Losing inside linebacker Cole Holcomb isn’t the body blow that losing a pillar of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense is, something they’ve felt over the last two years. The lack of pressure without T.J. Watt, the poor run defense without Cam Heyward, the communication breakdowns without Minkah Fitzpatrick.
But Holcomb and this new-look Steelers’ inside linebacker group have been a night-and-day difference compared to the non-existent results from this group a year ago. This year, Pittsburgh’s defense hasn’t been elite, but the Steelers have been among the league’s best in generating splash plays, a critical reason why this team sits two games above .500 despite their deep-rooted problems, as LeBron James will remind you of.
With Holcomb out for the season due to a freak knee injury suffered in Thursday’s win over the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh can’t have a significant drop-off in inside linebacker play. That can be viewed as a general and obvious thought, the inside linebackers have to play the run hard, they have to tackle well, the group can’t become a liability, but they have to continue the pace of splash plays they’ve made throughout the year. Because the collective of Kwon Alexander, Elandon Roberts, and Holcomb have been impact players, even if none of them are superstars.
If impact plays are measured in interceptions, forced fumbles, sacks, and tackles for loss, the Steelers’ inside linebackers have been making tons of them. Through eight games, those three have 21 such plays combined. Compare that to last year’s invisible results from Myles Jack, Robert Spillane, and Devin Bush, who had 10 such plays over the entire season. Nine of them were tackles for losses, nice plays to have but not nearly as game-changing as the other three categories, sacks and takeaways/takeaways opportunities. The only outlier was a Spillane sack.
The good news is Holcomb was far from the sole source of these moments. Alexander and Roberts have made more than their fair share. Alexander has played a central role in impact plays the last two games, forcing a fumble against Jacksonville that was recovered by Holcomb and intercepting Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis to seal Pittsburgh’s Week Nine victory. Roberts has been true to his hammer mentality, flying downhill and seeing success as an add-on in the rush game when backs stay in to protect. His five tackles for a loss are tied with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith for second on the team while his 1.5 sacks have been the most among the inside linebacker group.
Holcomb’s absence means the Steelers’ three-man rotation essentially becomes a two-man group. Sure, second-year Mark Robinson probably picks up a few more snaps along the way but his skill set is so similar to Roberts that it’s hard to carve out a path, unless the team simply doesn’t want Roberts to log every single base and nickel-package snap. But largely, Alexander and Roberts become the guys. Beyond big plays, there are other areas of focus. Roberts is strictly a downhill player who will struggle to cover while Holcomb has handled the bulk of the play calling this season and most of the dime snaps, 61 of 82 (74.4 percent). Those now shift to Alexander, who will have to get used to being the team’s new every-down dude, though he did it during his prime in Tampa.
That’s not to say Pittsburgh needs these guys to be the anchor of the defense. They don’t. Watt, Heyward, and Fitzpatrick (when he returns) will be the Steelers’ “Big Three.” It’s just to say they have to continue the relatively steady dose of splash that makes the defense tick and allows Pittsburgh to win. Take the ball away, reduce the opposing offense’s possessions, keep the score down, hopefully give your offense a short field. That’s the Steelers’ model of victory. There’s additional pressure on Alexander and Roberts to carry that torch through the rest of the season as their roles expand but the needs of the defense remain the same.
