Bud Dupree gets to Alex Smith (11) forcing a crucial turnover — MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

Steelers

Carter's Classroom: Pressure cooks Chiefs

Jan 16, 2017 • 2:59 pm

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It seems so long ago that the Steelers were terrorizing opponents relentlessly with pressure from their outside linebackers to win the big game.

Each of the past three times they've made the Super Bowl, the Steelers could rely upon a dynamic duo of outside linebackers that would rush the quarterback and disrupt the passing game of opponents at crucial moments.

That's what the Steelers got from Bud Dupree and James Harrison on Sunday night to help them win their ninth game in a row and advance to the AFC Championship Game.

Let's take a look at how they were able to get it done ...

THIS BUD'S FOR YOU

After terrorizing Matt Moore in the first round of the playoffs, Dupree was a problem for Alex Smith as well.

Dupree's speed coming out of college was one of his biggest assets, with a 40-yard dash time of 4.56 seconds. He uses that speed to work around the right tackle here:

Watch how Dupree sets up this move with a stutter step to the inside, then quickly shuffles his feet to path that goes so far around the tackle that he's never able to get his hands on Dupree. What's extra impressive about this is that Dupree takes such a wide attack angle but still manages to get to Smith just in time to break up the play.

The Steelers are going to enjoy seeing that speed off the edge for years if he keeps it up. As a second-year player, he's become a major piece in the defensive scheme.

It should also be noted that Ryan Shazier's interception on the play was the fourth forced turnover he's been a part of in his four playoff starts. While he doesn't necessarily create this one as much as he did the others, he continues to be in the right spot at the right time to make big plays.

HARRISON LETS 'ER RIP

At 38, Harrison can't rely on the speed which Dupree features, but he still can be explosive in short spaces and use solid rush moves to beat opposing linemen.

Take this play for example, when he completely fooled Eric Fisher by faking a 'rip' move to gain the edge and a clear path to Smith:

Notice how Fisher seems intensely focused on Harrison's inside arm on the play. That's because Harrison's patented 'rip' move has always been part of his aggressive style and has given fits to linemen over the past decade.

In a 'rip', a defender puts his inside arm across the body of the offensive lineman, using it to gain leverage on the outside shoulder so that his frame clears the block and he's free to rush the passer. It's simple, but most effective from stronger blitzing linebackers, and Harrison has made it a point to be at his peak strength.

The rip move has to be quick and aggressive, as the point is for you to get your inside shoulder to your opponent's outside shoulder before they can get their hands on your chest. Harrison's explosiveness makes him too quick off the ball for Fisher to get his hands set, and that's what hurt Fisher throughout the night.

A perfect example of that was one of the more highlighted plays of the game, when Harrison drew a holding call on Fisher as the Chiefs went for the tying two-pointer. Despite what Travis Kelce had to say after the game, this is a textbook hold after getting beat:

Once Harrison crosses the face of Fisher, the only move the former first overall pick has at his disposal is to try and use his lengthy arms to slow down Harrison.

However, doing so requires that he gets a hold of Harrison. While some may argue that this was a ticky-tack sort of call, holding is only justifiably ignored when a lineman has his hands inside the frame of a defender, which Fisher clearly does not on the play.

This is why Harrison has worked so hard at being explosive, because even without the speed from his youth, he can still out-hustle the man in front of him and win those one-on-one battles that are key.

Make no mistake that pressure from the outside linebackers will be a major point of emphasis for their game against Tom Brady and the Patriots. That's a point we'll revisit for the Wednesday edition of Carter's Classroom.