Thirteen games are in the books for the Steelers in 2022. With playing those 13 games across a stretch of 14 weeks comes the usual nicks, dings, and cracks in the fortified armor that composes the makeup of the defense.
The most inherent part of tackling and playing defense is contact. When any player is 13 games into a 17-game schedule, the wear and tear of that grind can begin to show.
Sometimes, it's OK to remember that these players are human, after all, and that some of the physical toll can show this late in the season.
But, with four games remaining on the schedule, the basics can always prevail in helping a defense remember its identity and brand of football which it is built upon.
Take what Alex Highsmith said Wednesday as an example, when it comes to the Steelers' defense attacking the ball, rather than waiting for the ball to come to them:
"Physicality, staying in our gaps, making the pile fall back," Highsmith said. "Attacking guys. We didn't do that enough last game, so we know it's going to be a point of emphasis this game because they have a really good running game, division of backs."
And it is the renewed focus on being physical and being the aggressor which the Steelers' defense needs to employ if they want to recoup a winning season -- read: prevent Mike Tomlin's first losing season ever as the Steelers' head coach.
"We're just trying to win games," Cam Heyward said Thursday. "That's the last thing on our mind. Obviously you don't want to be the team that does that, but just got to win. That's all I can focus on, and trying to win every play, try to win the game, try to win every quarter. That's all we can do."
If the Steelers want to win plays, games, and quarters, then the run defense has to improve. And that starts with being physical up front.
As our Chris Halicke wrote on Thursday, the Steelers' run defense has slipped to 15th in the NFL with 115.8 rushing yards allowed per game. Each of the team's last two opponents -- the Falcons and the Ravens -- rank inside the top four within the NFL in rushing yards per game. Carolina hardly presents an easier challenge than the previous two, as the Panthers rank 13th in the league with 124.9 rushing yards per game, and this is considering the trading of all-world running back Christian McCaffrey in late October.
These recent results for the Steelers come from the course of bodies of work within games, of course, but there were situations which the Steelers knew the run was coming and still could not stop it. Teryl Austin was asked specifically on Thursday about the final series of Sunday's 16-14 loss against Baltimore, in which the Steelers had a chance to get the ball back to its offense for one potential final possession.
On that final defensive series, the Ravens handed the ball off three times in a row to Gus Edwards, who churned for gains of 6, 1, and 6 yards, gaining a first down and effectively ending the game.
"We didn't get it done," Austin said. "I'm not going to sit and say who did what or whatever. They just had a -- they did a better job than we did in that instance. When we get those situations, we've got to be able to rise up and make them and get guys in the right spots. We just didn't get it done. We knew they were running it, and we didn't get it done."
It has not been a matter of scheme versus execution, as Austin illustrates:
"Last two weeks weren't good, and obviously we know that," Austin said. "I think the biggest thing with run defense is, a lot of times you can chalk it up to scheme, but really it's a lot of times of guys just hitting guys, getting their hands off, getting their hands on the offensive guys, and getting off blocks and making tackles, and we didn't do that enough in the last two weeks. Get our hands on guys, knock people backwards, get off the block, and make the tackle, and that's really where it is. If we don't do a good job of it this week we'll be sitting, singing the same song.
"So I expect our guys to come out and really make sure they get their hands on people, and that's not just the front. We're talking about linebackers, we're talking about DBs and crack blocks and all the other stuff. Everybody's involved in the run game. We've got to make sure we're physical, knocking guys back, putting our hands on them, getting off blocks, and making tackles. And that's really what the game comes down to. It's not a scheme, it's not anything like that. We've just got to be able to do that better."
The Steelers will need that total level of effort from all three levels on Sunday. Carolina is as one-dimensional as it gets on offense, and the lessons from the defeats to Atlanta and Baltimore need be applied in this vain.
"Just get ready for Sunday," Heyward said. "We didn't play well last Sunday. Got a chance to address it this Sunday."
MORE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE
• In his weekly news conference, Austin discussed the impact of losing Chris Wormley to a knee injury. He had mentioned that it is now time for the younger defensive linemen to step in, and specifically, he mentioned Isaiahh Loudermilk, DeMarvin Leal, and Carlos Davis as three who are expected to slot in right away in his absence.
"It's going to be -- it's like anything," Austin said. "You hate to lose a guy that's really starter capable. Played a lot of football for us, actually had a really good game going last week, you know, sack, fumble caused, things like that. Plus you have a guy that's been around and really good leadership and qualities like that. We'll see how it feels, but some of the younger guys are going to have to step up, and that's kind of the good and bad of this game. You hate to lose a good guy; that's the bad part. But the good part is some young guys have an opportunity to step up and really, you know, show themselves and show what kind of football players they're going to be."
• Austin talked about the lack of splash plays being made by his linebackers:
"I wish I could attribute it to something," Austin said. "I know we work. The guys work hard. We just aren't making the plays. ... You love splash plays. You love turnovers that give the team momentum, that stop the other team's momentum, all those good things, and we just haven't been getting them. Maybe, hopefully, in these next couple weeks we can get some things going, but we just haven't. It hasn't occurred."
• Austin shared his perspective on why Carolina has had success running the ball after the McCaffrey trade:
"I think they have a commitment to really running it in a different style of running game then when they had McCaffrey," Austin said. "They're going to try to get four hands on a couple different linemen and get some push inside and let the big back move the pile. So it may not be as explosive and as sexy as when McCaffrey was in there, but it really is effective and it continues to move the chains, and I think that's really what they're doing. They're holding the ball a little bit longer, and they're able to move it that way. Instead of having a bunch of 20, 25-yard runs they're going to have a bunch of 6-to-7-yard runs and keep the chains moving. I think that's probably why it's probably been a little bit more effective."
