The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has struggled this season to say the least, but against the Cleveland Browns last week, the Steelers were able to sack the quarterback seven times. Prior to that game against the Browns, the Steelers had recorded just eight sacks in nine games.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Pass Rush is Back on Track
Cameron Heyward has been the defensive line’s cornerstone in recent years, but he was placed on the injured reserve list due to a pectoral injury. Without Heyward, fellow defensive end Stephon Tuitt stepped up in a big way against the Browns, recording 2.5 sacks after registering his first sack of the season a week prior against the Dallas Cowboys.
Playing Without Heyward
Heyward had recorded three sacks in seven games this season before being placed on injured reserve. Tuitt has recorded 3.5 sacks in just the last two games. While Heyward is considered to be the best pass-rushing defensive lineman on the team, Tuitt and others have stepped up in an effort to fill the void left by the 6-foot-5, 295-pound defensive end.
Heading into last week’s matchup against the Browns, the Steelers defense only had one player with at least three sacks, and that was Heyward. Following the Browns game, Tuitt now has 3.5 sacks, James Harrison has three and Arthur Moats has three. Harrison broke the Steelers all-time sacks record against the Browns, and will look to add onto his career total of 77.5 sacks.
Turning Things Around
While the defense was successful, it’s not as impressive since it happened against the winless Browns. However, over the past few games, the Steelers defense does seem to be improving. Besides a late meltdown against the Cowboys, which allowed rookie sensation Ezekiel Elliott to run into the end-zone untouched, the defense hasn’t looked nearly as bad as it did against the Philadelphia Eagles or the Miami Dolphins.
The key factor to the Steelers defense being more successful in rushing the quarterback is their ability to stop the running game. In the past, the Steelers were always known for having one of the most punishing run defenses, but this year, defending against the run has been anything but easy. Jay Ajayi ran for more than 200 yards against the Steelers and Elliot added on 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Defending Against the Run
Against the Browns, the Steelers defense only allowed 33 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Being able to limit opponents’ ability to run the ball allows the defense to send more players on blitzes. If the defense is constantly worried about the run, then it doesn’t allow the outside linebackers to move around freely and go after the quarterback. On top of allowing more players to blitz, performing well against the run also allows the Steelers to keep their cornerbacks and safeties back deeper in coverage. The Steelers are known for playing off-coverage and making the tackle, but the struggling run defense has forced safeties up into the box and cornerbacks to play press coverage.
Moving Forward
Rookie safety Sean Davis has done a nice job as an extra run stopper for the Steelers. Utilizing Davis more allows the linebackers to either blitz or sit back in coverage. Because the linebackers shouldn’t have to focus on stopping the run as much anymore, look for Ryan Shazier and Lawrence Timmons to be used more in zone coverage, while Harrison and Moats continue to generate pressure off the edges. The Steelers face the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, who have been known to struggle to protect Andrew Luck. Look for the Steelers defense to continue to add to their sack total.
