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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ review of their coaching staff will not include Keith Butler. Pittsburgh’s defensive coordinator since 2015, Butler got a one-year contract, according to Gerry Dulac from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Last week, the Steelers chose not to renew the contracts of offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett and defensive back coach Tom Bradley. The Steelers are expected to promote Matt Canada to the offensive coordinator position. After 25 years in college, Canada has been the Steelers quarterback coach for the 2020 season.
The changes to the coaching staff are the result of Pittsburgh’s disappointing end to the 2020 season. After an 11-0 start, the Steelers have won just one of their last six games. They fell 28-0 behind before finally abandoning their playoff game against the Browns, 48-37. Injuries, dropped passes and a running attack in 32nd overall were the main reasons the Steelers collapsed after their start 11-0. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has said he will be looking for answers this offseason after seeing his team stumble in December for the fourth straight year.
The Pittsburgh defense lost starting linebacker Devin Bush to a torn ACL in Week 6. They lost starting outside linebacker Bud Dupree to the same injury in Week 11. They were forced to play without. starting cornerback Joe Haden after testing positive for COVID-19 previously. to their loss to Cleveland. Those losses have contributed to the Steelers’ lack of forced turnover in their last six games. After forcing 23 turnovers in their 11-0 start, the Pittsburgh defense forced just four turnovers in their 1-5 streak. They failed to force a roll in back-to-back losses to Cleveland, which beat the Steelers in the playoffs for the first time in the rivalry’s long history.
Despite some personnel losses, Butler’s unit finished the 2020 season as the NFL’s top unit for interceptions and sacks. The Pittsburgh defense was also third in the league in points, total yards and passing yards, fifth in third down efficiency and sixth in red zone efficiency. The unit was anchored by outside linebackers TJ Watt (15 sacks) and Dupree (eight sacks), linemen Stephon Tuitt (11 sacks) and Cam Heyward, cornerbacks Haden (two interceptions, 12 assists defended) and Mike Hilton (three interceptions, two fumbles recoveries, three sacks), and free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (four interceptions, 11 defended passes).
The 2021 season will be Butler’s 19th season with the Steelers organization. An inside linebacker with the Seahawks from 1978 to 1987, Butler’s coaching career began as a Memphis linebacker coach in 1990. As Arkansas State’s defensive coordinator in 1998, he met a young defensive back coach. named Mike Tomlin, who would promote Butler from linebacker coach to defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh 17 years later.
Butler was a Browns linebacker coach from 1999-2002 before taking on that role with the Steelers in 2003. Butler won two Super Bowls in this role while working with several former Pro Bowlers in Joey Porter, James Farrior, LaMarr Woodley , Lawrence Timmons, and 2008 Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison.
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