Keith Butler's revamped plan for the Steelers' defense was the story of the offseason, and now it's the target of worry after failing to stop a top passing offense in the Chiefs:
The increased use of defensive backs is supposed to put an end to those worries, but that didn't happen against the Chiefs. The Steelers had matchup problems occur, but not in as many spots as you might think.
The main issues occured in the middle of the field. The players we focus on for this will be Jon Bostic, Vince Williams, Morgan Burnett and Terrell Edmunds. Bostic and Williams are the traditional 3-4 inside linebackers who stop the run and rush the passer, while Burnett and Edmunds are the aggressive safeties who can cover without sacrificing too much against the run.
The Steelers' defensive philosophy hasn't changed in the sense they still believe in stopping the run on early downs. By winning the early downs, you put yourself in a better position to win on the crucial downs by forcing offenses into predictable passing situations.
That means putting linebackers in to stop the run and getting defensive backs in to stop the pass.
Take this 31-yard pass to Travis Kelce. The play starts with Patrick Mahomes under center and having two running backs behind him with a tight end. That's an old-school I-formation that generally calls for a 3-4 defense.
But watch as Mahomes motions them out of the backfield and switches Kelce over to Bostic's side. He gets Kelce in a one-on-one matchup with Bostic, who does a good job initially engaging Kelce but can't run with him that far down the field:
Bostic was added to the defense because he was adequate in coverage. He knows his assignments and can at least fulfill that expected role. But we all know he's not Ryan Shazier — he can't do both nearly as well. Bostic's primary contribution to the team comes against the run. His keen instincts at gap integrity and downhill, attacking style make for a decent player against the run.
Watch how he plays this stretched run that goes multiple gaps across the field. Kareem Hunt examines which holes he can hit, and at one point, he sees two openings to choose from. But Bostic scraped down the line and saw them, too. He exhibits the right mix of patience and urgency to not commit to a gap until Hunt does. When Hunt makes his move, Bostic is all over it and nabs a tackle for loss:
That's real value to keep a downhill runner such as Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing in 2017, from picking up steam. Compare that to when the Steelers needed Burnett to play that interior position next to Williams, and Hunt ran for 9 yards. Burnett looked lost and was late to his gap, allowing the easy gain:
The dilemma is in which part of the defense Butler wants to sacrifice — the run or the pass — by deciding to put more defensive backs or more linebackers in his formations. In time, he hopes to give up neither. To do that, the defensive backs must become familiar enough with their gap responsibilities to stop the run, while the linebackers must be ready enough to call out switches in coverage when they need help.
That's not something you can do overnight, especially against offenses run by Andy Reid, who adds new wrinkles every year. The switches like you saw on the Kelce 31-yard pass will happen and put defenses in tough situations.
But part of those tough situations involve players being in the right spots and still not getting the job done. The Chiefs' third touchdown came when the Steelers called a zero-coverage blitz, and Butler managed to confuse the Chiefs' offensive line while also having everyone in coverage at the right position.
The blitz forced an early pass to Hunt in the flat, where Edmunds was waiting, but Edmunds hesitates too much and Hunt runs right through him:
Edmunds, having played in just his second NFL game, is going to have teachable moments like this one, but Butler is banking he'll develop into a dependable player who makes tackles in those situations. Even when the right play was called, mistakes happened Sunday.
Every season is a learning process that takes time for players to jell. Bostic, Burnett and Edmunds all are still learning how to play in the defense, and their snap counts show that. Edmunds has played roughly 72 percent of the team's snaps, while both Bostic and Burnett have played approximately 62 percent.
Williams has seen all but one defensive snap this season because of how comfortable he is within the scheme. In time, the Steelers have to see if their other players in the middle can catch up to that pace and turn from being liabilities into assets, while fulfilling their assignments.
Butler's vision for the defense is to reduce predictability and maximize the skill sets on the field, confusing quarterbacks with various looks. It's risky because of games like the loss to the Chiefs. But it's ambitious, because if he builds the defense to fit that vision, it makes them part of the new era of NFL defenses.