Hall of Famer Kevin Greene's return to Steelers sparks early results from defense
Kevin Greene arrived in Pittsburgh at what he calls the “genesis of the zone-pressure package,” also known as the birth of Blitzburgh.
When Greene returned Sunday for the presentation of his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring, it was after the exodus of the blitz from the 'Burgh.
Or at least that's what Steelers Nation would have you believe, based on their lack of sacks.
No wonder Mike Tomlin asked Greene to speak to the Steelers before their game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Heinz Field, hoping Greene's greatness could rub off on his, ahem, sad-sack defense.
“He said he needs some fire and brimstone,” Greene said. “I said, ‘I'm your guy.' ... When you have a passion, it's going to come out naturally.”
Naturally, or so it seemed, the Steelers' first two touchdowns were set up by turnovers caused by players wearing Greene's No. 91 and the No. 95 formerly worn by Greg Lloyd, who was there to present Greene his ring.
First, Stephon Tuitt stripped Chiefs running back Spencer Ware to force a fumble recovered by Ross Cockrell that set up Darius Heyward-Bey's 31-yard touchdown catch.
Then Jarvis Jones intercepted an Alex Smith pass and returned it to the Kansas City 4, setting up Antonio Brown's touchdown reception on the next play.
For a Steelers defense that entered the game with one sack — and that was at the line of scrimmage against Cincinnati — they were thunderbolt plays that took plenty of pressure off the lightning-rod issue.
If it seems like sacking the quarterback came naturally to Greene, he wants to set the record straight.
“I was a decent player, but I really didn't take it to the next level until I got to Pittsburgh, got surrounded by this coaching staff, this football talent here, playing in front of Steelers Nation and feeding off the energy,” Greene said. “That's when I think I really started coming into my own.”
In his three seasons with the Steelers, Greene recorded 35 1⁄2 of his 160 career sacks. But it was the scheme set up by mad-scientist defensive coaches Dom Capers, Dick LeBeau and Marvin Lewis, and the ability to play alongside Lloyd, Chad Brown and Levon Kirkland that made the Steelers so dangerous in rushing the passer.
“It was amazing because we would go into every game with eight to 10 or even 12 new pressures, new pressures that were un-scouted, looks that we hadn't ever put on film before,” Greene said. “The coaches were creating this stuff and knew they had a very smart defense and we could implement this stuff, so they just threw it in there.”
The Steelers sandwiched 42 sacks in 1993 and '95 around 55 in '94. It set the tone for a defense that recorded at least 41 sacks 10 times in the next 15 years, though Greene took exception to calling it a standard.
“I don't know if we set the standard. I mean, those guys in the '70s ... they set the bar pretty high now,” Greene said. “We all just tried to reach for that standard, that standard of physicality, that standard of excellence.”
That standard continued even after Greene left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency, followed by the likes of Joey Porter, now the Steelers outside linebackers coach.
“The tradition was what it was,” Porter said, naming Greene, Jason Gildon and Lloyd as prominent pass rushers.
“All of those guys were dominant pass rushers in this league. By the time I got here, the standard was already set high. The linebackers, middle and outside, were the strength of the team. You always had that added pressure. You knew you had to hold up your end of the bargain because the guys before you played so good.”
What made Greene so good was his brute strength and speed in the bull rush, something Porter learned from the man himself when Greene interned with the Steelers at training camp in Latrobe.
The first three steps in the speed-to-bull rush have to be explosive, Porter explained, and that's not something that can just be taught. It comes from within.
Same with sacks.
Porter thinks the Steelers have what it takes to pressure the passer and generate sacks and points to their 48 last season after averaging 34.8 the previous four.
They certainly should, given the Steelers invested first-round picks in Lawrence Timmons (2007), Jones ('13), Ryan Shazier ('14) and Bud Dupree ('15) for that purpose.
“They come in bunches, and that's just how it is,” Porter said. “Do we want 'em? Yes, because that's what we do as pass rushers. We definitely want 'em. But we want the win first. At the same time, we know what we need to do as a team.
“It's not a lack of effort, not a lack of want-to. We're young, but we make no excuses. ... This last game (at Philadelphia) was just a bad game for us. It was a wake-up call for our defense, for our whole team in general.”
Maybe Greene's presence and pregame speech can make an impact on the Steelers. Porter only wishes it worked like that.
“That's just something you've got to have inside, the want-to and passion and fire he played with. That's what made him Kevin Greene,” Porter said.
“You can't just meet a guy and all of a sudden, overnight turn into that. It ain't going to happen like that. Whether they're inspired or not, you're in the room with greatness. He's a Hall of Fame linebacker from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whatever you take from it is up to you.”
Greene's return might not have brought back Blitzburgh, but a brush with greatness was just what the Steelers needed.
Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.
