From the defensive line to his assistant coaches, Keith Butler wanted to acknowledge everyone who had a hand in the Steelers' dominant start on defense, particularly its disruptiveness against the pass.
There's the secondary — bolstered by the addition of Joe Haden and coached by Carnell Lake — which has helped the Steelers have the NFL's top-ranked pass defense. The linebackers, led by the cover skills of Ryan Shazier and the emergence of T.J. Watt off the edge, have executed his variety of blitz packages.
And, of course, the line, which has cleared the way for a defense that has wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks during the Steelers' 5-2 start, ranking second in the league in sacks and disrupting throws to help the secondary.
Collectively, the defense has made life difficult for offensive linemen and quarterbacks, and the Steelers want that to continue, beginning Sunday night in Detroit.
"It’s up there with the best I've seen," Haden told DKPittsburghSports.com about the Steelers' front seven Thursday. "We have a bunch of playmakers with (Cam Heyward), (Bud Dupree), Watt. It’s countless dudes up there. We can rotate them up there, wobble. We have a bunch of people who can get to the quarterback, make plays and hold their own."
Although the coaching staff has yet to analyze how often the Steelers are blitzing so far this season, Butler told reporters Thursday he doesn't expect there to be an increase or decrease from 2016, despite now having a stronger secondary to lean on.
While using a variety of pass rushes — three-man, four-man, five-man and all three disguised as something else — the Steelers have allowed just 147 passing yards per game and rank second in the NFL with 24 sacks.
Last season, the Steelers ranked 16th in the NFL in pass defense with 242.6 passing yards allowed per game and had only 38 sacks in the regular season. The turnaround has taken place despite the Steelers' defensive line being without Stephon Tuitt, who will not play Sunday against the Lions, for three games because of injury.
Although he commended the work of his linemen and linebackers, Butler said the secondary has helped the defense reach new heights, especially when a player such as Tuitt is out.
"I think it’s safe to say we’ve been a little bit successful with the coverage and getting home with the quarterback holding the ball because people are covered and as a consequence we get to the quarteback," Butler said.
That pace will likely continue Sunday at Detroit. Although the Lions (3-3) have Matthew Stafford, their passing offense ranks 26th in the NFL, which Butler said is indicative of Stafford's supporting cast.
The Lions have allowed the third-most sacks in the league and are averaging only 3.5 yards per rush. Their starting left tackle, Taylor Decker, a first-round choice in 2016, has yet to play in a game this season because of a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Decker's replacement, Greg Robinson, who was drafted second overall by the Rams in 2014, has not practiced this week after suffering an ankle injury in a Week 6 loss to the Saints.
Rick Wagner, the starting right tackle, also left with an injury against the Saints, although he did return and is expected to play against the Steelers. The Lions' top offseason acquisition, right guard T.J. Lang, did not play against the Saints with a back injury, but was a full participant at practice Thursday.
With Robinson unlikely to play, Brian Mihalik, a second-year pro who was cut by the Steelers at the end of training camp, is expected to start at left tackle. Mihalik, a defensive lineman at Boston College, was converted to the offensive line by the Steelers last season and is still very much a work in progress.
Playing both left and right tackle against the Saints because of injuries, Mihalik struggled mightily, including one play in the second half where he was pushed into Stafford by Cam Jordan for a sack. Although Lions coach Jim Caldwell expressed confidence in Mihalik, the team's offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, had a more cautious assessment.
"We’ll see what we’ve got," Cooter told reporters this week, according to the Detroit Free Press. "You find out on game day a little bit more than you do in these practices in season a lot of times.”
Coming off a bye week, Stafford was asked about the Steelers' defense, particularly why they've had so much more success getting to the quarterback in 2017. His answer: everyone.
"There’s no one guy to really clue in on," he said. "They’ve got quite a few. Their guys off the edge do a great job. Their guys in the middle push the pocket well, and they’re covering guys down in the back end. It goes hand in hand.”