![]() Offenses are not able to predict what we’re in. If (Neal) wants to stay in coverage, I can go work in the box and do different things in the box. “If (Neal) wants to blitz, I can come down in coverage. “It allows all of us to do whatever we want to do, honestly,” Fitzpatrick said in training camp. He caught just three passes for 19 yards against the Steelers, with Fitzpatrick mostly shadowing him. For example, San Francisco’s George Kittle ranks third among tight ends in receptions and yards this season. This tactic has allowed the Steelers to minimize damage from tight ends, something that had been an issue for the defense for years. Most of their snaps in the big nickel package came in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, which makes sense against a team with a dynamic tight end, heavy personnel groupings and a potent rushing attack. They rank seventh in the league in total snaps (78) and percentage of snaps (16.4) played in dime packages. The Steelers have played 102 snaps with three safeties on the field this season, most of them in their dime package. “(The QB is thinking), ‘Hey, is he playing nickel? Is he playing in corner? Is he playing safety? How do I identify him?’” “If we get into pass situations,” Austin said. 'He's a selfless guy': How Patrick Peterson became the mentor and bridge to Joey Porter Jr. “They’re going to be different playing styles. “You’ve got to have the right guys to do it,” Austin said. Watt’s return might have had just a little bit to do with those stats, as well). ![]() When Kazee returned from injury and suspension in the middle of the season, these packages were part of the reason the Steelers went from the third-worst defense in terms of yards allowed per game to an NFL-best 272.9 yards per game. He also expanded the concept to include the dime defense, which features three safeties on the field, two outside cornerbacks and a traditional nickel corner. When the Steelers promoted Austin from secondary coach to defensive coordinator ahead of the 2022 season, he quickly implemented the so-called “big nickel” with Minkah Fitzpatrick, Terrell Edmunds and Damontae Kazee on the field together. It’s just progressed after that into different things.” “If they broke the sets, you had a guy agile enough to cover. “Now, if they did condense the sets, you had a big enough body to handle the run game,” Austin said. As more dynamic pass-catching tight ends dominated the game, this concept became an effective counter. As far back as 1996, the Green Bay Packers began tinkering with the idea of putting a bigger-bodied nickel on the field. Current Pittsburgh Steeler Miles Killebrew also contributed when he joined the team in 2016, especially in passing situations. The solution? A hybrid defense with three safeties on the field at the same time - first it was Glover Quin, James Ihedigbo and Isa Abdul-Quddus, and later Quin, Tavon Wilson and Rafael Bush. When you got into your regular front, now you’re too big. “If you got into small (personnel groupings) like nickel, they would go big and run on you. “Think about New England when they had ( Rob Gronkowski) and (Aaron) Hernandez,” Austin said.
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