Last night, the Pittsburgh Steelers flashed in their first action of the 2023 preseason, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17. The offense had their share of fireworks as Alex Kozora recently highlighted in a film room, but the defense had a few notable standouts as well. One of those standouts was ILB Kwon Alexander, who signed with the team a couple of weeks ago.
Added as depth to the inside linebacker room, Alexander flashed that fast and physical play style he has become well-known for during his time in the league. When going back through the tape, I couldn’t help but think of Nelly’s single “Here Comes The Boom” from The Longest Yard. Want to see what I mean? Let’s check out the tape.
The Film
Alexander played into the second quarter, getting pulled after the first few defensive series. During his time in the game, he logged two total tackles and a tackle for loss. When watching the film, you see an aggressive, non-nonsense linebacker who wants to strike you when he meets you in the hole. Watch this play where Alexander comes downhill from the box on a first-and-15. Accelerating and driving on the ball-carrier in the hole, he shoots his hips through the runner as he plants him into the ground for the tackle for loss.
You see the same intensity and ability to cover ground quickly on this play where Alexander reads the dump off pass in the flat, quickly getting to RB Chase Edmonds and striking him upon catching the football. Unfortunately, Alexander is penalized for leading with his helmet, giving the Buccaneers a first down. Still, it’s good to see the urgency Alexander shows rallying to the football and making the play in space.
Here is another example of the effort Alexander plays with on a snap-to-snap basis. He drops into coverage and is watching QB Baker Mayfield as he attempts to escape the pocket. Alexander gets on his horse and tracks Mayfield down along the sideline, escorting him out of bounds to prevent him for getting the first down.
Alexander was an energizer bunny for the defense Friday night, playing with the intensity and passion to get everyone else amped up. Watch this play that Alexander makes on a fourth-down stop. He isn’t the first one to the play, but Alexander hustles to the ball, getting in on the tackle by jumping into the pile. He is there to hype up his teammates after making the big stop to force a turnover on downs.
While being able to play 100 miles per hour, Alexander also can make his read, come to balance, and make a form tackle in the hole, like we see in the first tackle he made last night. Watch as he locates the running back in the hole, squares him up, and wraps up the ball-carrier at the line of scrimmage, allowing a minimal gain.
There were a couple of negatives from Alexander’s debut in the Black and Gold. Occasionally, he will lose sight of the runner when working through trash near the line of scrimmage, missing out on tackles he has a good chance of making. Here’s one example. Alexander evades a block by the tight end but can’t work inside back to the football in time, getting shoved out of the play as the runner nearly reaches the first down.
Conclusion
Kwon Alexander provided the type of play in Tampa Bay that the Steelers were hoping for when they signed him. He was aggressive, physical, and played with his hair on fire, showing great effort in pursuit to the ball and an eagerness for contact. It was a pleasant sight to see after watching Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker play from a season ago, seeing guys like Devin Bush and Myles Jack who didn’t play with that level of ferociousness.
Alexander should see a good amount of playing time along with LBs Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts as the top three options on the depth chart. The faster he gets the playbook down and fully integrated into the defense, the more his role can potentially expand heading into the regular season.
