The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering their bye week at 6-2 and on top of the AFC North. Pittsburgh will use the break to give their players a much needed rest going into a tough stretch of games where they will face their divisional rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the red hot Washington Commanders. They will also use the extra time to improve and get healthy, but especially work on some of their new wrinkles that Steelers fans saw in the Week 8 victory over the New York Giants.
The Steelers threw a massive wrinkle at the Giants on Monday Night Football. TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith were switching sides to cause confusion and it worked in their favor. When asked about this in the locker room by media, Highsmith said both he and the coaches (and Watt) came up with this idea.
"Yeah I mean, it was kind of both coaches and us," explained Highsmith. "We were kind of working at moving us around and I think we were effective in throwing the offense off in that way and so, just something we are going to work on and get better at."
Another outside linebacker could join the Steelers' defense's new wrinkle. Nick Herbig was also asked by the media if he could do the same as Highsmith and Watt when it comes to switching sides when he returns from injury. He didn't want to give too much away, but he was all smiles when that question was asked.
"Yeah, I mean I don't want to give away too much information, but yeah, they did a great job in that last game," said Herbig.
Highsmith and Herbig both admitted it is tough to switch sides since you are doing everything opposite, but they will continue to practice to make the wrinkle work more efficiently.
The Steelers hope to add Herbig back after the bye week, giving their defense another big presence in the pass rush. He has been sidelined since sustaining a hamstring injury in their Week 4 loss against the Indianapolis Colts. He was having a great start to the year with 8 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hits, and adding a forced fumble and recovery.
The Steelers want to continue their winning ways and to keep their position on top of the AFC North. They will lean on the big plays that their defense makes, especially in late game situations. The bye couldn't have come at a better time, with not only getting guys back from injury and suspension (Cam Sutton), but they give their outside linebackers more opportunities to work on the opposite side with the extra time on their hands.
Steelers' Newest Wrinkle Could Come In Handy In The Back Half Of The Season
The Steelers remaining schedule is no cakewalk. Playing all six of their divisional games, the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions, the Commanders, and Eagles -- they are going to need every trick to continue their success. Using their talented outside linebacker room to add more film for opposing offenses to worry about is a classic Mike Tomlin mind game at work.
It should be expected that the Steelers will have Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig switching sides more as the season continues to get additional opportunities to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Do you like that the Steelers' defense is trying new things to get their edge rushers more involved in the game? Do you expect to see more of this wrinkle more than four or five times a game? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
