The Steelers regularly started seven players on defense last season who were at least 30 years old and they lost five games that they led in the fourth quarter. One thing outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley dismissed, however, is the notion that the defense would have been fresher in the fourth quarter had the Steelers run the ball more in 2009. "They did what they were supposed to do, it was our fault for letting teams score in the fourth quarter, no one to blame but ourselves" Woodley said of the offense. Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
farrior was incredibly slow, gay was picked on constantly, harrison had a down year and woodley had a slow start. troy was healthy for one epic quarter in the titans game, aaron smith made the run defense die miserably....really they can only go up, keisel was banged up but played lights out when he was in there and hampton and timmons quietly had a great year
I have to agree 100% with K Train but...only because the defense was on the field. Had the offense been able to run the ball consistently like it has the previous years, the defense would never have seen the field. The defense has carried them for years. The offense is supposed to grind it out, pound the ball and drain the clock in the fourth quarter. That's always been the Steelers MO and they couldn't do it. It's a double-edged sword, really. Ultimately, the whole team just couldn't do it.
Offense couldn't keep the ball in the 4th, defense couldn't stop the opposing team in the 4th. Basic. William Gay was out of his league...Deshea Townsend added a little...very little...stability when he began starting but the DB's/LB's were awful in coverage. It's a wonder that teams didn't throw in the middle of the field more than they did. It was open all season. I don't know that Harrison necessarily had a "down year." He dropped in coverage much more than usual and obviously led to him blitzing a lot less and his stats suffered.
