Coaches talk about Steelers’ defense
Associated Press
Linebacker Jon Bostic (51) goes through a drill as other linebackers watch during the team鈥檚 OTA on in Pittsburgh. A free agent signee, Bostic looks take over at inside linebacker while Ryan Shazier recovers from spinal surgery.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Tyler Matakevich goes through drills during Wednesday's minicamp practice in Pittsburgh. Matakevich enters his third season as a leading candidate to replace injured teammate Ryan Shazier. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Keith Butler wanted so badly to curse.
It was written all over the face of the Steelers鈥� defensive coordinator when he was asked if the playoff loss to Jacksonville has any bearing on how he鈥檚 viewing his unit this spring.
Butler, though, showed restraint.
鈥淵eah,鈥� he answered. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to stop the freakin鈥� run. That鈥檚 as simple as you can get.鈥�
The Jaguars ended the Steelers鈥� worst statistical season against the run in 63 years with a 45-42 playoff win in which they rushed 35 times for 164 yards.
鈥淵ou look at the whole last year, we missed a ton of tackles,鈥� Butler said. 鈥淣umber one, we鈥檝e got to tackle. We鈥檙e going to work on tackling in training camp, try to improve it as much we can, and if we are able to tackle better, all that stuff is going to be cut down.鈥�
Butler and his lieutenants then spent the rest of a rare interview period of Steelers assistant coaches Thursday discussing how they not only have been working on tackling 鈥� even in this pad-less spring 鈥� but how they鈥檒l work on tackling when the team reports back to training camp on July 25.
But, as offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner told reporters during Tuesday鈥檚 interview session with Steelers offensive coaches, it鈥檚 all about talent and matchups in the NFL. So, with the defensive coaches guaranteeing a return to the fundamentals, let鈥檚 take a deeper dive into the key personnel issue facing each of the following assistants:
KEITH BUTLER
鈥淎ll right. What is it now?鈥� Butler asked as a group of reporters gathered around him.
Those reporters had watched returning starter Vince Williams team with returning backup Tyler Matakevich to start at the all-important inside linebacker positions all spring. Butler was asked about that position first.
鈥淓verybody looks good in shorts,鈥� Butler started. 鈥淜ind of hard to say 鈥榳e want this guy, we want that guy.鈥� I want to see somebody hit before I make a decision, and that鈥檚 not going to happen until we get to preseason. Maybe it will happen in training camp.鈥�
Butler mentioned only one name.
鈥淏ostic鈥檚 been doing a good job for us,鈥� he said of free-agent acquisition Jon Bostic. 鈥淭here are some details he鈥檚 got to get a handle on a little bit and I think he鈥檒l be pretty good for us.鈥�
Bostic, 27, is coming off his best season as a pro. The former second-round draft pick was asked about those details.
鈥淔ootball鈥檚 football,鈥� said Bostic. 鈥淧icking things up has never been a problem for me. I pick things up really fast. At the end of the day, I ran it at some point in my life. We just have to figure out the terminology. We call it red here and green elsewhere. It鈥檚 just picking up terminology. But I feel like I鈥檝e got all that stuff down. Now it鈥檚 just learning the guys around me.鈥�
Bostic went on to discuss the winning atmosphere he鈥檚 found in his new locker room and among his new teammates, and would鈥檝e gone on discussing TEAM had he not been interrupted with a question about earning a starting job at one of the inside linebacker spots.
鈥淥h, I know what I bring to the table. I really do,鈥� Bostic said. 鈥淎nd, I think at the end of the day, when it turns out, I think I鈥檓 going to surprise a lot of people.鈥�
JOEY PORTER
The two No. 1 draft picks under Porter鈥檚 charge have flipped sides this season, with second-year man T.J. Watt flopping to left outside linebacker and fourth-year man Bud Dupree moving to the quarterback鈥檚 blind side.
鈥淲ith Bud,鈥� Porter explained, 鈥渨e just thought it was a good opportunity for him to get a chance to rush from the other side. I feel like he had a lot of good rushes from the left side but the quarterback would see him and he would miss more opportunities. So putting him on the blind side and giving him an opportunity to have a good rush without the quarterback seeing him, and see how that works out. So far, so good.鈥�
Porter said of Watt that 鈥淭.J. was a left-side rusher from the beginning, so he actually loves the left side, so hopefully that works out for him also.鈥�
Behind the starters are Anthony Chickillo and Keion Adams, along with an undrafted rookie 鈥� Ola Adeniyi 鈥� who was blowing as much up Wednesday as is possible without pads. More on the pass-rusher out of Toledo to come.
TOM BRADLEY
The long-time Penn State defensive assistant discussed at length how he was going to improve the tackling in the secondary, as well as the communication required for all of the man defense they鈥檝e been playing.
But, again, the talent is what matters, and Bradley鈥檚 been handed a group that鈥檚 as deep as any the Steelers have had since their last championship. The cherry on top, the Steelers hope, is their most recent first-round pick, Terrell Edmunds.
鈥淲e were sitting and talking,鈥� Bradley said of Edmunds, 鈥淚 said, 鈥楬ow鈥檚 it going?鈥� And he said it鈥檚 starting to slow down a little bit. Because his head spins. We put a lot of stuff in during the camp. It isn鈥檛 like college where it鈥檚 a couple today, a couple tomorrow. There鈥檚 a lot being thrown at them early. Now, the older guys have a basis so it鈥檚 not a big deal for them. But he has no basis. Every call鈥檚 new. Every defense, the wording of it鈥檚 new. In his mind he鈥檚 got to correlate it with things he knows. But now it鈥檚 starting to fall into place.鈥�
Edmunds is doing it with the help of savvy veterans Morgan Burnett and Joe Haden. The 29-year-olds were drafted by other teams in 2010, but have joined the Steelers within the last 10 months and already are team leaders.
鈥淛oe and Morgan have been great with keeping everybody on the same page,鈥� Bradley said. 鈥淭hey say 鈥楥oach when you say that, what do you mean?鈥� I tell them and they say, 鈥極K this is what we got.鈥� And everybody works it through. That鈥檚 great to have those guys.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting, since they鈥檙e true pros, to watch them every day. I don鈥檛 think a day goes by Morgan鈥檚 not taking notes. He鈥檚 a very conscientious guy. They鈥檙e both pro鈥檚 pros. They鈥檙e in there early, they鈥檙e working hard. Fundamentally they don鈥檛 have all the answers, so they鈥檙e trying to get better, too.鈥�
One disappointment for Bradley has been a nagging hamstring injury that鈥檚 kept fifth-round safety Marcus Allen out of team drills all spring.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 had him since the second day of rookie (camp), so he鈥檚 missed a lot of work here,鈥� Bradley said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 in the meetings, but there isn鈥檛 anything quite like the experience of actually being able to do it, so it鈥檚 a setback to him right now.鈥�
JERRY OLSAVSKY
The inside linebackers coach is enjoying the spring turned in by Matakevich, who, of the two starters, has shown the most range in coverage. Olsavsky said the third-year man has turned it up this week in particular.
鈥淢aybe it was the first day of minicamp,鈥� said Olsavsky. 鈥淢aybe because he was playing against Ben (Roethlisberger). I don鈥檛 know what it was, but I鈥檓 glad he had it.鈥�
The top three ILBs are known, and last year鈥檚 No. 4, L.J. Fort, enjoyed a spectacular Wednesday alongside Bostic on the second team. Undrafted rookie Matthew Thomas continues to receive attention from the coaching staff, which began almost immediately after he was given jersey No. 46.
鈥淢atthew Thomas is a very good player,鈥� Olsavsky said. 鈥淐omes with a lot of athletic ability. We were happy to sign him and we鈥檒l see where he goes. You can鈥檛 have enough good football players on your team. From what I see now, he鈥檚 really athletic and he doesn鈥檛 mind running into other people. That鈥檚 right up my alley.鈥�
Thomas is a 6-3, 232-pounder who ran a 4.44 40 at his pro day with a vertical jump of 41.5 inches. He was a five-star recruit who struggled with suspensions and injuries at Florida State, but led the team in tackles the last two seasons.
Olsavsky was asked why the staff chose to give Thomas so much attention this spring.
鈥淕uys show up. It doesn鈥檛 take you long to see a guy,鈥� Olsavsky said. 鈥淧eople in Pittsburgh always come up to me, even when I wasn鈥檛 coaching, and they鈥檙e like 鈥楳an that didn鈥檛 look good, but YOU know what you鈥檙e talking about.鈥� And I would say, 鈥楴o, you know what you鈥檙e talking about. You鈥檝e watched football your whole life. You may not know what it鈥檚 called or why they鈥檙e doing that bad thing, but you know it ain鈥檛 good.鈥� That鈥檚 why they boo. Why? Because they know what good football looks like, and if you know what the good stuff looks like you know what the bad stuff looks like. So, we see a lot of good stuff and you just keep putting him out there.鈥�