Steelers are going on slightly different direction than blitz:

from: http://www.steelersdepot.com/2017/11...-rushes-three/

In the accompanying article, the end zone screen shot is Steelers dropping two ILBs (Shazier and Watt) into coverage for an eight man zone. They had Lions so discombobulated that the Lions blocked 3 pass rushers with 7 guys. That is what I want to see happen in GB. The Pass D is eight versus 3. I like even the Packers' DBs in that scenario. Its red zone, so deep safeties aren't such a problem.


BY ALEX KOZORA NOVEMBER 10, 2017 AT 12:08 PM
It’s arguably the biggest source of frustration for Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans. Anytime Keith Butler sends three, check Twitter out and you’ll see a sea of hate. It’s something he did a ton in the last game against the Detroit Lions, constantly rushing just three against Matthew Stafford, to mixed results. Speaking with reporters yesterday, Butler explained why and when he likes to rush the minimum.

“If our coverage is good enough to make him hold the ball, where he gets to his back step, what we call a three step, five step, seven step drop by the quarterback, when he hits his back foot and lets the ball go, there’s not much you can do,” Butler said via Steelers.com. “So sometimes we rush three in that situation. And tighten the windows down in terms of zone defense to make the quarterback a little more limited. If he’s used to throwing on time or at a certain time, then that will mess him up.”

To sum up, it’s a change up to get the quarterback flustered. And while it’s been frustrating in pockets, like Butler’s insistence of using it on nearly the entire Lions’ final drive, it’s been extremely effective in the red zone. The windows that Butler spoke about are inherently tight without the threat of anything vertical and dropping eight makes it that much tougher.

The results, in the red zone at least, have been excellent.