Many Steelers fans might think Stephon Tuitt has underachieved thus far in his career. We dig into the stats and ... that just might not be accurate. Here we go:
• Tuitt's (de)feats: With a $12 million annual salary on a deal that could keep him with the Steelers through 2022, Tuitt is paid like an elite defensive end. Some think his production, while good, falls short of that level. Tuitt ranked tied for 29th among defensive ends in sacks last season (5.5), but he ranks higher in some less glorious but still important stats. Tuitt placed 11th among all interior lineman in defeats last season. A Football Outsiders stat, defeats measures when a player makes a tackle for a loss of yardage, a play that results in a turnover, or a tackle or tipped pass that ends a drive. Tuitt had 16 defeats in 2018, one more than linemate Cameron Heyward. He also put pressure on QBs even when he didn't register a sack, collecting 20 QB hits (tied for 11th). Tuitt doesn't compile splashy sack totals, but that's not really his job, either.
• JuJu through two: As JuJu Smith-Schuster gets ready to take over as the Steelers' unquestioned No. 1 receiver, let's take a moment to appreciate just how good he was during his first two NFL seasons as a strong complement -- or sometimes 1A -- to Antonio Brown. Through his first two years, Smith-Schuster ranks fourth in receptions (169), eighth in receiving yards (2,343) and 10th in yards per target (9.6) during the post-merger era (1970-present). He also ranks seventh in catch rate (69 percent) since Pro Football Reference began tracking that metric in 1992. Smith-Schuster still has to prove he's an elite receiver now that he doesn't have a future Hall of Famer lining up on the other side of the field, but we've rarely seen someone dominate like this since draft day.
• Dirty laundry: The Steelers might be seeing yellow, rather than red, as they gather at Saint Vincent College for training camp. In 2018, they committed 111 penalties that cost the team a combined 1,026 yards (third-most in the NFL). They had the most offside penalties in the game (11), according to The Football Database, and ranked third in defensive pass interference (11). Bud Dupree was the Steelers' most penalized player (9), followed by Artie Burns and Vance McDonald (6 apiece). If the Steelers could stop sabotaging themselves, it would go a long way toward returning to the playoffs.
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