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To blitz or not to blitz? That is the question for the Steelers

The Steelers have long been known as a blitz-heavy team that relies on sending at least one extra defender to attack the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball.

When you primarily run a 3-4 defense as your base plan of attack, that's the default. After all, on every play, the 3-4 starts with three defensive linemen and two outside linebackers at the line of scrimmage. If they all rush at the snap of the ball, technically you're blitzing -- even if you aren't.

But with the Steelers now primarily being a nickel defensive team, nickel corner Mike Hilton now with the Bengals and Vince Williams -- another strong blitzer from the middle -- retired, the Steelers haven't blitzed nearly as much in 2021 as they have in previous seasons.