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Pittsburgh's Base Defense Isn't Dead

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Pittsburgh's Base Defense Isn't Dead


It’s easy to take a new-age thought to NFL defenses, including the Pittsburgh Steelers’ world. No question, defenses and their needs have shifted compared to a decade ago. There’s more specialization, more rotation, more creativity and volume.

But there’s a prevailing wisdom that it’s a sub-package world, and we’re all living in it. Nickel and dime defenses rule the land. That’s not entirely true. If anything, we could see a shift in the other direction.

It’s something worth noting based on our final Steelers’ 2023 defensive charting. Information you won’t get anywhere else. That’s why we do it. We’ve been tracking the team’s base and sub-package rates for basically a decade. This year, the team’s base 3-4 defense was at nearly its highest point of our tracking.

According to our charting, here’s how the three main groupings were used this year.

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Nickel: 37.1 percent (421 snaps)
3-4: 34.6 percent (393 snaps)
Dime: 22.0 percent (250 snaps)

Nickel still won out. But barely. Sub-package is still used the majority of the time, but more than one-third for base is nothing to sneeze at. And it was the highest rate we’ve tracked since 2015. The previous high? 39.9 percent in 2020. Base defense usage is increasing, not decreasing. Here’s the yearly rate since 2015 (and this number, to be clear, includes all packages with at least three linemen except goal line, adding in 4-4 and 3-5 fronts).

Steelers Base Defense Usage, 2015-2023:

2015: 27.4 percent
2016: 28.7 percent
2017: 38.8 percent
2018: 31.0 percent
2019: 31.3 percent
2020: 39.9 percent
2021: 35.6 percent
2022: 31.8 percent
2023: 40.3 percent

There’s ebbs and flows but it’s a general upward trend. The last time Pittsburgh ended a season in the 20’s was 2016 and the rate’s been over 35 percent in three of the last four seasons.

Much of this is responding to personnel. If offenses come out heavy, the Steelers’ defense will match and vice versa. But there are some exceptions. Pittsburgh will sometimes stay in base against three-receiver sets (13.5 percent) and sometimes play nickel against two tight end groupings (7.0 percent) depending on the game plan and skill set of the offense (teams with athletic tight ends will result in the Steelers playing more sub-package, even against 12 personnel). Offenses could be getting heavier, especially as the move to tight end becomes popular and easier to find, and defenses are responding.

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What about divisional play? That’s what the Steelers think about when they build out their roster. The numbers are similar. In their six combined games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh played base 3-4 defense 32.3 percent of the time, a bit lower than their 34.6 season mark. A bit surprising, though consistent with our research in past years – the Steelers play base defense more outside of the division than against it. Still, it’s essentially one-third of the time.

Does game circumstance have an impact? After all, if the Steelers are trailing late, the opposing offense is more likely to be running, and Pittsburgh’s defense is more likely to be in base. Removing all fourth quarter snaps from our charting, the amount of three-down lineman usage ticks up, 41.9 percent compared to the 40.3 percent total.

All the evidence points the same way. Base defense isn’t the majority grouping, but it’s still a critical one. You need a good nose tackle and need depth behind. Pittsburgh found their starter in Keeanu Benton, though what’s behind him is unclear. Montravius Adams is quietly about to become a free agent. Don’t take it for granted.

Football is cyclical. What’s old is new. Offenses were getting smaller, faster, and the game has been more horizontal. Defenses responded in kind. Smaller and quicker defensive tackles, linebackers who looked like safeties, with a high priority on athleticism. That’s still true today, so offenses are countering back. They’re getting bigger, physical, and more downhill, especially as defenses play more two-high shells to protect the deep ball but invite the run. That’s why we’re seeing the shift. Base defense isn’t thriving, but it’s far from dead. This shift towards it might only continue.



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Pittsburg, PA

Primanti Bros. closes Monroeville and North Versailles locations

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Primanti Bros. closes Monroeville and North Versailles locations


4-DAY PLUS 4 MORE. YOU CERTAINLY HAVE OUR ATTENTION THERE BRIAN. THANK YOU. NEW AT NOON, TWO LOCAL BROTHERS LOCATIONS CLOSING THEIR DOORS FOR GOOD. THE COMPANY CONFIRMING THE SHUTTERING OF THE RESTAURANTS IN MONROEVILLE AND NORTH VERSAILLES, SAYS THESE ARE THE LATEST CLOSURES IN WESTERN PA. THE PENN AVENUE LOCATION IN GARFIELD CLOSE

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Primanti Bros. closes restaurants in Monroeville and North Versailles

Updated: 12:42 PM EDT Apr 6, 2026

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Primanti Bros. has closed two more restaurants, both in the Pittsburgh area.The Monroeville and North Versailles locations are permanently closed, a Primanti Bros. spokesperson confirmed to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Monday.These are the latest Primanti Bros. closures in western Pennsylvania, following last year’s closure of the Penn Avenue location in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood.A reason for the Monroeville and North Versailles closures was not immediately announced.Earlier this year, when the Pittsburgh-based company closed its Camp Hill and Lancaster locations in the Susquehanna Valley, Primanti Bros. Vice President Ryan Wilkinson said, “This is not a decision we take lightly. While we are adjusting our overall footprint to best meet demand, our commitment to both loyal customers in Central Pennsylvania and the iconic sandwiches we’ve been serving for almost a century remain unchanged.”This is a developing story. Stay with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 for updates. Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.Where are Primanti’s locations in Western Pennsylvania?Primanti Bros. still operates many locations in the Pittsburgh area.Here is a list of local restaurants from the company’s website.Allegheny CountyHampton TownshipHarmar TownshipHomesteadMonroevilleMoon TownshipMt. LebanonPittsburgh (Downtown)Pittsburgh (Oakland)Pittsburgh (South Side)Pittsburgh (Strip District)Pleasant HillsRobinson TownshipRoss TownshipPittsburgh International AirportSouth FayetteBeaver CountyCenter TownshipButler CountyCranberry TownshipFayette CountyUniontownIndiana CountyIndianaWashington CountyNorth Strabane TownshipWestmoreland CountyGreensburgAbout Primanti Bros.Primanti Bros. traces its roots to the Great Depression, when Joe Primanti began selling sandwiches from a small cart in Pittsburgh’s Strip District before opening a storefront in 1933 to serve truck drivers and shift workers around the clock.The brand’s signature sandwich, topped with fries, was born when Joe’s nephew, John DiPriter, fried potatoes to see if they were frozen and started adding them to sandwiches, creating a one-handed meal that quickly became a hit.

Primanti Bros. has closed two more restaurants, both in the Pittsburgh area.

The Monroeville and North Versailles locations are permanently closed, a Primanti Bros. spokesperson confirmed to Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 on Monday.

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These are the latest Primanti Bros. closures in western Pennsylvania, following last year’s closure of the Penn Avenue location in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood.

A reason for the Monroeville and North Versailles closures was not immediately announced.

Earlier this year, when the Pittsburgh-based company closed its Camp Hill and Lancaster locations in the Susquehanna Valley, Primanti Bros. Vice President Ryan Wilkinson said, “This is not a decision we take lightly. While we are adjusting our overall footprint to best meet demand, our commitment to both loyal customers in Central Pennsylvania and the iconic sandwiches we’ve been serving for almost a century remain unchanged.”

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This is a developing story. Stay with Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 for updates.

Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.

Where are Primanti’s locations in Western Pennsylvania?

Primanti Bros. still operates many locations in the Pittsburgh area.

Here is a list of local restaurants from the company’s website.

Allegheny County

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  • Hampton Township
  • Harmar Township
  • Homestead
  • Monroeville
  • Moon Township
  • Mt. Lebanon
  • Pittsburgh (Downtown)
  • Pittsburgh (Oakland)
  • Pittsburgh (South Side)
  • Pittsburgh (Strip District)
  • Pleasant Hills
  • Robinson Township
  • Ross Township
  • Pittsburgh International Airport
  • South Fayette

Beaver County

Butler County

Fayette County

Indiana County

Washington County

Westmoreland County

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About Primanti Bros.

Primanti Bros. traces its roots to the Great Depression, when Joe Primanti began selling sandwiches from a small cart in Pittsburgh’s Strip District before opening a storefront in 1933 to serve truck drivers and shift workers around the clock.

The brand’s signature sandwich, topped with fries, was born when Joe’s nephew, John DiPriter, fried potatoes to see if they were frozen and started adding them to sandwiches, creating a one-handed meal that quickly became a hit.



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My Biggest Concern With Pittsburgh’s New Special Teams Coordinator

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My Biggest Concern With Pittsburgh’s New Special Teams Coordinator


Pittsburgh has a punting problem. For years, decades really, the unit hasn’t been sufficient. New Special Teams Coordinator Danny Crossman’s goal is to come in and fix that while improving or maintaining the other special teams units. History says he may fix other aspects, but not punting.

Below is a chart of the average gross punting yards (how far a punt travels before the return) and NFL rank during all four of Crossman’s stints in the head role: Carolina, Detroit, Buffalo, and Miami. Included in the chart is Pittsburgh’s ranking over the Mike Tomlin era, 2007-2025.

The numbers below with analysis to follow:

Stint Gross Punt Avg Rank
Carolina (05-09) 44.2 yards 7th
Detroit (10-12) 43.3 yards 26th
Buffalo (13-18) 43.7 yards 29th
Miami (19-24) 45.3 yards 26th
Pittsburgh (07-25) 43.6 yards 32nd

Crossman’s numbers in Carolina were good. The rest were not. He had bottom-tier finishes in Detroit, Buffalo, and Miami. Perhaps Buffalo can be excused, given its cold-weather climate, naturally unfriendly to punters. Still, Detroit plays indoors (even with road games in Green Bay and Chicago, that’s just a fraction of the season), and Miami is a warm-weather climate. No matter the venue over the past 15 years, the results haven’t been there.

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Pittsburgh’s low finish isn’t shocking. Like Buffalo, punting at Acrisure (and Cleveland, Baltimore, and Cincinnati) makes life tough. The city will always have a disadvantage. Still, there’s no reason to accept finishing dead last in the league over nearly 20 years. Pittsburgh’s punting has always been subpar. It’s why the team’s record holder is from the 60s and not the modern day, like nearly every other NFL team. Washington is the only other team in this situation, thanks to Sammy Baugh’s league record that stood for generations.

How much can Crossman be blamed? He’s not the one on the field. But he evaluates and coaches the position. The results reflect him, especially over such a long span of time, and not a cherry-picked, single-season window. There is a consistently disappointing trend. And it’s gotten him fired in Buffalo and Miami.

Cameron Johnston is currently Pittsburgh’s only punter. Another will surely join the team. Whoever wins the job has their work cut out for them. Crossman must turn around his history – and Pittsburgh’s.



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Pirates Place Former Gold Glover on Injured List

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Pirates Place Former Gold Glover on Injured List


The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed an infielder on the injured list ahead of their series finale against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park.

The club announced that Jared Triolo is headed to the 10-day IL with a right knee patellar tendon injury. As the corresponding move, the Pirates recalled Billy Cook from Triple-A Indianapolis after having previously optioned him upon bringing Konnor Griffin up to the majors.

As the corresponding move, the Pirates recalled Billy Cook from Triple-A Indianapolis after having previously optioned him upon bringing Konnor Griffin up to the majors.

Triolo’s Recent Numbers in Pittsburgh

A second-round pick out of the University of Houston in the 2019 MLB Draft, Triolo made his big league debut in 2023 and has remained a staple of Pittsburgh’s infield ever since.

The 28-year-old has never put up gaudy numbers at the plate outside of his rookie year (.785 OPS in 209 plate appearances), but his defensive prowess and versatility has provided adequate value for the team.

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Sep 25, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo (19) reacts after a play in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Triolo won the National League Gold Glove for utilitymen in 2024 after posting three Outs Above Average, per Baseball Savant, and he logged six OAA in 2025.

He had played in six games for the Pirates this season until suffering his injury. Over that stretch, Triolo slashed .217/.308/.261 with -2 OAA.

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Pirates’ Current Infield Depth

Triolo started six of Pittsburgh’s first seven games this year, spending five of those contests at shortstop and one at third base.

While he hasn’t produced in any facet of the game so far in 2026, Triolo’s absence is at least notable due to the fact that the Pirates might have to dig deeper down into their depth chart for reinforcements.

Griffin’s presence, of course, does minimize that affect, as the top prospect in baseball has become Pittsburgh’s everyday shortstop.

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With Triolo out of the picture for the time being, Nick Gonzales is in line to continue receiving a lion’s share of the reps at the hot corner, though Nick Yorke could push for playing time there as well.

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Elsewhere around the infield, Brandon Lowe will remain the starter at second base amidst his hot start to the season, while Ryan O’Hearn and Spencer Horwitz are the two primary options at first base.

Cook also has prior experience at first, second and third base, though he’s more of an outfielder these days.

Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!





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