View From Pittsburgh: Steelers safeties must (finally) prove worth vs. Patriots

PITTSBURGH — Last year, when the Steelers lost to the Patriots 24-27 in a game where Tom Brady led his team to 11 points in the fourth quarter, many questioned the Steelers' personnel and game plan. Rob Gronkowski took over the game with 168 yards on nine catches and took away the Steelers' chance at home-field advantage in the playoffs.

A year later, the Steelers face the Patriots while trying to hold onto their slim division lead. But their recent struggles highlight similar trends that led to their demise last season:



The Steelers' overhaul at safety was a huge focus, removing all but Sean Davis from the roster and adding Morgan Burnett and Terrell Edmunds in the offseason. That has helped them to become a defense that's ranked 12th against the pass, allowing 233.9 passing yards per game.

But those rankings would be significantly higher were it not for the letdowns by the defense in the team's 3-game losing streak to the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders.

I wrote about Keith Butler's schemes helping against the defense's weaknesses last month, when the Steelers ranked 7th in pass defense with an allowed average of 227.2 yards. During the Steelers' 6-game win streak they gave up an average of 131.83 passing yards per game. That number almost doubles when you calculate the average of passing yards in the losing streak at 256.33.

Sometimes it's not about scheme, but about execution and the need of ballhawks when it comes to breakdowns in pass defense.

Initially when I looked at the tape for the Raiders game, I attributed the final touchdown pass to Derek Carrier a mistake by Hilton for not establishing inside leverage on Carrier and allowing such an easy cutback. But the more I look at the formation and the play, it seems Terrell Edmunds was supposed to help Hilton and not double Jordy Nelson.

Watch how Hilton never tries to get in the hip pocket of Carrier, he's effectively playing the flat. That's not the technique used by a cornerback that's in typical man coverage not expecting help, while you can see Joe Haden fighting inch-for-inch with Nelson in the end zone. But what says it all is when you see Edmunds' reaction just as Hilton walks toward him after the play: