Entering the AFC Wild Card round against the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly cleaned up one of the biggest issues from early December on the defensive side of the football, that being tackling.
In the final two weeks of the season after missing 36 combined tackles in Weeks 15 and 16, the Steelers missed just eight total tackles against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals to close out the 2024 regular season.
But then, in the Wild Card matchup against the Ravens, the missed tackles became a major problem again, as the Steelers nearly doubled their output in the tackling department from Weeks 17 and 18. Along with the missed tackles struggles, the Steelers couldn’t stop the run, leading to a rather ugly 28-14 loss.
Let’s get to the missed tackles report and put a bow on the season.
TOTAL MISSED TACKLES AT RAVENS — 14
Minkah Fitzpatrick – 2
Alex Highsmith – 2
Larry Ogunjobi – 2
T.J. Watt – 2
Nick Herbig – 1
Joey Porter Jr. – 1
Payton Wilson – 1
Patrick Queen – 1
Cameron Sutton – 1
Cameron Heyward – 1
TOTAL MISSED TACKLES THROUGH 19 WEEKS (18 GAMES) — 144 (8.0 PER GAME)
Patrick Queen – 22 (139 tackles on 161 total attempts, 13.7% miss rate)
Nick Herbig — 14 (missed sack, three on special teams) (22 tackles on 36 total attempts, 39% miss rate)
Payton Wilson — 13 (four on special teams) (84 tackles on 97 total attempts, 13.4% miss rate)
Donte Jackson — 12 (40 tackles on 52 total attempts, 23.1% miss rate)
Minkah Fitzpatrick — 11 (105 tackles on 116 total attempts, 9.5% miss rate)
Elandon Roberts – 10 (60 tackles on 70 total attempts, 14.3% miss rate)
T.J. Watt – 9 (61 tackles on 70 total attempts, 12.8% miss rate)
Joey Porter Jr. – 9 (76 tackles on 85 total attempts, 10.6% miss rate)
Keeanu Benton — 7 (40 tackles on 47 total attempts, 15% miss rate)
Larry Ogunjobi — 6 (43 tackles on 49 total attempts, 12.3% miss rate)
Beanie Bishop Jr. — 5 (45 tackles on 50 total attempts, 10% miss rate)
Cameron Heyward — 5 (81 tackles on 86 total attempts, 5.8% miss rate)
Isaiahh Loudermilk — 4 (one on special teams) (20 tackles on 24 total attempts, 16.6% miss rate)
Cameron Sutton — 4 (17 tackles on 21 total attempts, 19% miss rate)
Alex Highsmith — 3 (missed sack) (47 tackles on 50 total attempts, 6% miss rate)
Ben Skowronek — 2 (special teams) (eight tackles on 10 total attempts, 20% miss rate)
Damontae Kazee — 2 (34 tackles on 36 total attempts, 5.5% miss rate)
Montravius Adams — 2 (15 tackles on 17 total attempts, 11.8% miss rate)
Preston Smith — 2 (13 tackles on 15 total attempts, 13.3% miss rate)
Connor Heyward — 2 (special teams) (eight tackles on 10 total attempts, 20% miss rate)
DeShon Elliott — 1 (113 tackles on 114 total attempts, 0.8% miss rate)
Tyler Matakevich — 1 (special teams) (four tackles on five total attempts, 20% miss rate)
Dean Lowry — 1 (five tackles on six total attempts, 16.6% miss rate)
Cory Trice Jr. — 1 (21 tackles on 22 total attempts, 4.5% miss rate)
James Pierre — 1 (23 tackles on 24 total attempts, 4.2% miss rate)
Mark Robinson — 1 (special teams)(six tackles on seven total attempts, 14.3% miss rate)
Miles Killebrew — 1 (special teams) (15 tackles on 16 total attempts, 6.25% miss rate)
On a night in which the Ravens ran all over the Steelers, it came with plenty of missed tackles. It was very similar to the Week 16 matchup in that sense. In that game, which the Steelers lost 34-17, the Steelers missed 16 tackles. They were slightly better in the Wild Card matchup, but 14 missed tackles are far too many.
That it occurred with plenty of the main cogs defensively is even more concerning.
One of those main cogs that struggled in the tackling department was safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. He had two misses in the game and just wasn’t all that effective being asked to fill the lane time and time again from the deep safety look.
On the third snap of the game, the Ravens hit the Steelers with a Lamar Jackson read-option in which they crashed down too hard on the running back, leaving the corner for Jackson. It was a sign of things to come.
OLB Alex Highsmith goes for the running back and then Fitzpatrick is tasked with being the fill defender. He does a nice job of closing ground here to cut off Jackson outside, but in the process he’s too aggressive downhill, leaving himself vulnerable on the inside.
Jackson sees that and is able to slam on the brakes and cut back inside, forcing Fitzpatrick to miss. Fortunately, help arrived to corral Jackson for a short gain, including Fitzpatrick. But it was a concerning sign early, and it never got better.
This was the highlight of the game as Ravens’ RB Derrick Henry landed another vicious stiff-arm, this time to Fitzpatrick in space.
Taking the direct snap in shotgun, Henry was able to pick his way through the Steelers’ defense before getting into the open field. There, it was just him and Fitzpatrick, a matchup that Henry will always hold the advantage at, regardless of what safety is in front of him.
Fitzpatrick did all he could, but Henry is too big and too strong and easily threw Fitzpatrick away with the stiff arm, forcing the missed tackle.
Cornerback Donte Jackson was able to get back into the play to get Henry on the ground, saving a touchdown, but it was a tough look for the standout safety.
Fitzpatrick wasn’t the only one to be put in the dirt by a mean stiff arm in the game, either. Cameron Sutton felt the wrath of TE Isaiah Likely late in the first half.
That’s just ugly.
Sutton loses in coverage, something he did much of the day, tries to go high against the big tight end after the catch, and then easily gets put into the dirt with a violent stiff-arm, one that should probably get Likely some Angry Runs buzz this week.
Brutal miss from Sutton.
As the Steelers’ defense missed 14 tackles, the Steelers’ offense was fine in the forced missed tackles department, generating nine forced misses. Three of those forced missed tackles occurred on special teams though, so the Steelers’ offense had just six on the day. The nine total forced missed tackles means the Steelers lost the tackles battle by a mark of -5.
On the season, the Steelers finished 12-6 in the tackles battle. A solid mark, but ultimately not good enough due to the struggles in December and January in the tackling department.
TOTAL FORCED MISSED TACKLES AT RAVENS — 9
Najee Harris – 3
George Pickens – 2
Calvin Austin III – 2 (special teams)
Russell Wilson – 1
Cordarrelle Patterson – 1 (special teams)
TOTAL FORCED MISSED TACKLES THROUGH 19 WEEKS (18 GAMES) — 194 (10.77 PER GAME)
Najee Harris – 79
Jaylen Warren – 40
George Pickens – 13
Cordarrelle Patterson — 13 (two on special teams)
Justin Fields – 12
Calvin Austin III – 12 (10 on special teams)
Darnell Washington — 6
Pat Freiermuth — 6
Van Jefferson — 4
Russell Wilson — 4
Scotty Miller — 2
Aaron Shampklin — 2 (one on special teams)
Jonathan Ward — 1
MyCole Pruitt — 1
In what was possibly his final game as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Najee Harris left it all out on the field. He knows one speed, and that’s full.
Even with the game seemingly all but over with the Steelers down two scores in the fourth quarter, Harris was playing his butt off, fighting for every available blade of grass in an effort to try and create something — anything — offensively.
Simple checkdown here from Russell Wilson to Harris, and watch the running back go to work.
That’s one heck of an effort from Harris, running through multiple defenders, finding a way to stay on his feet, and creating a few additional yards on the play that really shouldn’t have gone anywhere, but ended up gaining 11 yards.
That’s who Harris is. That’s who he’s been his entire career in Pittsburgh. Tip of the cap to 22.
Third-year WR Calvin Austin III also had some success in the forced missed tackles department. On his lone punt return of the night, Austin forced two missed tackles, picking up a gain of 14 yards in the fourth quarter.
Though he did have a fumble on the punt return in Week 18 against the Bengals, Austin was quite good all season long in the punt return department, even having a touchdown return in Week 8 against the New York Giants.
He’s a dynamic return man, one that can really flip the field for the Steelers. Hopefully he’s able to build off a strong third year as a receiver and return man and take another step forward next year.
