From 2001 to 2012, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was consistently among the leagues very best. The 3-4 “zone-blitz” schemes implemented by legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau made life miserable for opponents, and helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls over that span.
The list of dominant players on those defenses is impressive, and though only Troy Polamalu looks to be the only surefire bet to make the Hall of Fame, you could make an argument that another player from that vaunted defense might have been every bit as important to the Steelers being such a dominant unit on defense.
That player was nose tackle Casey Hampton.
Hampton, who despite never surpassing 2.5 sacks in a season, was the linchpin of the defense, especially when it came to defending the run. More often than not, Hampton could be relied on to occupy multiple blockers and hold the point of attack, allowing linebackers like James Farrior, Larry Foote and Lawrence Timmons to make plays and have clear paths to opponents running backs.
The case could be made no player was more unheralded on that defensive unit than Hampton, but his value can’t be overstated. That’s because the run defense was especially impressive over that 12-year stretch — ranking in the top three or higher in yards allowed per game nine of those seasons and ending tops in the league four times.
So after finishing second in the league against the rush in Hampton’s final season as a Steeler in 2012, should it come as a surprise that the Steelers plummeted to 21st in 2013?
Though many allude to other issues with the Steelers defense like the play at cornerback, the loss of Polamalu to retirement and the inability to get consistent pressure on the quarterback, the struggle to effectively replace Hampton has been an issue that has dogged the franchise.
The prime candidate for filling this role the past few seasons has been Steve McClendon. Heading into his sixth year with the Steelers, McClendon has struggled to play at a level that approaches Hampton’s lofty standard. Though the idea that McClendon would play at a Pro-Bowl level was never a likely scenario, it seems fair to believe that this season will be a make or break one in a contract year.
McClendon will enter training camp firmly entrenched as the starter for the third consecutive year. The Steelers will hope that nagging shoulder and leg injuries that have slowed McClendon down the past two seasons will not hamper him this season. If they do or McClendon is ineffective, it’s likely Daniel McCullers could press for an increased role.
A seventh round pick in 2014, McCullers showed signs of promise while appearing in nine games and making one start with McClendon out with an injury. At six-foot-seven, 350 pounds, McCullers has the size to play the classic two-gap role at nose tackle. He’s also surprising nimble and athletic for his size, but like many players who slip to the later rounds of the draft, questions about consistency and the ability to improve areas of his game where there are perceived flaws will determine if McCullers can be a realistic option as a full-time starter.
One of the biggest issues dogging McCullers is due to his height, he struggles to keep his pad level low and can lose the leverage game with interior linemen who have a natural lower center of gravity. Clearly the primary role for the 3-4 nose tackle is to hold the point of attack, and if you are getting driven off the ball, that’s a problem.
Year two will be huge for McCullers, and defensive line coach John Mitchell has long been considered one of the best because of his ability to develop players like McCullers. If that development is substantial, it’s quite possible that the McCullers will press McClendon for a starting role this season.
Regardless, if the Steelers are going to take a significant step forward defensively, improved play at the nose tackle position will be critical. Though it’s impossible to expect another Hampton to emerge from the current group of defensive tackles on the Steelers roster, more consistent play and contributions could go a long way towards the Steelers defense looking like it did so often when “Big Snack” anchored it.
