Minimize Tyreek Hill‘s effect on the game
Easier said than done right? Tyreek Hill is easily one of the most explosive playmakers in the game right now. He practically ruined the Los Angeles Chargers by himself in Week 1. The Steelers don’t want to fall in the same boat as the Chargers did. They’re going to have to formulate a plan on how to minimize Hill’s effect on the game. It’s not just the threat of him as a wide receiver, but as a threat in general.
He can receive jet sweeps, line up in the backfield, and turn into Devin Hester on punt returns. Hill checks all the boxes on the versatility card. Defending him is insanely complex. The Steelers defense and special teams need to be locked in on him or he’ll sprint right past them.
So how do the Steelers minimize Hill’s effect on the game?
It starts with the punting unit. Special teams coordinator Danny Smith needs to drill into his punter Jordan Berry‘s head to make sure he doesn’t kick it towards Hill. That’s the easiest to accomplish, but shanking a punt is always a possibility. If Berry can manage that, then the first step is taken care of.
On the defensive side of the ball, there really isn’t anyone in the secondary the Steelers have to bother Hill. Double teaming or bracketing him will be the Steelers best course of action coverage wise. However, that too is tricky because the Chiefs still have tight end Travis Kelce that can expose the coverage. This is where disguising the defense is crucial.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes hasn’t proven that he’s profound at unmasking defenses pre-snap yet. By confusing Mahomes, the Steelers will have made Hill obsolete. He can’t hurt you if his quarterback is struggling. It’s just a matter on if defensive coordinator Keith Butler can create a game plan that allows his defense to execute these steps.
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