The Steelers will need him to do both if it wants to stay af

Since the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dick LeBeau parted ways https://www.thesteelerslockerroom.com/authentic-juju-smith-schuster-jersey , defensive coordinator Keith Butler has been saying the same thing since Day 1. This would be how he doesn’t like to rely on the blitz to get pressure on the quarterback. He would rather be able to do so by just sending four players, leaving seven back in coverage in the back end.What fans have found out throughout Butler’s tenure are this talk is more often just lip service.The Steelers are a team who loves to blitz, and does it with a high level of frequency. In fact, thanks to NFL Matchup on ESPN’s Twitter page, the Steelers blitz the quarterback on 30.1% of drop backs.Check the rankings for yourself:That is a lot of blitzing for a man who claims he doesn’t like to blitz. To be fair, sometimes you have to blitz out of necessity. For instance, there are times when the Steelers simply can’t get pressure with just their front four, so you have to send extra pass rushers to try and get to the quarterback.On top of this simple fact, the Steelers have some good blitzers on their defense. Vince Williams is a tremendous blitzer as an inside linebacker, and Mike Hilton might be the best blitzing cornerback in the entire league. The blitzes have worked too. Heading into Week 7 T. J. Watt Jersey White , the Steelers are second in the league with 22 sacks, trailing only the Baltimore Ravens with 26 thanks to their 11 sack day vs. the Titans in Week 6, and have received contributions from a handful of defenders.Here are the Steelers’ sack totals heading into the bye week, by player:T.J. Watt — 6Bud Dupree — 3Javon Hargrave — 3Jon Bostic — 2.5Cameron Heyward — 2.5Vince Williams — 1Stephon Tuitt — 1L.J. Fort — 1Anthony Chickillo — 1Daniel McCullers — 1Will the Steelers continue to blitz heavily? If it is working, absolutely. But the hope is Butler dials up his blitzes with more creativity, and intelligence. Sending safeties in this defense is not the smartest decision, and has left the secondary vulnerable on more than one occasion.Regardless, I doubt the blitz is going anywhere anytime soon in the Pittsburgh defensive repertoire. PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger shook his right arm once. Then twice. And just like that, the Pittsburgh Steelers found their season at a crossroads just two weeks in.While Mason Rudolph filled in capably in the second half after Roethlisberger left with an unspecified right elbow injury in a 28-26 loss to Seattle on Sunday, the Steelers find themselves at 0-2 for just the second time in Mike Tomlin’s 13-year tenure. They’re also facing the prospect of trying to move forward without their captain and the only player in the locker room with multiple Super Bowl rings.Tomlin offered no details on the nature of the 37-year-old Roethlisberger’s injury. Roethlisberger grimaced after throwing a pair of passes on a drive late in the second quarter. Though he was under duress several times during the first half Womens James Conner Jersey , he didn’t appear to be touched on the plays that left him clutching the elbow.Tight end Vance McDonald said the starting offense was told Roethlisberger was hurt just before heading out for the second half. McDonald called the news “a shock” but praised Rudolph’s play after the backup completed 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards and a pair of touchdowns to McDonald while taking the first regular-season snaps of his young career.“I think he’s come a long way since last year,” said McDonald of Rudolph, taken in the third round of the 2018 draft. “So, yeah, if he’s our guy, he’s our guy and we’re going to move forward with him.”Rudolph, who won the backup job over Josh Dobbs following a solid training camp, wears his helmet on the sideline at all times as a way of keeping himself ready to come in. He suddenly found himself pulling it down over his chin and running onto the field when Roethlisberger walked onto the field in the second half sporting a baseball cap.“I thought I was ready,” Rudolph said. “I had a really good feel for our game plan and what we worked on all week. … I didn’t feel like I was unprepared by any means.”The early returns were iffy. Rudolph’s first pass fell incomplete and his second was intercepted by Seattle safety Bradley McDougald when Steelers wide receiver Donte Moncrief let the ball go through his hands and smack off his facemask. McDougald made a diving grab of the carom while sliding to the sideline and the Seahawks took the lead for good six plays later.Rudolph hardly appeared shaken. A 45-yard heave to JuJu Smith-Schuster led to a field goal on Pittsburgh’s ensuing drive and Rudolph hit McDonald for scores twice in the fourth quarter while trying to keep pace with Seattle’s Russell Wilson. Rudolph ultimately ran out of time. With Roethlisberger’s status uncertain, Pittsburgh’s ability to dig itself out of an early hole could rely heavily on how rapidly the 24-year-old Rudolph develops.It’s a job Rudolph is ready to tackle if necessary.“I am completely confident in myself T. J. Watt Jersey , being a leader on the team and playing games,” Rudolph said. “That’s what it all comes down to. If (Roethlisberger is out a while), I’m ready to roll.”That confidence is one of the reasons the Steelers took Rudolph with the 76th overall pick in the 2018 draft. General manager Kevin Colbert called the move a no brainer, partly because the team had a first-round grade on Rudolph following a record-setting career at Oklahoma State. Rudolph spent last season as the third-stringer behind Roethlisberger and Dobbs but took a step forward during training camp in which he showed an ability to make plays downfield while also taking care of the ball.Pittsburgh travels to unbeaten San Francisco (2-0) next Sunday. The Steelers have struggled at times on the West Coast in recent years and haven’t beaten the 49ers on the road since 1999.Rudolph’s poise and his energy — he pumped his arms in glee after connecting with McDonald for an 8-yard score for first career touchdown pass — could help Pittsburgh emerge from an early funk. While Roethlisberger won the NFL passing title last season, his 16th season is off to a slow start. Roethlisberger failed to get Pittsburgh in the end zone during a blowout loss to New England last week and was just 8 of 15 for 75 yards against Seattle before exiting. He spent a portion of the second half talking to Rudolph and offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, providing insight and guidance.Calling Rudolph the heir apparent is premature. The club signed Roethlisberger to an extension in the offseason that runs through 2021, the same year Rudolph’s rookie deal expires.For the second half on Sunday — and perhaps for the immediate future — Rudolph became a part of Pittsburgh’s uncertain present. His teammates are eager to see where he goes from here.“I’m not really more nervous because he’s behind a quarterback that’s a Hall of Fame quarterback,” defensive end Stephon Tuitt said. “At the end of the day, we trust him just as much as we trust Ben.”