Ed Bouchette: Shazier Is The Real Deal, Don't Overlook Tuitt & Heyward
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) – 93-7 The Fan Steelers insider Ed Bouchette, of the Post-Gazette, joined Chris Mack, Josh Miller, and Jim Colony on "The Fan Morning Show" Monday to break down the Steelers' 43-18 win over the 49ers.
It was a game in which a lot went right for the Steelers' defense.
Bouchette, like many observers, was very impressed by the play of second-year linebacker Ryan Shazier
"I thought he looked pretty good in the preseason, and he's just carrying it on," Bouchette said. "I think he's the real deal...He was all over the field. He's been all over the field."
Bouchette thinks we should expect more of the same from Shazier moving forward.
"He's just starting to blossom," Bouchette said. "I think they have something special there."
However, Bouchette said that Shazier wasn't the only player in the front seven that blew him away Sunday afternoon.
"The play of the two defensive ends yesterday may be overlooked [because of] Shazier's big game," Bouchette said. "I thought Stephon Tuitt and Cam Heyward had a monster game. They were disrupting things at the line."
Bouchette thinks that the changes implemented by new defensive coordinator Keith Butler may have had something to do with it.
"It looks like Keith Butler's change [from the] two-gap to the one-gap is coming to fruition," Bouchette said. "Those guys are very disruptive - more than what we've seen in the past, where [the Steelers'] defensive ends just basically were taking the blows and creating things for the linebackers."
Bouchette really liked what he saw from Tuitt and Heyward.
"They impressed me yesterday with their play," Bouchette said.
The interview can be heard here:
Bouchette joins "The Fan Morning Show" on mornings after Steelers games at 8:03 a.m.