Defensive Coordinator Mike Rutenberg (10.8.26)
How would you characterize the defensive tackle position going into this week? Is it a concern?
“Since we’ve been together as a defensive line and as a team, we go as our engine goes. So that engine is revved up, Tony, no matter what. And that’s the great part about Jac (Jacques Cesaire) and the D-line coaches and the men in that room. Like, that’s the Bugatti, man. And that thing goes and goes and goes, and there will never be an excuse or a reason for it to not go. And we feed off that. Not only the way they play, but their personality.”
You have some guys that have missed time, but looking back now, the depth of the defensive line was tested during training camp. How beneficial now is it that guys like Adin (Huntington) and Sam (Kamara), who might be pushing for a bigger role, got that chance to really got a lot of time during the summer and go up against the ones?
“Yeah, I mean, this league is so hard, right, because of the ups and downs and the lefts and rights. And it’s so cool to see when guys get opportunities to take advantage of that opportunity. And it’s a credit to them. It’s a credit to the work that Sam Kamara, Adin Huntington and Mike Hall Jr. coming back last week, what Mason (Graham) was doing, I could keep going. It’s just a credit to the work that they put in. Everybody sees the games and then the practices, but it’s the behind the scenes. It’s the preparation, it’s the meeting time, it’s the detail in individual and walkthrough. And those guys are built like that. And that’s why they’re having success.”
From the D-line Thursday night, there were injuries and they still were able to split five sacks across the board, different guys getting home there, how much confidence does that instill in the depth of that defensive line, interior and exterior, as you enter this one?
“I mean, I had confidence in them before that game, Cam, and we’re doing a great job of rushing together. Not only the D line, but everybody who is involved in the pressures, and they work really hard at it during the week. And rushing is about coordination. Four equals one, or however many we’re bringing. And that’s something those guys take pride in, in the work they put in. It’s constantly working on it. In individual, you see them when we’re in special teams working pressures in pads, and it’s just awesome to see. And when you have success, you want to continue to build on it, but you go back to the fundamentals of what’s important. Rushing is one, coordinated rushing and executing the plan.”
You’ve been with Quincy (Williams) for a while, going back to New York, and obviously he’s a player that wears his emotions on his sleeve. Obviously, this is a big game. Have you talked with him? How do you keep channeling the emotions in the right way, without, obviously this is a personal game for him? How do you sort of balance that with him, playing with emotion but not crossing the line?
“Sure. I don’t want to speak for him in terms of it being a personal game for him, but Quincy’s now been in the league, jeez, make me feel old, seven, eight years, going even back to Jacksonville, and you see his game going this way, you see his energy going this way, you see his vibe with his teammates going this way. And he’s found a way through his career really to continue to get better as the season goes, no matter what game he’s playing in. And I’m really proud of him, but I’m also really excited for him to continue just to keep chopping wood and swinging hard to keep taking his game that way.”
Denzel (Ward) and Grant (Delpit) both talked about the amount of man coverage you played, the Steelers knew we were going to play man. So, what went into the kind of change from Week One to where you’re now going with?
“Well, not going to go too deep into what went into it, but as we’re all learning and progressing through the season, it is week to week to week to week in the NFL, and you guys know that. You guys have been covering the NFL. I’ll steal Monk’s (Todd Monken’s) line that it’s constantly under construction. And the truth is each little week is a season, right? Because this thing is a marathon, it’s a grind. And every week you’re trying to find that winning edge. You’re trying to find that winning margin. You’re trying to eliminate the things that can hurt you, build on the things that can help you, and week to week finding your players’ superpowers, finding what can make your players go, what can make your coaches go, and then building on that week to week and then having the humility to say, ‘oh, that didn’t go as we thought, let’s work it back to this way.’ And it’s a credit to our players for constantly trying to find those inches in their game.”
We talked to Jared (Verse) today, and he was talking about how there is more meat left on the bone, and he went back and he watched everything from his first four games. So, what can he do to pull that out? And maybe what can you do to help him elevate his game?
“First of all, I think he’s doing a great job, Mary Kay. And when you look at games, everybody is looking for the ‘ooh’ and the ‘wow’ play. That’s not what defense is. Defense is about violence, chaos, disruption, and getting the ball. And it’s 11 dudes hunting on defense, and he’s hunting on defense, and somebody might ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’, great pick, but go watch the tape. Jared Verse might be disrupting the quarterback on that play. I’m going to go back to the Tampa Bay game where he chased it down from the backside. That’s what defense is about. It’s creating chaos and disruption, and he’s doing that.”
For those plays that Emmanuel McNeil-Warren made, those two pass breakups on DK (Metcalf), how have you seen him grow this week?
“I mean, they were unbelievable, weren’t they? They were incredible. It’s really cool to see him progress, and it’s really cool to see him work within the whole defense, and you could see it on special teams, right? Making plays on special teams, balling out on teams. You saw his confidence growing, you could see it in practice. And then he gets these opportunities in the game, and you see him playing with that confidence. It’s a credit to him. Ephraim Banda and the safeties guys, Rocket (Ronnie Hickman) and Grant, DT (Daniel Thomas), McMillon (Donovan McMillon), those guys are a tight knit group and they’re bringing him along and they’re helping him, but it’s also a credit to him. Everybody can help, but you also got to do it when your number is called, and he did that and he’s going to continue to do that.”
Going back to the Pittsburgh game, there was that one, first-and-10 completion to (Darnell) Washington, the tight end. The play was making the rounds on social media because you had like five guys going to the ball and Tyson (Campbell) is the far side corner and comes around the backside of the play. What did you think when you watched that back on film, to see a corner make it all the way around the way he did?
“You know, it’s always style over scheme, and it was just a display of our style and a credit to the guys. Our goal is for everyone to finish on the ball no matter what and finish violently. And that’s what he did. And not only did he do that, but he’s also one of the best cover corners in the league as well. And it’s awesome to see. But it’s not only him, it’s our defense and it’s anybody who takes the field priding themselves on our style. It’s awesome to see.”
What would you say you guys did in totality against Jaylen Warren? And now, spinning it forward, not sure whether Breece Hall is going to play, but Braelon (Allen), there’s the Jets running game. How does what you guys have been doing kind of build up to what you need to do against the Jets?
“Every week it feels like it’s another back and another great running scheme, right? And another great run. And here it is again. I mean, a tremendous amount of respect for Breece and Braelon. I was there obviously with them, so I saw it firsthand. Breece and Braelon are among the top two-back tandems in this league, and they both make you miss in different ways. And their run scheme fits exactly what they do. So, I’m excited for our challenge this week.”
How can you tell when a young guy like Emmanuel is ready for more?
“Keep going. Just keep going and trust him and continue to build the confidence and continue to have him show confidence. And there’s nothing wrong with going for more. And when it works, keep going. And if it doesn’t work, have the humility to pull back or say, ‘you know what, we’re going to chop through this damn wood and we’re going to knock through this door and we’re going to keep going.’ And that’s the mentality he has. It’s awesome.”
We’ve watched Denzel since he’s been here in 2018, it just seems now that folks around the country in the media sphere are starting to pick up on what a great player he is. What’s impressed you most about him in the short time you’ve been able to work with him?
“First of all, you’re very lucky that you’ve gotten to see him. I mean that, because he’s one of the best players in the NFL, and obviously I don’t read what’s out there or anything, but I can’t believe he hasn’t gotten more recognition, to what you’re saying from before, because not only is he one of the best corners in this league, he wants more and more. He wants to find his inches; he wants to find his different ways to help this defense. He’s completely unselfish. And then he makes a great play that helped change the momentum of the game, and it’s really exciting to see for him, and it’s really fun working with him.”
What do you like about moving Jared around? He’s talked about being in the middle of the field, some of it even going from right to left. What do you think that adds?
“You know, I think it just goes back to trying to take advantage of players’ superpowers, and not only is it moving Jared, it’s other people moving around, and it’s a credit to them working through that, because that takes new learning and that takes reps and that takes details. And I really appreciate how they’re approaching that and how it’s paying off for those guys. And it just goes back to trying to get great players in different places to help take their game to what I know they can achieve.”
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