Steelers' usage of inside linebackers varies based on opponent, gameplan
The Pittsburgh Steelers have what they consider to be three starting inside linebackers. The division of labor at that position has proven to vary from week to week.
Over the past four games, veteran Mark Barron and rookie Devin Bush twice had the most defensive snaps played among the team’s inside linebackers. Over the past five games, Vince Williams played as many as 57% of the defensive snaps but also as few as 16%.
Snaps played by Steelers inside linebackers the past five games. (Total defensive snaps in parentheses) pic.twitter.com/ILUD3xuZtN
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 29, 2019
“It depends on how we use him and what we try to set up in terms of our game plan, and then how he fits into that game plan,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said of Williams. “Sometimes he’s going to play a lot and other times he’s not going to play as much. It depends, just like with Devin. Sometimes he’s going to play a lot and sometimes he’s not. It doesn’t necessarily matter in our scheme of things.”
Bush also has seen his playing time fluctuate, being on the field for every defensive snap Oct. 28 against Miami but playing fewer than half the snaps two weeks later against the Los Angeles Rams.
Even Barron sees usage peaks and valleys. Over the past five games, he’s played roughly two-thirds of the snaps twice, roughly three-quarters of the snaps once and more than 90% of the snaps the other two contests.
So, what will happen Sunday against Cleveland?
Perhaps only coach Mike Tomlin and Butler know. But, to borrow a favorite Tomlin phrase, they’ll let the Browns offense be their guide. And for frame of reference, when the Steelers played the Browns 17 days prior, all three inside linebackers played at least 46% of the snaps.
“It sometimes is a matter of who they put on the field and we try to match up with that,” Butler said. “Sometimes it depends on the offense that we’re playing, sometimes it depends on whether we got some stuff that we want to use on that particular offense.”
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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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