The Pittsburgh Steelers walked out of Acrisure Stadium with another win in prime time last night, defeating the Tennessee Titans, 20-16. Pittsburgh went into the game less than full strength on the defensive side of the football, missing All-Pro S Minkah Fitzpatrick with a hamstring injury. During the game, the Steelers also lost LB Cole Holcomb to a severe knee injury, and he is out for the rest of the season, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Given those injuries, multiple defenders had to step up to fill the void in terms of production and on-field leadership. LB Kwon Alexander came up big with the game-sealing interception in the final moments, but LB Elandon Roberts truly played like a man possessed against the Titans, helping the defense stop the Titans’ rushing attack without two of their top tacklers.
The Film
DC Teryl Austin mentioned prior to Thursday’s game that Roberts is the type of guy who’s built to play the Titans, being a stout, physical run defender with a no-nonsense demeanor. He mentioned that we might see more of Roberts on the field in this contest, and that was definitely the case, the seventh-year playing 37 defensive snaps (50%), his second-most of the season. Part of that was due to Holcomb’s injury, but also the fact that Roberts brought that edge Pittsburgh needed to stop RB Derrick Henry from having a big game.
Roberts saw his snaps increase greatly after Holcomb went down, pairing with Alexander to attempt to stuff the Titans’ running game. Roberts did a great job of that, working around and through blocks like you see in this run stuff below on Henry. Seeing Henry cut back to the middle, Roberts went around the center to wrap up the three-time Pro Bowler and wrestle him down to the ground.
Roberts isn’t known for his speed and can be a liability at defending the edges, but he did display great effort in pursuit to the sideline in this contest. Take a look at this rep where Henry counters to the sideline after taking the handoff, attempting to get to the corner. Roberts meets Henry on the edge and then gets on his horse to run him down to the sideline. Wrapping up the runner by the waist, he proceeds to gator roll him to the ground with the strong form tackle.
His effort in pursuit is impressive to watch, flying around like a missile looking to seek and destroy. Take a look at this rep and Roberts’ effort of chasing the football. Running down the screen pass in the flat while working through a block with the guy yanking at his facemask, Roberts rounds the corner and gets in on the stop.
When allowed to trigger downhill, Roberts looked like he was fired out of cannon looking for contact. Watch this rep where Roberts makes his read and triggers quickly to the A gap, looking to meet Henry in the hole. The left guard attempts to pick him up after double teaming the nose tackle but is unable to redirect Roberts’ course. Roberts works around the block and manages to get Henry down on the ground while losing balance and ending up on the ground himself.
Roberts did a great job working through contact and properly stacking and shedding blocks Thursday night, an issue that had long plagued Steelers with their inside linebackers unable to get off blocks and make plays on the football. Watch this play as Roberts gets covered up by the center to start the play but manages to work across the face and get in on the tackle, helping take the runner to the ground while playing through contact.
Standing 5-11 3/8 with 30 5/8-inch arms, Roberts doesn’t have great length to keep opposing blockers off his frame. Still, Roberts is a strong, sturdy defender who does a good job holding his ground against bigger bodies. He can fend off blocks well despite being undersized. Take a look at this play Roberts makes on Henry. He flows to the football with the handoff going to the left side, squaring up the right guard and plays right through the block. Latching onto Henry’s waist, Roberts proceeds to drive him back on contact, dragging him to the ground and goes berserk after making the play.
Conclusion
Elandon Roberts played exceptionally well against the Titans, racking up nine total tackles and a tackle for loss. He was a huge component in Pittsburgh’s success at containing Henry, keeping the workhorse back to just 75 yards on 17 carries. Roberts may not have generated the splash play his counterpart Alexander did to ice the game, but his efforts went a long way in keeping The King from having a field day against Pittsburgh’s rush defense.
Roberts should expect to see his snap totals increase a fair amount with Holcomb likely sidelined for the rest of the season, pairing with Alexander to hold down the middle. He will get tested in the coming weeks against teams that like to attack defenses more through the air. Roberts isn’t a three-down, all-situations linebacker, but he’s a reliable, proven run defender. He came up in a big way against the Titans, providing the physicality and leadership Pittsburgh needs going forward to spark a run.
