The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the season buzzing about their secondary. Mike Tomlin couldn’t help but proclaim that group could match up with anybody in the league. Yet through two months, they’ve largely avoided using six defensive backs in dime personnel.
Why? Because they believe in ILB Payton Wilson’s coverage abilities.
“I think part of it is Payton Wilson gives us an opportunity in terms of being able to play nickel ’cause he’s fast enough to cover tight ends,” DC Teryl Austin said Thursday via TribLive’s Chris Adamski on X. “He’s athletic enough to do all those things and gives us, obviously if we want to blitz, he gives us a bigger body in terms of blitzing and how we’re doing things that way. And so that’s probably why I’m playing more nickel than maybe say dime.”
Wilson told the local media that he views himself as one of the NFL’s best coverage linebackers during training camp. The Steelers’ coaches seem to agree based on how they leaned heavily into nickel defense.
“He epitomizes what it means to be a Steelers, because he plays hard and fast and loves the game,” Austin said via The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo on X.
It’s obvious the Steelers like Wilson and want him on the field as much as possible, but is that jeopardizing an important wrinkle within their defense?
Third-and-long scenarios are typically where dime defense makes the most sense since run plays aren’t as big of a threat. The Steelers have opted to stay in nickel in those scenarios with Wilson on the field in coverage. Not coincidentally, the Steelers have been one of the worst teams on third and long this season. They have routinely given up chunk gains to allow teams to either convert or set up fourth-and-short opportunities.
Our Alex Kozora wrote about the scarcity of dime defense this week and why the Steelers should be using it. Austin’s explanation didn’t make it sound like it’s something they are considering.
Believing in Wilson is one thing. Building your entire sub-package philosophy around him is another. Until the Steelers find a better balance, their third-down defense might keep paying the price.
