One of the main reasons the Steelers drafted outside linebacker T.J. Watt in the first round was to become less reliant on the blitz. Getting pressure on the quarterback with four players and dropping seven into coverage is the preferred way to play on defense for obvious reasons. It allows seven players to drop into coverage and the defense is less susceptible to giving up big plays.
The Steelers haven’t totally abandoned their Blitzburgh ways. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler still will dial up the occasional blitz, but the ability of the outside linebackers and defensive ends to create pressure with four-man rushes is a big part of the defensive resurgence.
The Steelers are first in the league in pass defense and second in total defense and sacks. They had four more sacks against the Bengals for a total of 24 entering Sunday night’s game in Detroit. They’re on pace for 55, which would tie a team record set in 1994 and tied in 2001.
The way the Steelers came about those four sacks against the Bengals is the blueprint they would like to follow. Watt and fellow outside linebacker Bud Dupree each had one sack, and defensive ends Cameron Heyward and Tyson Alualu had the other two.
“It means a lot,” Watt said. “It makes things a lot easier as a defense when you can just send your front four. A lot of the credit has to go to the back end. They’re covering and allowing us to get those sacks. We’ve talked all year long about how rush and coverage go hand-in-hand, and it kind of paid off this past Sunday.”
For the season, Watt and Heyward have four sacks apiece. Watt is threatening the team record for sacks by a rookie held by Kendrell Bell, who had nine in 2001.
Dupree and reserve outside linebacker Anthony Chickillo have three sacks apiece; nose tackle Javon Hargrave has two; and James Harrison and Alualu have one. That’s 18 of the team’s 24 sacks coming from defensive linemen or outside linebackers.
There have been times Butler has called blitzes that have resulted in sacks. Corners Mike Hilton and Joe Haden each have a sack, and inside linebacker Vince Williams has four. But even when inside linebackers and corners rush it’s not always blitzes. Sometimes, the Steelers will drop an outside linebacker into coverage in those instances and seven will remain in coverage.
“We’ll go four-man rush, five-man rush, and then sometimes a fake five-man rush that looks like five-man rush that’s really a four-man rush,” Butler said. “We got home in a lot of different ways. I think if we keep changing it up I think we have a chance to keep that up and keep that pace up anyway.”
Watt could be front and center in the pass rush again Sunday in Detroit. The Lions have struggled protecting quarterback Matthew Stafford. They have allowed 23 sacks, and former Steelers offensive lineman Brian Mihalik could be the starting left tackle Sunday.
Mihalik spent time on the Steelers practice squad and 53-man roster last season. He was cut during training camp this year and added to the Lions 53-man roster before the start of the season. He is likely to get his first start because Greg Robinson has an ankle injury that kept him from practicing this week.
“We definitely had some great reps and have great film on our reps against him, so I think we’ll have a good sense of what we’re going to get come Sunday,” Watt said.
It might not just be Watt. Against the Bengals, the Steelers flipped Watt and Dupree for a series or two. They hadn’t done that in the first six games of the season.
“We just wanted to throw them off so they wouldn’t know exactly what side we were coming from,” Dupree said.
That means Dupree might get his shot at Mihalik, too. If it happens, it will be a rematch of an August training camp fight at Saint Vincent College.
During one-on-one pass rush drills, Dupree ripped off Mihalik’s helmet, and some pushing and shoving ensued. Dupree held onto Mihalik’s helmet and carried it back to the defensive huddle before he dropped it to the ground. Mihalik didn’t try to go after his helmet. Another offensive lineman retrieved it for him and the drill continued.
“It’ll be fun to see him again and compete,” Dupree said. “We know everything he does. We know all about Mihalik, so it’ll be good.”
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: October 27, 2017, 7:25 p.m.
Updated: October 28, 2017, 5:13 a.m.
