By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
LaMarr Woodley picks up fumble from a sack and scores against the Ravens at Heinz Field in September.
The Steelers already have the top sack tandem in the National Football League with outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
It might not be too long before they boast the top linebacker sack tandem in their history -- especially if the sacks keep piling up at the current pace.
And that, on a franchise that can tout some of the top linebackers in league history, is saying plenty.
"When you have two of 'em like that, you've got to make a decision, you've got to decide which one you want to block," said inside linebacker James Farrior. "Then, when they pick, that's where you've got 'em."
"They can't game-plan one guy because we have good backers on each side," defensive end Brett Keisel said.
Harrison, second in the NFL with 61/2, and Woodley (51/2) have combined for 12 sacks in five games, making them the No. 1 duo in the league, regardless of position. The closest tandems are outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and nose tackle Jay Ratliff of the Dallas Cowboys (9) and defensive tackle Kevin Williams and defensive end Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings (9).
It's the main reason the Steelers, who had 36 sacks last season, are tied for first in the AFC, second in the NFL, with 18 sacks -- already halfway to their 2007 total.
But Harrison and Woodley also are setting another heady pace.
They are already halfway to the franchise record for sacks in a season by a linebacker duo (24) -- set by Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd in 1994 and tied by Jason Gildon and Joey Porter in 2000.
"I look at both of them and they're both doing the same things right now," Farrior said.
Exactly.
If they're not sacking the quarterback, then Harrison and Woodley are, at the very least, performing their other function: pressuring the quarterback.
Woodley is tied for the team lead with defensive end Aaron Smith with eight quarterback hurries. Harrison is second with 6.
What's more, Woodley is coming off his best all-around game with the Steelers, getting two sacks and playing solid against the run and pass in the 26-21 victory in Jacksonville.
"If he continues to work hard and put his foot on the pedal, the sky's the limit for that kid," right tackle Willie Colon said. "You'll have two All-Pro linebackers."
The Cincinnati Bengals (0-6), whom the Steelers (4-1) visit tomorrow in Paul Brown Stadium, have a pair of solid offensive tackles in Levi Brown and Stacy Andrews. They will need them to contain the league's most productive linebacker duo.
"If you can get those guys one-on-one with a tight end or running back, we expect them to win that battle every time," Keisel said. "If Aaron and I can create pressure inside, or the other guys, where they have to check down two guys on us, it makes it that much easier for [Harrison and Woodley] to get one-on-one pressure."
So far, none of this is surprising.
Harrison was voted to the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starter after registering 81/2 sacks in 2007. Woodley, a No. 2 pick last year, played sparingly as a rookie, but he had four sacks in 80 snaps during the regular season and two more in a playoff defeat to the Jaguars.
As he plays more, his comfort level grows. So does his sack total.
"We still have to understand it's only his second year," said inside linebacker Larry Foote. "But he's on the right road."
More sacks could be coming against the Bengals, who have allowed 19 in six games, second most in the AFC with the Steelers.
"Once I started getting a lot of reps, some of the things became easy, became natural," said Woodley, a defensive end at Michigan who won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman in 2007.
"At defensive end [in college], I didn't have a chance to rush [like an] outside linebacker or drop into coverage. Once I started getting reps, it became a lot smoother."
First published on October 18, 2008 at 12:07 am
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