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The Pittsburgh Steelers season ended earlier than anyone could have expected and despite an 11-0 start, the team crumbled down the stretch and might have missed out on their last, best chance for a Super Bowl for a long time. Here is our look back at each positional until in our own version of the exit interviews.
Next up, we have the defensive backs.
Pittsburgh has invested heavily into their secondary. Starting cornerbacks Steven Nelson and Joe Haden constitute a considerable chunk of the salary cap and for the most part, lived up to the hype. Neither guy had gaudy stats but in terms of coverage, they were as good as the pass rush let them be. There were fewer big plays for much of the season but we saw the cracks in the armor when the pass rush slowed down late in the season.
The Steelers once again got a big season out of safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. He led the team with four interceptions and was the most consistent and reliable defender in the secondary. Meanwhile fellow safety Terrell Edmunds was once again very average and the weak link in the secondary. This isn’t to say he had some good games because he did. But overall, once injuries in the middle of the Steelers defense got banged up, Edmunds didn’t really step up.
Depth was a mixed bag. Cornerback Mike Hilton was very good and is looking to get paid in free agency this offseason. The rest of the Steelers defensive backs were largely unremarkable.
Looking ahead to 2021, this is another unit that could see a major makeover. It is hard to imagine the Steelers will play 2021 with Haden and Nelson counting for 1/6 of the total salary cap so look for changes whether it’s related to contracts or personnel. The problem is with Hilton likely headed elsewhere, depth is far from inspiring and this group could take a big step back.
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