Steelers 2015 Defense Has Bullies

In a matter of hours from now the 2015 Steelers open the season in Foxborough, Mass. for a Thursday night visit to Gillete Stadium to match up against the New England Patriots.  The Steelers defense will have their hands full as Patriots QB Tom Brady has suspension overturned by NY judge and is allowed to return to the field as a full participant in NFL competition.

Heyward a disruptive force in the Steelers defense - image may be subject to copyright.
 

Steelers fans everywhere welcome the first regular season meeting of the 2015 season as the preseason has been slowly painful to watch for several reasons.  First, the Steelers 2015 preseason was extended due to playing in the Hall of Fame Game.  Watching five games that do not count can get tiresome and increase anticipation.  While five exhibition games provides more opportunities to watch the Black and Gold in actual contests, the "slow and painful" comes into play when said contests results in a 1-4 preseason record.

As we all know, a 20% preseason win ratio translates to absolutely nil in regards to the regular season standings and success rate of the team.  What contributed to the losses, however, was lingering torture for any long time Steeler fan who thrives in the identity of the Black and Gold being impossible to move the ball on.  The preseason was filled with subpar offensive athletes picking apart the Steelers defense with a duo of attacks; pounding the ball on the ground turning 1st and 10s into 2nd and shorts, or aerial assaults with the ball finding its way into the hands of non-contested receivers.  When I say "non-contested" I mean not a black and gold uniform in sight.  Needless to say, watching two and half quarters or more (as was the case for the game in Buffalo, NY) per game almost became nauseating.

With the preseason now concluded, rosters down to a league-mandated 53 hats, and Week 1 of the 2015 NFL Season currently underway, Steelers fans aren't the most confident in what we've witnessed, defensively.  Considering what is on tape from the five weeks prior, and taking into account that they face Tom Brady and the current reigning Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots, it is hard to display confidence in a defensive unit that was carved up like Thanksgiving Day turkey under new coordinator Keith Butler.

Well I'm here to put your nervousness to rest, and to inform uneasy fans with that what we've seen in the preseason is not a forecast of things to come for the 2015 Steel Curtain.  The defense now states its case and presents its findings:

Evidence 1 - There were zero snaps in the preseason where all eleven defensive starters were on the field together.  I repeat, zero.  Some have asked is this cause for concern.  While a valid question, and an answer in the affirmative can state its case, I'd beg to differ.  This is actually why our nerves should be settled.  Why?  It indicates that we, at no point, saw what will translate into the Steelers defense during the majority of the snaps of the regular season.  So the defense we witnessed get marched down the field time and time again is not what will be on the field verses Tom Brady.

Evidence 2 - Aside from one series against Green Bay starters which included Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers were aligned in basic packages and formations, which included very little stunts and/or exotic blitzes and coverages.  There was one blitz called for Shamarko Thomas to get his execution on tape, which I might add, turned out to be successful and a display of his quickness and toughness.

Base coverages are called more for the emphasis of getting game plays on tape to study player execution of assignments.  They are not designed to put pressure on opposing offenses.  Understand this;  Keith Butler is very aware that there is currently no game tape on his defensive schemes and game plan.  He understands that this seemingly irrelevant fact can play to his advantage.  Knowing this was not worth sacrificing for the sake of picking up a preseason victory.  As it stands right now, the Patriots have no tape to gameplan against the Steelers defense.  Advantage?  Steelers.

Evidence 3 - Let's examine that one (1) series in preseason Game 3 hosting Aaron Rodgers and what is expected to be an explosive Green Bay offense.  This is a series that, while not all starters were on the field for the Steelers' D, Butler did exercise the freedom of calling in some plays designed to put some pressure on the Green Bay offense.  The series followed a perfect punt by Jordan Berry which dropped inside the five yard line and was downed at the Green Bay one yard line by Antwon Blake, which is where the Packers started their second offensive series.

On 1st and 10, the Packers ran the ball off-tackle which was quickly covered and stuffed by Bud Dupree for no gain.  On 2nd and 10, Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt backed up the center and guards into the pocket forcing a hurried throw by Rodgers, which fell incomplete in front of a WR covered by Boykin.  It was on the subsequent 3rd and 10 where we witnessed what will most likely resemble a Steelers defense under Butler.

Personnel?  Blake joined all four starters in the secondary (Mitchell, Thomas, Gay, Allen).  Shazier was joined in the linebacking corps by Spence, Dupree, and Harrison.  Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt anchored the defense (both starters) at defensive tackle.

Offense Showing?  Packers have four receivers wide, two to each side, including the TE split two yards off of the strong side tackle.  Rodgers is in shotgun joined by RB.  From what is being shown, there are six (6) offensive players in pass protection (5 linemen and 1 RB).

How it plays out?  Spence is covering the split TE, which we will find out is a decoy and the TE is picked up by Shazier.  What Rodgers is viewing as a four-man rush, with a potential of five, will turn out to be a six man rush.  So you have a six-man rush against a six-man pass-pro.  We already know the play resulted in a sack safety credited to James Harrison, who did beat his man.  Watching the video, below, we learn why Harrison and three others ended up on top of Aaron Rodgers in his own endzone.

The result of the play is Deebo, Dupree, Spence and Tuitt all wind up on the quarterback and with the first two being credited for incredible play.  The unsung hero here who did not receive any credit, let alone, accolades for the play is Cam Heyward.  The video is stopped at what allowed this play to result in a sack.  It is a case of Cam Heyward's brute disruptiveness, with a little help from Stephon Tuitt, and a mere case of simple math.  Heyward is lined up as a 5-technique tackle, but his long and quick first step with low, angled shoulders allows him to shoot the A-gap before the center and guard can get to their first pass-pro step.  Heyward's first step requires a double-team from the center and guard, but his threat in the backfield early quickly requires attention from the other guard.  Tuitt stunts behind Heyward from 2-technique, which draws in the offensive tackle on the strong-side (opposite side of where Heyward was).  The weak-side guard working on Heyward tries to stop Tuitt on his stunt.  You now have the interior offensive linemen all working on one guy...Heyward.  The strong side tackle moves in to account for the gap created by the same side guard assisting on Heyward.

Let's do the math; one defender taking on three linemen.  There are five rushers remaining against three in pass protection.  Of the remaining three, one is out of position because Heyward is having his way with the interior linemen, one is taking on Deebo one-on-one (I think we know who wins), and the third is a running back taking on Sean Spence.  This leaves two rushers (Dupree and Tuitt) to go QB head-hunting.  While both ended up on the pile, Dupree did not make initial contact for the sack, staying home to spy Rodgers, respecting his mobility.  Spence effortlessly backed Eddie Lacy up into Aaron Rodgers, clogging up the throwing lanes.  Deebo mercilessly left the tackle out of his shoes, laying a spine-numbing hit on Rodgers to result in a sack safety.  The genius of it all (credit to Butler) is that Shazier could have rushed the QB and there still would have been adequate coverage down field.

Conclusion - If there is any question around the effectiveness using the preseason as a barometer, it is whether or not the Steelers can stuff the run on first downs.  With Heyward, McClendon, and Tuitt leading the charge, and if Timmons is back healthy enough to be who he is, and Shazier showing up around the ball like a dog playing fetch, I think the Steelers defense has what it takes to stuff the run.  If that can happen, I think you'll see Brady taking on a multitude of black and gold jerseys on many occasions, or throwing the ball away to avoid what Harrison is still capable of.  After tonight, however, Butler will need to stay in the lab concocting a mix of attacks and pressures to keep opposing offenses guessing.  The defense will show up in 2015.  There aren't any concerns of what the Steelers are capable of in that department.  Quite frankly, I am more concerned to see how we get out of these first four weeks without what I project will be our most threatening offensive weapon in 2015, Martavis Bryant.  And can D'Angelo Williams hold up taking the majority of the snaps four straight weeks in a row?  Nevertheless, I'm anxious to find out and excited for kickoff in a few hours.  Worried about our defense?  I am not!