Devin Bush’s Rookie Season: An All-22 Film Thread

Devin Bush was touted as one of the best middle linebackers in the 2019 NFL Draft. Steelers traded into the top ten and selected what many hope to be the franchise’s next great ILB for years to come.

Expectations were high, no question.

Second drive of the game on opening night. The Steelers playing man and Bush finds himself on the Pats RB out wide. New England motions Burkhead in and runs a nice little pick play to free him up. Bush can’t fight through the block and Pats go for 17.

Bush takes on one of the toughest fullbacks in the game (James Devlin) before shedding the block and clogging the lane for a one yard gain.

Great play by a rookie linebacker. That’s just grit right there.

Pats have picked Bush a handful of times through the air. Here Bush is in man vs Burkhead. Burkhead swings out and Bush, anticipating another pick play, decides to run over top the WR and thus leaves Burkhead open. Lucky incompletion.

Bush knows it afterwards too.

Two minute drill. Bush bottom of your screen. Pats run a rub route with Bush on Burkhead. Bush takes a good angle on the route and has good coverage. Might have been incomplete if Brady didn’t throw it behind him.

Nice play by Bush to use his speed to come from behind the play and make the tackle. Sheds a block in the process. Sideline to sideline range displayed here.

Second game vs Seattle. Steelers in man with a single high safety, Bush on Dissly. Dissly runs up the seam and Bush is too far under to catch up. Not horrible coverage here, safety should have been there a bit sooner but just an incredible throw by Russell Wilson.

We haven’t seen a whole lot of Bush rushing the passer, but I saw this nice little move on the guard. Catches him flat-footed, throws a lil shimmy and rips underneath. Didn’t get the sack but an impressive rep nonetheless.

lack of communication + not being in the right place = easy TD. Wilson is able to recognize the slot blitz and identify man. Lockett’s motion resets man assignments. Bush is too far out to recover on man and Wilson finds an open Dissly for a second TD.

Seahawks have 1st and 25, likely trying to just get some yards back on this run. Bush reads the play, follows the pulling guard to the ball, sheds the guard and makes an impressive play on Carson cutting back.

The first of (hopefully) many turnovers for Devin Bush. What a play by Mike Hilton to force the fumble and good awareness by Bush to be around the ball. Not a terribly big fan of running backwards but his speed makes up for it. Almost a TD.

Third game vs SF. Steelers drop into zone (looks like cover 3 but could be wrong). Jimmy G looks Bush off and finds an open Kittle for five yards. Bush to this point has struggled in zone spacing but nice closing speed on the tackle.

The two weaknesses I’ve noticed in Bush’s young career: pass distinction on play action and zone coverage. Here, Bush does a great job of not over-committing the the run and drops in the path of the ball, almost getting a hand on it.

Almost don’t count in this league, tho.

Not much to dissect here. Bush just makes a heads up play to recover his second fumble of the afternoon.

Strengths through the first few games? Elite speed and ability to fill gaps. SF runs a counter play to the left, Bush recognizes almost immediately. Breida hits this hole like a bat out of hell, and if it weren’t for Bush, he still might be running to this day.

Game 4 vs Cincy, Bush gets the first sack of his career here. Watch the defensive line slant to the right, Tuitt forces the tackle to pick him up and allows Bush to shoot the open hole. Bush serves him dinner, Watt comes in for dessert. Dalton still probably feels this hot.

1st and 10, Dalton checks out of original play and to a PA screen pass. Bush does a phenomenal job of recognizing the screen, dipping under the blocking lineman and tripping Mixon up for a loss. Instincts and athleticism on display here.

I’ve been somewhat critical of Bush in his pass coverage, especially eternal the hashes. Here, he does a great job reading Eifert and sits on the route. Anticipates the throw just in time and is on the ball like flies on ... you know

Bush is the third defender from the top. Bengals get what they want= Steelers in zone and only rushing four. However, Bush does a good job of recognizing what’s known as a flood route combo and stays/takes WR running inside. Dalton can’t get his man, and Heyward reaches him.

Big game vs Baltimore. Ravens run a counter play and Bush stays home in his gap, forces Ingram inside, dips the block and makes the tackle.

Bush (in the slot) is in coverage vs Mark Andrews. Immediately gives inside cushion to Andrews, which turns into an easy throw and catch. Thinking he anticipated inside help here.

Just thought this was a great effort by Bush who broke off man coverage and managed one of the best efforts I’ve seen on tape. The pure hustle and athleticism to jump past a teammate and bring Brown down would make a certain new HOF inductee proud.

Devin Bush interception! We’ve seen teams attack him via TE down the seam, and this time Bush positions himself to snag the ball after initially being caught by Boyle. Solid coverage and a big play from the rookie.

Devin Bush’s impressive rookie campaign continues in LA with a fumble return for a touchdown. Pass overthrown backwards, nice heads up play by Bush to immediately recover and sweet moves to the end zone.

Another Devin Bush turnover! Rivers sees Bush on Keenan Allen (still not preferred in any scenario) and knows his target. Alualu tips the pass and Bush is right there to make the play. Good coverage by Bush before the pick, too.

This is one of those plays that Bush would like to have back. Great read and anticipation by Bush, just can’t make the open field tackle.

Another play Bush would like to have back. Does nice to recover and make the tackle, but Melvin Gordon’s stiff arm doesn’t mess around.

Just a bad stretch of plays here. Bush makes the right reads, just lets the runner escape. This one was at a bit of an odd angle.

What I’m starting to notice is Bush tackles high in the open field, a solid recipe to prevent touchdowns like these (note: nobody tackles on this play)

As a linebacker, you follow the helmets of the OL. If they pop-up, expect pass. If they’re pulling, follow them and they’ll take you to the ball. Bush does a great job on the read and fills the gap, but he’s just a liiiiiitle out of reach of the RB.

Week 9 vs IND: Bush in zone coverage here, has mesh concept underneath with a TE sitting in the middle. Bush tries to cheat out of his zone by gravitating to the middle (Barron was there for the TE), but Brissett finds the crossing WR for a nice gain. Zone integrity is a must!

Bush (third from the bottom) lined up in the slot vs Jack Doyle. Gives inside cushion, Doyle fakes right and cuts mid, and Bush bites like mosquitos in June. To be fair, that’s a hell of a head fake and sell by Doyle.

Barron gets credit for the tackle here but Bush does a great job of filling the gap and forcing Mack to bounce outside. Bush’s speed paces Mack and had Barron not been there, Bush would’ve made the stop at the sideline. Good play that won’t show up on the stat sheet.

Steelers are in man coverage with Edmunds sitting in the middle as a spy. Bush is dragged across the field as Hines runs that good ol mesh/rub route. Bush is able to miss the oncoming WR that’s supposed to disrupt him and forces an incompletion on third down.