With an 0-4 record, the Steelers have had their share of struggles. And usually when you struggle, changes are in order.
For the Steelers, that means Kelvin Beachum at LT and Cameron Heyward in the starting lineup in place of Ziggy Hood at defensive end.
Will this solve all the problems? No.
But it does show that the team is willing to make a change.
Beachum is listed as the starter ahead of newly acquired Levi Brown. Mike Adams, the previous starter, is listed as No. 3 at LT and RT. Beachum, by the way, is still listed as the backup at center.
Heyward has been playing well, well enough to push Hood out of the starting lineup. Hood hasn't been terrible this season, but Heyward has been markedly better. They need some production out of that spot.
@ Only Markus Wheaton, with his broken finger, is listed as out this week.
Ramon Foster will continue to work towards playing this week despite his strained pectoral muscle.
@ For accounting purposes, the conditional pick the Steelers traded for Brown to Arizona comes in 2015, not 2014.
The condition - though I'm not positive on this - likely revolves around how many starts Brown makes for the Steelers over the next two seasons. He is under contract for next season as well.
Dale,
ReplyDeleteDid you mean to say that Hood "hasn't" been terrible this season?
Also, I don't know how I feel about Beachum at LT. If Foster goes down (not unlikely), we'd have to make two changes. Because I assume Beachum would move to LG and Brown to LT?
Dale, what's the deal with this Levi Brown trade? It's starting to look like the Steelers got him for free? Any details?
ReplyDeleteAlso, any idea about Brown's...ahem...endorsement of Haley? Does anybody like that guy?
Larry Fitzgerald was a Haley guy. So was Kurt Warner.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Brown trade, it wasn't free, but it was very cheap
Hood has been miscast as a 3-4 DE from the getgo. He's not, he's a 4-3 DT or possibly a 3-4 NT in the mold of Chris Hoke.
ReplyDeleteHood struggles to stop the run at DE, the idea that he could be a good 3-4 NT is ridiculous and I wish people would stop bringing it up.
ReplyDeleteIs this as bad as it sounds:
ReplyDeleteLevi Brown: I'm not sure if Todd Haley is in my corner
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/08/levi-brown-im-not-sure-todd-haley-is-in-my-corner/
Dysfunctional is one of the images of the current Steelers/coaches, so let's keep piling it on.
We fans need to stop obsessing about every quote some stupid player says. Who cares if Haley is in Brown's corner or whatever?
ReplyDeleteThis is a none issue that the media is trying to use to make a little story so you click and get them ad revenue, wise up.
He must have been in his corner enough to sign off on bringing him in. Don't think they would have acquired a player the OC didn't think could help
ReplyDeleteThe story about Haley and his wife trashing their former rent-to-buy place, if true, is awesome on many levels, even though meaningless. But entertaining when you're 0-4.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the Jets' defensive front vs. our O-line matchup.
I'm to some extent a spoiled Roethlisberger-basher (think he hasn't lived up to his contract the last 2 1/4 seasons + I'm sick of him doing the same maddening things over and over again + he has not been very clutch / has gone full on Romo/Sanchez at times, for a very long time, basically, even though he's our best player).
But I rewatched the Vikings game - I'm crazy? - and he was pretty heroic considering the pressure he was under. The Sanders pick can happen in a scramble drill, whatever. But again, you just can't fumble & give up that fourth down at the end. You just can't.
Glad they went to Heyward, a no-brainer.
Between Ben saying the Steelers were the worst team in football and a human turnstile saying that he doesn't think the coach has faith in him, this just oozes with the sort of confidence and team building unity the Steelers need. BTW, did Tomlin really say in his comments today that he believes that we've got this thing moving in the right direction since the Steelers didn't lose last week?
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to believe that Tomlin is more style than substance
ReplyDeleteNo, he didn't say that.
ReplyDeleteAs for Roethlisberger, he said the record indicates they're the worst. That's how he should be feeling. He's pissed off about it, not accepting it.
one has to question the talent evaluation of the players by the coaches/gm right now. did they really believe adams was ready for the starting LT spot? he has been so bad...how could they be so far off?
ReplyDeleteziggy hood, from day one, was not a good fit for this defense. he very rarely showed he was capable of being an effective starter.
those are just two current examples, with many more over the last few years relecting rather unproductive draft classes.
there's no overnight fix here. they need an influx of talent which, unfortunately, will come from the same people that brought in the current lack of talent.