For the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, it’s simple.
If only it were that easy.
Chewed up by opposing tight ends the last two weeks, first to Arizona’s Trey McBride and again to New England’s Hunter Henry four days later, the Steelers are “squirreling those nuts,” to steal a Mike Tomlin phrase, so they don’t get burned again. For Minkah Fitzpatrick, the secret is to just play better defense.
“Just don’t let them catch the ball,” Fitzpatrick said via the team’s YouTube channel. “Don’t let them check the ball down to them. Giving them the respect that they deserve.”
The issue is the Steelers haven’t been hurt by checkdowns. They’ve been targeted on designed downfield plays. McBride accounted for over 60 percent of the Cardinals’ passing game in the Steelers’ 24-10 Week 13 loss, finishing with eight receptions for 89 yards and one touchdown. A key cog in Arizona’s 99-yard touchdown drive to close out the first half, he finished the possession off with a touchdown.
In the Steelers’ Thursday night loss to New England, Henry went off for two touchdowns as the Patriots racked up 21 first-half points, more than they had scored in the previous three games combined. There’s no question teams have been going after LB Mykal Walker, pressed into action due to repeated injuries, and allowing a QB rating of 120.0. One logical solution is to have Fitzpatrick match up on tight ends more often. But he pointed out the consequence of such a move.
“It’s a tough balance. Because if you take me out of the post and put me on a man, then they’ll try and do other things to get people in that area that I’m not.”
“Post” refers to Fitzpatrick being the “post safety,” the middle-of-the-field defender. If he’s occupying a defender, quarterbacks may take deep shots and look for chunk plays. It’s certainly easier to throw away from Fitzpatrick when he’s singled up, as opposed to playing a large area of the field.
The Colts don’t have a standout tight end they target often. But Mo Alie-Cox is an intimidating presence at 6-foot-5, 260-plus pounds. A former basketball player, he’s caught just seven passes all year, but two have gone for touchdowns. A long 35-yard score and a short 2-yard grab. Given Pittsburgh’s weakness here, it’d be smart for the Colts to keep testing the Steelers until they prove they can stop it.
