As we’ll do every week to get you ready for the upcoming game, our X-Factor of the week. Sometimes it’s a player, unit, concept, or scheme. Here’s our X-Factor for Sunday’s regular season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.
X-FACTOR: LB Cole Holcomb
All week, I’ve gone back and forth on the X-Factor. First, I thought it’d be T.J. Watt and trying to take advantage of the 49ers’ weaker right tackle situation. Then I went to Dan Moore Jr., now officially dealing with Nick Bosa, before coming to back to DC Teryl Austin.
But I landed on Cole Holcomb. Throughout the year, one of the biggest concerns I’ve pointed to with this Steelers’ defense is its communication and the problems a pretty different-looking unit could produce. At least initially in the season, their could be some growing pains as everyone gels together.
It’s what makes Holcomb so important. He’s the hub of communication, the green dot-wearer, going up against an offense that can make you crazy. Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers’ entire goal is to make their offense look the same. Runs look like passes, passes look like runs. They offer a ton of misdirection, personnel flexibility, a tight end in George Kittle that’s a headache to deal with, and a ton of wrinkles looking to get one defender out of position.
How do you handle the 49ers’ perimeter run game? How do you handle Kittle? How do you handle the screen game, the Deebo Samuel runs, the boot game, and everything else this offense brings to the table. Holcomb’s plate will be full.
For Pittsburgh, they have to be detail-oriented. And there’s no easing into this game. That means Holcomb has to get the call in, ensure the Steelers are aligned, and communicate adjustments made once Brock Purdy and company get to the line of scrimmage. And it must be done consistently.
It’s not an easy task for someone who has been in Pittsburgh’s system for years. And it certainly isn’t easy for someone in Holcomb’s position, making his Steelers’ debut. Even knowing the Steelers are going to rotate their top three inside linebackers, Elandon Roberts and Kwon Alexander, Holcomb probably winds up seeing the most amount of snaps. He’s getting paid a lot more than those other guys.
Holcomb is capable of getting the job done, he had a great summer, but Sunday is the obvious test. He has to be a traffic cop pre-snap and a solid linebacker post-snap.
