The first edition of our Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive charting. Compiling the first two weeks of data.
– These are out of 130 plays.
Personnel groupings. The total number of snaps is to the right of the percentage.
Nickel: 56.9% (74)
Dime: 21.5% (28)
3-4: 20% (26)
Goal Line: 1.5% (2)
– Steelers have stayed in their “regular” 3-4 more often than not instead of their “over” front.
3-4 regular vs 3-4 over: 73.1%/26.9%
– Steelers have stayed in base just seven times against 11 personnel this season. Comes out to 6.6%.
– Keith Butler has blitzed 30% of the time this year. 24 of 80 chances. For comparison’s sake, blitz figures since 2014 (LeBeau’s final season).
2014: 28%
2015% 33.3%
2016: 39.7%
2017: 30%
– By Butler’s blitz standard, sending five or more, he’s done that 18 times. That’s 22.5%. We have the data since Butler’s first year, 2015.
2015: 33.6%
2016: 27.7%
2017: 22.5%
– If you’re interested, he’s sent a three man rush 13 times. 16.3%.
– A DB has come either by himself or in tandem with another rusher 11 total times, 13.8%.
Defensive Line
– Tyson Alualu has nearly played as many snaps (106) as Cam Heyward (110).
– Javon Hargrave has just 20 snaps in nickel. L.T. Walton has 18…
– DL pressures:
Cam Heyward: 4
Javon Hargrave: 3
Tyson Alualu: 1
Stephon Tuitt: 1
Outside Linebacker
– Anthony Chickillo has lined up at 7 different spots this season. Chickillo also has 32 snaps with his hand down, the most of any OLB.
He’s played 63 snaps on the left side, 35 on the right. Mr. Versatile.
– Ryan Shazier is one of two players not to miss a snap on defense. Sean Davis is the other.
– OLB drop percentages.
Anthony Chickillo: 23/74 – 31.1%
T.J. Watt: 14/51 – 27.5%
Bud Dupree: 6/41 – 14.6%
Secondary
– Joe Haden and Artie Burns haven’t budged. Haden on the left, Burns on the right. No switching.
– On 1st or 2nd down, Steelers have rolled a safety into the box 18 times. Feels low.
– Mike Hilton, who the Steelers like as a blitzer, has done so six times. But he’s yet to register a pressure (Edit: Hilton has one pressure this season). Haden, meanwhile, has a pressure on two of his three blitzes this season.
– Burns has as many penalties (3) as the rest of the secondary combined.
– Target numbers.
Joe Haden: 2/4 36 yards 0 TDs 0 INTs
William Gay: 1/2 13 yards
Mike Mitchell: 2/3 56 yards
Artie Burns: 2/5 18 yards 1 TD
Sean Davis: 3/3 40 yards
Mike Hilton: 2/3 15 yards
