Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Football, Teryl Austin said Wednesday, is a confidence game.
If Sunday’s showing is any indication, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, as Jay-Z proclaimed so slyly in “Otis,” has his swagger back.
Benton, the Steelers’ second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had just one sack in each of his first two go-rounds as a pro, then eclipsed that mark against the Carson Wentz-led Minnesota Vikings offense in Dublin. He notched 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits during the win.
“I’m excited for Keeanu, for him, personally,” said Austin, the Steelers’ defensive coordinator, on Wednesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “But (also) for us, because it makes us a better defense.”
Benton said afterward that everything had fallen into place for him. Over his first two seasons in black and gold, he’d registered 72 tackles, 16 quarterback hits and eight passes defended.
“I feel like, certain games, I’m one second too late, half a second too late, but today it was falling my way,” Benton said.
Austin has recognized Benton’s consistent approach. He echoed Benton’s sentiment of things finally going right for him.
“I think the biggest thing that happened was he finished some plays this week. During the course of the season, he’s been solid, but not spectacular. He’s been really active, but he hasn’t finished. And I think this week, he finished and it really showed. He was impactful because he finished those plays.
“I actually challenged him to stack those games. Stack games like that because you do have the talent to do it. And if he can stack games like that, along with the way the rest of the D-line is playing and that front seven, man, that’s gonna be good for us.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Hoping Keeanu Benton’s Breakout Game Wasn’t A Fluke
