While he missed the Steelers’ last game, Donte Jackson certainly didn’t miss the team’s recent run of shoddy tackling. Having previously been arguably the best tackling team in the NFL, they have looked anything but since Week 15. As HC Mike Tomlin might say, there is nothing mystical at the root of the problem. Nor anything foundational.
The Steelers know how important tackling is to their success. And it’s not a coincidence that arguably their best tackler, DeShon Elliott, has missed the past two games. Jackson acknowledged yesterday that big tackles can be contagious, in fact.