Tomlin just not that into five-man rotation at outside linebacker
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Sorry, Jarvis Jones, Arthur Moats and Anthony Chickillo, Mike Tomlin just isn鈥檛 that into a five-man rotation at outside linebacker.
During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, the Steelers coach intimated that one of the aforementioned three won鈥檛 be getting many snaps, if any, beginning with this week鈥檚 game against the New York Giants at Heinz Field.
The issue came to a head with the return of Bud Dupree from IR after missing the first nine games of the season following groin surgery.
Now that Dupree is back, apparently full-time after playing 20 snaps against Indianapolis after playing just one against Cleveland, the Steelers have one too many outside linebackers.
鈥淎 five-man rotation is more difficult (to manage) and less fluid,鈥� Tomlin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really not into a five-man rotation. I expressed that to the group last week. As Bud gets up to speed, somebody is going to win and somebody is going to lose. I don鈥檛 care who wins. I think we all win when we play the hot hand and those are our intentions.
鈥淭he other guys are going to be based on performance and I think that鈥檚 fair.鈥�
Tomlin said that James Harrison, with four sacks in the last four games, is the hot hand and wouldn鈥檛 be coming out of the rotation. And neither would Dupree, just because of the 2015 first-round pick鈥檚 potential.
In last week鈥檚 win at Indianapolis, Chickillo played the most snaps (49.1 percent), followed by Harrison (49), Jones (41), Dupree (32) and Moats (27). In recent weeks, Chickillo and Harrison have emerged as the starters on the left and right side, respectively. But Dupree could supplant Chickillo on the left side.
Last week, Dupree said that he preferred to get more snaps to allow him to find a rhythm to set up tackles with his pass rushing moves and that a five-man rotation was cumbersome. He also said that he could play either side of the field.
鈥淚f he鈥檚 getting to the quarterback, certainly, I agree with him,鈥� Tomlin said. 鈥淧rovided production reflects that.鈥�
By throwing down the gauntlet publicly as he did, Tomlin may have spelled the end of Jones鈥� run in Pittsburgh. The 2013 first-round pick, who was liable on Dallas鈥� game-winning touchdown run in Week 10, was demoted in place of Harrison going into the Cleveland game.
Jones is also the only Steelers outside linebacker 鈥� excluding Dupree 鈥� not to record a sack this season. The Steelers have recorded 11 sacks during their current two-game winning streak.
Whether it鈥檚 Jones, Moats or Chickillo who isn鈥檛 playing, Moats said that the sidelined player can still be a valuable contributor.
鈥淚f coaches want to play a certain type that week, that鈥檚 what it is,鈥� Moats said Monday. 鈥淵ou just have to control what you can control. If you get a certain amount of snaps, you got to go out there and do the best you can in those snaps. It doesn鈥檛 matter what you do the previous week. Just make the most of your opportunity.鈥�
Talking points
n While the Steelers dominated the Colts on both sides of the ball, they did not win in all three phases. Special teams errors continue to nag the Steelers and Tomlin admitted as much, saying changes could be coming. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do what鈥檚 required for us to win in all three phases,鈥� he said. But Tomlin quickly added that Danny Smith鈥檚 group has been hurt by the injuries to Shamarko Thomas and Darrius Heyward-Bey.
n On the weekly did-he-talk-to-Antonio-Brown-about-the-receiver鈥檚 celebrations question: Tomlin said: 鈥淵ou know, I didn鈥檛.鈥� Brown was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike in the first quarter last week in Indianapolis. That, after being fined twice previously this season for $33,424 for the same offense. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already discussed it and discussed it wholly,鈥� Tomlin said. 鈥淥bviously, we had a setback in that area. But I don鈥檛 think it requires additional discussion.鈥�
n One of the more encouraging developments for the Steelers is that WR Sammie Coates鈥� broken fingers, sustained almost two months ago, are close to healed. Tomin said that he is close to being back to where he was pre-injury and again singled out the receiver for his work on special teams.
n Tomlin seemed quite pleased to get production from receivers other than Brown. Eli Rogers had a big 30-yard catch on the Steelers鈥� first scoring drive in Indianapolis and Cobi Hamilton added a five-yard reception on a third-and-1 in the third quarter. 鈥淏oth guys are on the rise, big picture, both guys are working hard daily to fit that bill,鈥� Tomlin said. 鈥淏ut both guys have a ways to go in terms of being solid, consistent contributors to our efforts, particularly in situational football when things are most urgent and probably most complex.鈥�
n Why is Bud Dupree receiving, what would seem to be, a pass into the four-man rotation outside linebacker rotation after playing just 21 snaps the past two weeks? Tomlin said that he likes what he鈥檚 seen from Dupree besides improved health. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been proving his overall readiness beyond his health,鈥� Tomlin said. 鈥淚 think last week was a significant step for him. 鈥� As long as that continues to move forward, as long as he continues to show detail in assignment and getting up to speed from a football-conditioning standpoint, it鈥檚 reasonable to expect his contributions to increase.鈥�
n Though Lawrence Timmons might be 30 and slowing down a step, Tomlin hasn鈥檛 been shy to use Timmons on obvious passing downs. Tomlin said that it鈥檚 been a by-product of the Steelers not having to use their dime package as much in recent weeks as teams have used more traditional two- and three-receiver sets against them. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got more flexibility,鈥� Tomlin said. 鈥淣ot that we鈥檙e unwilling to go dime versus three, we are and we have in the past. But the necessity hasn鈥檛 been there.鈥�
n Speaking of Timmons, Tomlin has had the veteran and fellow inside linebacker Ryan Shazier rushing from the outside a little more. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e versatile guys,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e inside backers, but both guys were outside-like backers in their schemes in college. Both guys work very hard at developing that aspect of their game. They realize being a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers mean that you鈥檙e a blitzer.鈥� Tomlin pointed out that Timmons and Shazier, with 1.5 sacks each, have helped the pass rush. With 11 sacks the past two games, the Steelers now rank 15th with 24.
Injury update
n WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (foot) is still week-to-week after missing the past three games.
n RB DeAngelo Williams is 鈥減erking up, doing some good things鈥� and would seem to have an outside chance of at least practicing this week. He has also missed the last three games after undergoing minor knee surgery.
n S Shamarko Thomas (groin) and TE Xavier Grimble (quad), participated in practice Monday and could play this week. Each has missed the last two games.
This 鈥楴鈥檃t
Tomlin called on more crowd noise at Heinz Field with the Giants running a no-huddle almost exclusively. The Giants offense starts with QB Eli Manning, according to Tomlin. 鈥淗e makes good and quick decisions, rarely does he get sacked, he spreads the ball around. No question, Odell Beckham is his primary target and security blanket, but (Manning) does a good job of taking what defenses give him.鈥�