Steelers pass rush as varied as it has been dominant

Forty-six times a Denver Broncos quarterback dropped back Sunday. Nineteen of those times, he was hit.

It was that kind of day for Drew Lock, Jeff Driskel and the Denver offensive line in trying to contain a Pittsburgh Steelers pass rush that might be the NFL’s best through two weeks of the season.

The Steelers had seven sacks en route to improving to 2-0 with a 26-21 victory in their home opener Sunday. Twelve other times, they made contact with Lock or Driskel soon after he released a pass. Dupree, late in the first quarter, forced a Lock fumble and forced him out of the game with a shoulder injury.

The Steelers also batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage (by Tyson Alualu) and hurried throws by Lock and Driskel on numerous other occasions.

“We knew they had a really good front, and they have really good players,” Driskel said. “They find a way to get to the quarterback.”

The seven sacks are the second most for the Steelers over their past 33 games. They had eight in a win against the Cincinnati Bengals during Week 4 of last season. “QB hits” are a more subjective statistic but one the league keeps in its official statbook and online. The Steelers have been credited with 27 of those on 100 opponent dropbacks so far this season.

In other words, quarterbacks know they will be hit more than a quarter of the time a passing play is called against the Steelers.

Most importantly Sunday, the Steelers got a hit — and sack — when they needed it most. On fourth-and-2 at the Steelers 15 with 1 minute, 55 seconds left in a five-point game, Terrell Edmunds blitzed from the left side of the defense and was untouched en route to swallowing Driskel to all but seal the win.

This week’s “Feats of Strength” and “Airing if grievances” after the Steelers manage to hold on against a banged up Broncos team. https://t.co/5Ip9gn2f3R @TribSports @TribLIVE

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That Edmunds, a safety, got the sack on the biggest play of the game for the defense was emblematic of an attack that is getting sack production from every position. Sunday, the Steelers got a sack each from a safety, cornerback (Mike Hilton), defensive end (Cameron Heyward), defensive tackle (Alualu) and outside linebacker (2¹⁄₂ for T.J. Watt, one for Dupree).

“We’re capable of really bringing anybody except the field corner,” coach Mike Tomlin said, referring to the outside cornerback who plays on the strong side of the field. “That’s kind of our philosophical approach. We’re a blitz group. It’s tough to bring the field corner because of the distance he plays from, but anybody else is capable of coming and that’s just the code we live by.”

During the season-opening win at the New York Giants the week prior, the Steelers got sacks from the cornerback (Hilton), inside linebacker (Vince Williams) and defensive end (Stephon Tuitt) positions.

“It starts up front with the linebackers,” Hilton said. “They get all the attention from the offensive line guys up front, so me and Terrell and other guys can blitz from the secondary and make plays.”

Eight players had sacks for the Steelers in their first two games. The sack number could be even higher: During Week 1, Pro Football Focus determined only one player in the NFL (Aaron Donald) had more “total pressures” on quarterbacks than Watt (eight) and Dupree (seven). Neither got home for a sack, though.

Watt in Week 1 had a sack denied when officials ruled an incompletion after video replays suggested Daniel Jones’ arm was moving forward. Against Denver, Hilton got flagged for roughing the passer when making contact with Driskel.

The Steelers have at least one sack in 59 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL and in team history.

“We’ll bring anyone, and that’s just a philosophical approach,” Tomlin said. “We’re an attacking group.”

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