Butler has grown as leader of defense
Butler was saying after a practice last week. “This is what you play for. This is what you coach for. To get to this level? 13-3? To only lose three games during the season against the NFL, man, that’s not easy to do. We’ve gotten to the position that we want to be in.”
Mike Tomlin has faith Butler will come up with a defensive game plan that gives the Steelers their best chance to survive and advance. The players believe. They saw the way Butler was able to overcome longterm injuries to Stephon Tuitt and Joe Haden in the season. They saw his strength after Ryan Shazier’s potentially catastrophic injury and how Butler, though shaken to his core like everyone else in the organization, managed to keep the defense together. That’s why Williams immediately brought up Butler’s name when asked about the sack record. “Coach Butts does such a great job with us. He came in behind a fantastic coach like coach [Dick] LeBeau. I know what this means to him.”
Butler turned around the love, of course.
“Those teams that they beat in terms of sacks, those were some good football teams. I want them to be proud of themselves. ‘Blitzburgh, Blitzburgh, Blitzburgh.’ That’s all we’ve ever heard around here. We’ll continue that on.”
Butler knew what he was getting into when he replaced LeBeau, a Hall of Famer, after the 2014 season, a promotion after 12 years as Steelers linebackers coach. Tomlin was so afraid of losing him to another team that he forced LeBeau out. Butler said he turned down “four or five” coordinator jobs over the years to stay. One reason is his relationship with Tomlin; Butler was Tomlin’s boss when they were coaching at Memphis a lifetime ago. The other reason is the Rooneys; no owners believe more in coaching stability.
“Ijust always thought it wouldbe easier for me to go tothe Super Bowl as a coordinator here than it would be anywhere else,” Butler said a fewyears ago. “The Rooneys are patient. They’re not kneejerkreaction people. They’re going to see things through and give you a chance to develop a good defense. Some other place might not give you that chance.”
Butler tested that Rooney patience early on. His first game as coordinator was at New England. The Steelers had a hard time getting 11 defenders on the field at the same time, although they probably could have played with 15 and it wouldn’t have mattered. Brady threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-21 Patriots win. Gronkowski had five catches for 94 yards and three touchdowns. It was so bad you almost felt embarrassed for Butler.
“I’ve learned a lot,” Butler said last week. “I think if you don’t learn every year, you’re not going to grow. If you don’t grow every year, you’re not going to last.”
That relationship with Tomlin has helped.
“Mike likes to sneak in and coach a little bit. You all don’t know that. He’s really involved with the defense,” Butler said.
“He’s good for me because we know each other so well. We don’t always agree and we argue, but we’re like brothers in that aspect of it. He knows I’m not a yes-man. He was the secondary coach for me when I was the coordinator in college and he wasn’t a yes-man for me, either. He’s never been a yesman. He’s always spoken his mind. You know that.
“When it’s all said and done, we’re speaking with one voice.”
Itwill take the best Tomlin and Butler have to offer, as wellas input from the other defensive coaches, for the Steelers to advance to Super Bowl LII. The team should handle Fournette and Bortles and beat Jacksonville at home.The defense actually played pretty well in that October loss to the Jaguars but was victimized by Ben Roethlisberger’s five interceptions, two that were returned for touchdowns.But a trip to New England for the AFC championship Jan. 21 looms. The Steelers are 0-6 at Gillette Stadium against Bill Belichick and Brady. LeBeau’s defense was shredded for 610 yards in a 55-31 lossin 2013, the worst defensive performance in Steelers history. Butler’s defense was litup for 384 passing yards and three touchdowns by Brady in a 36-17 loss last season in the AFC title game, and Gronkowski didn’t play in that game. Brady and Gronkowski connected nine times for 168 yards and a 2point conversion in the Patriots’27-24 win Dec. 17 at Heinz Field.
I reminded Butler of those hideous numbers. First, he insisted the Steelers had Gronkowski double-teamed on New England’s final winning drive but failed to execute. Then, somehow, he managed to smile through his pain.
“You don’t know how many dadgum letters I’ve gotten about that. ‘This is how you stop them.’ I just laugh and say, ‘OK.’ “
Butler will worry about the Patriots next week, should the two teams get that far. It’s clear he likes the “new Blitzburgh.” He’ll take his chances with everybody on his defense healthy except Shazier. That includes Haden, who missed the December game against New England, and All-Pro Cam Heyward, who sat out the AFC championship last season.
Williams, meanwhile, will take his chances with Butler.
“I’m proud of coach Butts. He’s been able to make his own mark on Pittsburgh Steelers history.” Left unsaid by Williams? There is more history for Butler and the defense to make.