That’s why his recent Tweet can hardly be taken lightly. Although Keisel blames the demise of stout defense on the rise of Fantasy Football and all the money associated with it Womens Maurkice Pouncey Jersey , that’s certainly not the only factor explaining why NFL defenses these days are hardly what they used to be.Keisel’s remarks — along with a dynamite photo that personifies the grit of what once was an intimidating Steelers’ defense — touch on a particularly raw nerve for Steelers Nation. During the past few years, we’ve watched as the Black-and-gold defense has sunk ever-further into mediocrity — to the point where nowadays the unit has practically become the laughingstock of the league. Defensive players who can no longer tackle, along with rule changes that make conventional tackling increasingly challenging, lend credence to Keisel’s charge that hard-nosed defense — the way fans expect it to be — is becoming obsolete. For lifelong devotees of the storied Steel Curtain defense, this kinder/gentler version is particularly hard to swallow. So take another long look at that photo of Keisel and his former defensive teammates, anchored by Big Snack — the ultimate monster of the middle. When you consider the overall talent and cohesion of that defense, it’s painfully obvious how far this once-mighty unit has fallen.But perhaps Keisel’s comments are the slap in the face (or the cold shower) that the Steelers and their global nation truly need right now. While Keisel seems to believe the good old days of stout NFL defenses may be gone forever, his remarks might also aim to provide some much-needed inspiration for a unit which arguably has reached the lowest ebb in team history. More than any other factor, a back-to-basics approach to recruiting defensive players appears to be strongly indicated moving forward. As important as sheer athleticism might be, it’s more important to draft rock-solid football players. Unfortunately, this defense largely lacks the kind of impact players represented by the names Hampton, Smith, Keisel, Harrison, Clark, Farrior, Polamalu and Timmons.Brett’s message is something the Steelers and their fans definitely need to hear as the team approaches what looks like a crossroads in their season. With Halloween just around the corner Womens Terrell Edmunds Jersey , it’s certainly legitimate to question whether the weekly chocolate bar being handed out to Pittsburgh’s ravenous fan base during the season might be getting progressively smaller and less appealing. Certainly, that’s been the case in both of the Steelers’ disappointing losses before their home crowd at Heinz Field in recent weeks. Not that you need any further encouragement at this stage but, in the wake of Keisel’s comments, there’s probably no better time for the BTSC community to chime in with comments of your own regarding not only Keisel’s then-versus-now comparison, but also the larger topic of how the Pittsburgh Steelers might set about mending the “fence” in “defense” and hopefully recapturing some of their glories of yesteryear.Steelers News: Mike Hilton hopeful to return to lineup vs. Falcons in Week 5 The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the loser column after a poor performance vs. their divisional rival, the Baltimore Ravens, at Heinz Field in prime time in Week 4. With the Atlanta Falcons coming into Heinz Field for a Week-5 matchup, the Steelers will need to improve on their 1-2-1 record. Something I did last season and I’m going to start again is the Black-and-Gold Links article. This is an article where I take stories from quality news sources across the Internet, and add them here for your viewing pleasure. I won’t be posting the entire articles, but I’ll link each story and author so that you can read the full article. Today we update some key injuries, most notably cornerback Mike Hilton Let’s get to the news:Free of pain, Steelers’ Hilton hoping to return against FalconsBy: Joe Rutter, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewSlot cornerback Mike Hilton still has some stiffness in his elbow, plus lingering fluid that is preventing him from fully extending it, but he is optimistic about returning Sunday afternoon when the Pittsburgh Steelers play the Atlanta Falcons.Hilton did not practice Wednesday and Friday last week and was limited to individual drills Thursday.“The pain is pretty much out of the way,” Hilton said Monday. “If I get the full range of motion, I’ll be ready to go.”Cameron Sutton replaced Hilton in the slot against the Ravens. The Steelers were without two regulars in Hilton and safety Morgan Burnett (groin). Safety Nat Berhe Womens Chukwuma Okorafor Jersey , who played in certain subpackages, left the game with a pectoral injury and was sporting a sling on his left arm Monday. Linebacker L.J. Fort was used in subpackages for the first time this season, logging 11 defensive snaps.“It’s frustrating, but it’s part of the game,” Hilton said. “We know it’s the next-man-up mentality. Some guys have to step up and be in positions now with a couple guys down. We have guys that can do it, we just have to put it all together.”Tim Benz: An airing of grievances after Steelers’ lackluster effort vs. RavensBy: Tim Benz, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewOur inaugural ”Airing Of Grievances” column after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ loss to the Chiefs two weeks ago was so wildly popular, I think we are going to have to make this a tradition after any defeat the Steelers suffer.Heck, maybe some wins, too.If there are any moving forward. With the way this season is going, there may be far more of the former than the latter.There are plenty of grievances to air in the wake of Baltimore’s 26-14 victory Sunday night at Heinz Field.Third-down offenseThis is where the game was lost for the Steelers. Their third-down offense was an abomination.The unit was 2 of 12 on third-down attempts. Most of that was due to horrid execution. There were misfired passes, a lack of open receivers and some blocks missed here and there.Popcorn, as coach Mike Tomlin will probably say Tuesday.Some of the play calls were atrocious, too.鈥?On the second possession of the game, on third-and-18, there was a short pass underneath to James Conner. It merely seemed to be an effort to get a few yards back before a punt. Already trailing 14-0, the Steelers appeared to concede that drive in a game where every possession was going to be necessary to come back.
On third-and-3 from the Baltimore 20 after an Alex Collins fumble Youth Stephon Tuitt Jersey , Ben Roethlisberger lofted up a deep shot down the sideline to Antonio Brown right off the snap.Why try that there? Even if Brown had single coverage, don’t you want Roethlisberger surveying the field with multiple options in the red zone on a possession-down like that instead of tossing up a 50-50 ball to Brown against a taller defender in Marlon Humphrey?鈥?On the first drive after halftime, the Steelers went three-and-out following a short pass to the left of the formation to Ryan Switzer. It lost 5 yards, and the team had to punt.Third-down defenseMeanwhile, the Steelers defense “held” the Ravens to 8 of 17 on third downs. That looks decent on paper. But keep in mind, that includes two failed conversions where Baltimore was essentially winding down the clock at the end of each half. Plus, there was a lame “What the heck? If it’s there, it’s there” throw through the goal post from Joe Flacco on third-and-7 before Justin Tucker’s game-sealing field goal to make it 26-14.”They converted third downs. They possessed the ball. We didn’t get off the field,” defensive end Cameron Heyward said. “That’s not a good recipe for success.”It’s unfortunate. It sucks. I’m (ticked) off we didn’t get the job done.”Yeah, that pretty much says it all.Rotten startsThe Steelers have been dreadful when it comes to starting quickly at Heinz Field of late. Check out these numbers in the last three games at Heinz Field — the Jacksonville divisional-round playoff game and the two regular-season losses in 2018.:::More in the link above:::Ryan Switzer increasingly part of the Steelers’ offenseBy: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewThe Pittsburgh Steelers’ leading pass-catcher Sunday wasn’t All Pro Antonio Brown, nor was it emerging JuJu Smith-Schuster. In fact, it wasn’t any wide receiver or tight end – or even a starter.It was Ryan Switzer.Acquired the final week of the preseason from Oakland in a swap of late-round draft picks, Switzer caught all seven of the balls Ben Roethlisberger threw his way in the 26-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Including a second-half rush, Switzer had eight touches among the 21 offensive snaps he played.Counting special teams (Switzer is the Steelers’ punt and kick returner) no skill player had more touches for the Steelers than Switzer. Perhaps even more notable than Switzer’s overall usage is that the Steelers often lined him up in the backfield in lieu of starting running back James Conner.“I am just trying to continue to make a name for myself,” Switzer said, “continue to learn my role in this offense and continue to learn Ben’s trust and coaching staff’s trust.”For a team that rarely took Le’Veon Bell off the field in recent years past Youth Ramon Foster Jersey , Conner sat out 13 of the Steelers’ 73 offensive snaps. Neither other running back on the team (Stevan Ridley and Jaylen Samuels) played on offense Sunday.Coach Mike Tomlin said the decision to use Switzer instead of Conner was “just personnel packages that we worked within.“He’s a valuable component of our offense and has been a nice contributor.”Le’Veon Bell’s absence finally catching up to SteelersBy: Jeremy Fowler, ESPNNo matter how much the Pittsburgh Steelers have tried to separate themselves from Le’Veon Bell, his absence was deeply felt Sunday night.The Steelers needed an equalizer to settle down the offense when things went awry in the second half of their 26-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. What they got was a near 5-1 ratio of pass to run in their most physical rivalry.The Steelers always knew they would miss Bell, who’s still sitting out with an unsigned franchise tag as the team explores trading him. Otherwise, teammates wouldn’t have responded so fiercely to his absence in Week 1. They knew he changed the dynamic.As a counter, players and coaches sold a bold new attack behind James Conner, who runs hard and is a better pass-catcher than advertised.Still, the transition from All-Pro to first-year starter manifested in Conner’s 19 yards on nine carries Sunday. The Steelers were outmatched regardless of the running back in a Week 2 loss to Kansas City, but this week felt different as Baltimore ran 30 times for 96 yards.Several Steelers pointed to the Ravens’ quick 14-0 lead as a reason to abandon the run.”The run game, as long as we’re efficient, we’re getting yards here or there,” guard Ramon Foster said. “You get behind the chains a little bit and you have to throw it. That’s not an issue to be frantic about. We’re a team that always finds a way.”Foster is saying the right things, but getting “yards here or there” doesn’t sound like the tone-setting offense the Steelers’ line wants to be. nflshopoutlet.com