The Pittsburgh Steelers acquired veteran OLB Preston Smith during the bye week, and the timing was perfect. Alex Highsmith sustained an ankle injury the very next game versus the Washington Commanders, and Nick Herbig was already out with a hamstring injury. To this point, all four of the Steelers’ top edge rushers haven’t played together in the same game. That is due to change Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Herbig returned a few weeks ago, and head coach Mike Tomlin said that he expects Highsmith back. He was asked how it will be having all four available to him via the Steelers’ YouTube channel.
“It’s pretty exciting, isn’t it?” Tomlin said with a grin. “Let’s see where the roads lead, man. We’ve got a week of prep. You can’t run out of rush men. I’m so excited about the potential of getting Alex Highsmith back and the development of Herbig, the acclimation of Preston. You can’t run out of rush men, particularly in December. And so it’s exciting.
“Make no mistake, there’s enough work for all parties involved, and we’re excited about sorting that out as we prepare.”
One of the recent developments within that group has been the Steelers moving T.J. Watt around a bit more. Watt almost always plays LOLB and has for the majority of his career. They have been resistant to moving him because he has some moves on that side that he doesn’t necessarily have the muscle memory for on the other side. Because of offenses throwing a bunch of schematics at him to take him away, the Steelers have experimented with moving Watt around to make life more difficult on opposing teams.
Having three other very capable players to utilize while Watt moves around makes the Steelers’ defense that much more dangerous.
Highsmith and Watt will be the top two options, but Herbig has forced fumbles in three-straight games since returning from injury. It is becoming impossible to keep him off the field. His speed and playmaking ability make him a threat to change the game with just one play.
Smith also has his place in the defense as a bit of a bigger body to help stuff the run, and you can’t discount his experience as the Steelers move into December football and the playoffs draw nearer.
Could they figure out ways to get three of them on the field at the same time? All option are probably on the table, and we could definitely see some packages that get three or more OLBs on the field at the same time. Throughout Watt’s career, the Steelers have had very poor depth at the position, so this is a welcomed change of pace.
