Steelers’ defense counting on improvement
PITTSBURGH – When asked if he was happy with the state of his secondary heading into Monday night’s regular-season opener at Washington, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t pull any punches.
“Ask me about midnight or so on Monday,” Tomlin said. “I’m comfortable with where are guys are, but the proof is in the pudding. I’ve always been a believer in that. We can sit around in these types of settings and scare ourselves with that, or we can sit around in these types of settings and talk about how great the unit is. The reality is the tape is going to be their walking, talking, breathing resume. They’re focused on providing good tape, and I’m focused on watching them provide good tape.”
Tomlin just as easily could have been talking about his team’s defense as a whole.
The Steelers ranked 21st in total defense in 2015, three spots lower than it had the previous season. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it was worse.
The Steelers allowed an average of three points per game less last season than they had in 2014 thanks largely to an increase in takeaways, from 21 to 30.
But those can’t be counted on from season to season.
It leads to the question, how will this defense be better than it was in 2015?
Defensive end Cam Heyward, who in just his sixth season is now the third-most tenured starter behind cornerback William Gay and inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons, thinks the key is some young starters are going to get better.
“I think we’ve got a great group,” said Heyward, who expects to play against the Redskins despite suffering a sprained ankle two weeks ago.
“We’ve got (defensive end Stephon) Tuitt coming back. We’ve got (inside linebacker Ryan Shazier) with another year under his belt. We’ve got all these guys who might have played a little bit and were starting for the first time. Now, they get to start full-time another year. We’re going to take another jump.”
To do that, the Steelers will need improvement by Shazier and Tuitt, their first two picks of the 2014 draft, and a couple of draft picks this year.
Pittsburgh will break in two new starters, veteran Robert Golden at strong safety and rookie Javon Hargrave, a third-round draft pick, at nose tackle. And considering Pittsburgh plays its nickel defense about 70 percent of the time, fifth defensive back Sean Davis, another rookie, is a defacto starter.
Golden played a decent amount last season along with every other defensive back on the roster, including Ross Cockrell, who was signed just before last season began. That’s why the team doesn’t view him as a new starter.
“I don’t really think I’m playing with any new guys, really, outside of the rookies,” said strong safety Mike Mitchell. “Everybody that is here, I’ve been with in stadiums in crucial moments. It’s just going to be the group that we have continuing to progress and get better.”
Davis, a second-round draft pick, moved into the nickel role after Senquez Golson, a second-round pick a year ago, was injured early in training camp. Golson missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, so one way or another, the Steelers were going to start an untested player as their nickel cornerback.
Davis, a safety by trade, knows opponents will go after him, starting this week with the Redskins.
“I expect that. I expect it at practice every day going against Ben (Roethlisberger),” Davis said. “I just plan on holding my own and doing my job to the best of my ability, playing fast and having fun. That’s all I can do.”
Davis joins a secondary that ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass last year but improved as the season wore on. The Steelers allowed 272 yards passing per game but held five of their final seven opponents – including the playoffs – under that total. Three opponents passed for less than 200 yards.
“I think there’s a lot of upside in our group,” said Heyward. “I think the thing we can really take from last year is we started off one way and continued to rise. Who’s to say we can’t start from where we rose to last year and continue to rise even more? Who’s to say we can’t?
“I know we’ve got a great offense but it comes down to game time and we need a play. Who’s to say the defense can’t make that play? When you have a good defense, you’re going to win games and you’re going to win championships. No offense to our offense, I know they’re going to have a great year, but our defense can be the top defense.”
Heyward and right tackle Marcus Gilbert (elbow) each practiced Wednesday. … The Steelers signed veteran running back David Cobb to the practice squad Wednesday, releasing running back Cameron Stingily. Cobb, who spent his rookie season with Tennessee last year, was cut by the Titans last weekend. … Tight end Ladarius Green, who is on the physically unable to perform list, has changed his number from 80 to 89.