4-3 or 3-4? Neither.
Okay people, let’s get one thing straight. Modern NFL defenses, of which the Steelers are a perfect example, no longer fit into neat categories like “4-3” and “3-4”.
Football teams field 11 men on defense. As I see it, the Steelers have nine (9) “starters”, with two open spots that fluctuate according to package:
- DL (2): Heyward and Tuitt
- Pass Rush (2): Dupree and Watt
- ILB (1): Devin Bush
- Box Safety (1): Edmunds
- Deep Safety (1): Fitzpatrick
- Corners (2): Haden and Nelson
The package players/backups include any (2) two of the following, plus extra snaps when a starter comes out:
- DL: Alualu, Buggs, McCullers, or Wormley
- Pass Rush: [FN]
- ILB: Williams (heavy), Gilbert III (mobile), or an Edge Rusher falling back
- Box Safety: Allen or Dangerfield
- Deep Safety: Sutton or Dangerfield
- Slot CB: Hilton or Sutton
- Corner: Sutton or Layne
[FN] The extra pass rush specialists (Adeniyi, Skipper, and Highsmith) are pure backups who will not see the field in capacities because there are no packages.