Steelers defense was scintillating
In honor of the scintillating defensive showing in the Steelers鈥� 18-6 win over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday night, I鈥檓 going to skip the DOWN portion of the usual UP and DOWN stock market report following a preseason game:
n The Steelers鈥� defensive speed deserves better writing than what I can provide. In three possessions, the Titans compiled -9 yards of offense. In the first half, the Titans gained 78 yards. And for the game, they gained 233. The Steelers swarmed three different quarterbacks for seven sacks and two points scored by Stephon Tuitt鈥檚 sack of starter Marcus Mariota on a stunt with Cameron Heyward.
n The newest piece to the defense, Kameron Kelly, made four tackles and forced a fumble (that Tennessee recovered) as the third safety in an unveiling of their three-safety nickel.
n Terrell Edmunds appeared to be the ringleader of the look that involved Sean Davis playing at the second level with the linebackers.
n Davis, by the way, looked like he was walking fairly well on the ankle injury that caused him to leave the game.
n The 3-safety nickel isn鈥檛 exactly new, but what鈥檚 new is the apparent automatic use of it against 2-TE alignments, or 鈥�12鈥� personnel.
n Then again, as was pointed out by game announcer Cris Collinsworth, the Steelers have so many interchangeable parts 鈥� with two hybrids playing inside linebacker 鈥� that nothing is really 鈥渁pparent automatic use鈥� any longer.
n After Edmunds and Devin Bush closed fast on a short second-and-18 pass, Collinsworth said, 鈥淢an, I tell you, this is a younger, faster version of what we鈥檝e seen out of the Pittsburgh Steelers.鈥�
n What he didn鈥檛 say is the rest of the sentence, such as 鈥渋n years,鈥� or 鈥渋n championship years,鈥� or maybe even 鈥渟ince the seventies.鈥�
n He repeated himself late in the third quarter. After watching MAC rookie linebackers Tuzar Skipper, Ulysees Gilbert and Sutton Smith continue to bedevil and swarm the Titans, Collinsworth said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 no question the Pittsburgh Steelers 鈥� just watching them live the first time 鈥� look different on defense. They look faster. They look younger. They look like a team that is playing a different style.鈥�
n And on the next play, Skipper blew up a play in the backfield. Not sure the undrafted rookie OLB from Toledo can make it through waivers and back to the practice squad any longer.
n As much as it was a relief for Steelers fans to see Ben Roethlisberger leave healthy after a productive three-series workout, there had to be similar relief when Mike Tomlin finally took Skipper off the field, and off opposing tape.
n I didn鈥檛 want to get into the second half so soon in this column, but the point is the Steelers will need to cut some quality talent. The rest of the league HAS to be watching them.
n Why use so much of their 3-safety look in the preseason with the New England Patriots no doubt watching? Well, perhaps because the Pats only have one tight end on their roster with Ben Watson and Lance Kendricks suspended. And Matt LaCosse ain鈥檛 no Gronk. Ergo, the Steelers probably won鈥檛 use a similar game plan.
n Offensively, Roethlisberger wasn鈥檛 touched 鈥� thanks in large part to James Conner鈥檚 blitz pick-up on the initial third down of the game. Roethlisberger, of course, looked sharp, but so did his running back. In three series, Conner gained 56 yards on seven touches (5-41 rushing).
n Maurkice Pouncey looks like the same center we鈥檝e enjoyed the last nine years. He was pulling and getting to linebackers on the second level with his usual ease.
n Jaylen Samuels continues his strong second preseason with 27 yards on six touches. He鈥檚 now rushed 10-63 and caught 3-20 as the flashy backup to Conner.
n Since we鈥檙e going down the RB depth chart, Benny Snell didn鈥檛 play, and while Trey Edmunds only averaged 2.0 on six carries he flashed in kick coverage.
n Edmunds, by experience, is a better pass-blocker in the backfield and is better on special teams. Snell, the fourth-round pick, is hanging on by his fingernails. And with Samuels already lacking pass-blocking experience as the No. 2 RB, that aspect of the game may loom large at No. 3 RB due to legit Super Bowl aspirations.
n Do Super Bowl aspirations include a return specialist? Because Diontae Spencer gave way to Ryan Switzer last night, and the slot WR fielded three punts, fair-caught two and returned the other for 20 yards. Good statistics but not the heart-in-throat excitement that Spencer鈥檚 been providing.
n Spencer鈥檚 29-yard run on a reverse last night in the second half was a better example than his lone punt return for two yards. Might not be enough room for Spencer, and that would be a shame.
n As for that circle of competition among small slot receivers, Eli Rogers made a great block on Conner鈥檚 21-yard run around right end. Again, it鈥檚 going to be a difficult call for the coaching staff. But never fear, we in the media are prepared to criticize whatever move they make.
n Rookie cornerback Justin Layne was used extensively as a gunner/jammer on first special teams. He didn鈥檛 make a tackle but looked fast and decisive in a role the Steelers had envisioned for him on draft day. Layne even looked like a solid corneback prospect with sure tackling and a pass defense in the second half. He鈥檚 once again a roster lock after a poor opening performance.
n JuJu Smith-Schuster needs no kudos for his 17-yard touchdown catch, and it鈥檚 getting to the point where James Washington doesn鈥檛 need it, either, because it鈥檚 becoming a pattern now with Washington. Sunday night he hauled in a 41-yard touchdown pass from his boy Mason Rudolph against a backup cornerback late in the first half. That was Washington鈥檚 only catch of the night, but it was his ninth this preseason for 203 yards (22.6 ypc.) and two touchdowns.
n Washington鈥檚 showing might not be enough to unseat Donte Moncrief as the starter opposite Smith-Schuster, since that appears to be the Steelers鈥� plan, but it鈥檚 enough to give the coaches confidence in Washington as a heavy part of the rotation of three outside receivers.
n And then he and 鈥渉is boy鈥� from college, Rudolph, had a horrible miscommunication that resulted in an even uglier interception on the ensuing offensive series. Rudolph, though, has a 106.6 passer rating through three games. That was his only interception and he鈥檚 completed 65.6 percent and only been sacked once.
n Joshua Dobbs once again was inconsistent. His second series defined his abilities at this point: beautiful scramble and bullet throw on the run for a 23-yard gain followed by an overthrown 0-yard pass to 6-8 tight end Zach Gentry and a throw over RB Edmunds鈥� head behind the line of scrimmage on third-and-8. Dobbs is a wunderkind if not asked to throw to targets -3 to +3 yards from the line of scrimmage. That inconsistency is likely dooming him to third-team status at the start of the season.
n Bud Dupree 鈥� like my eternal comparison of him, Otis Wilson from the 鈥�85 Bears 鈥� looks so much better when surrounded by wildly frenetic teammates. Dupree wasn鈥檛 credited with a first-quarter sack (Tuitt got it) but perhaps should鈥檝e been. Dupree pulverized the tackle on the play, and in spite of his stiff hips he鈥檚 obviously an effective piece due to his power and speed.
n Smith, the rookie OLB who was one of the best pass-rushers in the nation the last two years at Northern Illinois, is small. Yes. But in his debut he showed that he鈥檚 a piece that should be kept because of speed, speed, speed. He MIGHT clear waivers and make it back to the practice squad, but it could be a risk. He鈥檚 legit quick off the ball and appears to have the instincts and shifty hips to find a niche for a creative coach.
n Gilbert, the sixth-round ILB, is flat out legit. No way they can get away with cutting him and bringing him back. Robert Spillane and/or Tegray Scales would make it back to the practice squad, but not Gilbert, who鈥檚 a tackling machine with coverage skills. His extensive usage outside as a slot LB his last season at Akron probably caused his stats to tank, and therefore his stock dove with it.
n In other words, Smith was passed over by 31 teams five, even six times, because he is what he is: a small but quick and productive OLB. Gilbert might have been passed over because he was playing out of position.
n And then Skipper, the brute from Toledo, did that James Harrison thing again when he ripped a tight end out of his way off the line and knocked the next tight end coming at him on his butt during a power running play. That occurred two series after Skipper鈥檚 strip sack of the No. 3 Tennessee QB.
n In three games, Skipper has 9 tackles (7 solo), 3 sacks, 6 QB hits, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The only knock is that he appears to be the classic 3-4 Steelers OLB who really isn鈥檛 a fit on kick coverage. As written previously, Skipper鈥檚 much more defensive end than linebacker at 248 pounds. It鈥檚 why he wasn鈥檛 drafted.
n Do you say to yourself, 鈥榳ell, even Harrison went unclaimed the first three times he was cut鈥�? That鈥檚 a risk that I鈥檓 glad I don鈥檛 have to contemplate for my livelihood.
n I only have to criticize any wrong moves a month or so after the fact. It鈥檚 a good life.
n Marcus Allen was a mad man at deep safety. The second-year guy is on the bubble but finally looked like the fearless striker we watched compile 321 career tackles at Penn State. Allen was credited with only one tackle Sunday night (open-field tackle shy of the sticks on a third-and-1 completion in the flat), but he was all over the field.
n Heyward, Bush, Tuitt and T.J. Watt don鈥檛 need a stamp of approval from me. All four lived up to their pedigrees Sunday night, and we can just leave it at that.
n Vince Williams made his preseason debut with a sack. The 鈥渞un-downs ILB鈥� has compiled 12.5 sacks over the last two seasons and provides another unique piece that won鈥檛 help offenses understand what鈥檚 coming when he鈥檚 on the field.
n That, of course, is the primary takeaway from Sunday night鈥檚 game: This Steelers defense just might be on the verge of something great. The speed and versatility are obvious. The rest is up to the coaches.