Tomlin presser

[StillerDownSouth]

**No endorsement of approval for Canada, will evaluate entire season
**Team has requested permission to interview Flores, wouldn’t say who, for DC position. (Cleveland is the team)
**Muth has sprained MCL, no surgery required

[SteelerDayTrader]

Do we get a pick if Flores is hired as a DC ?

[Jobu]

Do we get a pick if Flores is hired as a DC ?

I could be wrong, but I think he has to have been on the staff more than one year.

[StillerDownSouth]

Do we get a pick if Flores is hired as a DC ?

They won’t, he has to be on our staff 2 years before comp.

[K_C_]

Great news on Muth. Now let's pair him with another big-time receiving TE.

[Orangesteel]

Yeah glad to hear Muth’s knee isn’t jacked.

[langer]

For a guy who is suing the NFL he is getting an interview.

How curious.

[Stosh-67]

Do we get a pick if Flores is hired as a DC ?

They won’t, he has to be on our staff 2 years before comp.

Lets hope teams stay away, or he interviews with a few teams, etc..... and he is back for year two.
And if he gets a job next off season, we get some draft compensation.

Yes, we played some soft teams the last 8-9 weeks, but the defense was better with him on board, stopped the run better than the second half of last year.

I believe we led the league in INT's?

Steelers led the NFL in sacks every year from 2017 till last year, 5 straight years. Every one of TJ's first 5 years.
Until this year, no coincidence being the year TJ gets hurt.

I think TJ was playing with a 70% bicep strength / 30 % fear of re-injuring it.

Draft a high round DL /NT, and ILB and a CB......and / or add thru FA.
And I think this defense takes a step up in 2023

[Orangesteel]

Did Tomlin discuss if he’s going to Disneyland after achieving NHALS and whether he popped some bubbly last evening with the missus?

[Stosh-67]

As far as sacks go.
Steelers all time sack leaders.
Cam with the big day yesterday climbs the list.

1 James Harrison - 80.5
2 Cameron Heyward - 78.5
3 L.C. Greenwood - 78.0
4 Joe Greene - 77.5
5 T.J. Watt - 77.5
6 Jason Gildon - 77.0

Hard to believe no Steeler is over 100 career sacks, but I believe there are two factors that have kept Steeler players from piling on huge career sack numbers. Probably three factors.

1. Style of Offense. the last 50 years the philosophy has been run heavy, ball control, time of possession, shorten the game type of offense. The defense is not on the field as much as the offense. Opposing teams offenses also not on the field as much as the Steelers. Less opportunities for sacks.

2. Very good, to great, to all world defenses over the years has also kept their defense off the field, therefore not piling up the stats. As an example, look at the yearly leader in tackles and you will usually find inside linebackers on teams with bad records, on the field alot, piling up stats.

3. How many sacks can one guy accumulate when the other three defensive lineman are LC, Dwight and Ernie......or visa versa.......MJG, Dwight and Ernie. Those teams did not even need the LB's to blitz ( Ham and Lambert have less than 50 career sacks ). That great 1976 defense, MJG led the team with only 6 sacks. They got off the field quickly. While the offense stayed on the field and rushed for over 200 yards in 9 of 14 regular season games.

Look at some of the 90's teams. Lloyd, Greene, Chad Brown, Levon........ Porter and Gildon, Harrison and Woodley.

On the other hand...........Cam and TJ, as the late Tomlin era Steelers defense can't get off the field, with the offense going to shit the last few years...........have had plenty more opportunities for sacks........as the stats show.

[Stosh-67]

Great news on Muth. Now let's pair him with another big-time receiving TE.

Mooth. 3 more catches than he had last year.........but 235 more yards.
TDs dropped from 7 to 2. ( The Ben redzone factor )

[Stosh-67]

Be nice to have a freak weapon at TE...........to pair with Mooth.

Does that push Gentry or Connor down the list....

OR, can Connor Heyward be that 3rd / 4th AND the FB for the handful of times we use a FB.

And save some $ with Derek Watt
Tho Watt had career highs with 9 carries and 5 catches on the season

Watt - a total of only 77 snaps on the season

Connor Heyward actually had 175+ offensive snaps on the year.
Played a lot more than I thought he would have this year.
25 snaps and best game of his career on Sunday. Clutch.

[K_C_]

Great news on Muth. Now let's pair him with another big-time receiving TE.

Mooth. 3 more catches than he had last year.........but 235 more yards.
TDs dropped from 7 to 2. ( The Ben redzone factor )

Probably 2 things. The inability to run (and let’s face it, sneak’ last year because the o-line was horrific and Ben was old) and Ben’s experience and ability to make chicken salad from chicken shit.

That’s the difference.

We ran the ball really well, late in the season and especially in short yardage this year. Last year, we were really, really bad in short yardage so Ben was forced to throw more and he was still really good at that.