Start with the fact that the man's face is so far undercover even his mother might not recognize him.
But Brett Keisel was recognized with a replacement Pro Bowl nod in the AFC, not bad for an undecorated veteran that only played 10 full games — and put up the kind of numbers that make you stand in with the crowd instead of out of it (20 tackles, three sacks).
Good to know that someone out there was paying attention. By definition, the role of defensive end in a 3-4 is a thankless job, and it's especially true with the Pittsburgh Steelers playing in front of those great linebackers.
Keisel doesn't just do his job, he does it very well, and will have to do so again this weekend. Here's a look at the man last seen at a casting call to be the next Brawny spokesmodel.
The story has become worryingly familiar for the Pittsburgh Steelers. All-Pro lineman Aaron Smith, arguably one of the game’s finest 3-4 ends, starts the year fine and strong, then ends up going down with a serious injury and leaving the Steelers’ remaining defensive front undermanned and overmatched.
It’s the reason the Steelers invested a high draft pick in Ziggy Hood – journeyman Nick Eason wasn’t getting it done, and Keisel, over 30 years of age, hadn't been able to hold up without Smith in 2009 when he was expected to play every snap on D.
This year has been different, though.
When Smith again went down, lost for the rest of the regular season with a torn triceps, Keisel has risen to the challenge — perhaps because the Steelers have been careful to maintain his limited snaps.
In 2008 Keisel was a fine run defender, if a limited pass rusher, playing just 468 snaps for the Steelers as Aaron Smith recorded 860. When Smith went down in 2009, Keisel ended the year with 870 snaps under his belt and an average of 54 a game, and it had an impact in his play. He was still a limited pass rusher, but no longer had the positive grade in the run game.
This season the Steelers have shared the load more evenly amongst Smith’s replacements at defensive end, with Ziggy Hood, Keisel and Nick Eason all recording fewer than 700 snaps for the season. The 459 that Keisel have played (43 a game) seems to have allowed him to be more effective, earning comfortably his best grade since PFF has been in operation.
While Eason and Ziggy Hood have been earning consistently negative grades (even in the postseason, despite several reports of the improved play of Hood in particular), it is the improved performance of Keisel that is really making the difference. A look at his player chart shows a player with only a couple of peaks, but more importantly almost no valleys.
It’s quite possible that his upturn in fortune has something to do with the growth of one of the most epic beards to grace a football player — or any human being — in some time. Keisel apparently started growing the beard sometime around June, and when asked recently was there a reason behind it, he reportedly replied “Yeah, to look like this.” Given the improved play of Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick this season while also sporting a particularly impressive beard, we can’t help but wonder if we’ve stumbled onto something.
While the Steelers would love to get Smith back in the lineup, Keisel and his beard have minimized his absence nicely. Another strong performance from him Sunday might buy the Steelers enough time to get both of their best DEs in the lineup at the same time, at the most important time of the season.
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