Keanu Neal: Best of 2023

[@ONCICOLA]

Life long Falcons fan here: LOVED Neal! He started his career out so good! Just as you showed in the final clip, injuries killed him. He and Deion Jones are such, “what if” players.

[@Steely_Cam]

We owe the Heyward Legacy to you guys. Thank you for them.

[@PittsburghReels]

Do you think Steelers should keep him or move on?

[@Steely_Cam]

I love the name, like the player, would like him more if they brought in a guy who can wear a lot of hats (a Terrell Edmunds type) to make it a nightmare for QBs trying to untangle those shells on the back end. Plays like a linebacker who happens to be quick enough to cover.

[@jamy8575]

I am extremely curious on this player. Did Tomlin see what he intended... bringing Neal in? .. Most of my curiosity is centered around this; Neal was utilized in high safety (Minkah sweet spot) For what purpose? Why? This interested me. Why did Tomlin do this? We know that Keanu Neal, although listed as a DB, had spent a year in Dallas as MLB. AND we witnessed his down hill ability(not to far from Elandon or M.Rob) He could have been down in the box...but he wasn't. (Either not trusted on TE coverage... OR) Franchise sacrificed what we know and have seen Minkah do at the high & free position. as a longer term strategy where Neal was to learn something he could only experience from that vantage...? If Neal gets retained... Minkah will go back to his spot? I am extremely interested in YOUR take on the above.

[@jamy8575]

You had excellent insight in the Dan Moore & Okorafor talk you did early in the season before B Jones got his 1st start. You pointed out that Okorafor was actually worse when deeper stats analyzed (You looked at QB hits and/or QB pressures in addition to sacks, I believe. I recall that fairly vividly and use it in my own diatribes, acting as if I came up with it myself... . I find it hilarious that so many folks are chatting it up that BJ needs moved to "his natural spot" as if he came from the womb with a LT tattoo. It is so obvious that MgMt. wants Dan Moore there and believes in him there. It goes W/O saying but... I will anyhow- They don't drool over Chris Collinsworth's PFF.

[@Steely_Cam]

I don’t think anything broke the way it was supposed to with the Steelers defense in 23. Looking at PFF alignment counts, Neal played 200 snaps on the line or in the box and 230 in the secondary, only 102 deep safety snaps. Minkah played 166 box/line snaps and 227 in the deep post. Having said that, that’s where they line up, not necessarily where they end up. I think Minkah is at his best not tied to the deep post, but moving around. Don’t let the QB assume he knows where Minkah’s gonna be, make him wonder. Make him check. Make him double-check, and second-guess himself. I think they brought in guys who were capable of that (Kazee especially) to give them options. Khan did a great job of giving TA options; they made a plan and God laughed.