Which is our biggest Achilles Heel this year?

[TwistedHusky]

2 very glaring issues so far this year.

1. The secondary. We are letting 'barely there' QBs do what they want against us. So far we are beating them. But the secondary still looks like garbage.

2. The OL. There was a point, almost right before halftime, where Wilson had near as many sacks as first downs. The problem appears to be Pass blocking more than run blocking. But yikes.


Will there be issues this season that holds us back? Which will be the bigger issue?

We have 2 wins already so they have not held us back yet. But which worries you more as an issue we will struggle with this season, either of those 2 or something else?

 

[John63]

2 very glaring issues so far this year.

1. The secondary. We are letting 'barely there' QBs do what they want against us. So far we are beating them. But the secondary still looks like garbage.

2. The OL. There was a point, almost right before halftime, where Wilson had near as many sacks as first downs. The problem appears to be Pass blocking more than run blocking. But yikes.


Will there be issues this season that holds us back? Which will be the bigger issue?

We have 2 wins already so they have not held us back yet. But which worries you more as an issue we will struggle with this season, either of those 2 or something else?

3. PCs philosophy that causes us to wait to decide to let loose.

 

[Fade]

1. Pete putting the leash on the offense against lesser opponents.

2. Ifedi in general / Right side of the OLine in pass pro.

3. Defense repeatedly getting shredded by TE & RB screens.

4. Needs more pass rush.

The DBs look pretty good, not all world, but pretty good, minus TT of course.

 

[iigakusei]

I think DL is more of a concern than secondary. Hopefully Ziggy can help that (and Reed when he gets back). We have really missed Reed IMO.

 

[2_0_6]

Pass Rush.
Pete's time/challenger/time out management skills. Outside of the PI one he challenged yesterday (which I thought at the time was going to be wasted) he seems like he whiffs more often than not.

 

[bbsplitter]

2 very glaring issues so far this year.

1. The secondary. We are letting 'barely there' QBs do what they want against us. So far we are beating them. But the secondary still looks like garbage.

2. The OL. There was a point, almost right before halftime, where Wilson had near as many sacks as first downs. The problem appears to be Pass blocking more than run blocking. But yikes.


Will there be issues this season that holds us back? Which will be the bigger issue?

We have 2 wins already so they have not held us back yet. But which worries you more as an issue we will struggle with this season, either of those 2 or something else?

I think you're right that at the moment the secondary seems to be the biggest weakness - but PC is too much of a magician with the secondary for me to be all that worried about it over the year. I've seen him pull together league average performances from worse players, so I highly doubt we finish below league average in that category at the end of the year.

 

[HawkGA]

I think DL is more of a concern than secondary. Hopefully Ziggy can help that (and Reed when he gets back). We have really missed Reed IMO.

I think in time this will largely work itself out. If the team is ever able to field Ziggy, Reed, Poona, and Clowney, please, the DBs will just have to sit back and wait to catch the hurried throws that will come their way.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

1. DB Play, specifically safety. McDougald even looks average, not sure what's going on there, but he doesn't look as good as he has the past couple years. But overall bad across the entire back four.

2. O-line. This was a supposed strength of the team, but they've been destroyed in pass-pro, especially the right side with Ifedi, who's the worst player on the entire roster playing in one of the most important positions. It's affecting everything we're doing on offense.

3. Penalties. Too many, too often. Also mostly on the O-line, but eventually 2nd and 3rd and 20 is going to cost us games.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

2 very glaring issues so far this year.

1. The secondary. We are letting 'barely there' QBs do what they want against us. So far we are beating them. But the secondary still looks like garbage.

This isn't the whole story. No secondary is going to hold up for seven seconds against a pass rush that never gets home. The Legion didn't. Give any QB seven unmolested seconds in the pocket and he'll either reach his fourth read or find someone open on a scramble drill.

The problems you're seeing are DL-related. If a QB hits the top of his drop and has to keep progressing or scrambles to improvise, the secondary has largely done its job. And that's happening on enough plays to where I feel pretty good about the secondary.

 

[HawkGA]

2. O-line. This was a supposed strength of the team, but they've been destroyed in pass-pro, especially the right side with Ifedi, who's the worst player on the entire roster playing in one of the most important positions. It's affecting everything we're doing on offense.

Do you think they will eventually sit him this year? I doubt he comes back next year so I would think at some point you start getting Jones some reps in real games. Gotta see what you got there.

 

[bbsplitter]

1. DB Play, specifically safety. McDougald even looks average, not sure what's going on there, but he doesn't look as good as he has the past couple years. But overall bad across the entire back four.

2. O-line. This was a supposed strength of the team, but they've been destroyed in pass-pro, especially the right side with Ifedi, who's the worst player on the entire roster playing in one of the most important positions. It's affecting everything we're doing on offense.

3. Penalties. Too many, too often. Also mostly on the O-line, but eventually 2nd and 3rd and 20 is going to cost us games.

In the O-lines defense though - once we switched to actually utilize the short passing game correctly to make the defense respect it - they did pretty well. It's not their fault that it takes us an entire half to adjust to our QB getting pummeled vs what takes other teams 2 offensive drives to figure out.

 

[Seymour]

Peteball and stubborn ego is #1 issue. All these 3 and outs put even worse pressure on the D and tire them out.

LOBad is #2

Pass protection is #3.
I only put it here because we have the QB to help mitigate the issue and they have learned to win in spite of bottom 1/3 of the league in protection for Russ's entire career here in Seattle.

 

[TwistedHusky]

As bad as our OL has been, I don't think I have seen games where we had less 1st downs than sacks on our QB.

So I hope that is the end of it, because I don't consider the Steelers to have a top five pass rush.

On the secondary, Pete was a DB coach so I hope some of you are right. We have a sample size of 2, but we are getting shredded. It actually is worse than it looks when you consider the # of completions that we should have given up but for drops.

The DL is weird. That is supposed to be a strength. I don't know how much of it is holding being allowed vs our guys simply not producing in winning their matchups consistently enough.

But the issues with the secondary go beyond completions. I am seeing bad angles, missed tackles, and mistakes that we normally do not see from our secondary.

 

[AROS]

The OL will continue to get better as the season wears on. I am not that concerned. I think the secondary is our Achilles Heel this year.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

1. DB Play, specifically safety. McDougald even looks average, not sure what's going on there, but he doesn't look as good as he has the past couple years. But overall bad across the entire back four.

2. O-line. This was a supposed strength of the team, but they've been destroyed in pass-pro, especially the right side with Ifedi, who's the worst player on the entire roster playing in one of the most important positions. It's affecting everything we're doing on offense.

3. Penalties. Too many, too often. Also mostly on the O-line, but eventually 2nd and 3rd and 20 is going to cost us games.

In the O-lines defense though - once we switched to actually utilize the short passing game correctly to make the defense respect it - they did pretty well. It's not their fault that it takes us an entire half to adjust to our QB getting pummeled vs what takes other teams 2 offensive drives to figure out.

You're right, let's see if Pete continues to adapt and adjust, or goes back to his old ways of sticking too long with what's not working.

Still doesn't erase the fact that our O-line is bad, even the run blocking hasn't been great. 223 yards rushing in two games, 3.8 YPC.

 

[bigskydoc]

Offensive line is #1. You simply can't have Russ getting pummeled game in and game out, and you shouldn't have to resort to giving up on 5 second passing plays to keep him protected.

The secondary will improve as our pass rush improves. As we get our premier d-line guys back, the defense will make huge strides. I still think it's worth trading for Fitzpatrick, unless there is a quality right tackle out there that we could get for a first.

 

[LTH]

I dont like the beating russ is taking... thats number one but penalties are killing the hawks thats going to bites them in the ass sooner or later... the fact that they beat Pitt after losing the turnover battle and then all those penalties that will beat Pitt but not The Rams Nor the Niners... Pete better get a handle on that like yesterday!

LTH

 

[ZagHawk]

The same Achilles Heel for the past few years. Dink and Dunk quick passes driving up the field against PC's defensive scheme. Taking too long to abandon the run when its ineffective and/or lack of creativity in once again PC's offensive philosopy.

 

[justafan]

O line. Im not worried about yrds given up,score is what matters. I think the Oline will come around but without them it is going to be a struggle all year.

 

[IndyHawk]

Hey if a bad OL forces RW to use short passes more and open up that thin
playbook more to counter..i'm for it- eventually I think the OL will be fine.
The DL is good against the run and we know it will be better as the season goes
with JC in better game condition..Ziggy healthy with Green and the rookie
getting going...Reed back in week 7 ..The pass rush will be going off..
The weakness is the secondary but give PC some more time to tune that up
nobody else is better than him at it.