Steelers inside linebackers save 10 points with pass break-ups in win
During a game in which the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary was depleted, some of the biggest pass breakups were made not by defensive backs but by inside linebackers.
Each of the three inside linebackers who played during the Steelers’ 20-18 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday got his hands on a pass that otherwise seemed destined for easy receptions that would have ended up in the end zone.
• Myles Jack leaped to tip a ball intended for a wide-open Cameron Brate in the first quarter, altering Tom Brady’s pass enough that Brate could not catch it on his way in for what appeared a sure touchdown.
• Robert Spillane dove in front of Cade Otten to make a diving one-handed deflection of a third-quarter pass that, if completed, would have been caught by Otten at the goal line while falling into the end zone.
• Devin Bush preserved the Steelers’ lead with 4 minutes, 45 seconds left in regulation with a bankhanded bat-down of a 2-point conversion pass intended for Chris Godwin in the end zone.
The Jack and Spillane plays turned would-be Bucs touchdowns, ultimately, into field goals. Combined with Bush’s play, that’s 10 points the ILB pass defenses saved.
“We want to be able to make plays all over the field,” Spillane said of the inside linebackers corps, “and I think we did a good job of showing that this weekend.”
The three outside linebackers combined for 18 tackles (13 solo) in the win. Per Pro Football Focus data, none of them had a missed tackle during a game in which Tampa Bay was held to a 2.9-yard per-carry average.
“I’m appreciative of that group,” coach Mike Tomlin said of the inside linebackers. “We asked a lot of them. We were running thin in the secondary, and so we called on them a lot. We play all three of our inside linebackers in various packages because that’s where our depth was.
“Robert Spillane, I thought was critical (Sunday) in terms of us being able to do things because he played positions other than inside linebacker. In some instances, he was representing a nickel. In some instances, he was representing a down safety. To be able to do that, I’m just appreciative of his intellect and his efforts.”
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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