The Pittsburgh Steelers have had mixed results trying to stop some of the top running backs in the NFL this season.
The Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, the league’s leader rusher, was held to 45 yards on 14 carries on Nov. 2. However, the Buffalo Bills’ James Cook, the league’s second-leading rusher, gashed the Steelers for 144 yards on 32 carries on Nov. 30. On Monday night, the Miami Dolphins’ De’Von Achane was limited to 60 yards in 12 attempts after entering the game third in the NFL in rushing yardage.
The Steelers (8-6) and their run defense, which ranks 19th in the NFL, face another big challenge on Sunday when they visit the Detroit Lions (8-6) in a meeting of playoff contenders at Ford Field. The Lions’ top two running backs – Jahmyr Gibbs (1,100) and David Montgomery (635) – have combined for 1,735 yards on the ground. The Lions are fifth in the league in rushing and first in scoring with an average of 30.6 points a game.
"It's a two-headed monster, but both guys are capable of a lot of damage," Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward said. "Jahmyr Gibbs, when he gets going, it's lightning in the bottle. And with David Montgomery, he runs downhill, big play ability.”
The game is important for both teams. The Steelers lead the AFC North by one game over the Baltimore Ravens (7-7) with three to play. The Lions are 2 ½ games behind the first-place Chicago Bears (11-4) in the NFC North, but still have a chance at a wild-card spot, as they have the eighth-best record in the conference.
The Steelers are confident they can at least contain the Gibbs/Montgomery duo after keeping Achane in check in a 28-15 victory, their second straight win.
"We just approach it like we did last week," Steelers linebacker Malik Harrison said. "That was our emphasis last week, to stop the run. I feel like as long as we just do our jobs and make plays, we will.
"Guys are making plays. They try to scheme up, and guys get off blocks and basically are just beating the man across from you. It's never just one guy that gets them down. They break a lot of tackles, and they finish their runs."