Stephon Tuitt Could Be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ X-Factor This Postseason

The most important player on the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the playoffs won’t be quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown or running back Le’Veon Bell. 

The Steelers will need some type of defensive presence, and Stephon Tuitt’s play could determine the team’s postseason success or lack there of. 

Pittsburgh is defined by the three Bs. As talented as that trio is, everyone knows what to expect from each of them. Thus, they should be treated with the Michael Jordan approach. They’re going to get theirs; it’s how opponents handle the rest of the team that will decide the outcome. 

Those playing the Steelers won’t be face the same caliber of defense that defined the organization for decades. “Mean” Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, Kevin Greene, Casey Hampton and Troy Polamalu aren’t leading the team onto the field. 

Instead, a much younger, less intimidating and inconsistent group will be on display. The current version is also more athletic than those seen during previous seasons. That’s the give-and-take of Kevin Butler’s unit. The defensive coordinator adjusted how the organization’s approach. 

For years, the Steelers’ famed 3-4 front was built around its outside linebackers. Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Chad Brown, Jason Gildon, Joey Porter, LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison flew off the edge for over two decades. Every time Pittsburgh needed to replace one, another rose to the occasion. 

The same can’t be said of today’s group. Even at 38 years old, Harrison is still the team’s best outside linebacker. Former first-round picks Jarvis Jones and Bud Dupree continue to disappoint. 

Emphasis has been placed along the defensive front, because that is where the talent is allocated. Tuitt and Cameron Heyward developed into a devastating combination. 

Unfortunately, Heyward suffered a torn pectoral muscle during a Week 10 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. The organization placed the defensive end on injured reserve two days later. 

As such, Tuitt becomes the focal point of the defense. He’s the one defender the Steelers’ postseason opponent(s) will game-plan for+, since the lineman has the ability to dominate at the point of attack and …

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