If you’re wondering how the Tennessee Titans will attack the Steelers Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field, Defensive Coordinator Keith Butler says there’s really no need to wonder.
“If I was looking at us, what would you do? You’d run the ball, too,” a visibility-irritated Butler was saying at his weekly media availability, while answering questions about another defensive meltdown, this time in Minnesota.
The Vikings ran for 242 yards, 205 of those by Dalvin Cook who had six runs of 14 yards or more, including a 29-yard touchdown. It was the second time in five games Butler’s defense had allowed over 200 yards on the ground and the only reason the Bengals didn’t run for 200 yards in-between is because they lost interest.
On a few of Cook’s runs, the holes were so massive that – as you may recall - Cook told FOX’s Erin Andrews after the game that she could have run through them.
“Daggum, I don’t wanna see those holes again!” Butler exclaimed. “One or two of ‘em, we were in stuff we didn’t want to be in, in those situations and some of it was didn’t play it correctly. It’s a little bit of both, a little bit of coaching a little bit of playing.”
Predictably, Butler put most of the blame on himself. “I will tell you this – I gotta do a better job coaching than what I’ve done in order for us to get better stopping the run,” Butler fumed. “I hate that crap.
200 yards? How many times have we done that since I’ve been here? Not in the 19 years I’ve been here. Does it bother me? You’re daggum right it bothers me and we’re going to do our best to make sure we don’t do that crap no more.”
So how do they do that, especially since it was the same story after the Detroit and Cincinnati games and, obviously, it’s still a major problem? For Butler, it’s a matter of fundamentals; basic football.
“All of us have got to win our individual battles,” Butler explained. “Part of the individual battle is getting off blocks; how do you get off blocks? We use the same techniques we’ve always used since I’ve been here.
It’s worked for a lot of other people; it hasn’t changed none. We got to get off blocks and get to the ball and play in unison; we’ve got to be a better team defense.”
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said Butler shouldn’t have to fall on his sword. “That’s not Coach Butler’s job,” Fitzpatrick said, “He’s just taking responsibility for it as the DC, but that’s not his job. It’s our job as players to know where we’re supposed to be lined up and thinking ahead of when people move, who can move and what we’re supposed to go to when people move.”
What’s frustrating for Fitzpatrick is that sometimes he can see what’s about to happen but can’t really do anything about it. “I can see it but sometimes it’s tough for me to communicate top down ‘cause sometimes guys can’t really hear me (in the box). Pre-snap I try to give guys ‘be ready for this, be ready for this guy to go in motion,’ stuff like that could definitely help.”
Butler knows he and his defense had better come up with something and come up with it quickly. “From here on, with our back against the wall, we gotta win out to have a chance to daggum get in the playoffs” he said.
“That’s our goal, always has been, always will be.”
Right now, that goal is still within reach. But a loss on Sunday afternoon would pretty much bury the Steelers’ chances.
