“Defense is so huge on building continuity and understanding where everybody is - and not only just your job, but everybody else,” Watt said. The only holdovers on the back end were outside corner Levi Wallace and Kazee, who got the reps in place of Fitzpatrick while he took a veteran’s day off. In seven-on-seven drills Thursday, the defense rolled out a new strong safety ( Keanu Neal), a new outside cornerback ( Patrick Peterson), a new slot corner ( Duke Dawson) and two new inside linebackers ( Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts). Now, if the Steelers are going to pick up where they left off last year, it starts in Latrobe.īut beyond that obvious fact, which was underscored last year, the Steelers are counting on several new pieces coming together in order to create a malleable defense with a number of interchangeable pieces. After allowing a league-worst 55 completions of 20-plus yards through the first eight games, the Steelers gave up just six such plays over the final nine games. Maybe most importantly, the number of big plays declined significantly. Their third-down defense transformed into the fifth-best in the league, allowing opponents to convert just 35 percent of opportunities. They created the eighth-most turnovers (14) and produced the fifth-most sacks (25). And, of course, the schedule also got easier.Īs a result, over the final nine games, the Steelers limited opponents to 16.6 points per game, which ranked fourth. Defensive back Damontae Kazee came back, which allowed Pittsburgh to showcase its effective three-safety package. Watt returned from injury, and so too did the pass rush. If you want a reason for optimism entering this season, look no further than the second half of last year. And on third down, the Steelers ranked 18th, allowing opponents to convert on 39.4 percent of their third downs. In the red zone, opponents scored a touchdown on 55.3 percent of attempts, which ranked 17th. Overall, the unit ranked 10th in scoring (20.4 points per game), 14th in takeaways (23) and 14th in sacks (40). Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick and now Highsmith over the course of the last several offseasons, the Steelers’ defense is sure to face similar scrutiny to what it did last season, when the phrase “highest-paid defense” was used more often as a chirp than a compliment.Īnd it’s true: It would be hard to argue the defense lived up to its cap hit over the 17-game season. One way or another, after locking up T.J. Alex is not only an ascending player, but I'm confident that him and his wife Alyssa they're going to be very impactful in this community." Omar Khan on the Alex Highsmith extension: "I'm really fired up that we got that deal done. “If there’s a good player and he deserves to get paid, it’s my job to lock him up.” “We don’t really look at it that way,” Khan said when asked if he’s intentionally trying to zag when the rest of the league is zigging. At the same time, you can spend a little more on defense when enjoying the extra cap room that comes with a quarterback on a rookie deal, surrounded by skill position players who are also on cost-controlled contracts. Several talented defensive players have been up for new deals in recent years. But to general manager Omar Khan, it’s more so a byproduct of the situation he inherited. To the outside, it could appear the Steelers are going against the trend in a quarterback-driven league that’s emphasizing offense. Manipulating your audiences to promote personal agendas says more about you, than what you attack.Overlooked no more, Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith isn't easing up after big payday They were only trying to give to the community. Your games didn't hurt me directly, but you devastated my new friend and his team. I found that comment amusing since Bosnian Bill actually designed The Ultimate Pick Se t, our largest set, as well as, influencing several other sets. the 'sets' are laden with way too much dead weight." He went on: "I'll go a step further and say that there's not a single Peterson "set" that I can recommend. Not to be outdone, The Lockpicking Lawyer competed for BILL'S EGO AWARD by supporting Bosnians Bills position. Oh well, his loyalties and opinions have definately changed. His pimping for a new "manufacturing buddy" is obvious. He even attacked the pick case which he had spoken well of in the past. Shortly after the launch of this well thought out design, Bosnian Bill soundly attacked the product. They were positive & happy to help and to help others. They spent a lot of time developing that design for you, our customers. Recently a pick design (The Mayor) was created by a team of experienced lockpickers.
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