The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot call themselves one of the elite pressure teams this season. In fact, they rank smack dab in the middle of the league in terms of pressure percentage. While they actually hit the quarterback about as often as anybody, they are in the bottom third in sacks.
Now, teams are getting the ball out quicker against the Steelers in order to combat their pass rush. Every single team that prepares for the Steelers does so understanding that it can’t let T.J. Watt wreck the game—and sometimes he still does.
Part of the problem is that the Steelers dealt with multi-game injuries to multiple key pass rushers. Nick Herbig is still out, missing the past three games. While Alex Highsmith returned for the final two games before the bye, he missed the previous three.
With the Steelers’ core of Watt and Highsmith intact and Herbig on the mend, they now add Preston Smith. And the secondary is excited about the prospect of playing behind a loaded pass rush in the second half of the season.
“Oh, we love it”, Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. said earlier in the week on The Insiders on NFL Network. “Just to have those guys out there, T.J., Alex, and Herbig, those guys are dogs. And now we’ve got Preston that’s gonna come in and do what he always do. It makes our job 10 times easier. We know the quarterback don’t have all day out there and he’s got to get that ball out quick. So, picks for us”.
The Steelers’ 10 interceptions this season rank fourth in the NFL. Rookie CB Beanie Bishop Jr. has three in just the past two games. Another newcomer, Donte Jackson, has three as well. Joining them are Porter, Damontae Kazee, DeShon Elliott, and Cory Trice Jr., each with one.
In other words, the secondary has feasted this season, and the defensive backs owe something to the Steelers’ pass rush. Bishop’s game-sealing interception last time out, for example, came thanks to Isaiahh Loudermilk. And Trice’s end-zone interception in Week 2 followed pressure by Cameron Heyward.
The Steelers have only had their full complement of pass rushers for the first three games of the season. They hope to have that and then some for at least the majority of the second half of the year. While Watt and Highsmith won’t relinquish their snaps easily, having Herbig and Smith behind them may encourage them to take an extra breather or two.
That will be especially important if the Steelers hope to make a deep playoff run. They are managing Heyward’s snaps along the interior, even if it’s not with the same level of support. Loudermilk and Dean Lowry are not at the same level as Herbig and Smith. But you need your best guys are their best in the biggest moments, and to do that, they need support.
