For the first time in years, two of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ best defensive playmakers — EDGE T.J. Watt and FS Minkah Fitzpatrick — are going through a bit of a slump. It’s all relative for T.J. Watt, still owning a team-best 7.5 sacks and four fumbles forced (not to mention multiple game-winning plays), but Fitzpatrick hasn’t recorded an interception in nearly two full seasons.
Obviously, this is partially because quarterbacks are often afraid to test Fitzpatrick, so they avoid throwing his direction as much as possible. Yet the Steelers’ star safety has given up some big plays this year, leading to some calling him a “flat-out disappointment” this season.
Regardless of where you stand on Fitzpatrick, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers certainly have faith in the four-time Pro Bowler. In his weekly Tuesday presser via the team’s YouTube channel, Mike Tomlin was asked about Fitzpatrick’s performance this season and whether he’s the reason the Steelers have defended the middle of the field well.
“People don’t throw the ball in that space,” said Tomlin. “That’s what happens when you’ve got quality players. People show their respect to quality players by being cautious about how they go about playing…That’s just football in the NFL. You better be cognizant of the personnel and unique skill sets and you show respect to those talents by being thoughtful about how you attack them.”
It’s challenging to measure Fitzpatrick’s value as a free safety this season because it doesn’t always reflect in the stat sheet. The Steelers have done a good job defending the middle of the field because Fitzpatrick is often in position as the centerfielder of the defense while linebacker Patrick Queen patrols underneath. There is no “splash” stat for when quarterbacks throw away from a player.
Still, he’s counted on to make some splash plays. In his first four seasons with the Steelers, he totaled 17 interceptions and three touchdowns. Elite, game-changing numbers. Even if he’s reliable in coverage and missing very few tackles, he still needs to intercept some passes to do his job at the level that the Steelers expect from him.
There couldn’t be a better time to break his interception drought than in a game against the Bengals and their prolific passing attack. Mike Tomlin credited Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for playing at an MVP level, and he went into detail on how they can slow down star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
“We better be close to him, and then we better tackle the catch,” said Tomlin. “It’s as simple as that…We better carry a full menu — some zone, some man — regardless of whether it’s zone or man, you better have people close to him, you better pass him through zones, and you better be thoughtful about the man component. All in an effort to challenge him at the catch point…You better get him on the ground sooner rather than later. The longer he’s on his feet, the more likely he is to ring the scoreboard up.”
Chase is putting up video game numbers this season. He leads the league in receiving yards (1,056) and touchdown receptions (12), and he’s on pace to smash his career-best seasons in those categories. If you need further confirmation of how good he’s been, ask a Ravens fan (if you’re friends with any). In two games against Baltimore this season, he has 21 catches for 457 yards and five touchdowns.
In four career games against the Steelers, Chase has 21 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns. It’s a small sample size, but it’s clear that he’s given Minkah Fitzpatrick and the Steelers secondary some problems. Add his healthy, 6-4 counterpart, Tee Higgins, to the equation, and the Steelers’ secondary will have their hands full on Sunday.
On Sunday, Fitzpatrick must be a ball-hawk while keeping Chase and Higgins in front of him. He’s got the toughest assignment of any Steelers defender, and they’ll need him to rise to the occasion and remind the NFL who he is.
