For a long time, the Steelers have been known to play defense in a way that emphasizes talent over schematics. But over the past three weeks, the Steelers have changed things up pretty drastically, which has made them the second-most efficient pass defense over that span.
So, what gives? Why this change?
I asked Teryl Austin about this very thing on Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, and the answer should be music to your ears:
"Yeah, I think that being able to be flexible in what we do and how we stop people is important," Austin said. "If I'm an offensive coordinator and I say, 'Hey, listen, I can book these guys for this every time,' they'll be able to devise plays to get into the type of situations they want to get into, and then it just becomes a my guy might be better than yours on this play. But I think if we can -- and I can -- continue to mix it up and not give them something that they can just, 'Okay, hey, this is what we have,' that gives us an advantage because I do, and I stand up here and I've said it before, I think we have good players. And so that allows them to play, and not play at a disadvantage. And so I got to continue to try to do my best for our guys to get them in the best position so they can perform."
That whole "my guy might be better than yours" has consistently been an issue with this defense, particularly this season. When the Steelers signed Darius Slay and traded for Jalen Ramsey, it became all about the whole "coverage people" mantra, in which they'd just man up and cover anyone on the other side.
Well, the Bengals smashed that to pieces in Week 7. The Packers did something similar the next week.
But since Week 9, the Steelers have consistently shuffled their coverages and blitz usage. Here's what their season averages looked like over the first eight weeks of the season:
But just when you think the Colts game might have been some sort of outlier, the Austin cooked up an even more drastic change from what had been known as the norm:
Part of the reason for the changes has been keeping Ramsey put at safety. Austin talked Thursday about how him staying in one position, though he's good enough to play all three, has made it easier on everyone else.
In addition, as I reported previously, Austin's taken more feedback from players in recent weeks, which could also be a reason for the changes we're seeing.
Either way, actual change has taken place. And Austin's admission of needing to put guys in the best spots being more important than just having better players is an indictment on the mindset the team started with at the outset of the season.
For all parties involved, that's a very good thing.
THE ASYLUM
Austin offers refreshing, necessary approach
For a long time, the Steelers have been known to play defense in a way that emphasizes talent over schematics. But over the past three weeks, the Steelers have changed things up pretty drastically, which has made them the second-most efficient pass defense over that span.
So, what gives? Why this change?
I asked Teryl Austin about this very thing on Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, and the answer should be music to your ears:
"Yeah, I think that being able to be flexible in what we do and how we stop people is important," Austin said. "If I'm an offensive coordinator and I say, 'Hey, listen, I can book these guys for this every time,' they'll be able to devise plays to get into the type of situations they want to get into, and then it just becomes a my guy might be better than yours on this play. But I think if we can -- and I can -- continue to mix it up and not give them something that they can just, 'Okay, hey, this is what we have,' that gives us an advantage because I do, and I stand up here and I've said it before, I think we have good players. And so that allows them to play, and not play at a disadvantage. And so I got to continue to try to do my best for our guys to get them in the best position so they can perform."
That whole "my guy might be better than yours" has consistently been an issue with this defense, particularly this season. When the Steelers signed Darius Slay and traded for Jalen Ramsey, it became all about the whole "coverage people" mantra, in which they'd just man up and cover anyone on the other side.
Well, the Bengals smashed that to pieces in Week 7. The Packers did something similar the next week.
But since Week 9, the Steelers have consistently shuffled their coverages and blitz usage. Here's what their season averages looked like over the first eight weeks of the season:
• Man coverage: 38.7% (5th)
• Zone coverage: 58.7% (28th)
• Middle-field closed (one-high): 63% (3rd)
• Middle-field open (two-high): 37% (30th)
• Cover 0: 3.6% (T-12th)
• Cover 1: 28.9% (6th)
• Cover 2: 9.5% (28th)
• Cover 2 man: 4.9% (5th)
• Cover 3: 33.4% (11th)
• Cover 4: 11.5% (24th)
• Cover 6: 4.3% (28th)
• Blitz rate: 36.1% (3rd)
That's a heavy single-high, man coverage, high-blitz defense. And there wasn't much volatility throughout those eight weeks.
Conversely, here's what the Steelers trotted out against the Colts in Week 9:
• Man coverage: 28.6% ๐
• Zone coverage: 69.6% ๐
• Middle-field closed (one-high): 51.8% ๐
• Middle-field open (two-high): 48.2% ๐
• Cover 0: 1.8% ๐
• Cover 1: 25% ๐
• Cover 2: 12.5% ๐
• Cover 2 man: 1.8% ๐
• Cover 3: 26.8% ๐
• Cover 4: 12.5% ๐
• Cover 6: 17.9% ๐๐๐
• Blitz rate: 25% ๐
That's pretty significant change. Then the next week, the Steelers went right back to doing some of the same stuff we saw over the first eight weeks:
• Man coverage: 47.5% ๐
• Zone coverage: 52.5% ๐
• Middle-field closed (one-high): 72.5% ๐
• Middle-field open (two-high): 27.5%
• Cover 0: 0% ๐
• Cover 1: 45% ๐
• Cover 2: 12.5% ๐
• Cover 2 man: 2.5% ๐
• Cover 3: 27.5% ๐
• Cover 4: 10% ๐
• Cover 6: 2.5% ๐
• Blitz rate: 32.5% ๐
But just when you think the Colts game might have been some sort of outlier, the Austin cooked up an even more drastic change from what had been known as the norm:
• Man coverage: 9.8% ๐๐๐
• Zone coverage: 82.9% ๐๐๐
• Middle-field closed (one-high): 29.3% ๐๐๐
• Middle-field open (two-high): 70.7% ๐๐๐
• Cover 0: 0%
• Cover 1: 7.3% ๐๐๐
• Cover 2: 31.7% ๐๐
• Cover 2 man: 2.4%
• Cover 3: 22% ๐
• Cover 4: 14.6% ๐๐๐
• Cover 6: 14.6% ๐๐๐
• Blitz rate: 14.6% ๐๐
Part of the reason for the changes has been keeping Ramsey put at safety. Austin talked Thursday about how him staying in one position, though he's good enough to play all three, has made it easier on everyone else.
In addition, as I reported previously, Austin's taken more feedback from players in recent weeks, which could also be a reason for the changes we're seeing.
Either way, actual change has taken place. And Austin's admission of needing to put guys in the best spots being more important than just having better players is an indictment on the mindset the team started with at the outset of the season.
For all parties involved, that's a very good thing.
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