For the first time this young season, the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ defense lived up to the hype. Teryl Austin’s unit played a huge role in Week 3’s 21-14 win over the New England Patriots, as each level of the group contributed.
One of the brightest stars of the afternoon was one of the players with the least amount of experience in Pittsburgh. Newcomer safety Jabrill Peppers, who signed less than two full weeks before this game, finally got some runway on defense.
Peppers made the most of it, setting the tone for a road victory in a place he knows all too well.
Jabrill Peppers Says He ‘Needed’ Revenge Game Against Patriots
Peppers got the last laugh against a Patriots team he spent three-plus years with. After the game, he told local media what the significance of that is to him.
“Absolutely,” Peppers said. “I needed this one. I thank each and every man [and] coach in here. We had a great week of work, great prep. It feels good right now. I just had to keep my emotions in check. Not let the moment get too big, let the plays come to you. I definitely have a lot I have to work on as far as the minute details and things, but it’s definitely good correcting things after a win.”
In all, Peppers finished with 6 tackles. That was tied for the third-most on the entire Steelers defense. Four of his were assisted efforts. The longtime Patriot also pitched in with superstar linebacker T.J. Watt on a third-quarter forced fumble. Peppers wound up recovering the ball, and his emotion was obvious. It was a big-time play in a Sunday filled with them. Pittsburgh forced five New England turnovers.
One of those wouldn’t have been made possible without their newest strong safety.
Mike Tomlin Proud of Pittsburgh’s Newcomer for Heroic Week 3 Effort
After playing strictly a special teams role in Week 2, his first with the Steelers, Peppers moved all the way up to a starting gig just days later. That’s a huge credit to his veteran ability, as the former first-round pick is able to pick up information quickly. Leading up to Sunday, head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged being “open to expanding the utilization” of Peppers against his old team.
That’s precisely what happened. According to Pro Football Focus, Peppers logged 43 defensive snaps on the afternoon. Only All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward fared better in the outlet’s preliminary defensive grading — his 89.8 overall mark trailed Heyward’s 90.8. Peppers led the entire defense in run defense grade (95.2).
As it turns out, the plan to give him more work panned out as well as it could’ve. Tomlin praised Peppers after a chaotic Week 3 win for the team.
“I thought he played with great energy and communication,” Tomlin said. “For a guy that’s new, his level of communication is unique in terms of adjustments and so forth. He’s a veteran, he’s got a good passion for the game, a good relationship with the game. Certainly, it’s good to win.”
After surrendering 32 points to the New York Jets in Week 1 and 31 to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, this was a return to form for the Steelers. The same applies to Peppers, and it couldn’t have been against a more fitting opponent.
“I envisioned it last night. Let the fans know I miss them, but I’m down with the steel curtain now.”
Steelers’ Jabrill Peppers Got Last Laugh in Patriots Revenge Game