Will safety Craig Steltz step up this season and become the next Mike Brown?
Will he be the leader the Bears need so much in the secondary?
I hope he will be, but what I saw out of him last season wasn’t so good.
In eleven games Craig Steltz made 17 tackles and one interception.
He was a solid contributor on special teams, but when he stepped into the Green Bay Packers game in week 16 for the injured Mike Brown, he scared me.
I was at that freezing cold game and I thought he was Adam Archuleta at times, not just because he had the same #20 jersey, but because he made one of the worst plays of the game. He let Ryan Grant truck him for about a 15 yard touchdown run into the end zone.
What I saw out of Craig Steltz on that play made me want to vomit, just like all the horrible plays I watched Adam Archuleta make for one long season.
The Bears management hung with Archuleta for too long and I’m afraid they might do the same with, Steltz, the former fourth round pick out of LSU.
They have Steltz penciled in at FS and Kevin Payne at SS, but I really hope that the coaching staff goes with the real athlete in Corey Graham.
Graham made the switch from CB to FS this off-season and the coaches are really high on the guy.
The Bears also have safeties Glenn Earl, Josh Bullocks and Al Afalava, who are all fighting for a starting gig, but will probably be special team contributors at the most.
Don’t forget about the Bears possibly using Danieal Manning at FS, it’s unlikely because he has settled into the nickel-back position so well, but it could happen.
Back to Craig Steltz, I don’t see him as anything other than a special teams contributor for his entire NFL career.
He made an interception in a game against Detroit last season and also blocked a punt against Minnesota, but I don’t see him being the next Mike Brown or even anything resembling him.
He just might be the next Adam Archuleta, and that could be really bad.
July 6th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I remember that play very well (it was a screen actually) and probably because for so many people that’s the only thing they talk about when it comes to Steltz. I think it’s completely short-sighted BS analysis. I’ll be upfront and say you are right, it is not a good play, but I don’t think it’s terribly indicative of him as a player (as if any one play should ever define a player. I mean Tillman against 99-yard Berrian last year looks pretty damn bad, but we still think Tillman’s an asset.) and I think it’s been blown out of proportion that this is what Steltz is known for.
Watch the play again and see yes he overpursues by about a step and as Grant cuts back, Steltz plants to recover, but his foot slips on the frozen field. Off balance with no footing, of course he got trampled. It’s obviously not a good play for him, but it could have happened to any player, good or bad, just as easily. Unfortunately, Steltz doesn’t have a huge body of work and only became known for this play, but as I said that’s an unfair overreaction.
This is not to say I think Steltz is great or even good (I don’t have an opinion either way since I’ve seen him so little) and you could be absolutely right that he’s a nothing. All I’m saying is using just that one play (as many people do) to write him off is short-sighted.
Btw, I like this site a lot. Keep it up.
July 10th, 2009 at 11:28 am
thanks for the comment. i agree that the one play used as a way to write him off is hard, but I just am iffy about his play and ability on the field. I just hope he’s not the next Adam Archuleta , thats all. I’m glad you like the site. Keep coming back