Steelers

Kovacevic: Being passive isn’t cutting it for this defense

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Vince Williams eyes the Eagles' backfield last Sunday in Philadelphia. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

Take your forefinger and thumb, and press them together.

Like, really hard.

That right there, my friends, is the total yardage the Steelers' opponents have surrendered in sacks this season, courtesy of a solitary no-gain touch by Arthur Moats on a scrambling Andy Dalton two weeks ago:

 photo Moats_zpsnwrxp0hh.gif

Riveting stuff for the next 'Renegade' compilation, huh?

That's it, though. That's as good as it's gotten. In fact, in addition to that one conceded sack, this defense has amassed a sorry six quarterback pressures and seven tackles for losses over three games. And beyond that, the impact has been even less. Few hurries. Fewer collapsed pockets. Close to zero contact. And a $0.00 price tag on the combined dry-cleaning bill for Kirk Cousins, Dalton and the rookie Carson Wentz.

Who knew that, when Cam Heyward strikingly complained after the opening victory in Washington that the defensive line "sucked," and then Mike Tomlin just as strikingly followed up with "I agree with Cam," that they were foreseeing the future, as well?

"We've got to be better," Heyward was telling me this week. "All of us, beginning with me, we've got to be better. It's as simple as that."

Is it, though?

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