Maulet makes up for small stature with big plays for Steelers defense
Share this post:
Arthur Maulet provided the Pittsburgh Steelers with one last chance to win their season opener at Cincinnati with his strip sack late in overtime Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
The sack that caused a fumble and resulted in a 7-yard loss that knocked the Bengals out of field goal range set up the drive that resulted in Chris Boswell’s winning 53-yard field goal as time expired in the extra session.
That Maulet broke in clean and hit quarterback Joe Burrow from the blind side didn’t surprise the 5-foot-10, 190-pound cornerback even though he had totaled one sack in his first five NFL seasons.
Maulet nearly did it the previous play.
On second down with the Bengals at the Steelers 38, Maulet chased Burrow toward the far sideline. Burrow threw the ball away before Maulet could hit him.
“I was like, ‘I’m going to hold a little bit, and, hopefully, he doesn’t see me because I’m a small guy,’” Maulet said, laughing. “I timed it up perfectly.”
Indeed, Maulet’s timing on third down was impeccable for the Steelers and for his role in the Steelers defense as a nickel cornerback.
Maulet never had much experience playing the slot in his stops with Indianapolis, New Orleans and the New York Jets. Coach Mike Tomlin thought Maulet offered value at the position and was instrumental in the Steelers signing him after Mike Hilton joined the Bengals in free agency.
“I was moving from safety to corner, and they had me all over the place,” Maulet said of his time with the Jets. “Coach T saw my movements and saw how I played and said, ‘You’re a slot.’ He instantly said that. It was up to me to learn quickly and find something I’m really good at and hone in on that and get better.”
After playing in half of the defensive snaps in his final year with the Jets, Maulet was on the field just 35% of the defensive plays in his first year with the Steelers while he shared slot duties with Cam Sutton and Tre Norwood.
“Being truly honest with myself, I didn’t play like I wanted to last year,” he said. “It was like a new household. I swept up and cleaned up and put some pictures up, and now I’m more comfortable.”
Maulet made his mark more as a run defender, accumulating five tackles for loss, and he had two quarterback hits while breaking up just one pass. He showed enough for the Steelers to bring him back on a two-year deal that included a $1 million signing bonus.
“The offseason this year I worked my butt off and learned the ins and outs of what quarterbacks are looking at and timing their keys because we’re Blitzburgh here,” he said. “We like to blitz the nickel, and I wanted to see what I could do to help the defense.”
After missing two preseason games with a hamstring injury, the 29-year-old Maulet got a chance to show what he could do against the Bengals. He played 60 of the 100 snaps, his role increasing when cornerback Levi Wallace left in the second half with an ankle injury.
“He’s getting more comfortable in his shoes,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s displayed by the extent in which he communicates. He’s a good tackler, he’s a good blitzer, he does the things that we need that position to do and that’s why we were interested in him. But I think in Year 2, I just feel more fluid communication from him, and I think that’s helpful to him and it’s helpful to those around him.”
Maulet’s three pressures led all NFL cornerbacks in Week 1, and he was one of only two corners with two hurries. In Pro Football Focus’ subjective grading system, Maulet’s pass rushing graded second to T.J. Watt among Steelers pass rushers, faring higher than Alex Highsmith, who had three sacks.
“That’s one of the things Arthur does well,” defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “He’s a tough guy, a feisty guy and a really good blitzer. He came in and had an opportunity to get two sacks, and that was needed at the time.”
Maulet also earned PFF’s top run defense grade on the Steelers and ranked sixth among all NFL corners in that category.
Like Hilton, Maulet doesn’t have the stature to intimidate opponents, but he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
“I’m not scared,” he said. “I think I’m a great run fitter. I pride myself in tackling. I’m not scared to stick my nose in it. I’m a high energy, effort guy, and I’m going to give my all every snap and make sure I can do what I can for the team.”