The Pittsburgh Steelers enter their Week 6 matchup with the Cleveland Browns with a lot to prove. It sounds weird saying that about a 4-0 team, but Pittsburgh still has their doubters. This is mostly due to the fact that the four teams they’ve beaten have a combined record of 3-15-1 so far this season. Cleveland enters this game 4-1, their best start since 1994. Most of their success so far in 2020 can be attributed to their elite rushing attack. Not to be outmatched, Pittsburgh touts a top-two rushing defense. That’s where Tyson Alualu comes into play. The nose tackle doesn’t play a ton of snaps, but he’s a critical piece to Pittsburgh’s run-stuffing defense.
Tyson Alualu: Week 6 X-Factor
In the 11th season of his career, absolutely no one saw this resurgence coming from Tyson Alualu. He played fine for Pittsburgh last year despite only playing 40% of their defensive snaps. After Javon Hargrave left in the off-season, one of two things was going to happen. Either Alualu would play a lot more snaps, or the Steelers would use a nose tackle much less than previously (something they already started doing last year). So far, it seems like they’ve elected to go the latter route. Despite being the only real nose tackle on the team, Alualu has still played just 43% of the team’s defensive snaps through four games. But in those four games, he has played extremely well, especially against the run.
Tyson Alualu the Run Stuffer
No one will tell you that Tyson Alualu is an elite pass rusher. He’ll get after the quarterback on occasion, but that’s not his cup of tea, and Pittsburgh knows that. A healthy chunk of Alualu’s defensive snaps come on running plays by the offense. His impact is definitely felt. On all rushing plays, the Steelers allow 3.3 yards per carry, the second best mark in the NFL. When you only consider plays that Alualu is on the field, though, Pittsburgh averages just over .5 yards allowed per carry. That’s an insane number. They’ve only allowed 16 total rushing yards before contact this year, according to PFF. Overall, the team stops the run very well in their base defense look, and Alualu deserves a lot of credit for that.
Don't run on the Steelers base defense!
– Allowing just 1.4 YPC
– 36% of opposing runs have gone for no gain or a loss
– Only 27.8% of runs are successful— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) October 14, 2020
Crucial Matchup With Cleveland
For all the good things you can say about the Steelers running defense, you can say as many about the Browns running offense. They are leading the NFL so far in rushing yards, are second in yards per carry, and are tied for the third most rushing touchdowns. Even as Nick Chubb misses time due to a knee injury, their rushing attack remains very strong. Kareem Hunt has stepped up and played very well in Chubb’s absence.
Another important development is that Cleveland’s right guard Wyatt Teller is expected to miss this game with an injury. That’s a big blow, as Teller has been the key to their success on the ground, and is the highest-rated guard in the league according to PFF. His fill-in will be Chris Hubbard, a former Steeler who has spent most of his time as a tackle.
Tyson Alualu will get a healthy number of snaps against the Browns, as he will against all run-first teams. He needs to continue to do what he does best. Clog up the middle of the line, absorb a blocker or two, and let his teammates make the play. It would be awesome to see Alualu get in the backfield and make three or four tackles. But it will be just as effective if he opens up the opportunity for Cameron Heyward, Vince Williams, or whoever else to do the same. To beat Cleveland, you have to be able to stop the run. And Alualu is a huge piece of Pittsburgh’s ability to do so.
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