Tackling the ball carrier was the primary focus for Mike Tomlin throughout the team's training camp, and that has translated to positive results for the Steelers' defense.
We have focused on the Steelers' tackling issues all season with the War Room series because of the team's 2017 problems with bringing down players in space. So far, the Steelers have made any questions of tackling issues a non-factor.
The leading culprits in missed tackles so far are Joe Haden and Vince Williams. But no player has been a major liability the way that Sean Spence was last year at tackling in the hole or letting big plays spring loose. The fact both Jon Bostic and Williams lead the Steelers in tackling shows they're finding the ball and not losing in their gaps.
Now that we have a half-season to study, we have enough of a sample to get a better look at which Steelers are finding the ball and contributing on defense. Let's consider how many snaps each player has and compare that to the amount of tackles and missed tackles to determine how often they're getting to the ball.
Not only does Bostic lead the Steelers in tackles, but he finds the ball more efficiently than any other player. Between his 46 tackles and two missed tackles in just 352 snaps, Bostic has found the ball carrier 13.6 percent of the time he's on the field. The only player with at least 30 snaps who eclipses that percentage is L.J. Fort with 15.1 percent.
I focused on Bostic in October for his consistent play, and he continues to be one of the Steelers' most reliable defenders each week. Not only does he find the ball, he knows how to play through multiple gaps, find his spot and win against blockers.
Watch how he strafes down the line to take on a pulling guard and bring down Alex Collins. Notice his short and choppy shuffle steps that keep him in position, and then how he's able to sidestep the block and maintain his gap while making the solid tackle:
That's what he has been consistently good at, and it has helped the Steelers become the sixth-best run defense. Though Williams has missed six tackles, the amount of made tackles shows his 12.2 percent rate of finding the ball carrier. The Steelers need their inside linebackers to be the leaders in these categories, because it usually translates to stops within the 5-yard zone they usually play.
Keeping play in front of them has been a key factor to their success. But their defense also has thrived from players contributing like Bostic and Williams do all over the field. Mike Hilton is arguably the best example, finding the ball on 8.4 percent of his snaps. Hilton does this by having a nose for the ball and some of the best footwork. Watch how he shuffles in space to cover ground and bring down Lamar Jackson:
While the Steelers' secondary has done well as a whole in this regard, Hilton is the shining example of what Tomlin emphasized all training camp. Keith Butler's defense often has allowed receivers catch the ball in front of them, with the plan to tackle them for little gain and prevent opponents from moving the chains.
While the Steelers' defense have been very successful at winning on third downs, where they rank ninth, they help their cause by winning the early downs. Much of that comes from players like Hilton running around the field and making tackles quickly after those shorter receptions. Watch how Hilton gives Willie Snead a five-yard cushion, yet he is able to quickly explode on the route and bring down Snead for no yards after the catch:
While Hilton made that play by himself, you can see Haden come off his man to help Hilton should he miss. That's the team defense that's behind the Steelers' improvements. Winning individual matchups and tackle opportunities are important, but the bigger picture needs to be on how players work together.
When each player wins in their space, those wins stack up to maintain gaps and help each other against elusive runners. That helps the team contain screens and shorter passing plays that used to lead to big plays against the Steelers.
Watch how the Steelers take away Devonta Freeman on a screen, where the Falcons motion him to the slot in an effort to capitalize on the Steelers having Bostic and Tyler Matakevich on the field. You can see Bostic directing Matakevich to his spot to maintain the space between tight end Austin Hooper, while Artie Burns maintains the edge. That allows Bostic to work inside of Hooper and direct Freeman back to the inside, where Cam Heyward hustles to protect and eventually chase Freeman into the hands of Bud Dupree:
That's the effort that puts the players in position to make tackles across the board.
This kind of success will prove vital as the Steelers look to begin the second half of their season against the Panthers. The Panthers have the second-leading rushing offense with an average of 143.9 yards per game. Much of that has to do with the production of Christian McCaffrey, who has 502 yards on 109 carries, and has the 10th-most yards after catch (305).
If the Steelers contain the Panthers' underneath passing offense and ground game, their improved defense will have earned high marks and demonstrated significant progress from 2017.
