NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Since the 2018 season ended, all the Steelers defense has talked about is finding ways to create more turnovers.
Despite that added emphasis, the team has yet to record an interception in the preseason. It's tough, however, to get interceptions when the quarterback isn't getting the ball out of his hands.
The Steelers recorded seven more sacks Sunday night as they locked up their third win in as many games in the 2019 preseason, defeating the Titans, 18-6, at Nissan Stadium. That gives the team 14 sacks in its three preseason games, with 10 different players getting to the quarterback already in the exhibition season.
Considering opponents have only attempted 127 passes, the ratio of a sack per every 10 dropbacks hasn't allowed opposing quarterbacks much time to throw the ball toward the Steelers' defensive backs.
The Steelers entered the third week of the preseason having blitzed an NFL-high 69 times in their first two games. They had recorded 18 quarterback knockdowns in those two games, also an NFL-high, and added to that total in this game.
"We've got a lot of guys who can get to the quarterback," said Stephon Tuitt, who led the charge -- literally -- in this game with a pair of sacks, including a first-quarter safety on this play that put the first points on the board:
That play featured Tuitt working on a stunt with Cam Heyward. And if Tuitt hadn't gotten there, Heyward would have. Or perhaps Bud Dupree. Or maybe T.J. Watt.
You get the idea.
It was a nice way to finish off the preseason for the starters, who won't play in Thursday night's preseason finale at Carolina.
"Everybody has a unique skill and we're just showcasing it," Tuitt said. "We're getting more consistent with it."
Considering the Steelers have led the NFL in sacks in each of the past two seasons — with 55 and 52, respectively — that can't be good news for opposing quarterbacks, as Chris Carter breaks down in today's Classroom.
Tuitt and Dupree have been contributors to that, but in more secondary roles to Heyward and Watt. Dupree had a two-sack game last week in a win over the Chiefs. In this game, it was Tuitt's turn in limited duty.
"Everybody here in the locker room knows I can do that all the time," Tuitt said. "My role is to be more consistent and impact the game as much as I can. It's not me showing it more for other people. It's just me consistently doing it. Within this defense, we're going to have weeks when one guy is doing it more than the others. There will be some weeks where I'm holding up two or three (players) and somebody else is going to have to make some plays. I'm really OK with where my position is."
Heyward, the unquestioned leader of the defense, feels the same way.
He's been to the past two Pro Bowls and has been named All-Pro. He's had double-digit sack seasons. And he's still very capable of getting to the quarterback, as he showed on this takedown of Ryan Tannehill late in the first half:
But he also knows he typically draws a lot of attention.
"Hey, if I don't get it, somebody else will," Heyward said. "It doesn't matter. As long as we apply pressure. Tuitt got after them today."
All told, the first-team defense allowed 78 yards and three points in the first half.
It took a couple of series to get going, but Tuitt's safety seemed to spark the offense.
Ben Roethlisberger and company got one first down on each of the first two possessions they were out there. Then, on the third possession, after Ryan Switzer returned the free kick following's Tuitt's safety out to the Steelers' 42, Roethlisberger and company got rolling.
Employing a no-huddle offense, as the unit did in all three of its possessions, Roethlisberger completed his final four passes, including this beauty to JuJu Smith-Schuster, who caught four passes for 37 yards.
"I missed a couple of throws the first couple of series and that's on me," said Roethlisberger, who was seeing his first action of the preseason. "I've got to make throws. But we got going on that third series. They went to zero (coverage) on that last play and (we) just happened to call a good play. JuJu got his eyes around and I threw it early, trusted he was going to be in the right spot. And the line picked it up because they brought one more than we could block, but they kept them away."
Roethlisberger was 8 of 13 for 63 yards and the touchdown.
Just as importantly, James Conner looked sharp running behind a line that included all five starters for the first time this preseason. Guard David DeCastro and center Maurkice Pouncey, a pair of All-Pros, also were seeing their first -- and only —preseason action.
"He looks good," DeCastro said of Conner, who had five carries for 41 yards and two receptions for another 15. "He's kind of a veteran guy now, so he's kind of figured it out."
Will that limited work in the preseason be enough for the offensive unit until the regular-season opener Sept. 8 at New England?
"I think it's good enough," Roethlisberger said. "We'll be ready to go."
Roethlisberger and Smith-Schuster weren't the only offensive players up to their old tricks.
Mason Rudolph relieved Roethlisberger with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter. And after Jaylen Samuels ran for 11 yards on the first play from scrimmage, Rudolph found his former college teammate at Oklahoma State, James Washington, for a 41-yard touchdown pass.
"The coverage, just like any other play, dictated that I go there," said Rudolph, who was 6 of 9 for 75 yards, one touchdown and one interception before giving way to Josh Dobbs in the second half. "They gave us a good look for that. He made a great play. There was a lot of history locked away between us, especially on posts and deep stuff. It was kind of bread and butter."
It was Washington's only catch in this game, but he continued his strong preseason. He now has nine receptions for 203 yards and two scores in the preseason. No other Steelers player has more than four catches.
"I think he had it figured out in college and now he's just got to do it in the regular season, and I think he will," Rudolph said of the second-year receiver. "We've got to get him those opportunities. He makes plays week in and week out. He's been awesome."
That doesn't mean things are always perfect. On Rudolph's interception, Washington ran a curl and Rudolph threw an out that led to a relatively easy interception for safety Amani Hooker.
"Yeah, it was a little miscommunication," Rudolph said. "That's on me. That's very easily correctable, so I'm not too worried about that. We'll get that corrected, so I'm not worried about that."
Rudolph hasn't yet been named the No. 2 quarterback behind Roethlisberger, but things seem to be trending in that direction.
Dobbs was 4 of 9 in the second half for 75 yards and an interception.
"We switch it up every week, as we did last year and this year," Rudolph said of the backup quarterback rotation. "When I'm out there, I want to produce and put points on the board and lead the team up and down the field. That's the stuff I read into. And I'll read a whole lot into the film when I look at it tomorrow."
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