Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick hasn’t forced a turnover since Week 17 of the 2022 season against the Baltimore Ravens, a span that now stretches 18 games and 25 total games for the Steelers.
It’s becoming a topic of discussion for many who are frustrated with Fitzpatrick’s production at his price tag, but for Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, he’s not concerned with the lack of turnovers because Fitzpatrick is doing his job and playing his role very well within the defense.
“He shores it up in the middle of the field for us 99% of the time. He makes teams think twice about going over the middle of the field,” Austin told reporters Thursday, according to a tweet from the Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo. “My goal is not to give up a lot of big plays. To me, if he’s doing that, he’s doing a great job.”
So far this season, the Steelers aren’t giving up many big plays in the passing game. That’s a credit to Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is playing primarily in that deep centerfield role and taking away the middle of the field. In turn, teams are targeting outside of the hashmarks, which has made it difficult for Fitzpatrick to create splash.
On the season, Fitzpatrick has played 434 snaps at free safety, just 10 snaps in the slot, two on the outside and another 42 in the box. Based on snap counts and alignments, it’s clear Fitzpatrick has been tied to the post. It’s working for the Steelers, but it’s hindering Fitzpatrick from doing what he does best: make splash plays.
Maybe that changes with Cameron Sutton returning to the team following his eight-game suspension. Head coach Mike Tomlin praised Sutton’s versatility earlier in the week and stated that everyone should be on notice in the secondary when it comes to playing time.
Fitzpatrick doesn’t seem to factor into that, but getting Sutton back should allow the Steelers to move Fitzpatrick around the secondary in an effort to hunt those splash plays for their defense. For what it’s worth, Fitzpatrick has been at his best when Sutton was around, giving the Steelers that second chess piece.
For now, the All-Pro safety has been doing his job and doing it very well. He’s allowed just 10 receptions on 15 targets for 141 yards and two touchdowns in eight games, showing that teams are avoiding him and avoiding the middle of the field. Moving him around, they might not be able to avoid him all that much.
