Losing to the Cleveland Browns never sits well with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Seeing T.J. Watt get outplayed by Myles Garrett took fans from pissed off to apoplectic. There is zero love and little respect for the guy who once tried to assault Mason Rudolph with his own helmet. But that’s not the direction I want to go in here. Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin and Head Coach (and de facto DC) Mike Tomlin have work to do. How do they get T.J. Watt away from constant chips and double teams?
Watt’s recent inability to get to the quarterback is not for lack of effort. But imagine if you will, what it must be like to know that in every passing situation you’re going to see a chip from a running back or tight end. This is then followed by the offensive tackle and in some cases, you may have to deal with a guard who has peeled back. I don’t care who you are, that’s a tall task to conquer every time the QB drops back.
So How Do the Steelers Get Watt Free From This?
The easy answer is that you move him around and allow him to just use his natural abilities to get to the passer. Austin has done this sparingly.
Part of the problem with this solution is that you then rely on other guys to contain and set edges against the run should it come. Oftentimes these guys, whether a defensive lineman or in some cases a defensive back, may not be the most reliable in this sense.
We can also suggest that Alex Highsmith’s absence has been a significant factor in the problem. I think it definitely has but Nick Herbig – as a pass rusher – has been more than competent. The addition of veteran Preston Smith has also helped with Highsmith out but I’m of the opinion that the real problem is coming from the inside.
Offensive coordinators who will deploy guards to peel back on Watt are doing so for one important reason. The defensive line is not getting the push necessary to make coordinators nervous. Look back at Thursday night. How often did Jameis Winston have a clean pocket in those initial three to four seconds after the snap? The answer is “quite often.”
That means Keannu Benton, Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi, who see most of the snaps, have to start getting more interior pressure. If they continue not to, then opposing offenses will continue to feel confident in peeling guards back. This right here is the biggest reason in my opinion as to why Watt is seeing so many blockers. But that’s “on the field.” What about off of it?
Austin continues to rush just four guys more often than not. Some simple math will tell you that the offense is already at an advantage with five blockers vs four rushers. Add in a running back or chipping tight end and you see the problem. I think we all understand Austin – and Tomlin’s approach – which is to drop seven and rush four.
But sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone. After 11 games, the tape is out there which means you have to adjust. That said, adjustments won’t matter if you aren’t pushing the pocket from the interior. Until that happens more consistently, T.J. Is going to keep seeing what he’s seeing now which is a plethora of guys between him and the quarterback.
