The Great Fa�ade Known as
Dick LeBeau, Part Trois
The Stillers lost, as ya know,
to the Jackers in SB 45, in no small thanks to the
vaunted �#1 defense in the NFL�, which got shredded apart like a vegetable in a
Ginsu commercial.��
I�d highlighted -- er,
rather, lowlighted -- the great fallacy and fa�ade known as Dick
LeBeau a couple weeks ago, and then
did Part Deux last
week.� This caused the
predictable uproar from Dick�s Jonestownian masses, until, of course, Dick managed to surrender
yardage and touchdowns to the Jackers the way the
French surrendered anything and everything during either world war.�� At this point, ya can
hardly hear a peep from Dick�s loyal masses, aside from the usual blather of
bullshit rationalizations, quibbling, and rabid excuse making.
We here at Stillers.com proudly remain the
one, and only, media outlet to expose Dick
LeBeau and his Paper Tiger Defense for what he, and they, truly were -- a
charade and a fa�ade of epic proportions.�� I
can think of no such remotely praise-lavished defense in modern NFL history to
get pillaged, ravaged, and raped as badly as this vaunted defense did against
the Jackers.�
Here are the final stats for the Jackers:�
- QB Aaron Rodgers -- 24 of 39, 304 yards, 3 TDs, and zero INTs or FFs�
- RB James Starks -- 11 rushes, 52 yards, 4.7 YPC, long runs
of 12 & 14�
- 3 TD drives, of 80, 55, and 53 yards.���
- 1 FG drive of 70 yards
The carnage would have been worse, but the Jackers dropped four passes that were right in their
mitts on cake-easy catch attempts.� This
includes a long sideline route by Nelson that would have netted at least 40
yards on the game�s 1st drive, and a 3d & 5 slot route that was so wide
open Jones would have ambled untouched for a 75-yard TD.���
Here�s a
re-cap of the game�s pass rush stats:
3MR:� 3 times **
4MR:� 15
5MR:�� 23
6MR:�� 1
7MR:�� 0
** The
3-Man Rushes (3MRs) were disastrous.� The
first was the aforementioned drop by Jones.�
One would think that LeBeau, who is supposedly more intelligent & omnipotent
than Albert Einstein, would be able to defend and limit RAC with only 3
rushers.�� Not Dick.�� Jones ran a short pattern from the slot, and
Gay undercut the route but failed to bust it up.� Jones dropped the pass, with literally an
������� The 2nd 3-man rush was on THE play of
the game.�� With the Packers gasping and
clutching to a 3-point led, they faced a 3d & 10 on their own 25, with 6
minutes remaining in the game.� A STOP
here forces a punt and gives the Stillers the ball with eons of time and decent
FP.� What does the omnipotent dullard
call?�� A 3-man rush
!!!�� Totally unfettered,
unrushed, and un-harassed, Rodgers is able to fire a perfect 31-yard seamer
strike to
What�s worse, is that Dick had his DBs
playing soft even while lined up in what resembled press coverage.�� Time and time and time again, a CB would be
lined up in the face of a WR, only to back off -- without a chuck -- as soon as the ball was
snapped.� This was quite obvious on the
Nelson 1Q TD, as well as the absurd cushion Fadden gave up on a 16-yard in to
Nelson in the 2Q.�� For an offense that
relies so much on timing and quick patterns, this played RIGHT INTO the hands
of the Jackers.���
Perhaps
even worse, is the fact that the Packers played the entire 2nd half without
STARTING receiver Donald Driver, yet easily marched 55-yards a TD and then 70
yards for a chippie FG.�� In case you didn�t realize it, Driver is GB�s
version of Hines Ward.�� With over 9,600
career receiving yards, he�s every bit as reliable and productive as Hinesie.��
10 points
allowed in the 4th quarter, and we lose by 6.��
Turnovers ?��
NONE.��� INTs ?� NONE.�� Pressure?�� Very, very little.� �
Just as
worse, Dick�s defense is supposed to punish pass-catchers on short receptions,
forcing a combination of coughed balls, FFs, and
disinterested receivers as the game goes on.��
Dick�s defense did NONE of this in the Super Bowl.�� There was only 1 hard lick delivered the
entire game on a WR, that on Pola�s
hit on
Of course,
many an idiot will blandly cite the "3 turnovers" as the reason we
lost, much in the same way an imbecile would point to the Civil War and say, �The
South suffered a lot of casualties� as the reason the Union won.�� Let us not forget -- - 2 of the turnovers
were not "gimme" field position.� The 1 was a 53 yard TD drive; the
other a 55-yard TD drive.� Both resulted in TDs,
but EITHER one could have been halted for a FG, punt, or turnover by a defense
that wasn't a PAPER TIGER.� If you're
truly the "#1 defense in the league", then you have to MAN UP and
PLAY like it.� Clearly they did not, as
they got dominated and riddled by the Packer offense.
Dick didn�t
just resort to pansie-assed rush schemes.� He took his BEST pass rusher, and relegated
him to near-constant coverage duties.�
Here are the rushing/coverage stats for Woodley and Harrison:
�� Woodley:�� Rushed 33 times, coverage 9 times
��
Troy Pola,
too, was relegated to being a total non-factor.�� It was LeBeau who managed to take a DPOY in
Pola and turn him from a Tasmanian devil into a DEEP SAFETY playing 19 yards
off the ball, doing little and impacting even less.
It was LeBeau who took former DPOY James Harrison and got NOTHING out of
It's the coordinator's JOB to put premier players in spots and in positions
where they can dominate and wreak havoc. Clearly, that did not occur.
Dick had TWO WEEKS to prepare for the Packers. He got pillaged, ravaged,
plundered, and raped by the Packer offense. The mighty, vaunted defense never
came CLOSE to creating a TURNOVER of their OWN, and
applied very, very little pressure on the QB.
Of course,
for those of us that actually study football and go past the gaudy stats and
hyperbole, none of this was a surprise.��
I published, in writing, precisely why this game was going to be lost,
with the major reason being a soft, over-rated, bumbling defense� As clearly shown in the table below, Dick�s
2010 defense feasted and made a killing off of the weak; the inept; the green;
and the mediocre.���
Below is a
chart that summarizes the 2010 regular & post season for Dick�s vaunted
defense:
|
|
W-L |
Score |
QB faced |
Def. Pts allowed |
TDs allowed |
Rush Allowed |
Pass Allowed |
INTs |
FFs |
|
����� Notes |
|
vs. Atl |
W |
15-9 |
Ryan |
9 |
0 |
58 |
252 |
1 |
0 |
|
3 FGs
allowed.�� 3-3 at Half.�� Atl. ran 5 plays
in OT |
|
@ Tenn |
W |
19-11 |
Collins
& Young |
11 |
1 |
46 |
215 |
3 |
1 |
|
Kerry
Collins = 17-25 1 TD.� PIT up 13-2 at
Half.�� Huge, ticky-tacky hold� call on |
|
@ Tampa |
W |
38-13 |
Josh
Freeman & Josh Johnson |
13 |
1 |
75 |
251 |
1 |
1 |
|
PIT up
28-6 at half |
|
vs. Balt |
L |
14-17 |
Flacco |
17 |
2 |
70 |
256 |
1 |
2 |
|
BAL up
10-7 at Half, due to FG at 0:05 2Q.� �D gave up winning TD
0:34 4Q |
|
vs. Clev |
W |
28-10 |
McCoy |
10 |
1 |
69 |
281 |
2 |
1 |
|
Rookie
McCoy's 1st NFL start.� |
|
@ Mia |
W |
23-22 |
Henne |
22 |
1 |
64 |
257 |
1 |
1 |
|
PIT up
17-16 at Half.� TD allowed, 2:00 left
in 2Q, then go-ahead FG allowed 5:23 4Q |
|
@ N.O. |
L |
10-20 |
Brees |
20 |
2 |
30 |
305 |
1 |
1 |
|
2
4Q TDs allowed, incl. winning TD at 4:47 4Q |
|
@ Cinci |
W |
27-21 |
Palmer |
21 |
3 |
54 |
248 |
1 |
1 |
|
PIT up
20-7 at Half.� 2 TDs
allowed in final 1:38 |
|
vs. NE |
L |
26-39 |
Brady |
33 |
4 |
103 |
350 |
0 |
0 |
|
PIT down
10-3 at Half.� D
then got shredded in 2H. |
|
vs. Oak |
W |
35-3 |
Gradkowski |
3 |
0 |
61 |
98 |
1 |
3 |
|
PIT up
21-3 at Half. |
|
@ Buff |
W |
19-16 |
Fitzpatrick |
16 |
1 |
74 |
265 |
1 |
2 |
|
PIT up
13-0 at Half.�� Tying FG allowed, 0:07 4Q.�� Buff winning TD dropped by wide-open WR in
EZ in OT |
|
@ Balt |
W |
13-10 |
Flacco |
10 |
1 |
43 |
266 |
0 |
1 |
|
BAL up 7
at Half.� Star
TE T. Heap injured on 1st play of game and never returned. Jacco picked apart defense nearly entire 1H until Stiller
defenders begged the DC to dial up some heat on the QB. |
|
vs. Cinci |
W |
23-7 |
Palmer |
7 |
1 |
34 |
178 |
3 |
0 |
|
PIT up
10-7 at Half. |
|
vs. NYJ |
L |
17-22 |
Sanchez |
13 |
2 |
106 |
170 |
0 |
0 |
|
Tied at 10
at Half. PIT up 17-10 in 3Q, then allowed TD and FG.� D allowed 13-play
FG drive in 4Q for NY's winning points. Mark Sanchez had thrown 4 INTs
and no touchdown passes in the past two games and the Jets had not scored an
offensive touchdown since Thanksgiving.�
Sanchez finished season with 75.3 passer rating, and was sacked 27
times while throwing 13 INTs. |
|
vs.
Carol. |
W |
27-3 |
Clausen |
3 |
0 |
74 |
72 |
1 |
0 |
|
PIT up
20-0 at Half. |
|
@ Clev |
W |
41-9 |
McCoy |
9 |
1 |
43 |
209 |
3 |
2 |
|
PIT up
31-3 at Half. |
|
vs. Balt |
W |
31-24 |
Flacco |
17 |
2 |
35 |
125 |
1 |
1 |
|
Other
fumble was on botched under-center snap.�
INT was on unfettered pass 15 feet over TE's
head.�� Late 4Q TD was DROPPED by Anquan Boldin on a short,
cake-easy slant pass that hit him squarely in the chest, which would have put
the Ravens ahead by 4.�� Thanks to the
drop, the Ravens settled for a tying FG.�
|
|
vs. Jets |
W |
24-19 |
Sanchez |
17 |
2 |
70 |
233 |
0 |
1 |
|
24-0 lead at 1:08 2Q, then FG allowed late 2Q.�� Then 2 TDs allowed, 1 in 3Q & 1 in 4Q.�� Another TD avoided when Keller dropped
2-yard TD pass deep in 4Q.� Lone
turnover was off |
|
vs. G.B. |
L |
25-31 |
Rodgers |
24 |
3 |
52 |
304 |
0 |
0 |
|
Rodgers =
24 of 39, 304, 3 TDs, 0 INTs.��� 10 points allowed in 4Q on TD drive of 55
yards and FG march of 70 yards.� |
As you can
see above, this was a defense that FEASTED on the mediocre and the
incompetent.�� Dick faced only 3 top-tier QBs all season, and all 3 times got shredded
like provolone cheese at a pizza parlor.��
Dick has been the great stat-padder this
season, padding his stats against the incompetent and the bumbling, but has
been entirely feeble & helpless when facing the slightest bit of
competence.� You�ll hear bullshit rationalizations
of, �Well, a top tier QB is going to light it up.��� No, he should not.....not
against a supposed #1 defense in the NFL....a defense that starts ZERO rookies
and only one 2nd-year player.�� No, if a supreme
defense is worth its salt, it can harass, hurry, disrupt, annoy, confuse,
befuddle, and annihilate even the best of QBs.�� If, in fact, it�s worth
its salt.�� Obviously, this one
was not.��
We�re
constantly bombarded with cries of, �Dick is so clever� and �Dick�s blitzes are
so diabolical and confusing�.�� WHERE, praytell,
was all of that diabolical cleverness
in the shreddings issued by
At this
point, this team needs a heavy breath of fresh air on the defensive side of the
ball in terms of scheme, tactics, tutelage, player selection, and player
development.�� This defense is utterly
stale and rancid.�� No one, including its
coordinator, seems to fully be able to see the forest from the trees amidst all
the hyperbole about how fearsome and great it and he is.��
Let me
paint that picture:
2008:�
Gave up 14 points amidst a 13-point lead in the 4th qtr of the Super
Bowl, a feat that has never been accomplished before.�� Only a near-miraculous 90-yard drive staved
off the embarrassment.�
2009:��
En route to a pitiful, non-playoff season, the defense urinated away 5 (FIVE) 4th quarter leads.��
2010:��
Both Brees and Brady carve and riddle Dick to
shreds.��� A grand total of 1 INT is
created n these 2 games.��
�� �In
Div Playoff, a late 4Q TD was DROPPED by Anquan Boldin on a short, cake-easy slant pass that hit him squarely
in the chest, which would have put the Ravens ahead by 4.�� Thanks to the drop, the Ravens settled for a
tying FG.�
�� �AFCC:� Armed with a 24-0 lead, the defense got
shredded.� A 4Q TD was avoided once again
when Keller dropped a 2-yard TD pass deep in the 4Q.�
�� �Sup
Bowl:� This has been covered and everyone
is well aware of the Ginsu job Rodgers did to
Dick.�
In between
all the praise for and worship of Dick LeBeau, it's about time somebody in
Steeler management realize the guy is living on past glories.���
Indeed, it turns
out the great fa�ade of Dick LeBeau is nothing more than abject mediocrity; a
total charade.�� So it is with most
things French.��
(Still Mill and Stillers.com -- when
it comes to the analysis of the