Steelers’ unsung heroes deserve so much more credit in win over Buccaneers
The Pittsburgh Steelers did the thing. With every single living being in this world (possibly an exaggeration) picking against them on Sunday, they pulled off the upset. They did so the good ol' Steeler way. Playing smash-mouth football on defense. By now you've probably heard all about the quarterback controversy and the remarkable performance of […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers did the thing. With every single living being in this world (possibly an exaggeration) picking against them on Sunday, they pulled off the upset. They did so the good ol' Steeler way.
Playing smash-mouth football on defense.
By now you've probably heard all about the quarterback controversy and the remarkable performance of wide receiver Chase Claypool. And yes, both of those deserve attention and analysis. But make no mistake about it, this was a defensive win.
Specifically, there's a group of unsung heroes that deserve the "game ball" for their performance. The Steelers' linebackers.
Myles Jack and Devin Bush excelled in tackling, combining for eight stops per Pro Football Focus stats. Not to mention that Alex Highsmith got himself a sack. But no, that's not why they deserve the biggest of shoutouts here.
No, they deserve it because they denied Tom Brady and his friends multiple times in pass coverage.
Four different linebackers were credited with a pass break-up each and they all came in key spots, too. That doesn't even include Devin Bush, who broke up the Bucs' two-point conversion at the end of the game to secure the win!
Highsmith, Jack, Robert Spillane, and Malik Reed all got on the stat sheet with PBUs for Pittsburgh.
All of them were huge. In the red zone, Jack channeled his inner Michael Jordan to go airborne and deny Cameron Brate of what would've been a touchdown grab.
Spillane's breakup also came in the red zone as Brady targeted tight end Cade Otton in the third quarter. Spillane wasn't filled by the Bucs' play-action and followed the rookie step by step before getting swatting down the ball. The breakup prevented another would've-been-a-touchdown pass.
Spillane has been blasted for his coverage time and time again, and it's been fair criticism. But that was a great play right there.
When all your linebackers – outside and inside – can play this kind of coverage against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time AND you can generate pressure without blitzing, good things will happen for you.
Without this performance from these guys, the Steelers don't win on Sunday. Period.
To sum things up, here's A to Z Sports Managing Editor Evan Winter's one-liner for you:
Featured image via Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
