It was satisfying to defensive coordinator Keith Butler that the Steelers had seven sacks in the preseason opener against the New York Giants, and that six came from their outside linebackers.
That is an area that hasn’t produced the amount of sacks typically found in a 3-4 defense, where outside linebackers generally are the main producers of pressure on the quarterback.
But what Butler really liked — and what he hopes his defense can accomplish in the regular season — is that nearly all the sacks came when the Steelers rushed just four players. Only the final sack occurred when nickel back Mike Hilton came on a blitz.