Rain over Pittsburgh and dull on the field: The Pittsburgh Steelers were a tough opponent against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday night. Nick Herbig, a second-year outside linebacker, was a bright spot and stood out as the Steelers defense kept the score low and the game exciting.
To start our game analysis, a few highlights from Herbig.
Start with his full sack. A great third down attempt. Nickel blitz with slot corner Thomas Graham from the side and a T/E stunt, DT Keeanu Benton crashes into the B gap while Herbig, the ROLB, jumps into the opposite A gap.
Buffalo’s left guard struggles to spot the ball and pass it to the left tackle. With the center sliding to the away side and not blocking anyone while the LOLB dodges on the backside to compensate for the nickel blitz, Herbig has a clear path inside. The quickest path to the quarterback.
Herbig shows great finishing speed, charges in and brings down former Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky for a crucial third down stop, forcing the defense off the field.
This rush didn’t end in a sack or even a pressure, but I thought it was nice to see. Herbig again the ROLB. Nice speed/bull rush to push the Bills left tackle back and open the pocket. The ball is out before Herbig can break free and really apply pressure. Buffalo benefits from being on a 2nd and 2, but it’s still a good example for Herbig.
In this rush, it is important to find the right time to strike and to push off on the third outside step in order to transfer the speed to the bull when the strike is made. Herbig seems to have the timing right here.
Nick Herbig is an athletic player with a great start and the flexibility and smaller size to bend and work through contact. More power would be a great change of pace and a way to threaten tackles in the middle. Although he’s not James Harrison, the two worked together for a day in training camp. Harrison’s two moves were his dip/rip and his speed/bull.
Finally, a look at Herbig’s half sack. This one is less about technique and more about effort. Larry Ogunjobi has a good rep to rush under and past the middle to create initial pressure, but he can’t finish the rep. Herbig manages to get past the LT on his second swipe attempt (he’s used this move more this year, likely picking it up and refining it from his time with TJ Watt) to get his hands on Trubisky and prevent a scramble.
NT Keeanu Benton also comes in to really clean up, the bag is officially split between Herbig and Benton.
Surround the football. That’s what the best defensive linemen and defensive backs do. Don’t give up on the game, especially in a world with athletic quarterbacks who can get out of sacks and extend the game, often turning negatives into positives.
Overall, a good performance from Nick Herbig. He applied pressure with a variety of maneuvers and was successful when he was set up to win because he mastered the stunt. When you make a call, coaches trust you more and you get more opportunities. Although Herbig will naturally be used behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, he will be the clear No. 3 and will force the Steelers to find ways to get him on the field in three outside linebacker packages, as Pittsburgh showed briefly during training camp.
