2007 Record: 10-6
Defensive Preview
Defensive Line
Arguably one of the most important, if not the most crucial, player on the defense is end Aaron Smith. Like every member of the line, Smith does not put up flashy numbers. However, he is the definition of consistency, provides leadership, and, as evidenced last season, is pivotal in stopping the run game. In the four games without Smith after he suffered an arm injury against the Patriots, the Steelers defense allowed 630 yards, or an average of almost 160 yards a game. If you don’t believe in the stats, the defense failed the “eye test” as well, looking as bad on the field as they did in the stat book. Smith is now healthy and looking to re-anchor the Steelers’ line.
Tackle Casey Hampton has his own health problems. After coming to training camp extremely overweight, Hampton was held out of the first pre-season game. I understand playing nose tackle in the 3-4 is probably the most unglorified position of any defense, but to show up for the start of the season in the manner that Hampton did is inexcusable. Nevertheless, he appears to be in game shape now, but age may be catching up to both Hampton and Smith. While Hampton will always provide very good support in the running game, he is no longer the class of the position, and the Steelers need to decide when the time is right to begin grooming a replacement.
Brett Keisel holds down the fort on the other end. You either love this guy or hate him. I, for one, can’t understand why he is a starter, but the Steelers are still enamored with him. Now, if he can post numbers similar to those he put up in ’06 (55 tackles, 5.5 sacks), I’ll be more than happy, and take back everything I’ve ever said about him. However, every time I watch him, I get the feeling he’s going to get pancaked by the O-line right off the snap. He’s not strong, he’s not overly athletic, and he’s not that fast. I just don’t get it, but due to the recent failures of the front office in drafting (at worst) quality depth (e.g., Orien Harris, Ryan McBean), Keisel is stuck as an overpraised, lackluster defensive end.
Speaking of depth, that’s pretty horrible as well. Travis Kirschke had his best year as a Steeler in ’07 with 26 tackles and 2 sacks, but has been more or less unimpressive since arriving from San Fran in 2004. Actually, I don’t see a difference between him and Keisel, the latter just gets more playing time. The Steelers had high hopes for Nick Eason last year, but the former Brownie was ineffective. However, Eason had a great training camp, and played very well during the pre-season. He showed a knack for batting balls down at the line, so look for him to get more snaps on third-down passing situations. The Steelers are also hoping a blast from the past will ignite more productive play out of the backups. Orpheus Roye returns after an eight-year stint with Cleveland, but at this point in his career, I don’t know what the team really expects from him (although he did record 88 tackles during his last healthy season in 2005). Looking at Chris Hoke’s numbers would give you a very wrong impression of his value. Not only did he save the Steelers’ season in 2004 when Hampton got injured, but he is a solid contributor who knows his role, and could also probably start for a good number of teams. If/when Mike Tomlin switches to the 4-3, I expect Hoke to stick around and possibly start for a year or two. Overall, I’m expecting the always solid run-stuffing from this unit, and if they can record ten sacks, the Steelers will be in business.
Linebackers
This year’s unit all starts with pro-bowler James Harrison. Harrison’s much anticipated debut as a starter last year was far from a let down, as the once former super-sub burst onto NFL radars with numbers that more than doubled his previous career highs (98 tackles, 8.5 sacks). Harrison is probably the best ball hawk on the team outside of Troy Polamalu, and he shows his athleticism in both run and pass coverage. As an added bonus, Harrison has a good football IQ, rarely being caught out of position. It’s just a shame he didn’t see the field full-time until last year, as he is already 30 years old. However, this also implies that he has some upside remaining, a very scary concept for opposing offenses.
The middle of the linebacker corps has been shrouded in “debate,” but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Steelers have three players who could start for any team, and the arguments for which two should start and why are numerous. While some people wish otherwise (myself included), James Farrior is entrenched in one spot – at least for this year. The leader of the defense, Farrior has provided the team with more than they could have expected since he arrived from the Jets in 2002. In six years, Farrior has recorded no fewer than 82 tackles and set a career high with 6.5 sacks last season. While he certainly can still start, the 33-year old veteran has definitely lost a step, and with Lawrence Timmons waiting in the wings, I think the coaches should focus on phasing out Farrior (even though he just signed a 5 year extension) rather than phasing out Larry Foote.
Foote, who battled Timmons for the other starting job during the pre-season, had 81 tackles and 3 sacks last year. Those numbers were down from the previous year, but the team also still had Clark Haggans and were introducing rookies Timmons and LaMarr Woodley. While Foote may be somewhat of a liability in pass coverage, he is great in run support and brings valuable experience to the field. While I am all for getting Timmons on the field, I hate seeing the playing time come at Foote’s expense, especially when Foote is five years younger than Farrior and has more of a future.
LaMarr “Big Stick” Woodley is an emerging star at the other outside position. Although he had only 14 tackles in limited action during the regular season, he still recorded 4 sacks, and added another pair of QB take downs in the playoff loss to Jacksonville. Arguably the most athletic player on the defense, Woodley has a great motor and a quick burst off the edge. He can hold his own against the run, but his specialty is getting into the backfield and bringing the ball carrier down behind the line of scrimmage. With Haggans gone, the job belongs solely to Woodley, and the Steelers need him to play with a “Big Stick” attitude for the team to reach its potential. Some people are worried about his “lack of production” during the pre-season, but I feel the coaches purposely kept him “under wraps” until the games really count.
Even with the recent loss of Arnold Harrison, the depth at linebacker is still very good, if underrated. OLB Andre Frazier returned last year after two campaigns with the Bengals. He won’t see much time on defense, but he is an above average special teams player who can perform when given the opportunity. Rookie 3rd-round pick Bruce Davis is a hybrid linebacker/defensive end. While his name was not that prevalent during the pre-season, I look for the former UCLA sack-master to see time on third down passing situations replacing either Aaron Smith or Brett Keisel. Donovan Woods, an undrafted rookie and one of the last players to make the roster, may be a steal, especially as another special teams performer. He’ll see virtually no time with the defense, but if the opportunity ever presents itself, look for Woods to make the most of it. I see Woods as another James Harrison in the future, biding his time and cashing in on his limited chances until he gets a bigger role. He’s a great career sleeper to keep an eye on.
The middle backup spots are manned by the ultra-athletic Timmons and newcomer Keyaron Fox. Timmons was limited by injuries last year as a rookie, but has still progressed very well to the point where he is competing for a starting job. His pass coverage skills will help solidify the team’s third down defense, a weakness in recent years, and his speed will make it difficult to keep him off the field. Fox was arguably the best player on either side of the ball during the pre-season, providing coaches with even more options. He, along with his other linebacker teammates will be a force on special teams, and, if he continues to play like he has, may even find the field with the defense. In the end, the linebackers will do their normal thing, getting to the quarterback and disrupting plays. If the line can get more of a push, it would make one of the best units in the league that much more dangerous.
Secondary
Ike Taylor is one step – or I guess it’s set of hands – away from joining the elite corners in the game. Taylor has always been plagued by his poor ability to reel in interceptions. While he may knock many balls away from their intended target, Taylor has yet to show the consistent ability to pick off passes. Coming off an 80 tackle and career high 3 INT season, Taylor focused on improving his glaring weakness during the off-season. If that training produces the intended results, we are looking at the next legitimate shut-down corner in the league.
The other corner spot belongs to Deshea Townsend. Surprisingly, since becoming a starter in 2002, Townsend has never reached sixty tackles. However, despite the popular notion that he has lost a step, the solid veteran recorded 52 tackles (third most in his career) and picked off two passes in 2007. Additionally, although he was held without a sack last season, the crafty corner is usually reliable for a couple of QB drops each year. In the end, however, Townsend should probably be a nickel back, but for the time being, he is a more than adequate starting corner.
Townsend’s transition to the nickel, and potentially the dime package, may be further facilitated by two young playmakers yearning for a chance to play. Bryant McFadden is the heir apparent to Townsend. Although injuries and flat-out poor play saw McFadden produce a disappointing third NFL season after a stellar 2006 which saw him record 54 tackles, double his passes defensed, and pick off 3 passes, the former FSU star turned in a good pre-season effort and looks poised to return to his ’06 form. On the other side, despite a horrendous pre-season, William Gay still possesses tremendous upside, and will get opportunities to showcase his talent in dime package situations. I’m actually higher on Gay than I am on McFadden, but I expect both to have above average careers in the league. Anthony Madison beat out some stiff competition for the right to be the fifth corner on the roster, a role usually destined solely for special teams play.
Most people will say Troy Polamalu is the most important player on the Steelers’ defense. I, however, am not most people. Since the team’s great super bowl run in 2005, Polamalu has been constantly riddled by injuries, and that trend continues into the start of 2008. While these injuries have forced him to miss games, I am also hoping they have greatly affected his performance when he has played. Why? During the last two years, I saw a former Defensive Player of the Year candidate devolve into a very poor tackler, and saw his pass coverage (already his weakest attribute) suffer even more. If Polamalu can get healthy and return to his ’04 and ’05 form, then the Steelers will be able to actually shut down the best offenses in the league, rather than simply contain them. However, at this point, the coaching staff needs to stop preparing their defensive game plan around a player who has been a question mark to play from week-to-week and is, quite frankly, a shell of his former self.
Health is not the only problem affecting the Steelers’ “star” safety. In his two seasons with the club, free safety Ryan Clark has missed 13 games, or nearly half. Clark is nothing spectacular compared to others, but he is a steadying influence who knows where he is supposed to be. He might never make any game-changing plays, but he definitely won’t lose any games with his play either. His return from a spleen injury is key for the defense.
The backups at safety are inconsistently great. Both Tyrone Carter and Anthony Smith had/have the ability to start for most teams. However, Carter’s time might be past, and Smith might be losing his opportunity after last year’s “meltdown.” Filling in for the injured starters, Carter had his most tackles (56) in four years with the team last year. Unfortunately, at the age of 32, his career is winding down, and his inconsistent nature doesn’t do him any favors. Carter’s performance varies from game to game, but not necessarily from bad to good. On the contrary, one week Carter will stand out as a solid play maker, and the next, one will not hear his name called all game (this was, to me, even evident during the pre-season).
Anthony Smith, known for his huge hits, took some unwarranted criticisms toward the end of last year. Yes, he made a stupid guarantee against the league’s best team. Yes, he played poorly that game. However, Smith did not play that badly. Everything was simply magnified after the New England game. If Smith was in the picture on a big play (for the offense), he immediately took the brunt of the blame, regardless of whose fault it actually was. The end of 2007 shook his confidence, and, at the beginning of the pre-season, it looked like that lack of confidence had carried over ’08; but by the end of training camp, it appeared Smith had his swagger back, an important attribute to have not only as an individual, but also for the defense as a whole.
The secondary has the talent to support the rest of the defense whether people’s perceptions result in other opinions. The real question should be whether the line is good enough not to drag down the rest of this talented unit. I think the answer is yes, but, in the end, there are other teams with better defenses who have just as potent an offense. The Steelers are a playoff team, and even a super bowl contender, but they are still one or two more athletic defensive players away from returning to glory.
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