Pittsburgh Steelers reporter Dale Lolley sat down with cornerback Cam Sutton to talk about his career and what makes this defensive unit unique.
It's no secret that the Steelers defense struggled in the first half of the season. It is easy to blame it all on T. Watt's injury but there were other factors as well as some growing pains. It may have taken the defense some time to find their way but after the bye, they looked better each game.
Photo Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports / Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cam Sutton
Steelers Sutton Says It Is A "Brotherhood"
Sutton told Lolley that one of the reasons the defense improved so much is that it is a true brotherhood.
"That real brotherhood, you want the best success not just for yourself. It's not about your own individual success, you get your success within what we do as a collective. It's not always about what I do out there on the field but being able to put a guy in the right spot or remind him of something that I've seen on film that he might have not seen, it might affect him in the game. That kind of small detail it's a split difference between him tipping the pass and him intercepting the pass. It might not be my interceptions but just being able to come together like that is rewarding."
Sutton also said that this defense has something special beyond their brotherhood that many other defenses don't, flexibility. The ability to understand other's positions, and in many cases, be able to switch up and play in a different spot. Lolley mentions how you see Sutton on the outside, then in the slot and then back at safety. As to how unique that is to this group, Sutton responded.
"It speaks to the versatility of our guys, just our overall skillset. We work on our craft day in and day out. There's the individual work that we have on our own but even in the off-season, we spend a lot of time together. The versatility, guys being able to play different backgrounds or not just being labeled as a safety or not just a guy that plays the line of scrimmage or a guy who plays in a post or a guy who's just a coverage corner or a zone corner."
Photo Credit: USA Today Sports
He credits the Steelers coaching staff with encouraging such versatility and fostering an environment where the players feel confident trying new things.
"Some guys get put in those categories and it's never just because of what they can do, it's because it's just exposure. You got so many dynamic offenses week in and week out who have the same type of flexibility and versatility. They're finding the matchups, they're finding these big receivers or these big tight ends who are like receivers and can move. You have to be ready for it as a defense."
Lolley told Sutton that while Mike Tomlin always says, "one season doesn't carry over into the next," it feels like this team fell just short of where they wanted to be and is looking to 2023 with unfinished business.
"Just being able to put our best ball together, you know find our ways in and out of stadiums, home and away. Coming together in a sense of not just on the field but as a brotherhood. Like I said, stick through adversity, and come together at the right times. It was good for us and it is definitely enticing and a lot to look forward to."
Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Sutton has said before that he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, he is a free agent this off-season. He reiterated that to Lolley when asked if he hopes for the kind of longevity with the Steelers that other players have had.
"I'm not a guy always being on the move. I want to be around. I guess I feel like I've established a lot here and just the comfortability of the guys in the system. Of knowing what to expect out there on the field. The expectations we have for ourselves just individually and collectively, they all come together for the same goals."
It remains to be seen if the Steelers will bring Sutton back for a seventh season or if they look elsewhere for a solid corner. A third-round draft pick, Sutton has steadily improved into a reliable player.
Do you think the Steelers should offer Sutton a new contract? How have you seen him progress over the past several years? Comment below.
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