Kyle Dugger was Omar Khan's only addition at the trade deadline. However, the move is paying dividends.
In the Steelers' 34-12 win over the Bengals on Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium, Dugger continued to provide solid, consistent play from the safety position. It's all he's done since he was acquired from the Patriots one week ahead of the deadline.
Only in this game, Dugger also provided splash in the form of a pick-six, giving the Steelers a 20-9 lead late in the third quarter:
"I didn't do too much," Dugger said after the game. "I was the free man on the play. He kind of threw it right to me."
See, that's where Dugger is wrong. Yeah, it was a horrific throw from Joe Flacco -- one that shouldn't be expected from a quarterback with his experience. But, it's no accident that Dugger just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
"He's a veteran player that's a been there, done that guy," Mike Tomlin said after the game. "That's why we coveted him at the trade deadline. He's been an asset to us certainly, and increasingly so. I'm excited about moving forward with him as he continues to get solid in assignments, communication and understanding."
The timeliness of this play mattered so much. Neither offense had done much to pull away in this game. Despite the heavy winds at Acrisure Stadium, the Bengals were in field goal range. The game is about to turn over to the fourth quarter. Without another defensive stop, it remains anyone's game.
The interception alone was a huge spark. And credit to the coaching staff for finally calling a coverage in which a safety rotated down into a Robber position, planting one zone defender in the middle of the field while the rest of the secondary and linebackers were in man coverage.
But, taking the interception back 74 yards is something else entirely. It immediately makes it a two-score game, forcing the Bengals to become one-dimensional when the passing game was hit-and-miss for them.
This is coming from a player that arrived in Pittsburgh and learned the defense enough over the span of two practices to play all but one snap against the Colts.
Jalen Ramsey has earned a lot of attention with the switch to safety. Though the move was necessary because of the attrition sustained at the position, Ramsey selflessly making the move to safety helped tie up a lot of loose ends in the secondary. And since the move, the Steelers have put up solid defensive performances against three offenses -- Colts, Chargers, and now Bengals -- that can put up points against nearly any team in the NFL.
However, the acquisition of Dugger also aligns with this recent surge by the defense. Ramsey gets the attention because he's a star and a potential Hall of Famer. But, it can't be overstated that Dugger has come in and made a great impact on this defense.
"He's a smart guy. He's an incredibly smart player," Patrick Queen told me after the game. "He's a football player. Having him is huge for our defense. Obviously, he got rewarded today. Those are things you love to see. But, we've gotta keep stacking this."
THE ASYLUM
The Big Play: Dugger robs Flacco, Bengals
Kyle Dugger was Omar Khan's only addition at the trade deadline. However, the move is paying dividends.
In the Steelers' 34-12 win over the Bengals on Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium, Dugger continued to provide solid, consistent play from the safety position. It's all he's done since he was acquired from the Patriots one week ahead of the deadline.
Only in this game, Dugger also provided splash in the form of a pick-six, giving the Steelers a 20-9 lead late in the third quarter:
"I didn't do too much," Dugger said after the game. "I was the free man on the play. He kind of threw it right to me."
See, that's where Dugger is wrong. Yeah, it was a horrific throw from Joe Flacco -- one that shouldn't be expected from a quarterback with his experience. But, it's no accident that Dugger just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
"He's a veteran player that's a been there, done that guy," Mike Tomlin said after the game. "That's why we coveted him at the trade deadline. He's been an asset to us certainly, and increasingly so. I'm excited about moving forward with him as he continues to get solid in assignments, communication and understanding."
The timeliness of this play mattered so much. Neither offense had done much to pull away in this game. Despite the heavy winds at Acrisure Stadium, the Bengals were in field goal range. The game is about to turn over to the fourth quarter. Without another defensive stop, it remains anyone's game.
The interception alone was a huge spark. And credit to the coaching staff for finally calling a coverage in which a safety rotated down into a Robber position, planting one zone defender in the middle of the field while the rest of the secondary and linebackers were in man coverage.
But, taking the interception back 74 yards is something else entirely. It immediately makes it a two-score game, forcing the Bengals to become one-dimensional when the passing game was hit-and-miss for them.
This is coming from a player that arrived in Pittsburgh and learned the defense enough over the span of two practices to play all but one snap against the Colts.
Jalen Ramsey has earned a lot of attention with the switch to safety. Though the move was necessary because of the attrition sustained at the position, Ramsey selflessly making the move to safety helped tie up a lot of loose ends in the secondary. And since the move, the Steelers have put up solid defensive performances against three offenses -- Colts, Chargers, and now Bengals -- that can put up points against nearly any team in the NFL.
However, the acquisition of Dugger also aligns with this recent surge by the defense. Ramsey gets the attention because he's a star and a potential Hall of Famer. But, it can't be overstated that Dugger has come in and made a great impact on this defense.
"He's a smart guy. He's an incredibly smart player," Patrick Queen told me after the game. "He's a football player. Having him is huge for our defense. Obviously, he got rewarded today. Those are things you love to see. But, we've gotta keep stacking this."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits!
We’d love to have you!