendectomy. Ben will have more responsibility
and a lot more options in the new Bruce Arians offense. He will have the luxury
of multiple receivers to choose from with someone looking to break it deep on
every possession. Ben's ability to sell the play action fake will be
instrumental for the Steelers.
The Steelers offensive line will likely suffer some early symptoms of change
as they will be asked to go without their line coach Russ Grimm. They will also
be asked to provide pass protection for longer periods of time as in Arians
offense it often takes longer for the receivers to get open on the crossing
patterns. Another issue will be the loss of retired center Jeff Hartings. A
change at center can be a huge move and ean Mahan is no stranger to
the Steelers line, but it is different with him making the calls.
Look for the Steelers to go with a hurry-up offense to keep the aged Browns
defensive line on the field. If they get up to the line and then call the play,
it will not give Ted Washington and Orpheus Roye a chance to get off the field.
Browns Defense
The last time the Browns defense saw Willie Parker, they spent the night
trying to catch him from behind as Parker amassed 232 yards rushing. It could
have been well over 300 if the Steelers hadn't decided to give him a rest in a
meaningless blowout. The one play that continues to jump into my head is when former Pittsburgh
center Jeff Hartings drives both the nose tackle Ted Washington and inside
backer Andra Davis 8 yards off the line of scrimmage with one hand on each
player, allowing Willie Parker to go the distance. Jeff Hartings has retired but
this game will still be decided in the trenches.
Nose tackle Ted Washington has looked horrible throughout preseason. The play
was often over before he seemed to even get out of his stance. Backup nose
tackle Shawn Smith played out of position at defensive end as Orpheus Roye and
Simon Fraser sat out due to injuries. Right defensive end Robaire Smith appears
to be the one upgrade along the line but when teams can run all over the left
side and through the middle, there is no reason to even test Robaire Smith's run
stuffing ability.
I am still puzzled that the Browns released the one interior lineman that
seemed to actually hold his ground against opposing offenses as well as show the
ability to penetrate the pocket: Babatunda Oshinowo. The Browns
obviously chose to go with a win now philosophy in going with several veterans
past their prime but I do wonder how much the decision hurts this teams future
and how much it really helps their present?
With the defensive front three expected to struggle, it will mean that the
linebackers must be prepared to take on the guards on a consistent basis. Look
for an increased rotation with the inside backers as Andra Davis, D'Qwell
Jackson, Chaun Thompson and Leon Williams will likely be shuffled in an out to
keep them fresh. They will be cheating up to play the run all game long which
will make the job of covering tight end Heath Miller an extremely difficult
task. The key for the linebackers will be to jam Miller hard at the line as they
eyeball the run. If Miller is simply allowed to release into the secondary on a
consistent basis, it will be a long game for the Browns secondary.
The greatest strength the Browns defense will have are outside linebackers
Kamerion Wimbley and Antwan Peek. Peek replaces the injured Willie McGinnest
as he recovers from a back injury. Peek has been exceptional since becoming a
Brown. He has made steady improvement against the run and he has also shown some
explosiveness in getting into the pocket and into the lap of the quarterback.
The key match up will be linebacker Kamerion Wimbley facing off against Marvel Smith. Wimbley shoots the outside so fast and gets so low in his bend it is very
difficult for larger tackles to contain him. The winner of this match up could
very well decide this contest.
The safety combo of Sean Jones and Brodney Pool was very solid but also very
quiet all preseason. Part of the reason was that the Browns didn't want to show
opposing offenses very much in preseason. Another part of it was the fact
that Pool is still in the learning process. He didn't give up the big play but
there was a slight hesitancy with Pool as he appeared to be thinking about what
was transpiring in front of him instead of simply reading and reacting. This
improved during each of the preseason contests as he became more comfortable but it is
still something to look for in Sunday's contest. Jones and Pool will have their
hands full as they will not only be asked to help contain the likes of Santonio
Holmes, Hines Ward and Heath Miller but they will also be asked to support the
run defense as well as provide the occasional blitz. Look for a great game out
of Jones and Pool as they will be everywhere. One major concern for the Browns
is the lack of depth at the safety position.
The Browns cornerback situation has gone from a nightmare scenario to a
position of true strength with the return of a healthy Leigh Bodden and also the
emergence of third year corner Daven Holly. Bodden is one of the best open field
tacklers in football and when he is fully healthy he can be a shut-down type
corner. Holly simply has a nose for the football. He will likely fill the role
of the nickel this year and should find himself with a lot of opportunities to
make the interception.
The real story with the corners is the emergence of Eric Wright. I will admit
that I was a critic of the drafting of Wright but he is proving me wrong and
also proving that character is not an issue. His skills are even better than
advertised. He simply has an effortless backpedal and break on the ball. There
are few natural corners in football blessed with the speed, hips, rotation, back
pedal and the hands but Eric Wright appears to be just that, a natural born
cornerback.
Browns Offense
Everyone is expecting to see the Browns come out and pound the football as
they try to keep the pressure off of the back of quarterback Charlie Frye and
force running back Jamal Lewis to carry this team on their shoulders. That
sounds very good in theory, but the reality is much different.
The Steelers are one of the hardest teams to run on in football and Jamal
Lewis hasn’t put up 100 yards against the Steelers since 2003. For all of the
talk about the improved Browns offensive line, this line is not a very good run
blocking line. They are excellent in pass protection and getting into the second
level but they haven’t shown they can win the battle at the point of attack.
This will improve when offensive linemen Ryan Tucker returns from his four game
suspension but for now this Browns team will struggle running the football.
The most bizarre item of the week that went virtually unnoticed was the fact
that Charlie Frye was not named a captain by the players. Charlie should take
this as a clear message that his teammates do not see him as their leader. He
can, however, use this to his advantage and become more assertive with this team.
With Quinn waiting in the wings, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Charlie will need to be not only a more vocal leader but also show it in his
body language. Get everyone up to the line in a hurry and get the play going
quickly. Charlie can get it done but he must make those around him believe he
can do it also.
Charlie should take a note from what Brady Quinn did in preseason. Quinn
didn’t do a lot of great things but he avoided doing bad things. Charlie should
keep it simple and look for the safe play instead of looking to make the great
play. Just keep the chains moving and the big play will happen. Force it and the
big play will happen for the Steelers.
Braylon Edwards may be the most improved player that I saw in the NFL from
last year to this year. He just appears so much more focused on his routes and
also his concentration on watching the ball into his hands has finally emerged.
Physically it is hard for anyone to stop Braylon other than Braylon and with a
healthy Kellen Winslow taking over the middle of the field Braylon could be in
for a huge day.
Look for Winslow and fellow tight end Steve Heiden to see the field a lot
together. With Heiden filling the role of tight end as Winslow fills the role of
the slot receiver. Winslow is simply to strong physically for a defensive back
to contain and to fast for a linebacker to stay with. Winslow should have a huge
day facing the blitz happy Steeler defense.
Special Teams Notes
Punter Dave Zastudil suffered a back injury this week and his status for
Sunday's game is unknown. Dave is one of the best punters in the game and if he
can’t go, it could make for a huge difference in starting field position.
Allen Rossum has taken over return duties for the Steelers replacing Santonio
Holmes. This should help Holmes become a better receiver as he can now put his
full focus on the position.
Rookie punter Daniel Sepulveda will make his debut against the Browns Sunday.
He was a sensational kicker at Baylor but this will be his first real NFL game.
Look for the Browns to bring the heat and test the rookie early in this contest.
Final Overview
This should be a very physical contest that comes down to special teams play
and field position. Look for both teams to open up the offense this week with
several trick plays as a possibility. Also if there is one play that Ariens
loves it is the end around. How quickly the Browns young linebackers identify
the play will be key in this one.