Catching Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce could come down to Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� 无毛视频淐atching Kelce,无毛视频� the reality TV show, concluded a few weeks back with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end famously choosing Maya over Veronica. And, yes, I know what you无毛视频檙e thinking: How could he? I mean, duh, everyone knows Kelce should have chosen Lauren.
But we digress.
Catching Travis Kelce on a football field has proven far more difficult.
Kelce is third in the NFL in yards after catch (7.7), trailing only a pair of running backs: The Steelers无毛视频� Le无毛视频橵eon Bell and Arizona无毛视频檚 David Johnson. That a tight end is even in the discussion is remarkable but, then again, so is Kelce.
In an NFL that finds itself without New England无毛视频檚 Rob Gronkowski, Kelce is perhaps the best tight end going.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a really great athlete, does a lot of unusual things for a tight end,无毛视频� said Steelers inside linebacker Vince Williams. 无毛视频淗e splits out wide, catches bubble screens. How many times you see a tight end catch a bubble screen? He无毛视频檚 just that type of player. He无毛视频檚 that dynamic.无毛视频�
Kelce无毛视频檚 1,125 yards were tops among all tight ends and 12th among all players. Tyreek Hill was the Chiefs无毛视频� second-leading receiver with 532 fewer yards. That makes Kelce, by far, Kansas City无毛视频檚 most dangerous receiving option and the player the Steelers defense absolutely must contain in Sunday无毛视频檚 AFC Division Round game at Arrowhead Stadium.
无毛视频淗e does a good job shifting his weight, he无毛视频檚 wide in his cuts, he blocks well, a great overall talent,无毛视频� said inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 like a Tony Gonzalez.
无毛视频淗e has moves. He无毛视频檚 pretty fluid, which is crazy as big (6-foot-5, 255 pounds) as he is. You see how he runs away from the pack, he无毛视频檚 pretty fluid.无毛视频�
When they last met the Chiefs on a rainy Sunday night in Week 4, the Steelers not only throttled Kansas City 43-14, they held the All-Pro to five catches for 23 yards and a season-low 4.60 per reception (8.6 yards per reception).
Making that feat even more remarkable was with whom the Steelers did it. At strong safety, the Steelers started Jordan Dangerfield, who was filling in for Robert Golden. Will Gay was still starting outside at cornerback. Relying extensively on their dime package, which included Justin Gilbert, the Steelers were able to shut down Kelce.
Mike Tomlin didn无毛视频檛 categorically rule out a similar strategy this week at Kansas City, but the cast on defense has clearly changed. Sean Davis has long supplanted Dangerfield and Golden. Artie Burns has pushed Gay inside to the slot. Gilbert? He hasn无毛视频檛 played a down on defense since Week 5.
In the first week of October, the Steelers were also without Ryan Shazier. The Chiefs game was the first of three games that Shazier missed with a knee injury. When the Steelers meet Kansas City again on Sunday, expect Shazier to match up against Kelce. Whether it无毛视频檚 been Washington无毛视频檚 Jordan Reed or Cincinnati无毛视频檚 Tyler Eifert, Shazier routinely draws the assignment of covering top tight ends.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a great player,无毛视频� Shazier said of Kelce. 无毛视频淚 feel like I无毛视频檓 trying to be a great player. You always want to play the best. If I get a chance, it无毛视频檒l be fun.无毛视频�
Shazier无毛视频檚 impact on the Steelers defense during their eight-game win streak can无毛视频檛 be understated enough, said Timmons. Shazier, who had 3.5 sacks this season, has 38 tackles since the Steelers无毛视频� Week 11 win at Cleveland and has interceptions in each of the past three games.
无毛视频淪hould have been Pro Bowl, he无毛视频檚 that type of athlete,无毛视频� Timmons said of his teammate.
The speed and athleticism with which Shazier plays has been evident since the Steelers chose him 15th overall in 2014. Had it not been for a slew of injuries 无毛视频� he无毛视频檚 missed 14 regular-season games over his first three seasons 无毛视频� Shazier may have been All-Pro already.
According to Timmons, Shazier has made his biggest steps off the field in film study. As the signal caller of the defense, Shazier says he无毛视频檚 come a long way.
无毛视频淛ust my film study with Mike Mitchell when I come in early by myself,无毛视频� Shazier said. 无毛视频淚 really felt like it无毛视频檚 really helped my game evolve, the extra hours I have with my coach and talking to them about the game plan. Just understanding what other guys are doing on offense. I think it really helps out so much on the defense.无毛视频�