Through the first month of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the league’s worst run defenses. Losing Cam Heyward is one clear and obvious reason for that, but that excuse doesn’t fly in Pittsburgh. This is a franchise that has been able to stop the run almost every year for the last five decades and it’s a standard the Steelers must get back to. Run defense will again be tested this weekend, against a Baltimore Ravens offense that again boasts one of the league’s top rushing attacks.
Speaking to reporters as he does every Thursday, DC Teryl Austin hinted the team may finally dress big NT Breiden Fehoko to combat what Baltimore does.
“You draw up Fehoko’s for teams like this,” Austin said via a team-provided transcript.
Signed to a one-year deal in the offseason, Fehoko is an old-school, squatty plugger against the run. He looked every bit of that in training camp, busting up plays during the team’s daily run-sessions and overall had a good camp. In our post-summer writeup, we noted:
“If this was 1990, Breiden Fehoko would be a stud. He’s a classic one-gap plugger that just can’t be moved against the run. Barrell-chested with a stubby lower half…all he did this camp was stop the run. In those team run periods, he balled out and earned Mike Tomlin’s praise.”
But he became odd man out along the Steelers’ defensive line and was released at final cutdowns. Pittsburgh quickly re-signed him to the practice squad. He was promoted to the 53-man roster on Sept. 20th but failed to dress in Weeks Three and Four. Instead, he spent gameday in street clothes, bringing good energy on the sideline but unable to help on the field.
Over the first four games, the Steelers are allowing nearly 149 yards per game on the ground, 4.7 yards per carry, and have allowed multiple long runs. All unacceptable statistics for any defense, especially a group like Pittsburgh’s.
With Mike Tomlin’s decree of changes and some other apparent defensive shifts, CB Desmond King playing and NT Keeanu Benton playing more, it’s possible this is the week Fehoko finally gets a helmet. Injuries may help open up the path. DL DeMarvin Leal is working through concussion protocol, limited in practice Thursday, and his status for the weekend is uncertain. In most cases, players who are concussed miss at least a week of action. That could create a spot for Fehoko to rotate in behind Montravius Adams at nose tackle, especially if Benton is going to play more base defensive end.
If Pittsburgh wants to win this game, it has to stop the run. That’s an 11-man job and Fehoko isn’t the guy to wrangle down QB Lamar Jackson out in space. He can command double-teams and be a tough guy to move in the middle, freeing up the Steelers’ inside linebackers.
