The Steelers defensive line is doing more with less.
Even while dealing with the absences of Derrick Harmon and Sebastian Joseph-Day, both of whom are on the reserve/injured list, the Steelers are stuffing the run and playing volleyball against opposing quarterbacks. Cam Heyward continues to lead the way, Keeanu Benton and Yahya Black are taking their games to another level, and Gabriel Rubio and Kevin Jobity Jr. are filling in admirably.
"Next man up mentality," defensive line coach Domata Peko said Friday. "We've got young Rubio and Jobity out there now. It really helps out when you've got guys who just lead the way every day. We've definitely still got a lot of work to do in the middle of the season here, but I'm happy with the progression of where we're going right now."
And who could blame the position coach when the Steelers have allowed an average of just 62 rushing yards per game over the last three. They've played all three of those without Harmon and the most recent one without Joseph-Day.
Rubio, 23, played five seasons at Notre Dame before the Steelers picked him in the sixth round. Jobity, also 23, was a four-year contributor at Syracuse before going undrafted. The maturity of both appears to be paying off, with the way they've stayed in the hip pocket of their veteran teammates.
"Those guys do a good job of setting the standard every day," Peko said. "As a young guy, man, when you see the older guys do it and do it the right way, it makes it a lot easier when your number's called. Shoutout to the young guys, as well, big Rubes and Jobity. They're always prepared. They come in every day, ready to work."
Peko added that when it became clear Rubio and Jobity would go from being inactive to carrying a helmet on game days, both put in extra time at the practice facility. That means staying after hours, studying film, and trying to live up to the expectations of their fellow defensive linemen.
All they need now to really join the club is a batted pass. Heyward leads the group with five of them, but Benton is gaining on him with three, and Black had one against the Saints. Benton has a deflection in three consecutive games.
"It's an instinct and awareness thing," Benton said. "Knowing what you've got behind you, trusting that your DBs are going to make the quarterback go to the check-down and stuff like that. It's just getting your hands up when you're not all the way there and seeing the trigger on the pass."
That's a big reason why the Steelers lead the NFL in passes defended with 46. The defensive line is impacting the statistics in more ways than just that number, though.
Inside linebacker Payton Wilson is tied for third in the NFL with five tackles for loss against the run. As much as that's a testament to Wilson's play in his third season, it's an indication that the defensive linemen are doing their jobs occupying blockers to give their linebackers lanes to flow to the ball.
"Our job is to keep him clean, him and Patrick Queen," Benton said. "It's an honor to have him with those stats and whatnot, but I just think if we continue to do what we do up front, keeping our linebackers clean, we'll be a great team."
Peko sees the benefits of Black playing more at a true nose tackle spot, allowing Benton to bump over to Heyward's spot on the opposite side. That highlights Benton's "block destruction," as Peko put it, as he's racked up four tackles for loss over the past two weeks. Peko credited defensive coordinator Patrick Graham adapting to his personnel.
"We came in and we saw Keeanu playing a lot of nose last year, but with his body type, his quickness, the way he gets off blocks, he could be a true [defensive tackle] on any 4-3 defense," Peko said. "Really, it's the vision of our boss, P-G, holding it down. And the guys, they're the ones who make our plans come to fruition. I'm excited for our group. I feel like we're on the rise. That's what we tell our guys every day, don't be complacent, don't be content, always try to get better. And that's what they're doing."
