The Butler Did It! Keith Butler /Defensive Coordinator
Tell me why StrapUp panicked when the Panthers came out on the first drive of the game and marched down the field with their running back untouched going into the end zone? I tell you why, the Panthers game plan was the same as all of the other teams that they have played so far, punch the Steelers in the gut!
Teams have exploited the middle of the defense with plays designed to place the middle linebackers at a disadvantage. That would be in coverage situations against speedy running backs and wide receivers or fast tight ends. But “The Butler” did it, he made immediate in-game adjustments with that new Blitzburgh blitzing package that never gave Cam Newton time to tie his shoe.
Every time he looked up, it was from the ground and he was counting the players on defense to make sure the Steelers didn’t have too many on the field. The down linemen were relentless, Cam Heyward had two sacks, Stephon Tuitt had a ton of pressures as did Javon Hargrave, so “The Butler” said, “You get a sack and you get a sack and you get a sack”. They looked like the old Steel Curtain minus one with all of the head slapping, eye gouging as well as toughness that had cemented their reputations and made for long afternoons or evenings.
T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree are “ballin out” at the outside linebackers spot with relentlessness causing havoc dare I say, in the mode of Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd. Ok, ok, I know, I know, that is a little over the top, but you have to admit, these past few games dudes are applying as they say, “pressure that burst pipes.”
The inside tandem of Vince Williams and Jon Bostic came up big, with Bostic leading the team in overall tackles while Vince was getting a pick six as well as a sack. Plus, adding in the rotations for both the linemen and the linebackers was as good as any time this year while keeping everybody fresh off of a short week of preparation.
“The Butler” had it going against a hot offensive team with one of the leagues top QB’s and was not letting up off of the gas. Of course, the pressure helped the secondary as well throughout the whole game and they didn’t give up a long touchdown pass but did have an end zone penalty from a long pass during garbage time. That happened when Artie “why is your last name Burns playing corner” got a pass interference call that leads to a one-yard touchdown.
“The Butler’s” defense is shaping up and people are taking notice, that rep is coming back. If “The Butler” can take this defense to the next level, it will be sad singing and slow walking for the other teams for the rest of the season.