I have to say that the preseason snuck up on me this year. I could've sworn that the draft just happened, then suddenly I turn around and Training Camp is opening.
Here's what I'm going to be watching for tonight, since it doesn't make sense to put much stock in who wins and loses. It's only the preseason, but there are some interesting things to watch.
Zone Blocking Scheme:
They're implementing a new blocking scheme this year and it's a zone blocking scheme instead of the traditional "everyone has a guy they're assigned to block" scheme that they've used since The Chief bought the team.
It's a change in strategy, but the word on the street is that it's not Todd Haley's idea/fault. The Steelers wanted to move to this kind of blocking scheme since 2011, but they didn't have the athletes at tackle to pull it off.
This is just for the running game, not the passing game. The idea is that, unlike a man blocking scheme, where you "put a hat on a hat" and everyone blocks their assigned guy, each lineman is responsible for a zone and needs to block anyone that is in that zone/comes into that zone. The tackles push to the sidelines and interior linemen push towards the middle of the field. In theory, that creates seams and cut-back lanes in the defense that the running backs will then be able to run through.
Honestly, I don't think we have the athletes at running back to pull this off, but I am willing to try anything that will improve the running game. In this blocking scheme, the running back needs to have great short area quickness to burst through the seams and cut-back lanes, excellent vision to see those openings develop, and good decision-making ability (or at least the ability to make quick decisions and commit to them) so that he hits the hole before it closes. No one on the roster in 2012 fits that bill, with the possible exception of Rashard Mendenhall. He might have been a good fit, but he's now in Arizona. Word is that Le'Veon Bell has the right kind of skillset to run behind this scheme and be successful, so that's another thing to watch.
The Rookies:
Really, there are two rookie classes to evaluate in this game, since DeCastro and Adams were hurt most of last season, third round pick Sean Spence missed all of last season on injured reserve, and Alameda Ta'amu went on a drunken rampage through South Side, which hurt his chances to crack the line-up.
Adams and DeCastro will be in starting roles and it'll be nice to see them in action, along with the fact that they'll be working in the new zone blocking scheme. Spence and Ta'amu will be playing more, because they're lower on the depth chart, but they're both playing positions -- Spence at inside linebacker and Ta'amu at defensive tackle -- where there isn't an entrenched, established guy. If they play well, they could unseat the guy in front of them on the depth chart, which is always interesting to watch.
I mentioned Bell, who has apparently had a great camp. Jarvis Jones has also done extremely well by all accounts and I'm most excited to see him play. I really need to see him step into the void that James Harrison left behind, especially since I don't trust Jason Worilds any farther than I can throw him.
Since all the cornerbacks on the roster are working through some type of injury, Shamarko Thomas will be playing nickel back with the first team defense tonight. I'm really looking forward to seeing him play. His natural position is safety, but if he can also help out as a nickel cornerback, then that's another thing he can do to help this team. Ryan Clark and Troy aren't getting any younger, Ryan Mundy will be on the other team's sideline, and it would be super nice if this kid stepped up and started playing well from the get-go.
Rookie receivers Justin Brown and Markus Wheaton should get a lot of work, since there are now open spots at 4th and 5th receiver after the Plaxico Burress injury. There are actually a lot of warm bodies at the position -- there are 11 guys in total, counting Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerricho Cotchery, and Plax, who probably won't have to fight for their roster spots -- and I'm hoping that this fosters competition for remaining roster spots. The more tough decisions these young guys can make the coaches make, the better the depth at the position.
Explosive Plays:
The Steelers were a really, really boring team last year. They didn't generate a lot of explosive plays on offense and they played things ultra-conservative on defense. Dick LeBeau knew that he didn't have the personnel to take a lot of chances and try to make a lot of splash plays, so he tried to teach the guys on defense to keep everything in front of them and not be a hero. The result was that they didn't allow a lot of 20+, 30+, or 40+ yard plays, but they also didn't record a lot of sacks or force very many turnovers.
On offense, they were hesitant to stretch the field and go for the big play and their running backs were mostly "two yards and a cloud of dust" guys that didn't get yards in chunks.
You ended up with an 8-8 team that played vanilla games that didn't feature many big plays on offense or defense, not a lot of sacks or turnovers, and a lot of low-scoring slugfests. The 2009 Steelers finished 8-8, but at least they were exciting. They forced turnovers like crazy, turned the ball over like crazy, and big plays were all over the place. Another team like that may kill me, but it's a chance I'm wiling to take.
At this point, I suspect that the 2013 Steelers will finish anywhere from 6-10 to 8-8 and I'm prepared for that. I just don't want it to be boring.
What I'm looking for tonight is whether or not the young kids have the swagger and the skill to go out and try and make something happen. They may let up some big plays, they may make some big plays, but in the end what I'm looking for is something interesting and exciting. With the number of players that are going to either retire or get cut in the next couple of seasons, I want to see what this next generation is made of.
No Injuries:
Just wanted to make sure I said it. As long as we make it through tonight without anyone getting seriously hurt, that's a net win.
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