Pittsburgh Steelers second-year outside linebacker Nick Herbig wanted to introduce himself to the world James Harrison-style on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Herbig started fast with a forced fumble on the second play of the game and put together a strong performance throughout the game, making some key plays down the stretch to help the Steelers’ defense have a dominant performance.
That it came in place of the injured Alex Highsmith and in the first game back after missing four games with a hamstring injury wasn’t a surprise to anyone within the Steelers’ locker room.
“He’s a big-time player man. He’s a young guy, but even in a small sample size, I think we all recognize his play making capabilities and I think any of us that are around him are not surprised when he makes significant plays, particularly in significant moments, man,” HC Mike Tomlin said of Herbig to reporters Monday, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “He trains under the likes of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, man. He’s got some great role models, and he’s got an awesome work ethic and mindset to boot and so I’m not surprised by it at all.”
The work ethic is what is setting Herbig apart. He’s relentless when it comes to putting in the work daily to improve, and when he’s given an opportunity on the field, that work shows up in a big way.
Coming back from his hamstring injury Sunday, Herbig wasted no time for the Steelers, forcing a fumble on Ravens running back Derrick Henry on the second snap of the game, leading to a DeShon Elliott recovery that ultimately set up a Chris Boswell field goal.
Later in the game, Herbig had a key role in snuffing out the Ravens’ 2-point try with 1:06 left to play, shooting underneath the block from wide receiver Nelson Agholor to blow up the pulling lineman, giving cornerback Joey Porter Jr. a clear lane to fill downhill on the perimeter for the run stop.
Despite his strong play on tape, Herbig’s performance wasn’t all that good from Pro Football Focus’s perspective, which makes no sense. Against the Ravens, Herbig played 50 snaps and graded out at just at 36.7 overall, including a 36.6 against the run and a 42.9 in coverage.
However, Herbig had four pressures, one run stop, forced a fumble and allowed just one reception on one target for 18 yards. That’s a pretty darn good line for an outside linebacker in the Steelers’ system. The PFF grades are puzzling.
There is no denying, though, that Herbig is a playmaker. He did so right away against the Ravens and has done so every time he’s given a larger role defensively. He’s a big-time playmaker and the Steelers are fortunate to have him at the OLB position moving forward.
