Whether it was the young secondary, injury filled defensive line and linebacking core, or the continued adjustment by Keith Butler as defensive coordinator, Pittsburgh’s defense was nothing to be proud of in 2016.
This season, Butler and the rest of the defensive coaching staff have made it clear that the philosophy is different. Instead of playing simple defenses and keeping the workload of their young secondary down, the Steelers will be flexible.
By flexible, Butler means a variety of rush packages, coverage schemes, and movement on the defense. Instead of letting the offense know exactly what they’re doing on every play, the Steelers are looking to make offense guess on each and every down.