The Steelers' 21-21 tie in Cleveland brought frustration, but also signs of progress for the team's younger players. Much of that was shown in the blitz packages and the seven sacks of the Browns' Tyrod Taylor.
Let's dig deep ...
TWO-MINUTE DRILL
• Where scheme beat team: Keith Butler knew he had to diversify where his pass rush was originating to make it more difficult to recognize. Not just against the Browns. Against everyone. The more diverse the look, the harder for an offensive line and quarterback to avoid the blitz he calls. And by mixing the team's starting four linebackers and multiple defensive backs, it eventually creates free paths to the quarterback like the one an untouched Jon Bostic got in his 7-yard sack of Taylor.
We categorize a play as a blitz if 5 or more players rush, or if an inside linebacker or defensive back rush the quarterback. The Browns called a total of 53 designed passing plays. From those, the Steelers blitzed on 30 of those plays. When the Steelers didn't blitz, the Browns converted four of six third down passing plays.
When the Steelers did blitz, the Browns only converted one of nine third down passing plays, they also tried a fourth down pass against the blitz which was not converted. Of those 30 blitzes, the Steelers allowed two first downs, two touchdowns, recorded five sacks and an interception.
It is also worthy of note that the Steelers picked up the amount of blitzes as the game continued. They had three blitzes in the first quarter, five blitzes in the second, six blitzes in the third and nine blitzes in the fourth quarter.
In overtime, the Steelers faced seven passing plays and blitzed every single time, forcing the Browns to fail all three third down attempts on passing plays.
Most times, the goal is to get the team's best pass rushers against a single blocker to give them the best chance to make a play. T.J. Watt capitalized on that with four sacks on Taylor.
Watch below how Watt worked around the edge from left outside linebacker. He gets a great burst off the ball and uses his inside hand to jab into the chest of tight end Darren Fells. That inside hand gets into Fells' frame and becomes Watt's anchor to allow him to torque his body sharply around the edge, creating a clear path to Taylor:
That's the kind of fundamental pass rush technique the Steelers have lacked since the decline of James Harrison. It's also noteworthy to mention that, on that play, the Browns had eight men in protection with five linemen, two tight ends and a running back.
Butler needs to keep this momentum, but it was a good start.
• All about the tackling: Missed tackles were a main problem of the Steelers in 2017, as Pro Football Focus revealed with their number-crunching on that team:
Last season, the #Steelers missed a tackle on 16.1% of run plays (31st in NFL).
They added sure tackling veterans this offseason in S Morgan Burnett and LB Jon Bostic, who ranked 1st and 8th respectively at their positions in tackling efficiency. https://t.co/R2sUJejvPY
— PFF PIT Steelers (@PFF_Steelers) July 19, 2018
Because of that, our commitment this season is to keep a close eye on this facet.
Vince Williams saw all but one of the team's 89 defensive snaps and delivered a solid performance with 12 tackles. He found the ball 14 times, meaning he did so 15.9 percent of the time, and missed two tackles, meaning he converted 86 percent. Watt had similar numbers with a 15.9 percent in finding the ball, while making the tackle in 91.7 percent of his opportunities:
Bostic's nine tackles on 59 plays with no misses meant he found the ball 15.3 percent of the time. That's far better than what any of Ryan Shazier's replacements did in any part of last season. The lowest percentage among the linebackers was Dupree with 7.2 percent finding the ball, but if you add his two passes defended, that number jumps up to 9.6 percent.
That's a good day for the linebackers, and these overall numbers support that Mike Tomlin's focus on tackling and flowing to the ball during training camp are delivering results.
• Top matchups: I picked three top matchups for the Cleveland game in our preview last week:
And here are how those matchups played out:
• Alejandro Villanueva vs. Myles Garrett: Garrett had a tremendous game with six tackles, two sacks, a pass defended and two forced fumbles that led to turnovers. Villanueva started off well, but eventually Garrett showed why he was the better player and dominated his edge. Advantage: Browns
• Jarvis Landry vs. Steelers' slot coverage: Mike Hilton and the secondary did a good job shadowing Landry and keeping him in check. Landry was targeted 15 times but caught only seven. He did gain 105 yards, but he never scored and never became the game-breaker the Browns expected when they signed him for $75.5 million over five years. Advantage: Steelers
• Browns' press coverage vs. Steelers' receivers: The Steelers knew Gregg Williams would get aggressive against their receivers by assigning his cornerbacks to play press coverage. The press ultimately didn't slow down the receivers much, although it did hurt Ben Roethlisberger. Antonio Brown consistently beat the press, leading to nine catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster joined him with five catches on eight targets for 119 yards.
But while the Steelers' receivers were beating the press, Roethlisberger's lack of comfort led to 10 passes that were legitimate misses, two of which led to interceptions. That means that 24.3 percent of his throws were off. Advantage: Browns
Had a big play or a decent game
Very impressive, multiple big plays
Elite performance
Gave up a big play without redemption
Total performance was a disappointment
Horrible, inexcusable
QUARTERBACK: D
Ben Roethlisberger:
One touchdown with his three interceptions and two fumbles lost. Roethlisberger needed to be the leader who kept his team in the game with few mistakes, but he was the biggest liability. More telling than his interceptions were several misses to open receivers.
RUNNING BACKS: A
James Conner:
What can be offered other than a salute? He came up with 195 all-purpose yards in his NFL starting debut against a defense that held Le'Veon Bell to just 32 rushing yards in last season's opener. He exploded through the holes, picked up blitzes and caught the ball in space. He made Bell's absence a non-factor and showed he could carry the load.
Watch below on Conner's 22-yard touchdown how he runs a counter-power and follows David DeCastro's block, eventually making Terrance Mitchell miss in the hole, then being too quick for any Cleveland defender to get off a blocker:
His one big mistake came when Garrett busted into the backfield and poked the ball loose while Conner was scanning for a hole in the fourth quarter. That's the only reason he doesn't have three stars.
OFFENSIVE LINE: B
The line opened the holes for Conner's career day but it also surrendered four sacks, two from Garrett.
Ramon Foster:
Foster made headlines during the week for his comments about Bell's holdout, but he should also get recognition for his solid play. Not only was he in his spots, but he also was winning at the point of attack.
David DeCastro:
Also a good showing as a contributor in the run game, especially that 22-yard touchdown by Conner. The one play that could be cited for a negative grade was on the sack/fumble from Garrett, but ultimately that was just a bad beat for DeCastro. Garrett was coming in hot and the Steelers were in an RPO with DeCastro pulling to trap Garrett, but he couldn't cross the formation fast enough.
Alejandro Villanueva:
Below is the first of Garrett's two sacks. Villanueva does a good job meeting Garrett early, but Garrett continues to work his feet to get around Villanueva. You can see Villanueva's feet fail him as Garrett passes him around the edge with a shoulder dip:
Villanueva doesn't get a terrible grade because he did have some nice blocks to help the run game, and this was an anticipated weakness in matching up with Garrett.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: B+
For the most part, this group was reliable with big plays and well-run routes against an aggressive secondary.
Antonio Brown:
Nine catches for 93 yards with a touchdown, and what a touchdown that was. Denzel Ward was in great position to make a play and put his arm between Brown's hands and the ball, but Brown still pulled it in. He was also being pressed and held throughout the game, but he fought through all of it to make things happen.
JuJu Smith-Schuster:
Smith-Schuster's five catches for 119 yards saw more than half of his yardage come from a 67-yard catch-and-run. He was also beating the press coverage, having a solid game with another big play for his resume.
Jesee James:
The dropped pass that led to the interception was one of the plays that can easily be pointed to as a reason why the Steelers tied. It took a red zone opportunity and flipped it into a failure. After the two interceptions Roethlisberger had already thrown at that point, James needed to help out his quarterback.
DEFENSIVE LINE: B
While this group didn't shine bright against the Browns, they did a good job holding down their gaps and drawing double-teams to open up space for their teammates.
Cam Heyward:
Several times Heyward got after Taylor and forced him to change his launch spot. He also had a sack with seven tackles, and was consistently working to contain Taylor. In one particular instance, I saw him work against a double-team and notice that Taylor was going to roll out of the pocket; Heyward disengaged with the double-team and established himself on the edge, containing Taylor in the pocket.
Stephon Tuitt:
Tuitt was strong at the point of attack, just like Heyward, and did a good job taking on double-teams. He's definitely the force he's supposed to be up front and gave Watt several good one-on-one opportunities.
Javon Hargrave:
While Hargrave's penalty was a serious blow to the Steelers, keeping the Browns only touchdown drive that started in their own territory alive, he had a good day. He only played 24 snaps in the game and managed to record three tackles, which means he found the ball over 12 percent of the time he was on the field.
LINEBACKERS: A
For the first real experiment of this new defense, the linebackers looked comfortable within their scheme and aggressive in their play.
T.J. Watt:
Four sacks and 11 tackles, along with a blocked kick that saved the tie for the Steelers. Finding the ball on 12.9 percent of the time shows that Watt is comfortable playing at left outside linebacker.
Nobody ever plans for a player to get four sacks in a single game, but Watt's effort and execution brought the kind of edge rush that can put an extra level to this defense.
Jon Bostic:
Bostic's first regular season start was solid as he primarily played run defense and early-down snaps with 59 plays. He never looked out of place, which is what you want from the new free agent.
Vince Williams:
Williams was the leading tackler for the team and played all but one defensive snap. He would get more stars were it not for the two missed tackles, but he looked like more than just a role player in the game, as he lined up both inside and outside the tackle box.
Bud Dupree:
I had a bad grade on Dupree with my first reaction, but upon review I saw his athleticism made him a versatile threat. He filled multiple roles and you cannot ignore his five tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and two passes defended; that's a productive day.
Still, fundamental aspects of being a pass rusher escape Dupree at times. The missed sack on Taylor in the fourth quarter was a big moment. Dupree gets the gift of a confused Browns' line that leaves him completely untouched, but watch how he approaches and targets Taylor's front shoulder:
That's a fundamental mistake, especially against a mobile passer like Taylor. His target must be the back shoulder. Running towards the back shoulder allows him to take an angle that puts him in position to be ready if the quarterback tries to spin out of the pocket and break his contain. If the quarterback steps up, Dupree is pushing him into where Heyward and Tuitt should be waiting.
Dupree did a better job both against the run and in covering the pass in this game, so those more than made up for his mistakes. But had the defense not bailed him out after his offsides penalty gave the Browns a second chance at fourth down, that might have been a different story.
SECONDARY: A-
When you hold a quarterback to 15 completions on 40 attempts for 197 yards, that's usually a good day. Especially when you consider that the receivers being covered were two of the best in the NFL in Jarvis Landry and Josh Gordon.
Joe Haden:
Haden gave up one pass and missed a couple tackles, but he also had some very good plays in pass defense. He kept his players from being targeted most of the game and had a crucial swat to save a touchdown.
Watch how Haden trails the shoulder of Gordon the entire way and makes a great play without safety help. The Steelers often feel comfortable leaving Haden on an island because they know they can count on him. Here he sticks to the back shoulder of Gordon and perfectly times his jump to elevate and meet the ball at its highest point:
Artie Burns:
Burns' multiple penalties were costly and surrendered great field position. They ended up helping the Browns convert their only scoring drive that wasn't because of a Steeler turnover. Those penalties came because Landry pancaked Burns with solid run blocking and Burns took exception.
While the initial aggression is still a problem, the biggest issue was him slamming his helmet afterwards. Burns cannot afford to let receivers get in his head like this.
He also had a defensive pass interference called in the fourth quarter, though the Browns punted on the possession.
Despite these lapses in judgment, Burns was in position for most of the game and did provide solid coverage. He would have received a positive grade because of how often he blanketed his man, if not for the big mistakes.
Cam Sutton:
Sutton was targeted on four deep passes and while half of them were completed, the only one where he could be considered purely at fault was the 38-yard bomb to Rashard Higgins. The next play was a touchdown to Gordon. Sutton was in position and even got his arm in between the ball and Gordon, but the catch was amazing and a great play from one of the more talented weapons in the NFL.
But Sutton gets a better grade because of a good tackle in space on Duke Johnson that forced a fourth down late in the game, a touchdown-saving defended pass against Higgins and especially the game-saving interception while covering Gordon.
A second-year player having that kind of a day is a good sign.
Mike Hilton:
Hilton continued to be a reliable slot cornerback for the Steelers with three tackles and two passes defended. What might have been the most impressive play of the day was his coverage on David Njoku on a third down. Hilton challenged the pass and brought down Njoku without any problem to force a fourth down in the fourth quarter.
What's amazing about that? Njoku is 6-foot-4 and Hilton is 5-foot-9.
Sean Davis:
Davis played a remarkable game and reinforced why the coaches showed faith in him adjusting to free safety. He was consistently in position, never missed a tackle, had two passes defended, five tackles, and was the only player to see every defensive snap. The two defended passes were crucial, as they were both solid throws to Njoku deep downfield.
The second defended pass, in overtime, was special. On third down, Taylor saw the Steelers' Cover 3 and threw to the typical soft spot of that coverage with a pass in the seam to Njoku. But Davis read Taylor the whole way and jumped the pass to swat it away, taking away a big play and forcing the Browns to punt.
If Davis continues to grow here, the safety could flip from being one of the Steelers' biggest problems last season to one of their best assets.
THE ROAD AHEAD
• The Steelers' defense had a good showing despite the Browns' 21 points. Six turnovers typically lead to a lot more points.
But the defense didn't break, even in overtime when Roethlisberger committed his fifth turnover with a fumble that gave the Browns the ball at the Steelers' 24-yard-line with the chance to win the game.
• If nothing else, the Steelers' 2017 draft class looked to be a brilliant group. Watt had four sacks, 11 tackles and a game-saving blocked kick; Smith-Schuster had five catches for 119 yards; Conner had 192 all-purpose yards in his starting debut; and Sutton had a game-saving interception to go along with a key pass defended. Right now, that draft class looks to be well ahead of schedule.
• Roethlisberger still struggled against a Williams-led defense. I covered it last week in Carter's Classroom, highlighting his 4-1 record against Williams in his career. Though Roethlisberger holds the edge in record, in six games he's now thrown six touchdowns and seven interceptions, as well as taking 18 sacks. The Steelers need Roethlisberger to be elite this season and justify putting faith in him to run Randy Fichtner's offense. They'll get a second chance against Andy Reid's Chiefs.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers at Browns, Cleveland, Sept. 9, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS