Concern Growing for Steelers' Nick Herbig

After an impressive first two weeks of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense is in a strange place. They haven't been a bad group, suggesting so would be a dishonest evaluation.

But over the past three weeks, the Steelers' defense has not been great. They allowed 22 points to the Indianapolis Colts and 27 points each to the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. Far from the group they want to be, multiple players on the defensive side are searching for more production.

The most important of this group is linebacker Nick Herbig. After signing a massive extension that made him the team's second-highest paid defensive player behind T.J. Watt, the pressure has been cranked up on the 24-year-old edge rusher.

In response, it's been a disappointing first third of the regular season for Herbig. Through five games, he has just 12 tackles and has yet to record a sack. Is it time to worry about the fourth-year edge rusher? The answer is more complicated than you think.

Why It's Too Early to Worry

It's been a forgetful first five games for Nick Herbig, but we need to pump the brakes on any large concerns. Sure, Herbig hasn't gotten home, with just one quarterback hit, one pressure and 0.0 sacks to his credit.

But there has been flashes. For example, Herbig's athleticism remains a threat. In the pair of times he's been targeted in pass coverage, quarterbacks aren't finding success. Data from Pro Football Reference shows that he's been targeted just twice in coverage, but each time was an incompletion.

There have also been plenty of plays where Herbig's athleticism and speed are present. It hasn't resulted in those big plays we've come to expect yet, but there is still plenty of time to snap out of this funk.