The Steelers have played the 3-4 base defense since 1982, longer than any team in the NFL.
They just do not play it much anymore.
“Almost obsolete,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler called it.
Don’t look for a return to the days of the four-man line like the 1970s Steel Curtain, however. What the Steelers play almost exclusively these days is one of their many pass defenses that deploy five and six defensive backs and only two true linemen.
They played those defenses 85 percent of the time against Kansas City and might do so more often Sunday against the New York Jets, who lined up with four wide receivers on offense more than any other NFL team last season.
“I don’t think it’s just us,” Butler said. “I think everybody has to because of what people are doing. Most everybody in the league is playing with at least three wide receivers, a back and a tight end. That’s been the dominant personnel group and as a consequence we have to match those guys, and as a consequence we’re in the nickel defense.”
Or the dime or the quarter or something called the dude. Yes, dude, where only one safety is in the lineup with four cornerbacks.
“We couldn’t figure out what we want to call it,” Butler said, “and somebody just said ‘Hey, dude.’ So that’s what we called it.”
The Steelers defense went from playing like dudes to rude in one week’s time, rediscovering their pass rush in a 43-14 thumping of the Chiefs Sunday. Cam Heyward led the way with three of his team’s four sacks. They now have five.
“Our guys worked hard at it,” Butler said of the resurgence. “They did a good job of executing some things we were trying to get done. The quarterback held the ball a couple times and we got to him.”
They did not blitz more often to do so, but they did use the fire zone in which players from different positions rushed the passer while more traditional rushers dropped into coverage.
“It might have looked like a blitz to the quarterback,” Butler said. “It’s stuff we’ve done before, we just changed it up a little bit.”
In their return to Heinz Field this Sunday against the Jets, perhaps his secondary will discover the interception. Linebacker Jarvis Jones intercepted a pass last Sunday that was tipped by Cam Heyward for the team’s third interception of the season. All three have been intercepted by linebackers. No one in the secondary has one.
Now along comes Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose 10 interceptions lead the league.
“Some of it has been pressure. Some of it, he’s made bad decisions. Some of it has just been plain bad luck,” Butler said. “Throw a pass to somebody and it tips off the hand and somebody else intercepts it. Or throw a pass at a receiver and the receiver falls down and somebody else intercepts it. It’s a little bit of all those things, I think.”
Tackling drills
Rookie cornerback Artie Burns has looked good covering receivers, not so good tackling them. He has whiffed at times and on others he has hit players and not brought them down.
“He has to get better at tackling. He knows that,” Butler said.
“Probably what’s a little surprise to all young guys as corners when they come into the league is the way NFL offenses put young cornerbacks into position so they have to tackle.
“It’s not something we can get away with so he has to improve his tackling. He’s been working hard on it. I really am encouraged by the way he’s competing on the field. I’m happy with his competitive nature.”
Sack man
Heyward became the first defensive end to have three sacks in one game in 22 years, since Ray Seals did it. His 25 career sacks are tied for fourth among Steelers defensive linemen.
After leading the Steelers in sacks each of the past two seasons (tied with Jason Worilds in 2014), he can become their first defensive linemen to lead them for three consecutive years since sacks became an official stat in 1982.
“He fills the need for what we need to do with the quarterback in terms of getting turnovers,” Butler said. “Turnovers are a big part of this game. Pressure on the quarterback creates a lot of turnovers for us. He understands that.
“The best leader I always thought is the guy who leads by example and Cam did a wonderful job of that last week.”
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.
First Published: October 7, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
