PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s kinda looked like Blitzburgh again the last couple of weeks. A Steelers defense moving around, creating confusion and back to creating turnovers. Why is it back? Credit can be spread to a number of places.
Part of it was necessity after the first couple of games with 63 points allowed and only three sacks. And while yards allowed has never been the standard for Steelers defenses, it was too much. So the coaching staff decided they have to help out TJ Watt, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith by bringing pressure.
Opponents were going into max protection and still having success, they had to do something different to disrupt the game.
“You have to get aggressive and try to create as many one-on-ones as possible,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. “You can’t live like that all the time, but you have to be selective to get your rushers and your guys free.”
When they’ve brought the pressure, the middle linebackers did a great job of staying in their gaps and finishing plays, especially against the Vikings. Payton Wilson had 13 tackles (eight solo), two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Patrick Queen had 11 (eight solo) with a sack and three tackles for loss, along with a quarterback hurry.
“They are aggressive guys that can run and thrive going forward,” said Steelers linebackers coach Scott McCurly. “Getting downhill and attacking blocks, especially in the pass game. When we can cut them loose and let them go, it really brings out a skillset that is valuable to us.”
“I think it’s an expectation of what we are supposed to do,” Queen said. “It’s a standard here that we weren’t upholding. We wanted to get back to that. We wanted to get back to having fun. It feels good to come back to a meeting and have fun.”
“To get them going forward and staying aggressive and really dictating to the offense,” McCurly said. “The offenses are throwing a lot at you nowadays, but to be able to dictate to them and to be able to keep them on their heels. Our guys love it and thrive on those situations.”
The linebackers can’t do it without the help of other positions. The defensive line was able to occupy bodies with Derrick Harmon in game two of his NFL career and Keeanu Benton being disruptive to go along with Cam Heyward with two solid games back-to-back.
Outside Nick Herbig has played well, not just rushing the passer, but he’s so improved his run defense they are already thinking of ways to have him on the field with TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith when the latter returns from injury. Watt has also stepped up, a pair of sacks against the Patriots and a sack, interception, tackle for loss, pass defensed and pair of quarterback hurries against Minnesota.
The front seven is doing its job, but Austin says they can’t play that aggressive, blitzing style without trust in the secondary. You aren’t going to take those chances if you worry about receivers running free behind you.
“I think a lot of it is, we added to the corner room,” Austin said. “We have really good depth at the corner room. I think we have really good depth at the corner which allows us some coverage flexibility.”
And they’ve done it with injuries, of the starting four only the oldest, Darius Slay, has been healthy for all four games. Corner Joey Porter has played only 44 snaps, DeShon Elliott returned last week to play every single snap after missing the last two games. They’ve used nine different players in the secondary.
“Anytime you look at a Steelers defense, it’s always about turnovers and big hits, blitzing and getting to the quarterback,” Queen said. “I think we did a great job at that. I think there is another level we can tap into.”
It’s not perfect. There are still mistakes. As Queen alluded to, there is another level of play, but at least now they are working together to at least resemble what they can and need to be.