Defensive Coordinator Mike Rutenberg (10.29.26)
I’ll ask the obvious question. The slow starts, obviously, it’s not what you guys want to do. Are you noticing things, maybe not schematically, but something kind of a through line, through the ways you guys have started like you did in Tennessee and others? Is there kind of a through line with why the starts are like they have been?
“In everything we do, and you said, of course we don’t want to give up a touchdown in the first drive. We don’t want to give up a touchdown on the fifth drive or the eighth drive. In everything we do, whether it’s not to our collective standard, we address it head on as a group and work our a—- off to fix it. In everything we do, when it is to our collective standard, we are constantly trying to get it better. So, whether it’s the first drive, something else, something we’re doing really well, it’s a constant under construction through the week of why, tell the truth, try and figure it out together and fight our a—- off really to fix it. And it’s a really cool process, collectively, as a staff and players.”
What have you been able to identify as the issue?
“I’m going to keep all the things that we identify internal, but what I can tell you is whatever is happening within the defense, and Monk (Todd Monken) does a great job within the team, whatever is happening, everything we do is trying to find that inch, trying to find one more way that we can get better and help the football team win. And if something we didn’t do to our standard, it’s how can we fix it immediately to help the team win?”
It felt like there were so many different ways that the defense kind of stepped up and answered the call for themselves, for the offense, for special teams, whether it was the goal line stand, Denzel (Ward)’s interception, and then the forced fumble. In those moments, I know they’re kind of like bang, bang, bang, but what are those conversations like with you guys when you know that you’ve let this happen, either one phase or another phase, we’ve let this happen, we have to answer that?
“It just falls back to our defensive style, playing for each other and having a great time doing it, and then playing as smart as we can, being in our job, and playing as violent as we can, attacking the ball. So, when things are going well, it’s a constant reminder, stay within our style, style over scheme, let’s make sure we’re doing our job, playing hard as hell, playing violent, going after the ball. When things aren’t going well, there’s no magic potion. It’s keep playing our asses off, hey, celebrate the good stuff, let’s quickly fix the bad stuff, do our assignment, are we playing violent, go after the ball. It’s that consistent approach defensively that is good or bad, we’re going to always hunt it, and it’s a testament first to our team on all three phases. But, obviously speaking defensively, how resilient we can be and constantly never-say-die attitude. It’s a credit to the players. They’re doing it.”
On that goal line stand, I think it was the third-down play, Adin (Huntington) got knocked down. I think you described it as the floor is hot and he popped back up and made the play. What does it say about that play in that moment and Adin?
“Like, I’m speechless, because what doesn’t it say? It’s everything he’s about, it’s everything our defense is about, it’s everything our team is about. And it’s how we all approach things. And in his moment, he did it. Gets knocked over, bounces back up. Carson (Schwesinger), or excuse me, Mason (Graham), is reaching. Nine other guys are doing everything they can to fight. He pops up, and collectively we make a play to help our team win. But again, it just goes back to the people we have on our defense and on our football team, and when they’re between the white lines going as hard as they freaking can ‘til they can’t. And that was just an epitome of it for Adin. He does it every day in practice.”
On the goal line stand, in general, for it to go from you guys think you’ve given up another touchdown, and it ultimately ended up being that 14-point swing, but to get that stop after the touchdown gets called back does that kind of exemplify everything you’ve been preaching to these guys since you got here?
“Well, I don’t want to take any credit for what I’m preaching. It just exemplifies actually who we have and who we are as a defense and who we are as a football team. And no matter the circumstance, we’re going to go as hard as we freaking can, and we’re going to try and do our job as best we can and play as violent as we can. And it’s just a testament to those guys that we just keep going and going and swinging, and if you take a punch, you swing back, and it’s what we believe in on defense. It’s what Monk preaches as a football team, and it’s what we do every day. But it starts, again, like, how do we meet? We go about our meetings the same way. How are we walking through, how are we practicing? How are we studying? And then you hopefully get rewarded, and in that moment, they did because of who they are.”
It seems like the play that Tyson (Campbell) made, he gives up the slam but gets back in the play and punches it out. Those punch-outs have kind of become a calling card of your guys, even when they’re not successful, I see a lot of guys doing it. So, how much are you guys practicing that, and how do you like the way that they seem to almost master that?
“It’s awesome. The ball’s our oxygen. I’m sure I get boring saying it, but it’s in our DNA. It’s what we believe in. We have opportunities in practice and periods to practice. It’s what Monk believes in. It’s one of the keys to winning football games, is taking the ball away. And it’s awesome to see, and it’s really cool to see when collectively we’re doing it and then celebrating it. And sometimes a miss-op becomes a play-op. The guy catches the ball, great play, great throw and catch by them. Credit to them. Really good connection on that. And awesome by Tyson that no matter the circumstance, he’s fighting his freaking butt off. Punches out, and there’s Rocket (Raheim Sanders) going to pick it up. And then he even takes it the length of the field just to make sure we’re doing everything to treat the ball like oxygen. So, awesome moment for those guys. And we just got to keep every day working it.”
Jared (Verse) in the first Steelers match, I think he was jawing a bunch, and a lot of guys had to pull him off. We talked to him today and he said he’s not backing down, he just wants to get out there and play. Do you have a conversation with him about keeping his emotions in check when it comes to Sunday?
“I’m going to keep all the conversations I have with the players. I trust our players immensely. I can’t wait to go out and battle a really really good football team.”
When you’re facing a team three or four weeks removed from the last time you played them, what’s the biggest thing you’re looking for when you’re sitting down and breaking their film down? Is it differences? Is it maybe things they’ve corrected from what you saw the first time you saw them? How does that process work?
“Whether you’re playing a team who you played three or four weeks ago or 10 weeks ago, or it’s the first game of the season, truthfully, the process each week is the same. Because, as we’ve talked about before, there are these 17 little seasons within the season, and each week has its challenges, whether you played them three weeks ago, whether they’re a new opponent, and you’re constantly just finding ways to help our players be in the best position to let their talents take over. And it’s a constant process by situation, by down and distance each week. And really, the process stays the same no matter who the opponent is. It’s just trying to get our guys in the best position and finding those winning margins.”
But is it easier? I guess maybe I phrased that wrong. Is it easier when it’s… I mean, the opponent is still relatively…
“Man, I’m fighting this thing off back here. Hey, talk about resilience. Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
Is it easier when the game is relatively fresh?
“No, I mean, nothing’s easy. It’s not. Every week, you’ve got to take it as a new week, whether it’s fresh or not, to be really honest, every week is really really challenging to prepare. And they’re doing the same thing and this league is made up of great coaches and great players who are having the same conversation right now about finding inches and what can we do to get our players to play fast as hell, look at the right thing, and hopefully make as many plays as possible.”
If you get Mike Hall (Jr.) this weekend, what would that mean to the defense?
“Our D-line has done such a great job with whoever’s been in there, and clearly, we’ve had a lot of different players in there. And Mike brings an explosiveness, Mike brings a toughness and an energy, and anytime he’s in there, in practice, in the game, he shows that. And that’s a fun part about coaching. Mike and all of our other guys have stepped up. I mean, Sam Kamara, Adin Huntington, Mason last week, it’s a credit to those guys stepping up.”
You saw (Jaylen) Warren in the first game and now it looks like they have (Rico) Dowdle back. What are the keys to slowing that run game down which I’m sure is a priority for you guys?
“Those are two great backs. Great backs. Really among the top backs in this league. They run extremely hard. They really make a lot of people miss. And it’s a compliment to their offensive line, who’s playing really really well. And schematically, they’re obviously very well coached. And we all know what Aaron (Rodgers) can do, and DK (Metcalf) and then 17 (Germie Bernard) coming along. So collectively, it’s a really good offense. It really is.”
Jared sort of admitted today there have been some challenges for him adapting from sort of being that stand-up 5-3 guy to a 4-3 guy. How have you seen him sort of handle those challenges as he’s trying to fit into this system?
“You watch that last game, he’s got multiple plays where he is creating havoc and disruption. He’s a huge part of that goal line stand. And he’s continuing to find his ways to create pressure, to create disruption in the run game, to set edges, and I see it every day in practice. I see it the way he prepares. I see it within our conversations that he’s finding his inches, and I continue to see it going upward, the way he’s affecting games with his disruption. I’m really happy about it.”
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