One thing's for sure: Devin Bush isn't playing like the guy the Steelers drafted from Michigan, or even like the guy they saw in his first 21 NFL games.
Bush's rookie season saw him burst onto the scene to lead the Steelers with 109 tackles, becoming just the second rookie in team history to do that along with Thomas Everett in 1987. The 109 tackles also were 22nd-most of anyone, ranking above some very good 100-tackle seasons from the likes of James Farrior, Levon Kirkland, Kendrell Bell and Lawrence Timmons.
So what happened for him to fall so far in 2021?
An obvious part of the answer is his torn ACL injury that he's worked to rehabilitate since the injury happened on Oct. 18, 2020. That might seem like a long 13 months to the layman, but it's also a tricky injury, even with modern medicine.
As Mike Tomlin said at his Tuesday press conference, "You look at some of the similar injuries that are going on around the league, guys that are in similar circumstances, they're participating much less. Unfortunately, I saw Bud Dupree, for instance, was placed on IR last week, and Saquon Barkley and others. Zach Banner, on our team, is still working his way back."
ACL injuries are especially tricky for those who depend on moving fast, cutting quickly to dart in different directions and playing aggressively on defense. That's who Bush is when he's been at his best. His profile on tape pre-injury was that of a fast, aggressive defender who could tackle in space and was developing into a cover linebacker. His presence and seven tackles against the Giants in the 2020 season opener played a huge role in limiting Barkley to 6 yards on 15 carries, the lowest yardage by any running back who'd had 15 carries in NFL history.
But since Bush has been back, he hasn't been the same. Through 10 games, he has 46 tackles, fifth-most on the team, and a pace for 78 by season's end. As the year's progressed, in fact, he's looked less and less confident.
"It’s been spotty at times," Tomlin said of Bush's play. "It hasn’t been at the level of consistency that he would like or we would like. But he’s had some challenges from a health standpoint, working back from the injuries and things that he has. He was the Ed Block Courage Award winner for his ability to come back. ... We want more from him. He wants more from himself. But we are appreciative that he's put himself in position to be available and is playing as much as he is and is having the level of consistent availability and production that he is."
When Tomlin describes Bush's play as spotty, it's because he's had some good weeks this season and hasn't been nearly as ineffective as he's been in recent weeks. He began the season with ten tackles against the Bills, looking closer to being back to 100 percent than many anticipated. Watch this play from the Steelers' opener against the Bills when he bounced outside on a run to limit a run to 2 yards:
That's the kind of playmaking ability the Steelers traded up to get from Bush at tenth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He finished that game with ten tackles. But it hasn't come consistently this year, as Tomlin said.
Look back at that play again and notice where Bush's head is pointed and how it relates to when his feet start tp get moving to make the play. You can see he's properly read his keys to diagnose the run and used his athleticism to get in front of the play to stuff Devin Singletary.
While the season has progressed, Bush has regressed. He's looked less sure of what key he's supposed to read, and as a result, slower to attack. Watch this tackle he makes in the hole against Justin Jackson. You can see him scrape down the line, looking to make a play, but more timidly than the time he did a similar task against the Bills in the earlier clip:
It didn't result in noticeable problems there, but the Chargers had no problem exploiting the rest of the game as Austin Ekeler scored four touchdowns.
Part of what I've noticed over the weeks is how Bush has got slower and slower to diagnose the offensive plays in front of him. That's become an increasing problem from the Steelers' defensive line being depleted from injury and leading to Bush getting hit early and often on run plays by interior offensive linemen before he can get going to use his speed to eliminate a play.
Bush isn't a block shedding linebacker who excels at being extra physical at the point of attack to beat guards and centers when they get their hands on him at the second level. His strength comes when he's able to roam freely and build momentum in his movement to attack opponents. Injuries to Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu, Carlos Davis and Isaiahh Loudermilk have severely depleted the Steelers' depth on the defensive line in front of him. That's led to backup reserves getting blown up on the line to allow blockers to get to Bush, or starters getting exhausted from their job.
A prime example of the latter came in this touchdown run by Ekeler. It was just one play after Cameron Heyward chased down Justin Herbert on a 38-yard run and was probably gassed and trying to catch his breath. The Chargers do the smart thing of assigning two blockers to double team him and then one chips to Bush to seal him out of the play:
It was a good play by the Chargers, and it struck right at the Steelers' weakness in that situation.
When looking at highlights from games, some might think that Bush's biggest problems are his missed tackles, but they pale in comparison to his problems with positioning. For example, both Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference, noted that Bush only has four missed tackles this season. That's a missed tackle rate of 8.7 percent, which is nothing alarming. But tack that onto his other issues with being slower in recognizing offenses this year, and you have problems.
Bush's problem with blockers isn't unique to him, as several linebackers struggled when linemen were allowed to get to them early and often in the second level of the defense. Ray Lewis even campaigned to the Ravens' front office in the mid-2000s after Sam Adams and Tony Siragusa retired to replenish the defensive line in front of him so that he could get back to playing linebacker without linemen getting to him before he can diagnose a play.
But as Bush has experienced that adversity, he's become a gun shy linebacker who's unsure how to play his aggressive style when he could be attacking larger, bigger offensive linemen. You can notice on plays when someone has a clean shot at him, he doesn't find a way to disengage with the lineman or fight a way around them. That's become a problem that went from a noticeable issue to a glaring weakness over the past weeks.
Now, Bush struggles dealing with almost any player blocking him in the hole. Here's a play where tight end Jared Cook, came off the line clean and got to Bush before the third-year linebacker could get going on the play. But look at how late his feet were to react to the play, and then how when Cook's hands were on him he was virtually out of the play:
Plays like that have become far too common for the Steelers.
Bush still has the potential to still get back to the player he was for Pittsburgh through his first 21 games before being injured. But it starts with getting him back to reading the proper offensive keys each play and being ready to attack and fill lanes. If the Steelers can find a way to do that, maybe Bush will have time to get his confidence back and be the attacking linebacker that put offenses on their heels.
But until then, look for the Steelers to find alternative means to stop the run that protect Bush from having to be some extraordinary block shedder.
