Steelers’ defensive line settles into rotation, works into ‘hit shape’

The loss of Javon Hargrave in free agency coupled by the return of Stephon Tuitt from a pectoral injury haven’t done much to alter the preferences of Pittsburgh Steelers in defining their rotation on the defensive line.

Through two weeks of the season, Tuitt and Cameron Heyward are playing 80.7% and 76.6% of the defensive snaps, respectively. The duo is capable of playing in all packages and situations for the Steelers: as “ends” in the base defense and as the lone two interior linemen in the nickel.

Tyson Alualu has appeared in 44.8% of the snaps as the base’s tackle and, at times, as a pass rusher in nickel and dime packages. Second-year lineman Isaiah Buggs has been given priority over veteran Chris Wormley as the fourth option that gives others a rest. Buggs, a former seventh-round pick, is playing 22.8% of the snaps and Wormley, acquired from the Baltimore Ravens in an exchange of late-round draft picks, has played 13%.

In his first three seasons with the #Steelers, Tyson Alualu emerged as a valuable backup on the defensive line. https://t.co/lanT0WW8t2

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) September 6, 2020

Defensive coordinator Keith Butler said the rotation has been adhered to as the Steelers work to shield Heyward and Tuitt from too much wear-and-tear early during a season in which the summer workouts were drastically reduced and the preseason eliminated out of concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think if you go into the National Football League and you haven’t hit anybody, you put a strain on your tendons, on your muscles, on your ligaments, on everything,” Butler said. “The strain is there unless you’ve hit. I call it ‘hit shape.’ There are two things you have to do to get in shape to play in the National Football League. One is cardiovascular. The other one is going to be ‘hit shape.’

“It’s as simple as that. Can you do it without hitting? I don’t think you can. You have to hit. Our head coach did a good job of planning that out and giving us the chance to do it before we started the season so our guys could get used to applying pressure to those joints and ligaments and stuff.”

The Steelers had a similar timeshare last season on the defensive line until Tuitt was placed on injured reserve during Week 7. But last season, Alualu was in what is now Buggs’ role, and Wormley effectively is handling duties Buggs did last season.

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