Steel Curtain II

The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought back the Steel Curtain. This time it is set up in a 3-4 defense rather that the 4-3 version from 37 years ago. The 1970's Steel Curtain may have had the best defensive line in NFL history in DE's L.C. Greenwood and Dwight White and DT's Joe Greene and Ernie Holmes. An unreal and explosive front four with Ernie Holmes being one of the most under-rated players during that era. What a great job Coach Chuck Noll's staff and the Steelers scouting department did finding those 4 guys from Arkansas A,M & N(Greenwood), East Texas State(White), Texas Southern(Holmes), and North Texas State(Greene). Not one of those schools was a Division 1A powerhouse but did those 4 guys really produce. The "Steel Curtain II" has a solid 3 man defensive line but the linebacking corp is playing phenomenal. Hybrid DE/OLB James Harrison is playing lights out, ILB Lawrence Timmons is flying all over the field making plays, ILB James Farrior is playing his steady all around game, and outside LB LaMarr Woodley is playing off the chart, speed rushing off the edge, dropping in pass coverage, and exploding to the ball. And Troy Polamalu is playing a strong safety/spur LB position and playing unreal making plays everywhere. The rest of the secondary is staying on course and playing solid defense. This is the kind of defense that can SHUT any team down and go a long way and maybe to the Big Dance. A ton of credit has to go to Mike Tomlin, Dick LeBeau, and the remainder of the coaching staff plus the scouting department for some great evaluations.