By this time last year, Pittsburgh Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick was already putting his name squarely in the race for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. He had three interceptions through the team’s first five games, including one for a touchdown, along with 33 tackles. Oh, and he also had a blocked extra point that eventually turned a would-be loss into a win.
This year, we’re spending more time talking about not three interceptions but three penalties, and whether he is a dirty player or not. From the hit that tore up Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb’s knee to the sack that was taken away against the Las Vegas Raiders due to penalty for roughing the passer, Fitzpatrick just hasn’t had the luck.
Or the production—at least the kind that would get him post-season accolades. He does have 41 tackles, on pace for about 140 for the season. And he has two passes defensed, both of which came against the Browns. Those numbers are reflective of how he is being used, with more than twice the percentage of snaps seen playing in the box, according to our numbers.
“Yeah, that’s always a juggling act”, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said yesterday when asked how to align Fitzpatrick based on where they need him to be versus setting him up to make plays, via the team’s media department. “He’ll be able to get his plays. I think sometimes it’s just the law of averages that kind of slows it down a little bit. I believe, because I know what kind of football player he is, that he’s going to start getting his hands on some balls and making the splash that we need”.
Now, it would be far too simplistic to say that Fitzpatrick’s lack of interceptions in comparison to the three that he had through five games last year is due to him playing closer to the line of scrimmage more frequently. It’s a part of it, yet there was a five-game stretch last season during which he picked off zero passes as well. Still, it’s something the coaches must consider.
“We’re always conscious of where we put guys to try to get them in the best positions to make plays”, Austin said. “Just right now sometimes you go through those, I don’t want to call it a drought, but you go through those times when the ball’s not coming your way. But I have every confidence that Minkah’s gonna get around a few balls sooner or later”.
And surely, he will. A “bad” season for Fitzpatrick is two interceptions. His play during the 2021 season was criticized for merely performing at a Pro Bowl-caliber level rather than an All-Pro level, in comparison to what he had done the two years prior.
But when you have a defense that relies so heavily on its stars making plays, you do need to get that from Fitzpatrick. Especially with DL Cameron Heyward still on the shelf, even if edge rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith have been performing up to expectations.
