The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense has sustained a number of key injuries this season. First it was Cameron Heyward in Week One, and more recently, ILBs Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb and S Minkah Fitzpatrick. Losing two of the three inside linebackers in the rotation seemed like it would have dire consequences for the Steelers’ defense, but Elandon Roberts has stepped up in a big way.
“He did an outstanding job,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told reporters Thursday via transcripts provided by the Steelers. “I tell you, the one area that was really outstanding for him was the amount of times he was matched up in the flat and the amount of flat tackles that he made. A lot of times he was one-on-one, and if the guy catches the ball and runs from there, it’s going to be a pretty sizeable gain. So, was excited about E having an opportunity to do that.”
The clip below is one example of Roberts being matched up one-on-one in the flat. He recognizes the play right away, takes the perfect angle, and closes in decisively to make the tackle. He has very little help behind him, so if Kareem Hunt makes that catch cleanly it could have been an explosive play, possibly a touchdown.
Roberts finished the game with 15 combined tackles, including two for a loss. One of the big things that was concerning about losing Alexander and Holcomb is that they were the two linebackers relied on in passing situations. Mike Tomlin said following those injuries that just because Roberts wasn’t being utilized in those situations “doesn’t mean he isn’t capable.” It would appear that the faith in him as a pass defender was well placed.
“We kind of leaned on him because he had been here the longest, knows our stuff even though he hadn’t played a lot of dime defense for us,” Austin said. “He did it and did it well. I think part of it is the way the guy prepares. It’s a good thing for any young player in our building to see that how you prepare has an impact on how you play…so this is a veteran guy who knows how to prepare, and all of a sudden he gets thrust into a different role and he handled it beautifully.”
Roberts was the Steelers’ every-down linebacker against the Browns, including in sub-package football. He also wore the green dot, which is the marker on his helmet that signifies he is taking calls from the sideline and communicating to the defense. The game Alexander went down, Roberts played next to Mark Robinson. Last week, he played primarily next to Mykal Walker. Now, the Steelers have added two more options in Blake Martinez and Myles Jack. As long as Roberts stays healthy and continues leading this group both with his play on the field and his communication abilities, they should be just fine.
