Stopping the run as can often come down to one thing that the player himself truly controls: effort.
It might sound simple, but effort goes a long way in the physical game of football. Who wants it more? You’ve heard coaches from the youth up to the professional level say that countless times. It might seem hollow, but it’s true.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen buys into it, too. So much so, that he criticized himself during an appearance on The Christian Kuntz Podcast, which published Thursday. Queen admitted that during the Steelers’ early-season struggles when it came to stopping the run, his effort wasn’t good enough.