Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 players who must improve for Super Bowl run

PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 31, 2017: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers yells toward an official in the third quarter of a game on December 31, 2017 against the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh won 28-24. (Photo by: 2017 Nick Cammett/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

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PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 31: Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive End Stephon Tuitt (91) looks on during the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 31, 2017 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Photo by Mark Alberti/ Icon Sportswire) /

1. Stephon Tuitt

In defense of Tuitt, he struggled with injuries in 2017. He missed time early in the year with a biceps injury and then suffered a back injury that cost him time about a month later. Despite those valid excuses, he still needs to play better in 2018.

It’s hard to fully evaluate a Steelers defensive lineman based on statistics since their primary job is to eat up blockers to keep the linebackers free to make plays. However, you can get some sense of production from the numbers. Tuitt only managed to make 25 tackles and three sacks last season. Neither total is sufficient for a player with Tuitt’s talent.

Back in 2015 Tuitt managed to sack the quarterback 6.5 times for the Steelers. That may not seem like a huge number, but it’s symbolic of how he was able to collapse the pocket that year for his defense. Tuitt needs to play with that kind of force again in 2018.

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Cameron Heyward gets a ton of well-deserved attention for his play on the Steelers defensive line but Tuitt isn’t that far away from his teammate in terms of talent. Tuitt needs to close the performance gap between he and his fellow defensive end if the Steelers defense is going to be in a position to dominate their AFC competition.

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