Just how good has Minkah Fitzpatrick been since arriving in Pittsburgh? And how is James Conner showing out. We have the latest Steelers data right here:
• Fitzpatrick's impact: During his early tenure with the Steelers, Fitzpatrick is flashing the kind of coverage skills that made him a star at Alabama, the 11th pick in the 2018 draft and a player that Pittsburgh coveted enough to surrender a 2020 first-round selection. Teams have targeted Fitzpatrick deep, throwing passes when he was responsible for coverage an average of 14.6 yards past the line of scrimmage, according to Pro Football Reference's advanced stats. That's one of the 20-highest depth of target averages among all NFL players. But he's allowing just a 53.4 passer rating when targeted since arriving in Pittsburgh, which ranks in the top 25 among all defenders. Some aren't happy that the Steelers traded away a first-rounder, but they acquired a high-end talent in Fitzpatrick who will be here for years to come and who won't turn 23 until next month. He's showing why the trade was a move to win now, and win later.
• Air cover: Fitzpatrick's strong play is emblematic of the Steelers' continued improvement in pass coverage overall. Pittsburgh's pass defense has been about two percent better than that of an average NFL team in 2019 on a per-play basis, according to Football Outsiders. That's the ninth-best rate in the league. The Steelers ranked 17th in pass coverage (7.5 percent below average) in 2018. With Fitzpatrick in the fold, Steven Nelson acclimating well, and Cameron Sutton emerging in the slot, the Steelers are no longer outmanned in the secondary.
• Conner the crusher: While James Conner isn't lighting it up in the running game (he's averaging 3.2 yards per carry, down from 4.5 in 2018), he's absolutely trucking people in the short passing game. Conner has broken seven tackles as a receiver this season, which surpasses his 2018 total already (five) and is tied for second among all NFL pass-catchers this season. He's averaging ten yards after the catch per reception, trailing only Minnesota's Dalvin Cook (10.6) among all players. Conner has become the de facto number one receiving target for an injury-ravaged club that's struggling to get the ball to JuJu Smith-Schuster.
To continue reading, log into your account:
