Steelers Jets missed tackles report
Steelers Jets missed tackles report
One week after turning in a great tackling performance against the Green Bay Packers, missing just four of them in the preseason opener, the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to show that any concerns regarding a no-tackling training camp are unfounded.
For now.
The Steelers might have had an ugly showing overall in their 17-0 loss to the New York Jets last Friday, but they again tackled cleanly. The Steelers missed just five tackles against the Jets, three of which came on special teams.
Let’s take a look at this week’s missed tackles report.
TOTAL MISSED TACKLES VS. JETS — 5
Jack Henderson – 2 (both on special teams)
Nick Herbig – 1
Elandon Roberts – 1
Lance Mason – 1 (special teams)
TOTAL MISSED TACKLES THROUGH TWO PRESEASON GAMES — 9 (4.5 PER GAME)
Sebastian Castro – 2
Jack Henderson – 2 (both on special teams)
Rayshawn Jenkins – 1
Kevin Jobity Jr. – 1
Nick Herbig — 1
Elandon Roberts — 1
Lance Mason — 1 (special teams)
With some of the big-name players sitting out the second preseason game against the Jets, it gave others a chance to get some game reps in, like outside linebacker Nick Herbig, who played 18 snaps.
On the first snap of the game Herbig missed a tackle, showing some rust.
https://i.gyazo.com/5bef06e1f3698d8cc58b207cd985f5e7.mp4
He plays the run well, working in from the backside to track down New York running back Braelon Allen after being unblocked. But he takes a bad angle, allowing Allen to cut back underneath him and force the missed tackle.
Herbig has to make sure he takes a proper angle here, keeping in line with Allen’s shoulder. You don’t want to be too far inside, or too high up the field, and give up the cutback. You have to play it perfectly, and Herbig was off, leading to the missed tackle. Fortunately it didn’t result in anything big for the Jets.
Linebacker Elandon Roberts was later charged with a missed tackle in his first game since re-signing with the Steelers.
https://i.gyazo.com/f175db437b87d23315848b388a348ee6.mp4
It’s tough to label this a true miss, but that’s undoubtedly a rep the veteran wants back against the run. Roberts has a clear lane to attack the running back and he’s just a step slow.
Roberts breaks down well in the hole, but he has to attack this with force, rather than trying to play this technically and plugging the hole. When he’s at his best he’s flying downhill and laying the wood. While he does spill this run back inside to fellow inside linebacker Jacoby Windmon, this is a play you want to see Roberts make for a TFL in the regular season.
Finally, on special teams Jack Henderson had a rough night. He missed three tackles on kick and punt coverage.
https://i.gyazo.com/c3a7efeb18880bf2fe49c4fe09bbf937.mp4
Henderson does a good job of staying with it here and recovering to make the stop after an initial miss, but the first miss was a real concern.
He’s too high with his attempt after not breaking down properly, and it leads to a rough arm-tackle attempt in space that obviously fails. Henderson ultimately did get a special teams tackle here, but it’s hard to overlook the miss.
Overall, the Steelers did well in the tackling department for the second straight week. Against the Jets, the Steelers also won the all-important tackle battle once again by forcing six missed tackles, winning by a mark of +1 to move to 2-0 in the preseason.
TOTAL FORCED MISSED TACKLES VS. JETS — 6
Kaden Wetjen – 3 (all on special teams)
Max Hurleman – 1 (special teams)
Roman Wilson – 1
Kaleb Johnson – 1
TOTAL FORCED MISSED TACKLES THROUGH TWO PRESEASON GAMES — 16 (8.0 PER GAME)
Kaden Wetjen – 8 (seven on special teams)
Germie Bernard – 3
Max Hurleman – 2 (one on special teams)
Mason Rudolph – 1
Roman Wilson – 1
Kaleb Johnson – 1
The Steelers forced 10 missed tackles last week against the Packers, so they take a bit of a step back here.
Still, it was good to see the likes of Kaden Wetjen and Max Hurleman forcing misses on special teams.
Hurleman has had a strong summer. He forced a miss last week after the catch on offense, and against the Jets he created something out of nothing on a punt return.
https://i.gyazo.com/71275f325a1fe337fc16878f6a276858.mp4
Hemmed in on the sideline here thanks to a good punt, Hurleman doesn’t have much space with which to operate. But he makes Jets receiver Malik McClain miss along the sideline, allowing him to turn it into a 14-yard punt return.
It’s nothing flashy, but those are hidden yards and shows some of the burst that Hurleman has, and why he deserves to be in the roster-spot discussion among Steelers wide receivers, right alongside Wetjen.