Anyone who's watched the Steelers in recent years knows the challenges they've had with covering the tight end position. Rob Gronkowski especially devoured the Steelers for his entire career, averaging more than 110 yards per game against them coming into 2018.
The problem continued last season as the team surrendered 887 yards to tight ends, the 12th highest in the NFL. But that number would've been worse without some of the adjustments that came late in the season. Here's why the traditional problem with tight ends shouldn't be an issue in 2019:
Athletic tight ends have become a significant part of several NFL offenses in recent years. The now-retired Gronkowski is the biggest name, but players like Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, Jimmy Graham, George Kittle and even the Steelers' Vance McDonald have emerged as major weapons in offenses.
The Steelers had improved against tight ends with the defensive chemistry between Ryan Shazier and Sean Davis in 2017. But the injury to Shazier put more pressure on Davis, leading to another career game by Gronkowski against the Steelers later that season.
After spending an offseason preparing for life against tight ends without Shazier, it appeared the Steelers had no answers early in 2018. Their first major challenge came against Kelce and Patrick Mahomes in the team's home opener, and they were smoked as Kelce went for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
The problem Davis faced against Gronkowski in 2017 was Gronkowski outplaying him at key times for big gains to save the Patriots. But Davis was at least in position to challenge Gronkowski and wasn't beaten by a lack of preparation. When Kelce picked apart the Steelers in 2018, you could see it was a combination of not having anyone to check him and not being prepared.
Watch how cleanly Kelce comes off the line, runs behind Vince Williams and is virtually unguarded by Cameron Sutton or Jon Bostic going into the end zone:
That's a recipe for disaster — not only because it leaves a player wide open for a score, but because none of the defenders in the area are skilled enough to even challenge Kelce, who is one of the NFL's elite tight ends.
Granted, the entire Steelers defense was in shambles that day, and they picked up their game and coordination as the year went on. But what especially helped them begin to figure out tight ends was their confidence in Terrell Edmunds. The rookie safety Edmunds was adjusting each week to the new scheme in place to challenge tight ends when assigned.
Here he is working behind Williams against Gronkowski on a similar seam route as Kelce's above. Gronkowski starts off running behind Williams, but as soon as he gets behind the linebacker, Edmunds is in position to challenge the top of his route. This leaves Brady with a tiny window to target 20 yards away, resulting in an incomplete pass:
Keith Butler had the Steelers' defense more ready for tight ends as the year went along, and part of that was because of the newfound trust in Edmunds to help in the box and to line up with tight ends. He still lacked a cover linebacker who could run stride for stride with athletic tight ends, but Edmunds turned into a chess piece he could move anywhere.
Here's Edmunds lining up with the Ravens' Mark Andrews split out wide and taking away a throw that Joe Flacco historically completed for big plays against Steelers safeties. But Edmunds cuts off Andrews, maintains position and plays the ball well:
Part of the tight end challenge is personnel, which is why it is key that Butler will now have Mark Barron and Devin Bush to help with covering tight ends over the middle of the field along with Edmunds.
But this is why Butler is out of time to deal with tight ends in the NFL. He has the personnel in place and the experience of improving defenses against tight ends even when the personnel isn't there. Facing tight ends may be a key part of the 2019 Steelers' campaign, even with Gronkowski retired.
They'll have to face the Ravens' Hayden Hurst and Andrews twice, David Njoku twice with the Browns, Kittle with the 49ers, Eric Ebron and Jake Doyle of the Colts, and Hunter Henry with the Chargers. They are all athletic tight ends who cause problems for any secondary, and Butler has to have his group ready to contain each of them.
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