Steelers' Nick Herbig Is Struggling With Transition To New Role

The Pittsburgh Steelers recently defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34-22 in a game where the offense was humming. Aaron Rodgers and Jaylen Warren had their way with the Colts' defense and were ultimately too much for the unit to handle. While the offense was great, the defense left more to be desired. The collective did an excellent job shutting down superstar running back Jonathan Taylor, but struggled to stop the Colts' passing attack. Without Joey Porter Jr. now, Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has played primarily in zone coverage, allowing teams to neutralize Pittsburgh's pass rush. 

The Steelers have one of the NFL's deepest groups of edge rushers, with TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig all on massive contracts. Watt and Highsmith are proven stars, while Herbig is still trying to prove himself among the NFL's best. Because the room is crowded, Herbig has had to move around the defense more than usual and has struggled with the transition. 

In the first two games, Graham was playing Herbig as an off-ball linebacker while also lining him up over the center. While the pass rusher has been playing more as an edge rusher in the past three games, he's still been rushing the quarterback a lot from the interior, which is unfamiliar territory for the former Wisconsin standout. With zero sacks in five games, Herbig has taken a lot of heat for not giving the organization a return on its investment. 

Recently, Jeff Hathhorn appeared on 93.7 The Fan and said Herbig agrees with Steeler Nation that he simply isn't playing well enough. Hathhorn also pointed out Herbig's transition and how difficult it is to beat centers and guards inside versus tackles outside. 

"Herbig doesn't think he's been good enough. So, it's been a transition for him to learn how to rush the passer from the middle of the field," Hathhorn stated. "It's a different skill set of how to rush and beat centers and guards than it is to beat a tackle. And that's still something he's learning, and he's trying to do that without being out of his gaps to hurt run support. So, it's a work in progress. So, I would say, by his own admission, he hasn't been good enough."

Herbig is already an undersized edge rusher, so interior struggles are expected. On the outside, he has much more space to work with and really use his athleticism to get the edge or even spin inside. The transition has been tough, with no sacks yet, but he's still generating pressure on the quarterback. The organization paid him $100 million for a reason, and he'll get over the hump in his new role. 

Herbig isn't the only one who hasn't been producing as expected. All of the team's pass rushers have struggled to get sacks in the last three games, but it's not entirely on them. The heavy use of zone coverage makes the quick game and underneath throws especially effective. Graham will have to switch things up on the back end to let the front seven take over games. 

Steelers Need To Run More Man Coverage

Graham's reliance on zone coverage is understandable given the secondary's lack of depth. Jamel Dean missed last game and has been battling an ankle injury since Week 1. The starting cornerbacks now are Asante Samuel Jr. and Daylen Everette -- neither of whom can be relied on truly in press man coverage within this current setup of the defense. The secondary is thin across the board, but something has to change. 

Over the past three games, the quarterbacks have been getting the ball out at an alarming speed, making it nearly impossible to generate pressure. Man coverage is risky, but it will make it easier to take away the quick game, allowing the defensive line to get sacks and create splash plays. The Steelers' best unit is the front seven, and they need to find ways to let them affect the game, rather than sitting in a soft zone. 

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