The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to pick up a win in Week 1, albeit under stressful circumstances. It required a fourth-quarter comeback against the New York Jets, largely due to a leaky defense that underperformed.
In the aftermath of the 34-32 victory, linebacker Patrick Queen emphasized that his side of the ball needs to be better. Head coach Mike Tomlin echoed that sentiment, further explaining that one particular area struggled.
Mike Tomlin Addresses Steelers’ Need for Better Run Defense
Speaking to the media on Sunday afternoon, Tomlin said the run defense wasn’t good enough. Old friend Justin Fields and the Jets’ stable of halfbacks achieved too much success.
“We weren’t good enough in the running game, particularly the RPO running game,” Tomlin said. “We didn’t put enough pressure on Justin.”
In all, New York toted the ball 39 times to the tune of 182 yards. An average of 4.7 yards per carry is good, yet not quite elite. With that said, the mark was 5.0 in the opening half of play. Fields managed just 48 yards on his 12 carries, but a pair of touchdowns kept victory within reach. Running back Breece Hall had 107 yards on 19 attempts.
When asked whether the struggles were due to schematics or simply good plays being made, Tomlin weaved them in together.
“It was both,” Tomlin said. “There were instances [when] weren’t good enough. When he walked in on the keeper, on the touchdown, for example. There were some instances where he simply won. We had an appropriate number of people, and that’s what’s challenging about quarterback mobility — particularly the plus-one running game when it’s designed runs. There’s not a lot of gang-tackling under those circumstances. There’s a bunch of one-on-one football. When big-time athletes get in one-on-one circumstances, oftentimes they win. He showed us some of that. Not that we were surprised by that. That was on our team a year ago.”
According to rbsdm.com, the Jets posted a healthy 0.08 EPA/play on rushes. Paired with a 47% success rate, that’s unacceptable from an elite defense.
Tomlin knows it, hence his disappointment despite a win for the team.
Factors That Could Help Pittsburgh Improve Shaky Week 1 Run Defense
Fortunately, a few things are working in the Steelers’ favor. One of them could be the eventual debut of rookie lineman Derrick Harmon. The club’s first-round pick continues to rehab an MCL sprain, missing the last week of practice. Because he didn’t go on injured reserve, though, he is eligible to play whenever he’s deemed healthy. His practice participation and subsequent progression in return-to-play protocol will be worth monitoring.
Secondly, history is on Pittsburgh’s side. Teryl Austin’s defense ranked seventh in EPA/rush allowed last year at -0.09, per SumerSports. Only five teams surrendered fewer yards on the ground during the season. That isn’t due to an inherent need to pass, either, as the Steelers’ offense lacked explosion or elite-level quarterback play. Opponents absolutely could’ve played at their own pace.
Third, the Jets are pretty easily the most daunting run offense Pittsburgh will face before its Week 5 bye. Upcoming games against the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings feature units that ranked 19th, 25th and 26th, respectively, in EPA/rush a season ago. Positive regression thanks to lesser competition figures to help.
Even after a win, there’s plenty of room for improvement.
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