Pittsburgh Steelers’ pass rush key versus Tennessee Titans

The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be without two of their starting defensive backs, which puts added pressure on a front seven which faces one of the best play-makers in football.

Marcus Mariotta is the type of quarterback that scares teams like the Steelers. With a healthy secondary, this isn’t a problem, but with Joe Haden and Mike Mitchell likely out of the mix this week, Pittsburgh faces a big armed threat with no deep help.

The speed that Mariotta brings isn’t a threat to a front seven like Pittsburgh’s. Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree are arguably faster than the quarterback, which makes keeping him contained so much better.

The threat comes with his short term ability to expand plays. Mariotta might not be scrambling for extra yards, but escaping the pocket to stay behind the line of scrimmage could be an issue with an injured secondary.

Led by Vince Williams, the Steelers have gotten to the quarterback 29 times this season. Add that to their eight interceptions and 44 deflected passes and this is a team ready to dominate on the defensive end.

The injuries make this team vulnerable, though. If they want to stay successful, they’ll need to add a lot of pressure to Mariotta early after each snap. Guys like Cameron Hayward and Stephon Tuitt need to add their impact often. Without, the secondary could be in trouble against a strong pass attack.

Artie Burns and Sean Davis can handle the absences. Coty Sensabaugh was signed for situations like this, and Robert Golden has proven to be a reliable backup when needed. It isn’t like there’s no chance for this defensive backfield, but the front seven need to make the secondary’s lives a lot easier.

The result of this game will heavily come down to the pass rush. No matter how the offense performs or the secondary plays, putting pressure on the NFL’s most versatile quarterback is a game-changer for any team.

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A lot doesn’t need to change. In fact, nothing does. But the seven players attacking Mariotta need to get to him. Maybe Pittsburgh will be okay without them, but if they can succeed in the backfield, this game is going to be a lot easier on the defensive end.