The Pittsburgh Steelers are on their bye week sitting atop the AFC North with a record of 3-2, and much of that credit belongs to the team’s defense. The script for Steelers games has remained unchanged over the last few seasons. The offense has to make as few critical errors as possible while the defense is relied on to make enough big plays to put the team in position to win.
Mike Tomlin often refers to the team’s ability to win on the weighty downs as a deciding factor in the outcome of each game. When he says that he is referring to possession downs on third or fourth where the offense can sustain a drive, or the defense can end the drive of the opposition.
Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus released a list of the NFL’s best players on third and fourth down and a pair of Steelers made the cut. ILB Cole Holcomb was named as a first-team off-ball linebacker and rookie CB Joey Porter Jr. was named a first-team corner.
Cole Holcomb was given a 90.9 grade on these downs. Here is what PFF had to say:
“We’ve picked our selections chiefly on the back of their work in the passing game, where Holcomb has allowed just one first down and picked up four defensive stops.”
Holcomb was added to the roster in free agency as a part of the complete overhaul of the off-ball linebacker group. His impressive play on the weighty downs was put on display on the first defensive drive of the season as he was in on the third-and-short tackle of Christian McCaffrey. The San Francisco 49ers opted to go for it on fourth and converted, but that is besides the point.
He registered another key play on third down the next week against the Cleveland Browns where he forced a fumble in the fourth quarter.
He was also in on three third down plays against the Ravens in week five, two in pass coverage, and one stopping Lamar Jackson on a third down scramble. Overall, Holcomb has registered 34 combined tackles with two forced fumbles and two passes defensed through five games as a member of the Steelers.
Porter was given an impressive grade of 91.6 by PFF.
“Porter has the highest coverage grade on third down, forcing two incompletions and picking off a ball across his 42 snaps in coverage.”
Porter was added in the second round with the 32nd overall draft selection. The team has brought him along slowly up to this point, but that figures to change following the bye week. He registered his first career interception against the Baltimore Ravens on third and goal in the end zone following what would have been a game-sealing fumble by Gunner Olszewski on a free kick return.
He also broke up a pass on third down in the first quarter of the Browns game to force a field goal and end a Browns red-zone attempt, forcing them to settle for a field goal in a tight game.
