Mike Tomlin always talks about wanting his players to deliver "splash plays" to impact games. None of his defensive players in the second half of the Steelers' 30-28 victory against the Buccaneers made more splash plays than rookie linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III.
Let's go over Gilbert's very impressive night:
Gilbert finished with three tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an interception on a two-point conversion. He also tied for the most quarterback hits (4) with Tuzar Skipper. Gilbert and Robert Spillane both had good showings for inside linebackers looking to make the team. I profiled Spillane's performance Tuesday, but today it's about the player who popped off the screen with splash plays.
Gilbert doesn't have any combine numbers to brag about, but he was the Steelers' sixth-round selection and one of nine players from the MAC on the training camp roster. Tomlin likes what he brings to the table as an athlete who can line up and contibute in multiple positions.
Watch how he (#54) edge rushes around right tackle to sack Ryan Griffin. Gilbert is quick off the ball and even with Griffin stepping up in the pocket, he makes sure to go for his feet and work with defensive end JT Jones to record the sack:
Even more impressive was Gilbert's sack rushing through the B-gap just a few minutes before that play. Gilbert explodes up the middle and beats Josh LeRibeus with his speed, but compounds that by using his inside hand to anchor his rush and rip under LeRibeus' hands. Once he's free, his quick burst gets after Griffin and he forces a fumble:
Being able to rush the quarterback is something both Keith Butler and Tomlin will admire. But linebackers in this defense need to fill multiple roles if they're going to make a roster spot. Tomlin can be heard in practice challenging Gilbert whenever he calls him by his nickname, "Uly."
Arguably, Gilbert's most impressive play was one that won't show on the official stat sheet because it came on a two-point conversion attempt. He lined up against running back Bruce Anderson III outside the numbers like he was a cornerback, read his slant route and jumped it to intercept the pass. Gilbert used quick feet, kept his eyes on Anderson like a cornerback and maintained inside leverage before finishing the play:
More solid showings like this and Gilbert will make it tough for the Steelers to make their final decisions on who fills out the linebacker room on the final roster. But he has to make sure he's useful to Danny Smith on special teams, as well. That's something that the Steelers know they have in Tyler Matakevich, and Spillane flashed value with his forced fumble on special teams on Friday.
But Gilbert's athleticism, quickness and burst within short spaces make him an interesting rookie to watch. Put together more splash plays and he may force his way onto the roster.
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