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Steelers concerned about run defense as much as QB

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PITTSBURGH – Backup quarterback Landry Jones delivered a message to his Steelers teammates Wednesday morning.

What did the usually quiet Jones say?

“Don’t panic,” linebacker Arthur Moats said with a laugh. “As smooth as Landry can say it.

“Any time Landry Jones graces us with his verbal leadership, we always appreciate it. In all seriousness, we’re extremely confident. We’re not concerned with who you put out there, the next-man-up motto. Any position, as you’ve seen this year, those guys come in and have success.”

That had largely been the case until last week, when the Steelers missed defensive end Cam Heyward in a 30-15 loss at Miami.

The Dolphins gashed the Steelers for 222 rushing yards with running back Jay Ajayi running for 204 yards on 25 carries, the most allowed by the Steelers in a game since Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor had 234 in 2000.

While Jones will make the start at quarterback for injured Ben Roethlisberger Sunday when the Steelers (4-2) host the New England Patriots (5-1), Heyward will miss his second consecutive game with an injured hamstring.

That could cause some panic.

“Offenses know if you’ve got good players on the field and Cam is a good player,” said defensive end Stephon Tuitt. “We’re a dynamic duo when we play. Teams watch film and they can see that. Just us two can destroy a lot of stuff, which makes it easy for our defense. Losing him … was it a big loss? Of course, he’s one of our best players. But the next man has to be ready to fill that role.”

That proved difficult against Miami, which exploited the absence of Heyward.

The Patriots had to see that and will be tempted to attack the Steelers in the same fashion with running backs LeGarrette Blount and James White. That duo has combined for 521 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Rookie Javon Hargrave replaced Heyward in passing situations and Ricardo Matthews had that job in the base 3-4 defense.

Hargrave said the game was a learning experience.

“It’s just being able to come off more blocks and make more plays in the run game, shedding blocks and making tackles,” he said.

“We have to hustle more and get to the ball. Once teams can run the ball, they can do whatever they want and that made a difference in the pass rush.”

The Steelers must get pressure on New England quarterback Tom Brady, and even then, it doesn’t prevent Brady from picking a defense apart.

After sitting out the first four games of the season while suspended for his part in Deflategate, Brady is completing 76 percent of his passes for 782 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions in only two games.

Brady is 8-2 in his career against the Steelers with 24 touchdown passes and three interceptions. His .800 winning percentage against Pittsburgh is the best of any quarterback since 1970.

Despite that, the Steelers are still intent on stopping New England’s running game and forcing Brady to throw.

Brady passes the ball on rhythm and lets his receivers run after the catch. The Steelers figure if they can get New England into second- and third-and-long situiations and tackle the Patriots short of the first-down marker, well, maybe they’ll have a chance.

“He gets the ball out really quick,” Tuitt said of Brady. “The guys up front do just enough to make sure he gets the ball out fast enough to move it down the field. They’re not really going to kill you with deep passes. From time to time he might do it. But most of all, he’s going to pick you apart. … Putting my hands up to get in the passing lane for those checkdowns when the first or second option isn’t there, that will be really important.”

The Steelers don’t want to look at film again next week of a team running the ball down their throats.

“When you go back and look at the film, it almost makes you want to throw up because we had them stopped many times but the runner got four or five more yards,” Tuitt said.

The Steelers think what happened in Miami is correctable.

“The scheme we have this week, I think is going to be very effective,” Moats said. “Ultimately, it’s going to come down to guys winning their one-on-one matchups, especially in the run game, because if we can make them one-dimensional, like we usually do, we’ll have the success we need.

“It was simple things that we have to clean up, winning one-on-ones, gap assignments and things like that. It’s nothing that can’t be done. It’s nothing we haven’t done numerous times this season.”

The Steelers did not activate tight end Ladarius Green (ankle) from the PUP list. Green did not practice Wednesday. … Linebacker Ryan Shazier said he felt good at practice. Shazier has been out with a knee injury but hopes to play against the Patriots. Also limited were safeties Robert Golden (foot) and Mike Mitchell (knee). … In addition to Heyward and Roethlisberger, offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert (ankle), safety Shamarko Thomas (groin), offensive lineman Cody Wallace (knee), receiver Markus Wheaton (shoulder) and running back DeAngelo Williams (knee) did not practice.

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