Is It Time For Tomlin To Step In With Steelers Defense?



Coach Tomlin Needs to be More
Involved with the Steelers D


When Mike Tomlin was hired, there was wide speculation about how he would handle the vaunted Steelers 3-4 defense.  After all, Mike Tomlin came from the Tony Dungy "Tampa 2" style 4-3 defense.  He took that defense to Minnesota and after one year of defensive coordinator he landed the Steelers head coaching position.  After the Rooney's made their decision there were thoughts that the Steelers would be going from a 3-4 to a 4-3.  There were people who wondered if Dick Lebeau would be fired and Tomlin to bring in his own defensive coordinator.  Tomlin hushed all of those thoughts when he said "We have the best 3-4 personnel in the league, why would I change that."

After seeing the defense for the first 5 games, I'm wondering if it isn't time for Mike Tomlin to step into those defensive meetings and start to put his fingerprint / stamp on the Steelers' defense.  Fellow contributor to the Black n' Gold Blitz, Mason Noland (@M_Noland386) wrote a great article about how the Steelers moving from a 3-4 to a hybrid 4-3 isn't as crazy as most people think.  I agreed with him 100%.  The Steelers defense isn't built like it once was with a dominating defensive line and a secondary that feasts on hurried and rushed passes.  Instead, the defense looks lost and confused due to the lack of pressure and QB's being able to pick them apart piece by piece. 

Some speculate that Dick Lebeau's scheme is outdated and the NFL has caught up to the "zone blitz".  I'm not so sure that the NFL has caught up with it, but I'd agree that some of the blitzes the Steelers have run this year have been very predictable and often times ineffective.  The Steelers simply aren't getting any pressure on the QB this year.  Think back to the years when the Steelers were Superbowl winners or contenders.  You had guys like James Harrison, Joey Porter, Jason Gildon, and even back to Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd getting after the QB in a ferocious way.   I realize that Woodley and Harrison are lethal together, and injuries can certainly take a toll on the defense, but at the same time the pressure isn't coming with the QBs getting the ball out of their hands as quick as they have been. 

Peyton Manning gave the NFL the blueprint for success versus the Steelers.  The Raiders and Carson Palmer and Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans both followed that blueprint and rode that success to upset victories.  The Steelers 2 victories came against teams with QBs that can't and don't operate the no huddle offense and the quick passing attack very well (Michael Vick and Mark Sanchez).  In my opinion, the biggest change that Tomlin could make by getting more involved with the defense would be the secondary.  Ike Taylor has shown near Pro Bowl capability in the past, but this year he seems to be getting torched time and time again.  The secondary is hurting (physically and mentally) and thats something that a little tweaking, a new outlook, might be able to help.

I'm not suggesting that Mike Tomlin decide to take away the duties of defensive coordinator away from Dick Lebeau.  I'm not even suggesting Tomlin notify anyone outside of the Steelers facility of what he is doing.  I'm certainly not even suggesting that the Steelers do a mid-season switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 (although Mason proved in his article that it could be done).  Let me just say that I don't know how long Dick Lebeau has left in the NFL, but its time Tomlin DOES something about the defense.  He is a defensive guy and its time he starts to make the Steelers defense the defense that got him the Steelers coaching job.  Something has to change, because you can't keep banging your head against the wall and expect something to change.  Its time for change, and I hope Mike Tomlin realizes it as well.