SteelersWoman
09-21-2007, 03:24 AM
http://www.realfootball365.com/nfl/articles/19582.html
The Steel Curtain is back, at least so far this NFL season.
It's a somewhat more compact curtain - Pittsburgh runs a 3-4 these days instead of the four down linemen of Mean Joe Greene's heyday - but it's still steel. And in the process of a 2-0 start, the Steelers have allowed a total of 10 points.
The heavy metal in the new Steel Curtain is 6-foot-1, 321-pound nose tackle Casey Hampton, a Pro Bowl run stopper. He's flanked by Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith, with James Harrison, James Farrior, Clark Haggins and Larry Foote at linebacker and Troy Polamalu, Deshea Townsend, Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor behind them.
So far, that unit has 10 sacks - from nine different players. They've also produced a couple of interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
The Steelers have also extended a remarkable string, putting together 27 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher (the last was Edgerrin James, then of the Colts, in a Monday Night game in November of 2005). The next closest was Rudi Johnson's 123-yard game for the Cincinnati Bengals early in 2004.
This week, the Steeler 'D' has its sights on San Francisco running back Frank Gore, who passed the century mark nine times in 2006. Gore, whose mother died recently, has been held mostly under wraps this season.
Why is Pittsburgh so difficult to run against? Hampton is a big (literally) reason.
The veteran from Texas doesn't get a lot of tackles, but he doesn't have to. His job is to wreak havoc along the line of scrimmage, piling up bodies like fallen logs and making it all but impossible for a back to run inside through the wreckage.
So they bounce outside, only to be hunted by some of the league's fastest and most aggressive linebackers.
All of this should be a big advantage for rival quarterbacks, and there were times last year when the Steelers did get burned for big passing games. A lot of that, however, had to do with fatigue. With Ben Roethlisberger under par and throwing a league-high 23 interceptions, the defense often spent a lot of time on the field.
Now, given time to recoup by a rejuvenated offense and frequently favorable field position by rookie punter Daniel Sepulveda, the Steel Curtain has been rehung.
The Steel Curtain is back, at least so far this NFL season.
It's a somewhat more compact curtain - Pittsburgh runs a 3-4 these days instead of the four down linemen of Mean Joe Greene's heyday - but it's still steel. And in the process of a 2-0 start, the Steelers have allowed a total of 10 points.
The heavy metal in the new Steel Curtain is 6-foot-1, 321-pound nose tackle Casey Hampton, a Pro Bowl run stopper. He's flanked by Brett Keisel and Aaron Smith, with James Harrison, James Farrior, Clark Haggins and Larry Foote at linebacker and Troy Polamalu, Deshea Townsend, Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor behind them.
So far, that unit has 10 sacks - from nine different players. They've also produced a couple of interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
The Steelers have also extended a remarkable string, putting together 27 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher (the last was Edgerrin James, then of the Colts, in a Monday Night game in November of 2005). The next closest was Rudi Johnson's 123-yard game for the Cincinnati Bengals early in 2004.
This week, the Steeler 'D' has its sights on San Francisco running back Frank Gore, who passed the century mark nine times in 2006. Gore, whose mother died recently, has been held mostly under wraps this season.
Why is Pittsburgh so difficult to run against? Hampton is a big (literally) reason.
The veteran from Texas doesn't get a lot of tackles, but he doesn't have to. His job is to wreak havoc along the line of scrimmage, piling up bodies like fallen logs and making it all but impossible for a back to run inside through the wreckage.
So they bounce outside, only to be hunted by some of the league's fastest and most aggressive linebackers.
All of this should be a big advantage for rival quarterbacks, and there were times last year when the Steelers did get burned for big passing games. A lot of that, however, had to do with fatigue. With Ben Roethlisberger under par and throwing a league-high 23 interceptions, the defense often spent a lot of time on the field.
Now, given time to recoup by a rejuvenated offense and frequently favorable field position by rookie punter Daniel Sepulveda, the Steel Curtain has been rehung.