Steelers LB Joe Schobert
Trading for Joe Schobert during the preseason wasn’t quite like adding James Farrior to this roster. In fact, Schobert went mostly unnoticed in majority of games so far, and he hasn’t provided the splash plays fans were hoping he would bring. Fortunately, things finally took a big step up this past week in Cleveland.
Schobert led the team with 9 tackles and helped fill running lanes in an effort to hold Nick Chubb to just 3.8 yards per carry and the Browns at just 96 rushing yards on the afternoon. While there are other defenders who deserve more credit, Schobert seems to be trending in the right direction.
The veteran linebacker earned an 80 defensive grade for his efforts against his former team this past week — the third-highest mark by a Steelers defender in Week 8. Though he did allow a few catches in the passing game, he didn’t surrender any big plays.
What he did do, however, was force a fumble in the second half that proved to be huge for the Steelers. Schobert has proven throughout his career that he has a nose for the football and it’s only a matter of time before he starts making some splash plays.