Young Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher, Nick Herbig, is set to return to the field this Sunday after being out since Week 5 with a hamstring injury. Herbig is an unsung hero of sorts to this Steelers team, providing them with valuable depth at arguably their strongest position. On Sunday, Herbig will be asked to take a majority of the snaps at edge rusher due to Alex Highsmith not being available.
When he has been on the field, Nick Herbig has been one of the most efficient pass rushers in the league. He’s shown real Pro Bowl-caliber potential in that aspect of the game. The big question for him this Sunday will be if he can keep his same wild and fiery style of play while also playing disciplined and controlled football against a team in the Ravens that punishes undisciplined defenses more than any other offense in football.
Nick Herbig’s Pass Rush
Herbig himself stated that he felt “awesome” after this past week of practice, and that is undoubtedly a good thing for the Steelers. Nick Herbig hasn’t had a ton of opportunities to show what he can do given that the Steelers have T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith as their two starting edge rushers. However, when Herbig has been on the field, he’s been just as productive, if not more productive, than both of them on a snap-to-snap basis when it comes to rushing the passer.
Nick Herbig’s strengths as a pass rusher come down to his technique and his get-off. Watching clips like this shows just how explosive he is off the snap. He’s also shown versatility in his pass-rushing repertoire. He’s not just a pure speed rusher; he can counter you with his hands using moves like this effective cross-chop move against Detroit in the preseason this year. This season he’s even been able to do this against seasoned veterans at the left tackle position, such as Rashawn Slater.
Herbig’s Run Defense
This is the biggest room for growth in Herbig’s game. It’s already impressive how he’s found his lane as a speed rusher with effective counter moves just two seasons into his career, let alone with how few snaps he’s taken. While Nick Herbig is a good run defender, there should be some concerns for him getting his first action in over a month against an offense like the Ravens. Herbig is a bit on the shorter side for an edge rusher, standing at just 6-foot-2 while both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith stand at 6-foot-4. Herbig is also lighter than both of them and against a power football team like the Ravens, that could be concerning.
However, what Nick Herbig should be more concerned about is maintaining his discipline against Baltimore’s run offense. The Steelers defensive strategy against Lamar Jackson has always been to not allow their rushing lanes to be compromised. They always make sure Jackson is either occupied by Highsmith or Watt. They employed a similar strategy to great results last week against Jayden Daniels, holding him to just five rushing yards on three carries.
On top of Jackson, the Steelers will now be concerned with how to slow down Derrick Henry. All this to say, while Nick Herbig is a good young player, this game will be a fun showcase to see how good he can be against a legitimately great offense.
Final Thoughts
Nick Herbig has a lot on his plate this Sunday, but with how well he’s played when he has gotten snaps, he should at least be a net positive on the field for the Steelers defense. It also helps Pittsburgh out a lot that they traded for Preston Smith, adding even more depth to their already deep defensive line. Nick Herbig should at least be impactful when he’s on the field this week.
